Reviews (47)

Author's reply

Nurayy!! I couldn't if I responded on FF.net so I am replying here as well. And I will post this there too. I do love the personalities Legolas' friends have developed. And they do lighten his spirits greatly. So much of how I write Thranduil is so influenced by Lee Pace's absolutely moving portrayal of Thranduil in the Hobbit films. I love his portrayal because when I was writing Thranduil in my later chapters of "The Heir Apparent" about Aragorn's young life as Estel the way he plays him was exactly how I imagined him as I was writing him ten years earlier! There is a regal calm but so much raging emotion just below the surface. Thranduil would hide his tears, even to his own son. The two tears the only hint at the maelstrom of pain within. Thank you for what you say about Legolas. You write about the soulfulness of the Elves so well that what you say about my writing makes me very happy! I am trying to sketch the gradual growth of Legolas throughout the chapters to arrive at the cheery and confident elf who becomes one of the Nine Walkers. Thanks so much for the thoughts. You know they mean a lot to me. :-) Stay Safe, Mellon Nin! ((hugs)) MM

Author's reply

Ellynn! I am so happy to hear that! So...what did you think...? Yes I am shamelessly asking for a review! LOL!! Stay Safe, mellon nin! ((hugs)) MM

Author's reply

Demeter d! Thank you for the long and thoughtful review. When I write I have only a vague notion of where I want the story to go. As I write that is when I discover where the story is taking the characters which is sometimes off in a slightly different direction than I had planned. Mithrandir cannot see all ends and while I am writing the story I know how I want it to end. In the writing of the chapters will determine how I get to that end. You are right. Legolas, Erthion, Navedir and Vivelle will leave from Sadron's holding for Imladris. Legolas and Thranduil will not see each other again until the end of the Ring War and the events after the war. It was originally my intent that they would have had no communication, letters or otherwise until they met again after the War, but in the writing of the chapters I had brought the two of them to such an emotional pass that neither could properly see to their respective responsibilities without at least some form of forgiveness and healing, hence the letters. But Sadron is right. When Legolas leaves their lives will never be the same. In LOTR, Legolas never does come back to Mirkwood to live permanently. He will go to Ithilien to live and then take Ship for the West. It is why in my story he is the youngest of three brothers. Celebren is the heir and Sadron is the "spare" as in the way the English talk about their own royal family line of succession. Legolas is free to chose his own path which is divergent from Mirkwood. But that does not mean there won't be joy in reunion even if things have changed. How I don't I have written those chapters yet! You ask about when Legolas seeing Vivelle and Erthion sleeping. That is unfortunately a story I haven't written yet, but I will. It will also speak to to why Legolas is free leave Mirkwood. His great love already awaits in the Halls of Mandos and Tolkien Elves love only once, with only a few very notable exceptions. Thanks again for writing! Stay Safe! MM Author Reply: Wanted to also mention that Legolas and Thranduil are learning to forgive one another. Their problems stem from the fact that they love maybe too much and each wanted to save the other from hurt which in the end hurt both of them. Relationship are messy and very rarely clean cut but the love does remain within both of them. MM :-)

Author's reply

Eliza! Thanks for writing! I have had a lot of fun creating Sadron's little enclave. And yes poor Legolas has so much going on his head and he isn't quite sure how to figure it all out. He will somehow find a way. It really is a journey of growth and discovery he is on. One that he never expected. He will face his demons and he will succeed. How yet I'm not sure! Really glad you are enjoying the story! Stay Safe. Mellon nin! MM

Author's reply

Eliza! So happy to hear from you! :-)) I am really glad you liked it! I really didn't know how Thranduil was going to read the letter until I wrote it! And Legolas really done start going down the road to maturity in this chapter! So happy you liked it! Stay Safe! Mellon nin! ((hugs)) MM

Author's reply

Eliza! So happy you are enjoying it. Growing up isn't easy even you are an Elf. Family dynamics are what they are. Even when we don't want to cause harm we do without realizing it. How we treat each other after we realise the hurt matters as well. I always suspected Elves were this deep! :-) Legolas is having to deal with experiences that he has never really had. I am working on Chapter 12 now, it should be out sometime in the next week! Stay Safe! ((hugs)) MM

Author's reply

Eliza! So glad you are enjoying my story! Rest assured in the next chapter Legolas will get the letter! It would have been this chapter but after I finished writing it the chapter was way too long to post as a single chapter! I have worked to paint the differences in the three brothers and their differing relationships with their father. The family dynamics are just kind of writing themselves as I go so I am discovering as I write where their relationships are going! Next chapter will most likely be up tomorrow! Thanks for writing! Stay safe! MM

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Eliza! LOL! Yup! It takes a women to cut through the crap! The two guys were pussyfooting around! :-) Vivelle takes no prisoners which is why Erthion loves her! I'm having fun writing the supporting characters! So glad you are enjoying my take on Thranduil. So much has happened to him over the long course of his life. I must admit that Lee Pace's amazing portrayal of Thranduil in the Hobbit films really plays a large part of how I see Thranduil. So much power and so much repressed pain. What has lead to that? And yes! Legolas will definitely receive the letter probably in the next chapter, but as I am currently only beginning to write it that MAY stretch to the chapter after that. Thranduil may or may not receive the letter he will write back but that is at least a couple of chapters away! Thanks so much for taking the time to write! Stay Safe! MM

Author's reply

Mystarlight! Hello! Kids rebel and argue, but Thranduil does feel responsible. Emotions are not rational reactions. Thranduil is extremely emotional right now. He feels guilty because his actions, to his way of thinking, has caused this and his son is now out in the world (that Thranduil tried so hard to shield him from)and is unprepared for what will come at him. And Thranduil's inability to deal with his own pain in life has affected the way he has raised Legolas as compared to the way he and Lasgalen raised Celebren and Sadron. He is berating himself for his own failures and how they are now as he sees affecting Legolas! I love the discussions that take place in the review section. :-) Thank you so much for writing! Stay Safe, mellon nin MM

Author's reply

Eliza! Thanks so much for taking the time to write! Fathers and sons it can be a difficult relationship for anyone, Elves included. Even for a father and son who clearly love each other. Both Thranduil and Legolas share a stubborn streak although Legolas has learned to hide his. They are a lot alike. Both are shaped be the love that they feel and it will take them on divergent paths. Both will charge ahead thinking themselves to be right...then have to find a way to pick up the pieces later. I do see Thranduil as a very strong character. He has all of his Woodland Realm to protect AND without the help of an Elven ring of power. And he has seen a lot of tragedy in his long life and bulls his way through it pushing the pain to one side. He is now faced with the consequences of his choices/mistakes and at least wants to correct them as soon as he can. It takes strength to admit that you were wrong and then to try to make amends. We will definitely see where Legolas' choices take him. Once again, thanks so much for writing and glad that you are enjoying it! Stay safe! MM

Author's reply

mystarlight! Yes he should have but again making decisions without really thinking it through. He was ashamed and once again making emotionally charged decisions which are not the best. He recognises bad decisions but then continues to make more bad decisions. Happy that you are enjoying the story! Thranduil has a lot of pain that he has set to one side to get on with the business of ruling. He has never really dealt with the death of his father, the death of Lasgalen because he has always had responsibility thrust on him. So much is expected and he expected so much of himself that he is really not great at admitting weakness. His emotions are all there and he can only deal with them by ignoring them. He is a fascinating character! Thanks so much for writing! I really enjoy reading them! Stay safe! MM

Author's reply

mystarlight! I agree with you. Legolas made a poor decision based what he does admit in the end were reasons that were not good enough. Thranduil was right to have expected more from his son if not Gandalf. Not to defend Legolas but we often don't make the best decisions when we are emotional. He does realise that he used to bad judgment. And he going to try to make amends... Thanks so much for writing and bringing these points. So nice to see someone interacting with my story! Stay safe, mellon nin! MM

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Demeter d! Thank you so much for writing! And yeah it nice to know that more than one person is reading the story! So happy that you are enjoying it. And YES! Thranduil is very interesting. I always point out to my Thranduil-bashing hubby that Thranduil WITHOUT aid an Elven ring has to keep the forces that would overrun Mirkwood. It is through sheer will, smarts and his archers. (we generally have to agree to disagree. He refuses to listen to my sound reasoning as why Thranduil very interesting. LOL!) I recently tried spending less time in Middle Earth. It didn't last long. :-) I don't know where I got the idea that Legolas' mother died tragically. Perhaps from the reams of fanfic I have also read. It is a storyline that works for me. this way, as you say Lasgalen can comfort Thranduil at times of great distress. It has bothered me that Legolas leaves Mirkwood, forsaking his inheritance to live in Ithilien. So I created to two brothers (the heir and the spare so to speak!) :-) And that expands the relationships I can write about! And Legolas being the youngest and the Last gift of his mother and the fact that Grief lives in Elven hearts for long periods of time leads to Thranduil being WAY overprotective of Legolas. I am happy to hear that Thranduil's tendencies are coming across so well. He loves his children beyond anything else and the fact that he has hurt Legolas so much is devastating to him. It was the last thing he wanted to do but when we are blinded by pain we don't always recognise the harm we ourselves are causing. Long winded reply, I know. So glad you are liking it! Stay safe! MM

Author's reply

My Starlight! So glad you love it! Yeah! And it does mean that Gollum and the birds were have the conversation. In Fellowship film Legolas mentions "Crebain from Dunland" and Gandalf also mentions that many creatures are sympathetic to the Orcs and Sauron. Writing the next chapter now. Some more explanation may have happen but I can't for sure as I have not yet written about it yet! Stay Safe Mellon nin! MM

Author's reply

Not to worry. It isn't a bother. Technically I agree with you. But when I write I try to stay close to what I have read in Tolkien's various writings. In the chapter "the Council of Elrond" in the Fellowship of the Ring, Legolas says that they were vigilant yes but perhaps too kind, or to use Legolas' word "overkindliness". They didn't have the heart to keep in him the dungeons the whole time. Early on he says that they guarded him as Gandalf wanted but also to keep in mind the "hope still for his cure," In Spring they let him climb trees. From my reading of the chapter they were not harsh captors and that is more what I was trying to reflect. Looking at the chapter in Fellowship again I could rework that portion of my chapter to reflect the initial guarding of Gollum. It could make for some interesting interactions. Thanks for writing!! Stay safe! ((hugs)) MM

Author's reply

Mystarlight! Good question! I could say that they bribed the guards with wine or got them drunk, After all it worked in the Hobbit!! But the real answer is part of me didn't think about it and the other part of my creative brain remembered that the dungeons of Mirkwood are generally not horrible places as stated somewhere in Tolkien's writings. I surmised then that there were differing levels of cells and keeping in mind that Gandalf had some hope (however misguided) of Gollum's possible reform and the fact that Mirkwood elves generally were kind to their prisoners (who were not dwarves, I guess) I went with the idea that the cell that Gollum was placed was like minimum security. And in the end he was more treated like a prisoner/ guest. Thanks for paying attention and pointing that out! :-)) About Thranduil and his sons, I just feel that family is probably the most important thing in Thranduil's life. He has lost so much and tries to paid to what is really important. And sometimes in life we don't recognise moments when we should. I wanted to give Thranduil that moment. Stay safe, mellon nin! MM

Author's reply

mystarlight! So very true! Gandalf is not above misjudgment as he himself admits. And it is an insult to not include Thranduil. People do misjudge situations and Gandalf does here. The tension is building to a purpose in the story. The good relationship between Thranduil and Aragorn refers to another story of mine called "The Heir Apparent" about how Aragorn came to Imladris and his growing up there. Thank you again for taking the time to write, I really do appreciate it! Stay Safe! mellon nin! MM

Author's reply

mystarlight! Hello! Sorry that I wasn't clear about the sourcing of the "Twinned" concept. Morgoth's Ring is Vol 10 of the History of Middle Earth series. It is a near complete collection of Tolkien's writing about Middle Earth edited by his son, Christopher. They are essentially first drafts of LOTR and his other works, Treatises written about the people of Middle Earth. Histories that he wrote out. First drafts of maps he drew. All edited and published by his son. If you type into Google "the Laws and Customs of the Eldar" you will find the long essay/ reference work about Elves that I read. It talks about the fea of Elves and how fea which in essence is an Elf's spirit or soul and how the fea of two married people remained connected or bound even after one has died. That is where I got my idea, though there is a lot more than what I refer to. It is fascinating and confusing and if you really want to go deep into the weeds of Elvish culture as devised by Tolkien it is definitely an interesting read. Thanks for writing back! MM

Author's reply

Mystarlight! Thanks again for writing. I read in Morgoth's Ring (V.10 of HoME series) about how Elves are twinned souls in their marriages and how even while one waits in the Halls of Mandos their souls remain twinned, which is why Elves don't remarry, generally and I thought it would be wonderful if Lasgalen spoke in Thranduil's heart in times of great emotional upset. :-) I have considered a story of Thranduil reuniting with Lasgalen but it hasn't progressed beyond the thinking stage yet! "Last Gift of Lasgalen" sort of tells what happen to her in Middle Earth but it is told from the perspective of Thranduil. Yeah! Gandalf can be a bit arrogant and he grudging gives up much of the story but he realises that Thranduil has to know at least some of the reason he should risk the safety of his people. Gandalf is stubborn and set in his ways I'm afraid and a bit irascible! You can't tell him anything! :-) So glad you are enjoying the story! Working on Chapter 4 right now! Stay safe! ((hugs)) MM

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Mystarlight! Thank you for taking the time to write. I have always imagined what Thranduil hidden fortress would look like and Legolas makes mention of the fact somewhere in LOTR that his father's had airy feel though mostly underground. I don't think he knew about the Balrog in Moria, but he of what a horror that balrogs were from legend. MM

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Mystarlight! Thank you so much! The pain, passion and loss of Thranduil really speaks to my heart. Thank you for taking the time to write! MM