Stories of Arda Home Page
About Us News Resources Login Become a member Help Search

Elf, Interrupted: Book One: Glorfindel Redux  by Fiondil 7 Review(s)
LarnerReviewed Chapter: 89 on 2/14/2008
It appears your Axantur and my Master of Protocol are related in nature, at least. And to know that it was a mortal who cried out the most hopeful of the cries tied to that battle makes it the more poignant.

Author Reply: I think such people are cloned, myself. *LOL* Yes, it is indeed poignant that the most hopeful of cries tied to that battle comes from a mortal doomed not to see that day dawn.

NarielReviewed Chapter: 89 on 6/23/2007
Sorry about all my reviews being out of order! I really enjoyed this chapter especially with Arafinwe's 'Family discount.' (What was he thinking?)

I liked seeing Sador improve his Quenya. He's such a genius! He already knows his 'brothers' names in Quenya!

Uh-oh! Findarato is in so-so much TROUBLE. (I have already read the next chapter so this part can be for both the chapters.) POOR-POOR Amarie, her own BETROTHED doesn't even know her BEGETTING DAY. Fiondil, in some future chapter I think you should do something really mean to Finrod as payback for forgetting Amarie's gift. Luckily, Sador to the Rescue!!! *Hip-hip hooray!!!!*
So Fiondil will you promise to remember what happened in this chapter? Will you?

Hope so...

Another thing, I am learning more Elvish here than I ever did searching the net for TWO WEEKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One other thing , promise to complete the tale? Promise? Swear by Eru, the One, himself in true Tolkien style????????????????????????????

Okay, one last question. So 'WHO' is your favorite character in The Silmarillion? In the Lord of the Rings?????????????????????????????????????

Sorry bout the million questions though. I am just naturally curious.


Namarie...


Author Reply: As for punishing Finrod for forgetting Amarië's Begetting Day: that remains to be seen and I reserve judgment.

As for completing this tale: I have every intention of completing this tale, so don't worry about that.

As for my favorite character in the Silmarillion: Finrod.

As for my favorite characters in LOTR: Glorfindel and Aragorn.

As for my favorite character, period: Námo.

BodkinReviewed Chapter: 89 on 5/12/2007
Family discount, indeed! Finrod should be sure to keep Sador around - if only to act as his memory and defuse a lot of fraught conversations!!

I think Axantur needs a bit of shaking up! That's one of the troubles with immortality - it goes on for ever and you see no need to change.

And a very effective ceremony.



Author Reply: I'm sure when Finrod realizes how Sador saved his bacon with Amarië, he will be very very grateful. *grin* Axantur isn't the only elf needing a bit of shaking up. Hopefully the change in this ceremony and any subsequent changes will help bring them out of their complacent ruts. The presence of the Reborn and the returned Exiles should help there.

KittyReviewed Chapter: 89 on 5/11/2007
Dear Sador! Hopefully he’s writing to Glorfindel and Finrod in advance to tell them about ‚their’ gift, so they – and particularly Finrod – are forewarned and react in the right way to Amarië’s thank for the gift *grin*

And it is so sweet of him to be so concerned for Arafinwë’s safety on Tol Eressëa. But thinking about it, I believe even if there may be a certain risk, it is about time the elves there see for themselves the Kings feel responsible for them, too.

Sador seems to be something like a new broom to protocoll at court. Axantur will survive if he has some new words in the Merendë Andohrívëo ceremony. It’s not as if he has to change the whole ceremony, even if he thinks so.
And having the Valar showing up and singing along was a mighty seal of approval, wasn’t it? I doubt many elves would dare to question the change after that.

Hm ... Sador doesn’t remembered what happened when he entered the Halls of Mandos for the first time, after he died? He *has* witnessed the first rising of Eärendil's silmaril, as far as I understand it.

Author Reply: Sador does remember what happened when he entered the Halls of Mandos as witnessed by his description of his Judgment in an earlier chapter, but he doesn't equate what he saw with Eärendil, probably because the feelings he had as he saw the silmaril from Mandos are not the same when he looks up at the night sky and sees the star. He hasn't made the connection, or perhaps Námo has not allowed him to make the connection yet. And from his perspective in Mandos, there was no 'rising'; it was simply there before him.

eilujReviewed Chapter: 89 on 5/10/2007
Hm -- a royal visit to Tol Eressëa. I think I don’t blame Sador for worrying. Then again, I suppose what will inevitably be seen as Arafinwë's arrogance will be forgiven because of Finrod's and Glorfindel's presence.

"Perhaps we can incorporate your traditions with ours, yonya," the King finally said. "I think it would be a good idea for my people to be reminded of what happened in Endórë and how those events have impacted on their lives, little though they realize it." -- A good idea to remind the Amaneldi.


Author Reply: the Amaneldi for the most part do not fully comprehend how much what happened in Beleriand and even what is happening now in Middle-earth during the Second Age impacts on their lives. They are in many ways like the hobbits of the Shire who are so insular and smug in their insularity that they don't realize what sacrifices have been made by others just so they could maintain their smug insularity. Incorporating traditions from Middle-earth, and having the the Kings of Aman visit the Tol Eressëans are ways of breakng through that insularity.

Whether the Tol Eressëans would see Arafinwë and Olwë's royal progress as arrogant remains to be seen.

HildigrimReviewed Chapter: 89 on 5/10/2007
To begin on a less serious note, it seems that Arafinwe -- reputedly "the wisest of heart" of the sons of Finwe -- arguably exhibits his wisdom in meekly accepting Earwen's punishments. My attention was riveted just reading about them, so I can understand his heart racing when she whispered in his ear!

I wonder if Namo's absence from the ceremony was less about his intimidating effect and more connected to the important distinction between recurring cyclic processes (seasons, day/night, and darkness dominance/light dominance among the created) and the relative (if not absolute) singularity of the birth/re-birth transition with which he is so closely involved?

If "abide in" is construed as "persist faithfully in", Manwe's benediction ("Hope remains, Children of Ilúvatar, if we abide in Eru’s love") is interesting in its linkage of the full triad of hope, faith, and love in a simple sentence. This is a very nice conclusion to the chapter.



Author Reply: I'm sure Eärwen was a very patient teacher and Arafinwë an apt pupil and obviously this is a game they enjoy playing every once in a while. Just goes to show you're never really too old for that sort of thing, unless you want to be.

Námo's absence is due more to the fact that he was at his sister Nienna's house on the same evening accepting Ingwion's oath as his apprentice and less for the reasons you've given, which, while intriguing, are somewhat esoteric. Sometimes I think we read more into something than necessary, quite forgetting Occam's Razor: the simplest explanation is often the truth. While Námo could conceivably have been to Tirion and back in the space of a thought, his attention was focused on Ingwion (see chapter 87, "The Servant-Prince's Oath") and remained with him through the night.

Your analysis of Manwë's benediction, on the other hand, is quite beautiful and I confess that when I wrote it I did not consciously link the Vala's words with the Three Holy Virtues, but I knew that I wanted to use the phrase "abide in" and nothing else seemed fitting enough. I'm glad you pointed out that "abide in" means more than just "live in" or "settle in", but really has the connotation of "persistently remaining in" or, as you put it "persist faithfully in". Thank you for your review. I'm glad you enjoyed this chapter.

MithLuinReviewed Chapter: 89 on 5/9/2007
Oooh, Finrod is going to be in trouble when he admits to having no idea that Sador made the gift from Amarië. It is going to be very interesting when those two meet again - she will barely recognize the King of Nargothrond who has re-emerged.

Author Reply: I'm sure Sador will clue him in in advance so as not to get his gwador in trouble with his fianceé. *grin* It will be interesting indeed to see how Amarië reacts to the King of Nargothrond, rather than the 'Prince' of Eldamar she remmbers from before.

Return to Chapter List