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Steelsheen by Ecthelion of the fountain	13 Review(s)
Leithian	Reviewed Chapter: 999999 on 4/17/2025
It may have something to do with the large amount of fanfic that I've read, that I thought that it was canonical that Morwen returned to her native lands after the death of Thengel. For some reason, it is a popular take, in the stories that I have read. I wish you luck in your Sindarin learning. I am learning Quenya, and I chose to learn it first since it seemed the easier of the two, yet it is also difficult mainly because the rules, grammar, etc are so different from both, my native language, and English. Add the fact that Tolkien's writings sometimes leaves gaps which then causes debates among the learned scholars, and no consensus. Then there is neo-Quenya... sigh I can only imagine how difficult it is for you in Sindarin, which is considered less complete. I would like to tell you that I find your stories beautiful, poetic and very Tolkienic in their style and themes. And it gives me inspiration, and hope, that someday, even as a non-native speaker, I will be able to wield the words of this foreign language as skillfully as you do. Author Reply: Ah—I wasn’t aware of the fandom’s popular take on this! But it’s actually wonderful that so many have noticed it and found it unsatisfying. As I mentioned in a previous reply to Lindelea, I don’t usually read fanfics—I simply write them. To me, the missing date was both a spark and a door to many possibilities. Given the lifespan of her people, Morwen might very well have still been alive during the War of the Ring! But I chose otherwise, though I tried to build a “detective” story around the mystery of her fate. Thank you again for the encouragement! I hadn’t realized English isn’t your native language either—we surely share the same struggles, and the same quiet victories, as we strive to master what we were not born into. Wishing us both the best of luck on that journey!

Leithian	Reviewed Chapter: Epilogue 2 on 4/17/2025
𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵: 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦, 𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳—𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘵. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘺, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥; 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦; 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘯. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘶𝘯𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳’𝘴 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘸 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦: 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘳. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦, 𝘣𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦, 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘥. Ok, now I want to cry. These words are so powerful, yet so soothing. You've written a story so that Eowyn's change of heart (?) makes sense to the readers. And while I would have loved to read your take on Eowyn's slaying of the Witch-King and her relationship with Faramir, this story is perfect as it is. Thank you for writing this story. It has been a pleasure to follow Eowyn as she matures into the woman we meet in the LoTR, and to see how the influence of her grandmother guides us as she progresses in life. Author Reply: Thank you! I’m truly glad it resonated with you—it tells me that my intention was fulfilled. I deliberately left out the parts about the battle and the scenes in the Houses of Healing; my aim was to fill the gaps, so that those well-developed moments in the book might flow seamlessly from where I chose to end. :)

Leithian	Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 4/17/2025
I have greatly enjoyed your take on Eowyn, and the way you have carved her backstory and motivations. This story, especially the last chapters made me think a lot, about Eowyn, and female portrayal in media, in general. Thank you for giving Eowyn back her agency in her life, and the ability to make her own choices. (By the way, I hated the scene between Eowyn and Wormtongue in the Two Towers movie, your version is way better) “𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘭, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳—𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘰, 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘥, 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥—𝘮𝘺 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦𝘵𝘺.” Wow. You have given another explanation for why Eowyn turned to Aragorn, after knowing him for only a short time. It is possible that she found out that he was Thorongil, the legendary warrior. “𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱, 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭,” 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥, 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵. “𝘐 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 é𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘥.” 𝘌𝘭𝘧𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘮 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳—𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺—𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦, 𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘢𝘸𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯: 𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦. “𝘔y 𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘺, 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵—” “𝘋𝘰 𝘪𝘵,” 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘭𝘺. “𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘏𝘪𝘭𝘥. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘯𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦.” I liked this interaction and the reason you included it. It does make a lot of sense that Elfhelm knew about her presence in the eored. I miss Hild. She was so determined and so full of life, and I was very sad when she died. Author Reply: Dear Leithian: my most sincere thanks for your kind support and encouragement—as always! While the seed of this story was sown by the discovery that Morwen’s date of death was never recorded, I have long felt that Éowyn’s motivations have been treated with too much presumption and oversimplification—both in the film adaptation and, to some extent, even in the book itself. So much of what she might have thought and felt was expressed through the voices of those around her, yet Éowyn herself was given so few words of her own. I have my own interpretation of her, and I feel it may be best shared in the form of a story. I wrote a fanfic about Théodred and Éomer more than ten years ago, titled Brethren, in Chinese. Éowyn appeared in that tale, but it was told chiefly through the eyes of her cousin and her brother, and thus could not truly reach into what she herself had endured. I now feel rather satisfied to have filled that gap. :) Once the other ongoing new story is complete, I may even be able to translate those earlier works as well—they offer an interesting contrast, covering certain shared events, yet presenting a markedly different perspective. I hated the scene between Eowyn and Wormtongue in the Two Towers movie: To me, it felt overwrought—overly dramatic without capturing the true nature of either character. I’m glad you’ve enjoyed my version instead! It draws on all that is said by Saruman, Gandalf, and others, though pieced together anew. You have given another explanation for why Eowyn turned to Aragorn: If we go strictly by the book, her shift in affection seems rather sudden: she stops at the doors of Meduseld, looks long upon Aragorn, and then suddenly turns away and enters the hall. When she reappears, waiting upon Théoden, her heart already seems inclined toward him. It is a swift turn, is it not? I chose to fill that space in my own way. :) I liked this interaction and the reason you included it: Elfhelm definitely knew of her presence in the éored—and of Merry's presence. I’d always wondered why he would help her. Elfhild, and her story, was a possible answer I hinted at in my earlier fic Brethren, though it was not fully explored there. Now I finally have the chance to give her tale its due—for I imagine Éowyn was not the first woman to try, only the one who at last prevailed. And it seems right to give voice to those who came before her.

Lady Forlong	Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 4/14/2025
Your theory that Grima was a "leech" makes sense. He would have been expert in using just enough poison to keep Theoden just sick enough so he could control him. Author Reply: Thanks! Yes, that’s exactly where I was coming from—and Théoden does use the word "leechcraft" against him in LotR. We’ll see more of that thread in the chapters to come.

Lindelea	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 4/11/2025
I am worried for Elfhild. Journals do tend to be mostly mundane. That might be a good thing. Thinking about Théoden as a small child brings me joy. "Pride does not feed the hungry." So much meaning in so few words! Listening more than one speaks sounds like wisdom. Gríma's father served Éowyn's grandfather? Yikes. Author Reply: Yeah—it feels unrealistic for a journal to be filled with constant drama. People tend to write less when life settles into routine, and I’ve been trying to keep that in mind for credibility’s sake. I imagine Éowyn was actively involved in court affairs from a young age—she was clearly beloved by her people, as we see in LotR. Háma nominated her as their leader, even when Théoden initially didn’t seem to consider her part of the House of Eorl (sigh). I wanted to build more of that backstory. The fire incident in the previous chapter was one step in that direction.

Lindelea	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 4/9/2025
Fire in a community built of wood and (I think?) thatch would be terrifying. I think of the accounts I've read of the Great Chicago Fire and the Peshtigo Fire and the London fire (and more recent wildfires that roared through communities, seeming unstoppable), and I'm not looking forward to summer and "fire season" in our region. (Is this accident or sabotage? I wonder. Reading on, it appears not to be. At least at first glance. Though the mention of Gríma raises my suspicions.) Sheesh. Gríma is about the last person I'd want to see. It is Wormtongue, isn't it? Or is the name more common than I'd realized? Has Wormtongue already arrived? (Gríma Wormtongue has creeped me out since the first time I read LOTR some decades ago. Even as I've scoured the work for details to consider in my own writing based on JRRT's world, I have avoided the passages where he appears, at least as much as possible.) Once again, I am brought up short by such a simple thing: this small glimpse into Théoden's character: ...the King smiled and said, “I would save the effort, child, were I you. It is not as though I learned nothing raising Théodred.” Lady with the warm hands – what a lovely epithet. Without the context, I might take "like a blade beneath fine silk" in a negative way, such as an assassin's blade hidden under fine clothing. But I think it's meant differently here, even though it has the same thought behind it of hidden qualities or not judging a book by its cover. Oh those tales that grow in the telling! Like, beginning with you running into a burning house in your night-shift. And ending, by our folk’s eager telling, with you lifting five fallen beams and hauling out an éored’s worth of elders and babes. Well done! It's both amusing and effective in conveying the speaker's respect, admiration, and concern. I thought at first it was Théodred speaking, for it sounded so much like him, but the "little sister" must mean it was Éomer? The "he said nothing" confused me at first, until it occurred to me that he was saying nothing in response to Éowyn's laughter. The ending is a perfect wrap-up for this event and its outcome. As to the note I wrote you earlier, it seemed the right thing to do. No matter that I may have written more words of fanfic than JRRT wrote about Middle-earth (someone whose hobby was math made that observation to me back before HoME was published; I have no idea as to its accuracy), I have this underlying anxiety so that when I see a line of "0" reviews for chapter after chapter of one of my stories, I think the worst. I'm not saying I think so highly of my writing, or even that I believe other people have the same anxiety that I find so difficult to resist. I simply felt the need to convey that I hadn't lost interest in the story or abandoned it because it wasn't worth my time. (Those are so often the thoughts that randomly cross my mind when I post a new chapter to a story that has no reviews – or reviews on early chapters and then a line of "0" reviews following. I am committed to finishing my WIPs, but that little voice in the back of my head accuses me of being stuck on myself, posting chapters that nobody else – except me – enjoys reading. Sort of like the vulgar expression about people who enjoy the smell of their own farts, something I imagine might be an expression the down-to-earth Rohirrim might use.) While I don't want people leaving reviews out of pity (how lame that would be, like fishing for compliments), still, I find silence troubling and can't help thinking of it as reflecting some failure on my part. When I read a flawed story, I still try to leave positive feedback. My years as a teacher of writing have shaped my approach to reading (and reviewing, actually). To my mind, writing is the best way to learn to write. Thus, I formed the habit of looking for all the good bits sparkling from the page. Encouraging writers to keep on writing feels important to me. So many times I've found incredible creativity cloaked in flawed writing, and I've rejoiced in seeing progress as someone continues to write and grow as a writer. (Please note that I am not calling your writing "flawed". Far from it, actually. Reading your work is an unmitigated pleasure. At least, I think "unmitigated" is the right word. My concentration is starting to flag, so I need to finish nattering on and post this review soon.) All that to say, I didn't want you to become discouraged, if that might be a possibility. If you are the hardy type who doesn't worry about such things, I commend you (and feel a bit envious, actually). Blessings to you, and thanks for listening. Author Reply: Thanks for the kind words! :D As for Gríma—no spoilers from me :) All I’ll say is, if you don’t like him… well, a few chapters ahead might be a bit tough to read. (And truth be told, writing those gave me more than a little mental strain!) I thought at first it was Théodred speaking — it is Théodred speaking :) I went back and read it again, and didn’t quite see the ambiguity, but maybe that’s language sensitivity at play! He’s been calling her “little sister” in earlier chapters as well. As for comments—I don’t always do too well in that department myself, mostly because I don’t read a large number of fanfics. But when I do come across something that touches me, I always make sure to leave kudos and comments. As a writer, I understand deeply how important feedback is—just knowing that someone is out there reading can mean the world. Often, when I write a story, it’s because I already have a clear sense of where it begins and ends, so I tend to press on regardless of comments. I also stick pretty closely to book-canon (even in the more lighthearted pieces), which naturally narrows the audience a bit, so I try to keep my expectations modest. But that only makes every single comment I receive incredibly precious, and I always try to respond as soon as I can. Thank you again for taking the time to give such active and enthusiastic feedback—it truly matters to writers, and I know I should do more of that myself!

Lindelea	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 4/8/2025
(I just wanted you to know I'm still eager to read, but last week was busy and my days are full of RL obligations for the rest of this week. I hope to be back soon! It'll be nice to relax with a cup of tea and a few chapters of fanfic to chew over once our calendar goes back to normal. Meanwhile, I'm excited to see you've added new chapters to the story. Best wishes, Lin.) Author Reply: Lindelea — thank you so much for the kind note! Honestly, I’m a bit baffled (in the best way) that you’d take the time to write just to explain—I never expected you to keep reading, and I’m truly flattered to know you’re looking forward to more. Wishing you all the best with your obligations this week—and thank you again for the encouragement, it really means a lot!

Lindelea	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 4/4/2025
The world is already showing signs of strain. Darkness doesn't just happen overnight; it sneaks in and can be quite subtle – a shadow here, a shadow there – until suddenly you're aware that things have changed much more than you realized as the shadows were beginning to creep in. Ah, those overprotective big brothers... but Éowyn seems to have her head on straight. “I learn,” Éowyn replied simply. (I had to laugh, though, because my younger hobbits in my stories are often being told variations on "Wait until you're older.") At such a young age, she begins to perceive the cage. Poor lass. But Théodred is a bright spot. Do I detect an adolescent crush (infatuation?) beginning to form? She's about the right age for that, it seems. Elfhild as a sort of Middle-earth vigilante. Robin Hood? (Drawling: Better look out, boys, there's a new sheriff in town.) I've heard from other fanfic writers that Kingsfoil tastes pretty vile, in their view. It sure smells purty, though. (I don't know why I'm talking like a cowboy movie tonight.) Ages in Tolkien's peoples are interesting to ponder. When I first started writing hobbits, it seemed odd to me that fanon had female hobbits marrying around age 30 or older, while male hobbits didn't marry until they came of age at 33 or even waited until they were older (in my stories, 40 is average marriage age for a male hobbit). Until I realized that 30 in a hobbit seems equivalent to about 20 in a human. Thus, Rosie Cotton Gamgee was 37 when she had her first child and 58 (so, seemingly not as old in hobbit terms as it would be for a woman of today) when she had her last! Hobbits' time scale is different from ours. (I'm not surprised that the Rohirrim might be different from what we're used to, as well.) Interestingly, Lobelia Sackville-Baggins was scandalously young (hobbit age: 23/human age: 15) when she married Otho. I wonder if JRRT made a math error or if he had a story in mind? (Of course, Arwen was robbing the cradle to marry Aragorn, and he was 88 at the time! I've calculated that, based on his age when he died, his age at his wedding would be roughly equivalent to a 31yo man of today.) But I'm rambling. The bedtime police (cats) seem to be running behind schedule tonight. Author Reply: For age—Unfinished Tales actually states that the Rohirrim typically live into their eighties, so their time scale is quite close to that of modern people. Examining the ages at which the Kings of the Mark had their heirs also supports this: being unwed into one’s forties would have been unusual. Thengel, for instance, wedded at 38 and was considered very late, and his being seventeen years older than Morwen is also noted—suggesting the match was unusual. The House of the Stewards in Gondor is a little different, as their lifespan is longer than that of the Rohirrim. Denethor himself wed at 46 (and he was still very vigorous at 89). Yet even with this, Appendix A includes a note explaining Boromir’s resemblance to Eärnur, partially explaining his marital status. As for the Númenóreans, there are multiple versions of their ageing and life scales. Aragorn’s “equivalent age” isn’t fixed, ranging anywhere from his thirties to forties in mortal terms. The Nature of Middle-earth covers this extensively :D Hobbits, too, are special—so I don’t think we can use their absolute ages as a guide to physical maturity or development across races. I’ve heard from other fanfic writers that kingsfoil tastes pretty vile— I don’t think there’s a canon description of its fresh taste, but I also imagine it can’t be great… hence Théodred’s comment 😂

Lindelea	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 3/31/2025
Ahhhh (a sigh of satisfaction), it is nice to return to this tale. I am glad to see you are posting more chapters. Théodred had translated only a single line that night—but that line had opened a door she could not now close. I have experienced this phenomenon. Nice turn of phrase. She was… in her early thirties? Éowyn guessed. It was an age still distant, still unimaginable to her. Time is so fluid and flexible. At age 14, 30 is unimaginable. In a similar way, I have 29-year-old Pippin thinking of Frodo as "old" in one of my stories (even though he's probably "well-preserved" by the Ring, as Bilbo had been, and looks no older than he did at 33, only a few years older than Pippin at the time). “But I grew to love the plains, though the wind whispered things I do not understand.” I wonder if this will be Lothíriel's experience, going from the Sea to the plains when she marries Éomer? Alas, poor Elfhild. But she sounds resilient. I love this description of Éomer: He did not always understand her, but he never failed to stand beside her. And the description of love being able to both "bind and blind" is a lovely turn of phrase. I love the ending of this chapter. It says so much in so few words. Author Reply: Lindelea - Thanks! I have 29-year-old Pippin thinking of Frodo as “old” — yeah, it’s a very similar thing: at a younger age, even ten years feels unthinkable, and someone twenty years older seems terribly old… been there, and this definitely drew from experience! I wonder if this might be Lothíriel’s experience too—it could be, though I imagine it would be easier for her, since travel in her time would be much safer and more manageable. I’d also imagine Éomer visiting her family in Dol Amroth from time to time—after all, that’s where part of his grandmother’s heritage lies. I’m trying to stay as close to character as I can with all the canon figures, and this is very much my impression of Éomer :D Glad to hear you like it!

Lindelea	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 3/28/2025
How interesting! (I'm referring to the note at the bottom of the page just now.) The gaps Tolkien left certainly do beckon to be filled, don't they? I love her grey mare and your explanation of the horse's name. It seems that Éowyn has stumbled across a mystery! At her age, I would have loved to stumble across an old chest filled with mementos and hints about my grandmother or great-grandmother. A surprising number of the books I read as a child featured such trunks discovered by the protagonists in dusty attics. Théodred is wonderful and I find myself wanting an AU where he lives on... Sigh. I must settle for enjoying reading about him as long as I can. Author Reply: Yeah, right? I originally meant to write a very different story, but once I realized how much was missing about Morwen, I felt something else would be truer to what might have really come to pass. And it adds a bit more suspense to the story too :D I also gave Éowyn a different horse than Windfola at this point, since she was only fourteen—she would have had to change mounts by the time of the War of the Ring. And I love Théodred—which makes the later chapters all the harder to bear. :( Thanks for the review! :heart:

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