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Belonging by Bodkin	22 Review(s)
Candy	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 9/2/2008
That was lovely! I love brooding Elrond but happy with Celebrian Elrond is even better!

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 12/4/2007
And in the end three were enough, they ended up separated for about five centuries, and there was one more loss ere their reunion. Not the togetherness and blissful peace he'd wished for, but one with its own joys. I appear to have missed this one while Hughes was keeping me offline for weeks at a time. A beautiful, erotic look at the earliest times of this wonderful marriage. How much loss Elrond knew during his life--parents, home, beloved foster father, brother, mentor and king, so many beside whom he labored and fought, great nephews and their siblings almost beyond count, and at last home and beloved daughter and foster-son close as his own progeny as he sailed west to find this love once more awaiting him. That he should know this joy is so wonderful, especially when I read it in so well told a tale. Thank you, Bodkin.

Lindelea	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 7/25/2006
Bittersweet and beautifully done. This was a particularly nice exchange: ‘I can taste prevarication on your lips,’ he warned her. ‘I will have to seek the truth of the matter.’ And this was almost painful to read, considering what we know of the future: Too hurt to trust to fate or the Valar, he concealed the fear that every blessing would come with a sting, that every gift carried with it a doom. But now you make me curious to know more. You know, I really don't know when Imladris was built, or who built it (Elrond?) or how he came to be a Lord in the first place, after being Gil-Galad's herald. (Have been reading about what heralds did in the Middle Ages, as a matter of fact, and haven't quite been able to reconcile that with the little I know of Elves.) Author Reply: H'mm. Imladris was established in 1697 of the Second Age when Appendix B says - 'Eregion laid waste. Death of Celebrimbor. The gates of Moria are shut. Elrond retreats with remnant of the Noldor and founds the refuge of Imladris.' The Second Age then goes on until 3441. Elrond marries Celebrian in 109 of the Third Age with the twins arriving in 130 and Arwen in 241. Elrond certainly wasn't a Herald in the sense of being a chap with a trumpet who announced guests. I wonder if Tolkien meant it to be more the voice of Gil-galad - one who would go forth and speak for his king. Or then there is the College of Heralds - who are more (to my mind) the record-keepers for the aristocracy. I could see Elrond as the one who kept the written record of his people. Elrond was desperately young at the time of the War of Wrath, and any role he had then would have been, I suspect, symbolic, but by the Last Alliance he was 3500+ years old, scholarly and wise and he had been running Imladris for about 1500 years. He would have been far more than a figurehead. He was (I think without checking the family tree) Gil-galad's closest male relative and (probably) the person most likely to take up the kingship of the Noldor after Gil-galad's death. Gil-galad was - again probably - Fingon's son, while Elrond was Turgon's great-grandson. (Just talking Noldor bloodlines here.) Fingon and Turgon were Fingolfin's sons and Finwe's grandsons - and first cousins to Galadriel. In addition to his descent from the Noldor kings, Elrond is also the only elven descendant of Elu Thingol and Melian - through Luthien, Dior and Elwing. And that is ignoring his descent from the three houses of Men. His father, Earendil, was Lord of Sirion - before taking up his night job as Gil-estel. Elrond is more than qualified for being a Lord - although he is frequently referred to as Master Elrond. I do think Elrond needed Celebrian - she has had a fairly secure life with two strong parents protecting her and has grown up very secure, while Elrond was 'orphaned' very young and has already had a lot of abandonment and loneliness to deal with. And that makes knowing what happened to Celebrian very sad - but they did have 2500 years or so together before she had to sail - and they were reunited, even if their children did not sail and Arwen's choice meant that she never would. And at the moment they are fairly newly-wed and very happy. And Celebrian is determined to make Elrond relax and enjoy the little moments instead of concentrating on the big picture and his duty all the time. I think she'll succeed! He will have some very happy times to look back on when sadness comes.

Imhiriel	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 7/24/2006
Beautiful; more sensuous than any more explicit descriptions could be; heart-warming. Celebrían, and her thoughts on her husband, are simply delightful. I particularly like the paragraph beginning with "Celebrían held him to her like a treasure as he rested on her breast..." Author Reply: I do feel some things are best suggested - the imagination can fill in the rest quite easily! Celebrian is a delightful character - and I love the way Nilmandra portrays her - she is warm and outgoing and mischievous and yet an absolute rock for an elf who needed that more than anything. And although tragedy comes, they do have about 2500 years of happiness to bolster them against the bad times to come. Thank you - I'm glad you enjoyed it.

The Karenator	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 6/26/2006
Ah, Bodkin, she says with a sigh. That was lovely. Reading about Elrond and Celebrían is always rather bittersweet, but it's always nice to see them young, in love, and playful. One of Celebrían's strengths in the dark times ahead was this love they shared. You did such a nice job of showing in this snippet in time how that bond grew and was nurtured by them both. I loved the discussion about being shallow. I suppose we all have shallow moments when with the one we love, but that attraction is what makes the whole thing so much fun. It's as it should be. I also loved the line about Celebrían being from the kitchen. Made me smile. At the end, when she pondered how much he had lost already and how hard it was to trust that happiness would not be snatched from him was quite poignant. You have such a lovely way with words. Sorry I'm so far behind on reviewing, but I did want to tell you what a delightful story this is. I'm sure it made Nilmandra's day as it did mine. I love all this birthday fic stuff. We all get a gift! Author Reply: Thank you, Karen. I'm glad you liked it. I keep reminding myself that Elrond and Celebrian had 2500 years or so of happiness - and that they will be reunited (when I suspect their passion for each other will be even more intense - for a time, at least!) Elrond and Celebrian could relish the pleasure of being shallow together - because they both knew that underneath the shallow, they had depth like the Mariana Trench. And the opportunity to play must have been a revelation to Elrond, who (I think) was probably sober beyond his years from the time he was four. Possibly even before, if foresight struck him young. The dramatic irony of knowing that their love won't last - undamaged, anyway - is one of those things that makes their happiness now so very important and heart-rending. It takes me a while to get round to replying sometimes! (Some days just are !!!) I'm just happy you enjoyed the tale. These birthday stories are rather fun. ... I shall have to poke around and see if I can discover yours to add to the list!

meckinock	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 6/23/2006
The only thing Nilmandra likes as much as fluffy elflings is....half-naked, soaking wet, hair-unbound, playfully lustful Elrond! Whoa. What an image of him in that first paragraph. This was such an engaging look at him and Celebrian together in the full, bounteous spring of their marriage. I don't know how long the giddy newlywed stage lasts in elves but I like it. I love the playfulness and the teasing between these two. Elrond had been through so much by this time, it took a very special elleth to get him to let his hair down and enjoy life. The playful banter about elflings is wonderful - it's so warm and natural, and so nice to see them accepting the future as a gift. Maybe they'll get that dozen elflings, someday. They certainly seem to have the stamina for it. Lovely story, Bodkin. Author Reply: Well - that's surely a sign of good taste! Only to be compared to slightly-rougher-at-the-edges, half-naked, soaking wet, hair-unbound, playfully lustful Rangers! Elrond must have been giddy in the early years of marriage to Celebrian - unable to believe his luck and bemused that he had suddenly come home. I reckon he would have done his best to be dignified in public, but it wouldn't have taken Celebrian more than a touch to have turned him to jelly. Which could have been bad, I suppose, if she hadn't been as strong and loving and generous as he was. A dozen elflings seems a bit of an undertaking - but I do love to thing that, perhaps, once the twins returned to them, they might have gifted the Blessed Realm with an elfling or two who could grow up in peace and safety, without having to face the difficulties of the choice. Thanks, meckinock. I'm glad you liked it.

perelleth	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 6/22/2006
How sweet and sexy! It's very entertaining to watch these two playing together as a newly wed couple, and planning a dozen elflings and thus beating Feanor's record! A perfect birthday present, I'm sure! Author Reply: Thank you! I think Elrond would be slightly astounded at his capacity for play - and have a tiny detached part of himself looking down and marvelling. Both at the play and at the sheer fantastic wonderfulness of having Celebrian devote herself to him. He had been without family for a long time - and having her twining her fea with his must have been heady stuff! I think they were joking about the dozen elflings though - more's the pity! A better birthday present than Gollum's? Less life-changing, certainly!

Kitty	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 6/22/2006
Sweet ficlet, Bodkin! How lovely to see them playing so carefree with each other! I think Celebrían was good for Elrond, as she made him happy after all his losses and gave him the family he had never truly had, even as an elfling. Though I suppose they changed their mind about the two dozen elflings after the twins were born. Imladris wouldn't have survived more of this sort, and neither would Elrond and Celebrán have remained sane ;-) Author Reply: Celebrian gave Elrond someone who really belonged to him - probably for the first time since Elros chose to become mortal. (I can't decide whether their bond would have weakened then or whether he felt Elros until his twin's death.) And elven bonds being what they were, for the first time since then, he will have known that he was not alone - something that then had 2500 years or so to grow before it got put on hold for 500 more years. I don't know that they were too serious about two dozen elflings ... it seems rather an excessive number. It would make me happy to feel that they perhaps extended their family a little in the Blessed Realm in the enthusiasm of being reunited - although I think Elrond might not have wanted to... I suppose elves could, I they liked, have extended two dozen elflings over several ages... But I think they were just joking!

elliska	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 6/21/2006
Oh I love seeing Elrond and Celebrian this way and I know Nilmandra will as well. It is so wonderful to imagine them newly wed (in elven views of time) and still so powerfully drawn to each other and completely enjoying that feeling. And this was quite steamy. Loved it, Bodkin! And again, happy birthday Nilmandra! Author Reply: Elrond spent a long time alone. Friends, certainly - Glorfindel, Gil-galad, Erestor probably - lots of people who cared about him. But no-one who belonged - he's still learning to adjust to it, I think. Having let someone in behind his defences. Celebrian is much more confident - younger and having lost far less in her life. And they are having fun! Keeping warm in spite of the cold water!! I'm glad you liked it ... if you all - and Nilmandra - enjoyed it then I'm happy.

Redheredh	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 6/20/2006
What a lovely interlude! And in your utterly wonderful, talented style. He takes her breath away!! Loved that bit. :) Very enjoyable and sweet. A excellent gift for the great lady's birthday. Author Reply: Thank you, Redheredh. Elrond and Celebrian deserved a day away from being sensible and responsible. I love the way Celebrian releases Elrond's inner elfling - he hasn't much experience of the total trust that exists between the two of them. And he knows that he has that level of power over her - and that's good for him, too. An afternoon to remember!

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