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Many fruitless victories by perelleth	35 Review(s)
Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: Epilogue 2 on 6/27/2005
Earendil came! Earendil decided to intervene to retrieve the last of the firstborn! Good for him. I like the apocalyptic vision of Manwe girding up for the final battle. '“I…I promised my Adar that I would take care of his forest...” he answered nonchalantly. Celeborn almost choked in outrage. “When did you lose your compass Thranduil? No, don’t answer me; being modest as he was, your father surely understood that all forests in middle earth were his forest…” “Except Lórien, of course,” Thranduil agreed placidly.' Ha! I feel for the old man left on the dock watching the departure of his lord - but, in a way, the truth of his legends must be a consolation to him as he awaits his own end. '“Your father must have violated one or two hundred safety regulations when making these things, Maglor, “ Thranduil grunted in exasperation.' What a delicious line. Do you think Feanor acknowledged the existence of such things as safety regulations? I think he only ever saw one thing - what he wanted. 'not before the end will they be undone' So is that what is happening? Well - Galadriel has been very patient. I hope she gets her reward! (As do Celeborn, Thranduil, Maglor and Daeron. They have done their very best - and merit a place among the just.) And, I can hope that beyond Arda they will be reunited with those they have lost. A very powerful piece, Perelleth. Author Reply: ONe of the things that I had clearly in mind since the very beginning was that Eärendil was carrying them home. You see, he, too was tied to the fate of Arda, and had been endlesly sailing its skies, alone. He was the fifth in this band of "exiles", he didn't want to come home alone, he wanted and deserved company if he had to face the bitter end.... AND you point out an interesting line, about the silmaril. We really don't know what shall become of the elves after the end. We only know that they're tied to live as Arda lasts, but.. what then? All this trip and the light is the more open ending I could come up with. Either the Silmarils, and the elves and valar finally return to the mind of eru and find there there unity and fulfillment, or the pulsing light before them is Arda unmarred and remade, where they shall live for ever in blessed memory of things as they were supposed to be. I razed the Ainulindale forward and barckwards and finally tried to make a simil of the making of arda, and hoped that each reader would take what fit her/his personal universe...I, personally, want to believe that they met in Arda unmarred and remade :-) And NO! I don't think Feanaro took into account safety regulations or quality specifications of any kind! Just blame Thranduil for the sentence, he thought it funny..and I couldn't argue! ;-) Many thanks for your kind reviews, Bodkin, I'm so glad you liked the story! I feel I kind of repay so many of you whose stories I so much enjoy! ;-)

Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 6/27/2005
Oddly, I'm glad Cyrus didn't survive until the absolute end. And there was a lot of promise in his death - reunion with loved ones in the knowledge that he had done all he could. And the imagery - the puma and the albatross - was beautiful. I'm glad, too, that Celeborn told him all that he did - and that he was given the gift of their true names. And somehow, I'm not surprised that Thranduil and Celeborn were determined to and successful in cheating their way round the complete destruction of the human race. The idea of them being tied to the fate of Arda whilst freeing the secondborn to move beyond it ties in very well with their vision of power and sacrifice. Author Reply: Cyrus had realized that he didn't want to be there, and was granted a peaceful, hopeful death, I think. I'm glad too, he had fought so much, it seemed too bitter to have him witness the end of his world, no matter the hopes and expectations for thee new moon settling. And Celeborn was eager to grant him his last hope. He was so compassionate...and in the end Cyrus was able to simply let go.

French Pony	Reviewed Chapter: Epilogue 2 on 6/26/2005
What a nice ending. It looks like Thranduil and Celeborn will finally get to see their families again, and they've certainly earned that privilege. I'm not at all surprised that Maglor and Daeron ended up in Central Asia. They'd really like the music there, I think. There's a style of overtone singing, called xhoomei, that really does sound like the earth itself is singing, especially the kargiraa variety. And, to answer one final question: I've never used the gourd and bombilla, mainly because my sister wasn't very well able to explain to me how to use them, and they were so pretty that I didn't want to mess up and do it wrong and maybe ruin them. I'm not even sure how well they'd take a washing, and I'd have to wash them before I use them. So if you know, tell me, because I've used the antique Japanese teacups my sister gave me and the Korean teacup my father gave me. And I've just always seen it written maté, with the accent. Became habit to write it that way, I suppose. Author Reply: I'm glad you liked the ending. It's prety open, as not even Tolkien himself let us know what Iluvatar had planned for the elves beyond the end of Arda.:-) Well, now that you're the fortunate owner of a gourd and bombilla, you're a step closer to be able to enjoy the original mate! Here you ahve the recipe. First, you must know that you can wash them safely... but NO dishwasher!!! Then, you must cure the gourd. To do so, place two table spoons of mate inside the gourd. Then pour boiling water and fill it to the rim LEt it soak for 24 hours. Then pour down the sink and rinse. With a small spoon, scrape gently the inside of the gourd, and then repeat the processs. ( mate, water, 24 hours, feed the sink and rinse.) now, your gourd is ready to give you endless hours of mate sipping!! Be warned that it will become dark green stained (the inside) after some use, but that's good. Simply wash and dry gourd and bombilla after use. And now, to the mate. I usually fill up to two thirds of the gourd with minced leaves and then pour the hot water (70-80C) until it reaches below the brim. Then you wait some seconds and when the leaves absorb the water, you replenish the gourd again. You repeat the process until the leaves do not absorb more water. Then you drink. You first close the mouthpiece of the bombilla with your thumb and insert it(the bombilla, please, not your thumb,) in the gourd, and then drink. The bombillas usually have a dry seed inside that acts as stopper to prevent minced leaves from entering with the liquid. The gurgling sound when you reach the end is considered well mannered! Tradition has it that the host drinks first and finishes the first round. (the msot bitter) Then he pours more hot water and the next person drinks. If two thirds is too bitter for you, just try with less herb! Enjoy! ;-)

French Pony	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 6/26/2005
Well, of course music is fundamental to human understanding and perception of the earth. I know that; that's why I'm an ethnomusicologist. (Sneaky way to answer one of your questions, that was.) But seriously, folks, I once heard a record that was an attempt to make the "music of the spheres" literally audible. Back in the days when electronic music was still a new and exciting thing, a composer (or a committee of composers; it was a while ago that I heard this) came up with a way to translate equations about the movements of the planets in the solar system into sound waves, and recorded them. The result is a chorus of different electronic voices going "BWAAwaaWAAwaaWAAwaa" at varying pitches and intervals. Very weird, very mid-sixtes, and kind of cool. So I guess I can say that I've heard the music of the spheres. . . or at least the arranged version. But there's so much music of the earth as well. One of the rewards of being an ethnomusicologist is the feeling that, if you listen to enough music from enough places, you might get a little second- and third-hand taste of what the Song of Arda might sound like. I have to say, I am impressed with the calmness and collected-ness with which the people faced the destruction of the Earth. It seems, though, that the moon's orbit and stability was not affected by the environmental collapse, so that's good. And I'm glad that Cyrus finally learned about his friends before he died. Author Reply: Ethnomusicologist!!Woah! let me put that down in my list of "things I want to be in my next life" Wonderful! See, what hooked me when I first read the Silm at sixteen was the first chapter, the Ainulindale, wow! a world sung into being! that made so much sense to me! And it's still one of the things I most admire in Tolkien's works, (as you may have perceived...) Yes, listening to traditional, popular music from different parts of the world makes you think, doesn't it? Differences, but, above all similarities. I'm so glad, then, that you were able to pick up the reason for Daeron and Maglor settling down in Central Asia! I believe that Cyrus deserved to know the truth, and Celeborn being Celeborn was ready to let him know, he knew he would understand and feel better for it. Maybe they were related, after all, who knows where Arwen's blood ran? ;-) The moon is fortunately too far away to be disturbed by earth's "domestic" pollution and environmental collapse. In this case, not even the earth's orbit was altered, it just became impossible to survive due to environmental conditions. And the collectedness of people before the ultimate doom seems... quite possible to me. Of course there would have been suicides and violence, but the superior good of the endeavour before them might have brought about the best qualities of humankind, I like to think... Thanks for your kind and interesting comments, FP!

The Karenator	Reviewed Chapter: Epilogue 2 on 6/26/2005
Better late than never, I suppose. I'm not sure how I managed it, but I missed this story. Actually, I know I've been rather 'lost' lately. Moving my parents. Anyway, this story is extraordinary! I've read a few 'current day' stories, but I can assure you that I have not read anything that touches this. I'm impressed by your 'green' knowledge and even more impressed by how seamlessly you fit everything into this tale. I'm having trouble even putting into words how good this story is. Let me just say that it's outstanding in every way. Your characterizations are real and hearty with life. And your descriptions of a waning world are amazingly clear and focused. The Science-Fiction elements are so well done that you make moving to the moon seem logical and entirely possible. Of course, I already believe in Elves, so that was easy. The ending was extremely well done and fascinating. Like the stories of people who have seen the white light and tunnel during near-death experiences, we see here the light that leads the Elves to what awaits them as well. Personally, I think that once Galadriel finishes hugging and kissing her tardy husband, she might have a few bones to pick with him. Just wonderful, Perelleth. Just wonderful! Karen Author Reply: Uh, I hope your parents are settling down nicely, Karen. Moving is always a good occasion for family team-work, lots of cleaning up and stuff, and even strained muscles..you have all my sympathy! ;-) Anyway, I'm so glad to hear your opinion!and above all, to hear that you liked it! I'm a bit overwhelmed, I must add, by your kind words. I'm glad that it made sense to you, I've struggled so much to make everything fit, and wasn't all that sure.. fitting so many things (and awful footnotes) kind of frightened me. Now I'm even more impressed by the lot of you, seeing how much I've struggled with four chapters, prologue and epilogue... But it's been a rewarding experience, above all to see that so many people whose stories I read and enjoy seem to have enjoyed this... so I feel kind of paying back the endless entertainig and amusement I find in your stories! Personally, I think that Galadriel might start with bone picking and then the hugging and kissing.. just in case! ;-) Thranduil knew well what he was talking about when he poked at all too confident Celeborn... I'll tell you a secret. I, too believe in elves, and I'm sure theyr'e still out there! I keep looking for them! :-) thanks, karen, and glad you enjoyed.

elliska	Reviewed Chapter: Prologue on 6/26/2005
I found this when you were on the Chapter 3 update but I got distracted and forgot to review it, so I will now. I have only read two other 'modern' stories past the first chapter. I generally dislike them, but this one is outstanding. I love the theme--our destruction of the environment is something that I take very seriously in RL, so I enjoy seeing the theme in lit. And I love the way you handled it here. Greenwood Great! Love it! And I love the idea of Celeborn, Thranduil, Daeron and Maglor! Zero ecological imprint! If only we could do it. Great! And I found I really liked your OC, Cyrus. He was a good mix for Thranduil and Celeborn. A Man who had also spent his life fighting. (“I’ll never give up, though!” he stated calmly, and left the office without looking back. I loved that reaction). I was glad to see that in the end his contributions mattered and Camp Feldman was an excellent touch. I am also glad that in the end, Celeborn told him somethings (their names, about the Song of Arda). That was very moving to me for some reason. The story of the albatrosses in chapter 3 (I think) moved me to tears. I absolutely love birds and I've been on a number pelagic birding tours to see the birds one can normally only find at sea. This was a wonderful description and portrays our dying planet very well. And the puma! We have a smaller, Florida variety of those where I live. Very endangered. I held a young one born in captivity once. It was awesome. I love Warrior!Thranduil and this was an incredible, if sad, view of him. I think I was as awed as Cyrus was. Those two stories were very powerful. But what impressed me the most was your ability to portray Thranduil and Celeborn in character so nicely in modern settings. I absolutely loved the conversation in chapter 2 when Cyrus is quizzing Greenwood about his 'sect' and all its different branches. That was great. And as I said, I love Thranduil with the albatrosses and the puma. And I love Silvertree's personality--he seemed to hold everything together to me. The end was so sad. “Say better another fruitless victory, for fight we must, even if there’s no possible victory in the end, except beyond our limited sight...” “You hope, still? “Always. That’s our gift.” “Hope?” “We call it Estel, hope beyond knowledge…” That was great. I love that the Elves, who had always helped mankind, did so one last time to achieve their fate beyond the bound of Arda. I loved the Epilogue. Silvertree and Greenwood's last conversation about why they stayed. Great! Seeing the four of them sail away with Eärendil was wonderful but sad. And I liked this: First it was like the distant rolling of the waves on a rocky beach, but then it grew to a deep sound, an overwhelming melody of impossible beauty that seemed to come from the very light and pulse around them as the radiance grew in intensity shrouding them and seeping into their bones. Very well done. Very powerful. This was a wonderful story all the way around. Thanks for sharing! Author Reply: Hi elliska! I'm glad you made it through the prologue and found it worth your time and interest! I'm still a bit embarassed myself, since I don't read modern time elven stories, and lo! here I am! I must say that first chapter hit me almost in its actual form one day, after a couple of particularly frustrating months. It was me the speaker in the empty meeting room, only it wasn't an elegant and misterious Celeborn offering me the light at the end of the tunnel, but an angry looking security chap urging me to clear out after a quite discouraging meeting... and the rest.. just... came about. You're a bird watcher? That's amazing, isn't it? I love sea birds, above all. I once was lucky enough to watch a pair of wandering albatrosses in their mating sail and it did bring tears to my eyes. I don't remember the cold,or the relnetless wind or the boat pitching madly, I only remember the awe at the sight of those two birds dancing so perfectly... Wonderful. I'm so glad you found Celeborn and Thranduil are in character. I think that environmental protection suited them perfectly, with their long time vision their patience and compassion and their love for all living things. And the sense of humour. Sense of humour to me always pairs with spiritual peace, and these four, if anguished by the dying earth, must have been so deeply attuned to it that were able to find peace even in their direst situation. Wish I were! Heartfelt thanks for your long and kind review. it is amazing to see my words quoted, they look entirely different in your review. And thanks to you for sharing. It was a rewarding experience, to purge all this out of my system, but it was doubly rewarding to hear from readers who enjoyed it, too.

daw the minstrel	Reviewed Chapter: Epilogue 2 on 6/26/2005
What a wonderful ending! Destruction yes. But also a kind of hope and fulfillment for the elves who stayed as long as they could. Author Reply: Glad you liked the ending, daw! Of course, after so much destruction, we all needed some hope! You know I'm a sucker for kind of "happy endings!" this is kind of...therapy to me! ;-)

Redheredh	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 6/20/2005
You worry me with Cyrus' dizzy spell and all this talk of being old. :( Then, there's that parting thought about never seeing his friend again. Comparing the recalcitrant horses to bureaucrats was evil genius. The only other appropriate comparison I have read is a dogpack. Hmm, was there not just a little resentment on Greenwood's part when he said: What a terrible doom for a man to fulfill his nature! To change his destiny with his own deeds and dare to pity those creature who are not granted that same gift! They never bothered to designate which was the Bard and which was the Poet? Ha! They are a little like 'professional' twins, I guess. Cyrus once again having to face the hopless truth was sad. He reminded me of Turgon's hopes and then Earendel trying to convince the Valar to interfere in a matter that was always doomed to destroy the world they lived in. And nothing lasts. That was a cool moment when Greenwood points out that this is one of the truths revealed in mythology. A very Tolkien thought, that. Finally, he recognizes the mysterious nature of his hosts. But, they have disappointed him and seem to be warning him off. So, who died in the clearing? Was not the unyielding puma really Cyrus? Is that him as well circling earthward, returned to his mate for the last time? I wait for you, Cyrus, I always wait... It's a happy thing that he could once again reconcile his spirit and regain his friendship with Greenword. He deserved to get one up on the elf! Cyrus' voice held all the anguish of a long life coming to its end, a desperate plea for some hope to hold on to, even if it was a wavering light at the end of a dark tunnel. I too really want that hope to come. Although, not necessarily as Cyrus wishes - the world being saved. Excellent chapter. Now, I mean this in a very good way... but, I am dreading the next. Author Reply: It's funny that everyone noticed about the bureaucratic horses.. that's a personal joke... a colleague of mine calls them "9 to 5 horses..." I like how you sum up all the things that are packed up in this chapter. Thranduil's resentment is... understandable I believe. To me that's the inner tension between men and elves, men granted the freedom to overcome and change their destiny, elves bound to keep things in memory -and actually- as they are. So the confrontation is about doing against thinking and preserving... As FP said in her review, Cyrus is almost getting to understand.He sees the animals but cannot make the connection. He wouldn't submit himself to another life prolonging treatment but won't give up saving the earth, or the old seabirds. He's like an old campaigner who cannot stop fighting for fighting is all he has known... All I can tell you is what Thranduil says, Keep going, and keep hoping. My grandma used to say that hope is like every other thing: it comes more easily with the practice... Many, many thanks, redha. :-)

Leaward	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 6/20/2005
I'm coming late to the party -- I just discovered this story this morning and found it a lovely reason to set aside all the mundane housework that is staring at me still. It threw me at first to see a 'modern day' Tolkienesque story but as I started reading, it just grabbed me and made me keep reading. I've read some of the other reviews now and I'm with Daw ... I'd never thought of the analogy of Numenor's drowning with the modern day glacial melts. It's so nice to see a well-researched and original idea that keeps to Tolkien's theme -- and I think the Professor would heartily agree with your premise. I loved the scene where Thranduil and Celeborn are watching the night sky and Cyrus 'felt' their despair. That seemed to true to their characters, and I so wanted them to be able to go west before the end of the world, yet it also seems right that they would have tried to save their beloved forests rather than abandon them. So many of your insights, the seeds, and even his work with the soil, and the puma and the albatrosses and puma tells me you have a little 'Elven' quality in you. :D You truly have a gift in your writing to show depth without beating the reader over the head with it, but allow the reader to discover the layers on their own. I LOVE that type of story. Now I'm interested to see where this leads ... Author Reply: Welcome to the party,Leaward, the bar's still open!;-) btw, I never got the chance to thank you for nominating "the long defeat" to the MEFA awards? I didn't even know about them, but anyway, it was great to see that piece there, so thanks for taking the time! I'm so glad that this story helped you cope through morning monday housework. I know what you mean with "modern day" stories, you saw the A/N at the beginning... I thought it honest to give the warning, I for one, DO NOT READ those stories, and bang! I'm hit on the head with this pack! deserved punishment to me, I say! :-) Glad it hooked you! "tells me you have a little 'Elven' quality in you?" May I put this in my scrensaver? I was thinking of answering with "Maybe you can discern the air of Numenor..?" but it is too pretentious, I deem! ;-) Woah, the best compliment I ever received, surely! I believe daw referred to the drowining of Beleriand, but Numenor is there, too, and the connection, as well as most of the "research" here are only part of the things that are part of my job, so it all somehow came to place one day, and then I had to put my scarce writing skills to work. I'm thrilled that everybody is liking the animals, and the story as a whole, and I for one, am having a great time writing it down, even if it's a bit exhausting. Glad to have you on board too, and many thanks for your kind and undeserved praises! ;-) May the Angle leave long! ;-) Author Reply: Sorry! LIVE long! :-)

Nilmandra	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 6/20/2005
What struck me again is the difference in elven and human thought...the evenness of ones tied to the fate of Arda and very weary of it, and a human who attempts to rise above it and order and control Arda as he wants. I think we need to set Cyrus to read the book of Ecclesiastes. The use of the puma was especially interesting...in that it would not yield. I liked that. Now i am curious to see why Cyrus thinks he will not see his friends again. Author Reply: That's what I tried to figure out with this story, Nilmandra, I'm so glad that you point it out. Not finding a meaning, of course, but exploring the ways of coping. I cannot pretend to understand what Tolkien intended for elven way of thinking, but I tried to figure out in a sense, opposing two ways of facing dayly work with long term planning, which are part of my working life, and how different approaches make for different stands in front of what life brings. Cyrus is tired, and clings to fighting and controlling ( well intentioned, of course)as his last hope. Celeborn and Thranduil, and their colleagues, of course, although inmeasurably more tired have a different approach, and know that fighting- and losing- are a part of the same song. I suspect it's been some time since Cyrus last read the Ecclesiastes, but it would do him great good, I think!

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