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A Spring of Joy by daw the minstrel	20 Review(s)
Lamiel	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 5/22/2005
Why do I have the feeling that Loriel isn't going to be content with waiting in the stronghold for her father to come home? Well, at least the guards have experience in catching wayward elflings. Although they haven't been all that successful with Legolas in the past, as I recall. And I'll bet Eilian gave them merry heck. I did like that scene where Loriel jumps into the maple tree, and Thranduil jumps right after her. Where else would you see a king do that? How I love the Wood-elves. Legolas' impressions of Esgarath are nicely done as well, particularly the Elves' sensitivity to the sound and smell of the Men around them. And I can't blame that girl for nearly walking off the pier. I've done the same, and with far less cause. Author Reply: Maybe they could get Annael to sit nicely and teach her to knit! :-) For a kid who lived surrounded by guards, Legolas did get out a lot. But then, I suppose the guards weren't mostly worried about a kid going out but about what nasty thing might be coming in. I loved picturing Thranduil climbing trees. You're right that we just don't see that sort of thing often enough. And I'll be walking off the pier too if Elves ever come my way!

Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 5/22/2005
What a beautiful moment of joy to end with. The special meadow (where Thranduil has been - h'mm - entertained in years gone by), the flowers, the happy Flower Face, the loving grandfather. And, in fact, the whole chapter is full of gems. I love the passing reference to the look on the advisor's face as Thranduil plays hookey with his granddaughter and Beliond shifting his chair to get a better view of the room - Sinnarn's suggestion that Tynd should put wine in the sauce, Maltanaur throwing a pine cone at him and Flower Face running round and round the tree while she waits for Thranduil. And then there are the biggies - Thranduil storing the sheer deliciousness of Eilian turning into an adar forced to worry about his daughter's risk-taking, because she had frightened him too much to think about it then. (Mind you, even if she hadn't, this would be worth storing.) Celuwen doubtful about Grandfather's ability to care for Loriel - Eilian having to be careful when Solith picks his mushrooms - Sinnarn's delight in his wife and his wife's family - Beliond's contempt for men - Annael's confidence in his tracking - oh, I don't know - all of it. It is just so well crafted. But so many suggestions of threat below the surface. The sense that, despite surface appearances, something is rotten in the state of Mirkwood. The conceit of the Master (and, since the town was rebuilt BEFORE the money started rolling in, the council must have spent inordinate amounts of the relief money on their own self-aggrandisement in designing that building. Fancy that!) Nasty Gollum creeping around and being generally unpleasant. And the general sadness of good times ending and the threat returning - children kept close to home and growing up in a world where weapons and danger are an everyday part of life. I suppose, in some ways, it's a good thing that ten years is no time at all in the life of an elf - they haven't had time to grow accustomed to feeling safer. And Grandfather could warn Flower Face about some of the dangers that would be in the woods anyway - like bears and wild boar and bogs. Not, I think, that Eilian's daughter will pay much heed to him. Probably, like her adar, a kinaesthetic learner. I've left loads of gorgeous bits out. But to mention it all would involve rewriting the chapter. But I'm loving seeing lots of Annael and Sinnarn added to the usual suspects. And Flower Face, of course. Author Reply: Thranduil and Loriel are happy for the moment. They both have some worries having to do with what's going on in the south, but they're enjoying their time together anyway. You make me feel good by citing those little moments in the chapter. You know how hard those are to write sometimes. Sometimes not. Sometimes you can see the whole thing unfolding in your head as if it's on a movie screen. But sometimes you can't figure out how to get a character out of a room. And by "you," I mean "me." I had to stop and think about the time sequence you gave for the rebuilding of Esgaroth, and I see what you mean. Bard sent some money to them for rebuilding and it apparently was enough to get things underway, but the Master took a bunch when he fled. I assume it was recovered when they found him but I made up the part about how he was found because Tolkien doesn't tell us that. But Tolkien does also say that they do well out of the general prosperity of the area. I really enjoy the chance to write about adult Annael in particular. I don't get enough opportunity to do that.

esamen	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 5/21/2005
This is just an incredibly enchanting story. I thought that the word "glamorous" described the story Good Neighbors, and I think that the word "enchanted" describes this one. Gollum, Dol Guldur, Thranduil's magic, and the Enchanted River--all magical. But there is another form of enchantment here too, as when the guards hide their smiles at the king playing with his grandaughter, and when Thranduil and Loriel take to the trees together. What a moment. And I recognized a THIRD kind of enchantment when I read this: “The woods it is.” He had seen how hard Loriel found it to be cooped up in the cavern all day, and he felt sorry for her. There were days when he too wanted to whine, “The woods! Please!” Celuwen hesitated. “You will have to watch her, Adar. She sometimes loses track of where she is supposed to be.” Thranduil smiled broadly. “I understand. I occasionally kept an eye on your husband in the woods when he was small.” Now, Daw, I read this bit of little dialogue and I was just amazed. By this point in your ongoing stories of Legolas, you have made us (1) sympathize with a magical Elven king who gets frustrated when he can't leave the office; (2) appreciate the closeness that a practical settlement elleth has developed with an intimidating warrior king; and (3) understand the family relationships of three generations of OC's. Now that's a pretty amazing piece of work, when you look at it that way. Where did you get your magic wand? ;-) Esamen Author Reply: You're so nice about this, Esamen. I'm enchanted by your review! I think I may have told you that it takes me a while to like my stories. I always think that the one I'm currently working on is really bad, and it's only after they're done for a while that I can look at them and think, "Well, that's not so bad. That's OK. I kind of like it." I've gotten to the point that I like "Good Neighbors" so having you say good things about it too makes me feel wonderful.

Alice	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 5/21/2005
That last bit was so sweet! I can see why the guards were hiding smiles. Thranduil is a good grandfather. I'm glad he listened to the warning bells also. Loriel is not a child to take lightly. Hopefully Thranduil will warn Celuwen. I liked the line about Thranduil storing the idea of Eilian warning a child to be careful away for satisfaction later. Lol. It's easy to see why Thranduil enjoys his Lorellin look-alike grandaughter. And so the tension builds in both the Home Guard and in Eilian's little scouting party. It's really interesting seeing how mature and responsible Eilian is now. Being a husband and father agrees with him, even if it is a little bit scary seeing him act so adultlike. He's always been responsible and upstanding while on duty, but it's odd seeing him so when he's in his free time. Thranduil should have shipped him off to Celuwen's settlement years ago. I'm with Sinnarn on wanting Annael as a father-in-law by the way. Actually, Annael as any sort of member of your family is great. Sinnarn lucked out. Eilian did not. Watching Beliond interact with humans is always interesting. I have to admit though, I keep wanting him to get smacked down with that elvish arrogance of his. I really hope that none of the nearby villagers understand Sindarin. Otherwise some fiesty, erudite person who happens to not have bathed because there isn't indoor plumbing might feel the need to get real close to them and give em a nice big whiff of themselves. I should probably just be thankful that Tinar's not on this mission. Hee. Beliond would probably shut up if someone pointed out how much he sounded like Tinar. Now that's a terrible thought! So, good chapter. Hopefully Gollum won't steal any children while Legolas is tracking him. Legolas would not take kindly towards that. And hopefully Thranduil made an impression on Loriel on not traveling towards Ada by herself. I doubt he did, but hope springs eternal. I look forward to the next chapter. Update soon! So I'm articulate for a teenager, huh? Thank you. My english teacher does try. Author Reply: Loriel is not a child to take lightly -- That's a really pleasing thought, Alice. I think you may be right. She has her father's recklessness and her mother's stubborness and that blending could cause problems. And of course, she looks like her grandmother, so Thranduil is hopelessly enchanted with her. I think that the people Eilian loves have always been very important to Eilian. They're what tie him to more reasonable behavior. And he's always been far more concerned about the safety of others than his own. I suspect that you're right that marriage to Celuwen and life in the settlement would have been good for him long ago. You're making me laugh about Beliond! He is arrogant. He's so sure that elves are superior. The thing that's struck me about why people in the Middle Ages might have smelled is less bathing (although it is that too) than laundry. I've been doing some reading and their clothes were mostly wool or linen. Cotton was a luxury fabric. And they didn't have many clothes because every inch of thread had to be spun before the cloth could be woven before the clothes could be sewn. Think about that. It makes my head hurt. So anyway, I don't think they washed their clothes all that often and they worked hard. And btw, I've decided that you get to be the one to tell Beliond that he sounds like Tinar.

rgbj	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 5/21/2005
Oh dear back into the domain of smelly, noisy men again in their rickety crowded town. Sad to have to be cooped up there on a lovely day when they could be in the great, wide, scary and dangerous forest. Men and their love of gold even when it kills them. You can't eat it and you sure can't take it with you. The master isn't the first and he certainly won't be the last to die for gold. As far as having to deal with men, at least the elves don't have to put up with them for long. Let some time pass and they are retired or dead and then maybe they will get a better replacement. The long lives of elves has always been hard for me to get my mind around. It changes how one would look at so many things. I remember when Legolas would be so excited about going to see the human town. He's getting a little jaded isn't he in his young/old age. The river running with gold. Well it is never surprising that a politician would like people to feel that he is responsible for all their prosperity. After all elections can be fickle. He would need their good will to keep up that lovely lifestyle with gilded wood beams and blue velvet to keep out the harsh winter winds as much as keeping up his pride of office. I do hope that Gollum doesn't snag a human baby or two while he is there. He doesn't like places with too many people so maybe he will stay away from town. He will just prey on isolated farms. Sigh. Well if anyone can find him it will be Annael. Eilian has certainly found that having children changes everything. Solith would approve if he ever looked past his dislike of his son-in-law as a rival for Celuwen's affection. Eilian has become quite domesticated. Here he is in his element and he can only worry about what is happening in the south because of his family and his new responsibilities. Adar would be surprised. He fully realizes the constraint on the elves when things are bad at Dol Guldur. Poor Sinnarn, just bonded to his mate and he is out here where things could get very dangerous. And then Legolas, having more playmates because most of the settlements youngsters were kept out of harms way at the stronghold but losing his mother to dark forces despite all the guards at the royals disposal. Maltanour can really read Eilian. How many decades, centuries have they been together? I guess we need a time line or something so we can figure these things out for ourselves. I have an atlas now and can follow a lot of this myself. I am so proud of myself because I am hopeless with geography. I liked Sinnarn and his dreamy look about his mate and her mother's cooking ability linked with Annael's woodcraft. He is still the youngling isn't he? Then we have Eilian being careful if Solith picks the mushrooms. That was funny but true. Will things get worse. Oh my yes. Much worse before they finally get better. Then when they do get better they will have to leave or fade. Sigh. Ah Grandparents. What would children do without them. If they are good grandparents then kids can have so much fun. Even Thranduil is easily swayed and he's always impressed me as pretty unswayable. But then look at how he was with Sinnarn. Alfirin had to teach him how to be a good grandfather. She did a good job. I did like Celuwen questioning the king about his abilities as a elfling sitter. He has done it all. Each child presents it's own problems and pleasures so yes he can handle Loriel. A leap too far for this father's daughter. Eilian will have his hands full but right now it is Thranduil who has his hands full with a very lively child. Whew. Yes he can enjoy the news that Eilian has to tell his daughter that she has to be careful, she might get hurt. We can too. Another risk to be averted. I can walk very far. But we don't want you too. That streak of what ever it is that the Thranduilion have. I think grandmother is passing on those wood elf genes quite freely. Since his sons have all given themselves to wood elves I think this can only get stronger. Actually who else are they going to bond with. I certainly hope Loriel doesn't up and decide to walk to Dol Guldur. Will poor Thranduil survive another generation of shenanigans per Eilian and Legolas? Only time and more stories will tell. Nice setting up chapter for Eilian in the south and Legolas hot on Gollum's trail. Author Reply: I had forgotten that Esgaroth's Master came to a bad end until my beta reminded me. I was all ready to show him talking to Legolas, but then she pointed out the last couple of pages of The Hobbit, where he runs off with the gold and dies. Then I think it's Balin who's talking and he says that the new master is wiser and takes credit for the prosperity. The conversation takes place when Gandalf and Balin visit Bilbo in the Shire, two years before this story takes place. Gandalf says that Gollum tracked Bilbo to Esgaroth and even Dale, searching for the ring. Creeps me out to think about it. Is it Karen Fonstad's Atlas of Middle-earth that you have? I think it's my most essential research tool, other than Tolkien's books. On my author page here, I have all my stories listed with the age Legolas is in each. Maltanaur has been Eilian's keeper since he became a warrior, which would have been about 60 years before Legolas was born, I think. And surely Thranduil's family must have married Wood-elves. As you say, who else was there? I suppose some of the Sindar might have come with Thranduil. I doubt if anyone was very purely one race of Elves by the time we've gotten to the Third Age.

Manderly	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 5/21/2005
Thranduil and Loriel together - I've been looking forward to this scene since chapter 1 and here it is. I'm amazed that Thranduil actually has the willpower to say no to his granddaughter when she wanted to leap to the next tree. Not that he will let her take the leap by herself, but I can picture him doing the leap with her in his arms just to appease her. I guess he's not totally putty yet in her hands. I'm sure he'll be smiling in his sleep tonight gloating over the justice of Eilian getting a daughter just like himself and getting a taste of the type of fatherhood that Thranduil went through with him. Have I told you how much I love Beliond? Everytime he opens his mouth, he's got me grinning. He will certainly keep the conversations intersting as they hunt for Gollum. Author Reply: What a good idea, Manderly! Why didn't I think of that? She'd be thrilled if he made a long jump while holding her. I guess I have to conclude he was too shaken by her almost jumping away from his hold. He's taken care of elflings before, but it's been a while. Beliond is fun to write about. My beta says she's president of his fan club. :-)

Jay of Lasgalen	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 5/21/2005
Ah, Daw - this is wonderful. Thranduil and Loriel are lovely together, as I knew they would be. Sigh He should have had a daughter! Little Loriel is certainly her Ada's daughter, though - trying to leap from tree to tree like that. Poor Thranduil nearly had a heart attack! He couldn't even savour the idea of Eilian saying 'be careful'. She's not going to take off to look for her Ada all alone, is she? Surely she couldn't get out of the cavern? It's sad, though, that she knows she can't hear the trees in the stronghold :( And the other parts - I like Beliond's scorn of men in general, and leaders of men in particular (with the exception of captains of the guard), and I loved the touch about the young woman who nearly fell in the lake! Poor Eilian in the south - he's not having nearly such a fun time. Jay Author Reply: I'm so glad you liked it, Jay. And you're so right: Thranduil treasured his sons but he missed having a daughter. It's odd though because his household is increasingly full of females, what with wives and now his granddaughter. One would think that Loriel would not be able to slip past the cavern's guard and go running off to find her Ada. Surely not! I've always thought that Beliond was probably a spy among Men for Thranduil, which means he probably didn't see them at their best. Thanks for the review, Jay.

meckinock	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 5/21/2005
A lot of really intriguing elfy details in this chapter. I liked how the b.o. of the Laketown inhabitants literally bounced off the buildings to assault Legolas's nostrils. That was great. The discussion about fathers-in-law made me think how easy it could be in Elvish society to have a father-in-law who's actually centuries younger than you are. Ithilden is what, something like half a millenium older than Alfirin, but Annael had his first child before he was a hundred, so extrapolating just a bit, Annael's daughter could easily have married someone three or four hundred years older than her father. That would put a whole new spin on "take good care of my daughter, or else!" And Lorien on her walk with Thranduil, just skipping along happily like any little girl until, whoa Bob, she's thirty feet up in a tree and ready to leap tall buildings in a single bounce faster than you can say "chip off the old block." Lorien and Grandpa were just precious together. It takes a LOT to make Thranduil lose his composure, so it just tickled me to imagine him hugging this child to his chest up in a tree, terrified out of his wits. What a great line - "I could hurt myself" - as if she's been told that before. By her ada, no less, LOL. Too bad Thranduil was too shaken up to appreciate the humor, but I did! Great chapter. Author Reply: Thank you, Ranger. Your analysis of the relative ages of fathers-in-laws made me blink. Actually, wrapping my brain around the consequences of elven aging is really hard. The consequences must be inconceivable for us. The concept of a "generation" must be different than ours -- maybe by age rather than whether one is a parent or child. So Ithilden is part of a generation that might be parents, even though he himself might be a son in relation to them. Or something. I don't even know how to say it! Now Loriel is having a good time in the woods with Grandfather. And he enjoys it too, although she's scaring him a little. All Eilian's chickens are coming home to roost and Thranduil isn't finding it nearly as funny as he thought he would.

French Pony	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 5/21/2005
Mushrooms fresh from the woods. . . sigh. . . Perhaps Eilian could send me some. It's morel season, and they look so interesting, but they're so expensive. Dried venison, mushrooms, cattails, and wine. Sounds like it could be a good stew, with the right spices. What part of a cattail does one eat? I love seeing the Elves go into Dale or Esgaroth. It just cracks me up every time, the thought of the Elves going goggle-eyed at the town and the Men going goggle-eyed at the Elves. Gollum must be getting pretty desperate if he's going near a town out in an exposed area. Even though he likes swimming (with the fishes), there's a lot of people around and no place to hide from the moon or the stars. And a desperate Gollum is a more dangerous Gollum. Legolas shrugged. “He did not run off with the gold meant to be used to rebuild the town, so I suppose he may look like Gil-galad to the people who elected him.” Not going to make a crack about national politics here. No sirree bob. I'm going to take a good look at that nice big fat opportunity and walk right on by, whistling nonchalantly. I love the advisor being all stuffy with Thranduil about a bridge over troubled waters -- excuse me, the Enchanted River. Thranduil, I'm sure, knows perfectly well what the situation with the Enchanted River is, given that he was the one who enchanted it in the first place. I suppose that's just par for the course if you have the same king for a couple thousand years. You kind of forget the little things he does. It looks like Loriel has explored every nook and cranny in the caverns already, if she's itching to go outside. And Thranduil finally gets an excuse to obey the whining of his own inner elfling. I love it. Playing with grandfathers is pretty cool. However, I have a feeling that Loriel may have inherited more of the family traits than her relatives realize. I think she's inherited her Uncle Legolas's wandering ways, only she doesn't have his sense of just how long a long distance is. Well, all children must wander off to find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow sometime. Will she get a keeper when she grows up? I'm picturing a dashing young elleth whose job qualification test is to beat Loriel's nana at knife throwing. Author Reply: I looked up the stuff about what part of a cattail you eat when I was writing "Good Neighbors," and the elflings were off foraging for food. My web source says that in the spring, the roots are starchy and nutritious, but I have to say you couldn't prove it by me. All my food comes from a grocery store. In FOTR, Gandalf says that Gollum followed Bilbo to Esgaroth so it must be true! He's a sneaky one. In The Hobbit, we hear that there once was a bridge over the Enchanted River but it had collapsed by the time of that book, so Thranduil's advisor is after him to rebuild it. Loriel is a wood elf and staying inside all day is making her crazy, which means that all the adults get to go crazy too. I've never pictured her with a keeper, but we'll see!

sofia	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 5/21/2005
I love how Maltanaur just randomly throws a pine cone at Sinnarn. Author Reply: Maltanaur is not very reverent about the king's descendants! And as the youngest, Sinnarn is always good to pick on, I think. Thanks for the review, Sofia.

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