News Resources
Login
Become a member
Help
Search
|
|
| About Us News Resources
Login
Become a member
Help
Search
|
|
|
| Good Neighbors by daw the minstrel | 28 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| meckinock | Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 11/21/2004 |
| I meant Legolas, of course. Author Reply: The hell you did. | |
| meckinock | Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 11/21/2004 |
| Gandalf and Thranduil's exchange about Thingol was interesting. It's not greed to covet something to the point of obsesssion as long as you do it solely out of appreciation for its beauty. Some rationalization. Thank goodness Eilian has tutors teaching him history and not his dad. And Gandalf seems to put the king off-balance - guess he's not used to being around someone he doesn't outrank. So Eilian thought his instructions were understood? Yup. Clear as day. Thanks for sharing, Eilian. For supposedly being more accustomed to fighting alongside Men than the Mirkwood Elves, the twins are remarkably unconcerned about how their actions affect others on the field of battle. Could have gotten someone killed, indeed. Hmmm. Makes you wonder....Nah. Surely not. The whole thing was worth it just to see Eilian appalled. Didn't think the boy had it in him. Eilian is going to be all right. The twins? I can't wait to see. Author Reply: Gandalf is good for Thranduil. He's not afraid of the king and Thranduil respects him and values him. Thranduil is learning. He's slow, but he learns, as Eilian once said about himself (and I can't remember in which story now). I think his honesty eventually comes through. Now Eilian has just had his eyes opened. He loves the twins. They're his kind of warriors. But they just scared the wits out of him; or more acurately, they just made him scare the wits out of himself. I think the twins were actually pretty certain they could wipe out the remainins orcs. A bunch were dead by then. Always assuming that they weren't hit by friendly fire, of course. | |
| Alice | Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 11/21/2004 |
| Oooh. Good chapter. That battle scene was great! Very exciting. I loved the strategy bit of it too. They had those orcs penned like pigs. I have to admit, I forgot about the coming battle when I was reading about the activities in the Mirkwood capitol. Mirkwoods seems like such a tiny kingdom when you think that really there's only one city (Thranduil's stronghold) and it's fairly small, and a bunch of settlements. I loved the scene with Thranduil thinking about Thingol. He had a breakthrough! Yay! That's the elven king I love. The scene with him and his advisor was really funny. I suspect that the advisor has worked with Thranduil for a long time. I love how he was relunctant to give Thranduil the merchant's name. The advisor is suspicious of Thranduil's motives, and probably rightly so. I do wish the boys would tell someone about Rodda. It really is too bad that Eilian isn't there at the moment, because they would tell him. Sometimes a situation calls for an adult presence. And while it would be scary to have to inform Thranduil or Ithilden that they're hiding a human boy in an abandoned cottage, Eilian is less intimidating. Though he probably would inform Thranduil of what's going on, but that's really what should happen anyway. And we now know more about Rodda. That poor kid. No wonder he got sick, he saw his own father murdered. So, the battle scene with Eilian, masterful. Just general excellence. The action flowed nicely and the whole thing with Eilian being on edge because of E2 was done brilliantly. Turns out Thranduil was right about trying to keep E2 away from Eilian. I'm glad Eilian realized that they're not good for him. They needed to be told that they're being selfish asses. They need to go home. And they could have gotten someone killed by their little improvisation! They know better. Glorfindel would have a thing or two to say to them. I look forward to the next chapter. Hopefully there will be one up by the time I come back from New Jersey. I get to go and see my cousins. Have a happy Thanksgiving! Author Reply: The Elven kingdoms are all pretty small by the Third Age, I think. Consider Rivendell. It's tiny. And Lothlorien is not huge either. Thranduil probably has the most territory but he doesn't have control over it all. Thranduil is learning about men too, just like Eilian and Legolas are. He's a clever elf and his advisor is right to think that Thranduil has something on his mind. Rodda must have had a very tough time, and if the boys don't tell someone about him soon, he'll have an even rougher one. Poor kid. I'm glad you liked the battle scene. I find them hard to write and this one was tricky because I wanted the emotional stuff with Eilian in particular. I'm interested in the twins but mostly as they affect Thranduil's sons. Glorfindel would not have put up with that move for a second! Have a good Thanksgiving too. Enjoy yourself! | |
| sofia | Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 11/21/2004 |
| I'm so used to seeing Eilian as the joking big brother that I forgot just how he can act in battle and in anger. -sofia Author Reply: Eilian is capable of being a real warrior when he chooses to be, and he's also a captain, which means he usually can intimidate troops. But the twins are not to be intimidated at all. They're much more experienced than he is and not at all impressed when he does his Ithilden impression. | |
| perelleth | Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 11/21/2004 |
| Go you! Two chapters in a day (for me!!!)I've been unexpectedly rewarded it seems. Since I'm up waiting for an e-mail from overseas, I can as well thank such a prolific and kind author! So!Rodda is the other missing body.. but then, these men do not seem overworried about him, and the poor boy is about to set out for a fifty-league trip on his own!!! Gods! somebody has to stop him! (Maybe little Amdir with his big mouth will give a hand?) Communication (lack of) seems to be always the issue with young kids.. he is afraid of having done sth. terrible, and the other boys are hiding him for they think it is the best thing for him. Sigh! Hope he finds a nice place where he fits in... "...they are kind when they can afford to be" I very much like this sentence, it so clearly describes a certain type of life in difficult conditions... when being kind is truly a luxury, not always a choice. Very precise. Mithrandir, as everybody else, seems to be tiptoeing around Thranduil, I like the way everything seems to revolve around him, his opinions and his moods. He must be fuming today about men. and ..Doriath is not the most appropiate subject to bring along at lunch!!! No wonder he kept his people to themselves for so long in that forest... that was among the deeds of the Age I consider! Thanks again and good week! :) Author Reply: The men still think that Rodda is dead. Poor kid. He and the Terrible Trio are all in way over their heads and need help. They just don't know enough to ask for it. I thought that thing about being kind when you could afford to was sadly true. I think that Mithrandir is capable of telling Thranduil the truth, but Ithilden and Legolas are both tiptoeing a little, Ithilden because he just quarreled with Thranduil about having the Men as allies and sending Eilian off with the twins, and Legolas because he has a secret. But Thranduil needs to think about Doriath and the mixed record of elves too. Then he might be a little more relaxed about men. Have a good holiday. | |
| rikwen | Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 11/21/2004 |
| I am so glad that you updated before the holidays. That way I can wait on the next chapter and not worry on what is happening. It is amazing sometimes what small ones will prattle on about in all innocence and no one will realize that they are repeating what they have heard or seen. But let Eilian or Maltanaur hear Amdir and the reaction could turn out to be quite different than what the raft elf did. I feel sorry for Rodda. Fifty leagues to travel to a strange village - alone and with very little in provisions and weapons. A knife and three arrows will not go far in protecting him from orcs. I think Legolas is very aware of the danger and is at the point of asking for help from someone. Hopefully, Eilian will be home soon. Your battle between the elves, men and orcs was very telling. Eilian sounded very mature when he realized he liked the battle rage he was feeling but he didn't want to disappoint Legolas by getting hurt or killed. Most of the time he acts like an adrenalin junkie, but here he was aware of the danger he was in and he definitely had no desire to visit the Halls of Mandos! I felt the twins almost caused a major faux pas. They pulled off that early attack by using their skill with the swords but I think it could have gone either way if the men had not been able to hold their own. It was very very lucky that only one man was injured. Hopefully, one day Elledan and Elrohir will be able to put their rage behind them and see that living is worth more than trying to wipe orcs off the face of Arda. Author Reply: I actually thought the raft elf probably meant what he said when he responded "That will be nice" to Amdir's claim that he was going orc hunting. LOL. I don't know that I'd want to live next door to Turgon and Amdir. I think Eilian's love for Legolas does anchor him a bit. He knows his family would be devastated by losing him, and sees that most clearly in Legolas. He probably enjoys the thrill of battle most of the time, but this time he was just a little over the edge. The twins can go on killing orcs if they want to. They just have to be able to go home and feel some pleasure in their life too (pleasure other than killing orcs). | |
| Duchess | Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 11/21/2004 |
| I really enjoyed this one. You made me sooooo glad to see Eilian is mature enough to recognize the fault in himself now and I found myself wanting to back him up in regards to the twins and their attitudes. That was very thoughtless of them! Oh dear, that boy alone in the forest? Not a good thing, I don't care if the Elflings manage to get him more arrows or not. Baaaaaad idea! And I'm SO glad that Elf paid no attention to Amdir's ramblings. LOL More please? Author Reply: Eilian is keeping hold of himself, even if it's just barely. I think the twins probably could have handled the remaining Orcs reasonably, but they did surprise Eilian and that's not good in a battle. The elflings need help! They're just digging themselves deeper and deeper. Thank you, Duchess. | |
| Jay of Lasgalen | Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 11/21/2004 |
| I take it that the missing child is Rodda? Perhaps he feels he deserted if he ran away from the orcs. But the men with Eilian and the twins seem to care about him, so perhaps he can return to Esgaroth with them. I suspect that sooner or later someone will hear what Amdir is prattling about, and then he'll be discovered. I liked the battle scene, but it was over too quickly. I'm not that surprised that the twins broke cover too soon for Eilian's liking, but they fought well enough to satisfy him. I liked the description of them fighting together. And well done Eilian! I loved him telling the twins off for wallowing in their grief - he's right, Celebrķan has the chance of happiness, so they can take it too. Jay Author Reply: Good guess, Jay. Amdir made me laugh, I have to admit. I liked the image of him waving the stick around and telling a truth no one would believe. The battle was over too quickly? Geez. I had to lie down afterwards. I find battle scenes hard to write. I liked balancing the twins and Eilian off against one another. They are much more experienced than he is in most ways, but not in what counts right now. | |