mystarlight · 27 August 2018 · Chapter 1: It was all so beautiful
I really love it thank you for writing and sharing your wonderful story
Author's reply
Thank you so much for stopping to leave a review! I'm really grateful to hear you enjoyed this.
Blood and Fire by Clodia
Reviews (41)
mipHOWlmGUl · 8 February 2012 · Chapter 4: Some things are not meant to be put into words
July 29, 2011 at 4:18 amvery nice text efceft Reply
Author's reply
Thank you!
perelleth · 28 December 2009 · Chapter 10: A dozen people
A wonderful story! around their pitiful fire they all look and sound like homeless battered beggars out of a heavy storm. And no wonder, with such losses. I really liked this take of the fall of MEnegroth. Their helplessness and shock are so clear here! Hope, or ignorance is all they have left for now.
Author's reply
You sum up their position beautifully. And I want to thank you again for all your reviews, here and at FFN: it's been really wonderful hearing what you think and I am so very glad you enjoyed the story!
perelleth · 28 December 2009 · Chapter 9: Death and the dead
This oropher laways makes me laugh, so matter of factly and all down to business...A good guide to follow out of a tight place.
Author's reply
That's precisely the Oropher I wanted to convey throughout the story. I thought Green-elves wouldn't have much time for elaborate poetic conceits like honourable deaths and so on. Well, I suppose it would depend on the place and the Green-elf, but certainly this wouldn't be a good time to be anything less than down to business. ^^
perelleth · 28 December 2009 · Chapter 8: Little Elwing
Wow! You set it all up so nicely that even knowing that Galadriel sails with Frodo, for a minute I feared she would be hacked down as Dior was! But what a blow for her, to be the one who lost Dior's sons! THat was awfully dramatic! I was wincing all along.
Author's reply
I'm so glad you thought it was dramatic! It does make me happy to hear that even though Canon Says Galadriel survives, there's a sense of danger in this chapter. The fact that everyone knows the outcome before they begin this sort of story is a drawback in some ways, but on the other hand -- it let me play with a lot of black irony all the way through, and in this chapter especially. And this scene really underlies my idea of later events at Sirion, although I may never write that directly, just as the whole story is pretty much key to my idea of the various characters involved, so it's always such a relief to hear it works.
perelleth · 28 December 2009 · Chapter 7: We will not speak
Oops! This was so fast! A good one!
Author's reply
Yes, the inevitable slaughter was rather fast. I suppose it depressed me too much to want to linger on it. :(
perelleth · 28 December 2009 · Chapter 6: Hero
I'm so glad to find you here, because this place is far more comfortable to me than ffnet, so I can now follow you more easily. I loved this chaper, the contrapunto of scenes, and the echoes of fight spilling into the passages... And Dior's otherworldlessness (is thatt even a word?) clear in the way he let the Noldo's taunts glide over him. I particularly liked this retort: “And you have nothing to show for it,” said Dior, parrying effortlessly, “other than lost kingdoms and bloody hands.” And then the insults and taunts about the dog ended up almost childish and even amusing, and still they fought...until one of them did not.
Author's reply
I'm so glad you found me here! I haven't been here all that long and I'm currently not archiving the Beleriand Treasury pastiches anywhere but FFN and LJ, just so that you know. And thanks for all your lovely reviews -- you always pick up such essential details and it really made my day. :D I hope you don't mind me filling your in-box with replies. It's wonderful to hear you loved this chapter -- in so many ways, it encapsulates so much of what I wanted to say in this story, about Dior especially. I know what you mean by 'otherworldlessness' and it's precisely what I wanted to get across, really. And that retort, too: the fact that everything the Noldor did in the end brought them nothing...
WendWriter · 16 November 2009 · Chapter 10: A dozen people
That is such a brilliant twist! You really are a great writer. I thought you were good, but I never knew you were this good. Excellent, wonderful stuff. Dang, I'm out of superlatives!
Author's reply
*g* Again, it made sense to me; and the options were limited... You will be bored of hearing it, but again -- thank you! Both for reading, for all your comments, and for being so kind. I'm so glad you enjoyed the story! Clodia
WendWriter · 16 November 2009 · Chapter 9: Death and the dead
I took a different route with my own tale of Menegroth, but this is certainly logical and well thought out. The melancholy atmosphere that pervades this chapter coupled with the grim scenes of the river crossing gives us a deeper empathy with the survivors.
Author's reply
The options for escaping a besieged underground fortress with only one exit seemed very limited to me; I'm glad this makes sense to you, and that the atmosphere works!
WendWriter · 16 November 2009 · Chapter 8: Little Elwing
Galadriel's helplessness in the face of her cousins' soldiers' kidnapping of the sons of Dior would have haunted her for ages afterwards. Her claim of Elwing being her own child was a great idea. It's interesting to see how maternal she becomes at this moment - trickles of inspiration are flowing through my mind as I consider the fun I could have with the scenario you have presented here. If I do get around to writing about this, I'll credit you.
Author's reply
I'm sure Galadriel would have been very much affected by the fall and her own helplessness during it. Her later relationship with Elwing certainly has a lot of potential and I'm considering writing about it one day myself; but there's room for everyone to play, of course!
WendWriter · 16 November 2009 · Chapter 7: We will not speak
That the death of Dior should be so horrible and pointless is the heart of this meaty tragedy. His relationships with his loving wife and loyal friends is perfectly displayed here. I can almost see this as a scene in a movie. Someone has got to film this!
Author's reply
You are quite right: the pointlessness and horror of Dior's death was precisely what I wanted here, and indeed very much the core of the story. It was terribly depressing to write the whole piece, but this bit of it in particular. I still rather wish I could break canon and get him safely to the treasury!
WendWriter · 16 November 2009 · Chapter 6: Hero
Celegorm's mindless baiting of Dior and the king's dismissal of it as being thus is beautifully rendered here. The others hearing it, and their reactions are also nicely done. To say I'm impressed is to say mount Everest is a mountain - it doesn't do justice to the magnificence of this great story.
Author's reply
I can only repeat: I'm so glad you like this story, and you're far too kind! I'm not sure Celegorm's baiting is mindless, precisely; while I was writing this, I was thinking of the cricketing practice of 'sledging', for some reason -- I'm not a cricket fan at all, but maybe it was the season for it. It made sense to me and I'm glad it works for you.
WendWriter · 16 November 2009 · Chapter 5: A kindness
More masterful juxtaposition. I love the way Dior is so calm. The single combat to pit two opposites against each other was a brilliant idea.
Author's reply
Poor Dior, he really is still my favourite tragic Tolkien figure after writing this story. The duel, I thought, was a reasonable interpretation of Celegorm falling by Dior's hand -- after all, if it wasn't a memorable death, why specify that?
WendWriter · 16 November 2009 · Chapter 4: Some things are not meant to be put into words
Your combat scenes are vivid and compelling. I could almost smell the blood and smoke of the battle. The relationships between people who love each other juxtaposed with the horror of the battle gives this chapter more of an impact. Great stuff!
Author's reply
It's always a relief to hear that the combat scenes worked out! One of my reasons for writing this story was to get some practice with action and explicit violence, since in the past I've tended to avoid this sort of thing. It was a very useful exercise, I think.
WendWriter · 16 November 2009 · Chapter 3: In the spring, perhaps!
Erestor? THE Erestor? I thought of him as Noldor, but Tolkien never said which kindred he came from, as far as I know. The idea that he took part in and survived the Kinslaying is intriguing. I'd be interested to see how this affects his relationships with other Elves in later ages. *Hint* The way Celeborn is depicted is very well done and I find your Oropher heroic and a strong leader. Your depiction of him as Nandor surprised me - I thought he was Sindar, but who's to say I was right? He's a well-written, believable character.
Author's reply
Characterising Erestor as a Noldo does seem to be fairly common in the fandom; but as far as I'm aware, it's pure fanon, without so much as a hint of confirmation even in any of the scraps of confused scribbles in the UT and the Histories of ME and so on. In any case, Erestor as portrayed here is the same Erestor who appears in my other stories -- all of my stories do work together to create an overarching narrative, and in fact this episode is really a key moment in my personal pseudo-canon. *g* (This is particularly important to one of my other stories, Nightingales and Starlight, which works as a companion piece to this story.) That Celeborn and Oropher work out relieves me! There are some snippets of evidence in the mass of material released by Christopher Tolkien that have Oropher as a Sinda, but for various reasons it suited me to make him a Nando; for me, only the LOTR and the Silmarillion are 'hard' canon in any case, not least because I can quite happily explain away the other bits and pieces via my own version of events.
WendWriter · 16 November 2009 · Chapter 2: It was her choice and she chose it
Galadriel's fraught relationship with her husband's kin is very well rendered here. I like the way you show the tension between them. Your description of the halls of Menegroth is vivid and the prose is lovely.
Author's reply
I'm glad the tension comes through here! I'm not entirely sure that Galadriel's relationship with her inlaws *would* have been so tense at other times; but I'm sure everyone who's ever sat on a committee would say that important meetings can get a little fraught. And it must have been a particularly fraught time. I'm also very glad the descriptions work; I did want to get across something of what must have been lost with the fall of the oldest kingdom in archaic Middle-earth.
WendWriter · 16 November 2009 · Chapter 1: It was all so beautiful
This is such excellent, beautiful work! The prose is astonishing and your introduction of Oropher is neatly done. This story came alive for me as I read it and I found myself becoming immersed in the world you unfolded before me. You really are an exceptionally talented writer.
Author's reply
Hi, Wendy! :D To begin, thank you so much for all your reviews! It was a lovely surprise and I'm so glad you liked the story. You're entirely too kind and I'm immensely flattered, naturally, so I hope you don't mind me filling up your inbox with review replies!
Raksha The Demon · 19 October 2009 · Chapter 9: Death and the dead
Very scary and compelling - you tell the leap into the freezing water so vividly. No wonder Oropher wanted to head for trees and forests, to get away from blood-stained halls of stone.
Author's reply
I am glad you like this! By this point in the story, I must confess I rather shared Oropher's urge to flee to the woods. As ever, thank you so much for (re)reading and commenting!
Raksha The Demon · 19 October 2009 · Chapter 8: Little Elwing
This chapter really gets to me; encapsulating the worst horrors of war. Earlier, you showed us the heroics, the courage and initiative displayed by warriors defending their home. Here, we see the terror that happens in too many wars - battle-maddened warriors attacking women and children. The paragraph where the nurse tries to cling to Dior's little boys, and gets brutally beaten for her efforts, is heart-rending. This is where Feanor's charisma, his obsession with the Silmarils, his Oath, has led; the high and mighty Noldor reduced to carrying off children to a sinister fate and hurting their nursemaid as she tries to protect them. Just sickening and tragic. Galadriel's characterisation is excellent - she is a warrior who doesn't want to be passed over for what she thinks is a lesser task. And she hasn't had much to do with children. Yet she rises to the task of shepherding the non-combatants; and holds baby Elwing closer and closer, saving her from the Elven wolves who carry off the infant's older brothers. We see Galadriel's confidence and courage in the face of danger, and her grit and ingenuity even when frightened, and also her worry for her Celeborn, not knowing whether he is alive or dead. Galadriel earns her title of Great Lady here; power, charisma, courage and dignity. And in the flashback to Dior's interaction with Galadriel, we see his faith in her, and that fate justified; his calmness contrasting with Galadriel's more fiery nature. A tragic but brilliant chapter.
Author's reply
Again, you summarise everything I wanted to say so beautifully. Thank you so much! ^^
Calenharn · 19 October 2009 · Chapter 10: A dozen people
Sad to think that they might have been able to save Dior's sons... Erestor surely misjudged the Noldor there, but (having been there myself) utter exhaustion does have a way of playing havoc with your ability to think straight.
Author's reply
Whether the boys could have realistically been saved (at least by anyone on the Sindarin side) is a tricky question, I think, given their condition after the battle and the occupation of the region by (what remained of) the Noldor forces; still, that sort of calculation wouldn't be particularly comforting for anyone once the fate of Dior's sons became clear. In any case, thank you so much for reading and commenting! It's really very much appreciated. ^^
Larner · 19 October 2009 · Chapter 10: A dozen people
And the Noldor search in vain for what has been carried away. Ah, dear--at least they are safe now. Alas, though, for her brothers.
Author's reply
Alas indeed; really, this was a battle that everyone lost, which makes Doriath's fall all the worse. As ever, thank you so much for reading and for all your kind comments! It's really very much appreciated. ^^
Larner · 18 October 2009 · Chapter 9: Death and the dead
At least these have survived, and made it to freedom. I only wish they'd found the twins....
Author's reply
The loss of the twins is a particularly tragic aspect of Doriath's fall, I think. As ever, thank you so much for reading and commenting!
Calenharn · 17 October 2009 · Chapter 8: Little Elwing
I have to say that I almost didn't read this story; the summary wasn't all that enticing (made Dior sound like an idiot) and I like a *story*, not "fragments". However, I DID start reading it (because I liked your 'Goldilocks and the Three Balrogs' so much - though I am still scratching my head over that title (and sorry for not reviewing on that story)). I never had any sense of who Dior was (other than the obvious) and you've done a nice job of portraying him. You've done an even better job of the whole pitched fighting-off-the-barbarians-at-the-gate (because, seemingly, that is what these Noldor have become), and I am enjoying seeing the canonical characters whom we know well (Galadriel, Celeborn) in this story. (I have to keep reminding myself that it is millenia too soon for Galadriel to be whipping out any Ring, though under the circumstances she is doing her best to be queenly and commanding. Too bad that the Noldor aren't listening...) Perhaps with the focus on Dior and the battle and the jewel and the fate of Dior's children (I think I know where that jewel is at), I am missing much of a sense of Oropher's character. We see that he is brave and loyal, and capable of working in the trenches with the other Dark Elves (hence, he will be capable of ruling them), but I do not get a sense of a "prince of Doriath" in this tale. (I'm not even sure what I mean by that, either - just that I am missing some sort of a defining connection here with this particular character.) Neither do I get a sense of his rashness (or whatever it was - perhaps merely intense dislike and mistrust of the Noldor?) that led to the disaster at the Last Alliance. (Though maybe that is one fallout of this entire sad episode...) Erestor and Melinna, of course... what a wonderful background you have given Erestor, and how can one not like Melinna? And the whole gallery of women archers - now that was wonderful. Looking forward to more...
Author's reply
I have never been particularly good at summaries; I'm so glad you started reading anyway! And thank you so much for such a detailed and thoughtful review! My response is probably a little lengthy, I hope you don't mind. ^_^ In case it isn't clear enough by this point, I *don't* think Dior was an idiot at all and in fact my sympathies throughout this piece are entirely with the Sindar; but I will retain the 'fragment' description, because while the story is perhaps more coherent than that implies, in the long run it *is* about Doriath being smashed into pieces and that proved surprisingly hard to write as a single coherent story. (I originally meant it to be more or less an exact companion piece to one of my other stories, Nightingales and Starlight, i.e. roughly 10,000 words plus a brief epilogue, but it simply wouldn't write itself that way.) This may be why Oropher's characterisation is a bit sketchy; the fragments are loosely arranged around his experience of the sack, but my real interest is in the sack itself and Dior's fate (and Dior's family), rather than the Oropher who will eventually die regrettably in a different battle. There seems to me plenty of time and plenty of other experiences (settling Sirion, the sack of that settlement, rebuilding Middle-earth after the War of Wrath, and so on) for Oropher to develop into the King of Eryn Galen who died in that later battle. But perhaps this reasoning is more convincing to me than to anyone else. I'm glad you like Dior and Galadriel and Celeborn, though! And I'm immensely glad you like my background for Erestor and (of course) Melinna. It's always terribly reassuring to hear that she works as a character, firstly because one is naturally nervous when creating OFCs and secondly because she and Erestor are the common theme in all my stories. The gallery of women archers seemed only sensible; Menegroth was initially conceived as a fort and no fort without a way to make successful intruders very sorry indeed deserves the name, and putting those women who could use bows and arrows in a relatively safe place seemed like a sensible allocation of forces. (But this is me babbling about my imaginary reconstruction of Menegroth, so possibly I should stop now.) Again, thank you so much for a wonderful review! PS. I'm very glad you liked Goldilocks as well. ^_^ That title comes (mostly) from the children's story mentioned in the epilogue; I have actually written that, although I'm not entirely sure whether I'll archive it here, but in any case it can be found on my FFN and LJ accounts.
Larner · 17 October 2009 · Chapter 8: Little Elwing
If only Maedhros had come first. Now we know precisely why he searched so assiduously for the children afterwards. Alas that he did not find them.
Author's reply
Yes, the fate of Elured and Elurin is yet another of those tragedies sprinkled through the Silmarillion. As ever, thank you for reading and commenting!
Larner · 17 October 2009 · Chapter 7: We will not speak
Faithless and accursed were they called before? Now they prove it!
Author's reply
Tragically, yes. Again, thank you so much for reading and for all your comments! It was a lovely surprise when I woke up this morning. ^^