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Reflections from the Paradise of Elves  by Bodkin 6 Review(s)
SharonBReviewed Chapter: 41 on 10/7/2004
LOL, it certainly does sound like they got the children they deserved after all their antics we've heard about. ;-) But that is part of growing up, for the kids testing their limits and for the adults keeping them in line and not letting them know how amused they are by the antics. But Nimloth drew blood, oh dear, poor Uncle Elladan. The worst part is will he survive the kidding by his twin and Legolas later on. Or heaven forbid the kidding from his parents and grandparents.

Author Reply: Come to that, will Nimloth survive? Possibly the worst part of her punishment will be that she will never (and I mean never) be allowed to forget this. Centuries from now, when she is a beautiful and controlled elleth being courted by gorgeous elves, they will all be told about her tendency to bite - and when she has elflings, I expect it will be one of her uncle's favourite stories to tell about her.

The children are mischievous and heedless - but they always get their comeuppance. Their parents have reason to know what they are up to and are remarkably good at catching them. Experience shows! But it must be hard not to laugh sometimes. Legolas and Elrohir already think it is hilarious that brave, orc-slaying warrior Elladan has fallen victim to a little sweet-looking blonde elleth.

EllieReviewed Chapter: 41 on 10/7/2004
This is great! What wonderful banter and their trying not to laugh while doling out discipline! That can be very difficult to do sometimes in real life. Well done. Hoping for more.

Author Reply: It takes children many years to realise how close their parents come to collapsing in hysterics. I hope, for the sake of discipline, that the elflings are too anxious to look behind them.

There will be more. Lots more. I can't help it. It's an addiction.

Thank you for reading.

elliskaReviewed Chapter: 41 on 10/6/2004
I laughed all the way through this one. Elrohir wants to give them pointers to avoid getting caught, basically? Can you imagine his wife hearing that?! And Nimloth biting! Oh, I would have been 'taken in hand' for that alright. I would have got my father's hand on my backside a few times. I can't see elves doing that either but I can sure see them being tempted. They handle that very well.

This was a great phrase: [They] continued to pick their despondent way towards retribution. Too funny.

And this: 'I recall one occasion,’ Elrohir said, ‘when Adar took us both to Lasgalen. We were both adult by then – but you were not, and we arrived in the middle of a most impressive performance from Thranduil. It had my knees knocking and I had not even been in Lasgalen when you committed whatever sin he was addressing. I could not believe it when we saw your adar and ours later. They had clearly been at the Dorwinion and they were in hysterics as they compared your pranks with ours – and boasted about a range of offences from their own early years that made my mouth drop open.’

That is very amusing to contemplate. Love to see that dialogue.

But I cannot help but think about the mothers. As the twins and Legolas say, their children come by these traits honestly. I'm certain Legolas was in the forest at night without permission his fair share of times. The poor wives probably had no idea what they were getting themselves into.

Great chapter!

Author Reply: Well, you do want your children to avoid making the mistakes you made yourself, don't you! (Maybe he hasn't quite got the hang of this yet.)

Nimloth did bite - poor Elladan. Despite being elves she is probably quite lucky to have avoided a slap, which tends to be an instinctive reaction to assault. I think Aewlin has registered that a large gap between Nimloth and Elladan is advisable. I think she has probably some nice new sharp second teeth, which made drawing blood fairly easy. On the other hand - a brave warrior who has survived orcs, battles and general mayhem complaining about tooth marks from a seven-ish (HE), blonde, sweet-looking elleth is quite amusing.

I feel quite sorry for Elrin, who is, in my imagination, a relatively sensible elfling. He doesn't stand a chance, however, when up against his cousins. Yet, as the oldest, he is probably due to get in the most trouble.

The first time you realise your parents are human (or, of course, in this case, elven) and laugh, have a few glasses of wine, make mistakes etc. . . Quite a moment. And I can well imagine that Thranduil was, shall we say, not an easy elfling. (Elrond, I think, was probably easier - needed approval too much to be really wicked. Not secure in parental love.)

I think the elflings have inherited some of their mischief-making from their mothers as well - especially Elerrina, who was probably quite naughty. Sirithiel was a good little elleth and Miriwen in between. Miriwen knew what she was getting into - I think she secretly cared for Elladan before, when she was training as a healer in Imladris, but never thought anything would ever come of it. I was going on a bit here, so I've stopped.

I hope the loving adars manage to sober down overnight so they can do their own parents proud in the morning, when they have to squash some rather tired and nervous elflings.

daw the minstrelReviewed Chapter: 41 on 10/6/2004
She bit him?! Hard enough to draw blood?! How old is she? And whatever happened to well-behaved elf children????

I can remember being simultaneously amused and horrified at some of the things my kid did, so I suppose this is pretty common. And, as you say, these three are reaping what they sowed.

Author Reply: Hamsters and other small furry creatures can draw blood quite easily - she may have panicked at being grabbed and just nipped him. She didn't draw MUCH blood - that's why the other two found it so funny. Elladan the gallant orc fighter, frequently seen swathed in bandages, brought down by an elfling's baby teeth. (Maybe she's cut a few new sharp second teeth.) I'm afraid Nimloth is not a very well-behaved elf child, though it is not for want of effort from her parents.

Children can do some pretty thoughtless things - and it is a case of like adar, like offspring - although with Nimloth, it's more like sow the wind, reap the whirlwind.

Author Reply: The aging of the elflings is a bit haphazard. Nimloth and Aewlin are seven-ish Eleniel and Galenthil ten-ish and Elrin twelve-ish - all (HE).

Jay of LasgalenReviewed Chapter: 41 on 10/6/2004
Bodkin, this chapter needs a coffee warning! Nimloth bit her uncle Elladan? Poor Elladan - and his brother and Legolas were not much help, were they? I think Elrohir may see it differently soon, though, and will do the Very Stern Adar act.

What had the elflings been up to?


Jay

Author Reply: I think she got carried away. She's quite lucky that Uncle Elladan didn't. Mind you, when you've seen him bleeding from serious wounds, incapacitated by spider bites, with assorted broken limbs / concussion etc, a little nip on the hand probably seems quite amusing by comparison. I think Nimloth does need a bit of a stern Talking-To (not that it will do much good - I think only added years will bring her round). The adars (and naneths) will do their best in the morning after they've got over their giggles.

What had they been doing? Don't ask questions like that - it leads to random story-writing.

Rose SaredReviewed Chapter: 41 on 10/6/2004
The children you deserve huh? Thank goodness the valar spared me that. My problem is hiding my disreputable past from my far too good teenagers. Muuuum, they would cry in unison.
humpf
Rose

Author Reply: But would they know what to do with really good little elflings? And elflings take a long time to grow up - so they have so much more opportunity to get into mischief. Parents as adventurous as these would most likely have confident and adventurous children - mischief is only misplaced courage and enterprise.

It's funny when the behaviour patterns are the wrong way round - naughty adults and highly mature teenagers. Though mostly kids find whatever their parents do / did / will do / might do is pretty gross.

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