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Tangled Web by daw the minstrel	25 Review(s)
Jebb	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 6/8/2004
So Legolas meets our dwarven friends and Bilbo and I wonder if Thranduil will remember he agreed the policy of watching only when things start to go wrong, especially if it is at the wedding! Eilian seems to be enjoying his time with Glorfindel who appears to have the same warped sense of humour although perhaps not the same penchant for putting himself so much at risk has Maltanaur got grey hair? And I for one do not in the least trust that wily wizard there can only be trouble ahead Ithilden not making it back for the wedding but what if the wedding is interrupted anyway by other uninvited guests can't wait to find out Author Reply: I suspect that if the wedding is disrupted, all bets are off! Elves take that kind of thing very seriously. And it seemed to me that Eilian and Glorfindel would get along. Poor Maltanaur. He probably wants Glorfindel to go home. Uninvited guests? What ever could you mean, Jebb? ;-)

White Wolf	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 6/8/2004
It was nice seeing Glorfindel in action, instead of just hanging around Rivendell talking to Elrond. It was also good to see Eilian and Ithilden together. I'm looking forward to them working together with the White Council. I wonder if Thranduil will regret not going this time, once he learns that something was actually being done, and he isn't in on it. Author Reply: Glorfindel has been a warrior for thousands of years. I'll bet he could teach all these young wood-elves a thing or two (except about talking to the trees, of course). Thranduil is going to be absolutely floored when he hears what happened. :-)

Elentari	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 6/8/2004
Amazing, dear. And this, if you allow me, was the very best part of it: Ithilden gave a small smile. “I fervently hope we do and not just for the obvious reasons. Tonduil’s wedding will be tonight. I will need to have a very good excuse for missing it if I expect Alfirin to let me sleep in my own bed again.” Te-he! So the High and Mighty do fear some things.... lol. Author Reply: And rightly so! I'll bet Alfirin would say that Ithilden is the head of their household, but I'll also bet that there are some things on which he knows better than to cross her.

nessie	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 6/8/2004
Okay, I don't remember if I reviewed or not yet so...Oh well. But this chapter was awesome! I laughed when Legolas assumed that one of the dwarves was a female! I could see the expression on the dwarf's face if he ever finds out he was mistaken for a woman...They'd think the poor Elves were crazy! It'd kinda be like "How can you mistake me for a woman!" "Well it's a little HARD, y'see?" But anyways, I also loved the interaction and stuff with Eilian and Glorfindel :) I could just imagine what good ol' Glorfy was thinking when Eilian told him that the trees said the orcs were coming. "Why in all Arda would they talk to trees? The nutters." Also loved how the sons of Thranduil really ignore how Curunir talks in his snappy and bossy manner. They're used to it! Well, Thranduil isn't really like that...but he's more intimidating! Also loved how Thranduil recognized that Todith is the captain there, and not Legolas. The guards should have said Captian Todith or something, or just Legolas. Well that wouldn't seem right either, him being the king's son. Y'know, I actually had a dream about this? Except Thranduil had like five more kids...It made me really confused. Well this was a great chapter as always, so update asap! ~nessie~ Author Reply: I have to admit that I was giggling to myself at how the Dwarves would react if they knew what Legolas was thinking. But I could think of no other way he would make sense of the presence of Bilbo. And from the perspective of others, the wood-elves are a little bizarre. Both Glorfindel and Eilian think of their way of doing things as normal and of the other as a little weird. Hehehe. Thranduil's sons are not at all impressed by bossy talk. They've heard it all. I am so jealous of your dreams! I spend a lot of time thinking about these characters but I've never yet dreamed about them.

Esamen	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 6/8/2004
Oh, daw, this is great. We've got the epic action and the fun of the personal quirks both. Elian and Glorfindel together are beyond awesome. It's like dying and going to heaven. This is a wonderful way to explore those corners of Tolkien's story that some of us (me, anyway) are not familiar with! I have to give you lots of praise for the way you stay true to canon and still present such a marvelously imaginative story. I absolutely think that you are one of the very best fic writers out there in the virtual world! I can't wait for the next chapter! Author Reply: Esamen-- I was just sitting here doing reviewer replies when yours came, so you get a fast response! I am so glad you like this. Along with "Question of Duty," this story is the one of mine that is most tied up in canon, and I have to say that it's really challenging to write that way. When I first started writing fanfiction, I thought of canon only as a help: my stories came with ready made characters and a ready made setting and central dilemma. But then I realized that canon is also a restriction. Things have to fit within it. But in doing that, I realized another things too. If I truly tried to work within canon, my imagination was actually made stronger because I couldn't always just write the first thing I thought of. I had to keep thinking my way around the restrictions that Tolkien had laid out. In other words, this is fun!

Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 6/8/2004
Oh joy - another chapter. Lovely to see the dwarves and Bilbo - though it is a rather sad indictment of the isolationism of the Woodland Realm that they know so little of other races, despite the age of the elves. Beliond is . . . a fair age - but he even cuts himself off a bit from other elves. Never mind - works with the plot. Amdir - common sense? Legolas is a bit of an optimist, isn't he! Amdir is nearly as much of an idiot as Tinar, although without the arrogance. Love the bit about Legolas explaining himself to the king - yes, he does have a fair amount of experience there! And he and Thranduil are very good at keeping the right hats on - definitely the lieutenant and the king. I like Glorfindel / Eilian - they seem to be cut from the same cloth. With time spent together, they would understand each other well - except perhaps about talking to trees. What a useful skill that would be - though it must make the effects of Shadow here much worse for the Wood Elves than for those not so in tune with the forest. The trees (even these) are so alive it makes them living subjects of the realm - which must make what they are suffering even more painful for the elves and especially Thranduil. It is amusing how Saruman's abrasive and bossy manner doesn't intimidate the sons of Thranduil, who have learned from infancy how not to be intimidated. However, that is the only parallel between Mr Smooth and the Woodland King, I hope. And even in the midst of major events, I am glad to see Ithilden has his priorities right. Upsetting your wife is a very bad idea. However, I daresay she will forgive him, especially if they succeed in their quest. After all, the wedding party is probably going to have enough trouble with dwarves - pesky little blighters. They are like ants - once you get them in the kitchen, they are almost impossible to get rid of. I just hope Legolas doesn't get the blame for them turning up. Author Reply: I think travel in ME was difficult and dangerous. For instance, I try to imagine crossing hundreds of miles through dangerous territory, crossing a river like the Mississippi and a mountain range. I doubt if folks went from Rivendell to Mirkwood very often. I liked showing Legolas and Thranduil in their lieutenant/king roles with one another. It must have been hard to separate them sometimes. The two of them seem to be on pretty good terms right now. Legolas is a reliable warrior and a full adult who shares his father's goals about many things. Given how tied the Elves were to Arda, and then even more intensely how tied the wood-elves were to the forest, the marring of Arda must have torn at their souls. :-( I laughed at the comparison of dwarves and ants. You are so right! And then, just when you think you've gotten rid of them, your son brings one home and asks if he can keep it!

Manderly	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 6/7/2004
The tension is building up nicely. You need not to worry about readers getting lost in the complexity of the plot - you are doing a great job in moving the different storylines forward, and none of the characters seem to be making token appearances only - they all seem to fit in nicely. Really looking foward to see what you have in store for us. Author Reply: Thank you, Manderly. This is kind of a tricky story to write, at least so far. I keep trying to follow canon and figure out how certain things could have happened, and it's not easy.

erunyauve	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 6/7/2004
'thirteen adult Dwarves and a child' Neat! This is exactly what Legolas would likely see when confronted with a hobbit for the first time. "I believe I already have as much experience in explaining my actions to the king as anyone might wish for.” ::g:: And it was good to see Thranduil treat his captain as a captain - it not only makes better warriors of his sons, but makes it less likely that Legolas' superiors would resent him. It fits in well with the Legolas we know from the book, who is clearly used to following orders. And I loved Glorfindel's reaction to his first experience with Wood Elves and their trees. By the way, congratulations on making the Mithril semi-finals - you certainly deserve it! Author Reply: I'm wondering if anyone in Mirkwood has ever seen a Hobbit. They didn't appear in the records of ME until 1050 TA. By that time, Thranduil was well ensconced in the woods. Did anyone from his realm travel toward the Shire? Thranduil does pretty well in trying to separate his role as a father from his role as king. I think it must be tough though. And Legolas has, indeed, learned to follow orders. Thank you for the congrats. I was pleased to be nominated. Congrats to you too for your essay.

French Pony	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 6/7/2004
Ah, Legolas, you have so much to learn about life! Common sense is the most inaptly named of virtues. Few people are born with it, and even fewer ever learn it. It's interesting to get the Elf's-eye-view on the Smaug-hunting party. We know it's thirteen male Dwarves and a Hobbit, but from Legolas's point of view, it's a perfectly logical guess that there might be at least one female Dwarf and a child in the group. Especially in light of that earlier story where he saw a Dwarf family. He probably thinks he's pretty clever to have identified a female Dwarf. He has certainly had lots of experience explaining himself to Thranduil. There are times when I read your stories and Thranduil just seems to grow a Cuban accent (as opposed to the Down East twang that I normally ascribe to the Wood Elves -- don't ask why, for I have no idea). "Leeegolas! Eeeeeilian! You got some 'splaining to do!" Poor Thranduil. Six hundred years he's a contented Wood Elf ada with a sweet, docile (if dull) child. Then in rapid succession he acquires a troublemaker and an inveterate explorer. I love how Eilian and Glorfindel are so alien to each other. It must be like the Puritans and the Native Americans going hunting together for the first time. Surely "everyone" talks to the trees, right? Wrong. Author Reply: I've been tearing my hair out trying both to think of how all this would have looked to the elves and also to figure out how some it could have occurred. For instance, I just don't think there's any way the Dwarves could have gotten so far into Mirkwood without the Elves knowing it. I'm sure Legolas does think he's clever. :-0 Your description of Thranduil's experience as a father made me laugh. "Docile (if dull)," "a troublemaker," and "an inveterate explorer." LOL. I object to that description of Ithilden and so does he!!! For all their similarities as warriors, Glorfindel and Eilian remain Noldo and Wood-elf. And never the twain shall meet.

Karri	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 6/7/2004
Well now, any story that refers the adventures in The Hobbit has to be a good one, eh. ;-) :-D Author Reply: Thank you, Karri! Trying to tell this story from the Wood-elves' point of view is very tricky though. Things look much more serious from their perspective, so it's hard to reconcile the tones. And explaining some of what happened is really giving me a headache!

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