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| Tangled Web by daw the minstrel | 19 Review(s) |
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| Estel_Mi_Olor | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 6/30/2004 |
| Well done, Daw! This was a great conclusion to the Dwarves escape and an introduction for the Battle of the Five Armies. Very nice!I felt the same way Legolas did when he regarded his father with puzzlement. Treasure is all very well and good, but people are dying! I am so glad he finally went to help. It is very touching that Thranduil would give up his tent for the Men. Bard seems like a prickly characte; wouldn't want to get too friendly with him. The Master seems like an inept fool. Good thing Bard is there to figure it out. I especially liked that touching scene at the end when all three of Thranduil's sons are finally united as adults. Thranduil's observance of them as adults was also very heart wrenching. It must be difficult for a parent to realize that his child is a child no longer. They will be in for a nasty surprise once they realize that the Dwarves are not dead. Cheers, and I can't wait to seen what happens in the next chapter! Author Reply: Thranduil came through, didn't he? The fact that he went to the aid of Esgaroth is something a lot of readers forget when they call him greedy. And the people of Esgaroth were lucky that Bard was there too. The Master seemed pretty much interested in his own comfort. I loved the idea of Thranduil seeing his three sons and his grandson in this camp, enjoying one another's company as brothers and fellow warriors. He has a treasure indeed. | |
| Elena Tiriel | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 6/30/2004 |
| Another great chapter, Daw! I loved seeing the brothers together, and Thranduil understanding what treasures they are, and Sinnarn being accepted despite his transgression. Please tell me this isn't one of those lovely family moments before one of them dies... Your Thranduil is complex and interesting... and he is indeed a person who would say "Long will I tarry, ere I begin this war for gold." He knows the costs of war. - Barbara Author Reply: Thranduil interests me. It was tempting to make him too good (because he *is* good) but Tolkien does say that he wanted the treasure. Of course, that's Bilbo's perception, given that he wrote the book. Still, I don't think that many of us would walk away from a pile of beautiful, costly things that suddenly had no owner. But Thranduil's sons and grandson are where his heart truly lies. And yes, as you say, he understands the costs. He's seen Wood-elves die on the battlefield and his sons and grandson are in this bunch of warriors. | |
| sofia | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 6/30/2004 |
| oh, that was so sweet of Thranduil to give up his tent to the homeless. Then again, elves dont feel the changing weather as much as mortal people do. Its exciting reading about it in this point of view. -sofia Author Reply: You're right, I think. Thranduil would not suffer as much from the cold as the people of Esgaroth would. They'd gotten wet and it was November, so I imagine that lots of them were getting sick. But the Elves and the Men will build huts now from the timber Thranduil is letting them cut, so they should survive the winter ok. | |
| nessie | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 6/30/2004 |
| Awww! Thranduil is so generous! Giving them his tent and stuff! And then thinking that he already had treasure that was worth more than jewels in his life. I see though that he was a little over-eager about the treasure. He does have a weakness for it, but it's good to know he didn't start a war over it. And he's even letting them cut down trees for the Men so they could rebuild their houses! Poor trees! Oh, I can't wait till the next chapter! Update asap! ~nessie~ Author Reply: Thranduil is generous with a true ruler's generosity: He thinks that the person who governs should look to the good of his people before he looks to his own. Too bad the Master of Esgaroth doesn't think that way. When I thought about it, I decided I might have a weakness for treasure that was just sitting there too. | |
| LOTRFaith | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 6/30/2004 |
| Well here I am after a few chapters;-) But I have read all of them, in a serious rush:-) I am certainly glad that graduation parties are usually just for high school or else I would seriously freak:-) Hmmmmm... I can certainly see where Legolas would blame himself for 'Hobbit's' 'death' and the 'death' of the dwarves... Poor elf... Though the teasing about the 'child' is rather funny it is also starting to get on my nerves! lol.. I'm glad Legolas has more patience than I... On another note... Will Legolas have any bad memories about the previous dragon and dwarves? Great chapter/story! Author Reply: It must be nice to have a social life! I'm an old married lady and if we go out to the movies that's a big deal. I hadn't thought of having Legolas in pain over the death of those earlier dwarves. That was a long time ago and I think he's come to terms with it. Of course, if he'd actually seen the dragon, that might have been different. | |
| esamen | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 6/30/2004 |
| How fortunate I am, Thranduil thought. My life is rich in treasure already. Ahh . . . who said that the Wood-elves were less wise? He must have been wrong. But then, we haven't seen the end of the story yet. Perhaps this is just a golden moment of clarity for Thranduil . . . Beautiful! I love it! and I love the description of the three sons together . . . someone should make a movie. Thanks! Author Reply: If PJ makes "The Hobbit," do you think we can talk him into using the family I've given Legolas? ;-) It took me a while to write that ending with Thranduil looking at his sons. The family is so seldom all together, I thought they would all enjoy it. | |
| Jay of Lasgalen | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 6/30/2004 |
| I like the way Legolas and Eilian both learned of Smaug's fall - and Thranduil lost no time in mobilising the warriors. It must be strange for him to lead the army, with all three sons present. Why was he so reluctant to detour to Esgaroth? But I like the way he then sent so much aid as quickly as he could. And I loved the final line about treasure he already had. Lovely tie-in, as usual Daw. I keep going back and reading the relevant section of The Hobbit. Jay Author Reply: I was strange for me to write about this large army with several patrols combined, and at that, I couldn't see it as being the size Tolkien mentions. At one point, he says that a thousand Elf spearman jumped into battle. I think I'll have to believe that that's poetic exaggeration on Bilbo's part. I wanted to suggest that Thranduil was drawn by the treasure, although he made the right decision in the end. As Tolkien says, Elves are good people. | |
| Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 6/30/2004 | |
| Another great chapter. I love the details like the crows that we know are from the hobbit. And Legolas' reaction to Thranduil's hesitation (and Thranduil's reaction to that reaction). I remember in Question of Duty Legolas remember's his father's reaction to the treasure with some displeasure so it was interesting to see it finally. Love Annael sharing the cake and Legolas envying the women in his life. That was too touching. Poor Legolas has missed out on alot in his life. Eilian's distress over his warrior's leave is too cute. I'm glad Sinnarn got to come and had a fairly positive welcome from his fellows. There's a lot of potential for greatness and sorrow in his actions in this battle. "And seeing Legolas in the Home Guard had been a revelation for Thranduil, who tended to think of him still as an untried youth." I imagine he'll be in for an even bigger surprise when he sees his son(s) in this battle. Waiting anxiously! Have a nive Fourth of July. But not so nice that you don't feel like working on fan fiction just a little :) Author Reply: Glad you noticed the crows! When I looked, there were actually quite a few details I could borrow, including the trees whispering about Smaug's death. And I didn't want Thranduil to be either too selfless or too greedy. He's -- well, he's not human, but you know what I mean. The hard part about writing on a holiday is that my husband is home and he just doesn't understand why I'd want to write about these imaginary people. :0 | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 6/30/2004 |
| So many things to love: Thranduil living up to his children's expectations; his three sons and grandson together and happy (not ominous, I hope); the recognition of a worthy adversary in Bard; the trees telling Eilian and Legolas that a creature of flame had fallen; Annael's kind-heartedness; Sinnarn's awkward courage in facing the Home Guard; Thranduil's admission to himself that OK he actually likes treasure; Legolas's sympathy with the dwarves and young Hobbit; Sinnarn's generous sympathy despite his problems; even Tinar! And that's just what I can remember without checking. (It's much too late for checking.) A difficult expedition to make totally sympathetic - I agree with Legolas that treasure is quite useful, but not worth killing for - but you have pulled it off. Excellent, as usual, leaving me wanting more quickly. Author Reply: I love the fact that you've picked out the moments when my characters show up in this story. That doesn't sound quite right, but what I mean is that in writing, I'm having trouble moving the event that Tolkien gave us forward while at the same time keeping the focus on my characters. It's tricky not to let one or the other get lost. So I appreciate your reassurance that the characters' reactions to the events are what shine through for you. | |