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Sweet Woodbine by Bodkin	172 Review(s)
Redheredh	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 4/17/2006
A very enjoyable chapter! I loved these scenes of Legolas' deepening political career in Aman. And his deepening relationship with Elerrina. He is actually taking on roles now, not just tasks anymore. His reluctance to accept the estate and the obvious answer about needing a wife to help manage things was quite entertaining! It was a real treat making the acquaintance of the Teleri royals. I like this Earwen and family. (btw an individual Teleri is a Teler) It's easy to see Legolas becoming an enthusiastic sailor. ...he sometimes wondered what it would have been like to grow up with a naneth's love. Ah, but he does have all his kinswomen keeping an eye on him anyway, does he not? ;) The encounter in the marketplace was actually rather personal. ;) Both ended up revealing secrets about themselves and their feelings. So, his rounds brought him to Haldir. ;) But of course, who else! If Legolas has not shown himself willing to do what he asked Haldir to do...well, Haldir would not take up cause either. They both know that leadership is more difficult than command. Taryartur! It is so good to see him smiling and proud of his daughter. Unhappily, he is too scarred himself to allow Legolas to bring more of the same into Elerinna's life. 'Tis so sad a fear. Too bad it will become habit. How intriguing that Gimli would created yet another connection between Taryartur and Legolas through Mahtan and Aule. And to have her grandfather tease poor Elerrina's father... ;) Yes, poor Elerrina! She is a good and dutiful daughter, who respects her father's wisdom. But, she seems the type that will try to learn what is truly behind his fears - which is exactly what he is trying to prevent. No one would wish you to learn the pain of losing those you love, my lady. Maybe that painful kind of understanding will indeed contribute to keeping the lovers apart as much or more as paternal ill-will. Legolas, polite and gallant... Yes, 'poor Legolas', too! Excellent chapter, Bodkin. Author Reply: Thank you! Legolas has begun to accept what he must do as the leader of his people. It's a bit of a peripatetic role - and he has to be careful not to be seen as selling out - but he has to be where the power is. (The thing that amused me about the offer of the estate was when Elrond threw in that Finarfin had been saving it for Celeborn. That just came - and fitted so perfectly with just how irritated Finarfin was with his son-in-law about now that it just had to stay.) (sigh) I knew it was one Teler, lots of Teleri - but my fingers clearly refused to acknowledge it. Legolas has lots of kinswomen looking after him. He should be worried! I'm glad you liked the Teleri royals - Espalas is a bit headstrong, but he's only a younger grandson, so he gets away with it. And I love the image of Legolas sailing with Erchirion in the Bay of Belfalas - challenging the sea's call. Elerrina and Legolas are very attracted. They just both have enough sense to see the difficulties - and are not prepared to play Romeo and Juliet. And the barriers between them are huge. Taryatur only wants what is best for her - and he believes with total conviction that exposure to the evil of life east of the sea makes Legolas unsuitable for his gently reared daughter. And that is quite apart from his connection to Oropher. I suspect he might even convince Legolas that Elerrina should be protected from him, too. I imagine there was a time when Linevende's father was rather unfond of Taryatur - such is the destiny of young ellyn seeking to wed an elf's daughters. And he enjoys payback time. Gimli would make a point of contact between Aule and Legolas - and link him with the descendants of Mahtan, too. Poor Taryatur - nowhere is safe! Haldir is - not trained to rule. Not ready to take that sort of responsibility. But he is very loyal to Celeborn and he will do what he believes his lord would expect of him. Legolas cannot command him, though - he needs to convince him of the path he needs to follow. Yet, too, I think he is another one who would welcome a task - I don't think he would want to sink into a marshmallow contendedness of living in the Blessed Realm. It's not going to be easy ... I'm now left wondering how easy it was for Legolas to step back and accept his reduced role once Thranduil arrived. Three hundred plus years of being the face and voice of the Silvan elves - and suddenly he is having to convince his father of the wisdom of his actions. Glad you enjoyed it!

lwarren	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 4/17/2006
If I thought I would have survived it, I would have done a happy dance when I first saw this and realized it was a story of the years that Legolas spent in the BR before his father and E2 and others sailed! I think I have read and reread it several times since you started and it is so interesting, what with the politics and prejudices involved, but...what can I say? It's about L, and you wrote it, so it's WONDERFUL! LOL Can you tell who my favorite character is?? I had to laugh at Legolas and Elerinna's first encounter - what with his intense study of the bird and all! She took his mind right off his loneliness, though - good for her! :-) The incidents with the Wood Elves and the Noldor nobles (nobles?...I don't think so) was well done and I felt very sorry for Lidtheredh - I would imagine he was pretty desperate for anyone at all to listen to his story and offer some sort of solution...though he didn't seem hopeful. So Legolas is about to become VERY involved in matters that he probably didn't ever consider happening in the BR. I know I never considered them ... although it is logical, that given the Noldor and their past, there are bound to be problems in paradise! I thought Legolas' solution was very clever and put together in a way to get the maximum reaction and help from those best suited to his cause! BTW, I am becoming very fond of Finrod as your stories unfold... :-) I howled at the scenes at the ball and L's conversation with Galadriel. Poor elf! He can only stomach so much of the giddy, silly ones...and the one he'd like to become better acquainted with seems to be less than receptive of his advances! And sad thing is, I know it doesn't get any better any time soon. sniff Anyway this was so interesting to further meet Camentur (who I thought was a pretty decent elf in Far Horizons) and also get a sense of exactly what kind of elleth ends up capturing L's heart! folds arms, tapping toe and frowning You must convince me she is good enough for him, Bodkin... A wonderful beginning to a story I know I am going to just gobble up! LoL linda Author Reply: A Queen Bee type happy dance? I have rather avoided stories where Legolas is centre stage - especially since this involves the early stages of his relationship with Elerrina. I mean - Legolas plus romance upsets a lot of people! And then, how do you occupy 300-400 years? I mean, that takes us back to the Great Fire of London... It's actually quite difficult to imagine passing that much time getting to know someone. I do think that the sons of a lot of the Noldor nobles would not have a great deal to do with their time. It's not as if they had to learn to take over from daddy - and the more generations that built up, the less there would be for them to do. And they would be spoilt brats, I think. Indulged and not able to see why they can't just have what they want when they want it. Finarfin's solution of making them work and earn their place in society is a wise one. I reckon they would be quite anti-immigrant, too - looking on them as inferior and infesting lands that belonged to said brats. Having Finrod and Orodreth witness their activities made them real in a way that reported actions wouldn't have been. (I like Finrod - he is a complete charmer. Poor Orodreth got to be younger brother to a Golden Boy and older brother to Artanis. Tough on him.) It is going to take a good long while before Legolas ... and Elerrina, come to that ... overcome their reluctance to admit that they like each other. They're not, I'm glad to say, morons like Romeo and Juliet. They can see the difficulties that would need to be overcome. Camentur is a decent elf - rather more open than his father, but then not having shared his father's experiences. Elerrina - well, she's pretty and talented, but she's not perfect. She's a little too inclined to bow to her father's wisdom - but she does live in a patriarchal society. On the other hand, Legolas does end up loving her! I hope you find her worthy of his affections! Thank you. I hope the story continues to please!

Alice	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 4/17/2006
Woah, that was intense. Poor Legolas and Elerrina, they tried so hard to deny their feelings. I'm kind of mad at Taryatur now. Elf needs to grow up. I'm really enjoying both the political and romantic aspects of the story. It's interesting to see Legolas before Reflections started. Particularly because the tone of the two stories is just so different. It's a shame that he doesn't have any close friends with him once Gimli died. He could have used them. Author Reply: Elves know when they meet the one who completes them. So they say! But Legolas and Elerrina are fighting it as hard as they can. It is just not a suitable match - every grain of sense they have is telling them it can never happen. Taryatur loves Elerrina dearly - and he really only wants to protect her. He does, of course, think that nobody is really good enough for her, but his reasons for objecting to Legolas do have some validity. As far as he's concerned, anyway. The politics just seem to get more and more complicated - and the more you think about how different people will have seen what was going on, the more complicated it gets. Reflections is the starting point of a lot of stories. And a lot of things that started as little more than a joke - like Elerrina's hair colour - have become plot points. Legolas must have missed Gimli dreadfully. He grounded him, I think. And, to my mind, the elves of Lasgalen didn't really sail willingly - and many of Legolas's contemporaries died in the long battle to hold the wood and the Battle under the Trees. They will return eventually, but they didn't sail with him. He does need friends - he is making new ones, but it's not the same as having someone who has known you since boyhood.

Lyn	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 4/17/2006
Beautiful! Just one comment on a typographical error: where it would remained preserved until the world is remade. Should be: where it would remain preserved until the world is remade. I don't usually like any romance in stories, but this one has a certain feeling which is satisfying. Thank you! Author Reply: Thank you. I took a long time to step back to Legolas's early days in the Blessed Realm and look at what he did and his growing interest in his wife. Perhaps the romance works because its culmination has already been settled. Maybe. Thank you for the typo information. It doesn't seem to matter how carefully you reread, there is always something that gets past you!

daw the minstrel	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 4/17/2006
The scene with Haldir was painful, I thought. Legolas must feel the slights as much as Haldir does, but he has a sense of purpose and he does what he believes his duty requires. Still Haldir's scorn has to sting. I'm glad some sort of understanding seems to have been reached there. Understanding with Elerrina is a bit further away, it would seem. Author Reply: The more you think about the situation the more complex it becomes. Looked at from one point of view, it's simple enough, but elves are definitely not simple. Legolas needs to be seen as a figure of authority in the councils of the great - but he also needs to be seen as an elf in touch with his roots. Probably easier with the elves of Lasgalen than with the Galadhrim anyway - after all, he is only one of them in a peripheral way. I'm surprised the poor ellon survived this time, actually. Every time I think about it, it gets worse. Haldir is devoted to Celeborn, I think. And, put in those terms, he will do what he must. I think he might need some training to make him an effective negotiator, though. Legolas and Elerrina are attracted. But the barriers between them are huge - and they are both far too responsible to consider the world well lost for love.

Lianna	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 4/17/2006
I like the contrast between Haldir and Legolas here. Haldir really is what Legolas claims to be -- a soldier, not a political leader. But Legolas has more experience than he realizes -- from Ithilien, where he must have been the liaison between his little colony and all the peoples of the south -- and from Mirkwood, where he could hardly have avoided being his father's representative on those occasions when Thranduil needed to be in two places at once. It's so sad, though, to see Elerrina and Legolas realize that a) they were made for each other, and b) it's impossible. I can't wait to see how they deal with that in the long years to come. Author Reply: Legolas must feel a simple warrior - lacking in political experience and statesman-like wisdom - when confronted with Finarfin and Olwe, but he is a king's son. He has absorbed lessons in leadership from his elfling days - but he's now moved in among the big boys. Haldir - well, I suppose he has had some small authority in leading patrols and groups of warriors, but he has a long way to go before he is ready for the task that confronts Legolas. But he is needed - there is a space for someone to direct that group of elves and Haldir will fit into it. And he will do it - for Celeborn, if for no other reason. The more I think about Elerrina and Legolas, the more surprised I am that they could ever hope to overcome the gap between them. And they are both dutiful people - prepared to restrain their own desires for what they see as the greater good.

Fire	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 4/17/2006
This is very interessting to read. So Legolas gets Haldir to do some of the work among the Galadhrim, well he sure should be able to control the rable... Nice to read that Ellerina is findng it harder to stay away :) I just love the fact that you finally came around to writing more of Legolas' first years in the Blessed Realm.... Although to him at this point it's not so Blessed after al. Too much politics and looking down on Woodelves, and an elleth whose father thinks he's even less favorable than a dwarf... (though we like them.. don't we?) Author Reply: Thank you. There aren't very many named Galadhrim (as far as I know), so Haldir often ends up with unexpected levels of responsibility! It is a very difficult task, settling a new group of people in a different place. In some ways, small groups cause less alarm - but it is only natural that new arrivals should want to gather where they have kin. Getting Haldir to take authority is probably going to be a help. Elerrina and Legolas are just attracted - but they do know that any relationship between them is close to impossible for reasons both personal and political. It will not be easy to move past the barriers. I did avoid this story for a long time - but anyone who reads my other stuff knows the outcome here, so there didn't seem much point any longer. Elves are complicated people - politics and disputes and ancient resentments are going to be part of their lives wherever they are. Stir them up and see what happens! We wouldn't want Legolas to get bored while he waits for his father to take ship. I'm glad you're finding it interesting.

Jay of Lasgalen	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 4/17/2006
Poor Legolas. The Blessed Realm is not proving as blessed as he must have hoped. Dealing with politics, and treading a delicate balance between impressing those who need to be impressed, without losing the regard of the wood-elves must be hard. All this, and then falling in love with the one elleth he can't have (yet). He's not just a simple warrior, though. As his father's son he has surely sat through many council meetings, taken Thranduil's place at times, and negotiated trade terms with the people of Esgaroth. He's better at this than he thinks. Author Reply: Poor Legolas, indeed. And yet, would he really want to have nothing to do? I think his biggest problem has to be that his people are so scattered. He has to be everywhere and get on with everyone in order to help them - and yet they will not appreciate seeing him as a Noldor lackey. Falling for Elerrina will - well, I can see that in some ways it might help his cause, but in far more ways it will just make things worse. All round. And then, of course, she feels much the same way about him. Attracted, but only too aware how impossible the relationship would be. Yes, I think Legolas has some experience of both ruling and negotiation - to an extent as his father's son and also in Ithilien, but he had to defer to his father's decisions in the one case and he was only in Ithilien for about a century. He is dealing, in Finarfin's case, with someone who has been king for 7000 years. Longer with Olwe and Ingwe. However much he has learned since he was at his father's knee, he has a long way to go to reach their level. Fortunately, he has their goodwill. (And the support of Galadriel. Probably helpful.) And he is working in a land where they take 144 years to be one. But it'll all work out all right in the end!

Kitty	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 4/17/2006
It’s rather amusing to watch Taryatur’s struggle to avoid any meeting between Elerrina and Legolas. I could nearly feel sorry for him. But only nearly. Though now I wonder if part of Taryatur’s problem is that he had always to defend his family against those who held Linevende responsible for what Feanor and his sons did. On the other hand, Galadriel is probably right about Thranduil’s reaction to Legolas’ interest in Elerrina, though I suppose he may be a bit more open-minded than Taryatur. This will be fascinating to watch, I’m sure. Truly, I look forward to more of this slowly developing acquaintance and love! Author Reply: Taryatur really does feel that Legolas is a bad, bad choice of life partner for Elerrina. He is very protective of his family - and he wants to shield his daughter from what he sees as the evil influences of Middle-earth. He remembers the bad things that happened during the War of Wrath and how the elves were touched by them, but has forgotten the loyalty and strength and other positive effects of working together towards a common goal. Perhaps he has been isolated from fellow veterans of the campaign because of his wife's connection to the sons of Feanor - I cannot imagine many of those who saw Maedhros and Maglor steal the Silmarils would feel kindly towards them and they would have met survivors of Doriath and Sirion and known those of Alqualonde. Taryatur might end up feeling he is standing between his family and the whole world - whatever his reasoning he is not going to find it easy to let anyone in. Thranduil will explode, I think. Not happy. Although Taryatur's adamantine resistance might make him a bit more willing to be open-minded. We'll have to see - there's still quite a while to go before Legolas needs to worry about that! Thank you. I hope you continue to enjoy this!

Idhreniel	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 4/16/2006
grrat to read from you again. Nice chapter!!! Author Reply: Thank you. I'm glad you liked it. I hope you continue to enjoy it!

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