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Elflings   by Bodkin 11 Review(s)
LarnerReviewed Chapter: 4 on 10/24/2006
The night with Elrin must have been a delightful thing; while that with the twins was something I'd not wish on anyone. That both should come together at the same time was just too bad! I do not envy Earendil at all. But I'd love to spend time with Elrin--without the Twin Terrors at the same time, I fear, however.

That sandwich will ever remain in my mind, along with the joy Elrin felt as he watched and recognized the other ships sailing the Sea of Night. How glorious for him!

And Celeborn has the more gentle, everyday experiences to go through with them, from frogspawn to the realization these are indeed Galadriel's great-grandchildren.

Author Reply: It would be a truly amazing experience to journey with Earendil. I wonder if he has taken Elrond with him ... I think Elrond might have refused to go - at least until there was no longer anything drawing him back to Middle-earth. He would have been afraid of breaking his heart, I reckon. The twins would go - and relish the experience ... probably. Once they are truly recovered from their last years in M-e.

I don't reckon Aewlin and Nimloth will be asked back. Not until they are at least a century old and displaying much more sense of responsibility. Elrin, though, will, I am sure. And he found it a wondrous experience.

I feel sorry for Earendil. Yes he can occasionally offer this splendid experience - but Celeborn raised his daughter and loved his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Earendil has had to watch from afar and none of his descendants really have a loving relationship with him. He seems so lonely. And so does Elwing.

Elven_lady14Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 12/19/2004
Wow, great story!! very cute! I never would'ver thought of putting Earindel and gis great grandchildren together but it was a good idea!

Author Reply: A little bizarre - would the Valar really embrace Take Your Grandchildren to Work Day? But fun to think of. I feel sorry for Earendil and Elwing - they seem to have missed out on a lot of normal life while being saviours of Middle Earth. They deserve to get to know their descendants. And they deserve better than to be the victims of Aewlin's and Nimloth's mischief.

BejaiReviewed Chapter: 4 on 12/13/2004
Just want to mention how much I enjoyed this little glimpse. My grandmother used to say that it was too bad the generations weren't longer, that children couldn't know their great-grandparents. Alas, she proved the point, and died when I was only ten. I love how you're exploring what would certainly be one of the biggest perks of immortality. Too bad Earendil doesn't really get it.

Great chapter.

Author Reply: It would be rather great to be able to get to know all your ancestors - and all the kids. And, moreover, they are all in the prime of life with none of them looking over twenty five. It would mean, though, that they would need special names for different generations - great-great-great-grandfather lacks identity. Not a problem for mortals, since the only way to have living g-g-g-grandparents is for people to start reproducing very young. And live. All my great-grandmothers died before they were fifty.

Poor Earendil had little experience parenting his own sons - and since then he's been a star. And visiting Elwing in her white tower. It probably hasn't helped his social skills. I hope the family make an effort to keep visiting - he and Elwing could do with it.

Thank you for reading!

lwarrenReviewed Chapter: 4 on 12/13/2004
This was totally hilarious...poor unsuspecting Earendil! I think it is about time that he and Elwing experience some of the joys of great-grandelflings! Those two twins (do you think I'll ever get their names down?) are terrors...but I foresee in their future a day of reckoning. As they get older, such antics become less "cute" and more accountability will be expected from them (I preach that "sermon" regularly to my third graders...what was funny and cute in Kindergarten is not so anymore!) Besides, Elrin will be around to help mete out punishment. What a great kid...so astute, too! I particularly enjoyed his interaction with Earendil. I had to agree though, a visit now and then will never make up for the time spent caring for, comforting, teaching, and loving these elflings on a regular, daily basis. Still, it's good they've at least been given an opportunity to visit from time to time. Great chapter!

linda
(had to laugh at one of your replies...what would they do if Earendil took a vacation...is there a substitue hotline he can call, or perhaps a Guild for Stars-in-the-making?)

Author Reply: I hope the twins (Aewlin and Nimloth) pick up the idea that they are getting tiresome soon. There is enough potential for disaster in growing up without deliberate mayhem. 'It's not clever and it's not funny, Nimloth. You are old enough now to show some consideration.' Elrin is old enough to be able to manage them at them moment - but they will soon realise that he is not that much older than them and that he can't really do much to stop them.

I feel sorry for Earendil - and Elwing, come to that. They seem to have been left out on a limb rather - elves, but not part of the family in a way. With a task that seems an honour until you think about it. Earendil would have been better off just taking Elrin, but adults with little experience of little monsters really do not realise quite how difficult child-care can be.

What would happen if Earendil called in sick? Can anyone put on the Silmaril and fly Vingilot? Or do they just hope it will be a cloudy night and no-one will notice its absence?

Jay of LasgalenReviewed Chapter: 4 on 12/12/2004
This is a wonderful tale. Poor Earendil, he doesn't have a clue what's in store for him! It's interesting that Aewlin is just as bad as Nimloth at finding trouble - I loved her knocking the ship off course, learning swear words from her great grandfather, and the Silmaril slipping over his ear!

The saga of the sandwiches was great - that Elrin makes the twins eat them in punishment, that they prepare for that, that he knows they will. *Sigh* What has poor Elrohir ever done to deserve these two??


Jay

Author Reply: Aewlin is worse in some ways, because she thinks of the trouble. But they are both rather headstrong. (I wonder what Galadriel was like as a child?) They're not stupid, so they will learn in time, although sometimes the fun is worth the trouble that will follow.

I think Elrohir might be a touch soft-hearted in dealing with his daughters - he understands their difficulties too well and neither he nor Sirithiel is prepared to make a stand.

It will come, though - they're sevenish in human terms now and what can be cute and mischievous in little kids becomes intolerable in older ones. I think the whole family will be ganging up to bring them into line soon.

elliskaReviewed Chapter: 4 on 12/12/2004
Oh those children are monsters! What did they put in the food and drink?! I have to admit, I played that very joke once. And I got exactly the same punishment. I bet Elrin loved steering the ship though. And what a wonderful idea to use Eärendil. I like to see them with him. I always felt sorry for Elrond and Eärendil and Elwing--they alway seemed so alone. Great job!

Author Reply: They think they're funny. They're only about 7 in human terms (17) and they think that they are hilarious - but I think they are approaching the age when they will learn that they can't expect to do what they want all the time. (I think they put Elven-Tabasco sauce in the wine, and vinegar maybe - and everything they could find in the sandwiches.

Elrin loved the whole experience - well, except dealing with his cousins. I don't think Earendil would mind taking him again - but he will definitely refuse to take the twins.

I've always felt for Elrond, but the story of Earendil and Elwing is one of those that sounds quite romantic until you think about it. They've chosen to be elves, right, and be immortal - and Elwing dwells in a white tower waiting for Earendil to return from his everyday job as a star. Alone, are they? Just the two of them for ever? No breaks, because of course Gil-Estel has to be in the sky every night. Separated from the elves of Aman? Who delivers food? Clothing? Do they get no company? I don't think looking down over Elrond in Imladris would be much of a consolation.

Elena TirielReviewed Chapter: 4 on 12/12/2004
This is great, Bodkin! And so creative to use one of their forebears with a more, um, unusual career... The kids have got such strong personalities; Eärendil was fortunate to have invited the older cousin, too... otherwise, he might have ended up crashing in Middle-earth! Silly adults, thinking that they have everything under control...

- Barbara

Author Reply: Thank you! I've actually started wondering about working conditions for poor Earendil. Does he get vacation time? Who takes over piloting Vingilot when he takes Elwing off for the weekend?

I suspect Elrohir would have been very doubtful about the outing had Elrin not been going - he is (in human years) about seven years older than them - old enough to be able to impress them a bit. And he knows them very very well. (I have them all living in a kind of elven stately home with their own apartments, so they are pretty much as close as siblings.)

The twins would have run Earendil ragged - just for the fun of it. He was rather over-confident - but he has learned!

NilmandraReviewed Chapter: 4 on 12/12/2004
Poor Earendil - he really should have taken his own son and grandsons, perhaps, and Elrin - that would have been a nice group he could handle! Clearly the ellyth were too young to appreciate the opportunity and what they were getting to do. I think they must have inherited this from their mother....surely Elrohir was never this bad?

Author Reply: They would have had a good boys' night out, wouldn't they? With lots of conversation and wine and reminiscence. Well - a precedent has been set now, so maybe he will be able to invite them along another time for a bit of male bonding. Shame there won't be much point taking the fishing gear.

The ellyth are just brats at the moment - but they are at the cusp, I think. They either have to improve or become unbearable. Sirithiel is a very sweet and amiable ellyth, I'm afraid - of a line of quiet and co-operative people and she finds her daughters quite disconcerting. I think the twins have inherited their . . . force of character and determination from their great-grandmother. I can imagine Galadriel might have been an interesting child to raise.

SharonBReviewed Chapter: 4 on 12/12/2004
LOL, such miscreants those charming children are turning out to be! They creatively made those sandwiches on purpose that way? Poor Earendil, he's lucky the ship didn't crash into Middle Earth with them aboard. ;-) The little ones certainly do take ofter ther adas do they not? This was very cute.

Author Reply: The twins are rather brattish at the moment. (I think Elrohir and Sirithiel are going to have to try something different in an attempt to civilise them.) And they are far too aware of how they can charm their way out of trouble.

Poor Earendil didn't know quite what he was taking on here and he was a bit too over confident - or he would have taken advice. And handcuffs.


sqrt(-1)Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 12/12/2004
This is such a lovely idea! And poor Earendil! To have so little experience with children, and then suddenly be stuck with three of them, by yourself, all night! I don't think Celeborn should be annoyed with the whole thing - Earendil is, in a way, getting punished for having left his children here. I wonder what Elrond thinks of his grandchildren going to work with his father?

I like seeing the elflings first-hand instead of just through their adars' conversations - will you write more of these, do you think?

Author Reply: There are two partially written - they are a bit younger in those (which is why this is number 4). And I am sure there will be more. I have some chapter titles in mind, anyway!

Earendil was a bit over-confident here - I think Galadriel should have pointed out to Celeborn that Earendil would be only too grateful to give them back. I imagine that Elrond - and maybe his sons - would have the kind of response of the offspring of many long-disappeared fathers who feel they can suddenly pop back in your life and pick up the role they abandoned. (Not that he had any choice. But he is not Ada or Daerada in the way that Elrond and Celeborn have been - and you can't pick the role up overnight.)

Glad you liked it.

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