Stories of Arda - Lord of the Rings Fan-Fiction Archive


	About Us News Resources Login Become a member Help Search

Interrupted Journeys: Part 4 Journeys of Discovery by elliska	8 Review(s)
Dot	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 9/27/2005
Hi, Elliska. Sorry I’m so late with this. First no computer, then I was supposed to be concentrating on RL stuff so I wasn’t allowing myself to do much in the way of fanfic until after today. This was so tempting, though! Puppies and elflings and horsies and bunnies… What an adorable chapter! I’m glad to see Tulus appear again. He really interests me. I don’t know how he kept a straight face, though, when he encountered this lot! I just love they way all the elflings turn to Legolas when Tulus demands an explanation. And Galithil! Well, he’s… brave. I hope he’s properly trained if he’s a warrior when he’s older because he seems like he’d do his own thing if he thought he was right. The conversation was too cute. Those elflings were so concerned about the dogs! I thought Tulus did very well :-) “War horses do not like to have ribbons braided into their tales.” LOL! As long as nothing urgent happens and the warriors have to ride out straight away, with such pretty horses! How much energy does Galithil have?? I’m worn out just reading about the busy day they’re all having and he won’t sit still for a few minutes! In fairness to him, he’s a great one for technicalities – it probably didn’t even dawn on their parents that when they forbade hunting they should have specified that it included using slingshots!! I laughed so much at the female osprey and the nest! Well, there’s no doubt as to her opinion of it anyway! Does that really happen? It’s amazing what I learn from you people! I think my heart skipped a beat when something moved in the bushes. I was bracing myself for danger and out leaps… a rabbit. The poor little thing. I feel a little for Galithil too. We caught a glimpse of his soft side there and I think he’d feel really bad if he had actually hurt the rabbit. Oh, how I loved that image of Thranduil with his dogs! It’s my favourite part of the chapter. I especially love the way the mother dog rests her head on his leg. No wonder the other two were so amused. And I’m still grinning at the elflings completely ignoring the guards and with no idea that three of their fathers are watching. I love the thought of Thranduil as a mischievous elfling. Dieneryn should tell us some tales! I’m glad to see Dolgailon settled down with Arthiel. It’s rather amusing to watch him being told something’s none of his business by his young cousin. I thought Arthiel was very good with them. She makes them think too. What’s she doing being a forester when she should be a teacher?? Or a mother ;-) The releasing of the rabbit was very sweet. I really like how Thranduil and Lindomiel point out how they’ve helped it. I love the way the dogs all rush towards Thranduil on the way back and the puppies help return the elflings to good spirits. It would seem that Tulus is becoming quite close to them all too… So the elflings get to learn to track and to train pups?! That should keep even Galithil busy for a while! Lovely chapter :-) I’m looking forward to reading the next one when I get home from work. Author Reply: Hi Dot--I know exactly what it's like to be behind. :-) I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. It was fun to write. I like Tulus too--we will see a bit of him in this. And this: I hope he’s properly trained if he’s a warrior when he’s older because he seems like he’d do his own thing if he thought he was right. I laughed when I read that--a warrior who just makes his own charge into battle--who does that sound like? You hit the nail on the head there, as you will eventually see. And he is just constantly in motion, as you said. And, as you also said, he does have a good heart/a softer side--he's just got a long way to go to learn some maturity/restraint (which given that these elflings are supposed to be fairly young in these early parts, is not too unusual). And I am glad you liked the ribbons in the horse's mane--I can just see the expressions on the warrior's faces. My favorite part also was Thranduil with his dogs. The Hobbit mentions the dwarves hearing hunting dogs, so I am assuming they were Thranduil's and I think he'd be great with them. :-) I love the thought of Thranduil as a mischievous elfling. Dieneryn should tell us some tales! If I can get myself in gear, you will see some young Thranduil stories soon. Thanks so much for the reviews. I really appreciate them. :-) Author Reply: Oh and I forgot to mention about ospreys--yes, they really do that (or at least ones in Florida do). The male builds the nest and the female goes and inspects it. If she likes it, then they mate and raise some hatchlings together. If not, she pushes the nest out of the tree and he tries again until he gets the nest as she likes it. They mate for life, so he has to get it right eventually every year. I love ospreys. I think they are great--and they're beautiful too.

perelleth	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 9/19/2005
Deeply felt thanks for the Cast addition! :-) This was a lovely chapter, and I just laughed trying to picture Thrnaduil's stronghold so full of elflings, hurrying feet and terrible mischief looming in the air.. together with bunnies, puppies and horses... yep! nice forest we have here! ANd yet.. Galithil's name spells like catastrophe or is it me? SO many children, and dangers amd darkness close at hand..... I dearly hope that you don't plan fo us to ahve handkerdhiefs at hand very soon... but I'm glad to have you back! Author Reply: :-) I know you are not the only person that will like the cast addition, so I thought it might be a good idea. I just hope it's not too scary. I have to admit, I might look at something like that and say, 'wow! too many OCs.' I love the idea of Thranduil's stronghold filled with the sounds of scurrying little elfling feet and all the associated mischief--and Thranduil is a first-time father so somethings are bound to be a surprise to him. I know I did a lot of things as a child that it never occurred to my parents to forbid until after I did them. I like surprising Thranduil a bit. You are right, two chapters towards the end of this story come with serious kleenex warnings (and Galithil's name is written all over one of them)--but we will enjoy some fluff first. :-) Thanks so much for the review. I really appreciate them.

Brazgirl	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 9/19/2005
Hi Elliska! Great, great to read from you again! I miss your story very much! Legolas has many elflings to play with them and this is nice. I like their innocence in playing, when they watch the birds, play with dogs... It was so nice to be a child in such circunstances! But you got me when you described Thranduil seated on grass playing with the dogs, with muddy prints on his clothes! This king is just everything ;-) I love those scenes when one describes children saying goodbye to pets (who don't want to be pets). Their sadness is so undestandable! I remember some things like that from my own childhood. Very nice chapter. I guess Tulus is redeeming himself before his king. But I am still mad at his son. I still cannot believe. For me you can take your time, I will wait for your updates! Always!!!! Hugs, Brazgirl Author Reply: Hi Brazgirl! I am glad to be back again. Real life has been horrible recently but I am planning on taking control of it firmly, so I intend to get back on schedule with updates. I love the innocent little elflings--while they still remain innocent. Animals in childhood are wonderful, aren't they. I had some scenes like this too in mine. And I liked the idea of Thranduil being able to play with the puppies just as the children--a moment of peace for him too. He has to have some and since the Hobbit mentions hearing hunting dogs near the Elvenking's stronghold, I think Thranduil and the children needed some pets! ;-) Yes, Tulus will be a part in this. You will see if he redeems himself and how his son handles himself. That will wait until a little later, when they are a little older, but you will see it. For me you can take your time, I will wait for your updates! Always!!!! I am always amazed when anyone reads again after I have such long delays in posting. I really appreciate that you and others keep reading. Thanks Brazgirl!

The Karenator	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 9/19/2005
Puppies! Nothing is more attractive to a group of children than the 'children' of a furry friend. The picture I got of the little ones rolling around in the hay playing with the puppies was such fun. I'm a sucker for anything furry too; I'd would have been in the middle of the pack of children and puppies. Of course, their energy would far outpace mine. So the adas are going to start teaching the wild things hunting and tracking? That should prove to be more than any parent can handle. The children will probably be as manageable as a pack of puppies. Adas will come home each night after the 'lessons' and collapse with a glass of Dorwinion to steady their nerves. Ah, poor bunny. The children had their hearts in the right place. Dolgailon was right that keeping the rabbit in Legolas's chambers would be frowned upon. With Arthiel's help they came up with a good solution. The bunny will be fat and happy in the garden in no time...and despite being a wild rabbit, will probably be spoiled and never want to leave the garden buffet where massages are free. Such a cute chapter. I'm looking forward to reading the next installment. I've have enjoyed these stories so much, Elliska. Karen Author Reply: I would have been right there with you and them too! And I think your prediction about my energy level vs theirs is likely correct too. ;-) I love the chapters associated with hunting in this part of the story. They turned out to be some of my favorites (although the research for them made me slightly ill, being a vegetarian and all). Yes, teaching these particular elflings to hunt will present its challenges. :-) I think you are right about the fate of the poor garden--and remember, there is never just one rabbit. It, and whatever family it manages to put together, is going to thoroughly enjoy the free ride in the garden--steady buffet and massage from loving children, as you say. Glad you liked it. I needed complete fluff so I picked this one to go next. Thanks for the review!

Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 9/19/2005
Tulus is so lovely with the elflings. (Redemption, redemption I cry!) Very tolerant and kind, but not a sucker. And I think the elflings understood when he explained just why leaving a big hole in the barn was a bad idea. And the elflings themselves are a delight. The two ellyth - well, of course the warhorses want ribbons in their manes and tails! Most of the ellyn - I loved them in the tree watching the ospreys. Galithil is always going to pose a bit of a problem, I suspect. He really needs to be kept busy, busy, busy. All the time. The others can just about keep him in check though - as long as it's five to one. I hope the rabbit rescue made him realise that he isn't skilled enough to be hunting - and that he doesn't really want to hurt the forest's creatures. It was almost a good scheme to take the rabbit home and look after it - if they had just thought out a bit more what should happen when they got it there. Dolgailon and Arthiel proved very useful there. The elflings took notice, did they, of the different parental reaction when they were genuinely trying to help a creature compared to the response when they were just attempting to skive off lessons for their own motives? And they get to help train the dogs. Could be interesting. Perhaps training one or two of the dogs as elfling-herding hounds could be useful. (Galithil's down a well, Lassiel?) I see that Galithil didn't mind giving his share of the salad to the rabbit. Tsk, ellon. You need to eat the healthy greens. And that Lindomiel is resigned to Brer Rabbit munching her garden. What we do for the sake of our children! Lovely. Thrilled to see it. Enjoyed every word. Author Reply: Yes, part of the purpose of this chapter was to show Tulus with the children. We will see a good bit of that. (And of Gilbert with the children too). Poor Tulus. And the elflings--Galithil is like my niece. Constant energy that needs to be spent in a controlled fashion. Trouble happens when that energy is freely loosed as we will see a few times. And I figured he would not miss the salad too much. ;-) But generally speaking they are good little elflings. I used to braid the horses' tails and manes on the farm where I worked (they actually paid me money to do that)--do you know some of those horses used to really like that! I can see little ellyth doing that and some poor warrior having a horse with pink ribbons. :-) Lassiel! Do you dare me to change that puppy's name to Lassiel? I might do it. The little guy plays a continuing role and you are not too far off the mark with that comment. Thanks for the review!

French Pony	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 9/18/2005
Elflings and puppies and horsies and bunnies, oh my! The story of the trusting bunny rabbit was very sweet. Everyone must have been made very happy by the spring to take the smuggling of the bunny with such good grace. And I love how Thranduil's advisors give him parenting advice. Six little elves seems to be quite a handful. But, hey, my mom and the tantes let more kids than that run around together. Kids seem to belong in packs, I think. They're such social critters. Author Reply: Can you tell I was in the mood for warm fuzzy critters when I chose this one to be the second chapter? ;-) At least they didn't have Legolas bringing in snakes or baby spiders--I think Thranduil realizes life could be worse. And yes, I agree that children, like puppies, run in packs. I know we drove the parents in my neighborhood nutz and I'm sure these elflings will do their share to frazzle their families to before the end. Thanks for the review!

Nilmandra	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 9/18/2005
This was delightful, a fun read to end the day. I really enjoy your elflings - they are very much wood elves and curious; mischievous, but not poorly behaved. I was thinking that poor rabbit was meant for Tulus's trap to feed the pups! But, it will survive in the garden nicely and the children can have a hand at raising pups. A good working dog can still be an elfling's best friend! Author Reply: Thanks Nilmandra. I think you are right that the rabbit was saved from a worse fate than any that the children thought of. In fact, there was a line in a part that got cut where someone said if the rabbit hadn't been so skinny, it might still have met that fate. But now everyone is happy. And, as someone who grew up with sheep dogs (and sheep), I agree a good working dog is man (or elf's) best friend. The puppy will actually play a continuing role. :-)

daw the minstrel	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 9/18/2005
I was happy to see this tonight. The children are getting very elfy lessons in how to relate to the forest animals and domestic ones. I have to say the gardeners around here are not fond of rabbit. But then they call deer rats with hooves. Author Reply: Oh rabbits in the garden are horrible--there was part of this that I cut where you saw the conversation that led to the decision about what to do with the rabbit. Legolas first suggested that they put it in Lindomiel's garden--the one we saw in part 3. I cut that because I hadn't time yet in this story to introduce what that garden was and I wasn't sure it would make sense to new readers, but suffice to say, Lindomiel did not go for that suggestion. :-) (And deer are actually worse, it's true). I love animals, so there have to be some in this part of the story. :-) Thanks for the reviews! I'm always so pleasantly surprised when I let this sit for so long that people will actually go back to reading it.

Return to Chapter List