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The Journey Home  by Fiondil 13 Review(s)
ImhirielReviewed Chapter: 30 on 7/12/2013
I wonder if there is some link between the sabretooth beasts and the Silmaril. It seemed from your description of the attack where Maglor got hurt that they targeted him specifically. And now those dreams, almost as if they are sending him to make him more susceptible in - what? Bringing them the Silmaril? *hmmmmmmm....*

Maglor, I do not consider myself to be among the Wise, certainly not by your standards or even Master Elrond’s
In light of the discussion after this sentence, I think you meant "...much less Master Elrond's".

But in that context, I have a more general language question which I keep encountering and keep getting wrong.
“You are very wise, wiser than I, if not wiser than my foster son.”
This means that Denethor is wiser than Maglor, but not as wise as Elrond, yes? But if the comma wasn't there before "if", it would mean that Denethor is wiser than Maglor, perhaps even wiser than Elrond, meaning the "order of wisdom" is reversed? I have found that oftentimes those sorts of sentence constructions seem so vague and depending on context, and easily misunderstood, which might make the sense of the comparison useless.

Author Reply: There may be a link, but who can truly say. Maglor senses an evil intelligence in the creatures and perhaps they are drawn to the Silmaril much like Morgoth was.

Thanks for the grammar alert. I've made the correction. As for your question, the comma's absence would not change the meaning of the sentence (though all grammarians would consider the *sentence* incorrectly written without it) since you still have an "if not" clause at the end which says that Denethor is not as wise as Elrond. If you took out the middle clause referring to Maglor it would still hold true that Denethor is not as wise as Elrond. Does that make sense?

Anyway, thanks for reviewing. It's appreciated.

SunnyReviewed Chapter: 30 on 5/18/2013
Denethor is very wise - Maglor needs to put himself on that forgiveness list of his, and I think that himself is the one person he is going to find it hardest of all to forgive.
Haven't reviewed in a while, I'm afraid, and I suspect that reviews may be spotty for a while, due to RL acting up with a vengeance. (Well, except for yesterday, but that was Constitution Day, after all!) But be assured that I'm faithfully reading and enjoying the story!

Author Reply: Very wise, indeed, obsidianj. Hopefully, Maglor will heed his advice. And review when you can. Remember, you can always come back to a chapter and leave a review later when you are able. Thanks for leaving a comment for this chapter. It's much appreciated and I hope RL gets a bit calmer for you soon.

Author Reply: Oops. Sorry about that Sunny. I had just finished responding to obsidianj's review in the last chapter and as it's rather early in the morning and I haven't even had my tea yet, I sort of zoned out. Mea culpa.

Agape4GondorReviewed Chapter: 30 on 5/18/2013
Needless to say, I'm glad Maglor healed from the wounds - but not all of them, eh?

I hate nightmares and being an Elf - you don't have to sleep as often as the rest of us - but still.......

Great chapters. I was particularly fond of the last one.

Author Reply: No, not all of them, Agape, not the soul-wounds which run deepest. I'm glad you've enjoyed this and the previous chapters, especially the last one. Thanks for letting me know. I appreciate it very much.

KevanaReviewed Chapter: 30 on 5/17/2013
Maybe not, Denethor, but you're not doing too badly for yourself there, buddy. Now if only Maglor will take that advice.

So they've dealt with the immediate outward threat only to deal with an inward threat. Poor fellow, those nightmares sound terrible. I don't know what it'll take for him to make it through this but I am glad he has the support of the others. What a situation, first he swore to get the Silmarils back and now he can't darn well get rid of one! That's nicely poetic and I love how you've written it, and the continued consequences of it. This is fabulous.

Denethor's hit it on the nose here, I think. At this point you have to wonder how much what Maglor's suffering is actually coming from the shiny radioactive rock o' doom in question and how much is coming from *him*.

An Elf sleepwalking, now that's one somnambulist I wouldn't want to wake up mid-stroll.

Love the weather descriptions, I'm a southern chick and snow is for the birds, hehe, but it's refreshing to be reading about ice when we're starting to hit 90 degrees every day.

Great chapter, Fiondil! Thanks for the update.

Also, LOL @Laer, I know just what you mean about the "one more paragraph"! I've been reading right before work and it's like, noooo, just one more minute before I leave the house!

Friday lagniappe: *cough* Fiondil, I have no idea whether you'd find this as amusing as I do, but on the off chance that you will, I have found an artist illustrating parts of the Silmarillion...in the style of My Little Pony. They're calling it My Little Quendi. Yes, really. Crossing the Helcaraxe, Finrod vs. Sauron, Fingon and Maedhros, Bringing Home Beren.

The artist tagged it "I'm going to Angband for this" and I will be right there beside them, yup. In chains. And rags. Laughing hysterically. It's been nice knowing you. *waves 'bye*

-Kevana

Author Reply: Hi Kevana. LOL! These are cute. I especially liked the Finrod vs. Sauron one and Bringing Home Beren. Lúthien sounds like a 14-year-old with her first boy crush. Thanks for sharing. And the artist might well be going to Angband for these, but at least she'll have fun doing so.

Anyhoo... where were we? Oh yes! Maglor. Yeah, he's having it rough, but he's got friends and he's not a dummy, so he'll figure it all out eventually as we will see in the next couple of chapters. I'm glad you like the way I've written about the consequences of having a Silmaril present and how it's affecting, not only Maglor, but the others as well.

Thanks for leaving a comment and the lagniappe. I appreciate both very much. Have a great weekend.

LarnerReviewed Chapter: 30 on 5/17/2013
The wisdom Denethor shows is so marked and so necessary at the moment. Maglor is right in calling him on his own estimation of himself! So, somehow the saber tooths are marked by the Silmaril and bound up with its fate. Did Morgoth use its light to somehow empower the portion of his discordant song that gives them their malevolent intelligence? Something to ponder until Monday!

Am working actively on the next chapter and hope to have it to you soon.

Author Reply: Now there's a scary thought, Larner, but it does make sense in explaining the cats. We'll see how things go with Maglor and what he decides about the Silmaril in the next few chapters. Thanks for taking the time to review and I look forward to seeing your next chapter when it's ready.

ainisarieReviewed Chapter: 30 on 5/17/2013
I've often thought that the oath did not NEED to binding. If I remember correctly, they swore the oath to Eru with Manwe and Varda as witnesses. And I somehow think that Eru and the Valar would have been quite content to let them renounce the oath at any time. Maglor seems to be lacking insight here. It may not be that he IS bound of the oath so much as he THINKS he is bound to it.
So, yes he needs to forgive himself and maybe ask the Powers to release him from the oath at the same time as he renounces it.

Author Reply: Hi Ainisarie. I have no doubt that you are correct and that Eru and the Valar pretty much did not accept the Oaths sworn, but of course Maglor sees it differently. In a society where oaths are sacred bonds, they are neither lightly given or renounced and that has consequences for all, especially the oathtaker. Maglor needs to forgive himself before he is ready to renounce the Oath. We will see in the next few chapters what he decides to do about it.

Thanks for reviewing. I really appreciate it.

LaerReviewed Chapter: 30 on 5/17/2013
I am sitting here thinking I really should pay attention to the instructor, but the other part of me kept thinking...no, one more sentence. No one more paragraph, no hush person speaking this is important stuff! Er, I mean. um. Yeah, IMeh, ah well. Love the way this makes me want to grab my winter stuff and just "buzz on over there" with some lattes and stuff to make smores with just so they can have something a little different to eat. well and meat. Lots of cow for them. Yeah, I know the lattes will be frozen before I make it there, but they can either melt them or chip off a chunk to melt in their mouths.

Poor Maglor, stupid shiny rock and skanking cats hopes he figures out the relation between the two. Both are bad for him. :/

Author Reply: LOL! Oh Laer, I hope the instructor never finds out that you're reading fanfiction in his (or her) class. That would be very embarrassing for you.

Anyway, I think his dreams are more about the Silmaril and the cats are just there because he's had to deal with them and almost died because of them and they are as much a threat to him, though on a physical level, as the Silmari is on a spiritual level. It all ties in together. We'll see how he resolves this in the next chapter.

Thanks for reading and reviewing. I really appreciate it.

FantasiaReviewed Chapter: 30 on 5/17/2013
This a beautiful and sad charter. It started so calmed, full of hope and romance. Because Maglor will think that he was not being romantic, but romance is not only poetry and flowers, it is more than that. And then the nightmares came and I really feel so sad for Maglor, such a gentle and good soul and so corrupted and damaged by that cursed jewel and Oath. I wish that he accepts all this people help and forgive himself, it seems that this long wait for the final trip have many purposes, find hope for dispirited elves, find Arthalion, find love, find the Silmaril and find Maglor's soul.

Your Denethor is incredible wise and I loved, loved his little speech to Maglor. His line about loving himself first before loving another one it is the best that you have given us so far, IMHO. Thank you

As a side note, I hate the harsh northern winter, the long nights, the cold, the snow...it really looks very pretty in a postcard and maybe for a short vacation, but it is something that I don't like. I was born and raised on the tropic and tried to live for almost 4 years in Ohio and I couldn't adapt. I ran all the way to Southern California, now, that is the perfect weather!

Author Reply: Hi Fantasia. I think you're right about the long wait for the final trip has many purposes. It was about more than just getting to Aman the quickest way possible. The journey is more meaningful than the destination and it's how we travel that matters, not how or when we arrive.

I'm glad you like Denethor so much. I've grown to love him as well. He doesn't see himself as one of the Wise, but he is, no less than Elrond.

Well, I grew up in the northeast and I hate winters too, but unfortunately, at the present moment, I'm stuck here. Perhaps someday I'll be able to move to warmer climes. Or the poles will reverse or something and Syracuse will become the new San Diego. LOL!

Thanks for reviewing. It's very much appreciated.

6336Reviewed Chapter: 30 on 5/17/2013
Excuse the language but damn Morgoth, damn Feanor for creating the Silmarills and listening to Morgoth's lies,damn the Oath and his sons for taking it and damn Maglor for being such a stubborn fool!
I think that is everyone who needs damning!

Poor Maglor, Denethor is right, the first person he needs to forgive is himself, he needs to take a leaf out of Glorfindels book though and use a little compassion on himself. He does need to make a decision about the Silmarill until he has it will control all that he does to some extent.

It's a little early and I am not quite awake yet, need my caffeine!

Huggs,
Lynda





Author Reply: You're excused, Lynda. I'm sure many readers feel the same as you. And you're right about Maglor needing to take a leaf out of Glorfindel's book and show some compassion to himself. He will make a decision about the Silmaril in the next chapter, I promise, and then we will see what he does and how it goes with him and the others.

Thanks for taking the time to leave a review. Hugs back.

CairistionaReviewed Chapter: 30 on 5/17/2013
Poor tortured Maglor. I love how you've written the Silmaril as a parallel with the One Ring. Maglor's reactions--rage, drawing the knife--echoes Gollum and even Bilbo's emotions and actions when they lost the Ring. Fettered indeed is one who cannot throw away a treasure at need... even a Silmaril. I suspect Maglor's journey to his own final release will be wrenching.

Author Reply: Hi Cairistiona. I figured in their own way the Silmarils were as much symbols of addiction as the One Ring even though they were created with no evil intent. Fëanor's obsession with them and Morgoth's lust for them made them so. As for Maglor, we will see just how wrenching his journey to his own final release is and what comes of it. Thanks for commenting. I appreciate it.

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