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Spring Awakenings by daw the minstrel	24 Review(s)
erunyauve	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 3/20/2004
Eilian might have an ally in Celuwen's mother if she realizes that her daughter's unhappiness is caused by her quarrel with him. On the other hand, it might just make her stubborn father more difficult to appease. Still, I rather like the idea of Eilian and Solith cooped up in that small space for five days - it will give Eilian plenty of opportunity to learn to deal with his future (hopefully) father-in-law. Author Reply: I have a feeling that five days would feel like an eternity to Eilian, for various reasons including the presence of Solith and his physical awareness of Celuwen. And I think that Celuwen's mother is probably much more charmed by Eilian than Solith is. She's a female!

mistry89	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 3/20/2004
It seems that Thranduil really is ready to give Leglas some responsibility, and that Legolas is aware of the import of it - despite regreting the loss of his leave! The title of the chapter ties in beautifully to Legolas's mission and to Eilian's self-appointed task. Both will need to tread a fine line, it seems :) Siloth is clearly an elf with a problem - to allow Celuwen to feel enough despair to show signs of fading, demonstrates that he does indeed have "issues" with Eilian (not just personal, but about the realm too? Although it is hard to imagine a ruler-in-preference, or none at all, and hard to imagine that he (Siloth) can continue in ignorance of the threat they all face ... and I don't mean the winter!) Awaiting for events to unfold, but enjoying the build-up (if that makes sense?). Thank you. Author Reply: Legolas does indeed know he's assuming new responsibility. The king expects a lot from his sons, I think, and they mostly try to rise to the occasion, just as he raised them to do. I think Legolas is probably a better diplomat than Eilian already. But of course, Eilian has Solith to deal with. I find that most of the time it feels like I'm writing build up and then things go 'bang!' and the payoff takes only the last couple of chapters or so (if that makes sense!).

Kristy	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 3/20/2004
I have just finished reading pretty much everything you have written. (I just found this site) I love your work. I cna't waie for more of this story! Eilian and Celuwen have really captured my heart. I love reading about them and hope you'll write lots about them in this story. I of course also love Legolas. It's wonderful to see how he continues to grow up in each story. In short, Thank you for feeding my LOTR addiction with good fic. Please continue to do so. Kristy Author Reply: Kristy-- I am always bowled over whenever someone tells me they have sat down and read a bunch of my stories. Weren't you sort of dazed by the time you were done? There's quite a lot of them by now. Not that I'm objecting of course! I thank you so much for your kind words. You have made my day by saying that Legolas is growing in these stories. It's what I've been aiming at. The next chapter will go back to Legolas but we will certainly see more of Eilian and Celuwen in this story too. daw

Jebb	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 3/20/2004
So Eilian is finally re-united with Celuwyn and although they are happy I don't like the fury that you can feel radiating out of her father that bodes ill I fear. And Legolas having to give up his hard earned leave even if he does get Adar's seal of approval for the way he took the news and good kind Ithilden arranging for a friend to go with him what a lovely brother I think both brothers are in for a rough ride in the settlements one way or the other thank you for such lovely story telling Author Reply: We'll see what Legolas's task consists of in the next chapter. I feel like I've neglected him a bit so far, but I have plans! He did take the news well. The sons of Thranduil do not have an easy life, I'm afraid. Duty weighs pretty heavily on them. I suppose that's why Thranduil both tried to protect them while they're you but also tried to make sure they understood where their responsibilities lay. Eilian has a lot to deal with, but he's got a clear goal in mind. We'll see how he manages.

naneth	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 3/20/2004
Legolas is already showing great wisdom as he begins his new profession as diplomat. I hope all goes well for him as he "tries his wings" in a new role as diplomat, negotiator, and being so officially the King's son. Oh wait, this is a story by Daw, of course it won't go smoothly! Eilian and Celuwen, ah, "young" love! Author Reply: Legolas will be back in the next chapter. I expect him to do fine for a first time diplomat, but no, things won’t run wholly smoothly. What fun would that be? Eilian and Celuwen turned out to be tricky but fun to write about. He was experiencing so many emotions (anger, worry, love, lust) that it was hard to balance them all. But then, that emotional complexity is what makes him interesting to write about.

Dragon-of-the-North	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 3/20/2004
Oh, this was beautiful and a very good chapter! LOL - it seems there are two very different sorts of diplomacy needed here, but, hmm... both, if completed successfully, could have the same effect in the very end. ;-) If Eilian really married Celuwen, i.e.: a girl from one of those settlements that are so difficult to control, that would, perhaps, strengthen the bonds between the royal family and those suspicious Silvans a bit more (hmmm - who says that there cannot be any marriages of political value among elves? ;-))! Good luck to Legolas in his mission - but I believe his is the easier task this time. True enough, the responsibility is great, and he has never acted as a diplomat before, but a demanding official task is still less hard to tackle than a very touchy personal matter... My sympathies for Eilian! ;-) Eilian's visit to Celuwen & family is an interesting study indeed - I am especially intrigued by Solith. I thought it very telling that he relaxed when his daughter stated that she was glad and happy to see Eilian. Perhaps he is not just the classic "evil ada who does not like his daughter's lover" who "hates Eilian", as Legolas assumes; I am rather under the impression that he realizes very well what this mildly disastrous relationship does to Celuwen (small wonder the poor girl is almost fading with grief!) and only has the wrong strategy of dealing with the problem, being hostile to Eilian in the hope that she will simply forget him one day... Hmm... And then, there is this "Southern Patrol" problem! You have emphasized once again in this story that Eilian believes that this is the only place where he can serve the realm and wants to do so... Shall I be very wicked now and hope that his leg will become inflamed and so crippled for a long time that he has to be sensible for once and can settle down a bit and produce two or three Mini-Eilians with Celuwen who can do his job later? ;-) Oh, and my favourite sentence of the whole chapter: “We are not worried about sitting in a tiny box of a room with Sólith without drawing our dagger, are we?” That made me chuckle quite a bit. ;-) Awesome job once again! :-) Author Reply: DotN, you are so smart! At least, we think alike so I assume that means you are smart. The next chapter will be about Legolas's mission and we'll see what's involved there. I think he is better suited to this kind of diplomacy than Eilian is. Eilian is thinking about his dagger already! And I think your reading of Solith is an accurate one. Now I just have to make it clear in the story! It made me laugh to think of several mini-Eilians running around the palace. The royal family would never be the same.

Fadesintothewest	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 3/20/2004
Yes! Eilian and Celuwen together and she was fading! I do believe it was because her love, her dearest Eilian was away from her, not responding to her letters. Her father must feel like the biggest fool, causing in part I believe, his own daughter's misery. Ai such is the delicate balance with raising children is it not? But love, love, that aching Eilian and Celuwen feel for each other, I can understand that, and that aching that goes with love is so much more than just the physical, so beautiful how you portrayed their thirst for each other. I could just feel it! Author Reply: Very good, Fades! You get the prize. I'm not sure that Solith realizes yet how he contributed to the problem. After all, he didn't know about the letter Celuwen wrote to Eilian. And you make me feel good when you say you could feel the lovers' thirst for one another. I think that when Elves love, they really do desire one another in all ways, and these two are in love.

Portia	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 3/20/2004
Well, it's good that Legolas realizes that Thranduil isn't taking away his leave for the fun of it. It's good that Thranduil explained the delicacy of the situation to him. I never thought of the conflict with the settlers as a Sindarin vs. Silvan matter--that's very interesting! It's certainly logical that there might have been tension on that point, what with Thranduil's caves and all. And it's so nice to see Eilian/Celuwen. Though I am furious at Solith, especially if Celuwen was really wasting away from grief! I want to see Celuwen give him a piece of her mind. Celuwen is getting the better deal in the matter of fathers-in-law, and that's saying a lot considering how difficult Thranduil is. Author Reply: I made up the politics here, I am afraid, but I hope they are consistent with what Tolkien told us about the House of Oropher. It is interesting to wonder how Oropher became king. I am having fun writing about Eilian and Celuwen. Eilian was in such a mix of emotions during that first meal that it was a little tricky to get them all in. Fury is good, yes indeed.

esamen	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 3/19/2004
What a terrific romance! I don't know how you're going to pull this one off! Talk about star-crossed lovers! And poor Legolas . . . I hope he can stand the strain. You write so well! I just love this story! Can't wait for the next chapter! Thanks! Author Reply: I'm glad you like it, Esamen. I'm a little embarrassed to find myself writing a story in which OC romance plays so heavily, but what the heck. It's fun. The next chapter will be about Legolas and his mission. I hope to get it done by Monday night because then I have to go away for a week on business and won't have time to write. :-( Thank you for letting me know you are enjoying this.

Elena Tiriel	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 3/19/2004
Oh, Daw, this is fabulous! I was delighted to hear the contents of Celuwen's letter -- you finally gave Eilian some hope! His encounter with Celuwen's family at the settlement is great -- you can almost cut the tension with a knife (but only an Elven long-knife). Solith is controlling, possessive and manipulative... Celuwen's mother sounds like a very practical sort, but afraid of crossing Solith. (I wonder if he is as controlling of his family as he appears? They seem to feel that they have to walk on eggs around him... a power-mad, emotionally abusive father does that to families.) It was such a shock to me (not to mention Eilian) to realize that Celuwen is fading. I hope that it can be reversed by being with Eilian. (Although, knowing you, I am sure it will be a long, hard, anxious struggle before they get betrothed, much less bonded... And you may string it out so long that it doesn't even happen in this story. Or the next. Or the one after that. You just can't resist torturing your reade... er, I mean Eilian, can you?) Although I was so happy for the optimistic note at the end: "And with a laugh of pure joy, she turned and ran back into the cottage". That sounds like someone has forgotten to fade, even if just for a few minutes/hours/days... (And I don't mean to ignore all your other wonderful characters and story lines. Last story, my heart was with Legolas... this story, it's with Eilian...) Thank you for sharing your wonderful talents (and characters) with us, Daw! - Barbara P.S. I hope Eilian brought the stack of returned letters with him, to show them to Celuwen... and I hope she slaps her father silly (metaphorically speaking, of course) when she realizes that he intercepted them. Her father's behavior makes him not deserving of her trust and respect. Author Reply: Solith is a little cranky, but I'll bet the two women can manage him when they decide to do it. Celuwen's grief is due to her belief that Eilian would not come, so I think she should be able to recover. The betrothal/bonding issue is something else. We'll have to see how Eilian manages that one. I have plans for it to be in a very Eilian-like manner. ;-) And Eilian plans to mention those letters, you can bet! Thank you for your kind words.

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