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A Little Nudge Out of the Door by Jocelyn	56 Review(s)
rgbj	Reviewed Chapter: 14 on 12/25/2003
Well those poor dwarves and Moria. Been on the long trek for only three years and they are worn out. The orcs have just gotten to be too many for them. They are no longer the hunted but the prey. You have a nice way with words. The tables are turned alright. The barely make this one. Adrenaline is great. Nice to have his sister around she will take care of him. They are sleeping with their eyes closed! They are tired. OOH Glorfindel and Langcyll's little talk. Well it had to be said. Langcyll has indeed become possessive and over protective just like Thranduil. What is it about warrior Legolas that makes people react to him in this manner? I mean he is a warrior after all. Glorfindel makes a good point when he points out that Thranduil's anger has been fueled by this encounter and while the king will not blame Langcyll because he had the right to direct Legolas this anger will fall full force on Legolas. Thranduil will perceive all the avoidance as being on his son's part. The hammer will descend when he sees Legolas again. Great. Galadriel and Celeborn are sure cheerful. Well Legolas had a very nice talk with his sister. It probably helped him get things in perspective. If only he had had someone like that he would have done the right thing and his father would have been appeased. And he is going to be an uncle!! That d*mn mirror. All of middle earth gets to look into that mirror and get more confused than they already are. At least Galadriel is a true elf. True elves say both yes and no and speak in riddles. Only after the event do you see what they were talking about. Oh and Haldir and his brothers are around. I liked them a lot. Glad to see them in your story.

rgbj	Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 12/25/2003
A very interesting chapter. It moved your plot along quite nicely. I liked the conversations about Bilbo, the dwarves and Gandalf. So nice to lace your story with canon. Having Legolas quiet and blushing like an elfling and agreeing that Gandalf does make one courageous. Dwarf Ale - Only Legolas could swallow it. Bet the dwarves got a kick out of the elves reaction. So many orcs to fight and so little time. The king and son would meet in the heat of battle and be stunned to see each other. A lot of soul searching going on here. Thranduil - Wouldn't have recognized Legolas he had changed so much. He was bewildered, awed, grieved, lost and confused. He lost the child who had gone without saying good-bye. That is such a sad statement but he has no one to blame but himself. Not that he admitted as much. He sure has a low threshold of anger and very little empathy. He couldn't understand Legolas less if he tried. He is an amazingly self-centered elf. I guess being king and having everyone kow-tow to you would make you that way. He seems to have more of a problem with Legolas than any of his other children. Well if he was angry before and acting badly this little meeting isn't going to make things better. By the time Legolas gets back he will have built up a good head of steam. He has now lost Legolas the warrior without a good-bye. Lot of water going under this bridge. The elves have a lot of time but time can run out for them too. Legolas - My for a grown up warrior he sure reverted fast when he met his father. I really don't understand his fear of his father. He has proven himself a good warrior and should be able to meet his father on a more even basis. He is still very foolish about interpersonal relations. You would think that he would be more able to cope because of his very supportive group that has helped him mature. Maybe two years isn't enough for an elf. He also has learned more about his father and he needs to deal with that knowledge rather than just run from an understanding of it. Is he the kind of elf that just runs rather than face his problems? I was also surprised that his mother's death didn't come up with the dwarves. Also that his fear of caves and his mother's death in one didn't come up when he was trapped underground. Maybe a lot of his fear and inability to cope with such a strong father is linked to the loss of his mother and the way she was lost. Just a thought. I don't get that from the story but I am trying to make up a background that would give us this type of personality. Elladan - His thoughts on warriors and their weaknesses was very well presented. For most warriors it was tHE love of their families that was the weakness, for Legolas it was fear of his father and shame. I don't get the fear part unless it was fear of disappointing him which he hasn't done. The sahme I understand. He has just spent a very long time with dwarves and has been made to feel ashamed of his father's actions and dealings. He is so unable to see his father's actions are directly related to his mother's death in Moria. When he feels it is better to say nothing he couldn't be more naive. Glorfindel - Speaks from the wisdom of a long life and wants what is best for both the king and prince but also the realm and elves in general. He can see no good in a rift between a king and his son. Only pain for Langcyll, Thranduil and Legolas in the future. Langcyll - Well he has basically fallen in love with the idea of being a father figure for Legolas. He must also feel Thranduil doesn't deserve such a good warrior son. This isn't going to work out for him either. Wow what a dense chapter. Got a lot going for it on so many levels.

rgbj	Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 12/24/2003
This reminds me of when Legolas was an elfling and he and his friends got lost in the lower caves of Mirkwood. He is lucky to be alive and not to be crunched. You put in the elflings lost in the cave. No wonder this reminded me of it. Always with the oneupmanship between the two races. Big Bird says the co-operation is a key part of friendship. Galithil is going to get an admirer but Legolas won't. I can tell. Legolas has every right not to like caves. Your experiences when young can really color your life. I like Glorfindel's comment about dwarves being witty and flirty. Gimli certainly was. Oh dear they know Legolas is Thranduilion. Not good at all. I like that 'moon maiden'. She gave some good advice. Well that isn't a very nice dwarf. Not all dwarves are nasty but not all of them are nice either. Just like every other race. I thought Langcyll was getting a little too protective of Legolas. He has taken over the protecting and teaching that a father would ordinarily do. Legolas will return to his father but he will always need other role models to follow and Langcyll is a good one. Well they are safe and most of them learned to work together. They may not feel quite the same about each other now. For good or bad. I liked Legolas' comment 'May greed never have power over me.' He can give up the pearl and move on because Tathar was more to him that a mere bauble. To the bad dwarf it was just a chance at revenge and treasure to Legolas it was a memory. Good chapter.

rgbj	Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 12/24/2003
Ok more dwarves. A good chance to harden Legolas' feelings about dwarves. Well it started out OK. The elves helped the dwarves out and the dwarves were less than gracious. Divide and conquer is Sauron's game and it works. All free peoples should be united in their hatred of the growing evil instead the distrust and dislike one another. Actually in canon even the elves distrusted and disliked other groups of elves. Oh good the elves and dwarves are going to play tag all the way to Moria. Never trust an elf. I thought it was sad when Legolas had to listen to all the gossip about Thranduil and the Lonely Mountain saga. It would naturally upset him but also harden his harsh feelings about his father. This is from the dwarves point of view. The dwarves were much in the wrong in the Battle of the Five Armies. I'm not exactly sure what Faron means when he says the pearl would be coveted more if the dwarves knew why Legolas treasured it. He said they were malicious. They would want it just to hurt Legolas? Well big trouble. Poor Legolas why does he always end up in the dark and smothered. Let's get him out of there quick.

rgbj	Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 12/24/2003
That was an angst chapter. Really sad. They let Sadron go to be free. And Legolas gave his circlet to Tathar because he was more noble than the prince thought he could ever be. Big emotions there. Legolas may looked reserved for an elf but he is certainly emotional. that must have been what surprised his father when he finally blew. They drugged him to get him to sleep. Oh my. Well he brought up the obvious Sauron and the Ring. Bad news from home and lots of it. His father retreating to the dark dismal caves, imprisoning the dwarves and the battle at the Lonely Mountain. Also the Emeralds of G something that was his part of the swag. He has just replaced one strong emotion, sorrow with another, anger. Actually anger is one of the steps in the grieving process. Not responsible for the flaws of his father and lucky to have a good mentor in Langcyll. All the things his siblings were afraid of are coming true. That was a good talk that he had with Langcyll. You did a really good job in this chapter balancing the fact that elves can die of grief with the need to have Legolas grieve with his closest friend. And Langcyll is still projecting. Now he is ready to move on. Time to get on with his life. The life Tathar will never get to share with his lord.

rgbj	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 12/24/2003
What is it with guys. Counting coup. Good grief. You would think Legolas would have outgrown it by the quest but no. They had fought more battles in their eighteen months than a seasoned warrior had in her first century. This hows how bad things are getting in middle earth. Legolas is glad he doesn't have to deal with the fallout of his departure and absence. Bad things: Blizzard, Wargs, Avalance, Wargs and then more Wargs. His last thoughts were very interesting. Not sorry for his actions, leaving home to be a warrior, all the suffering. But his last thought was father. Even if you hate your parents you love your parents. Langcyll - he's projecting. The son he always wanted. I thought in your little Legolas story Langcyll had a son that was a warrior. I thought he got killed. I was so proud of myself for remembering some of this story but the cold meds must have been stronger than I thought. I just knew that when someone said they hadn't lost anyone someone was going to die. Why did it have to be Tathar? You could have killed his girlfriend then Legolas could have been all angsty about his friends sorrow. Oh well it's done now.

rgbj	Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 12/24/2003
Wow you have dense chapters. It was too late for the king and regret is a bitter pill to swallow. He must feel so isolated now. His children don't agree with him so he has no solace. I would have liked Legolas to at least write I love you to his father but I think this is one of your plot devices. That was a nice pep talk from the more seasoned warriors before they all split up. That is part of what these missions are about. They didn't want Legolas to go on such a hard, long and treacherous mission but couldn't gainsay him because they had wanted him to join one of them but he needs as much advice and role models as he can get. They can get. I need to remember Tathar. When they return they will have earned their status as seasoned warriors. This circlet thing he has to wear (I just saw the movie so I imagined it looking like that)might as well be a big sign that says KINGS SON, KILL ME FIRST. But as Langcyll says he can no more deny being a prince as king cannot deny Legolas is a warrior. Or did Tathar say that? I forget. OK now we start with Real life and dwarves. Of course they have a slightly biased view but it is based on some dealings that the king has had with them. Brings to mind bits and pieces to Legolas' that are not pleasant. Legolas has really good senses doesn't he? Even for an elf. ORCS!! First fight. They did good. Has a lot to think about. The king keeping him incredibly ignorant because that was the way his father wanted him. Now he is going to get a one-sided look at his father and he will have to reconcile the two sides. Very few are purely one or the other. We are all multi-faceted. Liked the novice pranks. They all did it let's face it. The moth was a great illustration. Even though it felt that time sped up it was only twenty minutes. The time it took the moth to leave it's chrysalis, dry it's wings and fly away. And now they are full fledged members of the patrol, no longer in the middle. You have really action packed long chapters.

rgbj	Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 12/24/2003
Well this was an action packed chapter as far as family dynamics go. Limloeth sounds like a very level headed and loving sister for Legolas. His siblings see what is happening but cannot countermand the king. They are right he is very naive and real life will be a big shock for him to learn about the outside world. Even Gandalf's hands are tied by Legolas himself who cannot bring himself to see. I like the phrase passive resistance and perfecting the art of stubborness. No one can match him in this. Poor guy whose name starts with a G from Imladris. These elves seem to be very emotional. Now this is very true you are safe nowhere. In middle earth it would be even worse because orcs seemed to just run around looking for people to kill. In the Woodland Realm so close to Dol Goldur it would be even worse. Well the Dam broke. Grief and pain caused all this to come to a head and just pop. Gandalf set the proper tone. Legolas is a sensible prince, he has great skills to use in behalf of middle earth. If the king is so fearful of his children's safety why are they all warriors? Why didn't he ask some of them to take up other occupations? He is the king afterall. Well Legolas has declared his freedom with a vengeance by an act of defiance to his king and father. He will be gone for years and will grow up a lot in that time. His poor father is going to reap what he has sown. By keeping too tight a grip he lost control completely.

rgbj	Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 12/24/2003
So now that Legolas can attend the Great Councils he begins to learn more about his father and his dealings with the outside world. It is hard to start looking at your parents as flawed humans and not all-wise elders. Legolas leads a very sheltered life doesn't he? His siblings and Gandalf feel that he will surprise the king one day. He already has begun. After this proposal he has a few more dozen to discourage. He is going to set a record in that also. He has good siblings. They want him to try his wings and fly on his own. They don't spoil him or belittle him. OUCH He ran through the woods with his eyes closed? It's a good thing he is an elf or he would have gotten a concussion. I see the king setting himself up for a fall here in trying to rein in Legolas' enthusiasm. I read once about letting children go. Imagine them to be like spring. You hold the spring down tightly and let go very gradually. If you let go too suddenly the spring will bounce all over the place but if you never let go the spring will lose it's resiliency and be ruined. I don't think Legolas will spring all over the place but I can see him being ruined. Adulthood agrees with him. Time to see what is beyond the borders of the Woodland Realm. But now the youthful enthusiasm has been clouded a little. Maybe a lot. Be a teacher when he has been the highest scoring contestant in the Gathering Games? But his teachers taught him they can teach others. He has innate abilities that need to be used. He has really changed from being an elfling. I hardly recognize little Legolas in this very diffident young elf. He used to charge into any mischief full speed ahead. Now it takes him an hour just to build up the nerve to speak to his father. OK. Now we see what happened to his other siblings. This is a tragedy but probably not an uncommon one in middle earth with all the baddies running around. It isn't the foolish and unecessary risks that the king is worried about. It is his own fear that drives him. The fear of loss of another child. One that was still a child and controlled by him after the Queen died. That is very sad.

rgbj	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 12/22/2003
That was a great chapter. The most dangerous foe of all and it was just beginning. Mirkwood got all four of their competitors in the top placings. Mirkwood should be very proud of them all. And to Langcyll who trained them all. Legolas was very gracious in deflecting all the praise he received to share with all his companions. I thought it was sweet that he could be at ease around Mithrandir although Elrond awed him. Mithrandir really sees where the king is coming from. Desperate all encompasing love, deepest weakness. What will happen when Legolas has to leave his father's care and seek his rights and freedoms as an adult. Mithrandir feels it may impact all of middle earth. Cut that umbilical cord Dad. He got a middle earth elven Olympic Gold Medal. That is so cool. His friends and family are getting quite a kick out of this aren't they? Even Tathar got an offer. Really they are all way to young to think about pairing up. They need to have adventures first. Life after the Gathering next up on the agenda. Legolas will be so relieved. Thanks for the laughs in this chapter.

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