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| Awaiting the Thaw by Bodkin | 26 Review(s) |
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| Dot | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 6/19/2005 |
| Oh, this is excellent. So well-written and clever too. It ended up being quite different than I thought when I read the summary. From that image of Elladan and Elrohir standing together, “isolated even in the middle of the crowd of elves”, I was glued to the screen. I like Miriwen here in the larger role you’ve given her. She’s perceptive, kind, calm and strong. The perfect healer, I guess. Anyway, I was delighted with this chance to get to know her a little better. I actually felt especially fond of that Ranger! He seems like a good person and it was a great way of showing us not only the passing of time but the actions of Elladan and Elrohir, and the cost of those actions as well as the loyalty they inspire, no matter how ill-advised their deeds may be. “The Ranger, filthy everywhere other than the injured arm, glanced at her, clearly wanting to announce that he needed no such thing, but only too aware of the discomfort he could expect from having the wound stitched.” LOL. Sounds about right. The scene between Elrohir and Elrond was amazing. Elrohir’s rage comes across so well. I was glad to see that Elrond didn’t back down in his attempt to care for this son. You absolutely broke my heart with the line “The twins had each other and their sister had taken refuge with her grandparents, but who was left to offer support to the Lord of Imladris in his great sorrow?” He has such strength, though. I thought it was such a touching moment when he kisses Elladan’s forehead. I love the idea that Miriwen can tell them apart easily already. It gives more depth to the eventual relationship between her and Elladan. I really enjoyed the scene between her and Elladan when he wants his clothes. It’s good to see her stand her ground! And no offence to him, but I’m glad she won too! It must be so difficult to watch the twins destroy themselves through anger and grief. I felt bad for Miriwen that she felt she had to leave, but it’s realistic too and proves just how hard it was for her. Great moment with Glorfindel. My heart went out to him to see him suffer the loss of the twins that he knew and it’s really rather frightening too to see how easily they push everyone aside. Elrohir’s words about Elrond shocked me. I can understand why Glorfindel reacted as he did. I particularly liked the idea that Miriwen still thought about Elladan and what drove him and his brother to do what they did rather than allow themselves to heal and grow as Elrond and Legolas did. The ending was perfect. It seemed so sudden in the end but it works really well. One day they just decide to follow a different path. I wasn’t sure how far you were going to take this story because you could have stopped it earlier but I was so glad we got to see that they finally made that decision and are on the road to healing. Sorry this is a bit rushed. Great story. I’m glad you took time away from all the other ones ;-) Author Reply: A bit rushed? A page of a bit rushed? This is delightfully comprehensive. I rather liked the Ranger and the Healer - I think they could make a double act. Miriwen needed to be in Imladris long enough for it to be clear that her feelings for Elladan were more than just attraction and the poor Ranger was perfect for that. The twins were just so isolated at this part of their lives - and yet, in some ways, their reaction seems terribly young and self-indulgent. Other people were hurt, too - and yet managed to continue without cutting themselves off. I think their twinship made their reaction possible and maintained it and pushed everyone away. And they weren't particularly pleasant to be around, either. So sad that Elrond could only get close to his beloved sons when they were unconscious to touch them and show he loved them. And I'm very glad he had Glorfindel. I don't know if he could have survived without his support. I don't know if Elladan remembers the clothes incident, but he should have taken warning! Miriwen is not a giggly little twin-groupie, but a strong character - who proves to be exactly the kind of elleth he needs. But she couldn't stay - it was hurting her too much to see how self-destructive the twins were. Not that she forgot them - or stopped hoping that they would heal. Or wondering why they took so long and behaved so differently to others. I think sometimes the change can seem sudden - it's the culmination of a long process of erosion, probably - and one admitting that he needs something else enables the other to admit it too. They are not healed - but they are now prepared to admit that they need to heal, and they want to reach out again. I couldn't bring myself to leave them in the depths - so they are starting to recover. Not that that will help Miriwen. I don't think she meets them again until after they have sailed. I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for your rushed review! | |
| elliska | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 6/19/2005 |
| I am really glad you decided to do this. I like the idea of them meeting when the twins were off on their quest to eliminate every orc in Eriador. And the scenes in this are great. I loved Miriwen's interaction with Brassendol--his hesitation to admit he wanted the salve and his scandalized reaction when she suggested the bath. And her reactions to him. That was really well done. And his return later in the story was very sad. The twins various interactions with Elrond and Glorfindel were also extremely well done. Those came across as very tense and very powerful and I can definitely imagine that is precisely how things went for a while. I found Miriwen's contemplation of the difference between Legolas and the twins very interesting. Liked it. And Miriwen was a match for Elladan right from the start! I loved her refusal to give him his clothes. That was hilarious. Damn doctors are all the same! Well done! Author Reply: I started off by making Miriwen's acquaintance with Imladris too short, I think - and Brassendol was very useful for making it apparent that she had been training there over a good few years - which made her attraction to and caring for Elladan seem more than just a passing fancy. (And actually, the Ranger and the Healer make two quite interesting characters on their own. Deserving perhaps of more.) The twins must have been quite frighteningly obsessed and closed off from their family and friends - it must have been a truly terrible period for Elrond and Glorfindel - and I'm sure that their closeness only made them worse. Legolas couldn't have closed himself off and survived - he would have been alone and probably faded. She didn't give in to him! And he did notice her a little - but was just too damaged to be aware of anything except pain. We have a neighbour in her mid-nineties, who, when the doctor asked her how she kept so well, said 'Keeping away from you lot!' Best health plan going. | |
| perelleth | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 6/19/2005 |
| A nice backstory, perfectly condensed. I'm not familiar with your Valinor series, for I tend to get lost with such great number of OCs and I need continuous reading to get a hold on them, but this piece was very well done from her point of view. Seeing the anguish of those dark days in ME, one can never doubt that these elves must be truly blissful in Valinor! Author Reply: Lots of OCs do get very confusing - some of the Valinor stuff is worse that way than others. I tend to forget now - they've taken on a life of their own and just seem part of the family. I'm glad you liked this - the twins seemed very dark here, with just a promise of ease at the end, but I think they were lost in their world of revenge for a long time before they began to emerge. Valinor is full of joy in lots of ways - but I can see it being a bit like a long holiday in a place that doesn't have a lot going on. Once they've soaked up the sun and spent a few days at the beach, they'd start saying 'What do we do now?' | |
| Jay of Lasgalen | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 6/19/2005 |
| That was a wonderful story, and a lovely surprise after the long, hot, exhausting day I've had at work. Thank you! I really like Miriwen here - she's calm and level headed, the very essence of what a healer should be. Her unrequited love for Elladan is sad, but we know that she'll reach him in the end! The image of the twins is so sad, and so is Elrond's helplessness in the face of their rage. This picture is very telling: 'two who were isolated even in the middle of the crowd'. While I think they both draw strength and support from their bond, it can also be destructive, because they continually fuel each other's anger. Thank you for the final scene of them beginning to heal. It will be a long path, but they will make it. Jay Author Reply: And what a hot day! With flash floods in Yorkshire, too. Miriwen is the wife I feel I know best - and she is exactly what Elladan needs. It's just a shame it takes him quite a few centuries to realise it. It's a very bleak picture of the twins - but they must have been very shut off from everyone for a while in their orc-slaying phase. And yes, they would have drawn strength from each other to continue in this way - I'm sure that, had they not been twins, they would have begun to heal more quickly. I like to imagine Elrond's relief when they came home this time - and he could see his sons in their eyes rather than the bloodthirsty warriors. | |
| daw the minstrel | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 6/19/2005 |
| Great title for this story! I liked this in general. You're right. It was a story that needed to be written, letting us get to know Miriwen a little and giving us good backstory on the twins. They're really frightening in their rage. Poor Elrond and Glorfindel too. Author Reply: Thank you. Miriwen is probably the most developed wife in my head. Not entirely sure why. And Sirithiel the least. The twins aren't really very pleasant to be around at this point - completely self-contained and obsessed. They probably would have recovered earlier had they not been twins. I'm glad Elrond has Glorfindel or I don't know how he would have managed to endure these two or three hundred years before they started to come round. And they're not healed - the process is only just beginning. | |
| utfrog98 | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 6/19/2005 |
| Wonderful way to start Father's Day. I am glad Miriwen insisted that you tell her tale. Now we need much more of the courtship. Thank you for all your wonderful stories. Author Reply: Thank you! There's a long gap before the courtship continues, I'm afraid. Not until the twins make it to Valinor. Miriwen is too busy in Mirkwood and Elladan is still a long way from being ready for lurve. I hope you continue to enjoy the stories! | |