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| Paths of Memory by daw the minstrel | 74 Review(s) |
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| Jay of Lasgalen | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 10/21/2004 |
| Oh, dear. I guessed that was probably the reasons behind Thranduil's heartache and Eilian's drinking. There had to be sadness behind the happy memories. I enjoyed guessing which son was the subject of each memory - Eilian reluctant to do homework, Legolas the pony, Ithilden responsible enough to confess before he got found out! I liked the final scene with Thranduil comforting little Legolas, and Ithilden presumably doing the same with Eilian. I don't think he was going to scold him for drinking, somehow. I think I'd like to see more with Ithilden and Eilian as brothers, rather than Troop Commander/warrior. Jay Author Reply: Good guess about the overall situation, Jay. And I was hoping that people would enjoy guessing which son was being written about. I think you are so right about Ithilden comforting Eilian. Eilian is very young here still -- about 70. And Ithilden is considerably older. He must have seen Eilian as his kid brother for a long time. I had fun writing about Legolas and Ithilden as brothers going camping. Maybe I will have to do more with Ithilden and Eilian. | |
| elliska | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 10/21/2004 |
| You have to make a habit of writing these. You could do one of those Drabbles things that lots of people seem to do. This is just great. I love the part with Eilian's essay on Elu Thingol. That would indeed be a heck of a thing for Thranduil to read no matter the maturity level of the content (in this story it was too cute but also undoubtedly too much for Thranduil). I really do think this is an interesting thing for the elves. Their children would study these events 1000's of years in the past that their parents lived through. Bizarre. Must have made history seem more immediate to them, though. Legolas playing pony. *Grin* My friends and I did that when I was a kid so this was particularly sweet to me. Poor Thranduil. I bet it was hard for him to have 'parent duty' when everyone would try to approach him for 'king duty.' I imagine he lost track of his share of elflings over the years. But to be honest, I burst out laughing when Ithilden confessed a parent said he was a bad influence. Ithilden? Ever a bad influence? I doubt it! And Thranduil going to get Lorellin. I bet that was ugly! That poor parent had the nerve to come complain to the king but he didn't know who he really had to fear. I can definitely see that. I feared when I started the second to last part that it was the night before Lorellin's death. Then to find out Thranduil had been contemplating all these memories soon after it and that's why he can't sleep and Ithilden and Eilian are worried about him. Too sad. Very well done. You must do more of these. Do not feel bound to include Legolas in every story. We love Legolas, naturally, and you write him very well. But you also write Thranduil well. And part of the reason your stories are so good is because you have developed outstanding OCs. You could write a full length story with nothing but your OCs and I would bet that a very large number of us would read it and love it as much all your others. :) Author Reply: Funny you should mention the drabbles! When I started writing this, I thought I would just do a series of fluffy elfling bits to post for a week in a row or something. But then the angst crept in and my beta suggested I put a frame around the elfling bits and consider it a story. So I did. I have to admit that I really hesitate to be even more OC than I already am, so I try to keep Legolas in all my stories. But sometimes I'm tempted. :-) I also wondered about teaching history to elven children. How odd that would be! I kind of tried to guess what it would be like, and Eilian is still figuring it out too. He knows that his father met some of the people he is being taught about. He seems to accept that more easily than the idea that Thranduil was ever an elfling. You're probably right that Thranduil occasionally lost an elfling. He had plenty of other things on his mind. And I have to say that the Ithilden bits were a lot of fun to write. He had a security blanket! He was once called a "bad influence"! Who knew? But Nana would be fierce in protecting her sons, I think. More? Maybe. :-) | |
| Elena Tiriel | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 10/21/2004 |
| Oh, I was so afraid of that. You dealt with "the event we all dreaded" very subtly, though -- thank you for not going into any gory details. I especially liked that Ithilden went to Eilian while Thranduil went to comfort Legolas. I absolutely love the flashbacks with each of the elflings. I would really like it if you could continue to show some backstory for each of the boys whenever it fits into the current story (10 tips for writing be damned!), like you did in, um, the story where Eilian got hurt (sorry -- I went to look up its name, and got distracted by Spring Awakenings - the part where Beliond scolded Thranduil - and started laughing so much I forgot what I was searching for). I always enjoy those bits so much! Thank you for the lovely -- and loving -- story! - Barbara Author Reply: You know, I really liked sending Ithilden to Eilian too. Eilian is young here -- about 70, which in elf terms makes him "of age" but possibly not even fully grown yet. And this is his beloved mother. Ithilden is considerably older, although I'd have to go look it up so be sure how old I made him. Eilian was his baby brother for a long time. I am ridiculously flattered that you wandered around in my stories and got distracted. I think the story was "Sacrifice Under Shadow." I showed Eilian as a novice in that one. I have to admit that I hesitate to leave Legolas out, so I seek for opportunities to write about his brothers while still keeping him around. I'm glad you liked the story. | |
| Dot | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 10/21/2004 |
| Oh, daw, this is just…wow. I love it. I can’t even begin to thank you for this chance to see not only a more vulnerable side of Thranduil but snatches of beautiful and loving moments from a clearly cherished past. The little glimpses of Thranduil’s elflings are adorable but overall there’s quite a melancholic feel to it that I found really touching. Thranduil seems absolutely drained. There aren’t too many things that would bring him so low. Nor his eldest sons for that matter. Lorellin, right? What a lovely thought, the three pictures on the table. LOL at Thranduil not being too pleased about Lorellin going to this artist who was “half in love” with her. I get the impression that Lorellin pretty much did as she wanted anyway. And I bet Thranduil was fairly glad afterwards that she’d had these pictures done. You know, Thranduil must have received so many similar dispatches over the years. I don’t know how he does it. I had that same thought about Ithilden’s language in it. Of course, it doesn’t take much insight to know how Ithilden must be feeling. I’m so glad Thranduil decides to send him a letter just father-to-son. Can I add my own ((hugs)) to the end of that please??! “Now he paused at the top of the steps leading down from the doors and looked across the green at the brilliantly colored trees, flaming red, orange, and yellow. He inhaled the scent of wood smoke and fallen leaves.” Oh, how beautiful. I just love that time of year. I think those days are just about drawing to a close here now, though. It’s bitterly cold. *shiver* Anyway, it’s such a wood-elfy picture, Lorellin and Legolas twirling and playing amidst this autumnal scene. Lorellin is clearly well used to playing with her little son and seeing Thranduil so relaxed and relishing the moments with his family is an absolute joy. And of course, it wouldn’t be Thranduil if he didn’t have at least one moment of possessive protectiveness. The vivid colours of the autumn trees as well as the greens and red of their cloaks are a very powerful and quite poignant contrast to the encroaching darkness of the world around them, where another son is struggling with grief and probably anger in the threatened south and not too far away a family must deal with the pain of a lost child. Still, it’s just lovely to see Thranduil play with his child who doesn’t yet know that the world outside this garden isn’t full of laughter and love. O.k, I just LOVED the part with Ithilden as an elfling!! So my all-time favourite OC was once a cute elfling who needed his ‘bankie’ at night?! I’m guessing he’d strongly deny it if anyone mentioned it now. I was grinning from start to finish of this part. I mean, *Ithilden* in Thranduil’s arms being called “sweetling”. I love it! I can just imagine him deciding one day that he didn’t need the blanket any more. Apparently the night before my third birthday I threw my soothers (what do you call them, ‘pacifiers’?) down the stairs and announced that I didn’t need them anymore because I was a big girl now. My mother hid them then incase I changed my mind… I can see some of adult Ithilden in this elfling as he so solemnly explains to Thranduil that he only doesn’t need it when Nana is around. “Is my bankie lost?” the child asked, horror in his voice.” LOL! The poor thing must have been rapidly losing faith in his father – and I can just feel the rising panic in Thranduil too. I was beginning to think Nimloth had taken it off to wash it, as I recall she has a tendency to do. But never fear, Ada finds it in the end. “Good night. I love you, Ada.” *sigh* Lovely The Eilian part was, of course, absolutely priceless. I imagine they didn’t know what he’d get up to from one minute to the next. He has so much energy! He’s lucky he’s cute. “Ada!” the child cried, his face brightening.” That one moment brought tears to my eyes. Wasn’t it in ‘Spring Awakenings’ that Thranduil wonders if Eilian’s face had ever lit up at the sight of his father? Well, it seems it did! It appears too that Eilian always had his talent for getting off on a technicality. “The guard came” indeed. I’ve actually just realised how good Thranduil is with elflings. He obviously has a playful spirit himself and can relate to them, although he did lose it somewhat a little later. And who knew he had a little bit of Eilian in him?? I’m still smiling at the thought of Thranduil and Oropher sliding down steps on a sled. But yeah, maybe he finds younger children easier to deal with than when they start to grow up. I like how Thranduil and Lorellin each do their best to prevent the other from worrying. Although, Eilian doesn’t seem to have quite understood if he tries to reassure Thranduil that he doesn’t have to take a turn if he doesn’t want to! There’s such ease between Thranduil and his little daredevil. It’s just wonderful to see a time when Eilian brought him such enjoyment rather than worry. Oh, the ending of this chapter… To see Thranduil as I’ve never seen him before, so completely exhausted and Ithilden so concerned… I don’t know what to say, really. As much as it makes me sad, I really love it. Everything about this is just fantastic, daw. You’ve left me feeling quite privileged to see these personal moments when Thranduil lets his guard down, be it to simply be Ada, or at a time of obvious vulnerability. :-) Author Reply: I tried to write fluffy, and melancholy just kept coming through. And you are such a good guesser, Dot! I added those framing scenes last at my beta's suggestion, and Thranduil just came through so weary and worn. Even the room was dark. And I have to admit that I liked the fact that Ithilden cares for him and he worries about Eilian, who has been drinking. I too think that Lorellin did as she pleased, and he was mostly glad about it. She was so good for him. She loosened him up. He's not insensitive to his sons' feelings, but he does have more trouble dealing with them as adults than as elflings, particularly once she dies. One year there was a fire in a fraternity house at a college where I was teaching and a student died. I remember going home and feeling very possessive about my son, who was young at the time, when these other parents' son had died. I think Thranduil must have felt that way sometimes. But I did like the image of Legolas playing with Nana and dancing like a leaf in the wind. "Pacifiers" is indeed what the plugs are called here. My son never used one but he did have a blanket. And here's something he doesn't know: that very ragged blanket is in a box upstairs. I loved the idea of Ithilden having one. Wouldn't the troops he chews out love to know that? I was thinking about that "face lighting up" thing too. And my beta said she wanted to know that love was expressed between these two easily at one time. It's still there but they do have trouble. Good observation about Eilian getting off on technicalities. He has no time for these rules! He's on a mission! | |
| sofia | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 10/21/2004 |
| its nice to read about Lorellin. Nothing better than some elfling fluff. :) -sofia Author Reply: Thank you, Sofia. I enjoy writing about Lorellin too, but it's hard to do because Legolas was so young when she died and I like to have him in the stories. Elfling fluff is good! | |
| Brenda G. | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 10/21/2004 |
| This is the story I have been dreaming of from you, Daw! I read this chapter like someone long starved, not able to consume it fast enough. Then, once half-sated, read it again, slowly this time so I could savor it - each word - each emotion - each precious vignette. Oh, my... I think this is some of your very best writing yet. You have made me feel like I am with Thranduil, an eye-witness to each moment as it plays through. Each word glows with its own special meaning and richness. I have a feeling I will be reaching for a box of Kleenex soon, for--I guessing--but is this the story where you will give account of the loss of Lorellin, the actual event? If not, this is the perfect vehicle with which to ply your readers with perhaps more angst than they may wish to experience, especially for those of us who feel like these particular Elves are members of our own family. Thranduil looms larger to me in this story than in all your others combined. This window you've opened for your readers to the "human" side of this formidable warrior king is awesome. We are privy to some of Thranduil's most intimate moments with family and self. These are the glimpses we have long been greedy for of this stern, aloof, often fearsome Elf. Lucky Lorellin! She knew the real Thranduil behind the crown, and now you are giving us a share in him, too. Thranduil's moments with each child are just too beautiful to adequately describe with words. Only the heart, overfull and overflowing, can express it is own secret language how precious those moments truly are. I am breathless with anticipation of the next chapter. Please don't make us wait too long! Author Reply: I can't thank you enough for your kind words here, Brenda. You make me blush. This story started out as pure fluff and a chance to show each of Thranduil's sons as children, but I found that I couldn't resist the angst and then my beta suggested that I frame it. I'm glad she did because those glimpses of Thranduil and the older two in the "now" were interesting to write. I'm a little worried that I haven't done what you're hoping for in the next chapter. It was interesting to write about Thranduil with these little kids and his wife, because he felt so much freer and happier. I think for him this is a kind of idyllic time. | |
| Duchess | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 10/21/2004 |
| Oh I liked this a whole lot! A very nice story, letting Thranduil get lost in memories of his sons like that. Too cute to get to see Ithilden as a child for once! I never would have thought he'd have a security blanket. *vbg* The one with Eilian was so completely believable, mud and all, I giggled all the way through it. And Legolas with his mother, *sigh* sweet, very sweet. :):):) Author Reply: I'm glad you like the story, Duchess. I too was surprised that Ithilden would have a blanket! Wouldn't the warriors he chews out like to know that? I found that these three were very easy to write as children though. I could see the adult in each of them. | |
| Jebb | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 10/21/2004 |
| This was so lovely and full of love, joy and happiness but with each little memory was a feeling of loss too an omen of what is to come perhaps? The love Thranduil showed for his wife and children and theirs for him shows what a happy family they must have been and points up even more the devastating sense of loss they must all have felt at the death of Lorellin much appreciated Author Reply: I think that Thranduil found himself being freer that usual with small children and his wife. I suspect he found the sons harder to deal with as they grew up and especially as adolescents. And once Lorellin died, he was a bit at sea. Thank you for the review, Jebb. | |
| Jay of Lasgalen | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 10/21/2004 |
| What a lovely glimpse of good!ada Thranduil with all three sons. The mud for sliding down the stairs just *had* to be Eilian's idea! The scene with 'bankie' was lovely, and a neat twist because I had thought it was still a memory of Legolas. I love the image of stiff, controlled, But what is wrong with Eilian in the 'now' part of the story? And why is Thranduil so troubled? Jay Author Reply: I was so hoping I was fool people into thinking that was Legolas with the bankie! I amused myself by giving in tot "correct" Ithilden. Wouldn't the troops like to know that? There's one more chapter coming soon. | |
| vic | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 10/21/2004 |
| Daw, What a wonderful chapter! So sweet and loving. I really missed this kind of writing as I've been reading nothing but very boring reports and statistics. Thranduil is always such a pleasure to meet up with once again. I do hope there's more to come. Take care and thank you for a lovely chapter, vic Author Reply: Thank you, vic. There's a second chapter coming and then that's it. I can't write this kind of sweetness for too long, I'm afraid. But I am happy to hear that it's better than statistics! :-0 daw | |