"Ah," Galathil nodded, chewing the inside of his lip, "I do not believe I have any stories about hounds."

"But what about dogs?" Elurin stared up at him, grey eyes wide and waiting.

LOL Those lines made me crack up even more than they did Grandfather Galathil, because they're exactly the kind of answer you'd imagine a young child, around Elurin's age, to give. I also intrigued how you had the boys knowing the grandparents, Luthien and Beren. I always thought that they were dead by the time the children of Dior and Nimloth were born, but then again, you could be right, since Tolkien wrote that no one knew the exact year that Beren and Luthien experienced their final death, and they might have still been alive when their grandchildren were born, and growing up. I'd like to see a story or even a oneshot, that shows Dior and his family visiting his parents in Tol Galen.

Aw, I like the details of the way the two boys hold hands differently - but Galathil, of all the stupid things to say! That's only going to make them explore down that passageway - where Thingol had once lived?

Loved the bit when Elured is looking at the pictures on the plate, and Galathil - in a completely different world - puts food down on it.

>Elurín glanced up at his grandfather excitedly, eager to talk about himself,<

I like this bit, and I like Galathil already. It's so nice to see someone getting to know the boys rather than saying how sweet they are - and pausing to consider before lugging them about for cuddles.

Poor little mites. I loved the ending.

Finally I get round to reviewing - have had a delightful time reading these last two chapters!

I loved this chapter - you put across their feelings so well - especially their unhappiness at being left alone and being lovingly mauled by people they do not know. And they want so hard to do the right thing, but everything is so upsetting.

Especially liked the hint of Glassell's personality and Elurin taking the baby blanket and Elured being afraid that someone would walk off with their sister!

Great chapter! :)

I was hesitant to read this since I haven't read the Sil yet, but I'm understanding it so far. I'm really enjoying this, especially the focus on the twins. They're very sweet. I'd love to see your pictures of this story.

Ah! I forgot how much I missed this story!
As good as ever! Um...could you e-mail me
the pics again, please? My (old) internet crashed, and I can't get back into my old
e-mail(Which is now long gone). I loved them
and I was *really* sad to see 'em go!
P.S. Can I bake Glassel's cake please, huh
huh huh? What's her favorite flavor? (I'll
save some for you, too)

And I finally try to review... Sorry it took me so terribly long this time! :-/

I will start with sort of a response to your response - yes, Doriath would have felt less safe than before after Melian's departure, and you bring across this atmosphere of lost security and of a dying realm ("a statue further down the hall that had been tipped over, but never righted" - did that happen when the dwarves were there...?) so very well that it makes me shudder now and then. This is one thing that amazes me about your stories - you give each place you write about a distinct atmosphere. Your Rivendell is very calm and protected, the safe haven it should be indeed, with gardens, nice houses, culture, the chance at a peaceful life for everyone; Mirkwood is a bit wilder, less formal, with more of a forest atmosphere, really, but still a good and fine place to live, without worries getting too overwhelming to bear (even Thilome manages to stay in the end! :-)); Edoras really has that sense of a somewhat rough, free, but not unpleasant land, still a good place for children to be... But your Menegroth here is different. It really is presented as a haunted place, not only in the direct descriptions, but also in the foreshadowings, and in the way Elured and Elurin perceive this world. There is not only a lack of outward safety, but also a lack of inward stability and security - ada and nana are certainly loved, but they are distant at most times, and being left behind somewhere where they do not want to be (as by Galathil in this chapter) seems to be something Elured and Elurin are entirely too used to... :-/ I fear it will not even surprise them when the Feanorians drop them somewhere in the woods and just leave then... This is what the wicked grown-up elves always do, isn't it? :-(

But on to the actual chapter!

I really liked the beginning, with the different ways the twins act when they are together with Galathil - I love that you do not just make them alike, but give them distinct personalities. Again, I loved the bit with the dark passage leading "nowhere important" - that really tells you more about Doriath than a long, long description would do. Eerie!

The beginning of the dining room scene seemed fairly symbolic - the nice, green "city of trees", probably not too unlike what they have known before Doriath, is suddenly "obscured" without Elured being asked first... That shows a lot about the way the poor little one sees his situation, I think.
And the same goes for Elurin, to a certain degree - it is so sad and touching to read that the mural "looked like a scene from his window at home" to him... No windows any more indeed (I like how you employ the window motive here).

The squabbling over a badly wanted thing, combined with the reference to Elu Thingol, really chilled me - on the surface, it is just a typical scene among children, "Give it to me!" - "No, it's mine", but there are so many hidden layers of meaning here... Just excellent!

It is both endearing and a bit sad to see Galathil and the boys trying to form a relationship tentatively - it would be good if he, at least, could be there for them, but I think it is quite telling that he, too, finally goes away and leaves the children. :-( There is no really safe, secure relationship for them.

"They were peculiar children" - yes, in a way, that is true... But I believe their situation accounts for it. They do not have anything even remotely ressembling a normal childhood, so they will not behave like just any children.

I like the little details in this scene, Galathil observing which child behaves how exactly, who is still wearing his socks and who not... Such little things make the characters truly come alive. That also goes for Galathil's observations about Dior as a child... Very telling as well.

"I'm building my house, at home." - that is so touching! Of course, Galathil would assume that they mean Menegroth, but they are not really at home there, and probably never will be...

I liked Galathil's memories of his conversation with Nimloth - especially as it really shows that Nimloth is actually not made to be a queen. She appears so very young, even a bit naive here, happily reiterating that her children will "have windows" - she is clearly not the right naneth to deal with a situation in which "windows" (both in the literal and in the symbolic sense) are suddenly absent...

LOL - I know it is not actually funny, but I adored the bit about "Daerada Beren and Daernana Lúthien" having "the best, best stories". This must have been the sweetest retelling ever of Lúthien's captivity in Nargothrond... But I guess it is not by chance that "a mean elf named Celegorm" comes into the tale already here... Another hint at the children's ultimate fate. :-(

Poor Glassell. :-( She really tries to do her very best, but what to do with poor little boys who want no cookies and stories from her?

"It both did and did not surprise her when both children joined her on the bed" - that says so much as well... But I must say that I loved the ending - very sweet, if a bit melancholy! :-)

Brilliant chapter once again, mellon-nin! :-)

Wonderful chapter as ever. Adding
Galathil was a nice touch, too! Keep up
the good work!

You make Elured and Elurin so cute! I love how they hide from all the people. I feel so sorry for them, they don't get much attention. I can't wait to see more.

This was a lovely, wonderful chapter, and I apologize in advance that the review will be unusually short! *curses the lack of time in words that will not be cited here* ;-)
Again, I loved the atmosphere of this bit - and the subtle hints to the catastrophe looming at the horizon that nobody in the story can foresee, but that the reader knows... Will Elurin ever be "tall enough to lay his hand to the ceiling" (well, theoretically, since he won't be in Menegroth if he reaches the right age)? And all those premonition with strangers appearing frightening, and Elwing being taken away from her brothers (this "You can't have her" chilled me, all cute as it was), the crack that is in the railing of the Menegroth balcony... The serious and menacing undertones are always there, and yet, this is wonderful! :-)
The depiction childhood things went marvellously well again as well - I loved the bits about the uncomfortable ceremonious clothing, the wish simply to be close to ada and nana (while they are king and queen and have not got the time - that was all very poignant, Dior and Nimloth seem loving, but a bit, hm, distant? you portray that relationship between parents and children so very well!) even if it is not possible, the reaction to all the strangers touching them and to being so exposed to the public (something very difficult for little persons, I believe!), the hiding under the blanket and playing with little Elwing... So charming and so sweet! You are definitely the best author ever for cute elfling stories! :-)
As for single scenes I adored - I loved the short cameo of Galadriel and Celeborn! :-) Marvellous job, and nice how the bit about "we must tell your brother" links to the ending, with Galathil actually appearing...
And I liked Glassell in this bit - seeing things through her eyes at some points definitely makes her a more sympathetic character! :-)
I also liked your description of Dior (hm... someone writing under the name of "Aranel" must be expected to write nice descriptions of Dior, of course! ;-)) - and the ever-present sense that this young family has got thrown into something they did not expect then and there... It is too tragic that this story will not end well. :-(
In one word: WONDERFUL again, and sorry again about the belated & entirely too short review - you will get a nice, long one for the next chapter again! :-)

This chapter was even better than the
first, if that is at all possible. Um,
I guess the guard *wouldn't* be Celeborn
would he? Probably not... Okay, I'm a
sucker for pictures. If you would be so
kind... ^_^;

This is very well done, and you manage wonderfully to describe things without boring us with too much detail. This is very interesting, and I anticipate greatly the next chapters. I would also really like to see your drawings: nienor_niniel@hotmail.com

Oh, please send me a picture!! Elurin is my favourite. Don't kill me, but I generally don't like femal characters, but Elwing is sweet!

Can I have the dream guard? He can have a new spear though. I get the impression that that one isn't very comforting. ;)

I've made up a little tune for the song. It's so adorable! Melian's song of nightingales...

Do you think Elured and Elurin survive? I'm one of those that still hopes to come across thenm in the forest one day. I live right next to a forest, and I swear elves live there. I a=sometimes live green beryl stones for them when I climb trees.

Yay! You updated it! I'd been looking forwards to that so much! I loved the bit with the guard and the two unhappy little boys finally deciding that he was a dream guard... although it was very sad when Elured decided to go out of his room not to stay up, but in the hope that his father would come and put him back to bed.

Baby Elwing is very very cute, and Daddy-Dior was very nice too!

D

Aranel, this is just WONDERFUL (yes, in capitals - *very* wonderful)! :-) I don't know what to say... I liked it very, very much.

You really keep the balance between the menacing "shadow" and the happier times perfectly - it is so amazing and touching!

But I should start at the beginning. ;-)

The young guard, thinking his dismal thoughts about what happened to the last bearer of his spear and a bit astonished by what is happening, is one of those glorious minor characters you always manage to write - they live and breath, even if they only appear in one small scene.

And then, Elurín and Elured! I love what they think and do, and their way of explaining the world... “He’s a dream guard.” - that was so very cute! Of course they cannot really understand what a guard is for, as their lives have been comparatively sheltered until now, and it is so childlike to link the story their mother told them to something real... So, very cute - and yet, the shadow is here as well! We know that Elurín's being "afraid of anyone he didn’t know" will be too justified one day, that guards would only be too necessary (but that the question "can you guard us?" will, implicitly, be answered in the negative that fateful day) and that spears and weapons will not only be used to chase bad dreams away in Menegroth... So this scene makes me want to cry and smile at the same time! Awesome job!

And then... LOL - the scene you did the most wonderful illustration for! I already liked the picture very much, but it is wonderful to know the matching story now...

I like the nice family interaction in this scene, and the typical questions à la "was I like this as well?" from the boys... By the way, is there some symbolism in the fact that Elwing seems to be the one who is most vigorous and most eager to eat (...and live?)? She is the one who will survive what is going to happen, after all...

I loved Melian's song - it is simple, yet very beautiful... Don't worry about the authenticity of the elven melody - we can't know what elvish music is really like, so any melody you choose is "right". :-)

And then this sentence - "This was the way it was supposed to be." Yes, this is how it should be, all of them together and peaceful and happy - but the necessity to place guards in front of the doors and all makes it only too plain that this is not as idyllic and perfect as it looks!

I really like little Elwing - your portrayal of her is convincing, and so very cute! :-)

And Dior's thoughts... Only too convincing! He has been pushed into a position that he did not expect to have to fulfill, and he has to face the dangers and difficulties now... :-/ Poor Dior! It is good, at least, that he cannot know in advance how this is going to end...
His memories are very beautiful and convincing, too - yes, then everything was different and more sheltered, and not like it is now...

In this context, I also appreciate the frequent mentions of Melian who left - her protection is removed from Doriath now, it is not the safe haven it was once...

So - awesome job again! I really cannot wait for the next installment...

And... You said you have come up with a plausible fate for the twins! So - what happened to them? *curious look* I would highly appreciate an e-mail on that subject if it is not going to be in the story... :-)

That was such an original and touching look at life in Menegroth under Dior. Such wonderful interaction between Dior and his sons, and the last line "We're important people, too, aren't we, Ada," is so touching.