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Glorious Summer by daw the minstrel	28 Review(s)
Elena Tiriel	Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 10/4/2004
Well, after re-reading the last few chapters, I think I've finally gotten my heart out of my throat and back into my chest where it belongs... This story was off the angst scale! So many things to like, most of which others have commented on much better than I could... One thing I'll mention: I was so glad you gave Celuwen a chance to make a difference with her knife-throwing skills. Way to go, Celuwen! She's as protective about anyone threatening Eilian as he is in reverse. And Isiwen braining the Z-guy? Yessss!!! That was a decidedly unexpected pleasure! Now, Daw, I bawled you out before (wrongly) for wasting sweet little bunny wabbits, but this time you deserve it! Half-cooked bunnies skittering across the floor? Eeeeeewwwww! I know that Arda will provide and all that, but that was just wasteful!!!! Shame on you! Well, I'll forgive you, if you keep the chapters coming... ;-) I truly want to see Thranduil and Ithilden be forcefully confronted with the fact that EILIAN WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG! So THERE! (And not just about mistrusting the news of the Men ... he was right to bond with Celuwen, and the quicker Thranduil gets his snotty nose out of the air about that the quicker he will regain my respect. Harrruuumph! Celuwen isn't the only one protective of our Eilian...) - Barbara, wondering if her pulse will ever recover after reading this story... P.S. Your explanation for Celuwen's guards not being there is just fine... Author Reply: The bunnies sliding around on the floor just seemed like one of those macabre moments that would be too good to miss. And I loved have Isiwen crack Zalan on the head. Take that, you creepy, sicko, pervert, daughter groper! Ah yes. Eilian was right. We'll see how that goes over at home. I actually think I may need only one more chapter here, but my beta always says I hurry the ending and points out things I've left out, so maybe not. Thranduil really does need to get over it and accept what happened and be glad for his son, who is doing the best he can and is someone Thranduil should be proud of. I'm working on the guard thing. I nearly choked when I realized I had forgotten them.

Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 10/4/2004
Maybe Legolas thought that Celuwen arrived with Eilian and Maltanaur - which would probably be guard enough. And Eilian might have thought he was in enough trouble for turning up unannounced in full protective mode and that mentioning her guards was likely to infuriate Celuwen. He is rather an 'oh well, it may have been dangerous but it's done and nothing bad happened - and I'm on the case now', kind of elf. He might be expecting the guards to be part of the fall-out that will happen once they get home to Adar and Ithilden. And Alfirin would never have thought of guards as part of the coaching she offered in what Celuwen's life will be like now, as she never goes beyond the safe boundaries round the Stronghold. (Or if she does, it's with Ithilden - and she might well expect the guards to be attached to him.) And no-one ever worries her with nasty things, because she's too girlie. Author Reply: It's certainly true that Legolas had no word at all that Celuwen and Eilian would be at the settlement, so he could have assumed they came together. And I can also see Celuwen telling them they were no longer needed. She might even think it would be selfish of her to keep them. It's Eilian not even thinking about them that's the sticking point. I'll see what I can do.

Jebb	Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 10/4/2004
SO the seventh cavalry oh excuse me the southern patrol rides to the rescue thank goodness I felt mentally exhausted after reading it goodness knows how Eilian and Legolas felt! Legolas did very well and managed the difficult task of choosing a scout with great maturity and while he may still crave Beliond's approval he no longer sees it necessary to have it when he makes decisions he is cool, calm and in control at least on the outside internally well he must be panicking Well the elleth came into their own it never does to underestimate the female of any species and Celuwen must be glad she practised knife throwing when she was young The story line of hostage takers and hostages is horribly topical, it seems there is always someone out there misusing power or religious beliefs to terrify the innocent Loved the ending I had hoped the bang on the head might have knocked some sense into Solith I should have known better Author Reply: Wasn't the seventh cavalry Custer's unit? LOL. OK. Legoals did better than that! Actually, he did very well as you say. The funny thing about Beliond is that he approved very much of what Legolas did. Indeed when he asks Legolas about Riolith, he's sort of enjoying himself by reveling in the idea that Legolas chose the best scout even though he didn't like him. Beliond is just too much himself to tell Legolas that. The women did well. I was so angry on their behalf that I had to let them kick Zalan's butt and hit him with a rabbit-laden spit that the Men probably thought was too heavy for frail little them to pick up. Maybe Isiwen needs to threaten Solith with it too. You are so right about hostage taking being too horrifyingly common in our world. I don't understand people sometimes.

Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 10/4/2004
I was thinking about Celuwen's guard as I drove. I reckon the misunderstanding is probably down to Ithilden. All the royals know - even Thranduil - that, when away from the Stronghold, guards are part of what you put up with. (In Eilian's and Legolas's cases, they are their keepers, but the principle is the same.) Even Thranduil cannot dump his guards, BUT Celuwen is not used to this, and the guards sent with her are not used to her being part of this. I expect the guards were put at her disposal - in that polite meaningless fiction that means 'officially you are their boss - as long as you do exactly what they say'. Only she thought that meant she could dispose of them - so she did. Putting on a hint of Thranduilishness, a modicum of Solith mulishness and the charm she has seen Eilian use with the guards, she sent them home. And Ithilden probably has them on their way back right now, thoroughly chastened, with instructions that they are not to let Celuwen out of their sight. I think Celuwen is due to be on the receiving end of a Talking-To from Ithilden about security. Author Reply: That's funny, Bodkin! I wonder if I can use that? Hm. Would Eilian or Legolas have commented on it before now if her guards were supposed to be around? How can I work around that? I'll have to think about it. I may just have to ignore the problem. But I'd love to see Ithilden try to give Celuwen at Talking-To.

Rose Sared	Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 10/4/2004
Oh my goodness, such action, so quickly! (I am very jealous of how fast you can turn out these wonderful chapters). Much enjoyed thank you. Rose Author Reply: Glad you liked it, Rose. One of the things that's hard in writing these stories is trying to make all the battle sequences different, but at least in this story, there weren't too many of them. It was mostly really scary guys holding knives and sneering.

French Pony	Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 10/3/2004
Gyah. It's ten of midnight, and I've just been eating dinner and reading this latest chapter. Yes, I've got that oh-so-special eating disorder known as Homework. Have to stay at the library till it's done, only then can I come home and eat and read more story. Bravo to the settlers, bravo to Celuwen, bravo to Eilian, and bravo to Legolas and the cavalry. The Men were dumb and made some obvious mistakes, and the Elves knew just how to take advantage of that. The Men should not have gotten so chummy with Eilian, but he can turn on the charm when he wants, and it's hard for them not to get chummy. Eilian, of course, uses that to lull them into less-than-hyperwatchfulness. Celuwen plays along well. It strikes me that having a settler wandering around in the trees during the scouting mission might not be so terrible as Legolas thinks. After all, if that's what the settlers normally do, then they should keep doing it. Part of instigating a surprise attack is to keep everything as normal as possible so the hijackers don't suspect anything. I am amused that the settler was so familiar with the interior layout of the cottage, though. Is this the Elf version of Levittown, or is he just a good friend of the Sólith family? Celuwen's childhood knife-throwing sure came in handy. I'll bet that when she's recovered a little from this, she'll find it hard to resist bragging to Alfirin, just a little. After all, Alfirin probably never tossed a blade in her life, and she wouldn't have done nearly so well were she the one in the hostage situation. Thranduil and Ithilden are just going to have a mutual cow over this. Eilian gave a short laugh. “Officers,” he sneered. “None of them has the sense of a newborn puppy.” “That’s the truth,” Susta spat. Considering who he's speaking with, point Susta, Eilian to serve. Legolas is shaping up into a good commander. But we knew that. He had the instincts way back when he was a little bitty novice playing war games. Author Reply: Ah, yes, grad school. The time in my life when I suffered from migraines. Now I remember why. It's a good thing you like your subject matter. These Men weren't used to Elves and they also were run of the mill enlisted guys who usually did what someone else told them. And as you say, Eilian is charming. I don't think they ever had a chance here, but Celuwen could have been hurt. Eilian was clever too. Legolas's real concern was that the settler would get hurt. Moreover, the settler was moving around at the same time that Riolith was, and Riolith's movements were not normal. But the setters are going to do whatever they want anyway, as Legolas learned when he went to help the ones in the flood. As to knowing about Solith's cottage, I thought most of the cottages would be fairly much alike. Also, I thought they probably helped one another build and repair them, and given how long elves live, they've all been here at least a hundred years. This is a small place so I figure they all know everything about what one another's cottage is like. I liked being able to use the knife-throwing from "Celuwen's Begetting Day" here. :-) LOL. I'm laughing at the idea of Thranduil and Ithilden having a cow. I suppose the actions of the Men might take their minds of their annoyance at Eilian. That and the fact that he turned out to be right. Legolas is doing well. He had a few weeks to get his feet on the ground and prove himself to his troops, and when it mattered, he did what was right. Consider eating earlier, FP. Your brain needs the energy!

Karri	Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 10/3/2004
On the bright side, Legolas handled that well and everyone came through all right. grimaces One the grim side, Sólith lived and is conscious, and, to make matters worse, has a monsterous headache that will no doubt going to leave him grumpy as all get out with no bad guys left to take it out on, so, of course, he will take it out on Eilian. The poor kid will soon be wishing he were back at the sharp end of a sword. But on the bright side again, dealing with Sólith makes the Southern Patrol look like a cake-walk, so Eilian will be well-prepared for his return. Author Reply: LOL. You remind me of a children's book that starts each page alternately with "Fortunately" and "Unfortunately." I can't think of the name of it. Legolas did do well and I'm proud of him. I shudder to think what it would have done to him if this had not turned out so well. I suppose if I'd been writing a real novel rather than fanfic (and hadn't already written "Tangled Web" in which Eilian is alive), that's what would have had to happen. I think I like fanfic! Yes, indeed, Solith seems unchanged. What a jerk. I think Isiwen needs to keep her spit handy to use on him.

esamen	Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 10/3/2004
And then came the voice of Sólith, who was finally waking up. “I give the orders in my own house, Thranduilion. Not you.” This is a gorgeous line. I could learn like Solith, I think. He can add some comedy to the drama. A family always need a good father-in-law around to keep the husbands humble. What a great chapter! All the action came together like chess pieces on a board, and the women pulled it off! Yay! Darn those Men. Can't they let us Elves live in peace? See you in the next chapter, Esamen Author Reply: Eilian will happily send Solith to be your in-law rather than his! LOL The women did very well. I was particularly pleased with Isiwen braining Zalan and Celuwen showing that she can still throw a knife. Now we have to see how everyone can recover and take stock of where they are.

Alice	Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 10/3/2004
Those settlers leave me endlessly amused. They're the anarchists of Arda. Thranduil deserves more respect for being able to rule them. If they didn't respect him so I think they'd just forgo the whole idea of a national government. I love how Solith just bosses around the princes. It's so funny. And so him. Man, exciting chapter. When I read the bit about Zalan groping Celuwen I immedietly thought, " Your butt is so Eilian's." Which it was. And then Susta was taken out by Legolas and Celuwen. Celuwen is very cool. So is Isewen. I wouldn't have been as nearly as calm as they were. I do have a question about Celuwen's guards. What happened to them? I don't think Eilian is going to be very happy with them. I look forward to the next chapter. Even though I doubt Solith will be more kindly disposed towards Eilian and the fact that Eilian was right won't take all the edge out of Thranduil's and Ithilden's anger. Well maybe Ithilden's. He's the more patient of the two which isn't saying much. Update soon. Author Reply: I think that wood elves are probably naturally rather anarchistic. They took a Sindarin leader because they needed someone to organize things in the face of dangers. I think that by and large Thranduil has earned their respect, but they really see him as in service to them rather than the other way around. And I think that may be a good thing! I loved have Isiwen crown Zalan. The Men probably thought that she wasn't capable of even lifting the heavy iron spit, but she whapped him a good one, rabbits and all. Ah, Celuwen's guards. About three chapters back, I suddenly remembered that Celuwen was supposed to have guards. I panicked and wrote a hysterical IM to my beta, but then I decided that they were to deliver her to her parents' house and then go home. They'll be back to fetch her. I thought that would be plausible because she would say that she lived there a lot of years with no guards. So that's my story and I'm sticking to it! Thranduil and Ithilden are at home building up a head of steam because they have no idea what's going on. We'll have to see how that all comes out. ;-)

Ana	Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 10/3/2004
Hi! I'm sorry... I just sent empty review, I hit enter a bit to fast. :) I promise I'll review other chapter some other time. Now I know what reviews mean as I have a gallery on DeviantArt and I value every single comment I get. The chapter was great, as always, but I miss one thing... a hug. Or maybe not. I really love this chapter because of this: "This was Eilian, whom he had adored from earliest childhood, Eilian, who had made it clear to a small, bereaved Legolas that he would go away but he would always come back, and that Legolas could be as bad as he liked and Eilian would love him anyway." Your little Legolas stories are my absolute favourite and those with not so little Legolas too, especially those who have a lot of Eilian in it. I also like the first part, because it shows Legolas as responsible and competend leader. As someone everyone should be proud of (someone like Beliond and Thranduil and Eilian and Ithilden. I know they already know that, bud does Legolas?). As someone who can forget his own impulses and can make the best choice. He's great Luitenant! And then came the voice of Sólith, who was finally waking up. “I give the orders in my own house, Thranduilion. Not you.” Eilian laid his cheek against Celuwen’s hair and groaned. His father-in-law undoubtedly had a monstrous headache and no memory of the events of the last few hours, but he knew who he thought was in charge here. The everyday world had returned, it seemed. ... :))))) Author Reply: I've done that. :-) Fortunately, SoA makes it easy for me to delete the empty review and leave this one, and I did that. Can I see your artwork? Where would I look? I've been trying to remember lately that grownup Legolas is competent and heroic, but he's also still affected by that early loss of his mother. Eilian played a big part in helping him through that (as he did for Eilian). I'm not sure the Legolas always knows how well he's done. He's unassuming. But he's become a quiet, trusted leader, and his warriors now follow him. He's shown them in the last few weeks that he thinks about their needs and safety, and he can set aside his own feelings to do the best that can be done on any mission. Solith takes the cake, doesn't he? I think Isiwen is going to have to take him in hand.

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