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Interrupted Journeys: Part 4 Journeys of Discovery by elliska	8 Review(s)
perelleth	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 10/26/2005
Ah! Doomsday has finally arrived! The kids were brave despite their obvious and understandable terror, but I had to laugh at how the "court" prepared for session! That made it all even worse, I'd say! You give criminals in your court an opportunity to speak, Thranduil LOL Hallion managed to put it all into perspective, and then gave it the final touch throwing the "genetic" thing into the discussion! Group scolding has its disadvantages, that every parent wants to have his own go at it !:-) But I think that saying they will wish they had some injury to distract you is a terribly foolish way to tempt fate.” Aiiii... and you're hinting at fate's intentions, aren't you? Galithil was so well brave here... Author Reply: Oh my gosh--look at this review here. I have been so scattered. I read it in my email when it came and forgot to reply to it. I am so sorry--I'm not ungrateful--just very, very forgetful. Poor kids indeed. We all remember doing something that was fun and exciting at the time and then having to pay for it afterwards. But they were brave and mostly very good and honest and because of that, they got off easier than they were going to originally. Thranduil loves and respects Hallion, but Hallion also can make the kind of comments that put even Thranduil in his place. And I think that just drives the king nuts sometimes. ;-) But he needs someone like Hallion sometimes. And as for your last comment, my only answer: yeap. Other than that, you will have to wait and see. :-) Thanks so much for the review. I really did love it and I would have sworn I'd replied to it.

Nilmandra	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 10/24/2005
Oh, a good resolution to the story of elflings run amok. I like how they told, stood with their friend, and made the right decisions. Their behaviors fit well with the idea that elf children for the most part are well behaved and in little need of discipline. That, of course, is much truer in times of peace and prosperity than in a forest where children on a simple adventure can be seriously harmed! The adults as a group seemed to have more sense than any one of them alone would have had - the widsom of the generations speaks through here. In particular, the aunt who pointed out that injury is never good, no matter what, and the grandmother who remembers that all children are not the same and need a customized childhood learning plan! I am curious to see how the issue of the other two children is resolved, and how quickly the elves figure out who the two are. Thank you for an enjoying read this evening. :) Author Reply: Hi Nimandra! I am glad you commented on the "elfings need little discipline" thing. That is obviously how I am showing them. I might have kids if I thought they'd behave this well. ;-) But you are so right that honest mistakes can turn into major tragedy in a world like Mirkwood. They are very lucky they didn't learn that the hard way--this time. the widsom of the generations speaks through here Good! That is really what I was going for as I thought about how it would be different to be a child/parent/grandparent amongst elves. It must be odd to have someone old enough to remember you great grandparents around to comment on your parenting skills. Anastor and Noruil will be resolved but not resolved as you will see--they are going to continue to cause problems for a while, al ong with their parents. I'm glad you enjoyed it and thanks so much for the reviews! :-)

Dot	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 10/24/2005
I’m so glad this chapter ended on a good note because I was trembling right along with the elflings there for a while! I thought it was rather sweet of Galithil to tell Brethil that they didn’t have to admit that he went with them. I mean, logically it made no sense because it would have been discovered and, in fact, would have made matters worse, but it was still a selfless gesture at the time. Galithil does have an obvious problem with authority – and his apparent need to have things proven to him is worrying - but I’ve noticed that he’s loyal to his friends in times of need. I foresee problems for him in the future but there are parts of his character that I really admire too. Of course, they were completely in the wrong but I was very proud of Brethil and of Galithil and Legolas all the same. Poor Crithad! I’d have reacted in exactly the same way. It actually probably makes it worse that he knows that Brethil has been told before what dangers are in the forest because what can he do? The child chose to disregard that. His anger and worry and struggle to be calm were very realistic. And Amglaur is a very good daerada! One of the moments I like most in this chapter, though, is Crithad taking his son’s hand and leading him to stand with his friends. The tension in that sitting room before the elflings arrived was almost suffocating! Brooding adars and worried naneths do not make for a comfortable scene. I’m actually completely torn as to what to think. I mean, Aradunnon is a little harsh but I agree with everything he said to Amoneth. It was foolish and dangerous and such behaviour does need to be dealt with. Dieneryn makes a good point that Galithil is a different person than Dolgailon but I think where that matters most right now is in Aradunnon being aware that Galithil needs to learn things in a different way to his older brother. I think Aradunnon has every right to be as angry as he is. I just hope he can see past that to realise that his son needs to learn respect and obedience from this, not defiance and resentment. Hallion made me smile. This type of thing is indeed part of childhood. And I want to hear more of those stories!! Something I thought you did really well was having Celonhael trying to be the voice of reason to the other parents and then being the first to freak out. That was so effective. I can’t tell you how bad I felt for him when he realised how much danger his beloved son could have been in. He must have been hurt too when he clearly would have been delighted to go with Berior to see the moonbow. You also did a fabulous job in conveying what everyone was feeling as different bits of the story came to light. I particularly liked Amoneth’s calming influence on Aradunnon. I’m a little worried about the relationship between Aradunnon and Galithil, though, when Aradunnon believes immediately that it was his son who went through the trees. Of course, it doesn’t help that Galithil is keeping some things secret. I’d hate to see a distance between them but I guess I’ll have to wait and see… Aradunnon could have a problem child on his hands but he needs more patience and understanding than he seems to have to deal with that. I suspected that the children wouldn’t tell on Anastor and Noruil. I suppose as a child I wouldn’t have either. They can’t see the bigger picture. “So let us make sure we understand this properly: last night, after promising us that you would behave appropriately while guests in Master Crithad’s home, you left his yard—something you have admitted you knew was wrong—to go look at a moonbow because some children who are obviously of poor character, since they were teasing you, told you it would only be visible last night.” Ouch. Well, Thranduil certainly has a knack for getting to the heart of the matter. Why are parents so good at making what appeared to be completely logical actions sound like utter foolishness?! I kind of like the fact that the whole family is involved in this, in that they all contribute towards forming the characters of their elflings – but it must have been so tough on the elflings. Arthiel, Dolgailon, Amglaur and Dieneryn did a good job of holding their tongues!! What a lovely, lovely moment when Legolas apologises to Brethil for ruining his begetting day. And then to Crithad too. And thank heavens Thranduil didn’t blame Crithad! I was afraid… I thought Thranduil did a tremendous job with his son when he spoke to him afterwards. And Lindomiel was there when he was in danger of failing to see Legolas’ side. He really manages to make Legolas see exactly what disappointed him, what angered him and what worried him. The discussion about leading and being led was fascinating and important for any child, but more so for someone in Legolas’ position. Legolas himself is displaying a lot of maturity – more so in his desire to see his father’s viewpoint and to learn from his mistakes than anything else. But he still has a certain impulsiveness to him too that actually rounds out his character. They are going to hate this punishment!!! Thranduil and the owl!! I can’t even begin to tell you how much I adore that image! And in the moonlight! Oh, I love it. It’s altogether a very elfy ending. I was actually left feeling a little sad for Thranduil because some of his fierce protectiveness comes from his own experiences. The closeness between them was very touching, though. This was a great chapter. I was rather glad we got to see the parents have their say but I’m so relieved an understanding was reached in the end. Not that these elflings will stay completely out of mischief :-) Author Reply: I'm a sucker for happy endings--since there are so many parts of this that just don't allow happy endings, I take advantage of opportunities when I can. :-) Galithil definitely challenges his father more than is wise. And you are so right that he learns from experience, not words, poor kid. But as you said, he has some important good qualities too--if only he can shape up enough for his adar to notice them before he kills him. :-) Aradunnon raised one son who happened to be very easy to manage and he thinks the second will be just as easy. He is learning that will not be the case, poor fellow. Getting the adults' tone in this was hard for me and I really enjoyed your comments about all of them. I particularly cracked up about Celonhael. I mean, Thranduil is right: what did Celonhael expect them to say? And he does just freak out when he hears the truth. I think you are very right--more than anything else, he is hurt that Berior didn't just ask to go because he would have loved to take him. But I had fun with all the different adults and thinking about what their roles might be and what their attitudes would be. I thought poor Brethil deserved an apology--he didn't want to go, after all, and his party was ruined by this. I'm glad you liked that part. I did too. :-) Poor Crithad--he was afraid too, but Thranduil was too busy being mad at Legolas. :-) Legolas himself is displaying a lot of maturity – more so in his desire to see his father’s viewpoint and to learn from his mistakes than anything else. But he still has a certain impulsiveness to him too that actually rounds out his character. Perfect, because that is exactly what I want for him at this age. Glad it comes across ok. Big smile And I love the owl too--I know that you know I love birds. I can't resist throwing them in. And The Hobbit does imply that Thranduil learns things from the birds. So this owl was spying for Thranduil. I really wanted this chapter to be shorter, but I could not cut that part. I also like the image of Thranduil with the owl. Poor Legolas--he must realize that he won't get away with anything if that's how it is. I'm glad you liked this. I had not noticed when I wrote this how long it was and it turned out to be really hard to split up for posting. I'm glad it turned out ok for you. :-) Thanks so much for the reviews!

French Pony	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 10/24/2005
Sigh. I hate hate hate when adults behave like that. Seriously, grownups wonder why it's so hard for kids to learn to confess and apologize for bad behavior. But every kid knows that confession doesn't mitigate punishment; it often aggravates it, for reasons that I don't know, possibly because I'm not a parent. But I remember that I hated to apologize for anything to a grownup when I was little because I knew that, even though I had figured out what I did wrong and really was sorry, I'd get a long morality lecture like the one Thranduil gave Legolas in addition to a scolding and a punishment. I still don't like to apologize. And open-ended punishments are the worst. I really feel for the kids here. The only grownup who's on their side is Hallion, and he has to compare them to criminals on trial to get Thranduil's attention. Everyone deserves at least a little defense. The other grownups are so grownup it hurts. Author Reply: LOL! I sooo know what mean. I would make the world's worst parent because if my kid apolgized and said 'I know I was wrong,' I would just drop it there and assume everything would be cool on that front in the future. Well, given that my parents never failed to deliver the morality lecture and the punishment never to be forgotten, apparently that is absolutely necessary--part of the parents' code--but I'm not a parent either and I don't have the manual, so I'm not certain ;-) And yes, open-ended punishments are awful. They are going to hate being treated like babies. Thanks so much for the reviews, FP! :-)

Jay Greenleaf Elf	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 10/24/2005
Amazing chapter. Those elflings really got themselves into trouble this time, but I don't expect it to be the last. I hope those other two boys get caught, they also need to be punished. I liked this chapter and I will keep on enjoying as long as you keep on writing. I am so looking forward to your other story, the summary makes it very exciting and I am sure it will be. Author Reply: :-) They could have gotten much worse, but you are right--this won't be the last and they still have many years of childhood to find more (and more serious) trouble. No doubt they will. Anastor and Noruil are heading towards their punishment as well. We will have to wait to see it, but it is coming and they will remember it. I'm very glad you enjoyed this because I had trouble with it. :-) I am so looking forward to your other story, the summary makes it very exciting and I am sure it will be. I was so surprised to see that comment. I know I have mentioned my First Age thing a few times, but I couldn't imagine how you could have seen the summary already. So I went off to try to figure it out and I realized that if you click on an author's name, you can see all their stories/summaries, even the ones with zero chapters. How interesting. I didn't realize that. But your wish is my command. I finished editing enough of that over the last week (adreneline rush while preparing for the hurricane) that I intend to post the first chapter on Wednesday. I think it is a fun story. :-) Thanks so much for the reviews!

Brazgirl	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 10/24/2005
Elliska!!! I love it!!! One of the best chapters of this part of your magnificent story!!! The children behaved well under the circunstances, especially when Aradunnon inquired them! I wonder what he did to Galithil. The young one has to thank Amoneth can control some of her husband's anger. The most funny part was Celonhael losing his mind... ahaha! Then the children despaired! Arandunnon was on his limit and Thranduil seemed to be holding himself. I like the conversation between father and son. I like the way Thranduil dealed with his son and how he made the child understand what means to be a leader and to act as one. Good lesson; that is most important when concerning the king's son. I still think if Thranduil - or maybe Lindomiel - insisted a little more Legolas would say the names. But I am sure the king will find out ;-) Thanks for the update! Always a pleasure to read you fic! Hugs, Author Reply: Hi Brazgirl! I am so glad you liked it. I really had trouble editing this chapter, so it is good to see people thought it was ok. :-) Poor Celonhael did lose it, didn't he? He just couldn't believe Berior would sneak off to do something he would be happy to do with him. And Galithil definitely did not get off as easily as Legolas--he got restricted to his room too. I am not sure if I will show that in future chapters, but he did. He is such a naughty elfling. And I'm glad you liked how Thranduil handled Legolas (Legolas might not have liked it very much, but it could have been much worse for him). I think Legolas is a bit impulsive, even in LotR (remember Gandalf has to tell him not to ride into the forest to investigate the huorns) and in this story he learns a little to control himself and listen to his better judgment. I doubt this will be his last lesson in that area. ;-) Thank you so much for the reviews! :-)

daw the minstrel	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 10/24/2005
Thranduil handled that very well, I thought. He was a very good father to his disobedient child, and Legolas will learn from that. He was ripe to learn anyway, I think, as his confession suggested. But Legolas was lucky he confessed. I think the adas were most upset and ready to take drastic measures if they had to! Aradunnon has a real problem on his hands though. Galithil seems to fear nothing, and that's dangerous in the world he lives in. I was struck by how different it must be to live in an extended family like this though, so that all manner of adults were there to see the kids get scolded. That's very different than our nuclear family ways. Author Reply: Yes, Legolas was ready to learn from this rather than resist the lesson--he knew what they were doing was wrong from the beginning, so he's not too surprised to discover it didn't turn out well. Poor thing. I do think that their confession made a difference though. They could have seen a lot worse--I would have in my house, confession or no. ;-) Aradunnon does have a big problem on his hands, as we will see. I am glad that you commented about the extended family thing--I really struggled editing this chapter because it just seemed ridiculously long for simply punishing some elflings (especially since it ended up being a separate chapter all by itself). But I had trouble cutting things--I wanted the owl again at the end (I love owls), so I didn't cut that; I couldn't cut their confessions to Crithad/their parents. I thought about cutting the parents' preliminary discussion but I like it because it does play with how different it would be for elves having people around that remember their great grandparents trouble-making. So I left it. Anyway... :-) thanks so much for the reviews, daw!

Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 10/24/2005
Awww. Aaawwww. I shall have to go and read this again. But aawwww. The ending was just lovely. But those elflings can't have enjoyed anything between the beginning and the end. Reasonable parents, showing how your behaviour has worried and distressed them can be even more difficult to cope with than wrathful ones. I suppose the ellyn's recognition of their errors and their honesty in confessing them did help. And in a perverted way, refusing to name the naughty boys is as good as it is bad. I can't see Galithil escaping without being confined to his room, though. Both because Aradunnon is more mercurial and because he is. Berior probably ended up in tears of remorse and escaped confinement. Brethil, poor lamb, is terrified - and has to confess again to his naneth. I'm glad that Legolas was able to be pleased that Eirienil went to see the moonbow with the approval of her parents and tutor. Another brownie point to him. They're not going to like being treated like babies, though. This punishment is going to hurt for a long time. This was worth the wait. I loved it. I think I'll go and read all three Mischief and Moonbow sections. Just to get an overview. Author Reply: :-) I'm sure the children had a miserable day--being in trouble and knowing is one of those things that can raise the blood pressure of even the young. In my family, it was always my mum that got upset and my dad who did the 'we are disappointed' thing. As you said, the reasonable, distressed reaction always had a much greater impact on me. I couldn't stand it. And of course they wouldn't name the other children, even though Anastor and Noruil treated them badly. That 'code' always has baffled me, even when I stuck to it as a child. :-) No, you are right--Galithil got the confinement. I haven't decided if I will post the chapter that shows that, but in my mind he just challenges his dad too much to avoid the harsher punishments. Berior and Brethil did avoid the worst of it though. I do feel bad for Brethil in this--it was his begetting day, after all. And Legolas did show himself to be a good little elfling here. I'm very glad you thought this was worth the wait. I was never particularly satisfied with it, myself. I like the three chapters as a whole (because I like the idea of elflings and moonbows / and because I needed to establish Anastor and Noruil a bit), but posting the 'punishment phase' of them as a separate chapter did not appeal to me. But, posting a 40 page chapter is even less appealing so... Thank you so much for the reviews and the encouragement. :-)

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