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Elf, Interrupted: Book One: Glorfindel Redux by Fiondil	8 Review(s)
hawkeye	Reviewed Chapter: 34 on 11/17/2014
The attitude of so many of the Vanyar is really starting to get old, though I suspect those kinds of people get old quickly anyway, regardless of the circumstances. Glorfindel was a hero in this chapter. Passing through death the first time was horrific enough, but I think this shows even more of Glorfindel's character because this time he knew what he would face and how it would end. It was also telling that, despite her rudeness, Glorfindel still came to Alassiel's defense, even going so far as to be angry on her behalf. I can see, as a lord, how this kind of character would be important. And, I think I would fully expect to see him react this way, but what surprised me was it seemed like he was genuinely concerned for her and her welfare. That kind of goodness is something that I always associated with Glorfindel, but he hasn't had much opportunity to show yet. So we are going to see Ingwion in this story. I love reading about these significant, yet so little discussed, characters. I am a bit confused on a point though, so please forgive my ignorance. It really surprised me that Ingwion would goad Glorfindel the way that he did. I seem to recall reading that he went and fought in Middle Earth? Given that history, I wonder why he, at least at first, seemed so standoffish. In either case, I was impressed that he willingly admitted his mistake to his atar. Hopefully he won't get into too much trouble. It seems like Elessairon might be a possible friend for Glorfindel. He certainly could use a few :) As a side note, you keep adding characters that I like and want to know more about. It's amazing :) Thanks for another lovely chapter! Author Reply: Hi Hawkeye. With regards to Ingwion, Tolkien had several versions of his story in some of his early writings about the War of Wrath and in some of them he's named Ingil instead and even his ultimate fate differs from one version to the next. Since Ingwion in any form never appears in the Silmarillion and as I took that as my starting point I felt free to develop Ingwion's character as I saw fit and in my universe for reasons that we learn later, Ingwion, in fact, did not join Arafinwë in the War of Wrath. Instead, Ingwion's cousin, Intarion, who, in this story, resides in Mandos at the moment, goes in his stead and dies there attempting to save Arafinwë's life. His daughter is Alassiel. I won't say anything more about Ingwion as it will spoil things for you, but I hope you will give him a chance to redeem himself. He really is a nice ellon. grin I'm sure Elessairon will end up being a friend to Glorfindel as well. Glorfindel's reaction to what Alassiel suffers just shows that as adolescent as he may act at times, he is indeed an Elf-lord, puissant and noble. His character shines here and we see the Elf-lord that he was and will be. Thanks for leaving a review. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.

Kaylee	Reviewed Chapter: 34 on 8/5/2008
I love Namo's witty comments..."Do I look like your mother?" snicker But I can't say I cared much for his actions toward Alassiel and Glorfindel. I wouldn't want him to force any memories of mine on someone else either, no matter what they called me. Speaking of which...Ingwion? Isn't "Etyangol" a bit uncalled for? raises eyebrows at the Vanyarin prince Well, at least he changes for the better, meldonya, a lot faster than his cousin. sighs Who are Elessairon and Undomion really? They've mostly stayed in the background and this is the most I've heard from them, I think. Who are their families and why did they go with Glorfindel? I saw Glorfi briefly think of Elessairon's father and I gather they don't like each other (Elessairon's atar and Glorfi)? ~Kaylee!!!! Author Reply: Námo did sort of cross the line here but for a reason. The Amaneldi need a wake-up call and this is the beginning of it. Elessairon and Lómion are ellyn who are part of Arafinwë's court. They are junior courtiers (along with the others who accompanied Glorfindel to Vanyamar, including Vorondil) who are being fostered in Ingwë's court for a season to further their education. Elessairon's atar is something of snob and has no use for Reborn or anyone else for that matter. Glorfindel definitely does not like him though he does like Elessairon. They're friends.

Tari	Reviewed Chapter: 34 on 2/15/2008
What an ordeal for poor Glofindel. It was hideous. I always have a problem reading the Sil when I get to the part where Morgorth sends flames upon the Elves. I end up reading it with tears in my eyes. I hope the other elves learned a very important lesson. A kiss from Glorfindel. Yummmmmmmmm. I love him being comfortable enough with the Vala to stick out his tongue. That was priceless. Tari

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 34 on 2/12/2008
That's a rather drastic way both to convince her and to return that set of memories to him as well. I think both would have been happier not to share them. Author Reply: Drastic indeed, but probably the only way he could see to get through these two hard-headed and stubborn children.

scarletdragon	Reviewed Chapter: 34 on 12/11/2007
I love this story! Though there's so many things going on (and so many characters!) that it's hard to keep track of, it's still really interesting. I do have one question, though: Is 'Lomion' Maeglin? It was his mother name originally. If so, why has he already been released from Mandos? He betrayed Gondolin! And if I'm right, why doesn't Glorfindel recognise him? Keep up the good work, as this story was incredible, and please answer my questions somewhere in the next story. Author Reply: Hi, Scarletdragon. Thanks for telling me how much you've enjoyed this story. To answer your question... no, this particular Lomion is not Maeglin. I've merely bororwed the name, deciding that it might be a name that could be given to more than one elf though for different reasons. So Glorfindel would have no reason to recognize this particular elf. Author Reply: I just looked at the date of your review... sorry it took so long to answer. Not sure why... I suspect it was because I was in the midst of trying to finish this tale and wasn't paying attention to alerts. Now I had better go through the reviews and see if I've missed any others.

Edlyn	Reviewed Chapter: 34 on 5/21/2007
Good morning, meldonya. Herewith is my review of Chapter 34. You warned me that Glorfindel's day wasn't over with yet and all I can say is that I never want to go through a day like this one was for him. "The past was the past, he realized. It could not be altered." Hmmm, I wonder how many times Glrofindel is going to have to be reminded of this in the future? If the Eldar are like Men in this respect, I suspect that it will be a lot of times! I was reminded of a sign in front of a local church as I read this sentence: "Remember the past but do not live in it." I think that could be one of the underlying themes of your story, meldonya, to go along with the themes of rebirth, sacrifice, and love. Well, if Glorfindel looks like I imagine him, I can definitely understand why the ellith giggle when they see him. But I'm wondering what Vorondil's problem is. Of course, he could just have the standard prejudice against the Reborn or just be immature. I like Elessairon's reason for wanting warrior braids--what teenager doesn't like to freak out their parents? Though of course, I don't want him to ever have to be in the situation where he actually earns them. Oh, Alassiel! I'm shaking my head at the elleth. She just can't leave well enough alone can she? I was shivering as I read Glorfindel's description of his death. I can most definitely see how hearing him speak of it without any emotion would be heart-chilling. The fact of his death separates him from the rest of the Eldar there and his manner emphasizes that. He's been feeling alienated from that whole bright court since he arrived in spite of Ingwe's kindness and he's using this to get some of his own back. Alassiel's reaction wasn't unreasonable, I thought. What can one say after a recitation such as Glorfindel's. I'd probably grab at anything to change the mood to try to reassure myself that somewhere the sun was still shining and that I wasn't trapped in the throes of a nightmare turned real. And of course, the kind of things you say at times like that aren't polite, aren't kind and definitely aren't smart. I don't think that Alassiel truly disbelieves Glorfindel's words, but that she doesn't want to believe them. I wouldn't want ot believe them either. To half-quote Deety from Heinlein's "The Number of the Beast": She wishes "the world wouldn't wobble." Oh, Glorfindel! You are priceless! "Now what did I do?" I laughed so hard at that. I really needed to. It brought things back to some semblance of normalcy and broke the tension beautifully. Well, not all the tension. There's a number of Eldar standing there wondering whether they are going to end up with one-way tickets to Mandos. Courage or stupidity. Hmmm. I sometimes think that they are in fact the same thing and it's only after the fact that one determines which term is more appropriate to the recently ended situation. Courage, I think is what Alassiel has, especially after her comment about finding the fact that Glorfindel is older than her is hard to believe. She's got courage but not maturity yet. She's going to really be something once she grows up. ROTFL! "Do I look like your mother?" Oh, my sides hurt! The quickness of Lord Namo's mood changes (or at least his expression of such, I'm sure he knows exactly what he's going to do and how he's going to express himself at all times) is frightening as well as the speed with which he effects his will. Shudder That particular lesson in manners is one I could definitely do without. It was appalling and frankly cruel, particularly to Alassiel. She needed a lesson, yes, and so did Glorfindel, but this? Ah, the protector in Glorfindel is awake again. I can most certainly understand his anger at Lord Namo (I'm angry at Lord Namo for doing what he did!). Given that everything in his former life is gone (and he feels that his reason for existing ended with his perceived failure to get his charges to safety), the only thing from it that Glorfindel still "owns" is his death. Ah, Lord Namo has a point. With his memories at the remove caused by his Rebirth, Glorfindel can intellectually remember his death but not physically or emotionally remember it. "This is not a punishment, Glorfindel," Námo said, shaking his head. "It’s a lesson... for both of you.--It sure looks like a punishment to me! Well, if I'm honest with myself, there's lots of times that "lessons" feel like punishments (at least from the inside). Oh, dear. Glorfindel has to kiss an elleth to get his memories back from her. I can just see his face! Glorfindel definitely has a gift for lightening the mood, doesn't he? And the adolescent is back, who'd much prefer to face a balrog again than--ewwwww!--kiss an elleth. And then to live through that horror again... no question about it, Glorfindel may be foolish on occasion but he is most definitely courageous. I like Ingwion, in spite of his calling Glorfindel an Etyangol earlier. He's honest and honourable enough to own up to his own failing in regards to courtesy. Ah, Elessairon to the rescue before Glorfindel makes everything his fault. I read his comment about getting out the ridiculous robes and heard my neice saying "I'll be so glad to change into my blue jeans!" Teenagers are the same everywhere regardless of race, aren't they? I think my favorite bit of the whole chapter was at the end: "Next time?" Ingwë asked, raising an eyebrow. Námo sighed dramatically and pointed at Glorfindel who was still lying with his head in Ingwion’s lap, the sense of dizziness he had felt earlier beginning to fade. "With this one, there’s always a next time." It was a perfect way to end the chapter. You gave us so much in this chapter, meldonya. We learned the details of Glorfindel's death, picked up more on how the others around him think of him, went from terror to laughter and to terror and back again to laughter. I'm of two minds about Lord Namo's actions in this chapter and of the deeper reasons for his timing in showing up. You've made it clear in previous chapters that there's a lot more going on than any of the Eldar are aware of and that the Valar have an agenda of their own. So I'm wondering if Namo arrived merely to defend Glorfindel or to deal specifically with Alassiel and the attitude of the Vanyar elves or both. Of course, once he was there, the reactions of Glorfindle and Alassiel led to the rigorous lesson. Glorfindel is continuing to switch between adolescence and adulthood depending on his emotional state. His reaction to the voiced doubts about his death and experiences was purely adolescent but his reaction to Alassiel's distress was purely adult and chivalrous, even to the point of challenging Lord Namo. I've getting glimpses of the ellon he was prior to his death butthis was a very telling episode. If I had to pick only a few words to describe Glorfindel from what I learned about him reading this, they would be: prideful, stubborn, chivalrous (especially in regards to those in distress), and mouthy. I'm going to have to think about Lord Namo. I really feel that he crossed a line by doing what he did to Alassiel. Glorfindel is arguably still in his charge and subject to his chastisement, but I can't see what gave him the authority to do what he did to Alassiel. He abused his authority in her case and that saddens me. I know that he Valar aren't perfect (we saw that in the Silmarillion, obviously) but still. It was an excellent read, meldonya. I hope you are over your cold and that you are having a good week. May you live blessed, Edlyn Author Reply: Ah! Another review-longer-than-the-chapter! I love it. lol Anyway... "Remember the past but do not live in it" is indeed one of the underlying themes of this story. I know myself that it's a very difficult dictum to follow, so it's something I felt I wanted to explore, especially given the elves own feelings about the past, their regrets for what has been lost, etc. We will see in subsequent chapters how "reliving" the past effects Glorfindel and the lessons he learns from it. Glorfindel does overdo his "death scene" here, since he's obviously trying to gross the Vanyar out in a fit of adolescent pique, and he knows it, so when Námo shows up, he naturally thinks it's because of that (thus his "What did I do now?"), little suspecting that this time Námo is on his side. Alassiel, of course, is representative of many of the Vanyar there who are not sure how to react to someone who has actually died. As Glorfindel is describing his own death, I'm sure many of his listeners are wondering if their own loved ones suffered similar agonies as they died. Alassiel's own father died in the War of Wrath and her reaction to Glorfindel's tale is probably a denial that perhaps her own father suffered a similar fate. That would be impossible for her to accept, even on an intellectual level, thus her retort. I imagine several other elves there felt the same way as she, only she voiced her thoughts before anyone else. Námo's reactions to the interplay between Glorfindel and Alassiel are rather frightening in the speed in which he effects his will and we see here a glimpse of what he could have become had he followed Melkor instead of Manwë. That's what makes this scene even scarier than it normally would be. As for the lessoning... we will see shortly what consequences there are for Námo in what he had done here. He may or may not have crossed a line... how many times do we wonder if God hasn't crossed some line when he's chastising us? Sometimes our own actions force him to act as he does. Certainly Glorfindel and Alassiel are pushing the envelope just a little further than is wise at this point, so that even a Vala can say "enough!" and react accordingly. As to Námo's supposed authority over Alassiel and his abuse of that authority... in a later chapter Námo states that as soon as someone enters Mandos, that person's entire family becomes Námo's responsibility even if they are unaware of it.

hanci	Reviewed Chapter: 34 on 2/8/2007
Those elves have a strange view of pleasant conversation before dinner. (Always someone reacts to hearing of Eärendil and no one tells... It will be interesting when Glorfindel finally knows - after many, many chapters of the story, of course.) Námo being Glorfindel's mother - well, he behaves like a parent, teaching, scolding, helping... He doesn't have much of a free time, does he? :o) His lessons are really harsh, guess it goes with his occupation. Author Reply: Glorfindel is something of a novelty to the Vanyar, hence their curiosity and their questions. And Námo's lessons are only as harsh as they need to be, but that's no real comfort to those on the business end of them grin.

Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: 34 on 2/8/2007
Alassiel is very ... intrepid? defiant? impetuous? attracted to danger? Declaring that Glorfindel had made his story up was not the wisest thing she could have done - but it certainly showed the onlookers something quite unexpected. She and Glorfindel are rude enough to each other that they seem designed to be friends! And he was brave enough to kiss her - which might have seemed even worse to him, in a way, than retrieving his memories of pain. Ingwe must wonder what he's let himself in for with Glorfindel's - er - stirring presence. Author Reply: Yes, I think people who have such strong negative reactions to one another end up (usually) becoming fast friends. And Alassiel has guts if nothing else. Glorfindel is probably the most exciting thing to hit Vanyamar in ages LOL. I'm sure Ingwë finds him absolutely refreshing.

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