Reviews (879)

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This was the one I'd hoped you'd read. Now to get some rest and read YOUR story. Feanor created the three Silmarils; and when they were stolen by Melkor and his father murdered, he chose to abandon Aman and defy the Valar, seeking to appropriate the ships of the Teleri Elves who were mariners and leading to a horrible slaughter of those who sought to protect their ships; then heading across the ice bridge toward the mortal lands, leading his Noldor kindred to Middle Earth. Feanor didn't make it--Melkor had him killed not that far along his way; the vow he and his seven sons made to recover the Silmarils at any cost led to much of the heartbreak of the First Age of Middle Earth. Only one of his sons survived--Maglor, who was a bard of note; and he is said to haunt the coastlines of Middle Earth, bound by his father's oath and the doom pronounced on the eight of them from returning to Aman. But his wife remained there, having refused to be part of her husband's rebellion. There is a part of me, I must suppose, that is somewhat of a feminist; and the idea that Nerdanel has spent the ages since haunting the coastline of Aman as her remaining son is said to do on this side of the Straight Path I find repugnant. Would the Valar not wish to offer her what aid they could, and would not all, including Nerdanel herself, wish to see the balance restored? She also was said to have been an Elven smith, after all! Anyway, I wanted for Nerdanel to find some purpose and to see the Valar seeking aid from her to help counter the destruction her husband's pride caused. Now, I REALLY need some sleep!

Author's reply

It has been of interest to me to figure out how it came to be that Aragorn decreed the ban. And I do suspect there was a sort of trial period for it before it was ratified seven years after the fall of Sauron. And all have been touched by what started there within the Shire.

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Yes, the rhythms and rhymes of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" were the inspiration, although I have a different tune for it in my mind. Now, to get a website created where I might post it one day! So glad you felt it fit Bilbo's life.

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Am so glad you find it so, Linda. There had to be some reason why Aragorn would consider such an extreme ban.

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Thanks. As long as the details don't seem burdensome!

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Am so glad you feel it's logical. I was certainly trying for this! Heh! Thanks, SS. Glad your life is settling down some.

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Thank you, Theresa. The full ban was imposed, we're told, seven years later; that there might have been a test phase just seemed likely, as both Dreamflower and I have imagined.

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Thanks for appreciating it, Harrowcat. Some will see much of it as merely retelling what WE already know, but this is how the Council would have come to know of what happened within the Shire, I think. And, yes, some of the Lords DO need to realize that their King is watching them now. As for procrastination--I'd be the president of the Procrastinator's Club--IF I'd only get my application sent. Of course, actually applying to join keeps you from acceptance, you know, as once the application is in, you're no longer procrastinating and have thus disqualified yourself. (Grin!)

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Well, I had to leave some means for Ruvemir to be admitted to the Shire, didn't I? And so it was he received the Royal Warrant, and the Thain, Master, and Mayor were all begged to allow him entrance. I'm certain that Canelmir wasn't the only questionable lord in Gondor, and that there were those even on the Council who might have questioned the acceptability of the King at times early in his reign. And of course Denethor had to have taught Thorongil some things during that sojourn in Gondor. I, too, think that the Hobbits should have insisted Aragorn and Faramir should have free access to visit the Shire, but have always felt that Aragorn would not hold others to a greater standard than himself and would have refused to break his own ban, and that Faramir would have followed Aragorn's lead. Thanks so for the feedback, Kitty.

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Yes, there must have been some debate of the question, Pearl. Thanks so for the feedback!

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Yes, a very wise one here. And without Saruman's influence it's likely that Lotho would have never gone as far as he did. I think he would still have bought Bag End and perhaps sought to suppress the Shire's inns; but as for seeking to make himself lord of all--well, without Saruman's Men he'd not have had a chance to succeed, I suspect. Although he still might have tried some of his actions--but that's a different might-have-been. "To preserve and protect" is part of the oath of office all who take public office within the U.S. are supposed to swear; too bad some don't take that oath seriously, I fear. Thank you so for the feedback, Andrea.

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Thanks, Shirebound. Yes, that Frodo's wish for his people's remaining innocence be protected as much as possible might have played a part in the King's edict banning the entrance of Men into the Shire just seemed likely.

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I admit to building on stories others have told previously, including the opals wrought by Feanor for his wife to signify their seven sons. But what she might have done as she realized each died is interesting to imagine. Yes, the Valar are wise; and she needs to know she's actively able to make things better. Thanks so much for the comments, Linda.

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Yes, a tragic figure, but one who has the chance now to make a difference for the better. After looking at several stories in which Feanor is presented as an individual whose unweening pride was so destructive, I felt that there needed to be a countering image and influence somewhere; and I found myself unwlling to believe the Valar would allow Nerdanel to sink totally to one whose wanderings of the shores of Aman would mirror those of her one remaining son in Ennor. Thanks so for the comments. I don't usually write Silmarillion-fiction, but this one was begging to be written, complete with the chance all might be readied for proper healing through the receipt of Nerdanel's creations.

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I find the idea that Nerdanel would be expected to wander the shores of Aman grieving for her lost family just grates on me, I find; that she would find some level of healing in the work of her hands serving to help heal what is being done in Middle Earth just felt right! Thank you so much, Tigger.

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I wrote a response earlier--JUST before the ISP from Mordor went down AGAIN. I have Frodo wearing the shirt studs he received from Esme and Sara as he starts the quest, him losing one just after he was wounded, and him wearing the diamond pair Sam brought starting while they're in Rivendell. I never said where he lost the first one of those, but the second was lost on the Stair. This pair set with opals was made for him in Minas Tirith by Gimli, set with gems he took from his battle-axe, and they will come into play in the final chapter of "Stirring Rings." I've indicated in "Stirring Rings" that Olorin had often visited the Mortal Lands in various forms before he took on the form and mission of Gandalf; that he might have been sent on such a mission as this, to see items intended for the future properly distributed for the future, just seemed natural. And that just regular folks like merchants, a farmer's wife who will be the Thain's Lady one day, a few gentlehobbits, and so on might need to pass on the magic and warmth as much as great Elven smiths and warriors and queens among Elves is just something I felt was very likely. And so many of us have loved Pippin's scarf in the movie; it demanded to have a most special beginning, I thought. Thanks so for the comments, Andrea.

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I've always loved opals and tigereye and malachite--stones that have true depth to them, and life of a sort. And this is all we are asked, after all. I knew this would mean a good deal to you. Thank you.

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And where would I be without you and eiluj and the rest to remind me of spelling and basic geography of First Age ME, Fiondil? Have fixed that! And I'm glad you like how the Valar aid her, although I refuse to go into their sartorial accoutrements! Heh! Thanks for the feedback AND the corrections.

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I'm so glad you like it, Periantri. I find I have a soft place in my heart for Hamfast Gamgee. To see what his children grew into would be a blessing for the old Hobbit. Thanks so much for the feedback.

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Okay, the mistakes are fixed. How I got Nernadel instead of Nerdanel I have no idea--sometimes I'll swear I'm dyslexic or something. But for a long time I was writing Rhuadar instead of Rhudaur, as I think you know. And it IS supposed to be Galadriel and Celeborn at the commissioning of the new sheath. The Elessar stone is a difficult one, as I found when I was rereading UT last evening. If it was done in Eregion by Celebrimbor, it would almost certainly have been at almost the same time as the forging of the Three Rings. But how did it get back to Middle Earth from Aman, where it was taken by Earendil, then, if it could possibly be the original? That Olorin might have visited Middle Earth more than once is something I've felt was probably true; and of course Galadriel would recognize him, even if she wasn't certain what his purpose was. That Celebrimbor gave it to Galadriel just felt right; but not that he waited until she and Celeborn joined him in Eregion. In those stories in which I include communion with the Valar I've always written their part of the communication in italics, indicating they are above the level of the Children of Iluvatar specifically intended to people Arda. (Okay--there is one exception, in "Inequity" in "Not Gonna Happens." In that I just have Namo and Frodo conversing, but once you read it I think you'll understand why.) Tolkien had many story details he hadn't figured out by the time he died. As for Nerdanel--she needed some comfort herself; and I've been wanting SOMETHING to work into my final chapter of "Stirring Rings"--I have it outlined but not written yet, although the second-to-the-last chapter IS written and has been for some time. This gave me a chance to put into place something that will be crucial to the last chapter. Thanks for catching those two bloopers for me! I so appreciate it! Even when I let the stories sit for a time they manage to contain errors, I find. Now, to go into my last story and remove an extra apostrophe! Heh!

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I am so grateful for your comments, Raksha. As I explained to eiluj, I've been wanting to have some specific item present in my last chapter for "Stirring Rings," and this allowed for that need. And who better to help with the bellows than Tulkas, Aule himself, and Manwe, eh? And am so glad the fate of Nerdanel's own necklace here worked to marvelously for you. Thank you! I had two very vicious plot bunnies assault me as Gandalf approaches the Barrow-downs in my current chapter of "Stirring Rings," both of which are tied to a vision Gandalf knows there, and I've written both out, and now one is posted. Hopefully the other will be posted shortly. Thanks so much again. Nerdanel needed something to help her feel she is useful, rather than wandering the seashore listening for echoes of her son's singing as I've seen elsewhere; and we needed SOME source for Arwen's pendant. I'll have to find your take on her necklace, if I haven't read it already. This is my first Nerdanel fic, a thing I'd never dreamed I'd write. I'd wanted to write her contributing somehow to the forging of the Elessar and the Evenstar pendant; at least I COULD write her actually creating the latter.

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Thank you so much, Dreamflower. I, too, like the thought of Nerdanel actually DOING something to help make things better rather than wandering the shores of Aman as lost as is her remaining son.

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I hope this response will post now--Hughes has been being difficult for the past week, allowing me on for only a short while at a time, then cutting me off again. And I have to leave for work all too soon as well. The ability to follow the trail is a necessary one, we know, and it would be what Orome could give to the blessings. I noted I left out Ulmo, but suspect that he had his own way of adding to the blessing. After all, it's said he was the one least likely to attend on the others in Aman. The stories of the Elessar are recounted briefly in Unfinished Tales, which I went through twice looking to try to figure out what precisely Nerdanel MIGHT have crafted herself, and how she might have added to the forging of the Elessar. I myself tend to read the Simlarillion much as I do the Bible, a bit here and there as I feel moved. It's not necessarily the type of work one reads from cover to cover, I find. I am finding myself liking stories of the Valar more and more as time goes on. Thanks for the feedback. I plan to be down the week after the sixteenth, and hope to see you and the family then.

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Thank you, Shirebound.

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Glad it gave you a good laugh. It's a sort-of sequel to the chapter in "Stirring Rings" in which Argeleb II gives Marcho and Blanco title to the former heartlands of Cardolan as a land for Hobbits. And indeed it was an accident that led to the use of red ink to sign the Charter. Hope some day you'll give it a look. I find I love imagining the early Hobbits and the founding of the Shire.