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| All Those Who Wander by daw the minstrel | 25 Review(s) |
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| French Pony | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 9/28/2005 |
| I remember getting lost playing Hide and Seek once with a friend when I was about that age. We somehow managed to get ourselves remarkably lost in a very small copse of trees. I guess when you're five years old, you're small enough that you can still do that. I kind of wish Thranduil had been the one to come and find us. Instead, we got our kindergarten teacher, and she was mightily displeased with us. That was quite a communication snafu with the maiden who somehow didn't figure out that she had another kid to watch. That's sort of Babysitting 101: remember how many kids you're watching and know how to count noses. Thranduil may forgive her, but I'm sure she'll catch it from many more angles. Thranduil and Ithilden have this unfortunate thing going with Eilian. They wait until after he's left to start talking about how well he did and how much they value him. Then they wonder why he doesn't want to be around them. I bet they couldn't see the filth in a public toilet either. He's doing so well in this story -- really trying to take care of Legolas and do what he's supposed to be doing and what others need him to do rather than what he immediately wants to do -- and no one seems to care. Of course, they do care, they just never get the message to him Author Reply: I once got lost on a trip to Greenfield Village with the Camp Fire Girls. We were on a group tour and there were crowds, and a tour guide said, "Come this way," so I did! Only it was the wrong guide. It took me a little while to figure that out, but then I told her and she knew which group I belonged to, so I wasn't "lost" for long. I don't even know if the leader of the group I was supposed to be in ever missed me. You're so right that Ithilden and Thranduil need to tell Eilian the good things for a change. Eilian is struggling to do some things that are hard for him and he needs encouragement. | |
| Manderly | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 9/28/2005 |
| Well, that was a bit of excitement and something that I think all readers had been waiting for ever since Thranduil decided to take Legolas with him, without Nimloth. I was rather perversely glad that Legolas had been in Ithilden's care rather than in Eilian's care, when the elfling decided to go AWOL. Eilian certainly doesn't need another reason to rake up his father's ire. And good for Ithilden to instantly taking the blame from Eilian. Ithilden may be domineering, but he's got a black and white sense of duty and responsibility. You described Legolas' thoughts so well, from his planning his hiding strategy to realizing that he was lost. And he did behave sensibly while lost, as Thranduil said, even though he must have been frightened witless. And orc spit is certainly becoming a useful term on this journey. I think Thranduil would have been happier had Legolas resorted to tears than to spitting out those two words. Somehow I don't think we've heard the last of this priceless expression yet. I am glad Thranduil is going to speak to Eilian. Both father and son need to give each other a chance before the rift between them grows any wider. Wonderful chapter! Thank you! Author Reply: I thought readers might have seen this coming since I started the story really. This story grew out of a moment in "Legolas's Begetting Day," the story with the mice. As one point, the mice have inexplicably fled the mouse house the boys made for them and Legolas thinks they might be lost. He's horrified because he remembers once he was lost when he was on a trip with his father and brothers. I've been intending to fill that gap in ever since. :-) No way I could have made Eilian the one who lost Legolas! He has enough problems. he's got a black and white sense of duty and responsibility. That's an excellent description of Ithilden. He's fair and honest. He's just kind of rigid and bossy. | |
| meckinock | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 9/28/2005 |
| Not like you didn't show us this train wreck coming. We didn't even need Karen's clairvoyance to figure out we'd end up with Little Lost Legolas and everybody pointing fingers like the Mirkwood version of the Katrina hearings. And Poor Legolas still thinks he's playing the Game He Doesn't Know the Rules To. At least he knows a good swear word for a really bad occasion now. It was nice of Ithilden to stop Eilian from taking the full brunt of Thranduil's fury. There's enough blame to go around, but Thranduil is less likely to take Ithilden apart limb by limb. This was a really sweet image: He strained with all his senses to feel any disturbance in the woods and could not help but hope that what he would find was trees humming contentedly at the presence of a wood-elf child. Thranduil was very good with Ithilden after finding Legolas, but I cringed when Eilian rebuffed his father's invitation to breakfast. Ouch. I'm glad Thranduil realizes he's going to have to be the grown-up and pursue the reason for Eilian's backsliding. Author Reply: Poor Legolas still thinks he's playing the Game He Doesn't Know the Rules To Man, that is just the story of my life. No one tells you until it's waaaay too late. I really do think that Ithilden deserved more of the blame than Eilian did, although all of them were doing their best. These things happen, although most of us don't lose sight of our kid when spiders the size of Volkswagens are on the way. | |
| Nilmandra | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 9/28/2005 |
| You know I'm yawning, but that change did it. I liked the four of them together at the end. :) Author Reply: I thought it was better too. Thank you so much for you consistent (and time consuming!) beta reading. | |
| Kat | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 9/28/2005 |
| Yikes, even reading about Legolas being lost gave me the same feeling as when I lost sight of my little cousin one time! I love your description of Thranduil just holding him... Very nice chapter. I can't wait for more, keep up the good work. Author Reply: Little kids can slip away in the blink of an eye and leave you panicked. Thranduil must have been frantic. He's finding it very satisfying to hold the kid. Glad you liked it, Kat. | |