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Interrupted Journeys 9: Bitter Paths by elliska	6 Review(s)
Morn	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 1/9/2013
Slaves! I had, like Anaster, presumed they were going to be held for ransum, or killed. I like that about your story, you never seem to go for the obvious. Keeps me on my toes. I'm not sure if Thranduil finding Dannenion and Tulus working together, even if it is for good, will end well. I laughed at your review mentioning the warrior princess,I was certain that's what she was about to go and do, especially with the guard's "You will wait?" comment. I think you've written her very well in this, any mother would be going absolutely mad right now! As his father is too, no doubt. And the timeline you posted was definately helpful in making sense of it, thanks for that, it's good to know a bit more precisely. That hot spit cannot be good... Author Reply: Good! I'm glad I can keep you guessing. That makes me very happy indeed. (I'm feeling very mean). ;-) Yeah, Thranduil just isn't going to like what he sees, is he? There's going to be a lot that he sees that he doesn't like, in truth. I'm glad you liked Lindomiel. Tolkien doesn't give too much time to mothers, but I can't ignore Lindomiel. And she is a capable person. Anyone would want to feel useful in a situation like this, so I wanted to give her that chance. I just decided not to let her go all Xena on us just yet. Glad the timeline helps. It really is hard in this one! :-) You're right about the spit. Thanks so much for the reviews! I really appreciate them!

perelleth	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 1/9/2013
Wow, this is very tense and dark. I was laughing at your reply to fantasia, about Lindomeiel warrior princess, because for a moment there she looked on the brink of it! :-) it would have been fun, and fun is as far from this story as it can get I fear. I feel terribly sorry for Dannennion and Tulus. Thranduil's impatience may as well cost him a lot. Dismissing his nephew's father-in-law so ruthlessly, without recognizing the grieving father in him may have sad consequences for all involved. Since we all know that Legolas survives, that part really worries me less than what your OCs are going thrugh. How cool is that? Author Reply: Lindomiel Warrior Princess will have her day, but it shall not be this day, I'm afraid. :-) You should feel sorry for Dannenion and Tulus. Thranduil was wrong. He's going to see that himself and be called on it. But he's not the one who's going to pay the price as you observe because we know both Thranduil and Legolas make it to the 4th Age. Not paying the price makes it harder in a way, for an honorable person. Am I mean to be glad that I've worried you over the OCs? :-) Thanks so much for the reviews! I appreciate them so much!

picara	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 1/9/2013
Ah, Anastor! He is so indignant over the idea that the man might keep him as a slave. Somehow that reaction struck me as funny. And so typically like his family. They are going to see things exactly how they want, regardless of any evidence to the contrary. Yes, Anastor! That man is going to buy you and keep you as a slave. And it looks like it is going to be nasty. That ending is ominous. What could the man in the tent want with a hot spit? Nothing good. Update soon! Author Reply: I am enjoying Anastor in this story. He rarely gets so much 'screen time,' so this is kind of fun. 'Course, he's cruising to a huge fall, so, the fun won't last. The ending is indeed ominous. And I'm going to be mean and say no more. ;-) Thanks so much for the reviews! I really appreciate them!

Fantasia	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 1/8/2013
Well, at least Tulus and Dannenion are together. Gosh, I can't wait. Legolas is very wise for his age, a credit to his training. For a moment I thought that his mother will go after him, when she retrieved the information, but it seems that she has a very good common sense. As a note, let me apologize for my last review, I couldn't even read it, it is not English, not even Spanish, my excuse is that I was sick and in a very bad mood, because I was sick on the Holidays, imagine that... Author Reply: For a moment I thought that his mother will go after him All the way back in 2004 (has it really been that long!), when I first started posting this, I thought I had a complete, final draft of this story written. A lot of that draft has changed pretty radically as I thought through these characters more. Point is, in that very first draft, Lindomiel does go instead of Celonhael. And she had a bit more action than Celonhael will be shown having in this final version. But, that changed because it was very Zena Warrior Princess. Much of the original draft of this story makes me laugh at myself now. :-) This version seems much more in tune with what Lindomiel would really risk and what the guards would allow. I imagine none of Thranduil's guards really want to report to Thranduil that Lindomiel ran off and got killed. That would end badly for the guard. ;-) Legolas is keeping a very cool head and he is going to be very grateful for some of his training classes, that is certain. We'll see that. But he's coming to a very angsty moment too. Poor kid. let me apologize Nonsense! It was wonderful and I appreciated it so much. Reading and reviewing even when you are sick! That was above and beyond, and I appreciated it so much! As always, thanks so much for the reviews! I really appreciate all of them!

daw the minstrel	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 1/8/2013
Holy cow. The Legolas part of this was so tense, I had to click away and check my email to ease off a little. The idea of Legolas and Anastor being dragged bloody is horrifying. I can hardly stand to think of it. Thank you for not showing that directly, although Dannenion's images of what's happening to his child were bad enough. The womenfolk left behind certainly turned out to be good at getting information. Thranduil might take note. I hope the people they sent get there quickly. Poor Anastor took quite a while to process all this in his thick head. I can't blame him. This kind of evil is surely unbelievable when you first see it in person, even if you've heard about it before. So did Tulus take out some of the elves? I hope so. I was watching for this chapter last night and was disappointed not to see it, but now I'm grateful I didn't wind up reading it right before bedtime! Author Reply: LOL! Well, I'm glad it came across as tense. These last two chapters were hard to make tense while getting everything/one where they need to be. Thank you for not showing that directly Yeah, this is one of those things where imagining it is better than showing it, at least for me. I don't get into that really graphic stuff. I can't think of how I'd have written that from Legolas's POV, to be honest. Yeah, I don't even want to try. Poor Anastor. :-) He's lived in the nice, safe area around the stronghold his whole life. His dad talks a good game about how horrible the south is and how treacherous men are, and granted that Anastor saw that one battle in the south, but the truth is, he's been pretty sheltered. He's getting a crash course now. Poor kid. His world is changing. I might post the next few chapters faster, to get this closer to done before the semester starts and all heck breaks loose. Just FYI. Thanks so much for the reviews daw! I really appreciate them!

Charmel	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 1/8/2013
Excellent as always! I look forward to your updates. Just one request - on the timeline. Thranduil is a day behind Dannenion. How far is Dannenion behind Balchthor? I hope Anastor realizes just how much his father jeopardized his life by not giving Thranduil an idea of where to find them. He wasted precious time and they may have been able to catch them before they were sold. Author Reply: Argh! The timeline on this! Yeah, I had to write it out to keep it straight myself. Here's what I typed up (cleaned up a bit so it would make sense to anyone but me): From Legolas and Anastor's POV: the story started in the late morning, so it took the rest of that day and until just before dawn that night to arrive at where Fuilin was waiting for them. Then it took another day to go from there to Balchthor's camp. That is a little less than two full days traveling for them. Tulus leaves from the border immediately after he is found and released, so he is just a little behind them, but he is on foot while Legolas and Anastor ae on horseback--albeit horses carrying two). Tulus gets to Fuilin's encampment after Legolas and Anastor leave it, but he is still close on their trail. Dannenion (and Thranduil) do not hear about this until nightfall of the day Legolas and Anastor are taken, so Legolas and Anastor are halfway to Fuilin's camp by the time the news even reaches the stronghold. Dannenion knows where the encampment is and he goes straight there from the stronghold. He's on horseback too, so he can move faster. He gets to Fuilin's encampment about the same time Legolas and Anastor are getting to Balchthor's camp with him. So Dannenion is about half a day behind them, and catches up, along with Tulus, in the middle of Legolas and Anastor's first night in Balchthor's tent. But, Tulus and Dannenion end up waiting for a better opportunity to rescue Legolas and Anastor, because they can't see if there is a man in the tent with them (there is--Balchthor is in there with them). Thranduil is the furthest behind because in order to pick up Legolas's trail (since no one told him where Fuilin hides out), he had to go back to the border (he'd get there by morning--same time Legolas and Anastor are being sold) and then follow the trail (a day and night ride). So, worst case scenario, Thranduil is a day and night behind Dannenion and Tulus, who are waiting for their opportunity to attempt a rescue. The next chapter will open after Tulus and Dannenion have waited half the night, until dawn the next morning. So, worst case scenario, Thranduil is still a half day behind. Whew! :-) But the point of all that calculating is important and exactly as you said: if Dannenion had simply told Thranduil that he knew of the meeting place, he would not have had to wait to sneak out and he and Thranduil might have made it in time to spare everyone a good deal of misery. And Anastor is definitely smart enough to figure all that out. His mind is already racing, trying to figure out why he is involved in all of this and he doesn't like the answer Demil and Fuilin gave him about his father in the last chapter. Or the evasive answer Legolas gave him. Anastor is in for a rough ride in all this. So is Dannenion. Thanks so much for the review! And the opportunity to post something about the timeline. Believe me, I know it is hard to follow! :-)

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