Marethiel
· 31 December 2008
· Chapter 5: To Give Hope
Thank you for sharing your talent. This was a wonderful glimpse into Gilraen's thoughts and her own history and role in the story of Middle Earth. I get such superb images of Arathorn and Gilraen through these writings and through those of others whose work I value.
Thanks again for the hours of enjoyment you and your fellow writers have given me over the last few months since having discovered this site.
~Marethiel
Author's reply
Thank you, Marethiel for taking the time to review! It’s always so nice to know that readers are still enjoying my stories. I’m so glad that you enjoyed my portrayals of Gilraen and Arathorn.
peredhil lover
RS
· 4 February 2008
· Chapter 5: To Give Hope
What a beautiful story! It shows that you've really put some thought in your characters! I love your portrayal of Gilraen and Elrond. This tale is so full of emotions..I'm an emotional wreck!
You've not only taken us through Gilraen's emotional journey, but also Elrond's. And yes, they do have a lot in common. Sacrifice..I almost cried!
I was happy to see a snippet of a playful and frisky Arathorn--we needed that! His reasons for leaving w/the twins was another tear jerker. A very noble man and you feel nothing but admiration and love for him. Again I love your portrayal.
I was relieved that Elladan finally spoke w/Gilraen about his guilt... and that Gilraen being the strong one for Elladan.
I'm at a loss for words right now. I just want to relay to you how wonderful and beautiful this is!
PS - the only thing that was strange to me is Aragorn calling Gilraen "mommy". It just doesn't sound like a Middle Earth Term...But...What do I know?
All I know is that you are a wonderful writer and I hope you have more tales about the Peredhils.
Author's reply
Thank you so much for your kind words again, RS. I really appreciate it!
I do put a lot of thought into my characters and, in fact, I feel quite close to all of them. Honestly, at first, I was quite intimidated to attempt to write Elrond, for how can anyone possibly do him justice? I am glad to know that you enjoyed my portrayal of him as well as Gilraen.
I will admit that including Arathorn in the final chapter was a bit of a last minute decision and not something that I had planned on, but I, too, am glad I did. I thought that so much of this story had been others talking about him, that he deserved to have his say as well, so to speak. Of course, the only way I could do that was through a flashback. It’s good to know that it served its purpose.
I hadn’t thought about “mommy” not being appropriate. As the mom to two small girls myself, I suppose it comes very naturally to me, but you may be right, it may not be a very convincing term in this world. Perhaps “mama” would be better?
Anyway, thanks again so much. I tend to be a bit slow on my updates, but I will get to work on the next chapter of “A Yearling Shoot.”
peredhil lover
Nieriel Raina
· 21 January 2008
· Chapter 5: To Give Hope
I know, I'm a terrible reviewer! But real life and stretching myself thin has made it so difficult for me to play catch up! So, I'm just going to say I really loved this story overall, and I"m going to jump into your new story and review each chapter! *crosses fingers* But I really did like this one as well as everything you've written so far! Excellent stuff.
Author's reply
I appreciate the sentiment NiRi, my friend, I really do, and I too will cross my fingers, but I think you will understand when I say that at this point I won't hold my breath! ;)
Seriously, thank you for reviewing this chapter. I'm glad to know that you enjoyed this story, and I am eagerly anticipating your feedback on the new one.
Thanks again,
peredhil lover
Agape4Gondor
· 27 October 2007
· Chapter 5: To Give Hope
Bravo! Nice ending.
I was surprised that Arathorn, knowing that his wife probably had the same foresight as her mother, did not heed her words of warning. But you took care of that, and admirably. His sense of duty was profound.
As for Elladan - the lust for killing Orcs devoured Elrohir and him. I'm glad that he sees this and might possibly 'let it go' - with Gilraen's help. I think she will make a fine addition to the House of Elrond!
Author's reply
I'm glad you enjoyed this last chapter. I thought that Arathorn deserved a little screen time, hence the flashback, and I'm glad that you found his actions and motivations to be believable. Duty and honour and sacrifice for the greater good are defining qualities of the Dunedain in my mind and, obviously, a central theme of this whole story.
Yes, Elladan certainly does have some issues to work through. He comes to some realizations in this story and his understanding grows in "Day and Night." It is one theme, amongst others, that I plan to build on in the sequel to "Day and Night" if I ever get around to writing it.
Thanks so much for reviewing,
peredhil lover
Agape4Gondor
· 27 October 2007
· Chapter 4: A Garden of Sorrows
I truly love the way you write Gilraen. What Elrond asks of her is so incredibly bitter and hard. Not only for Aragorn - but for herself - she will not see any of her relatives nor friends... cut off entirely from everything she ever knew.
And yet - the worst part is cutting Aragorn from his father. For her not to be able to share the love of the father for the son, to share the memories of her love with her son - incredible sacrifice.
Great chapter!
Author's reply
Thank you for your kind words, Agape4Gondor. I'm so glad to know that you are enjoying my portrayal of Gilraen.
Thanks so much for reviewing. I really appreciate it!
peredhil lover
Neilia
· 27 October 2007
· Chapter 5: To Give Hope
Peredhil lover;
Do go on with your other tale. I would like to know 'the rest of the story' as you see it. So far, you have given Estel's mother the rightful 'fleshing out' of character and personality that she deserves. I am wanting to hear more of her story.
Hugs,
Neilia
Author's reply
Thanks for the encouragement, Neilia. I appreciate it. It is nice to know that you are interested in reading more of Gilraen's story.
Hopefully, I will get down to writing the sequel to "Day and Night" soon. It will be quite different in tone than this story, much more lighthearted, although still with a healthy dose of angst thrown in, and there will be some surprises in it.
Thanks for reviewing,
peredhil lover
daw the minstrel
· 26 October 2007
· Chapter 5: To Give Hope
I'm trying to remember whether we know that Gilraen had the gift of foresight. So I recall that one of her parents did? If so, it's not surprising she would. But how awful for both her and Elladan. He was torn between two needs, vengeance for his mother and loyalty to his friend.
What a lot they all had to sacrifice.
Author's reply
Thank you for reviewing daw!
In Appendix A "The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen" Tolkien writes that Gilraen's mother Ivorwen had the gift of foresight and then later in the section there is this exchange between Aragorn and Gilraen:
"'Then bitter will my days be, and I will walk in the wild alone,' said Aragorn
'That will indeed be your fate,' said Gilraen; but though she had in a measure the foresight of her people, she said no more to him of her foreboding'
So clearly she did have some foresight. Sometimes, it seems as though almost everyone had some measure of foresight, but it does make for good writing, I find. :)
Yes, both Gilraen and Elladan had to make a lot of sacrifices, and Elrond and Elrohir as well. Sacrifice is most certainly a central theme of this story.
Thanks again, daw.
peredhil lover
Theresa Greenfalcon
· 26 October 2007
· Chapter 5: To Give Hope
I liked your story, especially Aragorn as a toddler - He was probably a great little kid... Thanks for writing the story!
Author's reply
Thanks for reviewing Theresa! I'm glad to know that you enjoyed my story.
peredhil lover
grumpy
· 29 July 2007
· Chapter 4: A Garden of Sorrows
Well Aragorn seems to be having fun, and if they put bubbles in the bathwater, they might even get him in the tub.
daw the minstrel
· 20 July 2007
· Chapter 4: A Garden of Sorrows
Nicely done. What a wrench for poor Gilraen.
Author's reply
Thanks daw, I'm glad to know that you liked the chapter. Gilraen did have a lot to endure and I have enjoyed exploring this oft-ignored character. One more chapter to come from Gilraen's POV.
Thanks again,
peredhil lover
Larner
· 19 July 2007
· Chapter 4: A Garden of Sorrows
Yes, young Estel has now been named and accepted in this new environment. But there is the knowledge that all are sacrificing a good deal of what they'd once thought to know, and Elrond realizes this child will win the heart of his own daughter and lead to her own grief before she follows him.
But the need is there, and the love growing, and the realization that they can all bear it and rejoice in it, at least for a time.
Author's reply
Thanks, Larner, it is nice to get a little feedback. There were a lot of sacrifices to be made by many, and I'm glad that I could effectively show, at least a little, what Elrond and Gilraen were experiencing.
peredhil lover
Larner
· 19 July 2007
· Chapter 3: A Home in a Stranger's House
I see I managed to miss this, probably when the ISP was in one of its many bouts of troubles. Yes, there would have been a very necessary period of adjustment they'd all need as they grow accustomed to the new situation.
Sounds as if small Aragorn really needs a booster seat! And his mother needs to work through her grief. But time helps in all of this.
utfrog98
· 19 July 2007
· Chapter 4: A Garden of Sorrows
Just found this story today and read all chapters. This is really good and captures what had to be a difficult time.
Thank you
Author's reply
Thank you so much for reviewing, I really appreciate getting some feedback!
I'm glad to know that are enjoying the story so far.
peredhil lover
Matt
· 1 June 2007
· Chapter 3: A Home in a Stranger's House
A nicely done story that captures Gilraen's emotional state well I suspect. Seeing something that focuses on her first without shifting to Aragorn's perspective is nice as there is a limited set of fics in this genre and I definitely hope that you continue your work on this.
Matt
Author's reply
Thank you so much for reviewing, Matt, I appreciate it. It is always nice to know that readers are enjoying my writing, and I'm glad that you find my portrayal of Gilraen's emotional state to be believable.
I do so enjoy writing this and I have plenty of ideas in mind for Gilraen, Elrond and the rest, so, with any luck, I will continue!
Thanks,
peredhil lover
Agape4Gondor
· 1 June 2007
· Chapter 3: A Home in a Stranger's House
Great chapter - you touched Gilraen's sorrow perfectly. As for the meal - I think this would be one of the many things that would be difficult to do with Elves.... good grief - which fork do I use? Is that water or is it a dish to wash my fingers in? I do not envy the poor woman - and then to have such a litle one sitting there with crytal about... how she kept herself still, I do not know.
Great chapter!
Author's reply
I'm so glad to know you enjoyed my portrayal of Gilraen's grief.
I heartily agree--dinning with elves might not be as much fun as many of us think it would be. And clearly these elves have not had to deal with little ones in a very long time to have fine china, silverware and crystal around!
Thank you for reviewing,
peredhil lover
daw the minstrel
· 1 June 2007
· Chapter 3: A Home in a Stranger's House
Great chapter, PL. Gilraen's grief and fierce love for her son come through, as does the somewhat awkward concern of the elves. Aragorn is a sweetie.
Author's reply
Thank you, daw, I'm glad to know you enjoyed it.
I would agree that Aragorn is a sweetie in this chapter as his character was more than a little influenced by my own three year old daughter, who is quite a precocious, bright and thoughtful child, much as I imagine young Aragorn to be.
Thanks again,
peredhil lover
Idril Celebrindal
· 1 June 2007
· Chapter 3: A Home in a Stranger's House
This was a very touching chapter. It brought tears to my eyes, but that is a good thing! This week is when I lost my father several years ago and some friends of mine called yesterday that their pet of 15 years died in his sleep. So it was a trying day yesterday and so I think I am more emotional than I normally would be but I think I needed the extra release of tears.
I enjoyed the breakfast, I caught myself sitting up as I too tried to stop Aragorn from reaching for the jelly :-).
Thanks,
Idril
Author's reply
Thanks for your review, Idril. I do understand what you mean about needing an emotional release. My father died from cancer thirty-one years ago last week. I was six years old. Needless to say, I did not find it too difficult to get into little Aragorn's head in this chapter--the utter confusion and the total inability to comprehend the absolute finality of death. I must admit, I shed more than a few tears myself while I was writing that part.
And now that I am a mother of young children, I also did not find it terribly difficult to imagine the dining room scene from Gilraen's perspective!
Thank you so much for reviewing. It means a lot to me.
peredhil lover
Inariel
· 17 April 2007
· Chapter 2: The Shelter of the Storm
This is a nice chapter. This story seems to be the promised prequel to "Day and Night", in which case we already know generally speaking in which direction it goes. You touch an interesting topic showing how distressed were Elrond's sons over Arathorn's death. With a million apologies to those who might feel insulted by this comparison, but the only way *I* could think of how that might feel was by watching people who lost pets: I had hoped that an Elf would be at least as distressed by the loss of a human friend as most humans are when they lose their pets... Your portrait of Elladan, so distressed by the loss of Arathorn that he is partially shielding his heart and mind against Aragorn seems very plausible to me.
Also, I found your portrait of Elrond consistent both with the canon and with the fan fic stories in this site. What touched me most was Elrond kneeling on the floor to comfort Elladan... It was as unexpected (at least for this reader:-)) as Elladan's kneeling in front of him was for Elrond. After all, Elrond is not only the twins' father, he is also their lord. Even if he did not often see them kneeling to him, he should not have been too shocked when Elladan did it. But then, in a similar situation, most lords and fathers would have raised Elladan back up rather than kneel down beside him. A very touching gesture.
Author's reply
Thank you so much for the detailed review! I love it when reviews give me such insight into what the readers are thinking and how they are reacting to my writing.
I think that your analogy might be quite accurate to describe the reaction of the elves of Imladris to the death of their mortal friends. Due to the fact that their lord is half human, Imladris elves would have a lot greater exposure to humans than the elves of Mirkwood and Lorien, and would have to develop strategies to cope with watching so many of them die.
One theme that is central to just about everything I write is that Elladan and Elrohir are not elves. The twins have become, over the centuries, very closely tied to their father's brother's descendants. Thus, Elladan's deep distress over Arathorn's death is a reaction not only to the death of a good friend, but also to someone he considers his kin.
I picture elven culture as being far more equitable than human society. There would still be a chain of command, of course, but there is far less emphasis on hierarchy. Elrond in particular, at least how I imagine him, would not want his people to bow to him, and it has never been an expectation, particularly from his own sons. It is even more shocking to him that it is strong, proud Elladan who is kneeling before him, and it is a further indication of just how desperate his son is.
Thank you so much for reviewing.
peredhil lover
daw the minstrel
· 10 April 2007
· Chapter 2: The Shelter of the Storm
I thought the interaction between Elrond and his sons was particularly well done in this. The Sons of Elrond are barely sketched in in the books, so it's always interesting to see what writers make of them.
Author's reply
Thanks for reviewing, daw. I'm so glad to know that you enjoyed the interaction between Elrond and his sons.
I wasn't sure how people would react to my depiction of the relationship between Elrond and Elladan as it is rather different than how it is commonly portrayed. I believe you once said in a review that you enjoy tension between sympathetic and ‘good’ characters and I agree--it keeps things interesting.
However, I did want to ensure that their behaviour was believable and consistent with how they have been depicted up until now, and, importantly, not in violation of Tolkien's canon. I agree that there is so much room left for interpretation of their characters in the books, so it gives us a fair amount of freedom.
Thanks again,
peredhil lover
Selene Aduial
· 10 April 2007
· Chapter 2: The Shelter of the Storm
This was a very powerful chapter you wrote. Elladan's feelings of pain at all that happend are so palpable it made me cry.
Elrond knows that he has the gift of foresight but doesn't trust it.
We know he will indeed find hope, in more ways.
More please?
Author's reply
Thanks so much for your kind review, Selene Aduial. It is flattering to me as a writter to know that you found this chapter to be so powerful and moving.
Elladan will find his hope, but it is more a question of when. There are quite a few "young Estel comes to Imladris and brings hope back into the lives of Elrond and the twins" stories out there, and I did not want to simply copy that same idea. Elladan regaining his hope and healing from some of his hurts is going to be a gradual and fairly slow process, as it often is in life.
Thanks again,
peredhil lover
Larner
· 9 April 2007
· Chapter 2: The Shelter of the Storm
Estel has come to them, and all will embrace him and the hope he brings in his train.
Author's reply
Well, in the stories I have written, Elladan will not be quite so quick to embrace Estel, and takes him at least 18 years to realize that there is still hope. It will be a gradual process for Elladan to recover from his pains.
Thanks for your comments,
peredhil lover
Shireling
· 9 April 2007
· Chapter 2: The Shelter of the Storm
Hi
I really liked the two very different relationships in this chapter. Glorfindel and Elrond know each other so well that there a no secrets between them and Glorfindel has the history and the knowledge to nudge his friend to look deeply within himself.
Elladan's grief and dispair were raw and urgent. . .far too painful for him to hide or disguise and despite his harsh words and critisism he is secure enough in his father's love to voice those fears.
Perhaps one newly orphaned little boy can show him that there is indeed hope still remaining in Arda.
Thank you for a thoughtful look into this sad episode
shireling
Author's reply
I'm so glad to know that you enjoyed the relationships portrayed in this chapter. Yep, Glorfindel is a very wise elf, and he can tell when his dear friend is not being completely honest even with himself.
It's nice to know that you found Elladan's actions to be believable as well. If you read some of my other stories, you'll see that it may take Elladan a while to come around to the realization that there is still hope.
Thank you so much for reviewing!
peredhil lover
sammijoy
· 9 April 2007
· Chapter 2: The Shelter of the Storm
Wow! What an intense chapter. I love how you've written Eladdan and I see him reactng in that vein. I'll be anxiously waiting more.
Sammi
Author's reply
Thanks so much for reviewing, Sammi! It's nice to get some feedback. I'm not sure how readers are going to react to this portrayal of the relationship between Elladan and his father and I'm glad to know that you found it believable.
peredhil lover
Klose
· 15 March 2007
· Chapter 1: Refuge in the Rain
This is a very promising beginning, and I can't wait to see what you have in store for us.
Gilraen is one of those characters I can probably never read enough of - the mother of Aragorn, widowed at a young age, and whisked to live with a strange and wondrous folk, away from everything and everyone she'd known and loved; Aragorn being the only one left to her, who would also remind her of all these things. And I think you've portrayed all these different aspects very poignantly here, all connected to the grief that must overwhelm her.
I particularly liked her encounter with Glorfindel, because it's so poignantly representative of the relationship between mortals and elves. Also her wariness of Elladan and Elrohir. I've often wondered what she thought of them, those strange and fair sons of Elrond who would ride with her husband, and this must be the first I see of it - and I'm glad you did tackle that, and you tied it up with her general mood and reactions to the situation very well.
Hoping this review was not too incoherent, but as I said earlier, I'm looking forward to the next chapter(s)!
Author's reply
I apologize for my delay in replying to this review, but I was away for a few days and only now am able to respond. Thanks for reviewing, it is most appreciated.
Your review was perfectly coherent and I enjoyed reading the points that you make. I find Gilraen really fascinating as well and there is so much room to explore her character. She gives us the opportunity to see the world of the elves from a mortal outsiders point-of view, which I very much enjoyed exploring in this chapter.
I'm so glad that you liked Gilraen's first meeting with Glorfindel as that part was very meaningful as representative of the relationship between mortals and elves. Gilraen represents the Dunedain culture to me and I will always see Glorfindel as the epitome of elfdom. The contrast between mortals and elves, and how the peredhil fit into the relationship is a theme which constantly underlies my writing.
Now, I hope that my reply was not too incoherent! :) Thanks again,
peredhil lover
Selene Aduial
· 13 March 2007
· Chapter 1: Refuge in the Rain
Your of to a great start. I love your description of the surroundings and I could feel the emotions of Gilrean. She's so sad, but at the same time she's angry at the world for taking Arathorn away from her.
I can't wait for the next chapter.
Author's reply
Thanks so much for the kind words. I'm glad to know that you are enjoying it.