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With Friends Like These  by Jay of Lasgalen 11 Review(s)
lwarrenReviewed Chapter: 28 on 9/14/2004
EEEEEEEEEEVIL Jay! Just plain evil! Sometimes these stories should come with a warning...CAUTION: Material included could be hazardous to your health! :-)

I thought in the beginning, when Elladan was staring at his paper he has to write (boy, do I know that feeling! *hugs Elladan*) he should probably be writing THE TRIALS OF GROWING UP IDENTICAL...OR HOW TO TICK OFF A TWIN BROTHER IN TEN EASY LESSONS! He was very much suffering from hind-sight, and not pleased at all with the way he had acted with his brother. Of course now, brother was a mite touchy... But you did a very good job of communicating Elladan's guilt and regret. His determination in not lying was commendable also, and shows the integrity he'll carry with him all his life. I loved Celebrian trying to help...I've tried before with adolescent boys and it just doesn't work too often. Still, a Naneth must try!

Now to the two AWOL elflings - honestly, Jay, the troll was wonderful! A baby? And you showed his confusion/curiosity perfectly...I could just see this toddler troll-ling (now that's a fun spelling word!), bent over poking at this interesting looking critter on the ground...pick it up? You bet! Legolas is lucky he wasn't tasted too! You know how babies put everything in their mouths! UGH! Anyway, the scenes with the troll are priceless. I think our two elflings were so relieved to escape with only a broken bow, they forgot about the RED ALERT Elrond probably placed on the river when the trolls were sighted. Which, of course, leads me back to....EEEEVVIILLLLL JAY! Update soon...you know Legolas has absolutely no luck with water!

linda

Author Reply: *Grin!* Yes, I think the other subjects are ones he knows all about - though he may not know the answer. (It's 42.) He's being honourable, but has not thought of the concept of 'lying by omission' - he's not as truthful as he thinks. Poor Celebrian, too - she has to deal with a double dose of teenage angst.

Trolls are always shown as very fierce, savage creatures, swinging their clubs and trying to mash elves to paste. I wanted one that was just curious, wondering what it had found, although it was still dangerous and could have accidentally killed them.

Now, the river - I wonder what the ME equivalent of Red Alert or DefCon 4 is?

Thanks for the great review!

phoenix23531Reviewed Chapter: 28 on 9/14/2004
Hello! I'm sorry I haven't reviewed in, well, a VERY long time. I moved to Australia for a year, ff.net has given me no end of trouble while using dial-up. Heavens, how I miss cable bandwidth!
I absolutely love the way this story is shaping up. I just found this story again on storiesofarda and read the last 10 chapters in about half an hour, and was so thoroughly engrossed that by the time I reached the last chapter posted, I squealed - I wanted more!!! By the way, I loved the "Balrogs Balls! We found a troll!" line. I was half-rolling, half-falling off my chair!
Have to run now, dial-up is acting up again. All the best, and looking forward to the next chapters!
Emma

Author Reply: Thanks for taking the trouble to drop in and review - I recall all too well what dial-up is like (which is why I'm on broadband now!) Also, I much prefer this site to ff.net, which has also given me problems.

Ten chapters at once? That must be a record! You're lucky, there was a very long gap between chapters at one time, but I should be able to update again in a few days. I'm glad you're still enjoying the story - which is more than Elrohir and Legolas are at the moment ...

GalimerilReviewed Chapter: 28 on 9/13/2004
Oh a wonderful, wonderful story but you ended it with a nasty sliffy! UPdate soon!!!
Galimeril ;D

Author Reply: The next chapter is already halfway written (what happens to Legolas now) and I'll update ASAP! Thanks for reviewing.

NilmandraReviewed Chapter: 28 on 9/11/2004
Oh, a baby troll. Now that is something I have never seen done in fanfiction before - a curious, baby troll! LOL!

Of course, it still could have wiped out adolescent elves. For some reason, I think when Elrohir and Legolas return, they are going to be in trouble :P

And if the waters of the Bruinen are under Elrond's command, I am curious to see what enemy he thought was crossing the river that he would raise the waters so!

Author Reply: I don't know if trolls had babies, but I thought one would certainly be very curious when it saw elves for the first time. It didn't know its own strength though, and if it had kept on poking at Elrohir, or picked Legolas up, it wouldn't have done either of them much good.

The river - I see it as being an automatic defence, rising whenever anyone who should not be there crosses. Only the ford is safe.

sofiaReviewed Chapter: 28 on 9/11/2004
great chapter. I liked the part with the young troll and Elrohir, i thought that was cute... in a weird sort of way.
-sofia

Author Reply: The poor little troll only wanted to play - even if Elrohir and Legolas weren't so keen on the idea! I'm glad you liked this.

JoeeReviewed Chapter: 28 on 9/10/2004
I can't believe how fast you updated this time, but of course you had to leave it off at another cliff hanger! Poor Legolas, he doesn't seem to have much luck involving water does he? Good chapter, hope you can update soon =)

Author Reply: I don't usually update quite that quickly, but the muse was working overtime. Poor Legolas forgot about the river - he should have waited for Elrohir. The question is, can Legolas run faster than the wave of water, especially with the river trying to make him fall? Thanks for the review!

LiannaReviewed Chapter: 28 on 9/10/2004
Oh, you are mean, Mean, MEAN!!!

Two cliffhangers in a row? And you've already almost drowned Legolas once in this story. Come to think of it, you almost drowned Elrohir too a while back. If these two survive this one, they may never go in the water again. Not even to take a bath.

Author Reply: Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water ... whoops, sorry, wrong film! Poor Legolas should have remembered to take Elrohir with him - the river's on high alert because of the trolls.

DotReviewed Chapter: 28 on 9/10/2004
LOL! You are so MEAN! There I was, delighted with such a quick update and you go and have the force of the Bruinen about to descend upon poor Legolas…

My heart went out to Elladan. I could completely feel his anxiety and his guilt at the words he’d spoken earlier. “He had not lied, and never would, not even for Elrohir.” Ah, very nice choice of phrasing in the end! It shows, actually, how honourable he is that he wouldn’t even lie for his brother. Plus, I guess he must realise to a certain extent that lying could only make things worse for Elrohir and Legolas as well as himself. I don’t blame him for half hoping that they’d be caught. I thought Elladan seemed really troubled by the change in his relationship with his brother. I was going to say that he shouldn’t blame Elrohir but it even seemed in the last chapter that Elrohir is the one who finds himself pulling away. The search for individuality must indeed be hard but in some ways it must be even more difficult for the one who *isn’t* seeking it. I think Celebrian’s suggestion of talking to their father is a good one.

The entire scene with Elrohir and Legolas was just so nerve-wracking. Just the thought of the troll prodding Elrohir and then actually putting his hand around Legolas… And it turns out that it was just a baby! “A much larger troll, surely a parent, was leading it across the dell by the hand.” That is quite possibly the most adorable image I have ever come across!

“My bow. It broke my bow! How am I going to explain that?” Thranduil and Legolas were going to give them new bows, right? Have I got the right story?! Of course, whether or not they’ll be seen as deserving now is another story… He’s not really naïve enough to think no one will notice if he takes one from the armoury, is he?? Erestor is right, “Elflings!”

“Looking up, Legolas saw a wall of water looming out of the darkness and bearing down on him: two, five, ten feet high, increasing in speed and ferocity as it neared him.” Oh. My. God. I feel so bad now for laughing at him being so suspicious of the river. Why did it react to him? Or are there trolls about? How’s he going to escape this?? I’m all tense now…;-)




Author Reply: Yes, I finally got that sentence sorted - you were quite right, it was easy when I looked at it again the next day. Poor Elladan, this is hard for both of them - both the growing up, and the knowledge that Elrohir is doing something stupid. He doesn't want him to get into trouble, and he doesn't want anything to happen to him either.

Very well remembered about the bow - yes, in the end it won't matter, because both twins will get shiny new ones.

As for the river - I think Elrond's put it on defcon4 because of the trolls, so poor Legolas got caught.

I like tense. Tense is good in a reader ... ;-)

BodkinReviewed Chapter: 28 on 9/10/2004
Now you've got me feeling sorry for Elladan! Growing up is such a painful process - I don't know why anybody says it's the best time of your life. And there is Celebrian, wanting to act as go-between to try to sort them out, but she doesn't stand a chance against all those hormones.

Didn't Legolas listen when Elrohir told him that he would be all right in the water if he was with the Elrondion? Clearly the relief caused by escaping baby troll has affected his memory!

They will never get away with this little escapade - they might as well confess at once, if they ever get back. Please don't leave Legolas facing the flood for too long - I can't stand the strain.

Author Reply: I feel this is hard on both twins - Elrohir doesn't want to be in his brother's shadow, but Elladan doesn't understand that yet. At least their father will know what they are going through.

I think Legolas and Elrohir both forgot about the river - Legolas because he's not used to it, Elrohir because he takes the river for granted. This is not a good idea ...

KarriReviewed Chapter: 28 on 9/10/2004
Oh my! Our golden-haired elfling clearly needs to brush up on his offering to Ulmo, as the water Vala certainly seems to be against the young one in this story. ;-) The baby troll encounter was too adorable. Terrific chapter, Jay!

Author Reply: Poor Legolas doesn't have much luck with rivers, does he? I must admit, I'm not too sure how trolls are created, or if they have babies, but I thought even a little one would be scary. Thanks for the review!

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