Tag: Anonymous

Hi, Dets! I was wondering if you think any of the dwarves are actually really bad with kids? Since there seems to be so much value placed on family and on caring for young ones especially, I imagine it would be really difficult if you were a dwarf who not only didn’t want to have your own family, but really disliked being around dwarflings in general, or didn’t want to ever be in charge of caring for them.

*shrug* I’m sure there are, Nonnie! But I doubt that, in the sort of society I have set up, they’d be censured for it. I have made it so that each individual can pursue their own agendas and interests without shame, basically – and this would absolutely include those Dwarves who have no inclination towards family or children.

I DO think that Dwarven society rejoices in children on the whole, though, thanks to their comparative rarity. I also think that the raising of children would be a far more communal affair than we have made usual in Australia and other westernised nations. Though the parent/s would be the main caregivers, it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for a large and extended network of adults to be involved in the child’s life. They would have to choose to be part of the child’s life, though – nobody would be forced against their will.

It would be very frowned upon to speak ill of children. Innocents (even annoying ones) do not deserve the scorn and belittlement of adults – no matter how much they dislike them.

There are HEAPS of arenas and callings and places where such a Dwarf could be happy and never ever come into contact with children. This is a society that also values occupation, after all. The guild system springs to mind! So do the forges, politics, trade, food, etc. 

You should do a test online on how many wpm you write Dets I’m curious

Uh, okay! I’m probably not all that fast when it comes to tests though. 

I have never done one of these…. I’m choosing the first one in the results of my Google search – this one here.

Okie doke, my result is 50 words per minute. That’s not bad for a tired lady punching out random Shakespeare quotes. I know I get a lot faster when I’m in the zone – though editing is a sloooooow process!

hey Dets, how do balin and bilbo think of each other/ feel about the other person since erebor or at the time of the dead dwarf peanut gallery? since sansukh is crammed with a ton of balin’s much noisier and flashier kith and kin and balin is more often than not the voice of reason, he seems to be the more quiet and analytical counterbalance to the spectatorship of the ring quest but how does balin really *feel* about it all (moria apart), particularly as bilbo, dwalin, frodo etc?

Heya Nonnie!

Balin and Bilbo are hugely fond of each other. HUGELY fond. (I loved Book!Balin, the lookout-man, when I was a littley!) 

Balin is very sad that Bilbo is suffering memory problems and becoming so frail due to his age. That’s hard to watch – particularly as the last time Balin would have seen Bilbo in life would have been his visit to the Shire with Gandalf (from the books). Bilbo was vital and merry and hale – in fact, he had barely seemed to age at all. And so to see Bilbo’s clever mind slipping and his body slowly crumbling is very difficult for Balin.

He’s rather fond, in a distant sort of way, of Frodo. He doesn’t have the sort of connection or emotional attachment that Thorin has to Frodo, but he’s very proud of the job Bilbo did with the lad nevertheless, and reveres him as the Ringbearer.

He misses Dwalin like he misses life. His taciturn, grim-faced, looming younger brother. It feels wrong to smile at someone else, negotiating this or that, without his scowling bulk a silent presence behind him. 

He’s tremendously proud of what Dwalin has achieved though. He can’t believe how high Dwalin has climbed. General in chief of all Erebor’s armies! The great War-Hammer of the Dwarves! His little brother! 

Balin approved heartily of Orla – and he is so proud of his namesake he might explode.Â