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| Interrupted Journeys 12: To Fall into Shadow by elliska | 7 Review(s) |
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| cbellea | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 3/12/2014 |
| Sorry for reviewing so late! Wow I am so impressed by Galithil's faked diplomacy! He was very convincing. Reading Manadhien's thoughts about Galithil made me feel a twinge of sadness for her- the fact that Galithil reminds her of some sweeter times in Fingolfin and then Fingon's courts, and the fact that she acknowledges this but still feels the need to hurt Galithil, makes me wonder what exactly made her become like this. It is sad that she recognizes and likes the goodness in Galithil, but is too driven by madness to spare him. On a lighter note, I loved loved loved the archery tournament between Thranduil and Legolas- very well written and funny! I also loved it when Thranduil finally realized how good his son was at getting out of trouble! Helindilme is an interesting character- I hope Thranduil becomes more comfortable with her and lets her help his family, both in terms of giving them information about Manadhien and also mentally healing them. Can't wait for the next chapter! Author Reply: Sorry for replying so slowly. It's been a crazy winter! I'm glad Galithil impressed you. He's got a lot ahead of him in this story, so I hope he continues to do so. And I'm glad I made you feel for Manadhien, just a little. That was my goal, of course. :-) She's crazy, but she had earned it. More and more will come out now. And I'm so glad you liked the archery contest. I had so much fun with that myself and I just refused to cut it again, even if it made the chapter insanely long, It has its reasons for being there later on, anyway. Glad you thought Helindilme was interesting. She'll reappear later. Thanks so much for the reviews! I appreciate them so much! | |
| Lenielestel | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 3/10/2014 |
| Ah! Alas that I have come to the end, and yet not the end! :-) I love your story! English does not do that sentiment justice. I find myself wishing for a television series...Mirkwood! I am anxiously awaiting the next chapter! Reading your amazing work recently got me through a horrid week of pneumonia-like coughing. I slept little, and not all because of the breathing difficulties! I could not put the story down, and attempts to pace myself as I realized I was nearing the end were unsuccessful. I had to know what happened next! And now I am re-reading from the beginning with a friend. Joy upon joy! I love your perspective on Thranduil and his realm, and your writing is so descriptive I feel like I am actually there. I do believe you might be a kindred spirit! I write a little story for my own amusement, and admit that I take much of your work as canon when it comes to the Woodland Realm. I also read the Silmarillion with much more interest and understanding, thanks to your expansion of those stories! Thank you so much for sharing your creativity! Author Reply: Sorry to be a while in replying. I was concentrating on the next chapter to try to finish getting it ready before I go on Spring Break next week. I am so thrilled that you're enjoying my story. And wishing for a TV series. (I'd love a nice Mirkwood TV series too). :-) And reading non-stop. I'm so glad it kept you that interested. But I'm sorry it took pneumonia to give you the time! I hope you are feeling much better. Thank you so much for the review and I hope you continue to enjoy! | |
| picara | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 2/25/2014 |
| This is a full chapter. Galithil is very grown up. He handles himself well,especially doing something he doesn't want to do. I'm glad his brother complimented him, but he probably is very aware of what it takes to build confidence in a young warrior. It was interesting to se Manadhien's POV. She is really very damaged. I did feel little sorry for her after hearing more of her story, but she brought all this on herself ultimately. Still, very interesting to see her scheming first hand. But of course my favorite part was Legolas and Thranduil. The archery contest was great and so was Legolas using it to try to draw his father into better humor at the end. Great chapter. Update soon. Author Reply: Sorry to be so slow in replying. It was a crazy long chapter, that is for sure, but I couldn't make myself cut it anymore. :-) I'm glad Galithil came across well. And Manadhien's POV. I'm glad I made you a little sorry for her. She is pathetic. Crazy, but pathetic. And glad you liked the archery contest. I had fun with that. Thanks so much for the reviews. I really appreciate them! | |
| Angel | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 2/21/2014 |
| Such a great story. Wonderfully written. I even went back and read the whole thing again from the beginning just a few weeks ago Author Reply: Wow! I am always humbled when someone says they read (or re-read) the whole story. I am so glad you enjoyed and I hope you continue to. Thanks so much for the review! They really mean a lot to me! | |
| rikki | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 2/21/2014 |
| This has so many morsels of information here that are really stretching my brain in trying to fit everything into the view I had made of the story so far. First was the way you have shown that while Galithil and Legolas are chronilogically children, they have passed that invisible line between adulthood and childhood with both words and action. I am mentally cringing thinking about what Thranduil, and by association, Hallion and Legolas are going to say when they find out the number of orcs that Dolgailon and Galithil have fought through to get to their village. Poor Galithil who said after the fight where Thranduil was injured and Legolas' grandparents are killed that he didn't want to be a warrior and now he is fighting to stay alive. And on the other hand, I am thinking, Man I don't want to have to be the one who tells Manadhien that her little plan to wipe out two villages has just gone south by being killed by the group from the stronghold. Also, I would imagine the "he" that she mentions is going to be less than happy of her losing all those orcs. I loved the relationship between Legolas and Thranduil as they work on petitions and then when Thranduil decides that it is time to challenge Legolas for the archery contest. Thranduil is so proud of his son even though he is not going to let Legolas win. It must have been a wonder that everyone could fit under the oak. And I can see Legolas in the future using that last little trick with the arrows in fighting at Helms Deep and at the Black Gate. Finally the first age healer. Though Legolas is adult enough to keep that poker face that Thranduil feels is important in court matters, I can see him doing a mental air pump and hollering "YES!" when he meets the healer. I also wonder what Elrond told her about Wood Elves and whether she understood what she was actually implying when she talked about Tharnduil killing Manadhien's adar and the damage to Legolas' fea. I hope though that she will get a chance to talk to Nestoreth and pass on some ideas about healing feas. Both father and son need this and soon. Great chapter, I am going to have to read again. Author Reply: Legolas and Galithil are definitely adults, even if they are still legally children. They are taking on adult responsibilities here, that's for sure. :-) And yeah, I wouldn't want to be in the room when Thranduil hears about those orcs. He does see Legolas and Galithil as almost adults in most ways, but he is not prepared yet to think about them as warriors. He'd better get over that fast. :-) And yes, poor Galithil too. He's getting a taste of what its like to be a warrior. He is proud that he can fight and proud his brother lets him. And he knows he has to be able to fight, given who he is. But he still doesn't like it. Notice, he checked out his brother as much as Dolgailon checked him out after that fight. Hehe! Yeah, telling Manadhien that the plans are scuttled is going to be Ugly. I have that written, but given the time line, I'm not sure I can put the actual discovery on stage. But the aftermath will definitely be there and it is not good. I cut those scenes with Legolas and Thranduil from part 10 of this and decided to use them here because I really liked them (better then the original scene between them in this story). I definitely see Legolas using that archery technique in Helm's Deep and the Black Gate. The healers has some idea of what she was saying and to who. Not total understanding though. She will. She is going to become a central character in the story within a few stories. She does have some time with Nestoreth. You're right that it is needed. Thanks so much for the reviews! I really appreciate them! | |
| Fantasia | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 2/21/2014 |
| Galithil is such a charming young elf, capable to seduce the worst of the assassins. Believe it or not, he was able to trick Manadhien. Dolgailon is not that good, he can't restrain his hate towards Manadhien. Helindilme is a very gifted healer. Thranduil should learn to accept other people, it is something that I found him lacking a bit, for a King, his prejudices are too many. And she helped to save his life, something that it seems, did not change his opinion towards the healer. And I think that she is better than any of them to heal shadows in their souls. Her recount of Manadhien past is sad, she could have been only a witness to the kin slaying that killed her father, and grief could become madness, if not well treated. It is not that I don't want her removed from ME, but I feel for the young girl that she was before. Violent events tend to change people, for worst or better And I don't understand, what did the rulers gain with having ex-prisoners exiled? if they were suspected to become Dark elves, was not better to have them close? And the whole family? it seems cruel. Author Reply: Galithil is worried enough about making this all work and getting Manadhien, that he is able to put on the act. Dolgailon is too straight forward. He just wants to arrest her and be done with it. But he won't blow it. He knows what's at stake. Thranduil, at least the way I write him, does remember and hold some grudges against certain groups. He cools down and listens, but I think it was hard for him to do with someone that admitted they worked with Feanor, even as a healer. He'll come around though. Eventually. This healer is actually going to become a regular character in a few stories. She is a very good healer. I am very glad I made you feel bad for the girl Manadhien could have been. That is exactly what I was hoping to do, so that comment made my day. And I don't understand, what did the rulers gain with having ex-prisoners exiled? if they were suspected to become Dark elves, was not better to have them close? There are some references in the Silmarillion to the rulers and both Nargothrond and Menegroth turning away people that were released from Angband. The reason was, some people who were released were still Morgoth's thralls, held under his control by fear. They spied for him or did other evil. The worst of them was Maeglin, who betrayed the location of the hidden city of Gondolin so that Morgoth destroyed it. So, those rulers did have some legitimate fears. That said, I agree that it sounds cruel, because how can you tell they didn't turn away good people too who got lucky and escaped? Thanks so much for the reviews! I really appreciate them! | |
| daw the minstrel | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 2/20/2014 |
| Dolgailon stepped between them and then walked past them without a word, This was a wide ranging chapter, not only geographically but also tonally. Some of the things I liked were little, like Dolgailion's impressively commanding gesture "pointing into the clearing they had just left." No order necessary! But they understood. More or less. I also liked that this was a pre-arranged meeting place for the patrols. That kind of detail about how the patrols work is hard to create but gives such an air of reality. Manadhien is clever but not clever enough. This was funny: Galithil, on the other hand, bowed to her properly and even had a pleasant smile on his naive little face. Hee. You go, Galithil! Still she's setting plans in motion and there's a real feeling of the deadline drawing near. They need to hurry. The clock is ticking. Meanwhile, back at the "How is it that I have never seen before how easily you turn from debauchery to perfect innocence?" he asked. An experience many parents have. But then things turn serious in a hurry as ancient history turns out to still have effect on both actions and Thranduil's fea. Do you find all that Sill stuff hard to sort out? I don't think I'd ever get it straight. Author Reply: I enjoyed having Dolgailon out amongst his warriors. I realized I haven't really managed to put a lot of that in so far. Well, we'll see it in this story. And I enjoyed writing a fairly lengthy scene in Manadhien's POV. Galithil did do a good job with her. He's worried about making this plan work and willing to do what it takes to make it. I picture Dolgailon as a little too much like Thranduil to pull off that sort of foolishness. I couldn't resist giving Thranduil a little teasing with Legolas. I really like the Silmarillion. I couldn't get through it until you told me about that audio of it. I bought that and listened to it and loved it. Now I've probably read it as often a LotR. The events I'm pretty good on. I do admit, keeping Fingolfin and Finarfin's children straight is pretty hard though. Thanks so much for the reviews, daw! I appreciate them so much! | |