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Elf, Interrupted: Book Two: Glorfindel's Quest by Fiondil	10 Review(s)
Tari	Reviewed Chapter: 89 on 1/11/2010
I have to agree with the Elves as far as children are concerned. I believe they are a gift from God for however long either the parents or the child lives. No one person can "possess" another, no matter how much they might want to. I believe Galahdwen's attitude is merely a protective sheild. She does not want to be seen as vulnerable. Author Reply: I agree about the children. I like the Elves' attitude in the way they speak about family members as having been added to them by Eru. If more humans had that attitude maybe the level of child abuse would drop. I think Galadhwen's attitude is indeed a protective shield. She epitomizes, I think, that Simon and Garfunkel song 'I am a rock'.

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 89 on 12/29/2009
Poor lady--she's not healed at all, apparently. Hope she begins to now. And her misery taints the lives of others. Author Reply: Indeed, Larner. Hopefully things will get better for her.

Hel	Reviewed Chapter: 89 on 12/27/2009
Just as easy as they make friends they make enemies. An astonishing talent. I wonder what actions Galadhwen will take when she is finished crying. In Avallóné they provoked an open attack. So what will it be this time? Though one must pity Galadhwen for her lost, she is cold and ruthles enough to uses it as weapon to manipulate others. And somehow she is able to intimidate the other counsillors in a way that they don´t dare to act openly on their own. It will be interesting to know how she got so much influence and by wich means she controlles the other councillors. But I really like the Lady Meril and the thought that she is the wife of the rather restless Gildor. And how startet this little war between Meril and Galadhwen? Author Reply: Hi, Hel. Well, I don't think they purposely set out to make enemies and I think Galadhwen at least was already set against them. As to what will happen next, we will see soon enough. You do have to pity Galadhwen for her loss but she is using it to manipulate others. I imagine she's just one of those people capable of cowing others with her forceful personality. I am glad you like Lady Meril. She is very feisty, but I am not sure how the conflict between Meril and Galadhwen got started but I suspect taht given that they are both strong personalities they have always been at loggerheads and the whole business with the price gouging and Sador's kidnapping just made things worse between them when Galadhwen managed to remain on the city council even after all the other councillors were forced to resign.

Sitara	Reviewed Chapter: 89 on 12/23/2009
Unfortunately, I don’t feel being ridiculous enough as to stop here and not press the matter further. “sheepish grin” I agree, it seems that indeed we have different concepts of what the Peace of the Valar could mean. Furthermore, I don’t recall much about the part of the Silmarillion or HoME dealing with such matters. However, I’d still like to make a series of comments in regard to the things you’ve said. Yes, Valinor is indeed called the Blessed Realm and, to cut my own throat, “lol”, Tolkien seemed to have the same perception, as he highlighted in one of his letters (don’t ask me which one) that Frodo has had the opportunity to heal and live in a pure world, free of taint or something like this. I don’t really remember the paragraph but its meaning cannot be doubted. I have a few things to say about this. Firstly, that Melkor has imbued the whole Arda, Valinor included, with his darkness and Arda in its entirety needs to be Remade, not only Middle-earth. I agree, the Valar, as beings filled with Peace and inhabiting a land inherently blessed (I can accept that too), have the possibility to fight against Morgoth’s darkness and to counteract it, somehow and to a certain degree. What I’m saying is that the simple fact of removing the Elves from Middle-earth and bringing them to live in Valinor is not enough to make them part of that Peace. As you’ve said, it has to be a conscious act on the part of the Elves and this act is bound to be decisively influenced by the Valar’s actions. You may say that the Elves were given a choice: either you come with us and abide by our rules, or stay here and do whatever you like. True, but it’s equally true that the Elves had come to Valinor relying on some promises, made more or less explicitly, by the Valar. The Elves had to do their part, granted, but the Valar had also their own part of the bargain to keep. I said that Fëanáro didn’t have much Peace to disturb because, in my opinion, the process of integrating the Eldar in the Peace of the Blessed Realm hadn’t been very successful. The reasons for this are complex and of different types. I wouldn’t want to reduce my reasoning to two things, which, although very significant, I never considered them to be the only reasons for not reaching Peace in Aman . First of them, the fact that the Lord of Mandos had foretold that bringing the Elves in Aman would be the doom of them and thusly all was doomed before starting. Personally, I’m not so sure about this and I won’t use it to say that achieving Peace in Aman was an impossible endeavour. The second, has to do with Melkor. Regardless of Námo’s prophecy and Melkor’s deeds, in my opinion, there had been actions of both the Valar and Eldar that made the Sérë Valaron more an ideal than a reality. For instance, it’s told in HoME (again, don’t ask me where) that when the Valar agreed to release Melkor, the Eldar sent a delegation asking them to not set him free, only to be turned down. A very plausible scenario, even if the published Silmarillion says nothing about this. A grievous mistake, not that Melkor was released, but that the Valar forgot how their brother had fashioned his first Orcs. That may have been forgiven eventually, but never forgotten. What should have been thinking the Elves whose spouse, son or brother had been abducted and twisted into Orcs? As for not trusting the Peace…I’d like to know who really did it then, as for the sake of argument, I’ll speak only about the Noldor. Who among the Noldor had chosen to trust the Valar and their Peace? The ones who were directly counseled by a Vala and stayed for his/her sake and some who had to choose between a tattered Peace and a Doom of the North. And I have a real hard time to believe that Fëanáro, who hadn’t managed to convince them to use his manner of speaking, which happened to be the proper one, by the way, convinced them in a little more than blink of an eye to leave their homes for a wild-goose chase. Now, honestly…”grin” Author Reply: Well, Sitara, you have obviously thought this out very well and while I can agree with you on some points I don't necessarily agree with you on all. One thing to remember about the HoME volumes is that Tolkien changed his scenarios over a period of 50 years and not everything can be said to be consonant with his final vision of things (though granted he never really had a final vision of anything as far as I could tell). So, while there might have been a time when he envisioned the Elves asking the Valar not to release Melkor, it may have been a passing idea on his part. I have not encountered this myself in my research of HoME for my Darkening story, and I have not used it, keeping more in line with what is found in the published Silmarillion. I know you have issues with the Valar and I suspect (probably wrongly) that you want them to be more perfect than they were or at least as Tolkien depicted them. Unfortunately if they had been, I doubt there would have been a story. It's in the mistakes people, including the Valar, make that create the stories we like to read. If no mistakes are ever made, there's no point reading about it. At any rate, while I appreciate your reviews, I think it would have been better after reading my response to your first review to have sent me a PM to continue the discussion so as not to clutter up the review section with such long diatribes that might not interest other readers. Something to think about for the future.

Sitara	Reviewed Chapter: 89 on 12/22/2009
I’ve to admit that you’re right, to a certain degree, that’s it. “grin”. I ought to give Galadhwen the benefit of a doubt, at least for now. However, during the meal, as in her “conversations” with Finrod, Olwë or Meril, she ever gave me the impression of acting upon her feelings, not her brain. She shouldn’t have let herself so easily cornered by either Finrod or Meril, if she indeed had solid arguments to back up her contempt. I’d really want to see an opponent able to give a run for their money to the Kings of Aman. Well, I’ll wait a little longer and I’ll give Galadhwen time to retreat and regroup before issuing further comments. “lol” Concerning the Serë Valaron…I certainly can understand and accept the fact that Peace was something acquired by the Valar while they still dwellt within the Timeless Halls. Or rather, they were gifted with this Peace. However, in my opinion, one thing is to have such Peace within yourself and something entirely different would be to actually “expand” it as to encompass other beings , along with their habitat and lifestyle. As you’ve said, the Peace of the Valar simply exists within their being, agreed. But this Peace did not exist in Valinor by its own accord and the Valar were required to act in order to install it. And, quite frankly, their actions, even without the defection from their own ranks, have been …less than inspired, to say so, at least sometimes. Thusly, in my opinion, the truth is that after Years of the Trees of building the bliss of Aman, Fëanáro had far too little Peace to disturb and, by the time of the Noldor’s flight, there was none left. I mean, what kind of Peace could remain when the trust had vanished? Author Reply: Well, I think we have a different concept of what the Peace of the Valar entails, Sitara. After all, Valinor is also called the Blessed Realm and that blessing has to be something intrinsic to the land itself, in the same way that Melkor infused much of himself into the matter of Arda, though that was a more conscious act on his part, whereas I see the Valar's Peace as being something that simply exists for its own sake and in which Valinor, as they created it, was imbued. I am not sure why you think that the Peace dissipated enough that Feanaro didn't have much to disturb. That, to me makes no sense. However, I agree that the Peace would not remain when the trust in it had vanished, but that again would have to be a conscious act on the part of the Elves, to trust in the Peace. Obviously, for his own reasons, Feanaro did not and so things happened as they did. At any rate, I do not see the Peace as being enforced by the Valar in the same way as the Romans enforced their Pax Romana. The Valar are ever conscious of the free will of the Children and must honor that in their dealings with them. That is why they did not forbid the Noldor from leaving as they did, though they also did not give them their blessing.

Aiwen	Reviewed Chapter: 89 on 12/21/2009
I like your use of Meril, from the lost tales. I also like the character as you have invented her. A very interesting lady. Author Reply: Thank you, Aiwen. I am glad you like how I portrayed her. She's quite a character in many respects and I have had fun with her.

Sitara	Reviewed Chapter: 89 on 12/21/2009
Now, where are your manners, little one? Should be this a proper way to speak to a lady, Finrod Felagund? And your manners notwithstanding, where are your diplomatic skills, O King of Nargothrond? Have you been displaying the same skills when you had a kingdom to rule, I wonder? "grin" Frankly, if Galadhwen turns out to be another version of Morcocáno, I'll have one big disappointment. As in his case, it seems that it's all about a personal matter. I wouldn't want to see this. In my opinion, there are real problems that should approached in a more detached manner. I wouldn't want to see either Galadhwen or anyone else opposing Finrod and others because of personal grudges. Not being able to stand against Finrod and answer him back as she should have done makes me think that she had no rational arguments for her cause, only old grudges to vent out. As for peace....I was never particularly fond of the concept of Sérë Valaron. I guess I cannot view it as being different from that dratted Pax Romana thing. True enough, the Sérë Valaron has been never forcefully imposed on the Elves, as Pax Romana was, but it seems to me equally artificial. However, a healing of a heart is always worth to be seen and, as I'm a complete sucker for the way you write such moments, I daresay that I would enjoy the moment of Galadhwen's "breakdown" more than I'd have thought to do. Author Reply: Sometimes diplomacy just gets in the way. grin I am sure that Arafinwe gave Finrod a talking to afterwards about his actions but I am also sure that it was half-hearted. Galadhwen is not a feminine version of Morcocano. She does have certain issues but she firmly believes that the Amanians are only there to interfere with what is happening on Tol Eressea and ready to dictate terms. She does not want that. She wants the Tol Eresseans to solve their own problems, though admittedly, there has been little attempt by any of the leaders of the island to effect such changes as are necessary to ensure a peaceful existence for all. The Sere Valaron, unlike the Pax Romana, is not artificial. It is rather a by-product, if you will, of the Valar's presence as spiritual beings originally come from the Timeless Halls. Their Peace is an intrinsic aspect of their existence and simply exists. Others, of course, have the ability to disturb that Peace, as Feanor did, and later, the Noldor when they left Tirion for Middle-earth. Thus, for the Elves, it is something that they have to accept and embrace within their own spirit.... or not.

Kitty	Reviewed Chapter: 89 on 12/21/2009
Absolutely like the idea of Morwen making Finrod's wedding garments! With 12 years to do it, she should be able to create something that puts every seamstress in Valinor to shame :D And it will give certain people something to think about, after the way they looked down their noses on the tunic she gave Finrod in Lórien. Good that Amarië and Alassiel accept Gwilwileth so willingly; would be another hint for Pelendur, if he weren't already on the way to reconcilation. When these people from the city think they can impress the Amanian kings with jewelry and overdressing in general, they can think again. While the kings might appreciate a nice outfit, they will not judge someone by it. But that has probably still to sink in. Overdressed peacocks with pretensions of grandeur, indeed! grin Finrod's response to Galadhwen was maybe not the wisest course of action, but admittedly I was howling with laughter about the whole exchange between these two and Glorfindel. At work, no less - luckily I was alone in the office! Finrod's 'apology' was hilarious as well. All in all that was a mixed outcome. Galadhwen will be difficult, but we already knew that. Some of the others, like Borhael, seem to be more sensible; I only wish they had stayed, instead of letting Galadhwen ruin the evening. I am really curious how that whole visit to Kortirion will turn out. Author Reply: It's only fitting that Morwen makes Finrod's wedding outfit. He had thought it would have been nice to have her make the outfit for Aldundil's wedding where he ended up wearing her tunic but realized that his parents would not accept the idea at that time. Now, things are different for them all. I am sure that it was Galadhwen who insisted that the councillors all dress up even though they must have known about Meril's disdain for such things. I am sure that the others regretted allowing Galadhwen to dictate to them both in terms of their dress and in how the evening ended. Borhael and some of the others, I think, are of a more reasonable mindframe, but we will see just how things go with them when the Amanians do go to Kortirion. Finrod and Glorfindel's stand-up comedy routine was perhaps not the wisest thing they could have done, but I think it helped break the tension between the too groups and put certain people in their proper places. Certainly, Meril enjoyed the show based on her reaction. grin

Sunny	Reviewed Chapter: 89 on 12/21/2009
Hmmmm... No daggers planted in any backs. Yet. Galadhwen did _not_ make a good impression on me. Nor on Finrod or Glorfindel, to go by their little bit of fun... Finrod’s wedding outfit should be a thing of glory since Morwen has twelve years to work on it ;-) Author Reply: Galadhwen has her issues, that's for sure, but she is not without good qualities. We may even see them sometime in the future. grin And, of course, Finrod's wedding outfit will be even more glorious because it will have been created by a loving friend rather than just one of the seamstresses in the employ of the royal family.

6336	Reviewed Chapter: 89 on 12/21/2009
Reading this at 5.30a.m. and trying not to laugh out loud over Finrod and Glorfi's antics. I feel sorry for Galadhwen, she will have a long time to wait for her husband, he will not be reborn until she accepts his death. Hope things go well for them in Kortirion tomorrow. More please, Lynda Author Reply: They were pretty funny, weren't they? Yes, you do have to feel sorry for Galadhwen. Hopefully she will find healing eventually and be reunited with her husband. We will see just what happens to the Amanians when they go into Kortirion soon enough.

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