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Elf Academy 3: The Enemy Within by Fiondil	18 Review(s)
Kitty	Reviewed Chapter: 49 on 6/24/2014
lol Derek has really a way to break up arguments, seeing how he dealt with Zach and Glorfindel. Have I mentioned lately that I like him a lot? While I can understand that Derek and Zach don't like the idea of being sent away, I believe it is a wise decision, particularly for Zach, who isn't trained as an agent in any way. And I am glad someone thought of the Steiners after what happened last time. They are such a nice couple. Hm, the Agency taking Farrell out would be a good solution, because then neither Alex nor any of the Elves would have him on their conscience, and frankly, a guy like Farrell on the loose and ignoring orders, out to kill and not caring about who he drags into this should set alarm bells ringing even with the idiots who sprung him from prison. snicker Poor Gareth, it's obvious no one told them who exactly they would be hiding. Author Reply: Hi Kitty. Derek is pretty cool and there are depths to him that aren't immediately noticeable. Farrell is definitely a loose cannon for the Agency and they are just as inclined to take him down as Alex and the Elves. We'll see how it all goes soon enough. I think Daeron was being deliberately vague about who was coming down to Fairbanks. It's probably just as well. Email messages can be intercepted, so he was just being cautious not mentioning names. Thanks for commenting. I appreciate it.

obsidianj	Reviewed Chapter: 49 on 6/21/2014
So, the board is set to await Farrell. I just hope Alex calls for help when he needs it and doesn't do too many heroics on his own. Loved Gwyn's and Gareth' reaction to Amroth and Nimrodel... Even for elves it must me disconcerting having legends in your home and trying to hide them. Author Reply: Yes, the board is set, obsidianj. Whether Alex calls for help and tries not to be a hero on his own remains to be seen. And Gwyn and Gareth, never having lived with any other Elves but their parent, having any Elves out of legend visiting them has to be a shock, but I'm sure they'll adapt. grin Thanks for reviewing. I appreciate it.

FV_Whisper	Reviewed Chapter: 49 on 6/20/2014
Ah, Alex is the kind of person too where you have to pull it out of him before he starts to tell what's wrong. Good thing Derek is there to actually pull things out of him too. It's a good thing Alex is sending him away for his own safety, but being away from his friend for a longer time and pulled back into the game again might not be that well for Alex current fragile mental state I fear. Good thing the council was not just an Elves thing, but had Dave and Carl in out too. Seems like the Elves are making steps in not handling things alone. Poor Gwyn and Gareth. It seems things are getting just a bit to excited for them right now and to add to that they now suddenly have to legends standing on their doorstep. I'm sure they settle things once they've gotten used to the idea, though. Author Reply: Hi FV_Whisper. The situation with Farrell is definitely not a good one for Alex. There is the danger of him going completely over to Artemus and never coming back as Alex. We'll have to see how it goes with him. Hopefully, with the support of the Elves, he'll stay on an even keel. Gwyn and Gareth will adjust, but it really has to be a shock. Like having King Arthur and Queen Guinevere show up on your doorstep for tea. grin Thanks for reviewing. I appreciate it very much.

harrowcat	Reviewed Chapter: 49 on 6/18/2014
I am loving reading the reviews - and your responses almost as much as the story. Well.....maybe not quite almost. My only addition to the comments is remembering back to a remark about Farrell maybe not being quite the enemy Alex thinks he is and remembering who the true enemy is. (EA2 I think?) (My, my grammar sucks when I am tired.) Also, has Fairbanks suddenly got further away from Wiseman since EA1? Or is it that I don't understand travel and extreme climates coming from a mildish and wet England UK? You had people catching the bus there quite regularly, hanging about the Mall and even catching a movie before returning in time for tea. Author Reply: Hi Harrowcat. I confess that when I first wrote Elf Academy I wasn't as familiar with how long the trip between Fairbanks and Wiseman would take and in my story the area around Wiseman is more developed than it is in the real world. Still, in the winter months, travel would be slower. Even here in central New York, winter travel can be slow and hazardous under certain conditions. I live 20 minutes from my place of work, but there have been times when it's taken me close to an hour to travel the 10-12 miles that separate my home from my office. That might give you an idea about travel conditions. As for Farrell... you remember correctly and it was in EA2. I'm glad to know you are still enjoying the story. Thanks for letting me know. I appreciate it.

Dreamflower	Reviewed Chapter: 49 on 6/17/2014
Awesome chapter! The plot is thickening, the suspense is thrilling, and Farrell's going to be in for a big surprise! rubs hands in anticipation Looks like a really good ride for the next few chapters! I'm not fond of RL roller coasters, but I do enjoy literary ones. It seems pretty clear that one or more of the Enemy are pulling Farrell's strings, which accounts for the timing of a lot of events. I do hope we will eventually get to see who may be behind the scenes, so to speak, on the side of the Bad Guys. Zach reminds me of Pippin for some reason. grin I think it's his spunkiness and loyalty and his youth--and perhaps his appetite! You don't suppose he has Took in his blood somewhere in the far distant past, do you? Author Reply: Hi Dreamflower. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter and the suspense. We may never "see" who the Enemy is, since this story is through the eyes of the Elves and Mortals of Wiseman who are on the side of the angels, so to speak, but I hate to say never, because one doesn't know what the Muse has in store for one. Anyway, I can see Zach as Pippin. You may be right about the Took blood. grin Thanks for reviewing. I appreciate it very much.

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 49 on 6/16/2014
At least Farrell hopefully hasn't had the chance to learn about Tristan's boys in Fairbanks. Heh! I'm glad that Alex has such a guard. Having a Maia about is very handy for those who are in anticipation of possibly being bushwhacked. Author Reply: That's true, Larner, so Amroth and the others should be safe with Gwyn and Gareth. And while Alex doesn't think he needs a guard, others obviously do and so he's covered, as are others. Thanks for reviewing. I appreciate it.

MikoNoNyte	Reviewed Chapter: 49 on 6/16/2014
A couple of things came to mind while looking at this chapter. 1. Alex. He oh-so-much reminds me of Ethan Hunt of "Mission Impossible" fame. I recently saw a couple of the films and my immediate thought was of Alex. LOL I'm not going to be able to see Alex in any other light for a while. 2. I love Derek. He is funny, doesn't take Alex's guff for any reason and seems a very personable young man. And ex-Navy for the WIN! 3. Re: The Maiar and Valar and a certain statement in the last chapter that “We have no orders to interfere.” and “Not unless given explicit instructions to do so.” It almost seems as though they don't have Free Will. And thinking back at the Valar, the ONLY time I can recall them using such was when they erroneously culled the Eldar from Middle-earth. Well it seems Manwe learned his lesson, but what of the Maiar? Are they restricted as well? or do you think their free will is negated by some oath or decision made by the Valar or Eru? I know, you're not a philosopher but the Witch in me can't help but look at things like this and ask questions. It seems perhaps that, from my point of view, the Maiar are forbidden unless ORDERED or ASKED by whomever. Seems rather counter productive somehow, unless Eru has given them a directive to forestall "Great Journey" episodes in the future. grins Oh well. I owe you a review and this is not getting it written. Hope your week goes well, count me in at the Cliff House even though I'm obviously playing hookey from other things. I'll bring the Earl Grey and home-made oatmeal cookies. LOL Blessed Be, Fiondil. Author Reply: Hi MikoNoNyte. Yeah, Alex is a bit like Ethan Hunt, though I didn't have him in mind when I created the character. He's more like a conglomeration of all the spy characters I've ever seen on film or TV or read. Derek is a lot of fun and he's grown as a character who originally was just a walk-on (a lot of my best characters start out that way). I'm glad he's in Alex's life because Alex definitely needs someone like Derek to keep him grounded and sane. Now, as for the Maiar and the Valar: you are confusing the act of following the orders of a superior with lack of Free Will, which they all have. All Olórin is saying is that the Maiar will not interfere with the free-will choices of others, be they Men or Elves, unless given a direct order from above. Also, they cannot "help" unless asked. If you take this down to the human level, you know that you cannot help someone who does not want it. You can't force it on another person. To do so is to take away their right to choose their own path. This is no different. The Maiar have Free Will (they can choose to be in rebellion the way Melkor was or they can choose to be in obedience to the Valar and ultimately to the One) and the same is true with the Valar with respect to the One. As a Wiccan, you probably don't hold to the belief in guardian angels, but those who do know that these guardians are just that, guardians of our souls. They are allowed to inspire us toward goodness, but they cannot interfere with our right to choose otherwise. And they can only really offer divine protection when we ask for it and not before. I hope this makes sense (I'm working on my first cuppa as I write this so I'm not fully awake yet). Thanks for reviewing and thanks for your questions. You don't have to have a degree in philosophy to discuss such matters and I enjoy doing so. Blessed Be.

SashaHoneypalm	Reviewed Chapter: 49 on 6/16/2014
You're right, that was funny. It now occurs to me to wonder what Amroth and/or Nimrodel's reaction was when they first heard that song. And if they're really tired of it by now. It also occurs to me that I've been writing a lot of comments about "what's X's reaction", but reaction and revelation scenes are my favorites. That's why I'm so into DoubleG- as new guys, they're the ones getting the surprises. (I still hope we get a flashback to when the Twins mentioned Finrod and Glorfindel were about to stop by. Or at least an author's note). ;) Author Reply: Hi Sasha. I'm glad you found the scene with Gwyn and Gareth amusing. It is fun to see them acting so young in front of Zach, never mind Amroth and Nimrodel. And yeah, I'm sure they are tired of the song by now, although in EA2, we see Daeron singing it at the Blue Petrel bar in honor of their second wedding anniversary, so I guess they put up with it. We will probably never get a flashback about the 2Gs being told that Finrod and Glorfindel were dropping by, but I'm sure you can use your imagination to guess what their reactions were. Anyway, thanks for reviewing. I appreciate it.

Kevana	Reviewed Chapter: 49 on 6/16/2014
If you think I've taken off the gloves for this one, Kevana, just wait until EA4. grin ...gulp o.o Okay, forget the blanket and nailbiting, EA4 is going to require alcohol, tissues, and group hugs. -Kevana Author Reply: In spades, too. grin I just hope I can pull it off. I guess we'll see.

Soledad	Reviewed Chapter: 49 on 6/16/2014
Hmmm, I wonder who suggested Marty to send Derek home and why. Since he just hast to go back again... Alex is back in his element. You can take the boy out of the spying business but you can't take the spying business out of the boy, it seems. We'll see if his plan works or not. It didn't seem to back in EAII, most of the time. Gwyn and Gareth's reaction to the living legends walking into their home was adorable - and hardly surprising. I'd be a tad shocked, too, if St Elisabeth of Thüringen knocked on the door, saying that the mean relatives of her late hubby threw her out and could she, please, crash in my place for a few days. (She was Hungarian, you know.) g Author Reply: Hi Soledad. I don't know who 'inspired' Marty to send Derek home, and that's true that he just ended up going back, but he would've done so in the normal course of events anyway, just earlier than originally planned. We'll see how Alex handles being a spy again. You're right about not being able to take the spying business out of the boy. Gwyn's and Gareth's reactions were adorable, especially Gareth's. And I know of St. Elisabeth of Thüringen, being the good Catholic boy that I am. grin Thanks for reviewing. I appreciate it very much.

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