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Partings by Bodkin	7 Review(s)
Marnie	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 10/21/2004
Funny, isn't it, that in all the talk about Elrond's parting with Arwen his other children get forgotten. Yet it must have been almost worse with them, going and not knowing what they would chose. I hadn't thought about it, but you're right, Elrond and Rivendell too must have been damaged as Lorien was. This is too sad! Waa! Talk about an unhappy ending :) Author Reply: There's not really much about Elrohir and Elladan in the books (as far as I know), and they certainly didn't merit an appendix. I suppose that at least Elrond knew that he wouldn't see Arwen again, but with the twins he didn't know whether to hope or not. I don't think he would have had much hope - most things went bad for him in the end. There wasn't any fighting to damage Rivendell, I think, but the failure of the rings must have let time in. Though I tend to think Elrond's use of Vilya was more subtle then Galadriel's use of Nenya, it must have come as a terrible shock to the twins to see their home and adar fading. Wallowing in sadness.

Ellie	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 10/20/2004
That was beautiful. Very well handled. Elrond does seem so thin and frail and the twins still seem so strong and hale. Good job! Author Reply: Thank you. The effect of the failure of the Elven Rings seemed to me to loosen Elrond's contact with Middle Earth - and I think he is pained emotionally at the coming parting from his children and feels he is betraying them by leaving. More emotional agony coming.

SharonB	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 10/19/2004
Poor Elrond ceratinly does feel he is deserting his children. But the twins are right, it is time for him to heal and renew himself with their naneth. And it makes sense that Glorfindel would stay as long as the twins do. And where would he be without Erestor to needle both him and the twins. Ah, Celeborn will have quite a group to marshall along when they leave to sail west. And yes, the flavor of Forever Autumn does also fits the theme of this story. I can imagine that is the way Elrond has been feeling since Celebrian left and now the way the Celeborn will feel until he lives ..... "my life will be forever autumn without you". But I do wish I could have been a fly on the wall for the talk between Elrond, Glorfindel and Erestor when they talked about staying or sailing. Author Reply: Whatever the rights and wrongs of the situation, Elrond was a trebly abandoned child himself - Earendil, then Elwing, then Maglor - and lost his twin and his surrogate father when Elros chose to be a man and then Gil-Galad died. (Not to mention the later loss of Celebrian.) I think he would have vowed to himself that nothing would make him desert his children - and he would have looked on this as abandonment, especially as Arwen could never sail to join him in the Blessed Realm. In one of my very first stories I have Erestor finally sailing when Imladris is abandoned and the few remaining elves retrench to Lasgalen, which, having been shielded by the efforts of the elves rather than magic rings, I think lasted longer, and Celeborn, the twins, Glorfindel and Thranduil being among the very last to sail. I'm not sure Elrond, Glorfindel and Erestor would have needed to talk much about what they were intending to do. I think it would have been clear to them - and possibly decided with no more than a word or two, a look and a touch. Sometimes big decisions are much easier to make than little ones. Yes, the Third Age - the long autumn of the elves, fading into the winter of the Fourth Age.

Jay of Lasgalen	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 10/19/2004
What a very sad homecoming for the twins, to see Imladris fading, susceptible to the winter and to time, and their father so diminished. Elrond is wise not to push them into their choice but to allow them to come to the decision gradually. I agree that they would both be Lords of Imladris - they would complement one another perfectly. Jay Author Reply: They have been delaying their return for fear of what they will find - and unfortunately it's even worse than they thought. Elrond is wise. Nevertheless, I think he could do with a bit of good news - I think he would have wanted to stay, and probably promised himself long ago that he would never leave his children, but now he is leaving and, worse, he has no guarantee that he will ever see any of them again. Elrohir and Elladan do complement each other - they are the kind of twins who can perform a task together without actually discussing who does what.

daw the minstrel	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 10/19/2004
‘You will want to change into dry clothes,’ Erestor told them, lifting an eyebrow at the drips they were leaving on the floor. ‘And a bath would not come amiss.’ Apparently some things never change, despite the ring's loss of its power. You are very good at these vivid character-driven moments, Bodkin. And I liked the fact that you explained why Elrond could not stay for his children. Author Reply: No, thank goodness. There are some constants in the world. Life, love and laundry. I think Elrond would have felt terrible about having to leave - I suspect he decided long ago that he would never abandon them as he had been abandoned - and now he is. Thank you. I'm blushing.

elliska	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 10/19/2004
I burst out laughing at the 'a bath would not come amiss' comment. That dry wit fits my view of Erestor perfectly. But I cried through the rest of it. Of all the things that would be hard for the twins to see, I think seeing Imladris entering the unprotected world would be the hardest. Amongst all the hardships they must have seen, they could always go home to the strength of their realm and their adar. Knowing they no longer can would be an eye opening blow. Very powerful. Great job. Author Reply: I like Erestor. Though I think he is feeling the strain of this time, too. The twins must have known intellectually what could be happening in Imladris - they had visited Lothlorien - but it's not the same as actually being there. I think they have been avoiding returning home, because they dread what they will find. And they don't want Elrond putting pressure on them to sail. Elrond feels he is betraying his children, I think. His father left him and I feel he has always sworn to himself that nothing would make him desert his children - and now he is. It must have made his departure even harder. Glad you liked it.

rikki	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 10/19/2004
Ah, thank you. I know that Tolkien never made a list of who went overseas and who didn't, but I have always hoped that the twins, Glorfindel, Erestor and Celeborn did finally sail after all their sacrifices and hard work. I think this is your sadest chapter. Through your description of winter you have shown time is marching on at an even faster pace for the Elves who have had a long springtime and summer of immortality to enjoy. Imladris is shrouded in ice. Elrond and Galandriel are shadows of themselves and passing on to the West. It is the end of an age of Elves. "If ever we needed proof that the Age of the Elves is past, my brother, then it has been provided to us." I don't know why but I am reminded of the movie Dr. Zhavago (tells you how old I am!) and the scene where Lara and Yuri go to the summer palace and it is draped in ice. Not as severe here, but definitely an end to an era. I could go on for pages, but I am going to be late getting to work as it is. If I am responsible for this, then I am happy while there is no definite ending, there is hope. Author Reply: In my mind all of them sailed - in the end. I think they stayed, at least partly for Arwen, and after she, Estel and their children passed, they had less reason to want to stay. And as the world changed and became more man-centric, they would have longed for the reunions they could have. It is sad to see the refuge of Imladris fading and time coming in to destroy it, but in some ways I find the division of Arwen and Aragorn from the elves to be the saddest, because there is no prospect of a reunion for them. I feel for Elrond here - he had such a rotten life in many ways - everybody who could leave him, did - he was abandoned as a child, his wife was injured beyond his ability to heal, his daughter chose mortality and his sons wouldn't make up their minds. I think he would have vowed to himself that he would never leave them, that he would always be there to support them through whatever they did - and now he is forced to go and leave them behind. I think he would have looked on it as a betrayal of his children. And you are responsible for this one!

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