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Elf, Interrupted: Book One: Glorfindel Redux by Fiondil	9 Review(s)
Kaylee	Reviewed Chapter: 63 on 8/11/2008
"You say you do not concern yourself with our... petty affairs, lord," one of the other elves said with a scowl. "May we ask then why you are here?" Námo looked appraisingly at the elf who had the grace to blush and turned to share a smile and a raised eyebrow with his two Maiar attendants before returning his attention to the elves. "I was in the neighborhood and decided to drop by." Sador snorted at that; everyone else stared at the Vala in disbelief. "O-our neighborhood?" Haldir asked. "No, mine." They all turned to see Lord Ulmo striding towards them, his robe glittering like fish scales. He was dripping seawater and his beard and hair trailed seaweed. He took in the scene at a glance and gave his brother Vala a searching look. "Trouble?" Námo shook his head. "Not any more." Ulmo nodded. "Well, if you’re finished playing, we have some work to do. I want to take another look at those temporal equations and see if we can detect a recognizable pattern. I was thinking..." laughs And of course Sador was causing no more trouble than usual grin ~Kaylee! who likes Haldir and Gwilwileth a lot grin Author Reply: Sador wasn't really casusing any trouble at all, he just sort of fell into it. grin

Tari	Reviewed Chapter: 63 on 4/2/2008
It's so much fun reading about the Valar. Tolkien doesn't elaborate as much as you do. I like seeing them as loving, caring beings who show great patience with the willful elves. Tari Author Reply: Tolkien says very little about the Valar and most of it is rather negative, since the POV of the Quenta Silmarillion is that of the Exilic Noldor who havce rebelled against the authority of the Valar. It's one of the reasons I like writing about them; I want to explore more fully the relationship between the Valar and the Eldar in Aman. And with that lot they need a great deal of patience. grin Glad you are still enjoying the story.

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 63 on 2/13/2008
In the neighborhood, was he? Heh! Author Reply: Raises eyebrow and looks innocent

Rhyselle	Reviewed Chapter: 63 on 4/4/2007
The Silmaril... :) I love the wording that Namo used to have Sador step from life into afterlife. Very much that of a parent calling a child in from a hard day of play. And Sador's reactions in comparison to Glorfindel's or Finrod's really points out his youth. He might have officially come of age, but he was far from mature. I hadn't thought about how Namo would have become the "bogeyman" for misbehaving elflings and the subject of horror stories amongst the exiled Noldor in Middle-earth. But it makes sense from the Exiles' perspective. Unfortunately, it also means that Sador's reaction to seeing Lord Namo was a lot more traumatic than it needed to be. Once again, I am in love with your portrayal of Lord Namo--showing his Comforter aspect as well as that of the Judge. I do wonder if he gets tired of having to break through the misconceptions that the fea of the dead from Middle-earth bring with them about just what his responsibilities are and what judgment means. Obviously, the Eldar have conflated Judgment with punishment and when told that they aren't the same thing, they don't really get it at first. The sequence leading up to the review of the memories of Sador's life was very interesting, particularly in how Namo explained the reality of the Doom and the Curse that it proceeded from. I admit that I originally thought that Sador's Judgment might be less traumatic than Glorfindel's or Finrod's because Sador's life was so short... but as I read this, I realized that it is not the length of the life that must be remembered, but the content of it, and that in his short sixty-something years, Sador had experienced things that most of the Amaneldi had not in all of their millenia in Aman; particularly awful and scary and horrifying things. The thought of being held and comforted whilst everything one has ever done is replayed in complete truthfullness comforts me. The idea of seeing one's past played out in the moving images on the tapestry was a nice variation on what we've seen on the other judgments so far too. I can see that Sador is afflicted with a touch of Glorfindel's overachieving sense of responsibility for others. He obviously has felt responsible for his younger sister for a good portion of his life, and not knowing if his death meant her survival or not has to be one of the hardest things for him to face. From an outsider's point of view, Namo telling him that "All will be well with her and with you" is very reassuring. Not specifically saying that Ninniach was not slain, but that in the end she, too, whether alive in Middle-earth and eventually in Valinor or as a Reborn elleth, will fulfil the destiny that Eru has for her, as Sador will do as well in his second life. When Namo kissed him on the forehead, did Sador experience something akin to when Finrod got to taste the divine love of Eru? :) I like to think so, even if it was a mere sip of it compared to the draught that overwhelmed Finrod. The revelation of what those Amaneldi told the Tol Eresseans' upon their arrival shocked the heck out of me. What a horrible, horrible thing for them to say and do. The Sindar and the returned Exiles were already in a bad emotional state from the traumas of the War of Wrath--then to be told that their dead loved ones were being punished and that they were judged in chains...!!!! I can't use the words I'd like to use against them in a family forum. The reaction of the Eldar when Lord Namo appeared was rather amusing... even though the situation was quite serious. "Have you been causing trouble?" "No more than usual, my lord" snicker I DO remember that it was Sador who gave Finrod the bowl of ice water that got dumped on Glorfindel... grin The defusing of the situation was well described--I know that I would not have wanted to be Netilmire while everyone's anger at the Amandeldi was flaring! giggle "Well, if you're finished playing..." I find it quite amusing that Ulmo and the other Valar refer to Namo's interactions with the Reborn and the people around them as playing. The Valar do so obviously enjoy the Children of Eru, so I suppose that it could be considered playing when manifesting oneself to interact with them. :) Thanks for the time mark that helped me to see where Sador's timeline fell in relationship to that of the folk in Valmar. Obviously this takes place not that long after Glorfindel's little walkabout since Ulmo is talking about patterns in the time continuum... The description of Namo and Ulmo shifting Realities was lovely. I could see it in my mind... it would make a great effect for WETA or ILM to do if this were in a visual medium! And the last lines were terrific as always. You've got a knack for closing chapters with just the right sentences to either build up tension, or to break it by giving us laughter or relief. That's a talent that I wish I had! Author Reply: >>I do wonder if [Námo] gets tired of having to break through the misconceptions that the fëa of the dead from Middle-earth bring with them about just what his responsibilities are and what judgment means. Probably no more tired than God gets when He has to break through the misconceptions that many of us have about Him and Judgment. Sadly, God is as much a bogeyman for many Christians as Lord Námo is for many of the Exilic Noldor and for the same reasons. Sador's Judgment is no less traumatic than Finrod's or Glorfindel's simply because it is a Judgment. You are correct, though, that it's not the quantity of life lived, but the quality, what one has had to experience and how one has reacted to that experience that matters. You will notice that in each case where I describe a Judgment, no two are quite the same in detail. Even Finrod and Glorfindel's Judgments, though they both occur within the Ring of Doom, are different (Finrod's Judgment starts out more as an interrogation because he was one of the leaders of the Rebellion. Glorfindel's Judgment does not have this aspect because he wasn't a leader, but a follower, and particularly Turgon's follower). This points out the uniqueness of each person who comes before the Valar to be Judged. There's no such thing as a "cookie-cutter" judgment in the Afterlife. grin When Námo kisses Sador on the forehead, the elf does indeed experience the same divine love that Finrod and even Glorfindel experienced, though not to the same degree as he's much younger and more fragile at this point and would not be able to handle much more than a "sip" (much like the rest of us, I imagine). The revelation of what some of the Amaneldi told the Tol Eressëans is indeed shocking and will have dire ramifications, as you will see. I suppose that to the other Valar, Námo's continual interaction with the Reborn after their release from Mandos would be seen as "playing", or maybe Ulmo said those words deliberately in the hearing of the Eldar to point out to them one aspect of the relationship between Valar and the Children as the Valar themselves see it. grin I'm glad you like the endings of my chapters. Sometimes, they're the hardest thing to write because of the very reasons you state: I have to decide if I want to build up the tension (cliffie) or relieve it (dénoumnent) and there's sometimes a fine line between them. I never really thought of it as a talent, just something a writer has to deal with....

Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: 63 on 3/30/2007
Some of those Amaneldi are very twisted and bitter! Hardly good examples of what life in Aman has achieved - they might feel better than everyone else, but they're not giving a good showing of themselves. Good thing Lord Namo popped by! And Ulmo. Having dinner with strangers is a much more sensible thing to do - because then they stop being strangers and become friends. Author Reply: Luckily, this is a small group of Amaneldi that has caused such bitterness to fester. Unluckily, the rest of the Amaneldi, as Netilmirë points out, may not wish the Tol Eressëan elves ill, but they don't care enough about them to even want to know them. There is a definite disconnect going on here. And having dinner with strangers is an excellent way of becoming friends.

Calenlass	Reviewed Chapter: 63 on 3/29/2007
Where did you find your information? I mean the information in most of your stories--concerning jewels, plants, languages, and names? ~~~~~~~ Anyway, my real review: I'm beginning to like Sador very much. If only he were canon... Author Reply: Jewels: I just did a google search and found some interesting sites detailing the meanings and histories of gems and their supposed properties and taking notes on those gems I felt would prove useful in my stories. Plants: I have a book called "The Herb Book" by John Lust, which is very helpful and if I need additonal information, there's always the internet (wonderful invention, that). Languages: For Quenya there's Helge Fauskanger's Quenya-English Wordlist, for Sindarin there's DragonFlame which is a downloadable interactive dictionary. I also found an Anglo-Saxon dictionary online for my "Stirrings of Shadow" story that takes place in Rohan. Names: Well... many times I just lift them from canon, picking out names that maybe occur once, usually in the Appendices. Other timnes I will create a name based on the elements of the language from which the name comes from, following the "rules" for combining elements that Tolkien set forth in his writings (mutations in Sindarin, and assimilation in Quenya, for instance). This is better than just making up "elvish-sounding" names, a practice I abhor. As for your real review: I'm glad you are liking Sador very much. I wish he were canon, too sigh.

eiluj	Reviewed Chapter: 63 on 3/28/2007
I’m glad Kitty pointed out that the jewel Sador saw through the doorway was Elwing flying away from Sirion with the silmaril. I hadn’t thought about the timing, and was thinking confusedly of Eärendil, though I knew that wouldn’t have been until considerably later (then again, what is Time in Mandos?). I liked that it called to Sador, though I’m not sure if that is everyone’s reaction to the beauty of the silmarils, or the hope of Gil Estel, or both. [Thanks, Kitty!] ‘"Close the door, Sador.... There is nothing for you there now. Time to come in."’ -- Interesting -- but after all, some of the spirits of the dead do refuse to go when they are called.... Those spiteful Amaneldi who “welcomed” the elves returning from Middle-earth sound like bosom buddies of Ingoldo and Tinwetariel. [I’d say they must have been Ingoldo and Tinwetariel except that the High King’s brother and sister-in-law would surely have been remembered as more than just visiting Amaneldi -- if the elves they were speaking to didn’t know exactly who they were and how important they were, they wouldn’t have delayed in identifying themselves.] Author Reply: Whether what Sador saw was Elwing with the Silmaril or a vision of Eärendil as Gil-Estel, we will never know. That Sador was given this glimpse of it is all that matters. Sador also had to make the choice of "coming in", i.e. accepting that his life in Middle-earth was over, or not. The phrase is reminicent of a parent calling a child in from his play, knowing that there will be some reluctance and resistance on the part of the child to acknowledge the call but eventually the child will come in. Ingoldo and Tinwetariel would not have been the only elves in Aman who felt such antipathy for the elves coming to Tol Eressëa from Middle-earth. They would not have gone to the island anyway as their movements would have been too closely watched as members of the Vanyarin royal family. That is not to say they didn't have their sympathizers who would have been all too eager to welcome the Tol Eressëan elves the way they did.

Kitty	Reviewed Chapter: 63 on 3/28/2007
The star Sador saw when he died was probably the Silmaril Elwing saved from the sons of Fëanor, as it happened at Sirion? A pity he probably didn’t know what it meant, otherwise he could tell Glorfindel. Somehow I have the impression he never talked about Elwing and Eärendil with him, though I suppose Glorfindel would appreciate it to learn more about Eärendil and his family. Hadn’t expected of Sador to tell about his own experiences so publicly, but it was certainly reassuring for the others. Honestly, at the moment I want to kick a few Amaneldi backsides for telling the elves of Tol Eressëa this nonsense. That was so mean and cruel! No wonder there is so much hostility. I was glad Lord Námo interfered before someone attacked Netilmirë. The onlookers must’ve been rather in awe about the way Sador and Haldir talked with him grin But now I start thinking ... with Sador and Finrod and Glorfindel and Valar knows how many other Reborn set loose, Námo will finally have problems to be everywhere at once with all the ensuing trouble ;-) Author Reply: You're right. The star was the Silmaril, though he did not know it. Lord Námo permitted him that one glimpse of it as a kind of reward for his sacrifice, to show him that more was at stake than just his little sister's life, yet his sacrifice served a larger purpose, as well, and was not to be discounted. Sador and Haldir's reaction to seeing Lord Námo must have shocked the other elves to the core, especially the way Lord Námo then spoke to them, more like a concerned parent than a forbidding Vala. As for keeping up with the Reborn... well I'm sure our intrepid Lord of Mandos has no fear of that. He's probably enjoying the challenge. grin

vaske	Reviewed Chapter: 63 on 3/28/2007
I love how the reborn interact with Namo, they joke and play with him while listening to what he says. It was so thoughtless and spiteful for the mainland elves to spread those lies though, as if they'd know. Author Reply: The Reborn have a different "take" on Lord Námo than the Once-born and so can relate to him more naturally. They probably have a healthier respect for the Lord of Mandos than the other elves do, who tend to cringe in his presence. People tend to be thoughtless and spiteful when they think that the object of their spite is unworthy of respect and deserving of any misery that comes their way.

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