Reviews (110)

Author's reply

:-) I am so pleased to hear from people reading this straight through (as opposed to chapter-by-chapter as I post) that it isn't too complex. I love mixing all this stuff in--canon, family matters, polictical matters--but it is impossible for me to tell when it gets to be too much at this point. I'm glad you like it. :-) I like adar Thranduil--he does have a very nice balance in his life right now, although I imagine it seems very busy to him too. I love playing with him and his family. Family is great fun, especially looking in on someone else's and seeing things we can identify with and laugh at. (I think I would have died going to college with either of my parents. I feel for you there.) I suppose I am evil to say that I am glad the chapter with the attack made you tense. Originally in that, Amoneth was going to die, but I didn't go with that in the end. I thought the attack and guards dying was scary enough for such young children without mothers dying too. And I am glad the little conspiracy comes off ok. I do think there would be malcontents, even amongst elves, in such a difficult situation as Mirkwood was in. Put someone amongst them with a grudge and that could create a very bad situation indeed. Tulus will continue to struggle, poor fellow. I'm glad you went back and read that change. I like the story better for adding it. Today I am locking my office door, being a bad employee and putting the final touches on some chapters of part four so I can get to a steady pacing of posting it. It starts out fluffy with young Legolas and then does get darker. I hope you continue to enjoy and I really appreciate your reviews. They have been so thoughtful and interesting to me since you read those first parts straight through. Thanks!

Author's reply

I was very interested to hear what someone that had read this particular part of the story straight through (i.e. all at once as opposed to reading it along as I posted it chapter by chapter) would think of it since it is so complex. I'm glad (and relieved) that you liked it too. I was worried that it might be too complex, so I'm glad you commented that you found it easy enough to follow--it is very hard for me (and my beta too) to judge since we know this thing so well at this point. I have a lot of fun with the treachery and drama, I have to admit. :-) But I love the canon backstory of the Sindarin Elves so it is all weaved into that. I wonder if you read this since Sunday (Aug 7)--that night I split a chapter (Legolas) into two parts (Imminent Arrivals and Legolas) and added a scene. I also made a few transitions in the rest of the chapters a little stronger (I hope). Just FYI. I do so much appreciate your reviews on this story. Thanks and I hope you continue to enjoy.

Author's reply

I forgot it would go back to the front page and all that until after I made the change. It shocked me to see it there at first! Poor confused readers! :-) You have an incredible memory! Yes, it did originally end with Amglaur singing and Thranduil drifting off to sleep. Somehow that detail didn't make it into this draft. That whole scene is really from my sister-in-law's second pregnancy. She was 2 weeks over due and wanted to go into a natural labor so badly so we all got together and did all the stupid things that supposedly make you go into labor (bumpy roads, walking etc) and then when it didn't work, we all sat around her room with her and talked until we all fell asleep. She woke up in the middle of the night in labor, called the midwife and got to have her natural deivery. She was so happy. I'm glad this came off ok to you. I have never had a baby but I have been the birth coach for many natural labors. It was really hard to write. I'll probably play with it a little more but in the end, I decided Legolas's birth needed to be in the story about Legolas's birth, no matter how hard it is to get that scene right. :-) I completely agree with you and telling who a baby looks like. They all look exactly alike to me. If I had a baby and it was in the maternity ward, I'd need a sign on it, I'm sure. :-) I like the idea of a naming ceremony, even outside Tolkien's world--like you said: it would be a great reason to bring everyone together. And I had fun with Thranduil's name, putting his conception in the first flashback, and then refering to it here. The story may be a little racy / personal, but it is fun. And everyone at the naming ceremony is a parent--they all know how babies come about. :-) Thank you so much for taking the time to read the changes I made and leave a review. I didn't really expect people that had already read this to go to the trouble of reading it again. It is so nice to hear your reactions. :-)

Author's reply

I'll bet you did wonder! :-) I forgot, honestly, that it would send notices and go back to the front page and all that until after I'd posted the change. Still, this chapter has been bugging me, so I would have changed it regardless. I'm glad you thought the additions came off ok. I struggled with this and it still isn't what I want, but I think including it is important because this part of the story is about Legolas's birth. Even if I can't get that the way I want it exactly, it should be there. So there it is and I will probalby continue to change it. Drives my beta nuts. Amglaur cracks me up. Old meany. Aradunnon's attitude caused problems, as we know. It was wrong. No doubt about it. Thank you so much for reading this and leaving a review. I didn't really expect people who had already read to read it again. I really appreciate it. :-)

Author's reply

Thank you so much for reviewing this--for a second time. :-) I like it better with the birth in it too. It always bugged me. I just couldn't get the birth scene the way I liked it so I left it out but I decided that I liked something better than nothing. So here we are... I will also refrain from the rant on homebirths. Suffice to say I've been the birth coach for both hospital and completely natural home births and the home births went better every time (even though all were either breech or a shoulder caught on mom's pelvis--even with complications, home births went better). So did I say I'd avoid the rant...wow, good thing. Imagine how much worse that would have been if I had gone on the rant. :-) I sooo I agree with you about the 'baby looks like XX' thing! That kills me. All babies are red, wrinkly, grumpy, tiny things. I'm not a mother. I guess mothers can tell them apart. Me, I'll wait until they are toddling at least. Again, thanks for taking the time to go back and read the change. I didn't really expect people to, so it was so nice of you to do it and leave a review too.

Author's reply

Hi Brazgirl! I'm glad you liked the epilogue. I can't deny that I love Thranduil's little family too. I have a lot of fun writing about them. I probably have more fun imagining him and Amglaur enduring each other than Thranduil does, though. :-) And I love Radagast. Being a big nature freak, he was my favorite wizard always. I had hoped to get the first chapter of the next two stories up this weekend but work conspired against me with two big emergency projects, so it's not looking good. But they will be up soon. Thanks so much for all your reviews. I really appreciate them. :-)

Author's reply

Hi JGE! I'm glad you liked the fluffiness and seriousness mix. I actually did that in each section intentionally to show an underlying current of danger because that, unfortunately, is what the people in Mirkwood live with. And the flashback was indeed bittersweet because neither Oropher or Ninglor (who was important in Thranduil's childhood as Galithil will be important in Legolas's) are still with Thranduil. But I also love seeing Legolas and his cousins play with their parents. The idea of Thranduil simply playing makes me happy. :-) You will definitely see a good many people's true colors, including Glilavan's. Thank you so much for all the reviews. I will definitely keep posting these (just need to sort out a few more things before I start with the next ones). I hope you keep reading and enjoying them. :)

Author's reply

Hi daw! Galasserch is a bit of a show-off, I think. He's young enough that he'll grow out of it before he appears in this again (not the next story but the one I will post probably after that). He indirectly and unintentionally causes some trouble that turns out pretty seriously. So I thought it would be fun to throw him in here. He does get Galithil stirred up and Aradunnon doesn't want him around his son. I think Dolgailon has simply known Glilavan for a very long time. Glilavan was an older warrior in Dolgailon's first posting and I picture them as having stayed close until Dolgailon became an officer and I picture them as even closer after that. He could tell his friend was not being truthful. Unfortunately that was not something he wanted to learn and it puts him in a position that he doesn't want to be in. But it will be useful. I got a kick out of the kid's activities with their parents too. I used to do that sort of thing with my dad and my friends. He was really a good sport about it, poor man. As for Radagast, they're a little more cautious of 'Men' now, so they wanted to see what their parents would think of him. I think every elfling on the lawn would have likely been won over by the fireworks though. Fireworks would seem like magic too little children, wouldn't they? :-)Even when Gandalf wasn't there to make them turn into butterflies and dragons they are just amazing (from a distance, they scare me a little too). But, the truth is, I just love Radagast and I'll throw him in whenever I can. I just can't help it. :-) Daw, thank you so much for these faithful reviews. It really means a lot to me. Thanks!

Author's reply

Hi Bodkin! I'm glad you enjoyed the elflings' day with their parents. I did too. I always thought things like this were a lot of fun when I could do them. And I like Legolas, Radagast and the birds too. First of all, I love birds. And also, it reminds me of him drifting off to see the huorns as they were passing Fangorn on the Quest. He would naturally be very connected to the animals in his father's realm, I think. And the Hobbit implies Thranduil gets messages from bird, so...Bottom line, I've got almost 1000 birds on my life list, so we're gonna see birds in this story. :-) Galasserch acutally plays a small part in the next part of this story that references canon but that's not for another 30 years. He should have grown up in the north but he doesn't and he is (indirectly / unintentionally) going to lead to some serious grief. He's a sad sort of kid. Galithil definitely needs to be with his cousins in the stronghold--not that he can't cause trouble there, mind. He will. It will just be much less deadly. (I have to say, I got a very big kick out of A2G!). Dolgailon is pretty bright. Bright enough not to say, "You're lying, Glilavan," right then. He will keep an eye on his lieutenent and it will prove valuable. I'm afraid you are very correct regarding your suspicions about Tulus. And Tulus was right to be worried about Dolgailon. So we have a nasty little circle there. I'm glad you liked the ending and Eirienil's little comment. I actually had a lot of variantions on this ending (lots of different memories of Thranduil's along the same theme) but I went with this one. I think the elflings are generally speaking very secure. I hope not to be too long with the next part. I have a bunch of little stories that I decided I would work together pretty loosely for Legolas's early childhood, so that is what it will be. I just need to decide what order to post in. Bodkin, I want to really thank you for reviewing every chapter of this fic for so long. I really appreciate it so much! It makes a big difference. :-)

Author's reply

Hi French Pony! I enjoyed your thoughts on family fun. I've said it before--I think I'd like you family. :-) I agree though. My family didn't do much of this kind of stuff because some of us lived in Michigan/Pennsylvania, some in Kentucky and some in Florida (a little too spread out). But I have gone every year for 20 years to my husband's family get-togethers. They are a blast. I'm with you and Thranduil on the fireworks though--honestly, those things scare the hell out of me. We used to make the fireworks run every year to buy illegal ones (lived near a state where you could get anything and in a state where you were allowed nothing). Then I'd sit there and just cringe as my husband and his friends set them off. They were pretty and it was fun but I always had a garden hose in hand. Personally, I love birds and I would have rather had Radagast get a Northern Parula or a Painted Bunting to sit in my hand than give me fireworks. I think you are right about Glilavan, unfortnately. We will have plenty of time to see that. That scene was in and out of the final version of this (for space reasons more than anything else) but I finally left it because I thought we should see Tulus and Dolgailon resolve somethings. I think you are right about Dolgailon and the way Marti and Fuilin see him too. Also unfortunately. I don't know what parents would do to shelter kids these days. I'm not a parent but I think it would be pretty impossible. My 12 year old niece says they watch news stories about the Iraq War in school. And even if they didn't, how could kids really avoid that sort of thing with the Internet and TV etc. But my parents (mind you--I'm 40, so this was 30 years ago when we had one TV and no Internet) did try to keep me away from coverage on the Vietnam war when I was Legolas's age (5 years old). And they certainly didn't tell me much about the actual battles my cousins were in. But in today's world, I don't know if you could keep that from kids. I do agree with you though--hiding things from kids doesn't help in the long run. Explaining things to them on a level they can understand is always better. I think Dolgailon was just surprised his brother and cousins were awake and probably would have talked about different things if he had known they were. After all, for a birthday party for a five year old, what is more appropriate: Iraq War or Mickey Mouse? It's all a matter of context and presentation, I guess. That is also why I am supremely glad not to be the parent of a young child these days. I want to thank you so much for leaving such wonderful and thoughtful review for each chapter of this long series. I really appreciate it and I hope you continue to enjoy! :-)

Author's reply

Hi JGE. I'm glad you are excited. :-) Yes indeed Marit is not going to give up and she wasn't lying when she said she's in a better position and not a worse one. She is serious trouble. Thranduil proved her wrong in the way that he handled Tulus and the other conspirators and I think that probably brought them back to his side, but nothing is going to accomplish that with Marti. She thinks she is justified in her actions, as you will see. I'm glad you liked the way Thranduil handled it though. That part was hard to write. And you should be suspicious of Glilavan. Definitely. As for the level of pain in Thranduil's future in this story, I'm sorry to disappoint you but I must say I do not write that sort of thing well so it will not appear. There is a definite amount of angst, but it is all of the emotional variety in my story. Have you ever read Cassia and Siobhan's Mellon Chronicle stories. I think you would like them, if not and they are well written. There are 3 of them, I think that specifically involve Thrnaduil and not just Legolas. If you haven't read them, search for "Mellon Chronicles" in your favorite search engine and then click on "Top Picks" in the left frame for their stories. And that whole archive has numerous hurt/comfort stories that you might enjoy. No I did not get an email from you. Send it to elliska67@yahoo.com and make to put something Tolkien related in the subject line so I know it's ok to open. Thank you for the reviews. I always love reviews. :-)

Author's reply

Hi Brazgirl! I'm glad you liked the conversation between Thranduil and Tulus. I thought about that a lot because I wanted it to come across as fair but not whimpy--in the end though, there are only so many things I can see an elf doing in reaction to someone who willingly confesses and shows remorse. So this is the direction I went. :) And I am glad you were surprised and worried about Tulus's son. I do feel sorry for Dolgailon there. in the Epilogue, there is a part where Dolgailon speaks with Tulus. Right now it is cut but I really would like to think of a way to work it back in before I post the Epilogue (which will hopefully be tomorrow, barring any disasters). And yes, indeed, Marti is much worse than she first appeared, isn't she. You will find out the details. Eventually. But I agree--the part that cracks me up the most is Amglaur saying he's staying until Legolas comes of age. Thranduil did not see that coming and despite the fact they are getting along a little better, I still bet he wanted to run screaming when he heard that. :-) Poor Thranduil! Thanks so much for the reviews. They really mean a lot to me. :-)

Author's reply

Hi Karen. :-) I'm glad Thranduil and Tulus came across ok. It was tough to decide what to do with Tulus. I think, since they did confess and cooperate and all that--and they all claimed not to be involved with the assassination thing--Thranduil could see hope for healing, so he took it. I think for an elf, that would be the preference. Marti and Fuilin would get a different fate if Thranduil could catch them, but that's the trick isn't it. And you're right--once in deep with anything like this--especially SWCCAG :-) -- getting out is not going to be as easy as saying, 'I don't want to play anymore.' As for Glilavan--I think you will be more disappointed still before the end. You will slowly see what Oropher did--it is complex. :-) Marti, like Tulus once did, truly feels justified in her deeds. Tulus could really understand Marti very well. Or he could if he knew what she was really about. He will find out. Soon enough? We'll see. Galadriel! Can you imagine how Thranduil would feel if he came to owe her something? I just love Thranduil and Galadriel together. Yes, Amglaur has been won over. It may have been painful for him, but he can't deny it. Poor Thranduil--now he has to live with it. :-) I wonder if Thranduil would prefer to be hated instead? The game is really very complex-- it's a strategy game I used to play as a teenager with friends called Conquer (just put the name in Sindarin here). You have land and armies and supplies and all that and the goal is to maintain enough land to accommodate an expanding population. It had a lot of variables and was fun to play (think a 70's board game version of the computer game Civilisation). But I still like your game better--such a clever and ME idea. :-) I'm glad you liked Thranduil's comments on evil and keeping Legolas focused on the beauty of Arda. When I thought about Thranduil and his childhood (since I have him old enough to remember Doriath) and then I think about Fellowship Legolas (who is ready to turn away from the quest to go look at the Huorns and who plays games with Gimli and goes off looking for the sun) I see Legolas as someone still very innocent and merry and interested in the beauty around him. That could be because he is very young during the quest. But since I have him born in the mid Third Age so that I can play with other canon events (as you will see), I've got to account for that playfulness some other way. And I think Thranduil, after seeing such horrible things, would be pretty determined to help his son see a better world than he saw--that is why Oropher came east in theory. Anyway, that is what I will play with in that arena. But no, Marti is not going to give up and she's not lying when she says her position is better and not worse than before. Chilling is a good description for her. As was the one refering to bats that you made earlier. :-) Yes, only the epilogue to go. It is only a little fluff, really. The end of the prologue. I hope I won't be too long in moving to the next part either but I have to decide which part the next part will be. There is the next part that actually advances the plot. And then there are little fluffy things I wrote just to fill out Legolas's childhood in my head. I can't decide how many, if any, of those I'm going to post. I started to think about that today so hopefully I'll come to a decision soon. Thank you so much for the reviews. I really appreciate them. :-)

Author's reply

Oh thank goodness. That's much better. :-) I really am glad you said because I did worry.

Author's reply

I wish I could do something to make you feel better since you always make me laugh. Thank you so much for taking the time to review. I'm glad Thranduil and Tulus came off ok--I wanted to show him just as you said so it makes me happy to see it worked. And yes, poor Amglaur and Thranduil are finally meeting in the middle--you'd think they would after so much time. I really appreciate you you taking the time to share your thoughts on this when you are not feeling well. I hope it was a least a distraction. I wish you nice chocolate and wine and the company of those who make you feel wonderful. Take care. :-)

Author's reply

We will not discuss technological problems. Technology is out to get me. I'm glad you think Thranduil comes across as just. I thought a lot about this when I was writing it. I did not want him to come across looking like and idiot / not responding enough. And I thought about how we have seen him respond in canon--he doesn't exactly hesitate to lock up 12 dwarves when he sees them as a threat (of course, he has a goal in mind with that--he wants to encourage them to answer his questions and he has time to wait). On the other hand, he is willing to show someone like Gollum mercy and let him out to find healing in the forest. And these are elves, not dwarves, his own people, that have confessed. In the end, I decided an Elven ruler would need to find a long term solution, as you said--these people live forever. But the son, indeed! You will have to wait to see what Glilavan's involvement is and how much Tulus actually knew or at least suspected of it and how big a risk he is taking to cover for him. In the end though, Tulus is trying to help his son, I will assure you of that much. Glilavan is a problem, as you said. Poor Thranduil. Fifty years of Amglaur--it's enough to make you not want any more children to prolong the agony. ;-) Poor kids indeed. I think it is realistic, though. They'd question a lot of things after seeing what they did. The next chapter is mostly happy though for them so it ends nicely. This time. I'm afraid you're right though--in the long run, loss is real in Tolkien's world--that's why I don't have too much room to give you a hard time ;-) Thank you so much for the reviews. I really appreciate them so much. :-)

Author's reply

more economic with the truth ROTFL!! Just have to start out by saying that this line killed me. You're right--Tulus was honest for the most part. I think he really does just want what is best for the forest and his family. And that's tragic because once you get yourself involved in things like this, it's just not as easy as all this to get yourself back out. As we will see. But I'm glad you like Tulus and Glilavan (I swear if I type Gilbert and leave it that way by accident in the actual post I will blame you!). You caring about them will make things more interesting later. Looking around Long Lake--now that was funny. Funnier than you know as you will find out. And usurping control is a terrible generalisation but it is one of those little lines that will be meaningful to Thranduil later.) Accepting help from and being indebted to Galadriel is just going to kill Thranduil, isn't it? (I loved the alliteration). There is a line in the first chapter of part two where Lindomiel jokes with Thranduil that one day Amglaur is going to accept his invitation--the day has come. Poor Thranduil. Though you are right--Amglaur is much more tolerable now. Still, poor Thranduil. :-) I'm glad you liked that between Tulus and Gilbert--I debated heavily even putting that conversation in. It is meant to be ominous and a bit ambiguous--we will see what Tulus and son get themselves into soon. Legolas just needs to grow up a bit first. Thank you so much for the reviews. I really love them. :-)

Author's reply

Hi! I'm glad you liked the discussion between Thranduil and Tulus. It was tough for me to decide what to do with these elves at this juncture--especially since there are others coming later. I think that in the end, a good Elven ruler (after they got over how angry they were ;-) ) would have to think of a way to heal their community--some long term solution. So that is what Thranduil is attempting to do. But as he says, Tulus and the others have to be willing to rejoin the community. We will see if they are. Glilavan is meant to make you wonder--you are quite right. :) So I'll be mean and just let you do so. I fear the NCA genes (loved that) do come out in a few of the up coming stories. Sorry. Marti is a real case--I have notes for all the important characters. The notes for Thranduil are about one and a half typed pages. For Marti, they are three typed pages with a bunch of stuff I added later written in the margins. I am writing the part of my First Age thing (that is sort of the back story for this) that really involves her and it is a lot of fun. Poor Thranduil would just be so upset if Galadriel actually helped him. It'll just kill him. :) As for sapphires, if they have a LotR significance, I did not intend to apply it here--but you have so piqued my curiosity (you are very bad for that, you know) that now I will have to look into it. So many jewels do, of course. I really meant it as simply as it was stated there--her adar gave his children the jewels as symbols of the sea. It actually hurt me a bit to make her jewel a sapphire because they are my favorite stone and Marti creeps me out. Thank you so much for the review. I do love hearing what strikes people. There is only the epilogue left in this story. I'm not going to promise when it will be up even though it is written (it's just the second half of the prologue)--I seem to jinx myself when I make promises.

Author's reply

Hi JGE. I did enjoy the review. I would have enjoyed it more if I could have read it after posting the next chapter, but I just can't work out this one place and I decided that I just couldn't force it to happen last night so I worked on my homework for the drawing class I'm taking instead--a little different creativity might help. I hope. :-) But I agree with your uncle--we finish what we start. LOL. Yeah. "I suspect it might be Marti" right out of the blue would have been a bit awkward, I agree. I think in the very end, when everything about the Black Swan is revealed, you will see that jealousy does indeed play a role. And I hope you enjoy mysteries because there is a lot to the Black Swan. Her motivations are complex. I like playing with that kind of stuff. Indeed poor Tulus. I think you will say that again in later parts too. I agree that Thranduil is smart. He would have all his facts straight. Thanks for the encouragement. :-)

Author's reply

Hi Brazgirl! I know exactly what you mean about time--as I write this I am should be working on a few paragraphs in the next chapter that I just can't get the way I want them (I have to change them since I decided not to kill Amoneth). I wanted to have that finished yesterday and I just can't get it. Yes, it's Marti and now Thranduil knows too. He is not a happy person at all. In the next chapter he talks to Tulus himself and is even less happy after what he hears there. I'm glad you liked the conversation with Tulus and Aradunnon and poor little Legolas staying awake for his ada. He's such a sweet little thing I bet it was as important to Thranduil as it was to Legolas that he was able to say goodnight to him. I hope you are reading more soon too--like the last chapter of this part by the end of this day! Stupid few little paragraphs. Here is where I think it would have been easier to kill Amoneth. Thank you so much for the reviews. I really love them.

Author's reply

I am the Queen of following behind recently, Karen, so don't even give it a thought. :-) I am taking a break right now from editing for probably the thousandth time 2 pages of the last chapter of this thing that I just can't get the way I want it since Amoneth didn't die. Sad, but true. I'm glad you like the interrogation of Tulus. I definitely agree with you that Silvan didn't just turn over their forest to Oropher like a bunch of bumps on logs. In the First/Second Age story that I'm trying to get finished by the end of the summer Oropher definitely doesn't just waltz right in. He doesn't even want to. And I do think that, like in any society, there would have been a few differing opinions about that situation, especially when times got tough and people's tempers caused them to go looking to place some blame. And nasty people like our Black Swan just love that type of thing. But yeah, Tulus got dealt a few eye-openers, as Sam might say. My notes about him say that he is a basically honorable person. But life is not destined to be easy for him even now that he's 'fessed up. He will still face some tough choices in future parts of this. It's a good thing Dieneryn figured it out. They still could figure more. Engwe should have and we have seen why. But he hasn't yet. He will get it. Just not quite soon enough. Poor Legolas. My dad used to work late often and I used to just kill myself staying up until he got home. So I can sympathize with the poor little guy. :-) Yeap this is almost it for this story though. Once I get about 2 paragraphs of the last full chapter ironed out (tried to finished it yesterday but I just wasn't satisfied with it), I will post it and then I've only got the epilogue which is completely done. As for part four, I haven't got a clue which part I'll post next. I've got some fluffy, fun little Legolas stuff that I could post or I have the next part that actually advances the plot of the overall story. Haven't decided what to do yet. I'm glad you liked it and I appreciate the reviews so much. :-)

Author's reply

Hi French Pony. I hope you are enjoying summer break (and that you have one). And don't even talk to me about technology. I hate it. Tulus is rather pathetic in a sad sort of way. I think both Thranduil and Aradunnon have enough pity in them to see that if Tulus chooses to behave properly, which for now I think he will mostly do (don't you love how firm that statement was?). Tulus has definitely made a misjudgment. No doubt there. And you are absolutely correct about Thranduil looking at his own behavior--you will see that in the next chapter. What?! You're not surprised?! I'm crushed. :-) LOL. But Thranduil is suprised. From his perspective, Marti's been gone for almost two millennia and she was just a spurned elleth. A nasty problem at the time but one that seemed trivial in the broad scheme of things. But in reality, she was neither. She hasn't been gone, as we already knew. And she is not a spurned elleth. Well, she is, but that is the very tip of the iceburg. And Marti knows exactly what she plans to do once she eliminates Thranduil. You will see that. There is a great deal more to see about Marti's motivations. I shudder at the thought of poor Thranduil baiting Marti, particularly in that way. That would require him being in the same room with her and right now I don't think that would be healthy. :-) I think Thranduil needed a cuddle with his family after learning the Black Swan has crawled out of his past and a group of elves is plotting against him. Poor guy. He is a good elf. Thank you so much for the review. I love them. :)

Author's reply

Hi again. Tulus is really a very sad character in this story. In the next chapter, it is his interview with Thranduil that I will show and I will leave you to analyze what he says to the king versus what you have seen it implied he has has participated in. You can determine his level of honesty/sincerity for yourself. I will say this--my notes for him say that at a basic level, he is an honorable elf. But he is definitely appearing in other parts of the story. The Black Swan is very good at skating danger. She leaves a wake of destruction in her path and doesn't blink an eye. Unfortunately Tulus and Gilbert are smack dab in the middle of that wake. She will survive to scheme another day. Poor Thranduil. Dieneryn figuring out that Marti and Manadhien might be the same person is one of those off hand comments that you made in a previous review that sent me looking to make sure more chapters of this weren't visible than I thought. :) I do enjoy poking at Thranduil's bad language skills (former language teacher here). I portray him as not entirely enthralled with foreign cultures so to go along with that I doubt he would have loved languages. Besides that, I doubt he would have ever heard Quenya spoken, so he would not recognize the significance of the name. I figured only Oropher's generation had any hope of recognizing much of that language. Engwe should have--he even states why he should have in that same interchange and we have seen why he should have figured out who Marti is by now. But he hasn't. He will. Today, Dieneryn came through. I completely agree with your comment about Elven punishments and I know you've had cause to think about this. I admired the High King's management of the baddies in Far Horizons--I thought you did a great job with that. But you are right. I can't see execution or physical punishments amongst Elves. And I laughed at what you said about imprisonment. Spot on. How is a 20 year sentence going to impress an elf? And I think they'd go mad being imprisoned and that would be worse than execution. Thranduil, after he governed his temper and thought rationally, would recognize that exiling the elves would do no good for two reasons--it would make other sympathizers bitter and it would put the baddies at large where they could plot more trouble. I see him as smarter than that. I like the idea of elves taking a long term attitude and working to rebuild a society after a crime has been committed rather than a short term, punitive (sp?) one. That said, it is Legolas that eventually has to judge our Black Swan and by that time, he is tempted by Turgon of Gondolin's solution. Tempted only, but tempted. Poor little Legolas and Galithil. It would be rotten to have a king or anyone like that as a father, I think. And Thranduil isn't feeling any better here. I don't think they'd all go back to their happy little lives right away, but Legolas is a naturally happy little elf so as long as he can keep track of ada and nana, right now that's all he needs. Lindomiel already has her suspicions. She is the one person in the realm that Thranduil just isn't going to hide much from. Part Four...I haven't even decided which part to post for that yet, something fluffy or something that serves character and plot development. At this point in the story, I wrote a lot of stuff just for fun. I need to sit down and spend an hour or two thinking about it and I need to do that soon. Thank you so much for the review, Bodkin. I really appreciate them. :-)