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Interrupted Journeys: Part 6 Journeys Out of Grief  by elliska 6 Review(s)
GwynhyffarReviewed Chapter: 1 on 1/10/2010
I feel so bad for Galithil. What a large weight of guilt on the poor guy. At the end, seeing Galithil as the voice of restraint and reason and seeing Legolas as 'the bad one' was a little crazy! It makes sense, of course, but wow, what a change.

Great reading! I'm glad you're back at this story.

Author Reply: It is crazy. It's fun to write Legolas being a little 'bad' and stubborn. He's not gonna like it so much though. Galithil is about as buried in guilt as you can get. Poor thing. He's got a long way to go.

I'm glad you're enjoying and thanks so much for the reviews!

perellethReviewed Chapter: 1 on 12/27/2009
Uh-oh. seems to me the journey out of grief is gonna be a long one. Poor galithil's conversation with his uncle almost broke my heart... and I kind of loved how Legolas admitted that he now undesrtood his cousin's eagerness to be taught to wield weapons and defend the forest, and not just showing off.

But what I liked most is how you managed to hide the grief among the adults, since this goes from the kids' pov. Except for the brief moment between LEgolas and his mother, and the underlying worry about the grandmother, we are not really aware of how Dolgailon is coping wit hte death of his father, or THrnaduil with that of his younger brohter.. which I find appropriate since Galithil and lEgolas would not really notice while the adults hid their grief. NIce touch. And sure Thrnaduil must be grinding his teeth just thinking how his brother's conversation with Galithil set in motion such an unfortunate set of disgraces. That part was really painful to read, seen from Galithil's misery while at the same time trying to stand in Thranduil's shoes... Well done!

Also liked the idea of LIndomiel finishing Amoneth's piece of cloth. While surely the elves might get anything they needed from the forest, it is true as you say that they also kept trade with Esgaroth, and the fact that they would trade with cloth, among other things, is very believable. Good to have this back again!

Author Reply: Yeah, it will seem long to them, for certain. I'm really pleased by your comment about the kid's pov and understanding the adult's grief. That is indeed what I was going for. It plays a role in why Legolas is not understanding his father's reactions right now and why he is more willing to make the decisions he does. I also want Legolas to learn a little about what people need when they are grieving. There will be plenty of grieving to come in Mirkwood, and frankly I think there is some level of grief (in the sense of despair) throughout the life of the Fellowship, that Legolas plays a good role in bolstering their hope. So he is beginning to learn about that here. Not that the lesson is going to be a pleasant one...

Thanks so much for the review! I really appreciate them!

Sulwing of MirkwoodReviewed Chapter: 1 on 12/23/2009
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

I'm happy. If you haven't guessed. I've been waiting so long for the next Journey to come out and it's finally here! I love this Christmas gift. \

Oh wow. I really hope Legolas's daernana won't sail West, but I think it might happen anyway...of course, now you have me worrying about his nana too. Is she going to fade because of all this or are you going to kill her or are you going to have her live throughout the Third Age? ...........

I suppose you'll say that would be telling. Oh well, can't say I didn't try.

It's interesting to see how Legolas is starting to think a little differently than his father about the forest and the elves in the south. I never felt like yelling at Legolas or Galithil about anything, so they must have matured a little bit. I certainly wanted to knock Anastor and Noruil's heads together though!

Merry Christmas!

Author Reply: Sorry to be so long in replying. I was a little isolated from the internet over the holiday. I'm glad to give you a present and I hope you continue to enjoy it!

Hehe, yeah, I'll leave you to worry over who will survive the Third Age because I am mean. ;-)

Legolas is definitely thinking about a lot of things and he is thinking differently. It's not going to be good for him because of it, but in many ways, he is right. Galithil is in the same boat.

Belated Merry Christmas to you too and an early Happy New Year! And thanks so much for the review!

horsemadcocoReviewed Chapter: 1 on 12/22/2009
Once again, absolutely breathtaking! I simply cannot comprehend how you write so well. You always display the characters' emotions perfectly and come up with the best storylines. It will be interesting to follow this story.
But so sad as well, continuing from Journeys in Mirkwood! This story is one of the best I've read about Thranduil, Legolas and their family, and it's certainly the most thought-through. Well done, and continue writing to the end!

Author Reply: *Blushes* Thank you! I'm glad you enjoy it and I hope you continue to do so. This story is going to be a bit sad/angsty, naturally, given what has happened. Thanks so much for the review! I really appreciate them so much!

CandissDReviewed Chapter: 1 on 12/21/2009
Wonderful chapter! I just love this story. Please update when you can :)

Author Reply: Thank you! I hope you continue to enjoy. I expect now that I've got another part started, the updates will be pretty regular. (Assuming I didn't just jinx myself by saying that). ;-) Thanks so much for the review! I really appreciate them!

daw the minstrelReviewed Chapter: 1 on 12/21/2009
Oh yay yay yay! I've been waiting for this and yet I hate to read it because then it will be done. But I can't resist. :-)

I was interested in the idea that the Wood-elves traded special cloth designs for food and other items. I always have trouble understanding how they could have lived at all. Tolkien was terribly vague on their economy. But cloth done with artful craft is a good idea.

Dolgailon, Dolgailon, Dolgailon. How long have you been married now? Even Galithil sees the error of your ways!

He was as well as he could be after disobeying his father to do something he knew was stupid that resulted in his father's death, cousin's injury, and grave injury to one of his best adult friends who was only trying to protect him. That is to say, he was not well at all.

That's a nice line. Galithil is pretty accurate in reading his own state here, for all the good it does him. Poor thing. He does a good job in explaining himself to Thranduil. He sounds very grown up. And then he's the one who says not to spy on the warriors training! Go, Galithil!

And Legolas too is maturing. You can see it in his willingness to question his father's decisions sometimes rather than automatically taking Thranduil's side. I thought the memory of the trees taking hope from the king's presence was very touching.

Scary scene with the knife. I imagine the guards were not amused. Anastor leaves me with my mouth hanging open. "Stupid." "Fool." The boy has neither fear nore respect. I want to slap him around myself. Also he's ignorant as a pig about ME history. He needs a copy of the Silm.

Author Reply: :-) Yeah, Dolgailon, for all his experience as a warrior, can be really stupid at times and this was one of them. Poor guy. He's going to have some difficult surprises in this story. For once, Galithil had it right all the way around. He is really trying now. Having been clobbered in the last story, he should be trying!

Legolas is surprising himself. And he will be the one to learn something in this story.

And Anastor. What can I say. He is fun to write because he can do almost anything. I love the 'ignorant as a pig' description! That is hilarious. He really is, which is not too surprising, given his parents. I can't see Dannenion being interested in anything that didn't affect him directly, so he certainly wouldn't burden his children with any education. Anastor and his cousin are going to start learning from here on out though. And they may not like everything they learn. Reality bites.

Tolkien gave us sooo little on Mirkwood, except that they apparently did trade (barrels did have apples in them in the Hobbit, as you well know)... In my little world, Lindomiel and Dieneryn weave, so surely they must have some nice cloth to trade with the Men. But yeah, by the time of the Hobbit, if the dwarves and hobbit can't find enough to eat to get across Mirkwood, how did all those elves survive?! It requires us to have a good imagination, I guess. :-) That's good!

Thanks so much for the review, Daw!

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