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The Findaráto Diaries by Fiondil	348 Review(s)
hawkeye	Reviewed Chapter: 37 on 8/4/2014
Dear Fiondil, I am so sorry to see this story end. It has been a joy to read, and words can not express how it has lightened my heart over the past weeks. And, while I look forward to reading many more of your stories, this one will hold a special place for me and I am sure I will return to it many times over. You have a wonderful ability to write. Your characters are unique and well rounded, as well as being very true to the sprit of Tolkien's own work. I have so enjoyed sharing in their journeys, struggles and even sorrows, and the opportunity to learn with and from them. You have introduced me to characters and aspects of Tolkien's world that I never imagined. Thank you for writing this story, and more than that for sharing it with us. I can sincerely say this is one of the best Tolkien fan fiction pieces I have ever read. He's coming! See you in Elf, Interrupted ;) ~Hawkeye Author Reply: Hi Hawkeye. I'm so glad you enjoyed this story and how much it brightened your days as you read this. I had a lot fun writing it and it's one of my favorites as well. I'm glad you enjoyed the characters as well. I tried very hard to make them as 3-dimensional as possible and "real". Thank you for your kind words concerning my writing ability. I appreciate them and all the reviews you took the time to write.

hawkeye	Reviewed Chapter: 36 on 8/4/2014
Even the High King's court has talebearers! At least Arafinwë and Finrod are starting to fall in step with each other I think. I'm glad Finrod is wearing warrior braids and he stood his ground about it. His Atar's response was also telling. Seeing Arafinwë support his son was good too. Oh, and I can see Arafinwë getting all excited over fixing the receiving room for Finrod's court. If it happened that fast, he was probably planning it for a while and just waiting for the right moment to put his plan into action. It's an endearing thought, regardless. You would think that Amarië had learned her lesson, but apparently not exasperated sigh Whatever he might have been like before, she didn't need to be so rude. And I agree with Rúmilion, Finrod deserves better. I'm looking forward to seeing how things resolve themselves in your other story. Thanks, Fiondil :) Author Reply: Hi Hawkeye. Arafinwë was waiting for this moment for some time and probably had the workers all lined up and had chosen the fabric and everything long before. He was probably giddy with delight at being able to order the re-do post haste. Amarië is like a lot of people who remember you when you were in high school and haven't seen you in ages and still think you're the same person as they remembre from before, however they mentally labeled you, and they treat you accordingly without taking into account the fact that people can and do change over time. She'll learn and the manner of her lesson will be very interesting as you will see. Thanks for reviewing. It's appreciated.

hawkeye	Reviewed Chapter: 35 on 8/3/2014
I thought Finrod's explanation of how he got to the dining room was perfectly informative, I don't know why Arafinwë had a problem with it cheeky grin I'm trying to visualize what Arafinwë's unreadable expression looks like. Poor elleth. I felt really bad for her. Wow, Arafinwë is really letting Finrod run his own court. It seems like a big jump from how protective he was before (not that it was bad, in fact it was probably the right thing to do). I have to confess that when he said that and then actually followed through with it, I wanted to hug him. On a more serious note, seeing Finrod sitting in judgement was really interesting. He's fears are justified, but that's what makes him so good at what he does. And you included warrior braids!!! I also really liked how you showed Finrod's character through his interactions with Ondoher. What a crazy first case though. And now I'm really curious what kind of stuffed toy Finrod has ;) Thank you, Fiondil, for another very entertaining chapter. Author Reply: Hi Hawkeye. Well, certainly Finrod thought he was being informative, though he must've wondered why his atto even wanted to know. cheeky grin back Arafinwë has been waiting for some time for Finrod to come to a level of maturity to accept his role as haryon and take up his duties, including holding court. I'm sure he sighed with relief when he was alone and went right into ordering the receiving room's makeover for Finrod's court. The first case was a bit crazy but Finrod rose to the occasion and I think having successfully adjudicated it, he felt much better about himself and his abilities and the rest of the court wasn't as bad for him. As for the stuffed toy... imagine any kind you want. I purposely have not named what kind of toy it is so readers can fill in the blank with their own favorite stuffed toy from their own childhood (or even adulthood). Thanks for reviewing. I appreciate it.

hawkeye	Reviewed Chapter: 34 on 8/2/2014
Glorfindel is still creating mayhem! Good for him. As much as they pretend to the contrary, I think the Valar and Maiar enjoy it. It keeps things interesting, if nothing else. I was surprised by Arafinwë's reticence in greeting his son. He suspects, I think. I had the thought reading this that Arafinwë might be more hurt than he lets on, especially given Eärnur's insight about how long he and Eärwen had to wait for Finrod to be reborn. Námo is a fascinating character. I'm beginning to like him way more than I ever thought I would. It seems there's a lot more to him than just the Doomsman of the Valar :) Author Reply: Yes, Glorfindel is quite the Elf, isn't he, even when he's dead. LOL! Arafinwë has his suspicions as to why Finrod really wanted to go to Lórien and I think he was hurt that his son was less than truthful about his motives. At least Irmo was able to provide Finrod with a legitimate story of how he spent his time in Lórien by sending him and Eärnur off on their own. Námo is my favorite Vala (at least in the way I write him) and he figures prominently in many of my stories. Being the Doomsman of the Valar is actually his least favorite role; he much prefers being the Counselor and Consoler of Souls. Thanks for the review, Hawkeye. It's appreciate.

hawkeye	Reviewed Chapter: 33 on 8/2/2014
Eärnur's ability to draw Finrod out never ceases to amaze me. Up until now, it's almost felt that Eärnur is the elder and leader of the two and so far he seems to usually set the pace. But in this chapter, I like how Finrod seemed to even things a little. Now Eärnur is learning from him as well as he is learning from Eärnur. Lord Irmo was smart to send them off on that trip :) Speaking of Lord Irmo and Lady Estë, I liked the story of how Eärnur found the cove. Eärnur may not be the child of the Noldorán, but he still is cared for just as much. Thanks for a fun chapter, Fiondil! Author Reply: Hi Hawkeye. I think there at the cove, the two ellyn ceased to be healer and Reborn and were simply two friends camping out, so they were on an equal footing, so it makes sense that they would share and learn from each other. And Irmo's solution to how Eärnur is able to find the cove is priceless and very practical. Thanks for reviewing. I appreciate it very much.

hawkeye	Reviewed Chapter: 32 on 8/2/2014
Eärnur is my hero. He will be an amazing healer. Amazingly he didn't seem to take offense at Finrod's real motives here, which shows a real strength of character. He is a wonderful friend, especially at the end of the chapter. In some ways I almost got the impression that he still feels responsible for his first Reborn. '"Come back to Lórien with me,” he pleaded.' I really like that Lord Irmo didn't just order Finrod around here. The idea that a Vala would plead with an elf to do the right thing, but not necessarily force shows a lot of love on Irmo's part. It's also, I think, a wonderful illustration of life. Thanks for a lovely read! Author Reply: Eärnur, while chronologically younger than Finrod, is emotionally more mature at this point. Finrod still has a way to go before he reaches the same level of maturity he had achieved in his previous life (and over 3000 years of experience). And Irmo knows that he can't force Finrod to do anything against his will, he can only inspire and plead as he does here. To do otherwise is to go to the "Dark Side" as it were. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, Hawkeye. Thanks for reviewing and letting me know. I appreciate it.

hawkeye	Reviewed Chapter: 31 on 8/2/2014
He's finally going :) But I'm not as happy as I thought I'd be, and I get the impression that Finrod isn't either. I also wonder if Arafinwë guessed there was more to it than Finrod was telling him, which I'm sure was hurtful. Hopefully their relationship hasn't been irreparably damaged. On the other hand, I can see Finrod's frustration by his parent's cautiousness and the escorts. I think Finrod knows he's not being entirely honest. As much as I'm looking forward to seeing more Maiar and Lord Irmo, I hope there isn't fallout for it. Eärnur worries me too. I think he could potentially get hurt and made to feel like he's just a convenient excuse. Interesting that Finrod didn't check the door, though I agree. He's probably being watched :) I can't wait to keep reading. Thanks for writing! :) Author Reply: I'm sure Arafinwë knows more than he's letting on. He is, after all, Finrod's atar and atar's know these things. ;-). I doubt their relationship will be irreparably damaged, but there may need to be some fence-mending on Finrod's part. As for the escort, well, that's just prudence and common sense. He is, after all, haryon. He's not, strictly speaking, a private person, so guards are a necessary evil. We'll see how Eärnur reacts to all this once he arrives. Thanks for reviewing, Hawkeye. It's appreciated.

hawkeye	Reviewed Chapter: 30 on 8/2/2014
I had a feeling something would go wrong. It seems like Finrod can't get through an event without some sort of embarrassing event. I think what makes me really sad here though isn't so much the event or the memory, it's how other people perceive it. So much of history really isn't "funny," or something to be trivialized, but we write it off as not a big deal. What Finrod was experiencing was a situation like that. It's not trivial, it's very real and desperately sad. Yet, the court will likely not see it that way. It will be just another reason to laugh at someone who really shouldn't be laughed at. At any rate, poor Finrod will need lots of love to come out of this one, I fear. Maybe the Valar can give him therapy :) Okay 'the Order of the Prince's Courtesy' Arafinwë, really? I can't fault Finrod for being upset about this one. I think I would have died of embarrassment right on the spot (in fact, I'm pretty sure I did ;). But again, nice saves on Herendil's part :) Despite an extreme case secondhand embarrassment, I really enjoyed this chapter :D You are an amazing writer. Thanks for sharing with us! Author Reply: Hi Hawkeye. Flashbacks aren't fun, that's for sure, and this one was a deciding moment in Finrod's previous life, a life that none of those at the ball have any clue about, not even Arafinwë. And Arafinwë's "Order of the Prince's Courtesy" was probably not a good thing to thrust upon Finrod at that moment, but I think eventually it will catch on and be looked upon with favor by the court. And Herendil is very cool here. Thanks for your review and your praise. I appreciate them both very much.

hawkeye	Reviewed Chapter: 29 on 8/1/2014
Finrod is making friends! I can imagine his escorting just about any elleth would result in a huge fuss, poor dear... not to mention Amarië's reaction. Still, it is a hard thing to not even be able to have a nice dance without political ramifications. Once again I'm loving Herendil. That was nice work simply being able to step into that part of the ceremony without having to practice. So he's finally starting to take over some parts of his life too :) I'm sure he was the envy of the other ellyn. It's about time too ;) I loved that he made the oath his own. Hopefully his Atar appreciated it too. I was a bit on edge, afraid someone was going to ridicule him or make a fuss. I'm glad they didn't. Now for the Ball... Author Reply: Being a prince and heir to the throne does have its burdens and every move made is fraught with political under- and overtones. Such is life in the palace. And no one would dare ridicule or make a fuss in the King's presence. ;-) Thanks for leaving a review, Hawkeye. I appreciate it very much.

hawkeye	Reviewed Chapter: 28 on 8/1/2014
Oh my goodness Celeborn was in here. You have no idea how happy that made me. And I have to congratulate Herendil again. He's doing a wonderful job making Finrod feel like a real person, I think. I can understand Finrod not liking people going through his things. Who does? Poor ellon. It looks like there might be more friends in the future :) That will be even better for Finrod. I liked the wedding commentary. Arafinwë's concern for Galadriel was sweet. He obviously loves his children a lot. It must have been heartbreaking to lose all of them. I'm glad someone else is starting to stand up for Finrod. He needs it :) Author Reply: Hi Hawkeye. If you want to know more about Celeborn asking Finrod for Galadriel's hand in marriage you can read it in my story "COURAGE: Impressions" found in Fiondil's Tapestry. We'll be seeing a bit more of the three young Elves Finrod met at the wedding. They will indeed become good friends. Thanks for reviewing. It's appreciated.

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