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A Spring of Joy by daw the minstrel	24 Review(s)
The Karenator	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 5/15/2005
Things were just too quiet, weren't they? Eilian's life as a wood-elf is coming to an end. I like how you allow Eilian and Celuwen to communicate without coming right out and saying what the deal is. Eilian referring to his father as the 'king' carries an entirely different connotation that if he had said that he had received a message from his father. Celuwen catches the meaning quickly. Poor little Loriel has no idea what's going on. She just knows her ada is going to be away. Even as young as she is, she probably still has picked up on the 'nervous' energy of her parents over the footprints--even if she doesn't know about them specifically--and now, that her ada is going away. On her own level, she's probably 'worried' too. “I knew you would never be able to stay here, quietly carrying out your responsibilities,” he spat. “Just as I expected, you are haring off after adventure again.” Oh, get a grip, Sólith! Did he think that Eilian's duty as a warrior and a son of the king ended when he married Celuwen? AND the king sent for Eilian. It's not like Eilian put in an application to go 'haring off' again. Isiwen needs to slap him! Telling him to be quiet was effective, but there's more satisfaction in whopping him upside his dense head. :>) Okay...it would be for me. Anyway, Eilian pointed out his father-in-law's leap of illogic. I'd feel better if Eilian took Celuwen and Loriel with him to the stronghold, but I'm not surprised that Celuwen would be reluctant to go. Now why do I think that there's going to be trouble in this quiet little village and Sólith isn't going to be in control as much as he thinks he is? Sólith has set himself up. “You have owed the king your obedience for a good many years, but I know for a fact that you have not always given it,” Sólith snapped. “Why now?” Now that was a low blow and even though Eilian might have been a wild child, he is a good warrior and has done that duty to his king and realm quite well, thank you very much. Sinnarn has grown into his role as second in line for the throne quite well. Emmelin is good for him, but the experience of the Five Armies made him grow up quickly too. I'm worried about him too, your minstrelness. You're not planning on hurting him, are you? I was a little surprised to see Legolas tempting all his married relatives into a night of frivolity. Of course, it's rare that the brothers are all together now and some male bonding time would be nice. :>) The ending was lovely...but I hear those drums of doom steadily picking up. Oh dear... I'm really enjoying this story. I love this time you're in now, and I love the story. I can't wait for the next chapter. Karen Author Reply: I'll bet you're right that Loriel is already upset. Kids (like dogs) are pretty sensitive to your mood. And she knows she's been returned to her parents' bed instead of her own big girl bed. And Ada is going away! That has to horrify her. She hasn't experienced it at all before and her mother is going to worry and Loriel will know it. Solith is kind of fun to write about. I expect he'll carry a grudge until the day he sails, and even then he'll be telling everyone in Valinor what an irresponsible Elf Eilian is. Sinnarn is indeed growing up. I figured it was time. He's been interesting for me to try to characterize. I see him as wood elfy like Eilian, but with a strong streak of his grandfather's skepticism. And I think he's smart, like Ithilden, and has been encouraged to be rather open to other races. So he's a good Elf for the time and place where he lives.

sofia	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 5/15/2005
Solith really needs to get a better attitude. You'd think after years he would think Eilian capable and responsible, but I guess thats not the case. I love Ithilden's : “Warriors are a bigger bunch of gossips than any sewing circle of young wives.” so true and so humorous. I love that line! All in all, an nice chapter. can't wait for more. -sofia Author Reply: Solith is just a jerk. Of course, Eilian has occasionally been irresponsible in the past, so I suppose he has a long history to overcome in order to convince Solith that he's really changed. I hesitated over that line of Ithilden's because I was afraid it was insulting to young wives!

thechevin	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 5/15/2005
I knew the happiness was too good to last! LOL Once again you weave a wonderful tale where there is so much richness to savour in the descriptions and more in the idyllic life that the elves in the settlement are enjoying presently- but at what cost! I am glad Celuwyn will have her parents to support her and her mother seems to know just when it is necessary to show who is in charge in theri household, her daughter takes after her and no doubt her grand daughter as well Sinnarn going south I don't like the sound of that at all I don't think Thranduil will either But the final scene with Eilian and Legolas is one of my favourites and the fact that they both recognised they had to take this moment of joy makes it all the more poignant Author Reply: I've really enjoyed writing about Eilian's life in the settlement. It's taken me a while to picture him there, but I can see how the life would suit him far better than hanging around the palace. And I think that among Elves, extended family was a big deal. Tolkien says they were organized into "houses." It's true that wives seemed to become part of their husbands house, but I'll bet in the settlement, extended family was necessary for everyone. Taking care of a kid and running a household would be almost impossible unless you had it. That last scene with Eilian and Legolas was slow to come together for me, but once it did, I liked it too.

Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 5/15/2005
Now we have four VIE on their way to Dol Guldur and NONE OF THEM IS WEARING A RED SHIRT, right? If you need an extraneous victim, add Tiondir or Belaral to the mix, but please don't inflict any more than artistic injuries on Sinnarn, Eilian, Maltanaur or Tynd. You know the kind - a slight gash along the cheekbone, or the torn shirt kind of injury that just displays an elfly chest. (Really the stories placed earlier are much easier on the nerves, because you know who survives.) It's very brave of Eilian to confront Solith when he knows that his adar-in-law is going to assume that he is just heading off for a party. (Is Solith irredemably thick? Surely he has learned by now that when the king's sons refer to their adar as 'the king', that means that they are obeying him as subjects, not sons. And Eilian might take some enjoyment from being a riotous son, but he is a serious warrior and captain. Perhaps Isiwen needs to put Solith in his place more often.) And I hope they do manage to protect C and L from Mr. Creepy. I'm rather glad Loriel will be sleeping with her nana. And I hope Celuwen's knife-throwing skills have remained as sharp as her blades. By the way, I love picturing Eilian sitting on the floor winding up Loriel's toy. I'm not quite sure which of the two would find the experience more entertaining. It would be one of the moments when Celuwen would realise that she is the only adult in the household. Sinnarn and Emmelin. How lovely. I wonder how long it took Alfirin to get used to the idea of ladies' maids? And whether Celuwen and Emmelin will ever accept some of the limitations of marrying into the royal business? (Poor Eilian - everyone always assumes that he is/could be in trouble. It must be very bad for him psychologically.) It's lovely, if a bit worrying, to see such a grown-up Sinnarn accepting his responsibilities as second in line for the throne. He did his best to hold it off as long as he could, but it's got him in the end. (I wonder if a certain frivolity is linked with being the second in line? Eilian was second in line until Sinnarn was born - and, looking at various royal scions from history, the second in line (no real role but a hanging around to be a genetic spare) does seem to have trouble with responsibility that the first in line doesn't.) I just hope he and Emmelin can fill their apartments with elflings - in a few decades. He was probably wise not to share Beliond's - er - facility with language. Not if he wanted his adar to take him seriously. And he used just the right arguments. I don't think Alfirin will be happy, though. Sinnarn and Ithilden sitting sedately at home with Thranduil, while grass widower Eilian and pledged-but-alone Legolas go off to party in the Glade! It would be great to see all these males off doing something frivolous together - Ithilden being light-hearted and free of worry. (Not a lot of chance of that. Not until/unless he ends up in the Blessed Realm.) I like seeing Thranduil being benevolent towards Eilian; long may it continue. And how old do you have to be for your parents to stop telling you to behave yourself? As elves, the answer could go into six figures. 'I simply cannot decide if the fact that Sinnarn is going means that Adar and Ithilden think that things are not serious so it is safe to send him, or if they think that things are so serious that they will not be able to keep any of us out of it.' The latter, I think, Eilian. Definitely the latter. Tomorrow morning would come soon enough. For tonight, he and his brother would seize the moment of joy. Oh no, this has a very ominous ring to it. Poor Wood Elves. Moments of joy are going to be a bit sparse in the next few decades. (Just no permanent damage to my favourite elves, right?) Author Reply: Eilian did a brave thing by going to Solith despite how much he hates the guy. He did it for his wife and daughter, and that's an admirable thing. (Of course, I admire him in many ways! I'll take the torn shirt thing into consideration.) He enjoys the life he's leading now, much to his surprise I think. It even felt intrusive to have the messenger address him as "my lord." Your observations about the problems of second-in-lines were interesting. I think you may be right. It's hard for them to assume other responsibilities so they wind up being irresponsible. And in Sinnarn's case, I think the amount of responsibility he saw Ithilden wrestling with scared him. But he's settled down now. And a true peace isn't very far off in Elven terms. In my list of possible stories, I have one line that reads something like "Legolas and Ithilden should do something outrageous together." I still think that's a good idea.

Socket	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 5/14/2005
I was going to ask whether Legolas's statement that he is pledged to Tuilinn means that he would never bond with another elf, but I checked the reviews, and it seems that someone else asked that question, and your answer is that he won't. OK, now I have some related questions, if you don't mind. I know that it doesn't involve this story, but in the story when you described Thranduil's flirtation with his wife's cousin, was that flirtation on its way to bonding or closer to the social dancing that Legolas indulges in in this story? It seemed to be the former, but maybe I'm just reading too much into the story. The Legolas of your stories is so vibrant, and has such a loving family life, that it's very, very hard for me to imagine that he would not return to Mirkwood at the end of the quest and stay forever, rather than journey with Gimli and then sail west. That's a compliment, I assure you, not a complaint. Thanks! Author Reply: Oh geez. You're asking me about the first story I ever wrote, and if I had it to do over, I'd do it differently! Anyway, here's a long-winded explanation. Elves bond (marry) only once. Even if a partner dies, he or she is still married because the partner isn't going anywhere permanently. Elves are bound to Arda until it ends. The spirit of an Elf whose body is destroyed will go to the Halls of Waiting for a while, but eventually he or she will be re-embodied. Tolkien changed his mind a bit about how this happened. For a while, he toyed with the idea that the person would be reborn as a baby, but in the end, he settled on the idea that the person would be re-embodied in a body like their destroyed one in Valinor. Then they could return to ME if they wanted to, but most did not. That's what happened to Glorfindel. Sooo, Thranduil isn't going to bond with anyone new. As I read LACE, what bonding consists of is the will to bond, the speaking of the blessings, and then consummation. I don't think sex by itself constituted bonding. Otherwise, a rape would be a bond, and that doesn't seem to be true. As I recall, a rape is such a violation of an Elf's spirit, that they usually die. Now what Tolkien says about Elves is that "deeds of lust seldom" occurred among them. I think that's due to the control that he says their minds have over their bodies (which I think is also why they heal quickly). But it does say "seldom," not never. So what I was doing in that first story was having Thranduil be tempted to have sex with his wife's cousin, but it wouldn't have been a bond. If I were writing that story today, I wouldn't have done that. I've learned more about Elves and just wouldn't have Thranduil losing control like that. So that's probably way more than you wanted to know! Author Reply: And even with all that, I forgot to say that Legolas isn't bonded to Tuilinn yet because they didn't have sex or say the blessings. He thinks of himself as pledged or promised to her. That could change, of course. It's not binding. But Tolkien says that elves rarely made a mistake in choosing their mates.

moonshine	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 5/14/2005
Aw, poor Loriel. She doesn`t understand why her ada is leaving. I don`t blame her, I wouldn`t either if I was her age. It is nice to see Eilian and Legolas enjoying themselves. I can`t wait to find out what happens next! Author Reply: She really doesn't. She's too young and she has no idea what's going on, poor thing, just that her ada is leaving her. I like seeing Legolas and Eilian together doing just about anything, but it was good to have a chance to show them just relaxing and having a good time. They don't do that enough.

dr_seuss_is_cool	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 5/14/2005
Hello. I love the story! It's great! I love how you managed to make Loriel cute but not create a child who would ruin my Eilian. Hah. My Eilian. Celuwen's Elian, I'm sorry. I have to warn you...I will be extremely depressed if either Eilian or Sinnarn die. I may be thinking ahead of myself but if anything happened to either one of them I would cry so much and wouldn't be able to bear reading the stories without Eilian in them. I love the story. Emmelin is great. I love how you put her and Celuwen on the same plane. They are such great characters. Well, thank you so much. The story is just amazing so far. Have a great day. Bye Bye! Author Reply: It's fun to think of Eilian as a father. He was a good big brother (still is, for that matter), so I think he'd be a good father. And it was also fun to give Thranduil a granddaughter. That household was so male for a long time, and now all the wives and a granddaughter!

French Pony	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 5/14/2005
So the troops are coming together. And given the amount of joy they are taking before the mission, I have a feeling it will end up not going exactly as planned. “Then change the assignment. I am an experienced warrior, Adar. Moreover, I have responsibilities to the realm that other warriors do not. Let me live up to them.” Who is this Elf and what has he done with Sinnarn? Legolas still seems to be feeling his way around in regards to Tuilinn. The dancing in the Glade seems like purely social dance, where the flirting is fast and furious but ultimately not binding. Even Married!Eilian flirts there. But Legolas is still having trouble distinguishing between flirting at a social dance and the real thing. Sorry I can't write more. My brain is officially on vacation and is currently sloshing around between my ears in a manner not unlike salad dressing. Author Reply: And given the amount of joy they are taking before the mission, I have a feeling it will end up not going exactly as planned Do you think? LOL. Maybe I'm just using the well known Wood elf inclination to party whenever they have a chance? I kind of thought that about Sinnarn too, but I think that being wounded at the Battle of Five Armies sobered him. And even in "Tangled Web," he's pretty serious about protecting his home. If only there hadn't been that unfortunate incident with the Dwarves! Have a very good time letting your brain rot. Watch junk TV. Read mysteries or something.

Brazgirl	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 5/14/2005
Sinnarn is going too... I hope everything goes well. For the king's sake. I like the talk between Eilian and Sórion. Those two will never get along! Too pity Celuwen did not go with Eilian! Also like Sinnarn's courage to speak to his father and commander. He is an adult now and wants to be treated like one and when he felt he should be a part of that mission he just presented himself. I like him. I guess Thranduil should be proud. As should Ithilden. Author Reply: Both Eilian and Sinnarn took their courage in hand and talked to fathers -- Celuwen's and Sinnarn's own -- because they believed it was the right thing to do. I guess they are all adults now. :-)

Jay of Lasgalen	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 5/14/2005
Sigh This is rather a sad chapter - Eilian being summoned away from his wife and daughter (for six weeks!); his realisation that it must be serious, or Thranduil would never have sent for him - but I liked his leap of excitement at the thought of danger. He's still Eilian! Sinnarn - he's so grown up now! Married, and contemplating elflings. Being more cynical than his father: he's not that surprised the shadow has returned. So he and Eilian are off south? Please don't do anything fatal to them! And Legolas - still pledged to Tuilinn, but I'm so glad he was able to enjoy the moment of the dance. When will we get to see Thranduil with his granddaughter?? Jay Author Reply: Eilian likes the way he's living, but his heart is going to jump at the idea of excitement until the day Arda ends. It's a good thing Celuwen is a patient person. It seemed to me that it was time for Sinnarn to grow up. He doesn't want to be in charge of anything, but he does care about defending his home. His parents should be proud of him. When will we get to see Thranduil with his granddaughter?? The elvenking just asked me that same question!

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