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Discretion by Bodkin	12 Review(s)
Kitt Otter	Reviewed Chapter: 14 on 5/18/2008
“Galadriel’s voice held the bloodstained shadow of Alqualondë; the attrition of the Grinding Ice; the final echo of the screams in Menegroth.” – ooh, that is haunting. Glorfindel’s little horse was Asfaloth? How wonderful! g The twins smiles seem rather creepy to me. I almost feel sorry for Glorfindel. “Elf of mystery...” Then again, Glorfindel needs to learn to laugh at his own golden self. Perfect conclusion. I really enjoyed this story. ;) -Kitt

Dreamflower	Reviewed Chapter: 14 on 10/11/2005
This was utterly delightful! How nice to see those who had to spend millenia intriguing and manipulating simply in order to survive and help their people, now putting that same intelligence and cunning to work on something as harmless as maintaining a little joke. By far, my favorite parts were Gimli's determination that his Elf was not going to be made a fool of, oh no. And Galadriel's amusement being so transparent to Celeborn. Just lovely. Of course, there are now all those garbled phrases being repeated throughout Arda. And I wonder what other members of the Fellowship besides Aragorn might have picked them up, and if the Great Smials and Brandy Hall occasionally also echo to the desire to be a Dwarven maiden's lap-dog. And you didn't happen to mention Gandalf's reaction. snerk Author Reply: I am so glad you liked it! Elven jokes just never fizzle out - there's always someone there who can revive them! I love Gimli - and his possessiveness about his elf really amuses me. (I wonder what Legolas thinks of it?) And I'm very attached to the relationship I see between Galadriel and Celeborn - of deep love, infinite understanding and a judicious dose of spice! The thought of Pippin perpetrating mangled Khuzdul is rather amusing. It is just the sort of thing he would pick up! And Merry - warrior's words. I wonder if Gimli would let them in on the secret and just leave the elves to play with the secret language. Gandalf. Never thought of him. Now there's an idea!!

harrowcat	Reviewed Chapter: 14 on 9/30/2005
Enough of the secret tongue for now ? Never!!!! Sad this is ended but a brilliant last chapter. Imagining what people are saying about you is worse than actually knowing! Author Reply: Well - Elrond thinks he's got off easily. And he doesn't want any boats rocking just now. Maybe in a few centuries they'll all find it funny. Who would have thought that Glorfindel would be so sensitive! I don't think he likes feeling that the balance of power might have shifted a little - but I'm sure he'll be getting his own back. It had to end - but I had tremendous fun with this and I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for coming along for the ride!

Kitty	Reviewed Chapter: 14 on 9/30/2005
LOL Another hilarious chapter! wipes eyes Glorfindel considered her point and rejected it. ‘Do you think I appreciate hearing words casually dropped about the stuffed toy I took into the bath with me?’ Well, why not? It is so cute to imagine the mighty elf-lord as a little elfling! Anyway, probably everyone did this as child, elf or man, then why is it so bad? There could be much worser stories! thinks of some my mother tells about me There were times, she thought, when Glorfindel’s delight in being an elf of mystery was a little overdone Coming from Galadriel, the mysterious Lady of the Golden Wood, that's funny! I am left constantly suspecting that I am the butt of their amusement. And that is bothering the mighty balrog-slayer? eg Elrond smirked, his friend decided resentfully. There was no other word for it. However he tried to shield it, the half-elf was enjoying watching him squirm. Perhaps, he thought, a word with Elwing was required. She had not spent long with her sons, but enough, surely, to be able to provide him with some barbed arrows. Then this game will be going out of hand completely. But the image of all these elf-lords, looking for embarassing childhood stories about each other ... rofl Elrond rested an affectionate hand on his friend’s shoulder. ‘It would seem that we all want what we cannot have,’ he remarked. ‘I would like the chance to hear tales of my youth from those who cared for me.’ That is a bit sad. Poor Elrond, he'd lost so much in his life and so early on top of everything! ‘And a defeat that does not appear to be a defeat is a form of victory, is it not? And a victory that seems to be a defeat is still a victory.’ Now, that I would call 'blandishing'! Uh, I should quit this, else I quote the whole chapter ... I am sad this story has come to an end, Bodkin. (Well, at last this time is will seem so!) Thank you for a lot of fun! I'm still grinning every time I think about it and will re-read it repeatedly. It was so wonderful and funny and I enjoyed it so much! Author Reply: I don't think Glorfindel wants to be cute. Cool. Sophisticated. Skilled. Powerful. But not cute! (Galadriel was very selective in choosing who should meet the twins. I'm sure there are some rather more saucy stories out there.) Elves of mystery - well, it takes one drama queen to appreciate another fully! And people who enjoy their own mystique don't much like being laughed at. (Not that either of them really take themselves that seriously.) They have a very very long time to play these games. And somehow I can just imagine them taking great pleasure in seeking out embarrassing stories. Celeborn, of course, can sit back smugly. His closest family hasn't yet been rehoused - at last, a reason for him to be glad of that! I always feel for Elrond. But he has more family restored to him than he expected - and grandchildren. But he will always miss those who are not there. And he will always have missed out on the childhood he could have expected - nothing can change that. Glorfindel is being rather jesuitical here. The same outcome - different spin. Still, if it makes him happy and they come to some agreement. Thank you - I am so glad you enjoyed it. It has been such a fun story and virtually written itself. I'm sorry to end it really, but it would have got too rambling if it had lasted any longer. Still - there's always the curse of the sequel! Maybe.

elliska	Reviewed Chapter: 14 on 9/29/2005
So Glrofindel managed to find a way to at least partially save face?! Why does that not surprise me. :-) ‘You would rather be suspected of bewitching the Aftercomers’ young in order to devour them than be known to have wandered into Lord Finwë’s council in your night shift demanding that he take you to the privy,’ Glorfindel said with certainty. ‘You have a reputation to maintain.’ ROTFL! Hilarious image, that is! ‘It would seem that we all want what we cannot have,’ he remarked. ‘I would like the chance to hear tales of my youth from those who cared for me.’ And this was very moving...very sad. Poor Elrond. But you give him that in Earendil's Tale. :-) This was wonderful, Bodkin! Author Reply: Well - I think he was wise enough to see that this was a battle that could go on indefinitely. Better to concede - while knowing that he was really winning - and make peace. If Galadriel has been forced to listen to too many of those sorts of stories, it's not surprising she feels that Glorfindel has got off lightly. And Elrond has probably - almost definitely - gained more than he has lost there in the West. At least he has Celebrian and his sons - and their families. And his parents and paternal grandparents are there. (But I think he wants Maglor and Gil-galad.) Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it - this has been a lot of fun.

Dot	Reviewed Chapter: 14 on 9/29/2005
Am I the only one who howled with laughter at the idea of Galadriel thinking that Glorfindel’s delight in being an elf of mystery was a little overdone??? I imagine that ellyth will think such stories of his childhood sweet, though. And it’s rather touching to think that he’s still a nervous elfling beneath everything. Maybe it was easier to create a persona in M-e than back here in the Blessed Realm. ‘You could,’ she acknowledged amiably. ‘But can they really say anything worse of me than many of the stories that have been repeated over the yeni?’ Uuhhh, well some childhood tales would still be interesting. Especially to her husband, I imagine. See, I get the point about Elrond not being as much at fault as Glorfindel because Glorfindel allowed it to happen in the first place, but Elrond didn’t actually know that Glorfindel knew for a long time, so he probably should have said something. But if Glorfindel is the one chosen for revenge, then so be it! ‘It would seem that we all want what we cannot have,’ he remarked. ‘I would like the chance to hear tales of my youth from those who cared for me.’ Bodkin! I was grinning away at this chapter and then I welled up at this point! Not that it gave Glorfindel much perspective… ‘your apparent concession will frighten them at least as much as their smiles worried you.' Yes! That’s what I was thinking. If Glorfindel apologises, it might seem like he’s giving in, and then the twins will be completely convinced that he has something up his sleeve – the perfect revenge!! ‘And a defeat that does not appear to be a defeat is a form of victory, is it not? And a victory that seems to be a defeat is still a victory.’ Um, absolutely. However you need to convince yourself, Glorfindel. So is that it? Is that really it?! Anyway, great ending – or should I say “ending”? – and thank you for such a fun story that brightened up my day on many occasions :-) Author Reply: Maybe it takes one drama queen to know another! I imagine Galadriel and Glorfindel stepping round each other quite carefully - each knowing far too much about how the other's brain works. If I were an elleth I would find the elfling tales very appealing. Even the tales of youthful misdemeanour. Perhaps that's one of the reasons that Glorfindel doesn't want them spread. He might have to go off and explore more of the distant forest in order to escape the squads of drooling maidens. H'mm. Perhaps Celeborn should have gone off on a quest for Galadriel's childhood tales rather than to bond with the forest. The Elrond / Glorfindel discovery scene happened quite soon after the event, I think - while the twins were still pretty young. But I think Elladan and Elrohir's respect for the natural order of things - Elrond as Adar and lord - might incline them to pick on Glorfindel rather than him. And maybe Elrond did talk to them - I just couldn't have too many apology scenes without getting boring. Maybe Elrond and Celeborn and the twins and Legolas shared a few bottles of wines and talked about Legolas's impressive performance against Galadriel and mourned the absence of A & A. It seems impossible to write a whole elf story without banging into some piece of melancholy. But Elrond is happier now than he has been in a long time. He would, I think, just like to gather together all those people who are important to him and protect them. If I were the twins I would be scared if Glorfindel smiled back and appeared to give in. A perfect retaliation to a perfect revenge! This is it. For now. Any more twists will be part of another tale. Thank you - I am so pleased you enjoyed it.

Redheredh	Reviewed Chapter: 14 on 9/29/2005
Delightful ending! A wonderful tale you have told! But that remark... the nervous elfling still persisted under the disguise of a great elf-lord returned to defend his king's House. Interesting choice of word: disguise over guise. So, you do not think that the Valar sent Glorfindel back to keep Elrond safe? Did they know he would face the Witch-King and warn against the folly of trying to destroy this creature? Did they know he would help save Frodo's life and foil the return of the Ring to Sauron? Did the Valar even send him back? Hmmm... Perhaps there is something more in his past he does not wish laid bare. However, Elrond wishing that there was someone there who could embarass him with his childhood foilables was really touching. Like everyone, I am sorry to see this end. But, it was a fun trip and it means you will be getting back to your other stories and we can be glad about that. ;D Thank you again for being so kind as to write this very amusing story! Author Reply: I hadn't spent any time pondering over the difference between guise / disguise. Glorfindel - to me - is unquestionably a great elf-lord. Whether he always is to himself - is probably a different matter. People often see themselves quite differently. Maybe he finds being a legend a little difficult to cope with at times. For a reason? Dunno. What do you think? I just can't help it with Elrond - there are so many parts of his life where you just wish you could take away the pain. But he has Celebrian back and the twins and Earendil and Elwing are around. And he has learnt better than most to deal with the absences. Thank you - I have enjoyed writing this. But it had to end before it lost momentum. Still there's always the possibility of a sequel of some kind! I think maybe a chapter of Arwen next - since it's sitting there already finished! The C&G one is seeking inspiration!

Ellie	Reviewed Chapter: 14 on 9/29/2005
Oh, that was wonderful! I like your suggestion that Glorfindel is a bit shy and vulnerable beneath his lordly, powerful exterior. Too cute! Author Reply: If he was really as shiny perfect as he seems, it might make him a little less attractive. And we wouldn't want that! A touch of insecurity - and a few elfling stories - and the ellyth will be swarming. Thank you. This has been such a fun story to write.

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 14 on 9/29/2005
Galadriel in her nightshift, wishing to be taken to the privy? Lovely image there, I must say. Now, to see if the story will let you be.... Author Reply: She's a character it's hard to imagine as a child. Though I think she could have been quite . . . challenging, even then. This is it. On this one anyway. A sequel, on the other hand . . .

perelleth	Reviewed Chapter: 14 on 9/29/2005
LOL This detached bantering had me snickering all the way! Now Glorfindel is at the same stage the twins were when they trying to pretend nothing had happened. But I'm really appaled by ELrond's cheek! :-)HE'sat least as guilty as Glrofindel! PIty this is getting to and end, bodkin, it's very amusing! :-) Author Reply: It can't go on for ever. Although I was thinking in the car that Indiscretion would be a good title for a sequel . . . Elrond isn't quite as guilty as Glorfindel - Glorfindel was there when it happened. He was the one tacitly encouraging the sons of Elrond to pick up a more interesting and versatile vocabulary. Elrond just . . . didn't do anything to discourage them later, after they'd already picked up the bad habits. And who taught the twins their skills? I can't imagine they learned from their adar how best to torment their associates. No. Glorfindel is reaping what he has sown. (Good thing they all love each other dearly. They're FAMILY.) Thank you for enjoying the journey. And so it ends.

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