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Partings by Bodkin	32 Review(s)
ana	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 3/8/2011
God, I loved this. All the character voices were so real and poignant.

Vi Janaway	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 11/9/2004
There may come a time when I will not tear up as I read a story like this. but that time is not with these chapters... So well done There is seldom a good time for goodbyes. Author Reply: Thank you very much. Goodbyes are so hard - and knowing they are coming just extends the pain. In some ways, the short notice that Sam, Frodo and Merry had was probably better - although they may have felt that they didn't have long enough for their farewells. And, too many of these people saying their goodbyes had no reunions to anticipate.

SharonB	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 10/21/2004
Okay, I sniffled through this one. A good ending, no one really wanted to go but they needed to. And, LOL, "Meriadoc Brandybuck appeared to possess more common sense in his curly head than three ages of elves, many of whom had taken personal word of friends and family, but had never, as far as he knew, thought to treat the grey ships as a postal service." If I remember one fo your other stories, Celeborn took over that same idea and sent letters along to Galadriel. That one knows a good idea when he sees it and runs with it, no wonder he is the wise! Although I like her name for her husband ... "impetuous Lord of Trees". Author Reply: The thing about the West is the irrevocable nature of the decision to go. No-one would have felt nearly so bad if they could have popped back to visit in a decade or two. Merry always seems to have a practical edge that is good at seeing two points and drawing a line between them. I hope Frodo is allowed to receive mail - maybe they'll make an exception for him. Yes - in Letters from Home, Celeborn sent letters, but they went with those who were sailing rather than just being delivered to the ships. I'll bet he'll try that, though. I'm glad you liked it.

Bejai	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 10/21/2004
Y'know, you are so good at this! Have I mentioned recently how much I like your work? And how awed I am at how fast you are at getting it out? Celeborn's thoughts about Celebrimbor were wonderful. Angry at an elf who has been dead for more than an age! And the he talks himself down with this: "he could not help being the idiot descendant of an obsessive line, born to be destroyed by jewels and curses and dooms" Ha! The hobbits were wonderful, still merry despite the sadness. And the partings! Just beautifully done. Author Reply: Thank you - I'm flattered. This just flowed - and didn't need a great deal of background checking. I'm much more awed at people who tackle the complexities of fitting stories into the context of the previous ages. I don't think Celeborn was very keen on the outcomes of the production of the rings! And I imagine elves could probably still be angry with elves who haven't been around since the beginning of time - although they'd try not to be. I like hobbits. And being mortals, they seem to try harder to look for the light side. But the partings are so sad.

Marnie	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 10/21/2004
Hm, and yet I don't know, for all its sadness it seems very fitting, if you see what I mean. The Hobbits really helped to lift this chapter, which could have been too sad to bear. I loved Merry thinking of the Postal Service, and Gandalf with his pipeweed seeds. Poor Elrond and Galadriel do seem shattered and fragile. I really liked the way you showed that with the translucence - like Frodo has when he's recovering from the Morgul blade. I loved the little glimpse of Celeborn's fatherly care for Elrond - not something you often see, and yet he is his father-in-law, and boy! Elrond needed a hug from someone then! A very right ending. Tragic, but right. And a lovely story. I recommend writing 'Reunions' now though - cos otherwise you'll just be depressed for weeks ;) Author Reply: You're right - I'm thinking of Reunions - although there's another thing that I started a while ago that I'm thinking of doing first . . . I just need to know a bit more about the middle of the Third Age. Gandalf seems to be dealing with the Ring effect better than Elrond and Galadriel - but that could be partly because of his Maiar (does that have an 'r' or not?) status and partly because he hadn't spent long centuries maintaining an Elven haven with it. Celeborn is about the closest thing that Elrond has had to a father since Gil-Galad was killed. (I suppose there's Cirdan - but he doesn't seem to be that close.) I'm glad he was able to put his own misery to one side and comfort Elrond. When I first read Lord of the Rings (donkey's years ago), the sadness and many threadedness of the ending distressed me rather - but it has much greater potential for the imagination. I'm glad you liked it.

Marnie	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 10/21/2004
Funny, isn't it, that in all the talk about Elrond's parting with Arwen his other children get forgotten. Yet it must have been almost worse with them, going and not knowing what they would chose. I hadn't thought about it, but you're right, Elrond and Rivendell too must have been damaged as Lorien was. This is too sad! Waa! Talk about an unhappy ending :) Author Reply: There's not really much about Elrohir and Elladan in the books (as far as I know), and they certainly didn't merit an appendix. I suppose that at least Elrond knew that he wouldn't see Arwen again, but with the twins he didn't know whether to hope or not. I don't think he would have had much hope - most things went bad for him in the end. There wasn't any fighting to damage Rivendell, I think, but the failure of the rings must have let time in. Though I tend to think Elrond's use of Vilya was more subtle then Galadriel's use of Nenya, it must have come as a terrible shock to the twins to see their home and adar fading. Wallowing in sadness.

Marnie	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 10/21/2004
Goodness! How do you manage to write so fast? I can't keep up with you! This was a lovely chapter. I suppose it doesn't take much guessing to realize this was my favourite bit: He looked down from the wall contemplating this land of men, tall, his silver hair lustrous in the sunlight, an imposing figure, like a hero of legend, bright and pure and deadly, his eyes filled with the experience of the ages. Beside him stood his granddaughter, slighter, as dark as he was fair, but beautiful as a star-kissed night, her hair studded with sparkling jewels, gowned in blue silk the shade of the sky just after sunset. Because I loved Arwen and Celeborn's chat. I was really pleased that she got her due as being someone who had been raised to rule a realm. I think you're right, it'll be Arwen who pulls the kingdom together and teaches Aragorn how to be king. So many partings! I'm glad that Elrond and Aragorn didn't end up estranged, as could so easily have happened. This really brought home to me what a terrible period, personally, it was for the elves - the cost of the victory for them. Fascinating! Author Reply: No, I'm not altogether surprised that you liked that bit! Despite his time as Thorongil, I don't really think Aragorn was terribly well prepared for the nitty-gritty of being a king - he spent too much timing running around in the wild on his own far too far from bathing facilities. And even as a fighter - he had directed smaller groups of fighters that responded to events, rather than directing armies and considering overall strategy. I think that, about two to five years in to being king, Aragorn might well have gone through some dreadful personal crisis when he realised how dependent he was on Arwen and Faramir - and how much he hated the monotony of sitting in Council and listening to petitions. I don't think Elrond would have wanted to leave them in bitterness, no matter how sad he was - and that he probably had a better idea of just how fated this had been. It's one of the things that makes Lord of the Rings so interesting to play with - nothing is simplistic, it's all multi-layered - every happy outcome spawns misery for someone.

daw the minstrel	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 10/21/2004
Oh, that was lovely! Beautifully written, moving without being sentimental, just lovely. Author Reply: I'm glad you enjoyed it. It just flowed from the pen . . . well, clicked on the keyboard. Whatever. I think they'll all feel a little better once the train has pulled out of the station. Elrond is right - goodbyes are dreadful.

elliska	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 10/21/2004
These are characters and events that everyone who reads Tolkien knows very well and had thought about and created their own visions of, since Tolkien left us so many things to wonder about. We all have our own images in our heads for how this went. This subject--the departure of the Ring Bearers--has always been, for me, one of the most poignant (possibly the most) in all of Tolkien's world because it means so much to so many characters. Every reader's expectations for this event would be different but I must say, you have captured and portrayed mine to the letter. Of all the stories I've read about this event, this is by far the one I've liked the most. I love Elrond in this--it would be so hard for him to hope having seen so many of his hopes destroyed and so much of his world lost. I loved that the twins promised to sail at the last moment. I love the hobbits and Gandalf--the letters and the pipe weed. Too perfect. And poor Celeborn and Galadriel. Taking that last step off the shores of Middle Earth. Wow! And the image of Arwen and Aragorn in Minas Tirith. Powerful. They would be able to feel the change in the world, wouldn't they. I absolutely loved this. Thank you for writing it. Author Reply: Goodness - thank you. Such a compliment. I know when I first read Lord of the Rings about a hundred years ago when I was young, I rather wished that Tolkien had ended it at the coronation in Minas Tirith - you know a HAPPY ENDING. But then he took it on into the Shire and the long term emotional and physical damage leading to the journey to the West, and it seemed to leave so many trailing ends - and all of them sad. The more I think about Elrond, the more I feel for him - so much rotten stuff happened to him. I feel that Elrohir wanted to sail, but it took this emotional crisis to get Elladan to promise. There is a possibility of a lot of reunions for Elrond in Valinor - I wonder what he thinks of that? Ah, hobbits. I like hobbits - and Gandalf come to that. They have a quite different tone. And I like to think that letters to Frodo would be permitted, even if others aren't, because he's special. (Sam could send him some pipe weed seed of his own.) Poor C and G indeed. They know they can be reunited - but it's in Celeborn's hands, and I don't think Galadriel is too keen on letting others take charge. I think A and A would know. And their world would become a little bit more desolate and colder. I am glad you liked it.

Jay of Lasgalen	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 10/21/2004
Another sad chapter! But what can I expect from a story entitled 'Partings' and a chapter called 'Departures'? The final thoughts of all here were so sad, and for most of them, hopeless. Elrond's loss of hope - that Celebrian would not be waiting, that his sons would never join him - was very poignant. He has lost all those he loved, why not his sons as well? Celeborn's response was just right and lifted the angst a little. Jay Author Reply: I think perhaps a companion story is called for - which is rather more cheerful. 'Reunions' perhaps. This is just such a sad time, though - where, even when you know what is going to happen, you can't help the tears stinging - whether viewing or reading. Frodo has, I suppose a faint hope that somewhere in the distant future, Sam might come - but he knows he will never see Merry and Pippin again in this life; Elrond knows he won't see Arwen or Estel and just doesn't know about any of his family; Galadriel and Celeborn don't know when or if he will sail. Tolkien really didn't give an easy happy ending. Of course, that is what makes it so intriguing. This actually changed in writing - it started much more Galadriel / Celeborn -centric and did move on to the Blessed Realm, but once it focused on the partings, it really had to stop here. Sorry if I've depressed you so early in the day.

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