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Elf, Interrupted: Book One: Glorfindel Redux by Fiondil	8 Review(s)
Kaylee	Reviewed Chapter: 70 on 8/11/2008
Wow...reminds self never to get Ingwi mad... I can see why Ingoldo's scared of him!!!!! Note: The concept of Oromë’s Hunt is based very loosely on the Wild Hunt, which is a popular mythological motif throughout Europe (known as wilde Jagd in Germany), though I have taken my cue from the myths of the British Isles where the hunt is led by either Herne the Hunter (British) or Gwynn ap Nudd, King of Annwfn (Welsh). Annwfn is the Welsh Overworld. Off topic, but Annwfn is the same place called Annuvin in Lloyd Alexander's books, isn't it? ruled by Lord Arawn? (who I would say is just as like to Namo as Orome, though the Wild Hunt is definitely Orome's sphere) And now everyone's captured, Glorfi's ring is recovered, and they can deal with the ones who broke the Sere Valaron! ~Kaylee!! Author Reply: Yes, Lloyd Alexander adapted the name for his own stories which are based on Celtic myth.

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 70 on 2/13/2008
Ah, yes, Herne's hunt in well known enough. And now the quarry is found. To bad that they were allowed to use Glorfindel as badly as they did, I fear. But he is well enough where he is. Finarfin's father is his host? Author Reply: I loved the tales of Herne the Hunter and the other "Hunt" tales from Welsh mythology and just couldn't resist putting in my own version of it here in Aman. grin. As to who Glorfindel's host is.... you'll find out soon enough. lol

Rhyselle	Reviewed Chapter: 70 on 5/28/2007
I like how this chapter is from Sador's POV. He has become a favorite of mine (as I'm sure I've said before!) and seeing the event through the eyes of one who had never before taken part in one of Orome's hunts lets us experience it as if we were the first timers. Sador cannot help losing his innocence, but it was good to see how Orome protected as much of it as possible. That is the price we pay for experience though; the price for the knowledge of Good and Evil. One who is totally innocent may not be able to adequately fight Evil, though, because one needs to recognize it in order to fight it. But one who has lost all of their innocence has also lost a potential weapon against Evil as well. The middle way, which seems to be the path that Sador is being directed upon by Orome, gives him enough knowledge to recognize the feel of the blood lust, but, because of Orome's song, not so much that he is entirely overtaken by it and he retains much of the innocence that is his primal state. The grievous thing about this is the fact that it is necessary at all for anyone to have to take on the knowledge of Evil's existence and its workings in order to wage war against it; to work to ultimately eliminate it from Arda. The bit during the rest period where Arafinwe confessed to Orome that he did not know what to do about the rebels and that he was tempted to ask Finrod about it really touched me. I liked how Finrod was so gentle with his father, and I loved how Arafinwe really seemed to recognize that his son truly had been (and still was) a king in his own right. It was a very short scene but I can see the implications for the future and for the changes in the relationship between Arafinwe and his Reborn son--changes that I think will be for the better for both of them. I liked how Sador showed his youth in his pouting about having to be nursemaided by Laurendil. Finrod had a good point about Sador's inexperience, and like all children who are reminded that they don't know everything, it's a hard thing to take when you are young. But it's good that he aquiesced and didn't make a scene about it... so he was starting to show some of his own developing maturity there after the initial bit of resentment. Poor Vorondil is so nervous even before the Hunt arrived! His conscience must be working on him; he knows what he did was wrong, but doesn't want to admit it. And then to have Ingwion and Finrod both coming down on him.... oooh! No wonder he panicked and ran. I thought it appropriate that it would be Sador, who had been deemed unimportant, to be the one to actually capture him and bring him back. Oh, I truly want to know just what is in the background between Ingwion and Ingoldo that has the latter so afraid of the former. Finrod cutting off the so-called warrior braids from Vorondil is one of those scenes that would be extremely powerful if this were in a film, as would be the way that Ingwion pulled the ring free. In some ways I'm glad that Vorondil is still underage because if he'd been fully accountable as an adult, I shudder to think of what the final consequences of his actions will be. They are going to be bad enough anyway, I'm sure. Why am I not surprised that it was Laurendil who suggested beating the answer of how Vorondil got Glorfindel's ring from the ellon? wry grin He's learning to be a healer but the warrior is still inside of him, obviously! Vorondil's reaction to Orome's gaze was sad... because he should never have been in such a position to have to face the wrath of the Vala this way in the first place. At first when Orome grabbed Vorondil, I think I missed the significance of the comment about him being lucky if he would not be facing the judgment of the Valar in the Mahanaxar... but re-reading it--is this foreshadowing of what is to come? Upon consideration, having to live out his immortal life with the horrible knowledge of what he's done could be considered a worse punishment than dying and facing the gift of judgment. We'll see. That blood ritual both chilled and fascinated me. Was this based, even loosely, upon some real life ritual you've read about? Or was it one of those things that showed up in your head and insisted be written? In any case, I found it to be as powerful as the Warrior Initiation that Sador experienced in Eldamar. While I don't have much sympathy for Ingoldo and the soldiers, I still find that I feel pity for Vorondil. He did a seriously wrong thing that he knew he should not do, but I still think that had he not been pushed the way he was by Ingoldo and Tinwetariel, his resentments would not have necessarily turned into the actions that they did. That last image of Orome dancing beneath the stars stuck with me... very beautiful. Author Reply: For all that Sador is younger than Vorondil emotionally because of his recent re-embodiment, Sador is still chronologically an adult, while Vorondil is still technically an elfling and will be one for another five-six years. Vorondil exhibits the characteristics of an older teen — brash but insecure, trying to be "grown up" but often failing miserably at it. Sador, of course, has his memories of his first life on which to draw and can therefore slip into the role of an adult at need. We see this here when he does not carry on when Finrod tells him to stick close to Laurendil. He doesn't like it, but he accepts it. Vorondil would never have accepted such a thing. The effects of the Hunt on Sador's innocence is, as we see, quite terrible, but innocence lost has always been so. Yet, no one can grow spiritually if they remain in a state of spiritual infanthood. Growth demands change and loss, whether physical or spiritual, and Sador is experiencing this. Oromë's handling of it, though, is gentle and loving so Sador does not suffer unduly from the effects of the bloodlust. As for the story between Ingwion and Ingoldo... well, Ingwë refuses to discuss his brother with anyone. Ingoldo won't talk, period. And Ingwion is too busy playing "The Apprentice" to bother. Sigh Maybe some day I'll get the story out of one of them. The scene between Arafinwë and FInrod I think is very poignant. It's hard enough for most parents to accept their adult children on their own terms without the added burden of not even knowing what those terms are. Arafinwë never saw Finrod in his role as King of Nargothrond or as a respected war-leader of the Noldor who was also accepted by the Sindar. His memories of Finrod are centuries out of date and then the new Finrod with his elfling-like demeanor must have thrown him for a loop. It has only been recently, with the trial, especially, that Arafinwë is seeing the Finrod that Laurendil, for instance, remembers. The blooding ritual is adapted from an informal English fox hunting initiation ceremony in which the face of a novice is smeared with the blood of the first fox that person has seen killed. If, as Oromë pointed out, this had been a normal Hunt, the quarry would have been a fell creature of Morgoth and it would have been its blood that Oromë would have smeared on Sador's face. But this is not an ordinary hunt and the "quarry" has been elves, Vorondil especially, so it is Vorondil's blood that he smears on Sador and for the reasons given by the Vala. Sador is now no longer a novice in the Hunt for Evil, however it is manifested. Oromë dancing under the stars is an image that to me is both beautiful and haunting, for one wonders what music he hears as he dances. For me, Oromë dancing is an act of cleansing after the earlier darker events. It is as if Oromë, in dancing, is purifying the darkness that has been tainted by evil in the shape of elves bent on destroying the Sérë Valaron. This is one scene that I think would also be extremely powerful if it were in a film or simply if it were painted. A Vala (any Vala) dancing must be a wondrous sight to behold.

Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: 70 on 4/11/2007
Yes ... Sador is both young and inexperienced. The intensity of the feelings would seize hold of him. Good thing Orome was there to support him. (And he is right about the cost of the Hunt on Sador's innocence.) Handy to have him along to be able to identify the guilty and the innocent, as well! No problems with separating truth from lies. Vorondil is truly stupid, but Ingoldo is worse - he is devious and has had millennia to polish his stupidity. And he is clearly not one to learn from experience. Author Reply: It is handy having a Vala around to separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak, isn't it? grin Sador's innocence since being Reborn has been sorely abused, but his previous life has worked in his favor, as he's been able to integrate the loss of innocence more readily, even though he assumes his loss is due to his previously taking the lives of elves rather than because of the actions of others, like Vorondil. Some people, like Ingoldo, are born stupid, I think, and never learn no matter how old they get. Hopefully, that won't be the case with Vorondil, but you never know.

Kitty	Reviewed Chapter: 70 on 4/8/2007
Somehow I find it reassuring that Arafinwë still doesn’t know what to do with the miscreants, too; as I said in one of my last reviews, I have no idea what could be done with them. It is so satisfying to see the baddies being caught! Need I to tell you how much I enjoyed it that Ingwion saw at first sight the stolen peridot ring upon Vorondil’s hand, and that it was Sador who overwhelmed Vorondil? Oh yes, the conspirators underestimated all of them very badly. And to find themselves face to face with Oromë and to realise that even the Valar were aiding Finrod and the others was a nice (and well deserved) shock for them. Sador’s reaction to the Hunt and his initiation through Oromë was fascinating. Though of course I have to disagree with Sador about the kinslaying – it is a huge difference if he has killed someone who wanted to kill innocents in self-defense or if he himself would be the one trying to kill the innocents. (And of course – Vorondil deserved the cut!) That was truly an exciting and exhausting day for our elfling! >>Sometimes a snowstorm is just a snowstorm....and sometimes it's not. I think you did spent too much time among elves. You know the saying „Do not go to the elves for counsel, for they will tell you yes and no“? ;-) A late Happy Easter to you and thank you for this wonderful easter egg! Author Reply: Well, Sador is confusing "killing" with "murder", so you're right there, and Oromë straightens him out on the score. It is rather satisfying to see the baddies being caught! I was happy enough to finally be able to write this chapter. They did indeed underestimate both Glorfindel's friends and the Valar very badly. And there's no such thing as "spending too much time with the elves"! lol A late Happy Easter to you as well. I'm glad you liked my little "easter egg".

eiluj	Reviewed Chapter: 70 on 4/8/2007
Storm on the mountain ... snicker. Eru will not be denied. And a good thing, too. “If you are lucky you will not be brought to stand before the Valar in the Máhanaxar” -- I’d been wondering about that possibility, but hadn’t realized how necessary it is that the Valar make a formal response to this breaking of the peace. Hm. Ingwë having brother problems, just as Manwë did. The only formal predictions I’d made for this part of the story were Vorondil acting unwisely (which he did, but nothing major), and some sort of violence on the part of the Bad Guys (which didn’t really happen; I suppose it’s technically possible for Tulcaner to elude the Maiar and wreak some future mayhem). Author Reply: The Valar would "follow procedure" in this case, since they are not directly intervening. As Oromë said, this is the elves' "Hunt", and any trial would take place before the High King, but I'm sure that NO ONE would object if the Valar asked for a "change of venue", so to speak.

Agape4Gondor	Reviewed Chapter: 70 on 4/8/2007
Letting go allows one to live in the Present in hope for the Future, not in regret for what was or what might have been. (something this Elfling must learn too!) Inside were three golden frames on pieces of moldering velvet. All of them stood there in awe, realizing what had once lain there. (I got shivers as soon as I read 'three golden frames' for I knew immediately what they had held and the sorrow, death, and horror that was caused.... EXCELLENT chapter.... as always... When this is finished, I'm going to just print out the whole thing and go hide somewhere and re-read it. It has been a true journey of discovery! Author Reply: Letting go... a lesson we all have to learn. I got shivers writing that part about the three golden frames, so I know what you mean. >>"When this is finished, I'm going to just print out the whole thing and go hide somewhere and re-read it. It has been a true journey of discovery!" I think I'll join you! lol Writing this has been a true journey of discovery for me as well.

Agape4Gondor	Reviewed Chapter: 70 on 4/8/2007
"But Eru will not be denied," Hallelujah! Great chapter. Sador is well cared for. The Hunt was magnificent in its deadly beauty. Well written. Author Reply: Hallelujah! indeed. "The Hunt was magnificent in its deadly beauty". I couldn't have said it better. Thank you.

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