Under My Wing by Edoraslass
elliska · 28 May 2006 · Chapter 50: News
I have read this on and off since you started it and thoroughly enjoyed it--sorry for being bad about reviews. But this chapter! Oh my goodness. This was so powerfully done! It made me bawl. Wonderful story.
Author's reply
Thank you! Glad to know that you're enjoying the bitties. :) And it makes me all weepy, too, every time.
Raksha The Demon · 28 May 2006 · Chapter 17: Jealousy
Oh dear, no one's paying attention to little Boromir, after living his entire life as the center of attention, there's another baby grabbing a share of the spotlight. Poor little tyke. Good thing he's got such an understanding Nanny. Very well done. I like it that little Boromir was not immediately overcome with love for the new nestling. Loved his jealousy over his favorite lullaby.
Author's reply
Thanks! As I'm sure you've heard me say before, I have trouble buying that they'd get along perfectly all the time -- they're brothers, after all. And you're so right; I'm sure it was an affront to Boromir's young pride to have to share the attention. :)
Raksha The Demon · 28 May 2006 · Chapter 21: Hard Day
Oh, lovely - Boromir finally taking an interest in his inconvenient baby brother. His showing him the book and explaining all the pictures was charming - "say Oliphaunt, Faramir"....The baby is obviously responding to his brother's voice rather than the pictures, and, being Faramir, loves having his older brother guide him. Faramir is the sweetest baby in Middle-earth, but very credibly written.
Author's reply
Thank you! I love when older kids read (or "read") books to younger ones - it's just so adorable to watch, and listen to what little flourishes are added to the story.
Raksha The Demon · 28 May 2006 · Chapter 14: Gift
Oh, this is funny, as well as sweet! Boromir's heart is bigger than his artistic talent, but it's a lovely gesture. Thankfully, Nanny guessed what the critter was, or the poor child would have been devastated after all his hard work. I can just see Finduilas helping him with it, and explaining that he couldn't use real feathers.
Author's reply
Thanks! It's always a tense moment, trying to figure out exactly what a kid's art project is supposed to be. :) And oh, you may have just given me an idea....:)
Raksha The Demon · 28 May 2006 · Chapter 39: Upheaval
A portrait of two people under severe stress - the Nanny and Faramir. Nanny is over-worked and desperately needs a break from round-the-clock care of the now motherless and still terribly unhappy chlidren. Faramir is too young to understand stress, or needing a break, but he is in terrible pain, Boromir can't really help him (being a bereaved child himself), Denethor has (typically) isolated himself in his grief; and Faramir is obviously terrified of losing another of the few constants in his life, his nanny, who has been more of a mother to him than poor Finduilas was able to be. It's really horribly sad. The description of Faramir at the end, with the circles under his eyes, is almost - he's only five years old, too young to be so haunted, especially several weeks after his mother's death. Knowing Faramir, he's picked up the sorrowful vibes of the Steward's household (and the Steward) and he's just too young to handle all that emotion as well as his own pain. Nanny at least can put grief and sorrow in some kind of context, and unlike Faramir, her world hasn't fallen apart. I do hope she will get to take a rest soon.
Author's reply
Thank you! Yes, it's hard to explain things like death to children, - they're just too young to actually understand never being able to see mother/father/whoever again. It's no wonder the boys are just lost and unable to grasp such a sorrowful concept.
Raksha The Demon · 28 May 2006 · Chapter 19: Quality Time
"Thank you, my little one," I murmured, stroking his delicate skin, marveling, as always, at the perfection of it. "One day you will know the joy of sons, and of the peace they can bring a troubled heart." I found this part, and the end, where Denethor is watching the infant Faramir sleep, very poignant. It's an ironic and tragic counterpart to the end of Denethor's life, when he watches Faramir sleep under far different, and terrible, circumstances, and it drives him finally over the edge. Brrrr! I kind of hope that one day Nanny will tell the adult Faramir that his father did indeed love him once, and watched over him.
Author's reply
Thank you! Honestly, Ann helped me a lot with this chapter, getting Denethor right. I have the inclination to make him overly harsh. But it was certainly interesting for me to purposely set out to find the kinder side of Denethor.
Tigger · 28 May 2006 · Chapter 50: News
It's taken me two days to catch up on reading all of these little vignettes of the Sons of the Steward and their Nanny. Oh my...Even though her duty was done once Faramir no longer required a Nanny, I feel certain she must have kept in contact w/"her" boys. In a Noble/Royal Household, it is the Nanny/Governess who mostly does the raising of the children. Even though they would have loved their parents, it would be Nanny who was the one who raised them and who tucked them in at night. This would come as a cruel shock to Nanny. Something she must have prepared herself for considering who her little ones were, but still a shock. I hope she has a chance somehow to somehow learn of/meet Eowyn and Aragorn/Elessar and I don't mean through gossip. She is wondering who comforting Faramir after all and since she would be considered someone important in Faramir's life, I can see him staying in contact w/her somehow. You are doing such an amazing job w/this little series. Looking forward to the next installment. :o)
Author's reply
Thank you so much! Yes, I'm oddly intrigued by the fact that nobility basically handed the raising of their children over to someone else (often of much lower rank), and have been known to get irritated(privately) at people who assume that Finduilas was taking care of her boys 24/7. I'm sure she was "prepared" in that "they're soliders of Gondor, and are in danger defending the land" sort of way, but not in a conscious way every day, if that makes any sense. If one could ever be prepared for such news. And I certainly didn't expect to write this much on Nanny when I first started, but there's lots more to tell, I feel sure. They like to talk. :)
Raksha The Demon · 27 May 2006 · Chapter 12: A Day Out
A delightful account of little Boromir's foray into his City under Nanny's watchful eye. The market and vendors were particularly well-described, and I could almost see and hear the bustle. Best of all was Boromir's happiness; as the Steward's grandson, he would be sheltered at this age; and his excited reaction to all the different stimuli was wonderful to read. Loved the bit about the puppet show with Captain Thorongil defeating the Corsairs.
Author's reply
Thanks! Honestly, I got a bit worn out writing that -- it's always so tiring to keep up with energetic little kids in public places!
Raksha The Demon · 27 May 2006 · Chapter 26: Patience
I imagine that Faramir will continue to teach Boromir patience for many years... Very cute story; little Faramir is developing at his own speed and no one is going to push him to advance until he is ready. I liked the way he patted Boromir's head; he loves his brother; and Boromir's initiating their playing Cirion and Eorl and slaying a dragon together...
Author's reply
Thanks! I figured someone had to help teach Boromir patience; heaven knows he'd not likely have learned it on his own! And little non-talking Faramir is always fun (if challenging) to write.
Raksha The Demon · 27 May 2006 · Chapter 45: Playing
I love this vision of Faramir as a tough little boy, happily defeating his big brother in a tussle. And of course, the refrain of scrappy little boys everywhere, We Were Just Playing...
Author's reply
Thanks! Who says Faramir's not able to stand up to his brother? I figure he had to give as good as he got, else Boromir would have run all over him.
Raksha The Demon · 27 May 2006 · Chapter 50: News
Awwwww. This is the most heartbreaking chapter of all. Nanny and Faramir both need hugs; but at least Nanny has her daughter; I don't think Denethor would be capable at this time of giving or getting hugs. And Faramir would be too busy protecting Gondor in his brother's place to allow himself much mourning time, what with the end of their world coming... Nanny's grief is almost a physical entity, and very well described. It's particularly real that, in remembering him, she lingers over the memories of the child she cared for rather than the young man and the Captain-General he became. At least Nanny isn't a lonely old lady sitting in the servants' quarters of Minas Tirith; she's got a family and home of her own.
Author's reply
Thank you! To me it makes sense that she'd remember him as a boy; she doesn't really have a lot of other context for him, having not actually seen him in his position as High Big Shot Warrior of All Gondor. She'd have been scolding him for having wet feet and not eating right til the moment he left for Rivendell, had she still been in Minas Tirith at the time.
Raksha The Demon · 27 May 2006 · Chapter 20: Mine
Very funny story - little Boromir is horrified when his baby brother chews Boromir's favorite stuffed animal. How typical of little kids; the older brother furious but unable to stop the happy, oblivious baby from continuing his depredations. Fortunately, Nanny is there to restore order to the chaos. Loved it when Boromir gave the baby the other toy to chew....And his caring for his "Clover" was perfect.
Author's reply
Thank you! Yep, Boromir's allowed to chew his pony and treat it badly, but woe to anyone else who even looks in its direction! :)
daw the minstrel · 27 May 2006 · Chapter 50: News
This breaks my heart. But what a fitting post for the Memorial Day weekend.
Author's reply
Thank you. This has been sitting on my harddrive for a while, and that is indeed why I decided to post it this weekend.
Raksha The Demon · 27 May 2006 · Chapter 11: Temper
The Irresistible Force (Boromir wanting to have his way) meets The Immovable Object (Nanny laying down the law) and the latter wins, as is proper. Wonderful story about the inevitable confrontation between wilful Steward's heir and the woman who has to teach him manners and morality. Not everyone would be able to handle Boromir with such grace. I liked the description of Boromir's tantrum - very real-seeming, and yet not totally out of sync with the adult Boromir in the books, who had learned to keep his arrogance in check - most of the time.
Author's reply
Thanks, Raksha! I've been on the receiving end of some tantrums, and honestly, ignoring the kid until s/he wears himself out is usually the way I handle the situation. But omg, Boromir's hard-headedness would be a truly epic test of patience. Lucky Nanny's got it. :)
Raksha The Demon · 27 May 2006 · Chapter 2: Fretful
Denethor is utterly entranced by Baby Boromir - Awwwww. I like the bit about Denethor constantly unwrapping the infant to see the little toes and fingers; I can just imagine Denethor's curiosity, as well as his pride in his son, to want to examine such a small, perfect, little person.
Author's reply
Heee...thanks! Yes, it's always such a temptation to continually study baby-fingers and toes. It's like they're too small and cute to be real!
Bodkin · 27 May 2006 · Chapter 50: News
Oh, poor Nanny. I'm glad she has her own family to offer her comfort - but nothing will ease the loss of her little duckling. I hope, once the crisis was past, she and Faramir got to spend time together to share their recollections and their love of poor Boromir. They probably need each other very much just now.
Author's reply
Thank you. At some point, they will indeed be able to mourn together.
shirebound · 22 May 2006 · Chapter 45: Playing
These snippets of life with the boys and their Nanny are so lovely. I really enjoy them.
Author's reply
Thank you! I certainly enjoy writing them. EL
shirebound · 22 May 2006 · Chapter 42: Safety
How fascinating to think that Faramir's dreams may have started so young. And what a cuddly and compassionate 'nanny'.
Author's reply
Thank you! Poor little confused boy, with no idea why he's dreaming such things. EL
Janet · 22 May 2006 · Chapter 12: A Day Out
Hi Edoraslass. I just started to read this very delightful story and so far enjoy it very much. This chapter was great fun and very interesting with all the wonderful things and vendors at the market place. Wish such a place were available where I live. You have such a wonderful way of describing life in Minas Tirith and the Citadel that I felt I was right there in the middle of it all. Little Boromir is a most adorable loving little fellow temper trantrums and all. Loved his belt pouches and contents Looking forward to read remainder of the story. Janet
Author's reply
I know what you mean - there's no open market near me either, and marketplaces always seem so exotic! And thank you! Even the sweetest kids will be hard-headed some of the time -- though perhaps Boromir more often than others. :)
Bodkin · 22 May 2006 · Chapter 45: Playing
This is one of my very favourite stories - I always look forward to new episodes. I love the portrayal of young Boromir and Faramir and I think Nanny is the perfect carer; loyal, loving, fierce at need, and determined to bring up her charges to be responsible, kind-hearted, unspoiled men. Gondor can be grateful to her! I doubt I will have the strength of mind to review all the chapters - but that doesn't mean I won't re-read and enjoy them all! Lovely stuff.
Author's reply
Thank you! Yes, she's quite insistent that they don't turn out to be spoiled little brats, even if they drive her crazy in the process. :) Of course you don't have to review everything - but you've already reviewed a lot of them in other places. And I'm glad that you enjoy them! EL