Reviews (28)

NotACat · 12 April 2015 · Chapter 1: A Father and Son Camping Trip

Nice one, I was totally fooled ;-)

lwarren · 21 June 2007 · Chapter 1: A Father and Son Camping Trip

Yesss! This was it - I knew it was either you or Bodkin. Have reread In the West just recently and it reminded me of this one, but I just couldn't place it! Thanks for reminding me, daw...and it is still just as good as the first time I read it (I'm so glad Beliond was reunited with his family - the little references to them throughout your other stories were always so sad). Linda

Idhreniel · 25 September 2006 · Chapter 1: A Father and Son Camping Trip

Ah, what a nice story! I like Lalorn! It was very nice to see him talking to Legolas. I guess Legolas had always been curious to meet Beliond's son.

sofia · 26 August 2006 · Chapter 1: A Father and Son Camping Trip

oh that was sweet. I'm glad that this story featured Beliond and his son Lalorn, seeing that he (lalorn) was only ever mentioned before now.

erunyauve · 22 August 2006 · Chapter 1: A Father and Son Camping Trip

You didn't have me fooled for a second - you write Beliond too well for me not to recognise him as the father. It's a wonderful idea to have Beliond's son meet his 'other son' in Aman. It would be interesting to compare experiences - I think (and get the impression from your fic) that Beliond would ask a lot of his son. Legolas has had his share of Beliond's tart tongue, but it's not quite the same when he's not his father. (And Legolas' father, I think, has a bit of a soft spot for his youngest.) Of course, some of Beliond's gruffness comes from the loss of his wife and son, so he would be a bit less wary of his feelings at the time of this story.

pipinheart · 20 August 2006 · Chapter 1: A Father and Son Camping Trip

Very Nice!! Always wondered abouth Beliond and his son and thier relationship with each other, and is very welcome to know they meet up later. And to see Legolas and his son together could be interesting combination...

Redheredh · 13 August 2006 · Chapter 1: A Father and Son Camping Trip

Just wanted to add my two cents to what has already been said. ;) Another special gift, not just for Perellth, but all your readers. Very exciting and humorous. I like the emotional ending very much.

emjo · 12 August 2006 · Chapter 1: A Father and Son Camping Trip

well my goodness daw I was so excited when I finally got internet service back (I have been with out service for too long) I see a few stories from you. I loved them all! This one was wonderful the only complant I have is I wanted more! Thank you Daw!

moonshine4488 · 12 August 2006 · Chapter 1: A Father and Son Camping Trip

Well Beliond being a father. He doesn't seem like the type of father that hugs his son. But he shows he loves him in other ways, like by taking him camping and giving him the bow. Beliond has always come off to me as the hard core elf who doesn't display his feelings. I also really like the ending with Legolas and Lalorn waiting for the ship. The revelation that Lalorn is about to see his father again was great. I look forward to reading more. Happy writing!

k_lara7 · 10 August 2006 · Chapter 1: A Father and Son Camping Trip

And now we have some closure. It didn't make sense until the end, for Legolas didn't meet his keeper until he was a warrior. Good to know Lalorn would like Legolas, they are so much alike.

Anonymous · 10 August 2006 · Chapter 1: A Father and Son Camping Trip

As always, a delightful tale, filled with adolescent angst, but served up gently, with both humor and compassion.

Nilmandra · 10 August 2006 · Chapter 1: A Father and Son Camping Trip

The vision of Beliond 'filthy, frightened and frantic' is such a troubling thought. Seeing his son die, his own young fool, had to be the worst blow he had been expected to survive. How wonderful that Thranduil thought to grant him another young fool. I like Lalorn and Legolas speaking together, remembering like this. Valinor opens up so many opportunities for new acquaintances and meetings. I would love to have been a butterfly in the tree witnessing this reunion.

ziggy · 10 August 2006 · Chapter 1: A Father and Son Camping Trip

Hurray! A really happy ending- and moving- couldnt wait to see Beliond reunited- it has haunted him throughout your stories and its good to get resolution. I love the humour- dumping the tunics in Lalorn's arms when he is, typical of an adolescent, waiting to be waited on! And by Thranduil no less! Yes, I assumed the L was for Legolas but as other reviewers have said, one of your great skills is in the voice of your characters and this was not Legolas but it took a while for me to suss out who it was. And that was good becasue I then went back to read again and the grumpy old git was of course, Thranduil- and it was a nice juxtaposition that legolas would have been saying exactly the same of Beliond.In fact, it was only when Legoals said 'I dont think he ever got over your death' that I knew for sure - I'm a bit slower than other readers obviously!!! It gave me a sort of jolt of realisation adn I liked that. And I LOVE the idea that legolas looked after Beliond!! How will Beliond react when Lalorn says that to him- as he s bound to- yopu kept that voice naive and young as befitting Lalorn. As always, a joy to read and to find this gift for Perelleth- which is a gift for us all - sorry if this is a bit cakey / gooey. Just made me feel a bit teary.

Elena Tiriel · 10 August 2006 · Chapter 1: A Father and Son Camping Trip

Oh, Daw, this is terrific! You know how devoted we Beliond fans are.... he and his vocabulary are truly fascinating characters! ;-) You did a great job of misdirection, there.... I'm a huge fan of your stories, but had forgotten about the sheath.... so I went all the way through to the end before I realized who "L" was! (To tell you the truth, I'm a bit embarrassed that I have such a terrible memory, since I have re-read your stories so many times.....) So, of course, I had to reread it immediately just to make sure I was right. ;-D BTW, I think there is a HASA challenge that this story would fit very well... let me go look it up.......... Yes! it's called A Tale within a Tale, and I think this story would be a lovely addition..... Actually, when I first saw the challenge announced, I thought of your story about Beliond and the minstrel's jacket that didn't quite cover his assets..... but I don't remember if you actually mentioned anything that he sung.... oh, wait, didn't he sing something about the woods? Anyway, you might want to consider that one, too.... It would make your fans very, very happy... and Beliond's fans delirious.... Good to see you writing Tolkien again, Daw.... I *always* enjoy reading your stories! *Sigh* I wish I had more time to read, though.... - Barbara

meckinock · 9 August 2006 · Chapter 1: A Father and Son Camping Trip

Blood flowed from the gash in the back of Beliond’s head like juice from an underdone cherry pie. I expect we'll never have to hear you complain again that you're no good at description, Daw. What a wonderful tale. Beliond and Thranduil make such a wonderful pair, and I particularly enjoyed bleeding, dripping Beliond. And this line was perfect : You are not the only one Beliond ever called a young fool, Lalorn.” Indeed not! It is wonderful to imagine Beliond reunited with his son after so long. Happy Birthday, Perelleth!

Gwynhyffar · 9 August 2006 · Chapter 1: A Father and Son Camping Trip

I had to laugh at Lalorn having clean stockings because he was wearing the same ones he went there wearing. How typical! ... and Beliond's son calling Thranduil grouchy is like... well... Thranduil's son calling Beliond grouchy. They ALL know from grouchy! LOL This was a great read and a fun story. I would love to see the expression on Beliond's face when Lalorn is waiting for him on the quay. Of course, I would also like to see the look on his face if he happened to hear of Lalorn thanking Legolas for looking out for him. :D

Dot · 9 August 2006 · Chapter 1: A Father and Son Camping Trip

Well. This was wonderfully confusing!! I was skimming down through it – could you tell I was reading illegally at work earlier?! – and realised half way down that I had no idea what was going on so I had to go back to the start again. And pretty much remained puzzled for a while! I knew it wasn’t Legolas because it just wasn’t his voice at all. And even though you did sneakily make it seem for a while like Thranduil could be the father, the voice of the narrator seemed unfamiliar to me. So then I suspected what was going on – and the ‘L’ on the quiver pretty much confirmed it for me – but I have to say, it was very odd having him call his father by his name. I was even looking around for a third adult there for a while. That’s the only thing that unsettled me, really, but unless you wanted both Beliond and Lalorn to be a surprise I suppose it was the most clever way of doing it. Such fun figuring out what you’re up to! And isn’t Lalorn interesting! I did groan at him wanting to shoot the deer. Aren’t they just all the same at that age?! He reminds me of Legolas in lots of ways – but while Legolas could be pretty cheeky, Lalorn’s a lot snarkier! He has a very distinctive voice. I love his sulky attitude towards having Thranduil there :-D Although, I suppose what I really like about Thranduil’s presence is the fact that Beliond felt he needed to be in the forest and dragged him off on this trip. That’s what had me wondering who was who, actually – the reference to being around Men and needing to be in the forest. But that’s because I get confused with timelines and it was a minute before I realised just how far back this is set. It’s still making me smile to see how amused Thranduil is by his friend’s son. LOL! Even if said son is not too happy about that. But he keeps his thoughts to himself most of the time – so his mother must have as much of an influence as his adar ;-) His mother has definitely done a good job of keeping him in the dark when it comes to some of Beliond’s more colourful expressions. And I had to laugh at Beliond himself trying not to say anything too bad in front of his son – he seems like an elf who’s been told off once or twice!! Wow, and look what they’ve come across. I was sweating just reading about them trying to get the branches out. I moved to add mine to the pile, but Thranduil dumped them all in my arms. That might seem like a strange sentence to pick out – but it made me howl with laughter! I love Thranduil in this. And poor hard-done-by Lalorn… He so should have put the tunics in the mud. Poor Beliond. A head-wound and an unexpected haircut. Lalorn sounds worried, no matter how much he tries to seem like he isn’t. Thranduil, of course, probably isn’t fooled at all and keeps talking to him and giving him jobs to do. I love the little moment where he tells him that he acted quickly and Lalorn brightens under the praise. I always like seeing that tender side of Thranduil when he knows exactly what words, no matter how few, will make the child seem appreciated and respected. And Ireally love how fond Thranduil clearly is of Beliond. “It is clean,” I said. “I have been wearing the same ones.” ROTFL!!! Of course he has, he’s a boy. If you stay in its path, you have only yourself to blame. I thought that was quite poignant. I mean, considering that Lalorn will rush headlong into danger from which he can’t escape and Beliond calls him a “fool” for doing it. He was brought up with more sense than that. But then, loyalty and faith and hope are good qualities and those would have played a part in his end too… And the closing conversation between Thranduil and Beliond was a sobering hint of what’s happening outside this pleasant camp in the forest and a hint of what the future will bring. The ending is what made me all teary. It’s clear how much Beliond treasured his son – and even though he’s the same Beliond here that we all know, enough about him has changed by the time Legolas knows him that it’s startlingly, painfully clear what the loss of Lalorn, and of his wife, did to him. It’s very touching that Lalorn was worried about him. But how horrible that must have been too. It was a lovely moment when he thanked Legolas. Legolas may not have felt he was looking out for Beliond but he certainly helped him in ways he’s possibly just beginning to understand. I’m glad Legolas and Lalorn got to meet. Beliond would probably frown and mutter at the thought that they are all worried about him – but I bet he’d secretly be pleased that people are so fond of him and longing so much to see him again. And mostly, I’m just happy that he gets to see his beloved family again and for them all to get a second chance at happiness together. Marvellous story, daw. I’m sure I’ve left out tons of things I should have mentioned.

Jay of Lasgalen · 9 August 2006 · Chapter 1: A Father and Son Camping Trip

All through this story I was trying to work out who the speaker was. It didn't sound like Legolas, but I knew that Beliond's son was dead - and it seemed too sad if it was him. In fact, it sounded more like Karenator's Daeron than anyone - but that was probably the first person POV. To see Lalorn reborn, and awaiting his father's arrival in the Blessed Realm, was great. His memories of the camping trip, especially saving his father, were vivid. Thranduil and Beliond were wonderful, as always, and so were Beliond's language lessons. Happy birthday, Perelleth!

Alice · 9 August 2006 · Chapter 1: A Father and Son Camping Trip

Oh Daw. (sigh) That ending was so sweet. I'm glad we all got to meet Lalorn, brave "young fool" that he is. It was also nice seeing Beliond as Adar and Thranduil before he was an adar. Beliond was of course perfectly in character, which is just how we all love him. I'm glad that Legolas found Lalorn in the undying realm and was able to tell him how his father fared.

mithwen · 9 August 2006 · Chapter 1: A Father and Son Camping Trip

I see you have fooled a lot of people, but I’m afraid I was not one of them. When I read the title, and saw it was a story with Beliond I immediately assumed it was Beliond and his son Lalorn. ;) I usually don’t read stories using this POV…not sure why …anyway, in this story however it felt right to see thing through Lalorn’s eyes. It was a very sweet story. I like Beliond and it was very nice to see him with his son. Does Maltanaur have any children? Perhaps you’ve mentioned it in some of your stories but I can’t remember…

Caro · 9 August 2006 · Chapter 1: A Father and Son Camping Trip

.....oh.....a sweet treat! I did remember the storyline that Beliond's son had died and at a tender age, but I was taken in by the L in the name as well. Re-read the last few paragraphs a few times in order to get my head around it. One small thing, I often wonder about the use of the word "person" to describe elves. Now, are elves "people"? Or are elves "elves"? I'm pre-caffeinated this morning, so don't know if I'm being as clear as I might. Not that elves as people is wrong necessarily, just a lingering question in my mind. "I groaned and swung around to face the person I knew must be there. Lower your bow!” cheers, Caro

Noor · 9 August 2006 · Chapter 1: A Father and Son Camping Trip

Oh Daw, what a wonderful story.........very clever too. I had to read it twice as I knew that Legolas wasn't the first person but then wasn't sure. Good to see how Lalorn would have been with Thranduil and his father. Good touch at the end with Legolas. Are you going to write more stories set in Valinor?? You don't seem to have any trouble writing post LOTR Legolas stuff. When are Legolas and Eilian going to catch up with each other? They do adore each other and surely Eilian would want to know about the Brat's adventures?? Yes, I am angling for another story! Thanks again! Noor

perelleth · 9 August 2006 · Chapter 1: A Father and Son Camping Trip

Now I officially died laughing, Daw, that was priceless!! Then I must admit that I was so happy to see Beliond sailing, and to know that Lalorn was waiting there for him..as well as his wife, it is to be expected! It all took me completely by surprise, since first person was so unusual, but never came to a close guess! I really liked how he came through, with a touch of Beliond's dry humour and his own exasperation as a youngster full of self-assurance...! He did not sound like Legolas at all, but it never crossed my mind that it could be Lalorn, so I went to re-read it again when I reached the end, to my doubled satisfaction! but you did not say he would be so grouchy I laughed out loud here first reading,thinking it was Legolas talking about Beliond, and then laughed out doubly when I understood what he meant. This was a sheer delight Daw, and I must say that both Legolas and I are so grateful that you provided us with this tale of Beliond's misadventures. It is so good to see him going down for a change!! Thank you very much, Daw, it was a great tale!

French Pony · 9 August 2006 · Chapter 1: A Father and Son Camping Trip

Log jams in spring rivers are not to be taken lightly. Even with teams of experienced lumberjacks working on them, they can still kill people. I remember a song about "The Jam on Gerry's Rock," where the foreman, Young Monroe, had a team of six or seven people helping out, and he still came to a bad end. All three of these Elves were incredibly lucky. This was probably a job for a squad of foresters rather than three campers. I love the way Thranduil is already watching out for Beliond and taking care of him. Beliond is such a powerful protective force himself that he probably doesn't realize that he has his own needs. It takes a special person to care for someone like that, and Thranduil does a good job. Loving, but unsentimental about it. And smart enough to know what is likely to come out of Beliond's mouth in any given instant and deal with that appropriately. I thought the device of not identifying the speaker and leaving the father's identity was interesting. It worked in that it did the job well -- the reader doesn't find out who the initial two speakers are until the very end, nor whose son went along on the camping trip, though I think most of us probably guessed pretty early on. On the other hand, it does require the son to refer to his father by his given name, and that doesn't work quite so well, since the Elves in your stories tend to refer to their parents by title, as Adar and Naneth. But it does keep up that little veil of secrecy. I don't know. One one level, it works, but on another level, it doesn't. But it's a great story anyway, with a good mixture of adventure, character, and adults teasing young ones. I'm just surprised that they didn't mock the kid for even thinking of hunting in the spring to begin with.

Manderly · 9 August 2006 · Chapter 1: A Father and Son Camping Trip

All right, I have to admit it. I was confused as to who the "I" was in this story for the first little bit though I had suspected that it was Lalond and was certain when I read about the L carved on the bow. What a clever way of playing with the POV. No wonder Beliond took to Legolas so quickly. The two Ls are very similar in action and thoughts. It must had been a bitter sweet experience for Beliond taking Legolas under his wing. It always gives me a little jolt to see the close friendship between Thranduil and Beliond and how far back that friendship goes. I guess I'm so used to seeing everything through Legolas' eyes that it's hard to imagine that the previous generation was ever young once. Excellent story, as always! Thank you, Daw.