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| Thranduil's Begetting Day by daw the minstrel | 69 Review(s) |
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| meckinock | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 3/18/2006 |
| Oh, forgot to say, I can just see Helad and Eman bonding for life over this. Author Reply: Me too. So things worked out! | |
| meckinock | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 3/18/2006 |
| Hey! We never get to find out what the gift from Dale was? No fair, Daw. Beliond is so adorable. How dare Thranduil let in more Men than a hard-working spy be reasonably expected to keep track of? And Maltanaur didn't miss much, either, for all that he's just sitting there taking it all in instead of stalking around. Go Maltanaur. I love seeing wily Maltanaur, paranoid Beliond, and prissy Calith out on a mission together. Too wonderful. Although I don't want to think too hard about what it is that Beliond fell in. The food fight was the best, although this just points back to why people write males instead of women in Tolkien. Personally, I'd MUCH rather be slinging rillians at my brother than embroidering and packing picnic baskets. I loved it when Thranduil showed up in the middle of it. Yes, I imagine this will be a begetting day he remembers for a long, long, time. Great story, Daw. Author Reply: Sinnarn told you that the gift from Dale was very fine and that's all you need to know, meckinock! A lot of humor of this story was the kind that males prefer, at least in the open it seems to me. Belching as a witty remark? Guys. Bad smells as hilarious? Guys. Throwing food? Guys. What can I say? One of my colleagues from California describes having wars with the avocados that fell off the trees in his neighborhood. He says once when he was little an older kid told him the avocado he was holding was actually a hand grenade and he wasn't too sure the older kid was lying. I expect those boys' parents rolled their eyes at the state of their clothes too, although presumably the avocados didn't reek. | |
| meckinock | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 3/18/2006 |
| Eman is definitely growing on me, which is saying something after his bull-in-a-china-shop routine of the last chapter. I love it when you turn a relationship around and let us see it from another perspective. His amazement at the public marking of begetting days and his pondering of how exactly the elves know when to mark them had me honking. And I can certainly understand his obsession with finding out the nature of the Gift. On such minutia have matters of diplomacy always hinged. Eman must be really stumped now. The description of the aroma of trilliums were lovely, too. Sinnarn is such a good boy. Aren't grandparents a hoot with their food preferences? If I recall, my grandfather thought pickled pigs' feet were quite the treat. I can just see Thranduil out in the woods, squatting by the fire happily carving up trilliums into a frying pan while his troops back as far away as they can manage. I loved Sinnarn's distracted observation of Maltanaur as he leaves with the lock ("Calylad's grandfather" LOL. Sure, he was just sitting there soaking some sun into his old aged bones. Snort. I'm sure he didn't notice anything amiss... To Mordor with diplomacy LOL. I loved Eman's observation that if the Men of Dale are dumb enough to gift the King of Mirkwood with possum dung, negotiations could be a lot easier than he expected, and his observation of Beliond trailing Helad with all the subtlety of a rabid bloodhound. This is a hoot and a half. Author Reply: Writing about elves from the human pov was something I've been wanting to do for a long time. I mean, surely that begetting day stuff falls under the heading of TMI. It turned out to be hard to describe smells except by comparison, so I let myself go and thought up a bunch of them. This smell was supposed to be like a living thing attacking them. Sounded gross to me. | |
| elliska | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 3/18/2006 |
| LOL! As more and more people went into that cave, I just knew nothing good was going to come of it. Beliond is too much! He distrusts someone that would pick a lock, does he? And he would know why Thranduil ate rilliums. Loved that explanation. And the rillium fight! *Shudder* That was hilarious. I bet Thranduil laughs about that for a long time to come. I certainly laughed myself silly with this chapter. Great story, daw. I hope you do more. :-) Author Reply: I had to work hard to get all those people in that cave and under lock and key! But once I did, I knew I had gold. Thranduil strikes me as the kind of guy who would eat gross food just to prove how tough he was, especially when he was young. And of course, Beliond and Maltanaur know where all the bodies are buried. I'm glad I amused you, Elliska. | |
| thechevin | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 3/18/2006 |
| Oh but there are so many things left to be resolved you can not possibly end it here. I still do not know what the gift from Dale was, Beliond is obviously going to get his revenge on well everybody I guess, but especially Legolas. Thank goodness he managed to put his lock picking skills to good use, although Eilian is going to want to know how and where he learned them Thranduil has to speak to his sons about there strange behaviour, I loved their shared rolling of the eyes at Adar and his grandson. We don't know what those sneaky men have been upto if anything? And Alfirin deserves some success for all her efforts although Thranduil seemd very happy A real hoot from start to end all it has done of course is make me even more desperate for more stories from your Woodland Realm Pretty please!!!! Author Reply: The gift from Dale was very fine. Didn't you hear Sinnarn? :-) I suspect you're right that Eilian will pester Legolas to death until he comes through with a lockpicking lesson. Look how handy the skill was after all. Legolas and Eilian must just be mystified about how much Thranduil approves of Sinnarn, but I figure Sinnarn has his parents to raise him so Thranduil can just enjoy him. He's a responsibility-free zone for Thranduil. The poor men weren't up to anything much except shuddering over the too-much-information of beggeting days. Glad you enjoyed it, Judy. | |
| Dot | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 3/18/2006 |
| *wheeze* What are you doing to me, woman! I have permanently ruined my reputation of dignity by snorting with laughter under the desk at work! Oh, how I enjoyed this chapter. I knew Maltanaur must have overheard them and would end up involved. Aunt Glilan is priceless. At first I thought she meant Thranduil and Lorellin’s little “picnic” place in the forest and I was horrified but apparently there’s an island! I love the idea of them paddling out there together. Probably with boats of guards following them like ducklings… I groaned out loud, though, when Alfirin decided that someone should check on the boats! Beliond is a howl. How inconsiderate of Thranduil to have so many people present at his celebrations that Beliond’s self-appointed, utterly needless task is made more difficult! “You really have to be suspicious of a Man who would do such a thing,” Beliond said. He pulled his dagger out of his boot and set to work picking the lock. ROTFL!!! I love Beliond’s explanation of Thranduil and the rilliums: “The only reason he ate them was that he wanted to defy Oropher and prove how daring he was.” If only his sons knew! But even funnier was Beliond’s next line, “Surely he stopped doing it once he became king.” That struck me as hilarious. I’m still laughing. “Helad must have found out Thranduil likes them and hopes he poisons himself.” Oh yeah, that’s the only explanation, Beliond. You know what Men are like. And it’s not as though anyone would ever have figured out who did it. And Nalden! Such a helpful and eager-to-please child… Beliond trying to be all macho is hysterical. I was nearly bouncing in my seat wanting to know what happened once they discovered they were locked in. I know it’s wrong of me but I was giggling in delight when the bag tore – and then Beliond lands on his backside in the middle of the mess. Now, what poor sod is going to have to go and clean vomit and rillium goo out of the cave?? Legolas “singing” was so funny. Iseniel must think he’s a nutcase. And of course Eilian comes along just at that moment. Still, at least it was someone who understands! “Some villain lured us in here with rilliums and then locked the door.” ROTFL! Best line ever. I’m totally with Eilian and Legolas on whooping with laughter. He drew his dagger from his boot and wiggled the tip into the lock. Go Legolas! Bet Beliond is glad he showed him that little trick. The next part had me holding my sides. A rillium fight! And they all so annoyed with each other! Brilliant. By the way, I love all the efforts to describe what the rilliums smell like - a thousand unwashed Men crammed sweating into a room where ale was served, if a dozen possums had become trapped under a cottage and died and sprouted mushrooms for six months, they would smell like this… “Mae govannen, Adar.” *howls* What a scene Thranduil has stumbled across! LOL too at him all but patting Sinnarn on the head! I am so glad that Iseniel put Legolas straight. It’s about time he realised that she wasn’t automatically interested in him! I’m guessing it’s the last time she visited Thranduil’s palace too… Poor Alfirin. Lying down with a cold cloth, huh? Thranduil needs to go and reassure her! I love how funny Thranduil finds all this. He needs a good belly laugh now and then. He must have been amused if he isn’t even bothered to do anything about Legoals and Eilian! And it turns out the Men have bonded over their mutual horror and astonishment – so all in all, the whole begetting day celebration was a huge success! I’m so sorry this is over, but I enjoyed it immensely :-) And I was thrilled we got to see not only the bodyguards and Calith, but I won’t have to annoy you about Calith’s son and Maltanaur’s grandson any more! Such fun. I’ll be chuckling to myself for the day now! Author Reply: Thank you, Dot. I meant to put the first few paragraphs of chapter 3 (where Maltanaur goes to the cave and finds it locked) at the end of chapter 2, so it would end with Maltanaur going in search of Beliond, but I copied the file wrong! This story was a good opportunity to just let myself go. Like having Beliond complain about people who pick locks as he's drawing his dagger. I read that to my husband after I wrote it and even he laughed. Actually, Beliond was great to write about. This situation called up all his paranoia and left him confused because there were so many possible targets for his wrath. He just had to settle on Sinnarn. After all someone had to pay! Thranduil strikes me as the kind of guy who might eat disgusting food just to prove how tough he was. But the friends of his youth would know dang well what he was up to. Smell turned out to be hard to describe so I had to rely on comparisons. And once I got started, they multiplied too. So it was you who pointed out that Maltanaur's grandson and Calith's son were the right age to hang out with Sinnarn! I should have known. Thank you! It was a great idea and they were fun to work with. Poor Calith. He must be thinking about sending his son off for a long visit with relatives. Glad to have amused you, Dot. Giggle away. | |
| Noor | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 3/18/2006 |
| Fabulous fun.............but so short! I would like to thank you for capturing the humour of Thranduil and his clan. I really enjoyed this yarn! Any more to come?? I know you are busy but it would be great to have another story. Noor Author Reply: I don't write humor very often and this was great fun to do. It will probably be a while before I post another fanfic. I have to go out of town on business next week, then back to teaching, and I'm still trying to get my original novel in shape to submit. But geez, this was great to write. I could sort of let myself go and have a good time. | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 3/18/2006 |
| I am so pleased that Iseniel told Legolas she wouldn't be interested in him if he was the last elf in Arda. He does need to know that not all the maidens presented by proud parents for him to inspect are willing to fall before the old Thranduilion charm! Especially since the old Thranduilion charm here means burping, singing off key and stinking of rillium juice. (Even Eilian would have a job carrying that off. With someone already half-hooked.) This is just so comic - I love seeing Maltanaur, Beliond (and Calith, poor elf) wrong-footed here. Eilian, especially, must love them having been trapped in a cave with the stinking fungi. He's heard so much from Maltanaur on the subject of not letting his desire for action run away from his brain - and then for the chief side-kicks of the three royal sons to get locked in a cave in almost-total innocence by an (excuse the word, Nalden) elfling, is just hilarious. And Eilian is impressed by Legolas's lock-picking skills. Well, he would be, wouldn't he? Legolas could hardly invent a better person to witness his use of them. One, too, who understands only too well just what you don't tell Adar. The degeneration into a rillium fight - it'll take days for them to get rid of the smell - and the inevitable arrival of Thranduil... I loved the way Sinnarn dropped into the explanation the trials he went through to find the right present for his daeradar - and the look exchanged by Thranduil's long-suffering sons at Daeradar's instant proud understanding. Not to mention the equally instant belief that it must have been Legolas and Eilian who were at fault. This is certainly going to be an unforgettable begetting day - not quite, I suspect, in the way Alfirin hoped. She probably won't risk doing this again in a good while. The next major family occasion will probably be Sinnarn's coming of age. When at least tradition will keep several members of the family under control. Hopefully. So many things left out - Beliond lock-picking as he expresses his feelings on the untrustworthiness of men, Thranduil Beliond and Maltanaur being young together, Thranduil eating rilliums as a form of defiance, Calith vomiting, Beliond sitting down in rillium slime, Legolas's mild 'Mae govannen, Adar'... It's such an entertaining story. Poor Alfirin... Author Reply: Did you ever watch music videos? There was an old one with David Lee Roth in which a bunch of odd people wander around a grocery store in the middle of the night and the clerk makes kissy noises at a female customer and she says something like, "Not if you were the last immigrant grocery clerk on earth!" It was so un-PC that it made me howl (a very pregnant woman in a wedding gown was also in the store) and I was thinking of it when I wrote that scene in which Iseniel tells Legolas to get over himself. :-) Nalden is such a sweetie. He'll be horrified if he ever works out that he was the one who locked them in there. Fortunately his father snatched him out the line of fire. As for Thranduil, he just knew Legolas and Eilian must have been setting a bad example for Sinnarn! The old guy really treasures his relation with his grandson and that makes me happy too. Poor Alfirin indeed! | |
| Gwynhyffar | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 3/17/2006 |
| OMG I am laughing so hard. The rillium fight was too funny and I can just see Beliond's indignation and Sinnarn's horror at the start of it. I bet Alfirin had something to say the lot of them when it was all over.. well, once she spoke to them again. I loved this story, Daw. It was great to read something funny from you, you should do it more often. Author Reply: I had a great time writing this. I let myself go, for once, and even had an easier time finding vivid language. And I laughed even when I was all by myself in front of my computer. :-) So I'm glad you enjoyed it, Gwyn. | |
| LOTRFaith | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 3/17/2006 |
| As my mom would say "Often the things we plan for happen right under our noses, but we are too busy looking at them to realise it." Lol... Legolas got Beliond :-D :-) Author Reply: Wow. That's a cool thing your mother says. Legolas laughed about that too. But not in front of Beliond! | |