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We Were Young Once ~ I  by Conquistadora 8 Review(s)
mystarlightReviewed Chapter: 7 on 11/11/2019
Wonder who is Seratharon.At last they are leaving!!!

TithenFeredirReviewed Chapter: 7 on 1/19/2005
Seeing Oropher and Gil-galad together I can't help thinking of their end. Loved the tender moment between Thrandil and his naneth.(I have an grown son--you got it right)Can't wait to see what happens next! TF

Silent PlanetReviewed Chapter: 7 on 8/10/2004
Yay! Thanks for the update.
I sure am glad it doesn't take men 600 years to grow up.....then again, being an elf certainly wouldn't be a bad thing! He's starting to return Lindoriel feelings....about time!
Great chapter. I'm glad you overcame writer's block!

Author Reply:
You're welcome. ;)
With any luck, I might be able to get one more done next week.

Ms. WhatsitReviewed Chapter: 7 on 8/9/2004
Ah, I can finally get caught up on fanfic.

Of course we see that Oropher does almost the exact opposite of "imposing a new order" on the Nandor. It was interesting to see his (understandably strained!) relationship with Gil-galad. And it was funny to see Loriel instructing Oropher to mind his manners. I can imagine that she'd have to tell him that often. A difficult husband, I bet. Also interesting to see that Thranduil will now be lord of the house. That'll give him a certain independence, especially if Loriel goes with Oropher. And then he'll have to give up that independence once he joins Oropher in Mirkwood.

Now I wonder how you'll portray Oropher's rise to kingship, and why the Nandor and Avari decide to accept him as their king. I've always imagined it to be a combination of Oropher's personal charisma and his status as a Sindarin lord of Doriath--an heir to Thingol in a way. It'll be interesting to see how you do it.

Author Reply:
I imagine it will be just as interesting to me to figure it out myself!
Yeah, Oropher can be difficult at times, but I think Loriel can forgive him that. ;)

Ginger RichReviewed Chapter: 7 on 8/9/2004
I almost gave up hope that this story would be continued. Where have you been, Coriel? I've missed your writings.

But anyways, I congradulate you on another wonderfully composed chapter. I find the descriptions of the settings and characters very important in a story, and I really like the way you have detailed everything. The dialog is also beautiful. You just rock.

I hope you can update soon once more.

Author Reply:
I've been packing, and reading, and answering study questions! You thought the dialogue was beautiful? Wow. I didn't have time to embellish it much. ;)

Hopefully I can manage another chapter before RL drags me away by the hair and heaps school work on my desk. It's encouraging to know somebody's waiting!

LayangabiReviewed Chapter: 7 on 8/9/2004

Coriel, don't get me wrong. I love your stories, I love what you've done with Thranduil, and the whole re-writing of Lindar history. But so far, it seems that with the Sindar, you're validating similar attitudes you've criticized in the Noldor. Regardless of what Oropher says about *not* treating the Laiquendi the same way as the Noldor treated the Sindar, his attitudes are just as condescending, and remarkably unfair. "*Lesser* brethren?!" It's not any different from how the Noldor view the Sindar, and it's precisely this view which you've constantly criticized in your works. At best, it's well-meaning condenscension towards another culture, at worst, it's arrogance, and with either attitude, things never turn out well.

Author Reply:
I can understand your concern, but there is a fine line of difference between the two cases. Oropher is a trifle condescending, yes, moreso than Thranduil is or will be, but he does intend to go native to some extent. He knows how it feels to have a foreign culture thrust upon him, so (as least in my mind) he intends to do nothing without first earning the trust and consent of the silvan elves he wishes to rule. But at the same time, he innately considers their background to be inferior to his own, even though he can respect them for the people they are. He calls them "lesser" because in his mind it is true, but there is no shame in it, a term Tolkien himself used to describe them. Moreover, both the Sindar and the Nandor come from the Telerin branch of the Elven kindreds, and so can see eye-to-eye more often than they can with the Noldor. Oropher intends to encourage them to grow and progress in their own ways rather than smothering them with new customs all at once. I imagine it will work out all right in Greenwood, but you're right, and we saw what his attitude earned him in the Last Alliance.

lwarrenReviewed Chapter: 7 on 8/8/2004
I was certainly excited to see this new chapter posted for WWYO, Coriel! And a good one it is, too!

Ahhh, Thranduil the Fair! :-) I can just hear the maidens sighing as he passes by, and giggling if he so much as looks their way. Such a good description of coming of age in HIS mind...and the exchange with his Naneth was so touching (my 20-year old has a song he sings to me now that starts out "Mama, Mama you know I love you...", and often says I am his "best girl"...a mother likes to hear that, yes indeed! *vbg*).

Thranduil's reins....weeellllll, he can only hope to keep hold of them. Love is going to hit him so hard, his head will spin on those pretty shoulders of his. (It will serve him right...reins, indeed!)

Who is this new Lord that Oropher and Thranduil met in court? I don't think I like him...he seems kind of oily...ya know what I mean?

So Oropher is off to explore, and Thranduil is left behind...large and in charge! This should prove very interesting! Great chapter!

linda

(I hope school and your early reading assignment is going well...since you had some time to work on this, it must be! I start back this week at Inservice, which is our administration's version of HOE ...err, Hades-on-Earth!)

Author Reply:
Well, thank you! Everyone knows Thranduil can be a terror, but it's great to see him be a great big sweetie too. :D

I suspect that's how a lot of Noldor seem at first to Sindarin eyes. But let's not jump to conclusions, yet; he's really a nice guy. :)

In charge and suddenly AWOL. Boy, turn your back for a second . . . But he isn't gone long in the next chapter, and he does something incredibly nice, so I guess I'll forgive him. ;)

Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 8/8/2004
So happy to see you working on this. Hope college is everything you hoped and not too much more. But I love your writing--great chapter. I love your descriptions of Thranduil.

Author Reply:
Thranduil is a facinating subject to describe. ;)

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