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	9 Review(s)
Dot	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/27/2005
Ok, so I completely misread the chapter title and thought it said ‘Mischief and Monobrows’ and was seriously confused for a while, wondering which was the hairy elf… Anyway, I’m afraid this has to be quick so I’ll zip through it… Loved it! Galithil is hilarious. I laughed at the scene with him and the maid when she so knew what he was up to and yet couldn’t resist him. He’s lucky Legolas didn’t smack him one, though. No-one who has ever woken me in a similar manner has attempted it a second time ;-) This morning, however, despite the fact that they were partially obscured by the trunk of the beech, Legolas could plainly see that his mother was sitting on his father’s lap and that they were kissing. Oh! I love that. I know Legolas is disgusted but I think it’s lovely that Thranduil and Lindomiel have this time together and can be so affectionate. The breakfast table scene was so well done. Sneaky elflings and misled but clever parents. I really like the way Legolas is all cool and mature one minute and “Please, ada, can we do it?” the next. I was only thinking about Amglaur earlier! He really appeals to me for some reason. I suppose I’ve seen his soft side ;-) How generous of him to make that gift for Brethil. The funniest line of the whole chapter has to be “Because then it would be a lesson, not a game.” Of course! I actually found Thranduil’s affection for Brethil really touching. That elfling really will remember getting a ride on the king’s horse. I love that they’re making such a fuss of him. He’s adorable. So how do you bake apples in honey and spice? It sounds delicious! I really enjoyed the whole scene with Crithad telling them stories. He’s a great character! He seems to be having so much fun and then his spoilsport wife ruins it! She’s hilarious too, by the way. “Well, your mother has spoken, Brethil, and we both know what that means. We will obey her.” Sounds wise to me! After the bunny incident I didn’t get too worried this time when they heard someone approach but I certainly didn’t expect Anastor and Noruil! This is also the point where I thought “Aha, it was moonbow!” It sounds magical and I can definitely see why it would be an attraction to elves. Especially nature-loving Berior. And can I just mention that there’s something really sweet about the thought of Celonhael taking his beloved elfling on walks by the river in the evening. Legolas, as ever, has a conscience and yet is led in the end. I’m feeling really bad for Crithad. I would not like to explain to Thranduil that I lost his child. In the forest. At night. Actually, I wouldn’t like to explain that to any of the adars. But surely Thranduil secretly made Crithad agree to having the odd warrior or two wander by?! Or sleep in a nearby bush?! Eek. More please! Author Reply: I literally fell off the couch laughing when I read how you misread the title--oh thank Heavens I didn't type it that way! Too funny!! I am with you on the manner in which Galithil awakened Legolas. I think Legolas needs a little revenge. ;-) No one would try that twice with me either. And I'm glad you liked the little scene with Lindomiel and Thranduil--I love the idea of them having some time together. I like to see Thranduil happy. I grew up in a really small community--where all the children ran together and you loved and obeyed your friends' parents every bit as much as your own--and you could expect punishments from them too. So I can't help but treat Legolas's family and friends somewhat similarly. I think that elves would love elflings and really enjoy doing things like making them games and offering them horseback rides. I think the elflings would have a fairly charmed life to the extent that Mirkwood's environment would allow. I have fun showing that where I can. :-) And the moonbow--they are incredible. I lived near one as a child. I thought it was magic when I was very little. You are exactly right--this is right up Berior's ally. And Legolas's too, poor kid. He tried to do the right thing. And Crithad! I think waking up and discovering you lost the king's son would be enough to kill you! :-) Again, thanks for the review! PS--Almost forgot--as for apples--next time you make an apple pie, try honey instead of whatever sugar your recipe calls for. It is delicious. I didn't name the 'spices' here because I didn't want to worry about whether Mirkwood had things like cinnamon etc--but baked apples in honey and cinnamon is yummy!

Nilmandra	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/27/2005
LOL, well so nice to see Galithil decide to find out if punishments can be three times worse if they are public and done after such an admonition to behave! I am wondering if Brethil's father might only be pretending to sleep, but I fear not... and somehow know this little group is going to get caught. A moonbow though? I like that idea. :D Author Reply: if punishments can be three times worse if they are public and done after such an admonition to behave! ROTFL!! Oh yes--this will only be the first of many such lessons for this poor elfling. But you are so right! And moonbows are really cool. They can be from rain at night, just like a rainbow, but then they are usually just a white arch. But ones that form at the feet of waterfalls are usually intensely colored. I lived near Cumberland Falls as a child an it had a moonbow. I loved going to see it and I thought is was magic when I was very young. Thanks so much for the reviews! :-)

perelleth	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/26/2005
Why is it that despite the many stories read and told about how bad things can go to children (and elflings) who misbehave, they still do it whenever the cahnce presents itself? A group of elflings alone and awake is sure recipe for disaster, isn't it? Then, what idea to tell the such frightening stories and give them ideas!:-) Galithil is such a funny mix of both his parents! I can easily picture him charming the staff into whatever he's plotting... and poor Legolas is too young to hold on to his best judgement! So the happy and carefree troup is chasing the moonbow and.. who knows what else? Author Reply: I don't know what it is with kids and sneaking out at night--it is still a mystery to me, even though I did it myself. It is so stupid! ;-) Oh yes, these kids are trouble waiting to happen, though they may not intend it. :-) Galithil does have a certain charm, even at his age--he is definitely his parents' (and his grandfather, Oropher) son. Yes, chasing moonbows...poor parents--I wonder if elves can have heart attacks? ;-) Thanks for the reviews!

Brazgirl	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/26/2005
Hey, is that true that a couple of days ago was your birthday (or should I say begetting day!)?? If it was... happy birthday! Happy Bithrday! May the Valar shine on your path ;-) Now on the chapter... I feel that something wrong will happen there! Oh, those boys! At least Legolas was coaxed to go with those boys. The same doesn't apply to Galithil, unfortunately. I wonder what will uncle and adar say. Thranduil is right: that elf was very brave to be in charge of the group of elflings! I wouldn't do it!!! It was very, very funny when Galithil spotted Thranduil and Lindomiel in her... private moment of fun! Hahahaha! Legolas knows how to handle his cousin, anyway. Wonderful chapter, very entertaining! It is always a pleasure to read your chapters!!!! Hugs and Haaaaaaaaaaaappy Birthday! Brazgirl Author Reply: Hi Brazgirl! Yes, on the 23rd. Thanks so much for the birthday wish and the review! Yes, 'those boys' is right! I am so glad not to be the mother of boys! They get in trouble even when they are not trying to get in trouble. I feel sorry for Crithad--it would be terrible to have to admit to the king that you lost his son. I'm glad you liked the little scene with Lindomiel and Thranduil--I like giving them those moments. :-) Again, thanks!!

The Karenator	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/26/2005
Well, you know the saying: Give them an inch and they'll take a mile. The little squirts know they shouldn't go traipsing off in the woods in the middle of the night, but what's an elfling to do? There's a moonbow to be seen. Off they go while their guard...dear old dad, Crithad...is sawing logs. Trouble is on the horizon. And you, of course, have left us on pins and needles about what lurks in the dark beside benign moonbows. We have to take into account all the scary stories Crithad has been telling them too. Great setup for a scary (and disobedient) trip into the dark. Galithil's manner of waking Legolas was cute. He got such a kick out of starting Legolas's day off with a bang. I don't blame Legolas for being less than amused with the rude awakening. I'd be mighty cranky myself if someone jumped on me first thing. But Legolas got over it when he was reminded that there was 'mission' to be accomplished. Cute...and so kid-like. And, they caught the king and queen smooching. Well, yuk. I'm sure they see that as a waste of time. Give them time...give them time. Great chapter, Elliska. You've captured the sly nature of manipulative kids and the parents who really know better, but are willing to extend a chance to the little scamps. I'm sure after the parents find out about the great moonbow adventure, they'll be most unhappy. Let's hope the little truants don't run into anything terribly dangerous. I look forward to the next chapter. Karen

Jay of Lasgalen	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/26/2005
Sigh I always thought Thranduil was wise and clever. After all the stories where Legolas sneaks off when he's supposed to be staying with a friend (albeit by different authors!) you'd have thought that he knows better by now. If I was him, I'd have set an entire company of guards around them, AND tied Legolas to a tree for good measure! The moonbow sounds lovely, though - what will they find when they get there, I wonder? Author Reply: I am just cracking up reading that! Too true! Poor Thranduil can defend the Woodland Realm against Dol Guldur for an entire age without a Ring of Power but he can't keep dwarves, Gollum or elflings in his stronghold. So much for those magic doors, huh? ;-) And so much for my defense of the Elvenking! :-) But you are not too far off the mark in your statement, just give Legolas a few more years to really earn it. Moonbows are really stunningly beautiful. I used to live near the one in Cumberland Falls, Kentucky and we went to see it several times when I was younger. If they are caused by rain and the moon, then they usually just look like a white arch in the sky. But if they are caused by the mist of a heavy waterfall during a full moon, you get the whole visible spectrum of colors. And at night, when all the colors around you are muted, when you see that, it is amazing. Something I can definitely see as 'magic' that woodelves would love.

Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/26/2005
Silly elflings! Legolas was almost sensible - but couldn't stand up to the peer pressure. And Galithil knows the punishment will be far worse if he takes advantage of someone outside his immediate family - but he still does it! Galithil definitely lacks thinking-ahead skills. And will always be susceptible to having his chain yanked. Those two other elflings know how to play the younger ones - if only Crithad had woken up. I don't see quite how he had enough nerve to sleep at all when in charge of a posse of elflings. His wife'll never let him live it down. And the palace elflings will be sealed in their chambers until they are grown warriors. I love the mischievous Galithil wake-up technique. I don't blame Legolas for being displeased. But at least he had enough sense to sneak his cousin away before Thranduil noticed them observing the - er - more intimate moment with Lindomiel. Leaving the sleep-out request to the last moment wasn't perhaps the best idea - although it did stop the parents extorted promises of good behaviour over several weeks. But they still got to stay! (No ellyth though. That diminishes the possibility of any sensible decisions once the peer pressure starts. Legolas needs Eirienil to remind him of the disadvantages of behaving irresponsibly.) I think Brethil ought to join in Legolas and Galithil's lessons. Their tutor deserves to have someone there who enjoys what he has to say! And that is such a typical child response - if we have to learn it, it's not fun - but we can spend endless hours doing something almost identical because we want to. I'm rambling. I love part one here. I hope part two comes soon! Author Reply: Yes, Galithil has a long way to go, poor kid. He'll get there eventually but it will be painful at times. But you've got him exactly right--at this point in his life he does not get the concept of thinking ahead and it is fairly easy to push his buttons. Combined with the fact that I see him as getting the impulsive and adventurous genes from Oropher, it is going to be a bumpy ride for a while. Legolas on the other hand knows better. It was just curiosity that is his weakness. When I was first writing this and thinking about what would be things Legolas would have to learn as a child, I pictured him on the Quest ready to head off and look at the huorns and I decided that his weakness might be curiosity and a bit of impulsiveness. I could see him tempted past all reason to go look at a moonbow. And Anastor and Noruil do have a lot of their fathers in them. And yes, the ellyth tend to be the restraining factor in these stories--when you see they will not be a major part of a chapter, feel free to expect trouble. ;-) As for Crithad, I feel sorry for him, actually. Obviously the elflings actions will eventually be known and how do you suppose he will feel?! Can you imagine waking up and realizing you've lost the king's son--I think it would be enough to give an elf a heart attack. But yes, betraying the trust of your parents is bad--betraying the trust of your host is a completely different thing, I think, and Galithil does know that. He'll know it better. I liked Galithil's rotten little wake up technique too. I had fun writing that part. :-) Part two will be out quickly--I never really intended to divide this chapter (I intend to post most of these as stand alone little stories that are loosely linked) but I realized this was way too long for one chapter so I divided it. I doubt I'll post it tonight because I work until 10 on Mondays, but sooner than this weekend, I think. Thanks for the review!

French Pony	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/25/2005
The one adult in charge of known mischief-making elflings is sleeping through this whole moonbow discussion? He is so going to regret this in the morning. What a great adventure for the little ones. Really, you'd hardly suspect that the guy had already raised one kid to adulthood, the way he just flops down to sleep after telling them scary stories like that. But what a party! Backyard tenting, the Elvish versions of Vanishing Hitchhiker stories, horseback rides, special treats. . . All it needed was some s'mores. And I love the thought of Amglaur hanging around being a Grandpa and carving toys for the kids. Kind of reminds me of my grandpa before he stopped pretending that my sister and I were boys. The best scene of all was the first one, with Galithil going in to wake Legolas up. It reminded me of the day my grandmother wandered off -- I think I've told you about this before -- and my mom dropped me off real early at a friend's house before the search parties went out. My friend hadn't gotten up yet, so I got to be the one to go wake her up. The look on her face when she woke on this perfectly ordinary day to see me there was priceless. "Pony? What are you doing here?" Trust the grownups to make backyard camping into a major production. Author Reply: Can you imagine being Crithad and losing the king's kid?! In the middle of the night in the forest?! I think I'd be too paranoid to fall asleep if I were him. Obviously his older child, Arthiel, was either A) a very well behaved child; or B) really sneaky. Given that we have already seen her in places her adar would not approve of with Dolgailon (in the last story), I'd vote for option B. We'll have to see if Brethil is that sneaky/lucky himself. I think Crithad was hoping the scary stories would keep them in place--they were about elves disappearing after wandering around at night...apparently these kids need the moral of the story to be a bit more explicitly explained. ;-) I'm glad you liked the scene with Galithil waking Legolas up--that was my favorite too. It was a lot of fun to write and picture--poor Legolas. I love that story about your grandmother but you never told the part about you waking your friend up--I bet that was classic. Thanks for the review, FP! :-)

daw the minstrel	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/25/2005
Oh dear, oh dear. This is trouble. The adults are not going to be one bit amused. It's going to be a frosty day in Mount Doom before they get to sleep outside again. Author Reply: :-) Kids and sneaking around after dark--it has always fascinated me. I did it myself. All my friends did it. To this day I cannot tell you what the attraction was other than the thrill of getting away with it. I never got caught. Not once. And I did it a lot. We'll see how Legolas and crew does. But I think you are right--no one is going to be amused by the ultimate outcome of this. Thanks for the review, daw. :-)

Return to Chapter List