Great!!! They caught two consiprators... I wonder how helpful they'll be...
Also like Derek and Alex, I think that it's actually an insult on their intelligence to be left out of the interrogation, I mean they deserve to be a part of it, since Alex warned them of a danger no ELF felt comming and Derek was the one attacked!!!! I'm starting to be really ticked off with these over arrogant elves... They talk about how they want to cooperate and coexist with the mortals, but they really treat them as second class citizens!!!! How can they expect Alex and Derek to trust them???? Trust MUST be earned and it goes BOTH ways!!!!
And really how weak does Farrell thinks Alex is???? He keeps understimating Alex and that is really foolish of him... he should chek Alex's history in the Agency and then make an informed judgement. I think Farrell really lacks information on his enemies, which is really stupid since he could access to information on Alex really easy. The same could be said of Derek, since he was in the Navy... there must be records of his service somewhere...
Finally it was really wise of the twins to listen to the foreknowledge that Alex might have, at least they are not that arrogant to ignore a possible warning...
Author's reply
Hi Monalex. The Elves are indeed somewhat arrogant, though not so much that they don't listen to Alex. On the other hand, they've been going it alone for so long they find it difficult to think of Mortals as 'partners' rather than as 'those people who sometimes get in our way'. That attitude will cause some problems further down the road as we will eventually see.
And Farrell is also arrogant, underestimating Alex, who is much younger than he is and he thinks Alex doesn't know as much as he pretends to about the spy business. That attitude is going to get Farrell into trouble eventually.
Thanks for taking the time to read and review. It's greatly appreciated.
Larner
· 1 June 2012
· Chapter 39: Night Raid
Ooh, I was sort of waiting for this to happen. And he brought in crooks to do the dirty work, eh? INTERESTING! Wonder what the boss back in Virginia thinks of this turn of events, or if she's even been advised! As for Derek and Alex's response--it's certainly understandable!
Author's reply
Hi Larner. Yeah, Farrell does have a lot of explaining to do, assuming his bosses ever find out. And he was bound to make some sort of move. We'll see how it turns out with the interrogation. Thanks for leaving a comment. It's greatly appreciated.
Fantasia
· 1 June 2012
· Chapter 39: Night Raid
Farrell must be a little desperado if he is recruiting local criminals. Probably short of agents, although we know that some agents have not been identified.
Why do they want Derek?
Poor Alex, this time I'm using the phrase because he has gained an immortal family that we won't be able to shake off.
Author's reply
Hi Fantasia. Farrell is indeed becoming desparate. As for why they want Derek, that will be learned in the next chapter. And I think it'll take Alex a little bit of time to get used to the idea of calling the Twins 'Uncle'. *grin*
Thanks for leaving a review. I appreciate it very much.
6336
· 1 June 2012
· Chapter 39: Night Raid
Farrell must be getting help from somebody in the area, otherwise how was he able to recruit some of the local talent, it's either that or the alphabet soup of U.S. Intelligance has more fingers in more pies than we know of!?
Farrell does seem to believe in plausible denyability when it comes to any type of action, I seem to remember he stayed in the background when they tried to take Amroth. "Me officer, no officer, I have no idea who these men are and why they would tell you that I arranged for them to attack these people I have no idea, why, I wasn't even there!" Slimy toad! My apologies to any amphibians reading this!
I'm with Derek, the first decent nights sleep, both he and Glorfindel have been able to get in the last few days and these bozos mess it up. I think Glorfindel needs to find a couple of Maia to spar with, he needs a good workout to get rid of his frustrations! Manveru and Erunaro where are you?
This is your last weekend before you go back to work, are you going full time or part time until you can get back into it?
Off tomorrow, Yay!
Huggs
Lynda
Author's reply
Hi Lynda. Farrell probably has contacts who have contacts who.... and so he was able to recruit the two goons. Not very smart of him and there will be consequences all around because of it.
We will actually see Glorfindel sparring in an upcoming chapter, but against whom I won't say at the moment.
I'm planning to go in for the whole day but possibly only doing a half-day for the first week. We'll see how I do. Today was the first day I was able to drive myself and it felt really good. I've been out all morning doing errands.
Anyway, thanks for leaving a review. I appreciate it very much.
UTfrog
· 1 June 2012
· Chapter 39: Night Raid
Fantastic chapter with only a mild cliffhanger. I was worried from the moment I read the chapter title. Can't wait for Monday. Thanks so much.
Author's reply
Hi UTfrog. Glad you liked the chapter. We'll see what comes of the interrogation in the next chapter and Derek will be getting some (if not all) his questions answered as well. Thanks for commenting. It's much appreciated.
Soledad
· 1 June 2012
· Chapter 39: Night Raid
Whoa! When the action does start, it does so with a vengeance, doesn't it? (I wish it would happen to me, too - alas, translating is slow and uphill labour.)
I loved Derek taking out two of the hirelings. Farrell must be really desperate - or mad as a hatter - to hire common criminals; not to mention well-known ones.
Author's reply
Hi Soledad. Well, things were a little slow, so I figured they needed shaking up. LOL! Farrell is indeed desparate and he's underestimating both Alex and Derek, as well as the Elves, though he has no idea of their existence. Thanks for taking the time to read and review. You know how much I appreciate your input.
Agape4Gondor
· 1 June 2012
· Chapter 39: Night Raid
You are so bad to leave us at this point! Though at leat we'll be in on the interrogation.
Great chapter. Lots of suspense.
Author's reply
Hi Agape. Sorry about that, but at least you only have to wait a couple of days for the next chapter. We'll see what the interrogation reveals. Glad you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for letting me know. I really appredciate it.
someone
· 1 June 2012
· Chapter 39: Night Raid
At last Farrell made a move! This was a really interesting chapter, we got to see everyone in action - and it seems that Derek learnt something in the Navy.
"--Elrohir stopped at Edhellond and retrieved a couple of air mattresses from storage and brought them to the Academy, so the two Mortals were able to sleep in relative comfort--" Relative, indeed! Those mattresses are evil. I've slept in a room with someone else sleeping on one of them and had to listen almost the whole night it's creaking ang squeaking. I hope it's better on a bed frame or those two can't sleep well.
I can hardly wait for the next chapter, will it be the interrogation of intruders or is Derek going to get some answers?
Author's reply
Hi someone. I'm glad you found the chapter interesting. Yeah, air mattresses are pretty noisy but they only have to put up with them for one or two nights.
Anyway, the next chapter will reveal something of what happened during the interrogation as well as Derek getting some answers and we'll see how he reacts to certain revelations. *grin*
Thanks for leaving a comment. It's much appreciated.
harrowcat
· 30 May 2012
· Chapter 38: Casualties of the Storm
I am glad that the foreboding I had about the admin staff in the previous chapter is actually less dire than I was imagining but it is still very sad. I am glad, too, that Namo, and all the others are around for Glorfindel. I worry for him. Emotional overload can hit the best of us. Screaming in the woods seems like quite a sensible response unlike me who tried to clean her flat from top to bottom at 2am when she came back from a long weekend course and found that a starling had got in and trashed the place. My friend had to physically remove the cloth from my hand and take me to her house for the night! I am a level headed person. I never knew I could react like that so I am really feeling for Glorfindel and Alex and, I suspect, Derek.
Hope the recovery is going well.
Author's reply
Hi Harrowcat. Everyone handles emotional stress differently. As you say, at leasst Glorfindel has people like Námo and the other Elves looking out for him. We'll see in a later chapter just how Glorfindel deals with the stress that is building up in him.
My recovery is going quite well. I will be able to return to work next week, which is great, since I'm battling boredom and I look forward to actually being productive again (and getting paid as well *grin*).
Thaks for your good wishes and for your review. I appreciate both very much.
Erulisse (one L)
· 30 May 2012
· Chapter 38: Casualties of the Storm
I finally had some time to catch up with my favorite fanfic story. Sorry it's been a while.
It does seem that things are all piling on top of poor Glorfindel, but things always look worse from the center of the storm than the edges and he'll manage through it. Losing another friend in a long progression of mortal friends though, that's a tough thing.
It seems that life will return to the campus soon and we can get back to the cloak and dagger stuff and I, for one, will welcome that. Reading about this much snow and ice just makes me think of my winter to come instead of rejoicing in my spring flowers and baby animals.
Great job, as always, my friend. I look forward to the next chapter and apologise for my silence over the past few.
- Erulisse (one L)
Author's reply
Hi Erulisse. No problem. I figured with the holiday weekend and all I wouldn't get that many reviews and was surprised at how many I did get. Anyway, life is indeed returning to the campus and we will continue with the cloak and dagger stuff as well as with other issues that have been put on hold because of the storm. Thanks for reading and reviewing. I really appreciate it.
Agape4Gondor
· 29 May 2012
· Chapter 38: Casualties of the Storm
My dearest Fiondil -- I wouldn't still be reading if I wasn't enjoying. The sad part about your writing is that it is so good it sucks readers into the story and they can't get out 'til you finish it.
*xxxxooo*
Author's reply
The sad part??!!! LOL! You do have a way with words, Agape. I'll take it as a compliment. Thanks.
obsidianj
· 29 May 2012
· Chapter 38: Casualties of the Storm
Poor Glorfindel. It is always hard to lose a friend, especially when you don't have the feeling it is his time. After all the 'poor Alex' chapters we get now the 'poor Glorfindel' chapters. Stuff keeps piling up on Glorfindel. I liked it that Namo came to comfort him. He needs to keep a close eye on Glorfindel or at one point the stress is getting to much and who knows what happens then. Glorfindel is know for surprises and not all are to the Valar's liking.
Author's reply
Yes, we now have a series of "Poor Glorfindel" chapters. *grin* I have no doubt that the Valar have doubled the guard on Wiseman to keep a close eye on Glorfindel. As you say, he's known for surprises and not all are to the Valar's liking. Thanks for taking the time to read and review, obsidanj. I really appreciate it.
Sunny
· 29 May 2012
· Chapter 38: Casualties of the Storm
Neat trick with the door!
Glorfindel is clearly not a happy camper right now.
He and the other Elves have probably become used to _not_ making friends with mortals - and on those occasions where they _have_ made friends with mortals, tried to not let them get too close. and now, in Wiseman, they _have_ friends among Mortals again, which means they will be open to pain again when these friends inevitably die.
Glorfindel in tight wet, jeans is undoubtedly a wonderful and delicious sight - such a pity that there was no wet t-shirt to go with it. this time at least. ;-)
Clearly, Glorfindel is feeling the stress rather badly now - he almost slipped his leash a few chapters back. Having his room trashed by a falling tree was maybe a minor indignity, but one that wasn't going to make him feel happier about the world.
Author's reply
Hi Sunny. Yeah, it is a neat trick. Those Words of Power do come in handy at times. *grin*
And Glorfindel is definitely not a happy camper and will be an even more unhappy camper as you will see in the next chapter. The stress is really getting him and it's not done with yet.
Anyway, thanks for leaving a comment. It's greatly appreciated.
Agape4Gondor
· 29 May 2012
· Chapter 38: Casualties of the Storm
It seems odd to be reading of Richard's death when my family just buried my Uncle Dick on Saturday. It never does get easy.
As for Vorondur - I think he might be in a new place, having to chastise Glorfindel.
Author's reply
Hi Agape. Sorry for your loss. And you're right; it never does get easy. And Vorondur, being the consumate psychiatrist that he is, doesn't pull any punches even with Glorfindel. He has taken upon himself to be the conscience of the other Elves and makes sure they never get away with stuff. Glorfindel respects that and him, which is why he admits his error.
Anyway, I'm glad you are still reading (and hopefully enjoying) this story. Thanks for leaving a review. I appreciate it very much.
Larner
· 28 May 2012
· Chapter 38: Casualties of the Storm
Death is never easy, no matter that it is the proper end for us mortals. And to lose his bedroom! Yowch! No wonder he's not in the best of moods!
I'm glad Namo summoned Alex to bring him back into civilisation, as it were.
Am continuing to enjoy this mightily.
Author's reply
No, it is never easy, as you say, Larner, and losing his bedroom just seem to add insult to injury in Glorfindel's mind. I'm glad you are continuing to enjoy this story very much. Thanks for letting me know. I really appreciate it.
someone
· 28 May 2012
· Chapter 38: Casualties of the Storm
Instead of a "poor Alex" chapter, this was poor Glofindel! Making that tree to destroy his bedroom was especially cruel. They all need a holiday in somewhere warm after this.
I never thought that they could open locks like that.
Author's reply
I'm sure they would all love a vacation in the Bahamas or some such place, someone. I know I would. *grin* And Glorfi at least can open locks like that, using the powers taught to hm by the Maiar. Thanks for reviewing. I appreciate it very much.
Lyana
· 28 May 2012
· Chapter 38: Casualties of the Storm
Oh, wow - the hits just keep coming. No matter how true Vorondur's comments may be, I think Amroth's probably the only one around who could truly understand some of what Glorfindel's feeling. It is incredibly lonely at the top, especially when you feel like you're on a divine hit list, no matter how well intentioned, supportive or helpful the people around you. I'm glad Lord Namo dropped by.
Are the twins headed to the same hotel where Farrell is holed up? That could be... interesting.
Oh - and as a tribute to your skill as a writer, I've found myself worrying about various characters at odd times, having to remind myself that they're *not real*. So in that vein, I'm attempting to NOT chew my nails over what's going to happen to Derek!
Author's reply
Hi Lyana. You may be right about Amroth being the only one to really understand where Glorfindel is coming from, but Vorondur is only telling it like it is and making sure Glorfindel doesn't become too self-indulgent. That's not what they need right now in their leader.
And yes, the Twins are heading for the same inn as Farrell is holed up in, but I think they will try to avoid him. Their main purpose in going there is to sleep and restore their energy. Once that's accomplished, they'll just leave and return to Edhellond or the Academy and take up their duties again.
Thanks for your compliment on my writing skills. I try to make my characters as three-dimensional as I possibly can, giving them both good and bad qualities, just as we all have, so that the heroes aren't too perfect and the villains aren't too evil, so that you can't related to any of them at all. And I wouldn't worry too much about Derek. He's full of surprises, as we will shortly see.
Thanks for reading and reviewing. I appreciate it very much.
6336
· 28 May 2012
· Chapter 38: Casualties of the Storm
Oh, dear, poor Richard, poor Glorfi.
You can understand why Elves try not to get too close to Mortals,their lives are so brief in their eyes.
Things can be replaced, but unfortunately, people can't. Work on the good memories you have of Richard, Glorfi and kinow he is back with his Stella and is happy.
Not surprised Glorfi had a minor meltdown(sorry), it's been a long time coming, every now and then it is good to scream! Voronder understands this, but I think he could have been a little more sympathetic, Glorfi had just lost a good friend, they all had.
Oh, well the Elleth will have fun, come spring, redoing Glorfi's room and he has time to embroider some cushion covers, give him something to do in his spare time, if he has any that is!
Now to get the Acadamy back up and running and get on with turning people into Elf Guides! (And preparing for the Dagor Dagorath!)
Early shift today and Sloppy Joes tonight!
Huggs,
Lynda
Author's reply
Hi Lynda. It is difficult for Mortals when they lose friends and loved ones, but it has to be especially difficult for the Elves. Even more so, now that they are deeply involved in the lives of the Mortals around them.
I'm sure the ellith will love to redo Glorfi's room for him. *grin*
Enjoy your Sloppy Joes and thanks for commenting. It's much appreciated.
UTfrog
· 28 May 2012
· Chapter 38: Casualties of the Storm
So much good news and bad news crammed into this chapter. It reads exactly like our real lives. I do feel for Glorfindel. He has to be so very tired.
Author's reply
And I've done my best to give this story the semblance of real life. Glorfindel is indeed very tired and his friend's death hasn't helped matters. Thanks for reviewing, UTfrog. I appreciate it very much.
Whispy
· 28 May 2012
· Chapter 38: Casualties of the Storm
Oh, man. Some intense stuff happening here. Poor Glorfindel. It must be very difficult for the Elves to be surrounded by Mortals and to know that each and every one of them is, inevitably, going to die. I’ve always felt bad for Elrond and the Twins in that regard, because they were so close to the dunedain, helping to raise fifteen Cheiftans, all of whom would, inevitably die, including Aragorn, who Elrond loved as his own son and I suspect the Twins loved as their own little brother (I say ‘I suspect’ because Tolkien never comes out and says that they did, but fandom said they did SO IT MUST BE TRUE. ;P) I can only imagine the grief that the Twins when Aragorn and Arwen passed away.
Things seem to be looking a bit better, though, now that the blizzard seems to be dying down. The Twins must be grateful for some rest now that the really sick students are in the hospital. And Alex seems to be in touch with his ‘good’ side (and let’s hope it stays that way!)
Excellent chapter. I had a night of crap sleep and was extremely grumpy this morning but this update genuinely cheered me up a lot.
Can’t wait to see what happens next,
Whispy
Author's reply
Hi Whispy. You're right about Tolkien never stating that the sons of Elrond treated Aragorn as their younger brother, that that is fanon, but it makes logical sense that they would, if Elrond has made a point in treating him as his son, otherwise the poor boy would've grown up very confused. *grin*
Anyway, things are getting better inspite of Richard Martina's death (and such things are happening everyday in Wiseman, though we don't hear of them in this story). As for Alexd being in touch with his 'good' side, we'll see how successful he is in staying that way.
Sorry you had such a bad night but I'm glad this chapter helped to cheer you up. Thanks for takng the time to read and review. It's very much appreciated.
Soledad
· 28 May 2012
· Chapter 38: Casualties of the Storm
Poor Glorfi! Vorondur is a wise Elf, but there *is* some truth in the sayign: "Just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean they aren't out there to get you!" And I know it's a bit morbid, but I had to laugh at the image of Glorfindel in wet jeans - quite the fall from the damascened armour he used to wear in Gondolin.
It's a sad, sad thing to lose a friend, but at least it wasn't something that cockroach Farrell had done. And it was nice of Námo to come and comfort Glorfindel.
Should you have some stray inspiration to spare, can you send it my way? I intended to finish this arch of "Elvenhome" in two more chapters, and now I'm stuck. Again. *sigh* And that so close to the end. Perhaps summer pico will help. Another six-year-hiatus would *not* be welcome.
Author's reply
Hi Soledad. There is some truth to the saying, and in this case, there's some truth to Glorfindel's assessment of the situation, but as Vorondur points out, it's also very easy to be self-indulgent and think there's a conspiracy against you when things go wrong, when it's just the way it is. Real life can be a bore. Take it from one who knows.
And it is very sad to lose a friend.
As for inspiration, as I don't really know where you want to go with the story I can't really give you any concrete ideas, however, I can give you this bit of advice: keep writing. Don't stop because you *think* you're stuck. It doesn't matter what you write. It could be junk, but the action of writing helps you to keep in writing-mode, allows your mind to focus on writing. If you're not sure what happens next (it's something that happens to me a lot, especially when writing a Glorfindel story), just start writing. Place your character(s) in a scene, make it a domestic one if necessary, and don't think about it but let your characters have their own way. You might be surprised to find that in the end, you've actually written a chapter, or part of one, and have a glimmer of an idea of where to go next in the story.
The trouble with 'weekend writers' is that they don't realize that writing is a craft and a skill like any other and needs to be constantly honed. That only happens if you are constantly writing. A real writer (even those for which writing ia a hobby and not a living) writes every day. It may only be a paragraph or two but it's a paragraph or two more than before. Sometimes, I don't even write, but I'm doing writing stuff, like re-reading previous chapters of the story and editing all the missed errors, or researching some aspect of Tolkien's Legendarium in preparation for an upcoming part of the story. Whatever. I'm still engaged in 'writing' and I do it every day, even on the weekends and holidays. If I only have a half hour for writing then that's fine, but during that half hour I write.
And that's all the inspiration I can give you or anyone else with regards to writing. Good luck.
And thanks for leaving a review. It's much appreciated.
Lyana
· 25 May 2012
· Chapter 37: Day Three
LOL - Glorfindel the pillow - he is SO not going to live that down! Though I have to say that when I started reading that part, I thought he was going to wake up finding that, because of his dream, he'd wrapped himself around someone thinking he was protecting Idril or someone else! I'm glad they were able to move Patty without waking her up - she probably would have been mortified. It may well have been the expression of an unconscious mind, but I'm not so convinced it had to do with warmth... We'll just let Glorfi keep thinking that. :-)
And Alex the tactician - very useful! Being able to use his skills this way has to be therapeutic for him. But the specter of Farrell looming over all - brrrrrr.
Engagement! Yippee! As the end approaches, it seems like time is going faster for the elves too; in other ages, I'd think that an engagement after such short time knowing each other would be considered very hasty.
Author's reply
Hi Lyana. You're right that it's going to be awhile before Glorfindel lives that down, particularly with Daeron and Vorondur. And poor Patty would've been mortified, so luckily she never realized what she'd done.
There is always Farrell in the background, unfortunately, and he will continue being a spectre for some time.
You may be correct about time speeding up for the Elves as well as the end approaches. There's a certain urgency that was never present before. Luckily, the Elves don't seem scandalized by the 'hasty' engagement (and when you used that term, I had visions of Ents shaking their heads. LOL!).
Thanks for the review. It's very much appreciated.
Lizbeth
· 25 May 2012
· Chapter 37: Day Three
Recoveries, a chance to wash, an engagement, a snowball war AND s'mores to boot? It doesn't sound like things could go any better under the circumstances, but I hope that everyone can hold up under the stress. Glorfindel and the healers (elven and human) seem to be having the worst time of it. I'm crossing my fingers that Glorfindel's ring does its job as he keeps on getting worn down.
The situation with Patty and Glorfindel was quite funny, though I'm sure he'd disagree. *grin* I especially liked the reference to Victorian melodrama. I wonder what the elves were up to back then?
All in all, it was a fun chapter! It provided a nice diversion since I have been confined to my room due to illness and paranoid family members, so thank you. A sudden change of weather caused the ants that live in the walls to swarm out and attack my parrot's cage, so it's been an interesting week. I hope that your recovery continues to go well also.
I hope you don't mind my "reviews"... they always seem to just be a bunch of blathering gibberish to me, but I enjoy the story and I feel like I should say something in return!
Author's reply
And here's yet another review of yours that I managed to miss, Lizbeth. Weird.
Anyway, the whole thing with Glorfindel and Patty was lots of fun to write and Daeron and Vorondur's comments on the subject were not only hysterical but embarrassing for our fearless leader.
And your reviews have been just fine. Thank you for taking the time to leave them. I appreciate you doing so very much. And sorry for the lateness of my reply.
obsidianj
· 25 May 2012
· Chapter 37: Day Three
It's funny how a storm like this can put a stop to everything. It is as if life is on hold. Luckily, the worst seems to be over. The snowball fight was a great idea. They were fortunate that they didn't have real fights on their hands between the students. Being cooped up like that for days on end with sick people on top of it makes for frayed nerves real fast.
Author's reply
Hi obsidianj. You're right about that. Storms of a certain nature do seem to put life on hold. And the worse is over, though they're not necessarily free and clear. Luckily, the storm (or at least the very cold temperatures) didn't last long, allowing people to get out and about. I think had they been forced to remain inside even a couple more days, then you would've seen tempers blowing and blood flowing.
Thanks for leaving a comment. It's much appreciated.
obsidianj
· 25 May 2012
· Chapter 36: The Storm Takes its Toll
This chapter brings memories from the last ice storm back where we were without power for 5 days in the middle of winter. I wish we had elves as entertainers back then. I loved Galadriel's comment, but poor Elrond.
Author's reply
I'm sure this chapter brought memories of similiar storms for a lot of readers, obsidianj, including myself. And it wouldn've been nice ot have a bunch of Elves enttertaining us, as well. *grin* Thanks for commenting. I appreciate it.