endorearwen
· 1 August 2013
· Chapter 1: Heart's Ease
This one drew tears, Daw, it was so beautiful! These two hearts understand one another well and Elowen is exactly the kind of mother that makes a true 'mother' what she is! I hope you've written this so the tie between Legolas and this family remains strong throughout the course of his life. Wonderfully heartwarming, scene!
Author's reply
Legolas was lucky to have this strong, warm family to take him in when he needed it. Elowen is just wonderful. No wonder Annael is such a good kid.
pipinheart
· 19 September 2005
· Chapter 1: Heart's Ease
Legolas really loves Elowen like a mother, kinda makes him feel good when she treats him with such love...
Author's reply
Legolas was lucky to have this good family to go and visit. No wonder he loved Elowen.
obsidianj
· 3 February 2005
· Chapter 1: Heart's Ease
I stumbled across your stories via the Mithril Awards. This story brought tears to my eyes. YOu have a beautiful way to describe little Legolas coping with the loss of his mother.
Thanks for writing.
Chris
Author's reply
Thank you, Chris. I enjoy writing about little Legolas. I like getting into his head, and I also like writing about his love for Annael's nana. This story was actually written in response to a challenge in which you were supposed to describe a canon character's first crush. The canon character was supposed to under a certain age and the object of the crush was supposed to be older. When I read that, Annael's nana sprang to mind. In my fictive world, she's important to Legolas after he loses his own mother.
Any way thanks for reviewing.
daw
Momo--
I just found this review tonight. For some reason, SoA didn't send it to me. I'm glad you enjoyed the story and I appreciate your taking the time to tell me. I think little Legolas is pretty cute too.
lannel
· 17 September 2004
· Chapter 1: Heart's Ease
Glad to hear from you.I will consider to translate another one,but only short stories. I'm sorry I don't have much time,so I can't do the work recently.I hope this will not disappoint you.
I must say,this work is a pleasure to me.
Thank you again.
Author's reply
Thank you for being so understanding, Lannel. I can't imagine how much work this would be, so I'm glad it's a pleasure for you.
daw
lannel
· 14 September 2004
· Chapter 1: Heart's Ease
I'm a newcomer here and I'm a Chinese student.I happened to read of one of your stories the last July and I love your stories since then.How pity I haven't finished all of your articles!
This short one is one of my favourites.Though my English is not good,I want to translate it into Chinese and I just did it.To my dismay,I heard that someone had done the work.I have read that Chinese translation.I must admit it is good enough.But I still think my edition has its advantage.I wonder if you like to see two Chinese editions.If you do,please let me know.
Thank you very much for your stories!
Author's reply
Lannel--
How flattering! This is so nice of you. It's true that others did translate it and I gave them permission a while ago.
I think the honorable thing for me to do is to ask the other translators about this, or at least tell them, because I did give them permission to do it. I will get back to you soon.
In any case, I want to tell you, Lannel, that I very much appreciate your response to these stories. I can't imagine the work you went to to translate this. I'll let you know about posting it.
daw
Author Reply: Lannel-
I heard back from Susanlu, and she suggests that you might translate a different story instead. I think that since I gave her my permission first, it's unfair of me to give it to you too. I am so sorry. I feel bad about this. Would you consider working on a different story?
daw
Nymh
· 25 June 2004
· Chapter 1: Heart's Ease
I admit it. I teared up.
Daw, what a lovely story. I'm desperate to mother the poor little guy now.
Off to read more,
Nymh
Author's reply
Thank you, Nymh. I admit I made myself cry when I wrote about how Legolas wrote "I lov you Annael nana." How sappy is that?
Amlee
· 8 March 2004
· Chapter 1: Heart's Ease
OMG!! I can not even believe what I wrote in that last review! I meant HUG!!! HUG!! To late to fix that now! *roll* All I can say it was late and more than one thing going at a time.
Author's reply
You know, I looked at that review and I thought you meant "hug." Legolas is grateful!
Author Reply: I deleted the other review. Just for you, Amlee!
hisielome
· 19 February 2004
· Chapter 1: Heart's Ease
this was saddly beautiful.
Author's reply
Thank you, hisielome. I made myself get teary eyed writing this, I'll admit. There's something so sad about this little kid longing for his nana.
awww, that's so sweet. i don't normally like little children but these little elflings seem so cute - some of the time!
Author's reply
Little kids can be a trial. It's fortunate there are people like Elowen in real life too. Legolas needed someone like her.
ANA
· 2 February 2004
· Chapter 1: Heart's Ease
That was incredibly touching! Dare I hope that you will have more elfling Legolas stories for us in the future?
Author's reply
I enjoyed writing this story so maybe I will do more with little or younger Legolas. This story was a response to a challenge on the Flufflings Yahoo list to write about a canon character's first crush for Valentine's Day.
Dot
· 2 February 2004
· Chapter 1: Heart's Ease
Oh,daw – this is wonderful! I was beginning to get quite fond of Elowen and it’s great to get a glimpse into her life as well as an incident from this difficult time of Legolas’ childhood.
As always, you create such a cosy, comfortable atmosphere in Annael’s home. It seems so warm and inviting. I love the way Elowen seems to take such pleasure in her son and his friends – she’s such a motherly figure.
How sweet that Legolas made her a pot of flowers. He obviously values her presence if he’s thinking of her while he’s at home.
You’ve done a great job in keeping this consistent with ‘When Shadow Touches Home’ – being ‘bad’ at lessons, drawing Orcs , right down to the phrase “Good bye, I had a lovely time.” It’s really interesting to see it from another point of view. Elowen seems to know exactly what is wrong with Legolas and is really encouraging, steering him away from any disturbing thoughts. The idea that “all of his energy seemed to have gone into simply surviving his loss” is just so sad.
You really are great at writing elflings! You capture the conversation between them brilliantly, and I love the way you still show all of their personalities. Turgon was so supremely confident even then!
Annael is absolutely adorable. But then, he has such wonderful parents. It’s such a wonderful, loving, motherly thing to do, keeping mementos from her son’s childhood. I presume Legolas’ mother had something similar. And Legolas drew Elowen! It’s natural for her own child to think she is beautiful but can you imagine how wonderful it must feel to have Legolas draw her when she requested something ‘beautiful’? I could cry at that thought! Of course, the effort it must have taken for him to copy Annael’s letters and form the sentence is just unspeakably touching. It’s a pity he went home with the picture of Orcs rather than that one but then, I suppose in a way it was really personal to Elowen. She can never replace his own mother but it’s so nice to think that she can offer him warmth and love and that he not only appreciates it but at such a terrible time for him can still see some beauty in others and wants to give some pleasure to those who are important to him.
This was really lovely – I can’t wait to see what you have up your sleeve for your next story!:)
Author's reply
Legolas was so lucky to have this warm, loving home to go to when he needed a little mothering or just a normal family life. And I confess I made myself get teary eyed when I wrote the part about copying Annael's message. I think of Legolas as this loving little guy who is looking for someone to mother him and Elowen sure fits the bill.
Antigone_Q
· 1 February 2004
· Chapter 1: Heart's Ease
I loved the imagery of the "Heart’s-ease" flowers, all droopy when Legolas brought them in but perking up after being under the care of Elowen for a while, just like Legolas did. Everything grows just a little better with love, doesn't it? It made me all teary-eyed when Legolas gave Elowen the picture, and I am very glad she kept it as a keepsake with Annael's things. It was nice that Legolas had someone like Elowen to be Mommy-ish to him sometimes; he needed it so badly.
Author's reply
To my embarrassment, I made myself teary-eyed in writing this. I think that Legolas was lucky to have this family in his life. Annael and his parents offered a warm, loving, normal home where Legolas was welcomed and treated like just a child who had needs that they could meet. Heart's-ease is the folk name for pansies, and I could picture these little boys turning their flower-like faces up to Elowen.
Estel_Mi_Olor
· 1 February 2004
· Chapter 1: Heart's Ease
That was absolutely beautiful! I especially liked the metaphor between Legolas and the flowers. Thanks for creating Annael, who is such a good friend to Legolas. And Elowen is so understanding! You now have a veritable library of Legolas fics. If you don't watch out, you're going to become the ultimate authority on him! Keep writing!
Author's reply
Thank you, Estel_Mi_Olor. I could picture these three little elfs turning their flower faces up to Elowen. And she is such a nana! Legolas needed her in his life then.
White Wolf
· 30 January 2004
· Chapter 1: Heart's Ease
This is a very sweet, poignant vignette. It was nice to see a little Legolas again, as well as Annael. I was glad to see that Elowen saved Legolas's picture, which was drawn and given with love.
Author's reply
Thank you, White Wolf. I am very fond of Annael's family. They seem warm and loving to me, and I think they would have seemed that way to a motherless Legolas too. He was lucky to have them. I'm glad you liked the story.
Fadesintothewest
· 30 January 2004
· Chapter 1: Heart's Ease
Sniff, sniff, this was a beautiful piece. Is it a stand alone? I most certainly teared up at the thought of poor little Legolas, wanting a nana to draw pictures for too. Annael's mother has always been so important for Legolas. This is definitely a relationship I'd love to see how it's developed over the years of Legolas' life in Mirkwood.
Author's reply
This is just a one-shot story, Fades. It's a reply to a challenge that Karri issued at the Flufflings Yahoo group for Valentine's Day: write about a canon character's first crush on an older person. I'm glad she suggested it because I enjoyed writing this story.
tigerlily713
· 30 January 2004
· Chapter 1: Heart's Ease
At the risk of soundy all teeny-boppy (I just made that word up) and trite: Oh my gosh! That was so cute! Meloncholy in some ways, and certainly more complicated than simple words could ever let on, but so endearing and beautiful at the same time. Is this just a one chapter vignette or the beginning of another fic? Thank you! ~Lily
Author's reply
Glad you liked it, Lily. It's a one shot thing. It's actually a response to a Valentine's Day challenge that Karri issued to the Flufflings Yahoo group. She suggested that people write a story of under 2000 words that would be about a canon character's first crush. I'm not sure that my story qualifies as a crush exactly, but I enjoyed writing it and thank her for the idea.
sofia
· 30 January 2004
· Chapter 1: Heart's Ease
aw... how cute! I think it was funny when Turgon said “I do not know,but it is beautiful.”
Author's reply
I'm glad you liked it, Sofia. My own son often drew quite a lot of stuff before he decided what it was. The trick was to maneuver him into telling us what he thought it was before he made us guess!
LKK
· 30 January 2004
· Chapter 1: Heart's Ease
Such a lovely little tale, daw! Very sweet. Are Heart's-ease Middle Earth's version of pansies? Your description of them -- purple and yellow blossoms with little faces -- made me think of pansies. I love little Legolas, all sweet and shy, offering them up to Elowen, worried that she might not like them or that they were too droopy now.
Elflings coloring while lying on their stomachs on the floor -- what a wonderfully charming image to share with us. (Can I have a coloring elfling too? Please??) Very appropriate that Turgon's beautiful picture was a wild riot of color, threatening to jump off the page even. A child psychologist would have much to say about that one, I'd guess.
I lov you Annael nana Legolas That was the ultimate moment of sweetness, daw. I felt just like Elowen, stinging tears and all. Beautiful. If I were her, I would have added the drawing to my treasure box as well. (Actually, I *did* add it to my treasure box. "Heart's Ease" is now on my Favorite Stories list.)
LKK
Author's reply
Heart's Ease is a folk name for pansies. It seemed an appropriate flower for Legolas to offer to Elowen. As I pictured the three boys looking up at her when she said to draw something beautiful, I thought of them looking like three flower faces.
I tried to make the pictures reflect the personalities and concerns of the three kids. I was glad to have Turgon back for a little while.
And I have to admit, I made myself tear up when I wrote this story. Pathetic but true.
Thank you for your kind words.
French Pony
· 30 January 2004
· Chapter 1: Heart's Ease
Of course little boys draw monsters and dragons. But getting them to draw something beautiful. . . there's a challenge. The more I read about Elowen, the more I like her. She sounds a lot like my mother's little circle of best friends, all of my "aunties" from when I was little, who gave me a kitchen shower when I grew up and moved away. I think you must be a nana very much like Elowen, since you write her so well. In a lot of cultures, including my own, people like Elowen become honorary "Aunts" (or "Uncles") to little kids they help take care of, even if they aren't related to them. So I think I'll have to call her Tante Elowen now.
And I know exactly what the kids' drawings look like, too! Of course dragons can be any color, they've never seen one (yet). And I can't draw braids either, so I did the exact same thing with x's when I was little. Tante Elowen must have a lot of practice looking at little kid drawings to identify Legolas's portrait of her so easily. I think I like Turgon's picture best, though. "I don't know what it is, but it is beautiful!"
Speaking of Turgon, the date on the Baby Blues strip I gave you in an earlier review was slightly off. It's actually the 28 January comic. You can find it at babyblues.com, but they post them two weeks late for syndication reasons.
And it looks like Legolas has been learning to write after all!
Author's reply
I tried to make the three kids' drawings reflect their personalities and concerns. And I too made x's in the braids! I think Elowen recognized herself by the green dress.
And Legolas copied what Annael wrote and rearranged it, but what I would say is that when it mattered to him, he figured out how to write just fine. When he's feeling better, he'll learn in a flash.
Legolas4me
· 30 January 2004
· Chapter 1: Heart's Ease
ff.net is down right now so I was browsing this site and found this. It was very sad....I nearly had tears in my eyes. I could not imagine the pain Legolas must have felt...it had to be horrible. I am glad that Elowen is the kind of person that she is. All through the childhood stories of Legolas she has been nothing but kind to him...I think,perhaps at times, that help ease the pain a bit.
PS
All three of those elfling are adorable!
Author's reply
I'm glad you liked it, Legolas4me. And I will admit, I had tears in my eyes when I wrote part of this. How's that for sappy? Poor little Legolas. He's so young to have lost his mother. He really needs her and Elowen is so good to him. She ties his shoes, feeds him, kisses his hurts away, and when he's a little older, feeds him breakfast after he's come to her home drunk. I think she must have been dear to him.
And I loved having all three of the elflings to write about again. I miss Turgon.
Jebb
· 30 January 2004
· Chapter 1: Heart's Ease
This was a real delight but so sad poor little Legolas how much he must have missed his Nana thank good ness he has those around him who care
Author's reply
I do feel sad for Legolas. He's so little and there is such a big hole in his life. But he his lucky in his father and brothers, and also in Elowen and her son (and maybe in Turgon, but that's another story!).
erunyauve
· 30 January 2004
· Chapter 1: Heart's Ease
I can see how Legolas would gravitate to Annael's mother - she can't replace his own mother, but it must be comforting to him to have some reminders of what it was like when his mother was alive. It dovetails nicely with Ithilden's decision to send Legolas back to his patrol rather than keep him in the Home Guard. I think what Ithilden felt there was no point in giving his little brother some time to be more relaxed - he no longer knew how. Legolas grew up too fast because his mother wasn't there to teach him to be less serious and responsible.
Author's reply
Oddly, I decided to write this ficlet in response to a challenge that Karri issued at the Flufflings Yahoo group and then found myself writing about Legolas missing his mother in "Fire and Shadow" too. The two stories fit together in ways I hadn't anticipated. And I think Annael's mother would be a comforting person for most of us. I want to go to her house and have her feed me bread and jam!
Karri
· 29 January 2004
· Chapter 1: Heart's Ease
That was beautiful, daw! It made me all sniffly. :-P I have to say you rose to the challenge exceedingly well. :-D
Author's reply
Thank you, Karri. And thank you for the idea. And I will admit, I made myself sniffly writing it. How's that for sappy?
The Karenator
· 29 January 2004
· Chapter 1: Heart's Ease
Oh! Lady Nilmandra, you sweet adorable child. I am here, but....(tugs hanky from sleeve)...but...I can hardly write...(sniffs)...this was so sweet..and so sad. (blows nose loudly) Poor little Legolas. He is so sad and yet, so brave. And he brought Annael's nana flowers! My heart just broke for the little mite as he watched Elowen making a new tunic for Annael...doing nana things. His hesitation at whether his drawing was an orc or not....(blubbering uncontrollably now)...and Elowen's wise suggestion for the little ones to draw something beautiful...was just so well done. And then Legolas had drawn a picture of her! A nana was his idea of beauty. I will point this concept out to my sons.
Oh my, your betaship, we should not mention the ultimate demise of Annael's ada to the peasants. They have just finished repairing the potholes in Main Street and I fear they may whip up a new batch of tar if this future horror gets out. I shall send the Ranger Meckinock with, Emily, her sword of...renowned, to guard her dawness, just in case. But I don't know how many times I can cover her...rear end. Her scribbleness just keeps saying she 'just call 'em as she sees 'em.' I don't know how much weight this will carry with the angry masses.
And to you, your minstrelness, this was so well done. It captured the deep saddness in the little one's heart and his longing for what he had lost. But, he was also doing all he could to survive. I am glad Elowen was there to offer a gentle touch and to drop a kiss on his little head. I think Nimloth is good to him and he cares for her, but Elowen seems to fit the surrogate mother role very well.
I will take my hanky and retreat until such time, I can control myself. Now where is that ranger? She has a job to do. (It goes on her permanent record, ya know.)
Author's reply
Oh good idea! I will send a copy of this story too, and point out the beauty of mothers. Do let me know if it works for you!
I'm glad you liked this, Karen. It was written in response to a Valentine's Day challenge that Karri issued to the Flufflings Yahoo group to write about a character's first "crush." I don't know whether Legolas's feelings for Elowen count as a crush, but he does love her. He needs to love her, just as he needs to be loved back. Oh dear, I am so sappy, that I myself cry. That's why I don't usually write stuff like this. I need to go write a good orc battle.