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| Interrupted Journeys: Part 3 Journeys Begin by elliska | 5 Review(s) |
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| The Karenator | Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 4/11/2005 |
| What a great chapter. I loved Thranduil's sleepy council meeting. He's so keyed up about the impending arrival of his son that he's not with it at all. Interrupting the council meeting to see the baby take his first steps is such a parent thing to do. And elflings were so precious and rare, I can imagine that everyone celebrated each milestone. I'm so impressed...again...with how well you do the military stuff. The planning of the training program is detailed and well thought out. If I ever need defense of my realm, I'll think I'll appoint you as coordinator! However...I see where the 'son of the bad guy' is going to come in now. Or I think I do. I can't wait to hear Aradunnon's 'one word' about this guy and why he hasn't promoted him. Is it: "His father?" That's two words, but you get my drift. Glad to see Dolgailon finally pop the question. Joy abounds in the woodland realm! The scene in the trees with Arthiel was very nice. I think the most fun was the family gathering in the royal bedchambers to watch the expectant queen sleep! I admit that that kind of gave me the heebie-jeebies to think that my parents would have been sitting there watching me as I slept in my own bed, with my husband piled up on the bed next to me. But for the family structure of the elves, it seemed appropriate. They were all lending her support. Amglaur is finally losing it! He's beginning to see Thranduil as an 'alright guy'. That was surely a shock to him! And then the sweet new baby arrived. I admit I was kind of disappointed that we didn't get to attend the birth, but the story lost nothing by it not being on stage. I just wanted to see Thranduil and Amglaur in a tizzy! :>) The naming of Thranduil was cute. I'm sure the king was mortified to have his mother reveal such intimate details, but they're all adults and thousands of years old to boot. I imagine it didn't come as too big of a surprise to anyone that Thranduil was conceived in the regular way. Nice laugh at the king's expense. As always, I really enjoyed this chapter. I'll look forward to the next one! Karen Author Reply: Yes, I agree that elflings would be pretty rare and I think family would get pretty excited about seeing 'elfling activities.' I mean, if you're 5000 years old and there even 10 or 20 people in your family that you've seen through childhood (and even as big and extended as I've written it, there aren't that many in Thranduil's family), that's still a long time that you've probably gone between seeing babies. Baby things are going to be pretty distant to you and therefore special, I would think. My sister-in-law made me come over to her house when her first child took her first steps and when she finally coaxed 'mama' from her. :) My coworker video taped his son and had us all watch it. :) Yes, Aradunnon's one word is a patronymic--I haven't decided if I want to show that discussion or not but I'm leaning towards it. But you've got it alright. :) When I wrote the scene with Lindomiel, I was actually thinking about the birth of my niece. My sister-in-law was super pregnant (like two weeks overdue). She soooo did not want an induced labor because she'd had one before and it was really intense (2 hrs to full dilation and 15 minutes of delivery--sounds good until you feel the accompanying pain that accomplished that speedy delivery). So the day before they were going to induce her, we all got together and walked her around and drove her over bumpy roads (and all the other stupid things that don't really induce labor but you can pretend). By the end of the day, we all fell asleep talking in her living room. It was really a nice day and she woke up in the middle of that night in a natural labor. :) LOL. Amglaur and Thranduil in a tizzy. I think they would have been. I've never had a baby myself but I've been the birth coach for my sister-in-law twice and I've been present throughout the births of many of my younger family memebers. I just couldn't write that scene though. I tried it a bunch of times and it just never seemed right for a variety of reasons. I would have liked to have included it though, I agree. Poor Thranduil, I think he was pretty shocked with the idea that his mother and father would do anything not completely mainstream. :) I guess I like to have his family tease him a little. I'm glad you enjoyed it and thanks for the review! | |
| Brazgirl | Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 4/10/2005 |
| Trully receive my hug for this chapter. What a delight to read it from you! Wonderful, beautifuly written. I like the way you described Thranduil's anxiousness and his brother's little terror throwing things! That was more than lovely! Dolgailon and Arthiel how cute is that? They are the most cute couple ever! I love them. Thranduil, Thranduil. It seems he is more alike his father than he would have thought. Their estravagance to conceive their children, the choice of names... and his mother really embarassed him there! ;-) Amglaur... I knew some day he would be charmed by his son-in-law's powers of seduction! Really, Thranduil is this awsome elf that everyone loves. Not the creepy elves, of course. Those hate him. Poor one. Anyway, the chapter was wonderful, a delightful reading. Thank you Elliska! Author Reply: Thank you, Brazgirl for your review and the hug. :) I liked writing this light little chapter. Galithil is exactly that, a little terror. :) I enjoyed writing Amglaur encouraging him to throw things at Aradunnon and Thranduil. And I agree that Dolgailon and Arthiel would make a very cute couple. Relationships built on years of friendship are wonderful. Yes, poor Thranduil is thoroughly embarassed by his mother! At least she didn't tell more! And even Amglaur is coming around. How could he not? :) Look out for creepy elves and creepy Men. Thanks again for the review! | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 4/10/2005 |
| What a delightful chapter - filled with babies and betrothals and happy things. (Mostly.) And even discussions about training elflings in the business of war are not all that horrific. Especialy if it encourages Dolgailon to stay home and concentrate on Arthiel for a little longer. Because I have little doubt that horrors are to come - assisted by the lovely Silvan elf, Glílavan, (or Gilbert as I call him). Galithil is gorgeous, Legolas is adorable, even Amglaur is weakening. Something must be about to go wrong. (I might well come back to you when I have more time and brain power.) Author Reply: Yes, I was up for something happy so I am glad this chapter fell on this week. I like picturing little elflings and betrothals. I think elflings would have to be very cute and quite a handful given what LaCE says about elven children. And I am glad that they came across ok to you. Indeed even Amglaur is coming around (surely after 2000 years, he would). I think you are right about this being the calm before the storm. It would be nice if Dolgailon would just stay at home. And Glílavan...hmmm. Btw, if I accidently type Gilbert as I'm am editing at any point I am going to hold you personally responsible :) You know now I am going to call him Gilbert in my head too! But yes, I'm afraid it goes down hill from here. I have chosen the most conservative path at most points when I have had choices to make thus far. I have promised my beta that I am not going to do that here. So... Thanks so much for the review--especially when you are low on brain power--I know that feeling all too well. :) | |
| daw the minstrel | Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 4/10/2005 |
| I remember when my son took his first steps! We have pictures of it. He's just thrilled with himself. Someone I read referred to those first few weeks of walking as the baby's "drunken dance of delight." Amglaur is so bad! The argument over who should captain the training was very well done. It felt tense and realistic. There was a nice mix of emotions and reasoning there. And as it was going on, I too was wondering how in the world the very pregnant queen got down on the floor. Dolgailon's discussion with Arthiel was interesting too. I like picturing them as children together, "hiding" in the trees. I was so thrilled when he finally stopped being stupid and asked her to marry him! And finally Legolas makes his appearance. But I'm with Thranduil: The public garden?? Author Reply: I imagine you do remember! I do not have children but I think things like this must just be the most amazing milestones for both the parents and the child accomplishing them. My mom has pictures of my first steps too. My grandda was there. Very cute (read:embarassing) pictures. I love 'drunken dance of delight.' That seems just perfect. Glad you liked the captain argument and picturing Dolgailon and Arthiel as children together. I actually had a story in between this one and the last one with his birth and some canon event in Rhovanion but I was left it out and I am having fun hinting here and there at stuff that happened in it. Can you imagine being frieds with someone for 500 years? What a rich friendship that would be. Poor Thranduil. But we saw that little conception scene. It was the middle of the night so it wasn't too bad. Still, I think Amglaur is right: no need to share too much! Thank you so much for the reviews! | |
| French Pony | Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 4/10/2005 |
| Is the circumstances of one's conception an everyday topic of conversation among Elves? Most people get weirded out just contemplating the fact that their very existence proves that their parents had sex at all -- I can't imagine kids really wanting to know all the details. But Dieneryn certainly has a pointy sense of humor to bring it all up in front of the entire family, both sides, at a public ceremony. Welcome, Legolas! Mazel tov, Lindomiel! Legolas is certainly a very alert little baby. Most newborns I've met have seemed kind of shell-shocked by being born and aren't really capable of thinking much more than "Huh?" for the first few weeks. But I guess that goes along with Elvish babies developing a little faster than the children of Men, learning to walk and talk earlier, that sort of thing. Of course, as The Family has just discovered, that's just an extra few months for the kid to spend getting into mischief. Dolgailon seems to have a real ego problem there. It's all about what he wants, whether or not it's the best thing for the realm. We all know he's a great warrior, and he probably is the best choice to captain the training program. But he's too bound up in his image as a warrior to see that he might render a greater service to the realm as an instructor. And he certainly doesn't seem to have a whole lot of respect for the "children" he'd be training up. He definitely needs time to hang with his brother and his nephew and his fiancée and have them all knock him down a few pegs. Author Reply: :) At least Dieneryn doesn't go into anymore detail than to mention where it happened. Poor Thranduil--I think Amglaur is with you: keep it to yourself! As for elven babies, you do have to wonder, don't you? If they are walkin' and talkin' so quickly, at what pace do all the other little baby milestones happen? It seems hard to imagine--frankly it always made me think of horses when I read the stuff in LaCE about elves. They are up and scampering around in a few hours too. (Stupid, I know, but the fist time I saw a horse born, I was just floored by how fast that little sucker got up on those scrawny little uncoordinated legs). I'm not sure Dolgailon is selfish, I think he is just very single minded about serving in the patrols. "Too bound up in his image as a warrior" is definitely a description I think is right in the sense that he is completely convinced that is the best way to serve the realm. He's young (around 500) so he has things to learn. And he'll be learning some things. Thanks for the review! | |