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Elf Academy 3: The Enemy Within by Fiondil	12 Review(s)
Kitty	Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 6/23/2014
That little discussion about life in Aman confirms my suspicion that the three Amigos were so easily throwing themselves into the life in Alaska because they have more freedom there and enjoy it. There's that arrogance again about the Rangers helping with the idea. It's really a bit depressing how some of the Elves still feel so superior. But I am glad the three youngsters warned Alex and Derek about it. It's telling that they chose these two instead of their own folks, isn't it? In any case, it's nice to hear a bit more about what the three youngsters did back in Aman, and having the five getting to know each other better as a byproduct of this invitation. Author Reply: Hi Kitty. Compared to the kind of life they were living in Aman, Alaska must feel like a breath of fresh air for these three and they are reveling in it. Alex and Derek, of course, were the first Mortals they'd ever met, so technically, they've known them longer than any others and they've learned to respect them. Thanks for reading and reviewing. I appreciate it very much.

obsidianj	Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 3/7/2014
Interesting lunch. The three amigos were very subtle in asking for help. And what do they expect Alex and Derek to do? It is a volatile situation. The elves who don't see the mortals as "worthy" will not be convinced otherwise if Ales and Derek say so. They have their opinions and it will be hard to convince them otherwise. The elves have to sort this out themselves. Interference by the mortals will make the situation worse. Otoh, it is good that Alex and Derek are aware that there is this situation and they can keep their eyes and ears open to maybe diffuse and understand an event that would otherwise get ugly. Author Reply: Hi obsidianj. Yes, they were pretty subtle, probably more than they needed to be but at least Alex and Derek were able to pick up on it. Hopefully they will be able to act on this knowledge for the benefit of all. Thanks for reviewing. It's much appreciated.

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 3/1/2014
Forewarned hopefully means forearmed in this case. Now, to see what comes of all this. Good to see the three amigos growing up so well. And Derek could probably learn some from their new friend. Author Reply: That's true, Larner. We'll see how various people handle things (or not) in the next few chapters given the information they have at present. The Three Amigos are indeed maturing and I'm sure Derek and Elennen will be spending many hours trading sea stories in the future. Thanks for reviewing. It's appreciated.

Dreamflower	Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 2/28/2014
I think they were being almost too subtle; I didn't realize until they left that they were hinting around for help--. Still, Alex and Derek picked up on it anyway, which is the important thing. "Marchwardens" eh? Now I'm going to have to go back and look. I'm glad the younger Elves are getting a taste of real freedom, without the restrictions of guards and servants. Author Reply: I think you're right about that, Dreamflower, but at least they weren't so subtle that Alex and Derek didn't pick up on it and, as you say, that's the important thing. There was one Valinórean Elf whom I did not name as I had been debating who came and who didn't, but you can guess who the last Elf may be and we'll see evidence of that in this story. If the younger Elves ever had to go back to Valinor, I'm sure they would not want to, knowing how restrictive their lives would be there. Once out of the cage, they wouldn't want to go back in, and who could blame them? Thanks for leaving a review. It's very much appreciated.

Soledad	Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 2/28/2014
When I read the title, I immediately got worried for Glorfindel - the poor Elf often gets to be the bait, doesn't he? But it was very mature for the Three Amigos to act the way they did. They've learned a lot, in a very short time. Interesting details about their duties in Aman. Do I see a beautiful friendship being born between the two sailors? g Author Reply: Hi Soledad. Others who are familiar with my Elf, Interrupted series probably thought the same thing when they saw the title, but not this time. The Three Amigos were being very mature here, if a bit more subtle than they needed to be. I'm sure Elennen and Derek will have many sea stories to trade between then. grin Thanks for reviewing. It's much appreciated.

Kevana	Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 2/28/2014
All right, it's about time to do this. gets out the soapbox (No no, don't run away!) Some Mortal desperately needs to take the Elves from Valinor to a good history museum, or to a professional orchestra performance, or to one of the big art museums, or to a ballet, a professional ice skating competition, the X-Games, an air show with fighter jets – or better yet, ALL of the above and then some! Show them New York, the Smithsonian, the Air and Space Museum. The architecture of D.C., the soul of New Orleans, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Heck, I'd settle for a rock concert! A big college football game! Something! Anything! And that's just being hopelessly U.S.-centric. Take them to Rome, to Paris, to Sydney, to London, to Venice! These Elves have a horribly limited view of Mortals and Mortal society. That's not necessarily their fault or really anybody's fault. But it's got to stop. They can see the bad for themselves. All of them – from Finrod to Finda – desperately need someone to take them by the hand and show them the good. Right now, all they're doing is looking at Mortals and sizing them up against cardboard cutouts of their own heroes – Beren and Co., i.e., those painfully few Mortals who ever lived up to the standards the Elves themselves set (forget learning to take Mortals on their own terms, Finrod not withstanding obviously). I think the Elves who did know those people have a responsibility to stop that "those Mortals were great but who the hell are THESE people with zits and potbellies and the flu" mentality. You can't tell me Finrod never saw Beren sneeze or trip or say something hopelessly stupid. Those vaunted heroes were vaunted for a reason, but they were also human (well, ok, a little bit of angel in the mix, LOL). Finrod and Beleg and Legolas and the like need to speak up and dispel this frankly unhealthy hero-worship to help the others come to a better understanding of reality. That is, if they themselves are at a point where they could talk about their long-gone friends without those rose-colored glasses (and I bet they are). The Elves don't understand that brave people don't just spring forth with swords in hands ready to wrest a Silmaril from Morgoth's crown. They don't see the terrible glory and fearful burden of choice that each and every person has. They're walking past Berens and Eowyns on the street every single day without even seeing them. They don't understand they're at the start of the journey, not the end. They're looking at unmined gems and comparing them to cut diamonds. They aren't able to see potential, which isn't their fault either, but it could cause a whole lot of problems. If the Elves hang in there long enough, I have every confidence people like Alex and Derek and even those "not-warriors" like Zach and Nick are going to show them courage like nothing they've ever known, and sooner or later they'll see the truth for themselves. If they don't tear each other apart first. In conclusion, the biggest problem isn't they're crammed together under one roof. It's not that they're currently of questionable legal status at best. It's not that they don't have jobs or something to do, not even that, as awful as it is, they feel that they don't have purpose (that's a close second though). The biggest problem is that somewhere between Valinor and Middle-Earth, they have forgotten hope. And the greatest thing the Mortals of Wiseman could do is to help them get it back. And that is my .02 on Elf-Mortal relations in Wiseman. puts away soapbox Great chapter as always and cannot wait to see where it goes! Lotsa good thoughts your way, Fiondil! Take care! -Kevana Author Reply: Whew! That's some soapbox you've got there, Kevana! LOL! Trust me, everything you say is true. It'll take time though to show them all that living in the boonies as they do. But time is on their side and I think things will happen to wake the Elves up to reality soon enough. I'm sure the Wiseman Elves are capable of telling their stories about the Mortals they've known, but telling really isn't the same as showing, is it? Anyway, we'll see how things go from here. The excitement isn't over with yet! grin Thanks for your .02-worth. I appreciate it very much.

6336	Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 2/28/2014
Hm, difficult situation, a bit we know you don't like us but we are not going to say any thing about because we are afraid it will make things worse. I think acceptance will have to come from within the group, but it will have to come from the naysayers themselves, you can't tell adults to play nice, or they will be even harder to convince of the worth of Mortals. I don't think, some how, that Alex and Derek needing telling, I have the feeling that they already knew about the feelings of some of the Valinorean Elves, they now know however that it is not all of them. Well we are finally getting some rain here, which is good and bad, mud slippage and all that, But we got rain! (Does happy dance!) Stay warm and safe, Huggs, Lynda Author Reply: Hi Lynda. Alex and Derek certainly didn't need to be told what was up but I think they're glad to get confirmation from a reliable source, so to speak. We'll see how things go from here shortly. Thanks for reviewing. Glad you're finally getting rain. Hugs back.

Sunny	Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 2/28/2014
At least the "kids" seem to be adapting well (though I wonder what Finrod's reaction will be when Nell discovers the concept of Women's Liberation...) And they are clear-eyed enough to see that some of the others aren't doing so well. But what to do about it - they are adults, yes, but I get the feeling that since they are younger than the other Valinorean Elves, they will be ignored - or they fear they will be ignored - because of their youth. They understand that _something_ needs to be done, but are unsure of exactly what, and are reaching out to Alex and Derec as possible solutions for the problem. And they did get the message across. Alex and Derek will keep their eyes peeled, and hopefully will be available to help when the shit hits the fan. Author Reply: Hi Sunny. All that you say is true and we'll see shortly how Alex and Derek (and others) handle the situation and what happens afterwards. Thanks for leaving a comment. It's much appreciated.

Ellie	Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 2/28/2014
I bet that was an intersting lunch. It was amusing with the three being so proud ot be able to pay for the lunch themselves. I find it fascinating that the three amigos are ancient by our standards yet they are very much like children in their maturity - at least among the mortals. I wdoner if their being the youngest has made their elderd intentionally or even unintentionally try to keep them young so to speak. Their elders don't want to let go of the last of the younglings so they keep them dependent and "young". Coming to Middle-Earth is a much needed education for them all. Author Reply: Hi Ellie. I think you're right about the older Elves treating the Three Amigos and Nell as if they were still elflings. I have the feeling these were one of the last children born in Aman and that's why they are looked up as being 'young', certainly by elvish standards. Coming to Middle-earth is indeed a much needed education for them all. It's good that the Three Amigos and Nell are integrating themselves so well into the mortal society. It should only help in the long run. Thanks for reviewing. It's always appreciated.

Rhyselle	Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 2/28/2014
Well, I FINALLY got caught up on all the chapters, and my initial response is "Wow!" (I don't have time to exhaustively review all of the prior chapters, so this is more of an overview review of the whole story so far. I really like the idea of the internal enemy, both within oneself, and within the group as a whole. It has the potential of being just as exciting as having an external enemy actively attacking. :-) Of course, I love the times when the chapters are written from Finrod's point of view. As much as I enjoy the way you write Glorfindel, I fell in love with your interpretation of Finrod back in Elf Interrupted, and that love has grown stronger with each tale that you have told about him and his life. It's nice to see that the "younger generation" of Elves are adapting so well. It's so funny that the mortals want to treat Findalaure and his friends as teenagers and twenty-somethings when they're well past their elvish adolescence. But they do behave in a "young" manner when they are at ease--and their explanation to Alex and Derek about this being their first opportunity to be freed from the constraints and restrictions of being members of a royal or noble family in the Undying Lands helps me to understand why. So many agendas out there... the "kids" are worried and scared and trying to ask for help, but being a bit too subtle about it, I think. Alex and Derek are having to find their own balance in their relationship with the Elves, and so aren't necessarily going to make the "best" decisions every time, such as their decision here to let Elves sort their own problems out for now (at least, that's my opinion so far). The "Wiseman Elves"/"Valinor Elves" divide worries me a lot. The very last thing that Arda needs is to have those assigned to get us prepared for the final showdown with Melkor end up helping the Enemy in his work. If the rest of the tale is as intriguing as these 18 chapters, I know that I'm really going to enjoy it. Oh, while reading this, I've been thinking about the different groups of Elves (Wiseman, Valinor, and now "the Kids"), I kept coming back to the levels of arrogance and scorn displayed for us mortals and our society. The Wiseman Elves aren't perfect by a long shot, but have had all the millennia that they've been in Middle Earth to temper their native arrogance with humility and the experience of the reality of what Man has accomplished as time has moved on. The Valinor Elves are hobbled by memories, and then stories of what mortals were like back in the First, Second, Third and Fourth Ages. The tales they heard indicated that except for a very few exceptional mortals like Beren, Aragorn, etc., that Elves "have always been better" (even though the Elves' own history proves that isn't true). So they are going to have to learn to bend and adapt and to humble themselves to make their mission work. Then there are "the Kids". :-) The Gwedyr and Nell all made mistakes at first, but they are flexible enough to bend and learn; and, more importantly, willing to do so. I think that while Glorfindel is the vice-gerent for Manwe in Middle-earth now, and Finrod's job is to help heal the people of whatever race he meets, it is this "younger" generation of Elves who will be the ones who will really come to bind together Elvenkind and Mankind so that all of us will be able to stand against the Enemy in the last days. And I'm looking forward to watching them do it. :-) As always, your chapters deserve a hearty "Well Done!" :-) Author Reply: Hi Rhyselle. Long time, no see. Glad you were finally able to catch up on the chapters. The whole concept of an enemy within and the arrogance of the Elves go hand-in-hand and we will see what the fall-out will be from it. The 'Kids', as you call them, were perhaps being more subtle than they needed to be, but Alex and Derek are savvy enough to read between the lines and pick up on what they were trying to convey without actually saying anything. I think you're right that the younger generation will help lead the way where the older generation of Valinórean Elves will stumble. We'll just have to see. Enjoy the rest of the story. I promise, they will be quite intriguing and fun and everything in between. grin Thanks for taking the time to leave a review. You know how appreciative I am.

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