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Elf, Interrupted: Book One: Glorfindel Redux by Fiondil	11 Review(s)
Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 128 on 2/16/2008
Someone needs to better understand death, I think. "Stupid enough to die"? If she only knew! Author Reply: Calalindalë is beginning to show her true colors and we see why Vorondil is as screwed up as he is.

eiluj	Reviewed Chapter: 128 on 10/21/2007
Wow. That was ... unexpected. I’d considered the possibility that with so many matches, someone would likely be injured, but this wasn’t at all what I’d had in mind.... It’ll be, I guess, several decades at the least before the elder Vorondil is Reborn. Hopefully things with Aldundil and the younger Vorondil will have been sorted out by then (at the moment, I’m not too optimistic about Calalindalë). It’ll be easier if the elder Vorondil’s parents are good, sensible elves. What’s he doing? Varda exclaimed to her fellow Valar. He shouldn’t be able to do that! Well, he is, so your protestations are moot, came a rather testy reply from Námo, who watched with narrowing eyes. More is going on than I suspect even we know. -- So even the Valar are in the dark. I just hope we’ll get an explanation eventually. "He’s still technically an elfling and obviously was not in his right mind ... so I doubt Findaráto will be too severe in meting out punishment.” -- It’ll be interesting to see how that turns out (not the punishment so much as to what extent Vorondil can be trusted) since the elfling is so hideously impulsive at the best of times. Don’t get me wrong: I’ve become quite fond of him, and enjoyed seeing him do so well, particularly the last week or so. But the kid is a menace! On the other hand, I’ve had close friends who tended toward the impulsive, inept and clueless -- not to mention I seem to remember using the word “inept” about myself not 24 hours ago.... 8-) "Damn that oath and Findaráto! ... My husband had no business taking oath with any Reborn, especially that one!" -- This contempt for Finrod in particular seems odd, unless it’s just his having been in the Rebellion. Or maybe she’s being a bit more imprecise in her speech than I realize. I’m worrying about the young elflings. They may take it amazingly in stride (as, for example, Veryandur’s curiosity -- rather than fear -- the day before, when something was obviously wrong with Haldir). I would think that Vorondil’s actions would be the scariest part of this situation, for the elflings. Of course none of this will quiet down the rumors.... And it’s only the morning of the third day of the tourney: you have another 48 hours or so to make things even worse! [I’m reminded of Diana Wynne Jones, a favorite (mostly) children’s fantasy author, who at the climax of every book (but one) persuaded me things were so dire she’d never be able to get the characters out of the situation they were in.] Author Reply: I've been a fan (mostly) of Diana Wynne Jones' children's books for years! I especially liked her "Eight Days of Luke" and the "Young Wizard" series. grin Anyway, getting back to Tolkien... Calalindalë is obviously a closet (until now) Reborn/Rebel Noldor hater, but now the truth has come out, at least to some folks. How that work out, I'm not entirely sure, nor am I sure how Finrod will deal with Vorondil junior. Hopefully he will not be too severe with him, poor elfling. Some of the blame has to be laid at the feet of the Valar for Vorondil's behavior, which has been somewhat erratic since his Judgment. And the Valar are in the dark about a lot of things, just like the rest of us, otherwise they wouldn't make the mistakes they've made over the ages (and we wouldn't have a story grin).

ellie	Reviewed Chapter: 128 on 10/20/2007
wasn't expecting finrod to have problems after everyone else's histories of difficulties lately. i am really wondering what that light is that is in finrod and glorfy. i'm rather surprised at the prejudice against those who died that the lady was revealing at the end. i truly pity her son and her husband and her betrothed - poor him when he returns from mandos! i'm constantly intrigued to see the valar's reaction the children exhibiting new talents of which the valar were previously unaware. such a great tale - always on the edge of my seat wondering what will happen next. Author Reply: Hi ellie. Well, that prejudice against the Reborn is apparently prevelant among many of the elves who remained in Aman, though for more than one reason, as we see here. It's a theme that comes up in this story time and again. Death is unnatural to the Firstborn so those who haven't experience or watched others die are having difficulty accepting it as something that is a part of them now because of what's happened elsewhere in Arda. From the Valar's perspective, the Children showed up in Arda the week before last. Not a lot of time to get to know anyone, so they are still learning and in that learning discovering true humility for themselves, realizing they don't know as much about the Children as they thought they did. grin Glad you are still enjoying the tale. Thanks for reviewing.

Radbooks	Reviewed Chapter: 128 on 10/19/2007
Ah, the plot thickens. :) I knew that Vorondil could not have come by the level of hate that he carried by accident, it was too deep-seated and so of course it had to come from his family and his father didn't seem likely and really his mother didn't either. I thought perhaps it came from the extended family or close friends or something. But, this, yikes. I'm anxious to see what the outcome is for her and for Vorondil and Aldundil. I'd ask what is going on with Finrod, but I know I just have to wait patiently! :) I did wonder, though, why he isn't treating Namo and Irmo with more respect since he has given them an oath and they are his masters. I liked Glorfindel here... taking Vorondil in hand quickly as a warrior should and then being very young and uncertain when he's talking about his time in the Halls of Mandos. Such a wide range of things in a short time. Looking forward to the next chapter! Author Reply: Finally! Someone who will not ask after Finrod! grin Why do people expect me to answer questions in the review section that are plot-related? I'm not about to give away plot points. You-all will find out what's going on with Finrod when I'm good and ready to tell you and not one minute more.... okay, deep breath...rant over. Anyhoo.... yes, poor Vorondil (both of them)... and the fallout over this little revelation won't be pretty. Finrod's disrespect towards the Valar... well, did you always like your teachers when you were young? And where is it written that even someone like Finrod isn't going to let emotions overrule good sense in such a tense, frightening situation, considering the guilt he's no doubt feeling over what's happened? I'm sure the Fëanturi, if they feel it's warranted, will exact suitable punishment on their apprentice. grin And Glorfindel... he's my man... er... elf! Decisive one minute and definitely in elf-lord/warrior mode, uncertain elfling the next, who you just want to pick up and hug. Really, what's not to like? LOL Glad you enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to the next. Hopefully, I will be posting it soon.

Nariel	Reviewed Chapter: 128 on 10/19/2007
Why can’t you update more often? Two weeks is too long! Why is it only one chapter at a time? What is wrong with Finrod? This chapter only makes me more curious. I wonder what would have happened if Finrod had been hurt by Vorondil… What did Amarie think of this? Is she even at the tournament? Is there going to be more of her? Finrod is being far from his normal calm, cheerful self. Is he jealous of the Valar? What did they do because I think it has something to do with the Valar interfering with his issues? Who won the match? Aldundil or Finrod? Will there be a rematch? Who won the other matches? I almost forgot about Calalindale… It’s understandable how she might feel about her betrothed and husband and son. What did she ever have against the exiles? I’m taking it that she is one of those elves who want the reborn gone. Will her situation be clearer in the next chapter? Why did she want Aldundil to marry her? Is it to take revenge on her betrothed? Finarfin swearing is something I shall remember the next time he is in a regal state… I never thought to hear the softest of Finwe’s sons swear in front of practically every important official person of power inValinor. Thanks though for updating. How far are you through the story? Half-way? What? Author Reply: Child, I update when I have a chapter to post, and not before. I do have a life outside of writing fanfic and sometimes that has to take front-seat in my priorites. Most of your questions are unanswerable as to do so will give away too much of the plot, You're just going to have to learn patience like everyone else. And the story will end when the story ends and not before. How long that is, even the Valar don't know. grin

Tira	Reviewed Chapter: 128 on 10/19/2007
hmph. that was a horribly mean ending. i hate cliffies, I really do, and I would most definitely not like to be Calalindalë right now... Author Reply: Well, I thought to have the next chapter ready to post together, but I decided you-all have been waiting more or less patiently for too long so you'll have to wait a few more days for the next chapter. grin

Nieriel Raina	Reviewed Chapter: 128 on 10/19/2007
My elfling is right, you are evil! What a place to leave us! But thank you for the update! grins happily Wow. What an intense chapter! Finrod is beginning to scare ME! And I just adore Glorfindel more and more as we go. huggles elf I nearly screamed when Finrod cut Aldundil! And then Vorondil jumped and and... deep breath Pass some of the cordial, will you? grin I am curious to know just why Finrod was distracted. And this thing in their eyes... something about the Reborn that baffles Valar is something to be reckoned with. And so we are seeing a glimpse of what the Nazgul fled from, huh? But what is it!? What is different about the fëa of the Reborn? I have no doubt it will be what enables them to go on to their destinies, Finrod in Aman and Glorfindel in Endorë. Very very interesting. Oooo... I have been wondering a lot about Calalindale and the little we have seen of her. Aldundil just has not seemed to be the real source of trouble and now we find out the truth. My heart aches for him. To be married to such a bitter woman and for all the wrong reasons! huggles Aldundil And I feel bad for her betrothed too. That will be tough to be Reborn and find out the one you love has married your brother? Very sad. And young Vorondil will now have to deal with the truth of his parents marriage. Life just sucks sometimes! I always like seeing the Valar shown as not perfect and second guessing themselves from time to time. I really hope their dispensing Judgement to Vorondil works out for good. I've really come to like that elfling and would be quite irate if he had to die now. Wonderful, tense chapter, Fiondil! Please please don't leave us hanging too long! NiRi Author Reply: I actually thought to post the next chapter along with this one but it's not quite finished and anyway, this is more fun (for me)! LOL Yes, Finrod is definitely scary. I would not want to be on his bad side. And Glorfindel is too adorable for words, isn't he? snickers Aldundil, his son and his brother are all victims of the War of Wrath, but not quite the way one imagines. Whatever one may think, as Oromë pointed out to Arafinwë some time before, Melkor did his work too well and even the Blessed Realm is not free of his taint, so it stands to reason the elves who remained behind would be affected by his evil even as were the elves in Beleriand, though not as hard because of the influence of the Valar. I do not know what will happen with Aldundil's family, either collectively or individually, but hopefully the Valar are busy trying to bring healing where they can. Námo's "interrogation" of Calalindalë's motives in marrying Aldundil is the start of that process. And why shouldn't the Valar exhibit imperfections, doubts and just wrong moves? They are, after all, created beings, and therefore subject to making mistakes like the rest of us created beings. They may be more perfect than we are, but that's not the same thing as being perfect. Only Eru is that. And frankly, if they didn't have any foibles, they wouldn't be worth writing about. The next chapter will not be too long in coming. Have patience. grin

Edlyn	Reviewed Chapter: 128 on 10/19/2007
Oops! So much for proofreading my review before I post. I meant that I'd discuss the chapter somemore after I re-read it! LOL! Take care! Edlyn Author Reply: Well, you STILL haven't proofread this correctly: "somemore" is TWO words, not one. LOL But I knew what you meant. You didn't need to send this correction. Waste of bits, IMO. Take care!

Edlyn	Reviewed Chapter: 128 on 10/19/2007
Oh, meldonya! What a chapter! I can see why this took you longer than usual to post. And to think I felt sorry for Calalindalë after the events of the trial! O.K. I still feel some pity for her but mostly I'm in a state of disbelief. If we ever needed to find an example of Arda Marred I would say this situation is it. I have a feeling that she ended up deciding to marry Aldundil in order to effect revenge on him for supposedly not fulfilling his oath. And unfortunately, I can see that twisting her own son's fëa and turning him into a juvenile delinquent or worse would be a quite effective revenge, especially as Aldundil still probably (heck, forget the probably) feels guilty for not being able to make sure that his brother survived the war. Oh, as soon as I saw that Námo had chosen a thronelike chair I knew that somebody was going to be facing some hard truths pretty soon but I have to admit I was surprised as to who it turned out to be. I honestly thought at first that Vorondil would be in for it again. I am quite worried about our Vorondil. I don't know whether he'll try to kill himself again out of guilt for attacking Finrod or if he'll begin fading or go catatonic or what. I want to wrap him in my arms and reassure him that the world isn't ending. He's certainly one very damaged elfling (and not just physically--how long does it take an elf to heal from broken bones anyway? Humans take between four and twelve weeks from my experience)even after his Judgment. I just have this feeling he's going to end up in Mandos sooner or later (and probably sooner instead of later) no matter what Finrod and his family do. Still, the one thing that his reaction to his father being injured tells me is that he still loves Aldundil dearly even after his father's mad attack on him after taking Life Oath to Finrod at the trial. And what in the world is going on with Finrod?! Was he remembering or having nightmares about something? He was most certainly distracted and apparently quite weary to start with. And I was completely floored by the fact he basically told the Valar to back off and butt out. Seeing Finrod raise his power to Sing Aldundil back to healing and life was wonderful. It just occurred to me that this is a perfect example of him fulfilling his side of the requirements of the Life Oath and he most certainly pays a price for it. Was Amarië in the stands or is she staying away from the tournament? If she was in the stands I can only assume that her parents prevented her from trying to get to Finrod when he collapsed. And if so, I can just hear her letting them know exactly what she thinks about that! I do hope the elflings (besides Vorondil, I mean) weren't in the stands or where they could see what happened or if they were that Alassiel and Sador got them out of there ASAP and comforted them. I know that both Alassiel and Sador want to be with Finrod but they both know that five unsupervised elflings (especially after such an event) would only be asking for trouble. I can see them setting them to peeling vegetables to make soup for Finrod to eat when he wakes up (and Sador even suggesting they cut the potatoes and carrots into silly shapes to make him laugh while Alassiel rolls her eyes). Goodness, I must be doing better finally as I seem to be getting back to writing long reviews again. Anyway, meldonya, this was a quite exciting and tension filled chapter and it has me thinking and imagining all sorts of possibilities. We (Balian--who I have introduced to your picture--and I) miss you and hope things are going well with your classes. I'll try to catch you online sometime and talk to you about this chapter somemore when I have read it and see what else comes to mind while doing so. Live blessed, Edlyn Author Reply: We will learn what happened to Finrod's elflings in the next chapter, along with Amarië. She was definitely in the stands and saw everyting, but the reason for her not going to Finrod will be made clear in due time. Her mother (though not her father, who doesn't care) is not very happy with either of them after the New Year's Ball fiasco (to her way of thinking). I think Vorondil adores his father no matter what and I suspect it's because he's so fearful of the fact that he knows that if Aldundil hadn't married Calalindalé, he (Vorondil) would never have been born. I think his mother has intimated that Vorondil's existence is due solely because of Aldundil's generosity in agreeing to marry Calalindalë. Not a happy situation for the poor elfling, thinking he's only alive from sufferance and not because he's really wanted. Finrod's behavior will be explained in the next chapter. And yes, his Singing Aldundil to healing is an example of his fulfilling his obligations to his side of the Life Oath. Unfortunately, he's not supposed to be able to do what he did, which has the Valar floored. That will open up a whole new can of worms for them to play with. grin Glad you're feeling better enough to send a long reviews. I miss them. LOL

Kitty	Reviewed Chapter: 128 on 10/19/2007
This chapter was a bit long in coming (you’ve spoiled me with the weekly updates!), but it was worth the wait! Oh, I knew something was going to happen, but that was certainly not what I had expected. I feel a bit dizzy after this chapter – Finrod healing Aldundil with a Song of Power was awe-inspiring, to say the least, even if the Valar silently helped. What can I say about the rest? Well, I know that Vorondil is taking it not very well to see his atar losing, and I do understand that he was shocked about his injury, but to attack Finrod with a knife? Oh Valar, that was certainly unexpected! But after reading the rest of the chapter, some things are becoming clearer for me. Aldundil not telling much about the War of Wrath seemed sometimes not enough to explain Vorondil’s initial behaviour, though back then I put it mostly down to Tinwetariel and Ingoldo. And I can’t say I’m favourably impressed by Calalindalë - on the contrary. To say I decided I no longer wished to be bound to one stupid enough to die made me want to slap her – hard. If anyone is stupid, then it’s Calalindalë herself. Poor Aldundil, he did everything for his brother and this elleth, and that’s how she is repaying him? He doesn’t deserve that – and neither does his son. And I feel already sorry for the elder Vorondil – what will he think and feel when he’s reborn and returns to that? I hope the next chapter will not take too long – I’m bursting with curiosity and suspense how these events will play out! Author Reply: Calalindalë is one of those quiet types that have a lot of poison on the inside but show the world nothing but sweetness and light on the outside. Very deceiving personality. Both Aldundul and their son are victims, and Vorondil senior doesn't even know he's a victim. Very nasty situation all around. Next chapter shouldn't be so long in coming. It's almost written and hopefully will be posted within a matter of days. Glad you thought this chapter was worth the wait.

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