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Oak and Willow by Marnie	9 Review(s)
elliska	Reviewed Chapter: 15 on 10/10/2004
They bowed in reverence to Bronwë the Castellan as they passed him, and there seemed no falseness in it, but she felt for the first time that she understood Celeborn's words to her brothers in Doriath. 'The children of the royal line of Doriath are acknowledged as the rightful rulers of all Ennor.' It was a quiet power, unobtrusive. Less like the clear and visible authority of a king, and more ...organic, like the scarce to be traced lines of influence within a large, contented family. And Nerwen, to whom the threads and interweaving of power were an absorbing interest, discovered something new to be intrigued about in her lover. How naturally he handled power, and how restrained was his use of it; subtle, almost invisible. What havoc he could have achieved if he had chosen to inflame, rather than to soothe! How much Noldor glory was built upon the menial labour of their Sindar subjects - who were in their hearts good children of Thingol? No wonder he had said even their own realms existed by Sindar forbearance. Absolutely awesome! I love this description.

Crimson	Reviewed Chapter: 15 on 4/27/2004
Your last few chapters have been wonderful and well worth the wait. I always thought that the best way for Galadriel to get over her morequendi hang-up was to spend more time with her Noldor relatives. I mean, sure, they've all "seen the light of the Two Trees" but they're all a*holes and she can't stand them. After a few days in their company she'll be forced to admit that Tree light or no Tree light, she'd rather be with the Sindar. (Can't you just see the comedic possibilities here?! After listening to her Feanorian cousins sing their millionth song in praise of the Silmarils, I can see Galadriel getting up and screaming, "Oh, for the love of peace, they were just some bloody rocks! Get over it! I can't believe I crossed a glacier to listen to this shit! I should have followed Dad home when I had the chance! Finrod, where's that stone knife Celeborn gave you? I swear to Varda, I'm gonna use it on this damn minstrel if he doesn't shut it!") All this to say, great work and I can't wait to read more! Author Reply:* Many thanks, Crimson! There's a lot of waiting around with this story because I don't really enjoy writing it, and sometimes it's a huge struggle, so getting reviews like this really help me carry on with it at all. You're so right! I'm really loathing writing Hithlum, largely because everyone's so horrible and they're all at each other's throats. But hey! Once this chapter's done at least the romance can go on the backburner for a while. At least, until we get to the whole Daeron-Luthien-Beren thing ;) I'm hoping to get the next chapter out either on Friday or by Monday, and I must say that I am definately feeling like taking a stone knife to one particular character - a blunt stone knife. Must stop complaining! What I mean to say is thanks again, Marnie :-)

NLR	Reviewed Chapter: 15 on 4/27/2004
Will we get another chapter soon? Please! Author Reply: I'm aiming for the end of this week, though it's proving to be quite a struggle. This chapter is not proving to be easy to write. Look for it on Friday, but expect the unexpected ;) Marnie :-)

henadiel	Reviewed Chapter: 15 on 4/19/2004
This is a great story, esp. the parts about Celeborn and Galadriel. I can imagine that it went something like this. Look forward to your next installment.

Sphinx	Reviewed Chapter: 15 on 4/10/2004
You have this ability to make all the million names and places in Silm sound so compact – so much more readable than how they’re given in canon. Its true, what you said, about this being a political chapter, and it only goes to show just how comfortable you are with the text of Silm. It is a daunting task for anyone, and for the first time, this fic moved beyond the confines of Doriath. Mist curled about its base, for this was a land of cloud and pearl, but today the drifting fogs were thin, and the upper portion of the tower stood above them, lit by strong sunlight, dazzlingly white against a clear blue sky. runs back to Silm to read the parts about Hithlum It never sounded so nice there. One day, you will teach me the geography of Beleriand. And I will try to understand. Please? And Celeborn lording it out on Fingolfin’s harbour. cheers Lovely touch there. It was Galadriel’s chapter, one of her more human ones. Everything she said made sense – from her shock, and her anger to find Celeborn there, to a vague sort of trepidation as to what happened next, and to her alien-ness in what was a Noldo realm. Very nice. How naturally he handled power, and how restrained was his use of it; subtle, almost invisible. What havoc he could have achieved if he had chosen to inflame, rather than to soothe! Yes. That’s exactly it. That is Celeborn to the fullest. Author Reply: Thanks for the review, Sphinx! But I don't deserve praise for knowing the Silm - I just wrote this chapter with the map on my knee :) And I remembered that one theory about why the grey elves were called that was because the Noldor met them first in Hithlum, which was a misty, foggy sort of country. It's funny how people go; 'Galadriel loves power, I wonder why she married a nobody?' and don't go; 'Galadriel loves power, I wonder if Celeborn had more power than we tend to think?' But obviously it's the second one I'm going for ;) He just doesn't show off about it as much as she does!

BookWorm848	Reviewed Chapter: 15 on 4/8/2004
Wow. I want more. I need more. I did not just finish reading Oak and Willow. I read it the day before yesterday and could not stop thinking about it. I was so impressed that I hunted it back down today to write you feedback. Do you have an update list? May I be included on it if one exists? Points that I like about your story include characterization, Celeborn is PERFECT he has a subtle power and strength, he has pride and he is as in character as I have ever seen. It's hard for someone who had that few lines to be in character, but somehow you manage. Galadriel is perfect too, she has a strong sense of pride and self worth that she won't put aside unless Celeborn makes it easy for her. This isn't the best review I've ever written, but I cannot express well in words how good I think your story is. PLEASE write more. And thank you for sharing it with me. Author Reply: Thanks for the review BookWorm! I'm delighted that you liked it so much you felt you had to come back to it :) I think there's a feature on SoA at the bottom of each chapter where you can sign up for automatic alerts when that story is updated. That's how I follow Coriel's 'I Return' anyway, and it seems to work pretty well. I'm so glad you like the characterization :) Celeborn's character is pretty much based on his scenes in LotR - though, given that he's just heard that the last useful Maia on the side of good is dead, there's a Balrog on his doorstep and the Ring of Power right where Galadriel can get hold of it, I suspect that what we see of him in that first scene is Celeborn-on-a-bad-day ;) I just extrapolated (quite a lot) from that! Anyway, thanks again for the review. Next chapter should be arriving in about a fortnight, unless something unforseen happens. Marnie :-)

Coriel	Reviewed Chapter: 15 on 4/6/2004
Oh, golly. Yet another clash of two worlds! The next chapter should be an interesting one. I like that bit about Celeborn not needing any regalia to make him a prince. I've considered that point quite often. You meet a few of those kind in history, but some just aren't cut out for that job. And I'd rather see a prince in the woods or doing something practical than sitting around wearing his treasury all over him. :) Author Reply: Thanks for the review, Coriel! This chapter and the next one were supposed all to be the same one, but then it just all got unexpectedly long. Next chapter, I hope will be a bit more dramatic. But it was nice to have a breathing space, I think ;) As for the prince thing, I'm assuming that the silver hair is sufficiently rare for it to be a badge of kinship with Elwe - so that he couldn't, even if he wanted to, deny that he was from the Teleri royal line. In which case he doesn't need any other regalia to tell people who he is. Mind you, this chapter is him arriving after several weeks of sailing - the posh outfit is in the bag he's carrying. He gets to wear it next chapter :)

Bejai	Reviewed Chapter: 15 on 4/5/2004
Oh, very nice. A much quieter chapter after the fireworks of the last two, but it was time for some introspection. And quite an unexpected, interesting chapter it was! This is what makes your stories work so well. You get at all the undercurrents and politics at work in the world. The relationships between people, between races, between kingdoms is necessarily complicated, but so often unseen. You makes these ideas pop, and make them very clear. I enjoyed your description of Galadriel -- more Sindar now. She even sees the gems of the Noldor in a new light, and there is a hint of disdain for their affected, pompous way. I particularly loved this: 'How coarse she has grown - did you mark how her shoes pinched her in the dance last night. I'll wager she's been barefoot these last hundred years.' You're not usually going to write into the details of the story that your characters are running around in bare feet. But you tell us here, once, and it is absolutely charming, and completely right. And I was very impressed with how you spun the politics of the Sindar in the Noldor kingdoms. Loved the image of Celeborn holding an improptu court. The Noldor lords are going to be in for a bit of a shock when their trusted servants answer them only in Sindar! I liked the subtlety of the power that Elu -- via Celeborn -- wields here. He could demand rebellion, but does not. Nice. Very nice. A subtle, expressive, important chapter. I don't think that anyone else has ever written the Sindar in the Noldor lands, and it needed to be done. Author Reply: Thanks, Bejai! I'm relieved that you liked it - you know that I was worried about it. This whole business of Thingol's ban on Quenya does shed a very different light on the power-politics of the 1st Age, I think. It hadn't occurred to me before how amazing it was that all the Sindar obeyed him - even those who were living in Noldor kingdoms. And that set me to thinking that (a) they never actually thought of the Noldor kings as their own kings; Thingol remained their king no matter which Noldor ruler they served, and (b) if that was so, he probably could have crippled the Noldor kingdoms whenever he chose, just by ordering the Sindar living there to rebel or leave or whatever. That's something which is never made explicit in the Silm, but which I thought was an interesting point to make. It fits in, I think, with the way the Sindar nobility just walk into kingdoms in the East after the War of Wrath as if everyone involved thinks that they have every right to them - it fits with this idea of native authority/head of clan-ship. If you see what I mean. But it didn't come across as being too worshipful of Celeborn? It wasn't meant to be, but I can see that it might have come across that way? Poor old Galadriel is getting a taste of what Angrod was complaining about last chapter - falling between two stools. But it's worse for her because she's become so Sindarin over the past few hundred years :) I'm sure you know my heretical theory about how she should be considered a Teleri with some Noldor blood, and not the other way round ;) Anyway. I am really relieved that it came across OK. As you say, it's Elu's power, Celeborn is just his King's spokesman at this point. Fingolfin will be tougher to impress than stable-hands and fishermen ;) How's 'Deific Flame' coming on?

Ms. Whatsit	Reviewed Chapter: 15 on 4/5/2004
Oh, yay, this story is back! I think I may have reviewed before under a different pen-name. Anyway, it was good to see Celeborn and Thingol using their influence with the Sindar for the good. And Galadriel needed to see that, I think--to see that Celeborn and the other "dark elves" had real power that could easily be directed against the Noldor if they were vindictive enough. It was also nice to see Celeborn described as princely by Galadriel and just generally get respect from her. And now I want to see the meeting between Celeborn and Fingolfin, and between Celeborn and Galadriel. Should be interesting. Author Reply: Thanks for the review, Ms.Whatsit :) Yup, we had a hiatus on this story while I finished Battle of the Golden Wood, but I'm back on this one now. This whole exercise of trying to see the 1st Age from the Sindar perspective has been very interesting in terms of seeing the real power that the Sindar had but presumably chose not to use. And suddenly it makes a lot more sense out of what power-mad-Galadriel sees in Celeborn. He may not have the armies and military might of the Noldor but what he does have is a natural authority over the elves of Middle earth through his kinship with Thingol. And yes, next chapter Celeborn and Fingolfin meet, and we get a bit of resolution on the C+G thing. I hope. Thanks again! Marnie :-)

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