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Time's Turnings by daw the minstrel	28 Review(s)
sofia	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 1/11/2005
another nice beginning to a story. Legolas need's to move to other border patrols, though I can understand the hesitation from his family. -sofia Author Reply: Yes, I think Legolas needs wider experience. By the time he's 100, he's in the northern border patrol, hunting dragons, so he gets it eventually, but for now, he must feel pretty frustrated.

Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 1/11/2005
I'm trying to remember when Eilian became Captain of the Southern Patrol. Wasn't he younger than Legolas is now? It's no wonder Legolas gets rather irritated by the babying. He's still confined to the safest patrol in the East and has been for the last 30 years. Of course, Eilian was really promoted far too young - even though there was no alternative and he is very good at what he does. But it must be galling. Author Reply: Let me think about that. I think he might have been a shade older. He gets made captain in "Growing Under Shadow" and Legolas is 27 in that one which means Eilian was 87. I expect that Legolas knows that quite well and can't decide whether to be insulted or ticked off!

Dot	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 1/11/2005
Hi daw. Great to see you back! How was the holiday?? I was delighted to see everyone in this chapter! I was only thinking about Sinnarn recently – I want to know what happened with him and Emmelin! – so I was particularly happy that he reappeared. I don’t think you’ve shown us what he was like as a teenager before. I really enjoyed the opening – you had me smiling from the start. Honey on the parsnips, eh? Sounds like a good trick. I should try it myself because I can’t stand the things. It’s actually a little strange to see Legolas so regretful about Sinnarn growing up and wanting to become a warrior when we’ve become used to Thranduil and co. feeling that way about Legolas. Of course, this particular family have plenty of room for worrying about more than one person and if Legolas is still in the Eastern Border patrol then their protective tendencies are as strong as ever. Is Eilian still being moved every few years? Or maybe that was a later decision, I can’t really remember. I loved the image of them all singing together. Very elfy. And it really creates an idea of how relaxed they are with each other. No wonder Ithilden was smiling. I felt quite bad for Legolas and Eilian and their slight discomfort at seeing such love between their brother and sister-in-law when they can’t help wanting that for themselves (although Eilian could have it but hasn’t learned to behave himself yet;-)), but it’s an absolute joy to see how happy Ithilden and Alfirin are. “Did you finish your lessons, Sinnarn?” That’s right, Ithilden. It wouldn’t do to let the peace last too long… I thought it was a little unfair that he brought up Sinnarn’s disobedience in front of his uncles, but I suppose they’re hardly under the illusion that he’s a model child… Legolas may have managed to control himself but I admit I did laugh out loud when Ithilden and Sinnarn adopted the same sulky expressions! So Ithilden has just said that Galelas has been injured and the Western border patrol have seen a lot of Orcs and spiders and then Legolas asks if he can be transferred there?? Like that’ll work. Actually, he came across remarkably like Eilian there. Of course, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Legolas does indeed end up there but I’d like to know how he’d wangle it in the end. I think that when it comes to his brothers, Ithilden needs to feel that he either has no other choice, or that the posting would be the best thing for either the patrol or whichever brother. Still, Legolas will need to get experience of other patrols sooner or later. sigh Dwarves and Men. There’s always something. I appreciate Ithilden’s point of view and it must be a constant battle for him to stop Thranduil just giving up on them entirely but I can see why Thranduil gets frustrated. Then again, can you imagine what it must be like for the poor Men who have to deal with both the Dwarves and the scary Elvenking?! “What would it be like to have your elders age and grow feeble, so that you had to undertake their duties? How would it feel to have to care for them and then watch them die?” Ouch. That’s a sad enough thought for we mortals and painful to deal with but it must be both incomprehensible and appalling to an elf. I just adore the relationship between Thranduil and Sinnarn. It seems so completely based on simple love. Thranduil makes a wonderful grandfather. Remember him beaming with pride when elfling Sinnarn bowed to Mithrandir or talking to him in the garden after the wine incident? That’s a real grandfather. There are a lot of similarities between Sinnarn and Legolas, particularly in the way that their family treats them but I think there are some major differences too. Apart from the fact that he has both parents to care for him, Sinnarn also has Thranduil as a fairly uncomplicated presence in his life. For Legolas, Thranduil was a parent who could therefore be either angry or affectionate, but while I’m sure he’s lost his cool with Sinnarn a time or two, he largely just provides love. Legolas could have done with someone like that. Plus, when Legolas was the age Sinnarn is now he had experienced a lot more. Unless I just don’t know about Sinnarn’s adventures yet! What real difference that makes in the way their family views them, I don’t really know. I wonder when Elves are finally seen as true adults? It actually seems in your stories to be when they marry, and especially when they have children of their own. I mean, Siondel was Eilian’s age but even Thranduil has long treated him as an adult because he was Annael’s father. And Eilian’s relationship with his father became a little more adult once he married Celuwen, and I imagine it would improve if he ever had elflings of his own. How odd, then for Legolas should Sinnarn marry Emmelin and have children… Oops, I’ve been rambling, haven’t I?? Sorry. That’s what happens when you’re supposed to be cataloguing books and get bored… Ah, Legolas and undisciplined horses! I guess he had to give dear old Pilin up a long time ago so. I kind of hope he does choose the grey stallion ;-) I think Ithilden is a little too aware of what kind of activities Eilian enjoys to let Sinnarn go! It must be some bit amusing to Thranduil to watch Ithilden have the very same problems as he did. Besides, Ithilden may have been a solemn little soul but I bet he desperately wanted to be seen as ‘grown up’ more so than any of them. I had to laugh at the description of Thranduil finding fatherhood an “exasperating experience”. That sums it up, really! I really liked the scene with Eilian and the cook! I love how well Cook seems to know the family and how genuinely fond of them, especially of Eilian, he seems. Eilian amuses me too at how much he thinks he understands Legolas’ situation and sympathises with him for feeling as though he’s being treated as a child, and yet alters his plans when baby brother comes along and thinks that he is too young to be moved to a different patrol. snort Legolas and Eilian certainly seem to have an entirely different taste in female companions!! Is that a note of bitterness I detect when Eilian thinks of Celuwen??! Duty always seems to play on Legolas’ mind when he tries to have fun. Eilian lives very much in the moment, but Legolas just isn’t like that and never will be. I can see why he’d envy Eilian, though. Right, I’ll do a bit more work before it’s time to close… This is wonderful, daw. I’m looking forward to seeing where you take us :-) Author Reply: My vacation was great! We went to New Orleans and then to the Caribbean. What could be better? I've never before written about Sinnarn as an adolescent. I showed him as a little kid (in "The Warrior") and then jumped straight to showing him as a warrior (in "Fire and Shadow"). So this is kind of fun. I'll eventually write about the time after the Battle of Five Armies, and he and Emmelin should be in that. I'm working on the next chapter of this story right now and Emmelin is more or less a gleam in her parents' eyes. Eilian is indeed being moved away from the south every other year. He broke down in "Tide of Times" and was recovering in "The Warrior" and that's when Ithilden said "never again." In her review of this chapter, Elena Tiriel said the same thing about Ithilden publicly scolding Sinnarn. I wasn't thinking that way at all. I thought this was all in the family, so to speak. But when I read her comment and yours, I got to wondering if maybe the fact that they all live together might make them be even more careful about stuff like this because otherwise they'd have no privacy at all. I'm laughing at your image of the men caught between the dwarves and Thranduil. They'd need cast iron nerves and a good bit of slick talk (We might say "blarney." Would you say that?), I would think. In this story, one of the things I'm trying to think about a little is what adulthood means to elves. The relations between the generations would have to be different, you would think. Even the concept of "generation" might be odd. One thing is for sure: you probably can't count of being promoted because the previous guy retired. So your speculations on Sinnarn vs. Legolas and also on when you get to be thought of as an adult were interesting to me. I think you must have to accept some responsibilities, but since elves were organized in "houses" you probably didn't just move out and prove you could pay rent and show up in clean underwear every day. I have plans for us to see a little bit of Ithilden as an adolescent. He was probably quite different from Eilian (and Sinnarn) but I expect he had his own quirks. I liked writing about the cook too. I think that Eilian is someone who would amuse everyone else far more than he does his father. He's good hearted and kind and most of us are glad enough for that. He's a wood elf, I guess.

Ms. Whatsit	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 1/11/2005
I liked Thranduil's spoiling of his grandson compared to his sons--with Sinnarn, Thranduil can be Good Cop all the time. Yeesh, poor Legolas. Must be annoying to be grouped with his nephew. Eilian doesn't care about Celuwen, hmm? snort Keep telling yourself that, sweetheart. Author Reply: I think that Thranduil is an absolutely brilliant grandfather. He can see that Sinnarn has plenty of parenting from Ithilden and Alfirin. All the kid needs from him is love, and that's all Thranduil wants to provide anyway. Legolas is closer in age to Sinnarn than he is to Eilian even, but he's still an adult and Sinnarn is so plainly a kid that being grouped with him must really rankle. Eilian wants to know who you're calling "sweetheart" and can he come over please.

caz-baz	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 1/11/2005
That was a good opening to what i imagine is going to be another one of your brilliant stories. I only just finished reading your last story which was excellent and very real in the sense of how Legolas was feeling and i must say it gave me a better percpective of Alfirin. until next chapter. caz-baz Author Reply: You know, I got to know Alfirin a lot better by writing that story too. She'd always been kind of a stereotype to me until then. There's nothing like trying to write from a character's point of view to make them deeper and more real to me. Thanks, Caz.

Manderly	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 1/11/2005
Just from reading the first chapter, I can see how appropriate the title of your story is. The parallel between Eilian's thinking and Legolas' thinking was both interesting and amusing. Legolas was cringing for Sinnarn while Eilian was doing the same thing for him. Then there is Ithilden and Thranduil, the strict adars. Alot of "been there, done that" from all present. It's nice to see Legolas and Eilian relaxing from their patrol duties, but I don't suppose the peace will last and I am looking forward to whatever excitement you have in store for us. I see that Legolas is not receptive of his brother's female interest for the evening, as usual. Such a serious and responsible elf sometimes! Author Reply: It's fun to see the sort of layers of age here. You have people like Thranduil, who's clearly an adult by anyone's standards. I think the same is true of Ithilden and, interestingly enough, Alfirin, even though she's the same age as Eilian. Her marriage and motherhood, her acceptance of these responsibilities, have moved her into the adult camp. Eilian has responsibilities in his work and that helps establish him as somewhat adult, but his personal life is kind of a mess. And Legolas is still untried in a lot of ways. Legolas has always taken a while to warm up to his brothers' girlfriends. He's possessive of those he loves, I think, a sign of his early loss.

thechevin	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 1/11/2005
I was so pleased to see a new story from you and am already enjoying this very much I love the family dynamics that you have set in place. The way Alfirin keeps the family together and out of argument (mostly!)She is quiet but determined and apparently the family know this! Then there is dashing Eilian who sympathises with Legolas over his over protective Adar but is just as protective of his 'brat' in his own way and of course Legolas still in that middle ground an adult in name but not quite in other ways. As for his thoughts about freedom as an adult how true they were and how little things really changed he exchanged one set of restrictions for another it seems this new story has made my week thank you Judy Author Reply: Alfirin has been good for them all. I think Lorellin would have been too and the kind of lost their way for a while when she died. Although I also think that Thranduil did his best. I've wondered for quite a while what effect elven immortality (and their organization into "houses") might have on how they define adulthood. It can't be quite the same as for us. We expect to leave home and establish our own household, for one thing. I think it might be tricky. I'm glad to have made your week, Judy!

Jay of Lasgalen	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 1/11/2005
So Eilian doesn't care if Celuwen goes and marries some other elf? Yes, and pigs might fly, Eilian! I like to see him and Legolas together, so hope you'll make the most of their two days. I liked the quiet family atmosphere of this chapter, but have the feeling that the trouble on the Western border will rear its ugly head before long. Jay Author Reply: I have plans for some interaction between Legolas and Eilian, but Legolas has to go back to his patrol soon, so it might not take place at home. :-) In other words, I think we're going east rather than west in this story. Eilian is such a dense male.

Elena Tiriel	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 1/11/2005
Hmmm, on second reading: has Gwelid grown too old for the task, or too dead for the task? He could easily have been ambushed and replaced by a non-trustworthy Man. Oh, wait, maybe that's been done before...? - Barbara Author Reply: LOL. He got old! Trust me!

Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 1/11/2005
You know you're really, really grown up when you find it quite pleasurable to be treated as a kid for a few hours. Legolas is still at the 'when is he going to realise I'm holding down a well-paid job; I have my own car and flat and can even deal with plumbers on my own?' phase of maturity. (Answer: never.) It must be rather galling to watch him let Sinnarn get away with things, while at the same time Thranduil twitches every time Legolas wants to do anything. On the other hand, watching Sinnarn wind Ithilden up must be rather amusing. I hope pictures are flashing through Thranduil's brain of every time he caught Ithilden looking at him as Legolas misbehaved and he saw him thinking 'I could do this so much better.' I'd like the memories to be apparent to Legolas, too - but, hey, he was an adolescent himself at the time - he won't have noticed anything beyond his own angst. Love Alfirin feeding up the family. Large quantities and honey. She seems to have grasped the essentials. I wonder if Thranduil looks at her as she steps between father and son and sees Lorellin doing the same - mostly for his second son, but also . . . I am looking forward to the possibility of Ithilden's 'teenage' phase being fleshed out. Being terribly responsible could actually lead to some quite interesting infractions. Although I think he is unlikely to have spent much time gambling or flirting with irresponsible wenches. Definitely not the latter, considering how long he took to be able to speak to Alfirin. (I wonder how long he took to get from speaking to her to revealing his more poetic side?) I just love the family dynamics between these people - and the more you write about them and the more you take up different points of view, the stronger they all get. They are all real people and I can't help but want to follow all their stories. (Another story that quite interests me: what did Eilian do in their elflinghood that made Alfirin so wary of him?) I won't make any guesses about where this is going. I'm just going to sit back and enjoy it - and hope they get to spend some quality time together. (And that Ithilden has a LOT of trouble with his son. I look forward to Legolas apologising to his father for having been exactly the same kind of pain a mere forty years before. And to Thranduil (and Ithilden) noticing that Legolas is now grown up. Almost.) Author Reply: As I recall, you suggested some of the ideas I'm interested in here, Bodkin -- the nature of elven adulthood, Sinnarn as an evil adolescent, and eventually, memories of Ithilden's past too. :-) What I found was that my son knew exactly how to reduce me to sputtering rage within five minutes of entering the house. Kids are brilliant, really. They're like ethnographers who have spent years observing the natives and are now acting on their knowledge. Yeah, Ithilden's offenses would be pretty different from Eilian's, although they might grow from the same impulse to become his own person. I like the fact that he so clearly adult in the "present." Thranduil accepts him more or less as an equal. But he's had 600 years to get there. You are just full of plot bunnies, Bodkin! I think you can guess the kind of stuff Eilian would have done that Alfirin would definitely not have approved of. She has a strong moral streak. I suppose the devil (and fun) is in the details though.

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