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On Border Patrol  by Manderly 5 Review(s)
thechevinReviewed Chapter: 5 on 7/11/2005
So now Legolas really knows what a border patrol is like and it isn't at all what he anticipated. There is excitement but the aftermath is not easy to deal with
The fact that he is the son of the king means he is inevitably being kept under scrutiny and that any mistakes he makes will be public ones.
His fears of failure are made worse I expect because he is currently suffering from a bad attack of home sickness it must be hard indeed to admit any of this so thank goodness for Hesin. He is giving support quietly and offering his guidance without making Legolas feel even more inadequate.
I just knew that Bainion was going to cause trouble I hope that Hesin can protect his charge
I thought it showed how much Legolas has come to trust Hesin that he felt he could tease him a little over knowing he was there as his guard but it also showed his real worries over someone he has learned to care for laying down their life for him again
Another lovely chapter I am so enjoying watching Legolas finding his way as a young warrior

Author Reply: I guess we all suffer from what we fantacize about and what is in fact reality and Legolas is no different, but like you said, everything is magnified because he is the king's son. And on top of it all is homesickness. No wonder he's even missing the fussing from his brothers and father. Like you said, good thing he has Hesin to balance things out.

I hadn't given much thought really as to how I would develop the relationship between Legolas and Hesin before I started writing this story, but it's almost developing on its own without much effort, thank goodness!

Bainion is not getting much of a welcome here, and probably for good reason. He is not a pleasant one.

Thanks for reviewing!

BodkinReviewed Chapter: 5 on 7/11/2005
Legolas is delightfully modest - and doesn't expect to be offered respect on a plate because of who he is - but he's no mug! I like his timing in admitting to Hesin that he knows that Hesin has been given the task of minding him and is actually quite surprised to have got away with so little cosseting.

It sounds as if Bainion might be a bit of a problem. Rigid and, it seems, a touch resentful.

And confronting orcs - not quite the same as wrestling pigs, but the pigs are probably good training! I'm glad to see he isn't taking battle in his stride - it's much more realistic to see him struggling a bit with the realities of battle. And missing his family. Very natural.

I hope Hesin manages to survive his guard duties - I like him and his death wouldn't be psychologically good for Legolas either.

Author Reply: With three accomplished older brothers before him, it must be hard for Legolas to develop any sense of arrogance. I've always pictured the Legolas in my stories as spoiled, but only in the inconsequential matters and only when he's with his family. I think being arrogant in a place like Mirkwood is an invitation to danger.

Oh, I am sure the pigs provided good training for Legolas - at least in desensitizing his sense of smell if in nothing else.

Bainion will have a part to play in this story, and not altogether a pleasant part either as far as Legolas is concerned. At least he has Hesin to balance things out a bit.

Thanks for reviewing.

elliskaReviewed Chapter: 5 on 7/10/2005
Poor Legolas. Reality is bound to set in eventually, and missing home/family and feeling uncertain is going to be part of that. He seems to be handling it well with Hesin's help, though. Good for them--they seem to get along well, even though Hesin has more of a role than Legolas may like.

Bainion, on the other hand, has the potential to be a real pain. We'll see where that develops. Another great chapter. Thanks!

Author Reply: It's always hard to be away from home/family for the first time and pangs of homesickness strike even harder when one has to deal with less than friendly people like Bainion. I am sure Legolas must be fantacizing about big brother Feren putting Bainion in his place.

Bainion will be a pain. That much I can tell you.

Thanks for reviewing.

French PonyReviewed Chapter: 5 on 7/10/2005
This is the point where my mother would look at Legolas, smile, and say, "Well, the bloom is off the rose now." He's adjusting to Real Life as a warrior, with all the little hardships that such an adjustment implies. It looks like he still had some youthful adventure fantasies that survived his time in the Home Guard, and he's now going through that stage where the last of his illusions are going down the drain.

I liked the part where he was reading the letter, because I remember Hesin mentioning that he'd soon come to treasure every word written from home. Listen to Hesin, for he is wise.

And Legolas is wise as well, wise to Thranduil's little bodyguarding scheme. He took it well enough, though, and this looks like it'll be a good partnership. I think a lot of that is because both Hesin and Legolas do see it as a partnership, so there's not much resentment on either side of things.

Author Reply: Your mother is a very wise woman and I am pretty certain that all mothers will come to such a conclusion eventually as their children grow and leave. In a way, it's sad for young adults to leave behind their youthful fantasies and dreams in the face of Real Life. It's almost akin to losing their innocence.

I've come to the conclusion that kids will never accept the word of their elders as the truth, until they have lived through the experience for themselves. At least Hesin didn't say 'I told you so' when he caught Legolas poring over the letters.

The Legolas in this story is still young, but I am trying very hard to give him a budding sense of maturity. I thought having him accept Hesin so matter-of-factly might help to do the trick. Ånd you are so right. It is a partnership between Legolas and Hesin. Maybe big brother Feren really knows his brother after all.

Thanks for reviewing.

daw the minstrelReviewed Chapter: 5 on 7/10/2005
Legolas's uncertainty seems realistic to me. He probably needs to prove his skills to himself as much as to anyone else. He's being very mature in accepting Hesin's presence so coolly.

Author Reply: You are right. I think Legolas feels that he needs to prove his skills to himself as well as to the other warriors. The poor kid probablys feels a load of pressure on him with all eyes watching. And having an unsympathetic lieutenant certainly doesn't help things. Sometimes it's not much fun being the king's son. Thanks for reviewing.

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