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Interrupted Journeys: Part 5 Journeys in Mirkwood by elliska	4 Review(s)
perelleth	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 3/14/2009
Ok, at last! I read the chapter at the beginning of the week but did not have the chance to sit down and review properly. That tapestry is oging to cause a lot fo trouble! I could not hold back my chuckles just figuring the children packed there and listening to the terrible tale! But I really liked this glance at the events in eriador seen by the other side of the mountains and the river. Indeed the elves of greenwood did not take part on those event, snot even when Lorien sent in help of beiseged Imladris, and yet the outcome will no doubt affect them. But it was wondrous! The tension and implications and how the children noticed by the place in which Araduronn was seated the gravity of what was going on!!! galithil is surely going to be a pain for his father! And jsut if it ws not enough that in his eagerness and mixed motivations he has a reason to worry, Dolgailon reopens the wound of his beong sent to the capital. This part of THranduil's family is wonderfully complex, Elliska. Araduronn sounds as hote headed as his adar, and yet he really made me proud when he quickly decided to pull his village back. And then I really liked his patient conversation with his hurried son. And yet, troble is ahead for all of them, I fear. Well. I'm waiting. Author Reply: So sorry to be so long in answering this. I was without Internet for a bit. I am catching up on online life today. :-) You're right. The tapestry is going to cause trouble down the line! But it would be completely irresistible, don't you think?! I had fun showing the Mirkwood Elves' reactions to the fall of Angmar. It had to be hopeful and terrifying all at once, because as you said, the Wise understand these are events that will affect everyone. galithil is surely going to be a pain for his father! Boy are you right. I love Thranduil's family, but times are getting darker for them. Thanks so much for the review! I really appreciate them. Now I am off to do some reading myself. :-)

Elena Tiriel	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 3/13/2009
Ah, a good character-building chapter (am in the midst of writing one of those for my WIP, so I'm especially interested in how well you pulled it off). We really get to see the differences between the children, in how they act.... each in his or her unique way. Galithil was perfectly happy to shave some of the truth when they were apologizing to their parents, but Legolas was not.... And Anastor and Noruil reacted, as usual, like jerks when Galithil told them about the planned hunt. And Eirenil is so prim, but doesn't hesitate to eavesdrop when she thinks (rightly) that something important is being discussed. And Aradunnon surprised the heck out of his brother. I like how you play with point-of-view here. For example, it never occurred to me that "Last King" was such a silly name to saddle an heir with. And the dry historic recounting of the fall of the North-kingdom and the flight of the Witch-king in the Appendices don't have nearly the emotional power that you imbue them with, as the Elves learn of them for the first time. Nicely done, and I'm glad you survived your exams intact..... - Barbara Author Reply: I am so sorry to be so long in answering this. I was on a little mini vacation and I forgot my laptop. :-) I like writing 'character' chapters. They are fun. I'm really glad the differences between the children, especially Legolas and Galithil come out ok. And I amused myself with the idea of Eirienil already being behind the tapestry listening. She so would do it though, for something she wanted to know. ;-) I also had fun with the Last King name. If you didn't know why he had that name, it would seem horrible! Poor guy. Thanks so much for the review! I appreciate it so much!

Sulwing of Mirkwood	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 3/8/2009
Well, not as much action in this one, but still very entertaining. Okay, so Legolas doesn't always make the best decisions. Just when the elflings get off easy on one misdemeanor, they go commit another one. They are going to get caught eavesdropping one day, and it won't be pretty. Oh, wow, I was so not ready for Aradunnon to actually agree with Thranduil on the village issue. I guess he couldn't put off the inevitable. By the way, I like how you tie up the history of ME with your story; it sort of gives it a more, um, cannonish feel? Er, realish? Or something like that. Hope you get the drift. ;) Hope your exams went well. I just finished mine the other day! :) Spring break! Hmmm...how to spend it...oh I know! Stay up all night reading LotR fanfiction! What can I say? I'm obsessed! ;) Author Reply: No this chapter (and the next one) will be a bit of set up before things go drastically downhill again for everyone involved. :-) Okay, so Legolas doesn't always make the best decisions. Just when the elflings get off easy on one misdemeanor, they go commit another one. They are going to get caught eavesdropping one day, and it won't be pretty. Hehehe! You are sooo right. There will be more conversation about that in the next chapter, but there will be more in another story too. Oh, wow, I was so not ready for Aradunnon to actually agree with Thranduil on the village issue. LOL again! Neither was Thranduil. I think news of Arnor falling to the Witch King would have to be a bit of an eye-opener for everyone involved. You can deny in your mind the seriousness of a situation if you try really hard--right up until you are confronted with a reality like this. It bothered Thranduil, but it really made Aradunnon think. By the way, I like how you tie up the history of ME with your story; Awesome! I love doing that too, but it is a balance. Trying to use things, but not overwork them. I just finished mine the other day! That feels good, doesn't it!! I have Spring Break next week and a big long list of fanfic to catch up on. Yes, it is very good! :-) Thanks so much for the review!

daw the minstrel	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 3/8/2009
Going so far abroad that they were attacked by spiders was a whole new world of trouble, Galithil expected. Good guess, Galithil! It's interesting to see the guard "take Legolas seriously." I suppose when you're the king's only son and are starting to grow up, that happens. Or maybe Legolas has just learned a few tricks from his father. I like the way the kids are normally invited to sit in on important meetings. That reflects their world, rather than ours, where children are segregated off. Though of course, Galithil would say they're not "children" any more, and maybe that's true. They're at least old enough to hold their tongues about what they might hear. But Galithil seems to see Legolas's apology as a ploy for appeasing their angry parents, whereas I'll bet Legolas really means it. OTOH, even Legolas isn't averse to a little spying. Which is ok by me in some ways because it means we get to hear about a canon event in a novel way. To me, that's always one of the challenges of writing fanfic. How do you tell stuff the reader already knows in a way that adds value? In this case, we get the shocked reaction of the elves, which gives us a real sense of the horror. Knowing that an entire kingdom was destroyed must scare the bejeebers out of the elflings, and not only them. It's interesting to see the adults reacting in ways both predictable and unpredictable. "Do not shrug as if the difference between your uncle 'making' me do something and me doing it voluntarily is nothing, ion nin. I do not want your association with Dannenion and Dolwon to color your perception of the way Thranduil manages this kingdom." That's interesting. Galithil is probably more easily influenced that Legolas because he's impulsive. He has a good heart, though, despite his wily arguments to get what he wants. His father does a good job with that one: be honest with yourself about why you do things. We'll see how much of that Galithil took in. Author Reply: Good guess, Galithil! Hehehe! Yeah, I had fun with that line. They were lucky their parents are distracted by other things. They discuss that in the next chapter (assuming things get cut the way I'm currently planning). I had fun with Galithil's reaction to people taking Legolas seriously too. I think that's a function, as you say, of getting older as the King's oldest son. It is also a function of being someone that behaves (for a child) in a way that earns respect. Galithil doesn't quite see that. But Galithil seems to see Legolas's apology as a ploy for appeasing their angry parents, whereas I'll bet Legolas really means it. Bingo. :-) OTOH, even Legolas isn't averse to a little spying. Bingo again. I had fun with that. Legolas really values honesty, especially since he's seen what he sees as a lack of it in many of his cousin's actions. But he doesn't hesitate to spy. Galithil is going to have fun pointing that out to Legolas in the next chapter. And boy are you right about canon and building it into the story in an interesting way. Sometimes seeing it from the characters' POV makes for a whole great story on its own. In this case, I couldn't resist it because, in his heart, Thranduil must really have been disturbed by the fact that the Witch-King finally finished off Arnor. Especially given what he suspects is in his forest. Plus, belief that what fled from Angmar is now in the southern forest is the whole basis for the rest of the plot of this story, so... ;-) Galithil is probably more easily influenced that Legolas because he's impulsive. This is pretty central, actually, though it looks like just a bit of conversation now. Galithil will think about this conversation again later in life and remember his father saying that to him. You don't really see it, because I haven't published some of the later parts of the last story, but Galithil is never told specifically why Dannenion and Dolwon are in the capital like Legolas was--he knows they did something pretty wrong (and he knows they're idiots), but he has no idea how bad what they did was. And, as you said, the impulsive part of him is a bit drawn to Anastor and Noruil, so it is an influence he could fall into if he's not careful. We'll see how much of that Galithil took in. Not enough, of course. ;-) But he'll get it by the story's end. Thanks so much for the review!

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