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| Good Enough by The Karenator | 10 Review(s) |
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| Leaward | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 3/22/2005 |
| Sorry it took so long to get to your chapter, Karenator ... but whoa, Belas certainly chose the wrong person to pick on. I can't see Legolas sitting on his hands for anyone attacking his brothers' characters. And poor Alar, he definitely needs a bit of practice in the art of comeback ... he reminds me a lot of me. I always think of things I 'should have said' about three hours later. And LOL about the reasoning behind Belas' behaviour -- that's almost exactly the same reasoning I use for Titheniel. Why is it we mothers are always to blame? What are we doing to our reputations?! Ah, well. And so they are in a sticky situation ... let's hope that the masters hear and come to help them out. Author Reply: Goodness, please don't apologize; you've had your hands full..or is it a sink full? Hope that's worked out! Legolas was doing pretty well until Belas attacked his family. That sent him over the edge. And yes, poor Alar was not cut out to be the King of Comeback. I laughed when I read what you said about thinking of the things you should have said three hours later. Me, too! That's why I love to write Daeron. I have all the time in the world to construct my condescending discourse. If only real life provided those of us with slow wit the time to think up what to say! Yeah, I feel a little guilty about pointing the finger of blame at the slug's mother. I really did sort of base her on several mothers I know. Honestly, their kids are nothing like Belas, but I could see how their style of parenting could result in a rotten kid. But no matter what kind of parenting the nasty little worm had, he is still responsible for his behavior. There's probably much more to Belas's story, but all I was trying to do was to get into the novices' heads and let them try to rationalize it. They're trying to protect their own peace of mind by trying to understand that Belas's behavior is about him and not them. However, the bottom line is that Belas is a mouthy jerk! The situation doesn't look good, does it? It sure would help if these four had some assistance in fighting what looks like it's going to be the worst possible enemy Daeron could imagine. The other three novices aren't thrilled either. Thanks for taking the time to review. You've been busy! Karen | |
| French Pony | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 3/20/2005 |
| The masters keep putting Belas and Alar in the same group. This smacks of grownups trying to Teach The Brats A Lesson by making them depend on each other. It is a classic, well-beloved grownup strategy for dealing with recalcitrant teenagers. It has not worked since first Eru Iluvatar drew breath for song. Yet grownups continue to do it, thinking that this time, it will work, and the teenagers involved will suddenly see the light and become buddies. Why is that, I wonder? Is it part of the hormone change that comes with becoming a parent? What usually happens, of course, is a fight. Just like happened here. And there's another thing. You'd think the masters would have been keeping an ear on the kids and would have heard Belas and his sedition. Are they chalking this up to something Daeron just needs to learn to deal with? But Daeron doesn't have enough authority to deal with it, and both he and Belas know it. Seems like the masters are in fact doing just what Belas's naneth does. They're making excuses for him and spoiling him rotten. And he's going to turn out to be a poor, undependable warrior who gets people killed because of it. I wonder what it is about him that makes people want to make excuses for him. There's got to be some residual skill or personal charisma there. For my money, the masters are really falling down on the job here. But now they've encountered the spiders! Boy oh boy oh boy! Daeron gets to face his big fear. Alar and Belas and Legolas will have to fight together instead of fighting each other, and fifty cyber-bucks says that Alar will save the day. And Belas won't give a rat's patootie. Author Reply: Yep, the masters meant to place these four into the same group. The purpose of the games is to give the oldest novices as near a prolonged patrol campaign experience as possible. The masters give the novices less guidance and more freedom than normal and expect the novices to behave and perform as warriors. Well, of course, that's not going to happen. And the masters know that. They let the little whelps step in deep do. They allow the novices to experience consequences in a controlled environment. Or what should have been a controlled, spiderless environment. Once the games are over, the masters then 'deal' with infractions. Unless a novice is a threat to himself or to others, they let it run its course to see how the other novices will handle it...and hold them responsible for how they handled it. The novices have been taught to use proper channels, calm reason, etc. This is not a foreign concept; it's just not one that most youngsters quite grasp. A dry run of real life. Dealing with personality conflicts, duty and such. The sedition part was not normally one of Belas's problems. His mouth got the best of him here. Legolas backed him in a corner and when Belas couldn't rattle Legolas by telling him that he's inept, Belas went for the jugular. Family. Belas will get an opportunity to find out just how much the masters 'coddle' novices. He's been on thin ice for a long time (the other novices don't know this, but suspect it) and this will not make anyone in authority happy. And the whole altercation was observed. We'll see that in the next chapter. Unfortunately, the master in the trees did not have time to intervene, and he would have when it became violent; they suddenly had bigger problems. Which brings me to spiders. The novices will get an unexpected chance to 'work together' or perish. Poor Daeron. He'd rather fight an army of orcs than a spider. Perhaps everyone will have a new attitude when this is over. But no matter how you cut it, Belas is a jerk. Thanks for the review. I love hearing from you! Karen | |
| Dot | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 3/20/2005 |
| Sounds like the novices are enjoying these games no end ;-) At least the masters are probably getting a kick out of it all. Poor Daeron. Tracking is obviously not his forte. I’m still laughing at him trying to sweet-talk the tree into helping them out. Belas is as endearing as ever. Tiredness and frustration seem to be taking their toll and making him more malicious than ever. I thought Nouren’s insight into him was interesting. His naneth definitely sounds like she could use some sense but I’d be inclined to think there’s more to it than that. A disinterested father and overly indulgent mother might result in a spoilt child but not necessarily one with such an attitude problem as that. Then again, Nouren’s naneth could be right. It’s certainly good of this lot to listen to him and accept that Belas’ problems aren’t all his fault. It may not have lasted long, but at least they were willing to be sympathetic for a moment… I’m very interested in the reaction of the masters too. It’s odd that they apparently haven’t done much more than possibly talk to Belas. I’m intrigued. And I love how perceptive Daeron is – he realises that they know everything, that Alar is probably getting the recognition he deserves and that the best thing they can do is let Belas land himself in trouble rather than anyone actually complaining about him. He’s clever, that Daeron. “You must learn the art of verbal warfare.” Ah, Daeron’s speciality!! His little lesson was hilarious. Well,” I said thoughtfully, “that will certainly frighten him, but not in the way I had in mind.” ROTFL!! Well… it might be one way of making sure Belas backs off! The battle between Melda and Celelion had me totally enthralled! It must have been amazing to witness. I love the way Melda seems so pleased at the novices’ appreciation of his skill. Seregon lost the bet, though. I felt bad for Daeron being made captain of this particular group. Although, the masters presumably did it on purpose if they really did know what had taken place earlier. It turns out poor Alar isn’t quite as gifted as Daeron with cutting remarks. Belas is just unbelievable. If they hadn’t known him previously I’d nearly suspect he’d planted by the masters as part of the games. I cannot believe he said such things about the commander!! ”Until he commands the masters to rid of us of the likes of him,” he said, pointing to Alar, “then we will always have dead warriors and lost ground to the enemy.” Holy crap! I’m still in shock at that one! And “He is worrying over villages now because he cannot defend them.” - how the heck does he know that?? I suppose it was destined to end in a fistfight! I can’t say I blame Legolas for taking a swipe at him. Daeron shouldn’t really have joined in but to be fair, he did make a good attempt at trying to be a captain before giving in. Were they being watched the whole time or did Orocarni appear because of the spiders? Ah yes, spiders. It had to happen, I suppose! Still, I’m dying to see what happens next – and aren’t Seregon and Aldamir due an appearance?! :-) Author Reply: Nope, tracking isn't Daeron's forte. He's a sword man. But I think he'll be competent in tracking when he finally gets to warrior status, but it's not his gift. Belas is a complex character, I think. I do have a backstory in my head about the reasons his mother is the way she is and why his father gave up the fight, but Nouren's mother has a decent overview of what the problem is. Belas doesn't feel valued. He's unhappy and angry and is directing this toward Alar...and any other poor novice that he deems as a lesser to him. The altercation in the woods got out of hand. Belas is frustrated that no one is in his corner and angry that everyone is more supportive of Alar. He's just as much a loner as Alar, but for different reasons. When Legolas confronted him, Belas couldn't control Legolas by calling him inept, so he upped the stakes and attacked Legolas's family. That did it. I tried to show that possibly Belas was just spouting off at the mouth by having him say that he would willingly follow the commander's order, but he was backed into a corner by Legolas and he came out swinging. Well, Legolas swung first, but you know what I mean. Everything just snowballed. The masters did indeed put this little group together intentionally. They took the stress that was already there with the games and let the one created by Belas come together. War is nasty business and they wanted to see how these novices would deal with such a situation since they will one day deal with worse. They let the situation develop naturally. A lesson in maturity and unity. I think they were completely aware that it could degenerate into something that would draw reprimand. And I think Orocarni would have intervened at the point that the altercation became violent, but the spiders interrupted anything he might have done. The novices were being observed throughout the whole thing. And Belas knows about the villages being in dangerous territory because the leaders are in the stronghold, and he's heard the gossip about what's going on. Daeron had heard it too back in the first chapter. So Belas just pulled that hearsay out of his bag of tricks when he needed something to support his allegations. He had talked himself into a corner as well. Good observation! Daeron did lose it when Belas hit Legolas. He was no better than Legolas when his family was attacked unfairly. And you're absolutely right that he should not have gotten involved, but well...the slug hit his cousin while he was holding him. The jerk. Yep, Aldamir and Seregon are due.... Thanks so much, Dot! Wonderful review. Karen | |
| elliska | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 3/20/2005 |
| I almost missed that this was here. The email that my notifications goes to is down. Glad I found it because I needed a lift and this was a nice one. I liked the conversation about the reasons why Belas is an arse and Daeron's lessons for how to manage them. I particularly liked: “My naneth used to say,” Nouren said, “that Belas’s behavior is because he is crying out for someone to show him that they love him by caring enough to discipline him.” He smiled. “I used to think that was madness. But now I think she is right; Ah, children being forced to see the wisdom of their parents. Funny! and: “Well,” I said thoughtfully, “that will certainly frighten him, but not in the way I had in mind.” :) Great! I enjoyed the sword fight. I think two elves really skilled with swords would thoroughly enjoy a nice sparing match like that. I cringed a little when Daeron was made captain with both Belas and Alar in the group--obviously nothing good is going to come of that and of course, it did not. What a jerk that kid is. But he really stepped over the line criticizing the troop commander--pure arrogance to think, as a novice, that you can judge potential warriors better than the elf that's been doing it for hundreds of years. Of course, if your mum has been telling you that you're perfect for forty years... :( I really thought Legolas controlled his temper much longer then I would have. Liked this line: standing guard over seedlings Funny one! But you would leave us with a cliff hanger. I see it's time for my nasty spiders. OOooo, yuck! I really think I would have hated spiders if I'd lived in Mirkwood. Poor Daeron. Post again soon! Author Reply: We're glad you found us! Hope the needed lift was just because it's a dull Sunday afternoon and not because you're not feeling better. Yeah, don't you just hate it when your parents' words come back to haunt you. Nouren seems to be a good guy and he's got a good understanding of Belas. He's finally had to admit that his nana wasn't off her rocker. Belas needs someone to make him feel valued. There were several reasons I did the sword fight between the master and the captain of the home guard, and one of them was how much it would delight the novices. The younger guys can certainly learn a lot by observing these two. Another reason was that Daeron's heart really is in being a good warrior and this gave us a chance to hear him say he was glad to be there. I cringed in sympathy for Daeron too when he was made captain of a group sure to disintegrate. He knew that Belas would be a problem...which he was. He knew that Alar would be the brunt of Belas's ill humor...which he was. And he knew that Legolas would be no help...which he wasn't. The whole wood-gathering mission was doomed. When Legolas finally challenged Belas, the warg's behind went for the jugular. He didn't have a good argument for why he was picking on Alar, so he attacked Legolas personally...his family. Calling Legolas inept didn't push Legolas over the line; it was when Belas turned on Legolas's family. Belas was angry and said things that he might not have said under other circumstances. He wasn't winning the verbal battle, so he upped the stakes. Though, I think he does think Alar is worthless and that he's superior. The whole thing got out of hand. Looks like the spiders have finally been found. Daeron, the spider magnet, strikes again. Poor Daeron. Poor novices! I hope I can get the next chapter up quickly. I've just got to go over it again and make sure I catch all the typos and such that I can. And I still miss them... Thanks. Hope you're better and we can see your next chapter by next weekend. Karen | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 3/20/2005 |
| I just love Daeron. He would probably deny it indignantly but he's a closet idealist. And a secret defender of the defenceless. Perfect warrior material really - unlike Belas, who seems to want to do all the wrong things for all the wrong reasons. Not to mention being an over-confident, smug brat. I hope he gets bitten. The trouble with training Alar in smart-alec responses is that they just don't come naturally to him. I found the one about watching Belas's back just hilarious. (I'm obviously not exposed to enough adolescent wit these days). Alar seems to be accepted by the group much more willingly than Belas - which is only going to make him worse, really. I suppose I'm going to end up feeling sorry for him - but not until after he's suffered a bit of pain and humiliation, right? Well, Daeron TRIED to keep them off each other. But you can insult the son of Thranduil, but you can't insult his brother and get away with it. And then Belas took unfair advantage - he was asking for it, but I suspect they're all going to GET it. Good thing Alar was awake, or the red-banded spiders would have been in among them before they had a chance to get their arrows out. (See, Belas, you moron? There are more ways of watching each other's back than whacking each other with swords.) 'I laughed. “If discipline is the measure of love, then Legolas and I are the most loved children in all of Elvendom.” ' Such a lovely Daeron-ism. (And true, my ellon, true!) Excellent battle between Celelion and Melda - (shame Seregon's candidate lost. He deserves a bit of a boost at the moment.) I should think it's the one exercise when the novices are allowed to throw the battle and get 'killed' quickly so they can enjoy the spectacle. Daeron could be an interesting captain! And he doesn't feel it necessary to teach grandmothers egg-sucking skills - 'Since I could think of no command I needed to give—they already knew how to gather firewood. . .' Shame about the spiders, though. I'm hoping that, when danger threatens, he will be able to overcome his aversion. Maybe. Author Reply: Daeron is a closet idealist. The defender of the defenseless. The loyal friend of the friendless. The mouth of Mirkwood. And he is good warrior material. Other than that tiny problem he has with spiders, he's brave and steadfast...and loves a good sword fight. Belas has potential to be a good warrior. He has the skills...with weapons. His people skills are woefully inadequate. I had to laugh when you wished spider fangs on him. That would be satisfying, wouldn't it? Daeron's tutoring turned out rather badly. I don't think Alar was meant to be the Regent of Retorts. He's too shy and quiet, nothing like Daeron. Perhaps, in exchange for Daeron's lessons, Alar could teach Daeron to keep his mouth shut! That might prove harder than teaching Alar quick comebacks. Despite that Alar is small and quiet, I think he is liked by the other novices. Belas is a pain in the keister to everyone. And what a good point about there being more than one way to watch your fellow warrior's back. I wonder if Belas has figured out that Alar is a handy guy to have around even if he's too small to be good with his weapons yet? When Alar finally does grow, he'll be real handy. I'm glad you liked the sword fight. I bet the novices still engaged did throw the bout so they could watch. OH! And Seregon said to tell you that he greatly appreciates your sympathy. He needs a shoulder...and a new fillet knife. Thanks, Bodkin. I'm always glad to hear from you. Karen | |
| Manderly | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 3/20/2005 |
| How can you possibly leave us like that? Huh? Huh? I was so enjoying the fight and was cheering for Belas to have his arrogant butt kicked royally (preferably all the way out of Arda), then you threw in this "To arms!" thing. Let me guess, Daeron is ready to wet his leggings because the creepy crawlies are here, right? A thoroughly enjoyable chapter, but I expected no less since it's from Daeron's POV and he can always be trusted to provide ample amusement. I loved his lessons in condescending discourse/verbal warfare. But poor Alar is so out of his league that I'm afraid that Daeron is wasting his time. Belas is truly a nasty bully and I hope Aldamir gets word of all the insults hurled at him by this bully. Daeron is not the only one wanting to be a fly on the wall when Belas gets what he deserves. I want to be there right beside him. Can we get another update soon, like right now? Author Reply: I have to say that I was glad when the fighting novices were distracted by the spiders. I don't know who would have won this. Two against one would not have been fair, even if the 'one' deserved what he got. And yes, Daeron is on the verge of doing something embarrassing. Poor guy. Daeron meant well when he opened the 'Master Condescending Discourse in One Easy Lesson School of Retorts'. And yes, Alar is out of his league. He's just too sweet to say nasty things. Alar will have to come up with a more natural way to deal with bullies. Daeron was absolutely no help! I don't imagine the commanders are too far out of the loop. That kind of stuff travels on the wind. I don't think the commander will be pleased. The rest of the spider attack will be in the next chapter. If I can get finished making the thousand and one changes my beta has redlined, I'll get it up in the next day or two. I'll try to hurry! Thanks, Manderly. Karen | |
| perelleth | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 3/20/2005 |
| Oh you evil, evil woman! I won't cast a spell upon your home-made wine only because your husband, I supect, is innocent of this, but you deserve no less!! Poor Daeron! "It's not the Home Guard!" I was howling! Captain Understatement reporting!!!! Daeron is truly a jewel, even if he's not bad with weapons, he's truly confident in the power of words! good for him! and pity for Alar, who's far from being talented on that particualr field! Daeron's coaching was endearing as well as hilarious. I think he needs to polish up his system a bit, though, before becoming Greenwood's dale-carnegie... Bela's attitude is becoming a bit worrying, I mean, he's truly thick if he dares thinking- and speaking- in such terms about the commander...I wonder if those are his own ideas or if he's hearing those coments around... Speaking of the commander, I believe it's time he and his cousin make their guest appearance for the night.. that's it, if they're still in speaking terms... after all, Seregon's mood won't be improved by learning he lost his wager (I went back and looked up for it, mind you!) I loved the sound reasoning of the novices, and how everything blows to the air when Belas starts at it again. They're still novices after all! Sigh! I'll go to my sunday afternoon laundry and cooking with a worried mind! ;-) Have I told you that you're an evil woman? ;-) Author Reply: Oh please, don't place any curses on the family vintiner. He's a trooper. Puts up with me and my LOTR obsession. He is most innocent of my evil ways. Daeron was laboring under the misconception that everyone should be able to use words as weapons as easily as he does. There is indeed power in words, but not everyone is meant to be the King of Comebacks. Poor Alar wasn't cut out for such. And you're right; Daeron's system was slightly less than effective. Belas shoots off at the mouth without engaging his brain, I think. He knew what would rattle Legolas's cage, though, and went for it. But his attitudes are worrisome. He thinks he has a right to handle situations that are not his to handle and that's something that a commander cannot tolerate. Not to mention that he's terribly disrespectful. He's got enough sense to know to not be disrespectful in the face of authority, which tells me that he really knows better. But he can't help pushing around the guy he sees as weak. That, to me, is very telling about how he sees himself. He's not happy and he's on the lookout for someone he can blame and make pay for what are really his problems. The commanders! Good observation! They should be somewhere.... Yep, Seregon lost the wager this year, but there's always next time. Daeron and Legolas switched roles when Belas started mouthing off. Daeron became the reasonable 'captain' while Legolas was going off like an unmanned rocket. Well, Daeron was in control until Belas hit Legolas in what he saw as an unfair advantage. His sense of fair play got the best of him. And that's not to mention that he did not take kindly to someone taking a pot shot at HIS cousin. Laundry, cooking? Okay, you've made me feel guilty. I'll get my vacuum. Oh, you meant the story...next chapter...the remainder of the battle and its aftermath. Now where are those commanders? Thanks so much, Perelleth. I enjoy your reviews so much. Karen | |
| daw the minstrel | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 3/20/2005 |
| Oh, oh, spider attack! And with Daeron in command! How excellent. I had to laugh at Daeron serving as the smart-mouth coach for Alar. He is, as Legolas says, the master. But Alar has a way to go yet. And Daeron's mouth doesn't seem to have done much good once the vermin-exterminator got going. Legolas really lost it there. I wonder if that will get overlooked in the general spider panic? I liked the fight between Melda and the HG captain. That was very well described. Not too much detail, just enough to make it feel real. Author Reply: Yuk! Spiders! Daeron would rather face an army of orcs than a clutch of spiders. Alar doesn't have the smart-mouth gene. Daeron figured that what worked for him would work for Alar. Wrong. Even Daeron was taken aback by the nastiness that Belas was spewing. And he was captain. He was trying to handle the worm appropriately. He would have reported Legolas and Belas for fighting--as hard as that would have been--but when Belas hit Legolas unfairly, Daeron's sense of duty went out the window. The spider attack might delay consequences, but I have a feeling that the masters won't overlook it. I think this display qualifies as not handling the situation properly. I'm glad you liked the sword bout between Melda and Celelion. I thought the novices would love seeing their master put through his paces. Daeron loved the use of the 'real' swords. Loves his blades, he does. Thanks, Daw for reading and reviewing. The rest of the attack is coming up in the next chapter. Karen | |
| meckinock | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 3/20/2005 |
| Can I just say again how much I love Daeron the Doomsayer? Once again, we were off on a hunt for some elusive trail that would most likely end in another battle with whoever was missing from our group. And he had me howling with his Smart-Ass lessons: Like when he said that you were not watching his back, you then say: I was watching it. Unfortunately, your front got in the way of Derion’s sword. Or you could say: I was watching it, but then I was overcome with curiosity to see if when you were stabbed you would deflate like a skin of hot air.” I don't think Alar quite has the flair for it, niestety. And he needs to practice his self-assertiveness exercises on a less intimidating target than Belas the Belligerent. Vermin, indeed! Yes, fumigate the I liked how Legolas was the one to finally take matters into his own hands despite Daeron's frantic urging to just let the masters handle it. Legolas seems to recognize what language Belas is going to understand. The end is chilling. A rattling in the trees, the release of a bowstring, and we're not in Kansas anymore. Daeron's "It is not the home guard" was perfectly understated. For once, the Squire of Sarcasm has nothing witty to say! Author Reply: LOL! I'm glad that Daeron the Doomsayer is still humorous. He's got a wry sense of the inevitable. Nope, poor Alar doesn't have the smart-mouth gene. Daeron's heart was in the right place, but what works for him doesn't necessarily work for someone else. Daeron might not be overly awed by authority, but he does have respect for the masters. And most kids give far more credit to teachers and parents than sometimes is due. Daeron might have thought the masters knew more than they did, but it's always possible that the masters had witnessed all of Belas's bad behavior. Daeron thinks they did anyway. And he's trying to go through proper channels to deal with Belas...until the warg's rear end hit Legolas. Then it was on.... Legolas went off the deep end. He's been so calm and reasonable, but when Belas brought Aldamir into the argument, he just snapped. You're right; he suddenly spoke Belas's language. That punch was extremely gratifying, I think. He might have been better off if he had ventilated a little more along the way like Daeron. All his anger and frustration came rolling out. The Squire of Sarcasm was completely without witty retort for once. What could be worse? The enemy was Daeron's worst nightmare. Thanks for all your help and taking the time to review. Karen | |
| Nilmandra | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 3/20/2005 |
| Wow, nothing like leaving us with a cliffhangar! I take it the nasty spiders have arrived, and Daeron is about to face his worst fears. Unfortunatley, I suppose Legolas will be in as much trouble as Belas, but it had to feel good to sock him one. I've been trying to decide if the Masters should have stepped in at some point, but I guess maybe it is better to see if the other novices can straighten Belas out themselves. Poor Daeron, trying to be captain to such a warg's hind end. Don't wait too long to post the next chapter. Author Reply: Poor Daeron, his worst fears, indeed. Aldamir had faith that Daeron wouldn't freeze up, but Seregon wasn't sure. Legolas was the voice of reason for so long, but when Belas got personal--bringing his brother into this--he had had enough. I debated whether the masters would have intervened before this point, but decided that the masters were trying to allow the novices as true a patrol experience as possible. They expected the kids to aim toward adult behavior, at least theoretical adult behavior. And I don't think they expected to the novices to change Belas, per se, but expected them to react appropriately to someone who is less than pleasant and cooperative. If everyone ignored Belas then perhaps he would have eventually caught on and changed, but he would have to make that decision. The masters wanted the kids to make the right decisions about how to handle someone like Belas. Proper channels, proper behavior, all that kind of stuff. Thanks, Nilmandra for reading and reviewing! Karen | |