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An Unexpected Meeting by Bodkin	67 Review(s)
SharonB	Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 11/16/2004
Oh, Imrazor did have reason to think his son might destroy the journal. Galador really was hurt by his mothers departure. How sad. But I am glad that the journal heped Mithrellas heal and know how truly loved she was. And she spoke up to Galadriel about Aragorn and Arwen. Let them be and what is supposed to happen will. Who knows how things would have changed if Galadriel had not heeded her advice? And to have met Boromir and talked with him. That certainly does seem an unsettled meeting for Boromir. More so than the inital one with the Lord and Lady of the Golden Wood? That may be so, after all Mithrellas was a part of his own personal history. Funny, in a way, that Aragorn was more comfortable with her that Boromir her own descendant. It certaily does show that environment part of growing up. Nurture or Nature does make a difference. And those meeting are what inspired her to make the effort to meet her family again before she left for the west. This has been really good so far. Thanks. Author Reply: He might have destroyed it - and then it's too late to change your mind. I'm glad she received it. At least Galadriel knew when to listen. I don't think Boromir felt hugely comfortable in Lothlorien - all a bit too airy-fairy for him. Not one much into metaphysics. More into ale and fighting. Aragorn, of course, was very comfortable around elves - I wonder how he coped with life as king, actually. I think he would have found that hard. I'm glad you're enjoying it. There's not much left, I'm afraid.

daw the minstrel	Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 11/16/2004
This tale is going on beautifully. I especially liked Aragorn's explanation of why he could accept Mithrellas, but I also liked her scrutiny of her distant descendant, Boromir. Mithrellas has nerve to advise Galadriel, but Galadriel seemed to value the experience she drew on. And I also liked the contrast between the two sets of leaders of the Golden Wood. Celeborn and Galadriel are indeed far better leaders for this time, so perhaps things worked out for the best. Author Reply: Galadriel is no fool - she's been watching Mithrellas for 1000 years and probably knows her value. C and G are much better leaders for any time really. Well up on the meaning of noblesse oblige. I liked the idea of Mithrellas meeting Boromir and Aragorn and spectating on A and A. (Shame the rest of the Fellowship couldn't fit in really, but it would have been a stretch).

Bejai	Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 11/16/2004
Oh, this was a fun chapter! Good to see all these familiar events through someone's else's eyes. And a canonical character, no less! She had wonderful insight into Arwen and Aragorn, as well. Loved the meeting with Boromir! I hadn't thought about it before, but when I realized what you were doing -- that he was meeting his many-times great grandmother, you took my breath away. Loving this story. Author Reply: A lot of years packed into a small space! It began to feel a bit like a history essay. She is - with Luthien and Idril who aren't there - probably the best person to understand Arwen's love for Aragorn and the only one qualified to give meaningful advice. I've seen Boromir meets Mithrellas somewhere else (although I'm afraid I can't remember where) but it really is a likely meeting - they were both in the same place at the same time. Faramir will be green with envy when he realises that he has missed out on the opportunity.

Imrahoil	Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 11/16/2004
The exchange between Mithrellas and Galadriel about Arwen's choice is just great, the concept of forsaking immortality for love however great was why I always had a problem with Arwen. You make it easier to believe. And "‘It goes against the grain to let matters take their own course.’" had me in stitches, Galadriel is one of my most favourite characters, but I have to admit that sums her up rather too well. Author Reply: Arwen is quite an undeveloped character, I think, so it is difficult to understand her. She seems to represent the literary convention of 'beautiful bride as reward' type of heroine. Not to mention the 'let Elrond suffer' convention that Tolkien likes to employ! (There seems to me to be a lot of 'fate' involved in it all.) Galadriel made me grin too - I don't think she is one to find it easy to let things just happen. She definitely feels that she knows best! Thanks for reading.

elliska	Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 11/16/2004
This must have been incredibly hard to write. I have found in the fic I did that the chapters where you have to pass through centuries covering important details without dedicating entire chapters to them are by far the hardest to write. You want to do justice to the event but you don't want to dedicate a whole chapter to it. You did a really good job here. Much better than I could imagine. I loved the talk between Galadriel and Mithrellas about Arwen and Aragorn. The fate of the world and the fate of Arwen--that was well handled. But what I didn't see coming was the conversation with Boromir--well done! I would have missed that opportunity and it was very interesting. I loved the reference to how fascinated Faramir would have been to meet Mithrellas. Too true and a touching brotherly moment. And I liked the contrast between Boromir's incredulity and Aragorn's easy acceptance. He would see things differently indeed given the environment that raised him. Loved that speech, by the way. And I liked I liked Elphir's comment about the elves. That is something that I think is interesting in LotR--everyone is in their proper place to bring about the end of Sauron. Everyone did play their role. Even the people that supposedly 'failed' (Radagast, for example--did he fail or was he in the right place to send the eagles to help Gandalf escape from Orthanc / and Boromir as you pointed out--did he fail or did his presence at the Council of Elrond set into motion the events that would bring aid to Gondor). I love that line of reasoning and it is very interesting to me. You packed so much into this chapter. Loved it. Author Reply: It was a bit tricky - it was just so much time, and yet most of the events would have been fairly irrelevant to Mithrellas in the Golden Wood - and you can't have characters telling you what year it is. I'm flattered you think it worked. Galadriel probably would talk to Mithrellas about this subject - she's the only one around with actual experience, since neither Idril nor Luthien are available. I'm sure I've read another story where Mithrellas met Boromir - but if she were in the wood, she would want to see this man of Gondor - from sheer curiosity, even if she didn't know he was a descendant. I never felt that Boromir was very comfortable with elves (unlike Faramir) but Aragorn would have been pretty at home. And you're right - there was more to success than being at the Black Gate or up Mount Doom. So many of the smaller events were vital to the outcome - Merry and Pippin in Fangorn, Gandalf turning up at Edoras, Frodo's compassion towards Gollum, Faramir's willingness to let the Ring go. Boromir's failure to resist the Ring and then his redemption sent Frodo and Sam on their way in the nick of time, sent Merry and Pippin on their way to lead Treebeard to Isengard and pushed Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli towards Edoras, the Paths of the Dead and Minas Tirith. Without his 'failure' maybe the whole house of cards would have collapsed and no-one would have succeeded.

daw the minstrel	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 11/15/2004
How sad that her son would not forgive her. That really tear me up. I like the way her message was sent by a song. That seems elfy. Author Reply: It would be difficult to deal with that kind of abandonment, really. And he had always been the one to go off and do things, while she was always there at home waiting for them all to come back. Plus, as a male, he may have been less aware of some of the more subtle aspects of life as a female. And there had to be some reason why they didn't write. Considering they didn't. A song did seem an elfy way of sending reassurance, whilst allowing real communication to lapse. Next chapter: how to get through 960 years in one go. H'mm. Author Reply: 940. ish.

elliska	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 11/13/2004
Sadder and sadder, naturally. The departure of Mithrellas was so difficult to read. Wonderful that she got to see her daughter and grandchildren again. Wonderful that her daughter understood and her husband saw after her safety--which given her history, he naturally would. I liked her discomfort at going home and facing Galadriel and Celeborn. I can definitely see that. But the part I liked the most was the mithril circlet with sapphires that she saw again at Arwen's wedding. It gave me hope that no matter how much her son did not understand her decision to leave, no matter that her presence was denied by him, he did not completely discard her--the family still had that. Very emotional chapter. swearing on the lives of his entire acquaintance--Great oath. I liked that. She sent word: not a letter, even as Imrazor had asked. They both knew that her departure was a death of sorts and should be treated as such. She had sent him a song – of hidden glades and cool dark pools, of ancient trees stretching up to the sun and timeless love. -- Lovely. Perfect. Author Reply: Gilmith is a) female and b) more elven than Galador. And, as a female in a very militaristic society, she has a better idea than her brother of how Mithrellas's place in that world is very dependent on her role as Imrazor's wife. To outlive him would, I think, put her in a difficult situation and might be harmful to her family - and she wouldn't want that. Imrazor, too, could see that she would be better off leaving while he was still relatively hale rather than waiting until he entered true old age. He was probably surprised, in some ways, that she stayed as long as she did. It would be strange to go back to the life you used to live - but the place brings about the behaviour sometimes - witness how oddly some people conduct themselves when they go back to their parents' home and revert to the teenage. Mithril circlets and songs - just seemed the kind of messages that might arrive from beyond the 'death' of their division. And become heirlooms. I wonder if the song is still sung - with no idea of its origin or the meaning behind it? Thank you for reading. More soon.

Jay of Lasgalen	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 11/13/2004
Poor Mithrellas :( To have to make her farewells to her family and husband, and to leave Imrazor must have been terrible. It must have been even worse when her son would not understand her need. I like the contrasts between half elf and 3/4 elf children - and that the twins are susceptible to the cold! Jay Author Reply: Mothers are there for sons, not the other way round! He probably hadn't even really considered her point of view - and Imrazor might have been too hurt (and man-like) to want to talk about his own pain. The twins were clearly not less elven in most ways, but they probably had some slightly less elven characteristics - actually, given the lives they lived, feeling the cold would be a terrible nuisance. Living in an elven world, too, any differences would be a disadvantage: feeling the cold, needing more sleep, not being as strong in childhood and so on - but for Galador and Gilmith their elements of elven inheritance would make them stronger.

SharonB	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 11/13/2004
Oh gee, this one had me sniffling by the end. Parting like that was such a sorrow for all of them. Gilmith knew her mother just as well as Imrazor did. Too bad Galador could not see the reason for what was done. I wonder if he forgave his father either, since he helped in all those arrangements to see Mithrellas back safely. LOL, some of that help long before she even left if letters went back with Curánwen I understand her need to go before Imrazor failed and his wish for her to go. We lived for some time with my father-in-law in very poor health and it's hard for any family member to cope with. With her background it would be even harder for her to accept. Even having lived through it with her own in-laws, to have to see that of your own husband would be many times worse. Lothlorien did seem to help settle Mithrellas and heal her some. But I think running in to her family here before she departs will be good for her too in the long run. Now she can see that both she and Irmazor do still live on in their descendants. And since she has encounted her family they know more of the truth and will remember her and their past better. And it seems you've slipped in that letter wririting theme again too. I will wonder if they were from Glimith or Imrazor. And if she still has any of them as keepsakes. Author Reply: Galador was probably feeling he was angry and resentful on his father's behalf, whereas he was really feeling like an abandoned kid. Anger is so often used as a cover for other emotions. He would have expected his mother always to be there for him - and now she wasn't. I don't know quite how much he would have been told about all the arrangements that had been made. His father might well just have moped back to their home in the woods and just assumed that his son would understand. Imrazor had a much better grasp of why Mithrellas had to leave before his own death. He really didn't want his last years to shadow their love. Lothlorien would be a good place to heal - its aura of unreality would help detach her from mortal worries, but I think it was good for her to say goodbye, too. Well - letter writing. What else could they do in the days before the telephone! And no television to distract them!

SharonB	Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 11/11/2004
Ah the marvel of normal life ... children arguing. It is hard to have to reign in your young ones and set them on the right path. Mitherllas learned well from Nimrodel's behavior of not living up to duty or letting the one you love live up to their duty. But it sounds like a quote from the movie ... " ‘I feel it in the air,’ she sighed. ‘I sense it in the water. A long change is coming.’ " .. but it works well in our story. ;-) This has been a good story. Author Reply: Yes, definite Galadriel references there. I can't remember exactly what she said, but it was fairly similar, at least as far as the feeling and the sensing are concerned. But it amused me when it flowed off the fingers. Don't you think that even full-elven children would be bound to squabble? Even in the peace of Imladris. It's just one of the ways kids test each other and establish themselves. And I think in some ways Galador has a point - if you are different, it can be even more important to appear to follow the conventions of the society you live in. On the other hand, I'm not terribly keen on the 'women sitting at home and embroidering while men get out and do things' type of society - but that appears to have been the society it was. I think Nimrodel and Amroth are existing in Mithrellas's mind as a huge object lesson. I wonder if she would have been as able to tolerate the monotony and the duty of her role, if she hadn't had them there as a big shining example of what happens when you over-indulge in self-gratification at the expense of duty. More soon.

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