Interesting mapping expedition. As a child I was always pouring over maps and imagining the world from the markings I could see. In the German Museum in Munich is an exhibition about map making tools, I found highly interesting. I never really thought about how maps are made. Without modern tools to measure distances, counting strides is as good as anything.
Why do I have a bad feeling about those saber-tooth cats? I just hope they are not raiding the settlement with most of the warriors on hunting expeditions.
Author's reply
Hi obsidianj. I've always loved maps as well and used to draw my own, creating new worlds, much the way Tolkien did with Middle-earth. It was loads of fun. As for the sabertooths, we'll see soon what they are up to and how Maglor and the others deal with them. Thanks for reviewing. It's very much appreciated.
bookworm
· 3 May 2013
· Chapter 26: Hunting
"They named it after me for some reason" *amused* well gee, the fact that you held it for, oh, about 500 years or so doesn't count? XD Arthalion is all growed up I see. And I loved his comment about "maybe they miss you". But now they have found the Cat-things I wonder what will happen... *early waits for next chapter*
Author's reply
Yeah, you're probably right about that, bookworm. Maybe Maglor just feels that since the Gap was the weak link in the Noldor's defense, naming it after him was not necessarily an honor. *grin*
And Arthalion is indeed all growed up and he has his own font of wisdom and probably speaks truer than he or Masglor knows.
As for the cats, we'll learn soon enough about them in the next chaper.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. It's very much appreciated.
Larner
· 3 May 2013
· Chapter 26: Hunting
Well, at least they found the creatures. I hope that they remained unnoticed. Now, to see what the foul things intend.
Author's reply
We'll see what the cats intend soon enough and whether Maglor and Arthalion are able to remain unnoticed (or even want to be unnoticed). Thanks for reviewing, Larner. I appreciate it very much.
Kevana
· 3 May 2013
· Chapter 26: Hunting
The hunters that hunted the hunters are being hunted by the hunters while they are hunting and...I think I just made myself dizzy. So glad they found the beasties and hopefully can deal with them before they can get a chance to make a foray against the Elves later in the winter. I hate the thought of those creatures hunting in the Shire, even though all the hobbits are gone from there. The last thing the Elves need is to get pinned down in a blizzard and end up fending off Melkor's pet kitties while running low on food. :P
*undignified snortgiggle* Saelmir, look at you being practical when there are mountains. MOUNTAINS, Saelmir! Oh, never mind.
Just today I found another reason the ocean is amazing and terrifying. The Bobbit worm.
Apparently they strike with such force they can rip their prey in half and they have bristles that can cause permanent numbness in humans. They burrow at the bottom of the ocean and can grow up to nine feet long. And strangely enough they're iridescent so they look like rainbow-hued terrifying killing machines of death and despair. Just...what.
Have a fantastic weekend, Fiondil! I hope you're well and maybe this time I will stop getting behind in reviewing. >.<
-Kevana
Author's reply
Hi Kevana. Yeah, I'm getting dizzy just reading this. LOL! We'll see what happens with the creatures in the next chapter. These beasties are not going away anytime soon, I'm afraid.
Saelmir is obviously being a smartass here, pretending not to be impressed by the mountains. He probably had a lot of fun ribbng them all.
And yeah, that bobbit worm is terrifying. They say that space is the last frontier, but there is still much that we do not know about the oceans that make up 4/5 of our world. They are as much a mystery to us as space is and for the same reasons.
Anyway, I hope you have a fantastic weekend as well, Kevana. Thanks for reviewing whenever you can. That's the beauty of all this: the stories are there when you can get to them even if it's not when they are first posted.
Kevana
· 3 May 2013
· Chapter 25: Mapping
Ooooh yes, do want getting rid of those cat-critters. And love the aqueduct engineering. If they stick around long enough they're going to have quite the little colony going on. Emphasis on "if." Maybe there is an abandoned mine somewhere in the mountains, wouldn't that be wild! Though like the towers you have to wonder if something would be lurking in such a place. If Khazad-Dûm could house a Balrog, well, no telling what might be left behind at this point in the little nooks and crannies long abandoned.
Thank you for the very informative footnote!
It seems they're making a lot of progress in a short amount of time here, great to see.
-Kevana
Author's reply
Hi Kevana. We'll see how long they do stick around. And I know that a lot of people are not all that familiar with the history of the First Age and its battles so I always make a point of explaining just which battles are being mentioned. It helps, I think, to put things in context for the readers.
Anyway, the Elves are highly motivated to make their present home as snug as possible before winter comes so they've had to hustle to get things done beforehand, more so than they are probably used to when they tend to thin in termsof centuries. *grin*
Thanks for taking the time to read and review. I really appreciate it.
Kevana
· 3 May 2013
· Chapter 24: Settling In
I simply adore Maglor's insight near the end of this chapter. It turns the entire situation on its head when considered that way. It becomes less about the goal and more about the journey. I'm so proud of them, it makes me feel all fuzzy. :)
Hehe, corralling wild goats might be a difficult endeavor indeed, considering they seem to regard the laws of physics as optional. http://tinyurl.com/d2tquj8
-Kevana
Author's reply
Hi Kevana. Maglor is pretty wise here and it does turn the entire situation on its head. And life, of course, is more about the journey than the goal and that applies equally to Elves.
Love the goat climbing the dam. That just about sums it up as far as goats are concerned. It's probably like herding cats. *grin*
Thanks for reviewing. It's very much appreciated.
Fantasia
· 3 May 2013
· Chapter 26: Hunting
Danger is coming!
Do you think that Dwarves have survived?
I'm sure that a lot of people miss Maglor. He just can see it.
Author's reply
I'm sure the Dwarves survived somewhere, Fantasia, just not in the Blue Mountains or elsewhere in the north. And a lot of people do miss Maglor, not just the Valar, and hopefully someday he'll see it for himeself. Thanks for reviewing. I appreciate it.
6336
· 3 May 2013
· Chapter 26: Hunting
All work and no play, makes an ellon a dull Elf!
So they have found where the Demon Cats are coming from, let's hope they don't do anything..dumb.. when they are following them, I think I would like both of them to get to Dor-Rodyn with all their bits and pieces attached and not chewed off!
Huggs,
Lynda
Author's reply
That'a right, Lynda. And we'll see how they manage with the cats in the next chapter. Thanks for the comment. It's much appreciated.
shirebound
· 3 May 2013
· Chapter 26: Hunting
How ironic that elves would hope to find Dwarf caves to shelter in.
My goodness, you must have this area mapped in so much detail in your head. If only the elves had you as their guide!
Author's reply
I'm glad you like the detail of the landscape, Shirebound. Having the Atlas of Middle-earth on hand helps a lot in coming up with descriptions of the landscape. And it is indeed ironic that the Elves hope to find Dwarf caves to shelter in or at least to mine. Thanks for your reivew. I very much appreciate it.
UTfrog
· 3 May 2013
· Chapter 26: Hunting
As suspected, you brought back the nasty cats so we have to wait all weekend to see what happens next. Your descriptions of the landscape are excellent. Thank you.
Author's reply
Yup. Those nasty cats aren't going away any time soon. *grin* I'm glad you find my descriptions of the landscape excellent. I've tried hard to "see" the landscape and have used my own experiences in traveling to various places to help me with the descriptions. Thanks for letting me know. I appreciate it very much.
Celeth
· 3 May 2013
· Chapter 26: Hunting
They're going after the sabertooths? I sure hope they don't become prey themselves!!!
Scouting out those crevices was a bit scary; they could have met one of those predators. Of course being elves with heightened senses, I guess they would get an early warning, but still, with those highly intelligent animals, there's no real way to tell.
And I agree with Arthalion; I guess the Valar do miss Maglor more than he seems to think possible. Its good that he is now thinking back to his happy days in Valinor. I guess it means he really is ready to go back.
Looking forward to the next one. I wonder what will happen to their scouting mission.
Author's reply
Yes, they're going after the sabertooths and we will see in the next chapter how they fare against them.
Maglor is beginning to reclaim hope for himself, so thinking back to happy days in Valinor should help him to realize that returning to Aman is the right thing for him to do.
Thanks for commenting, Celeth. It's appreciated.
Larner
· 29 April 2013
· Chapter 25: Mapping
They appear to be doing fairly well with their mapping. Now to find the goats again and get home. Although I suspect they will encounter the saber tooths far too soon--although encountering them at all would be far too soon! Heh!
Author's reply
Yes, encountering the saber tooths will be all to soon regardless. *grin* We'll see how that works out shortly. Thanks for reviewing, Larner. It's much appreciated.
shirebound
· 29 April 2013
· Chapter 25: Mapping
Winter during an ice age.... brrrrr. I'm glad they've had the time (and wisdom) to prepare.
Author's reply
Yeah, it's a good thing they're Elves and that they had the time to prepare for it. Thanks for reading and reviewng, Shirebound. I appreciate it very much.
Laer
· 29 April 2013
· Chapter 25: Mapping
I feel the need to explain why the dwarf comment was funny to me. My husband is a dwarf on LOTR on line. He says that kind of stuff all the time. He also claims the elves cheat on payments with gems.
As for this update I like the way they documented the mapping of the area. That was very interesting how they figured out the distance. My dad use to do that, he was always right when he did that. I never figured out how to match his stride without tripping over my show laces. ;)
Author's reply
Hi Laer. Hey! Can't trust those elves for anything, can you? LOL!
I had to read and re-read Tokien's own notes on how the ranga was measured and I had many discussions with one of my betas over it before we figured it all out. I'm glad it makes sense and that I got it right.
Thanks for reading and leaving a review. It's always appreciated.
Fantasia
· 29 April 2013
· Chapter 25: Mapping
Cartographic is one of those jobs that I always wanted when I was reading about early discoveries. When I was, I don't know, 11 or 12? I loved those books, all those expeditions going to the end of the world and almost never succeeding, but giving you the most beautiful stories about friendship, determination and unconquerable spirit. Then, I migrated to Verne and Salgari...A lot of Americans are really not familiar with Salgari, which is such a shame.
Any way, I deviate from your story, I like how they are settling in their new "home" and the dynamics between them, and of course, how strong is becoming the bond between Maglor and Arthalion. And those evil sable tigers, I'm afraid that they will show up in the middle of the winter and try to make the elves their pray.
Author's reply
I love maps myself and used to create them, drawing my own worlds when I played Dungeons & Dragons. I've read Verne but never Salgari. I'll have to see if I can find any of his books.
Anyway, I'm glad you like how the elves are settling in and how the bond between Maglor and Arthalion is deepening. I think they wlll be gwedyr soon enough. As for the sabertooths, we'll be seeing them soon enough, I promise. The elves do have to deal with them if they want to thrive.
Thanks for reviewing, Fantasia. I really appreciate you taking the time to do so.
Sunny
· 29 April 2013
· Chapter 25: Mapping
I really like Maglor's little quip to Gilgaran about rank! I LOLed when I read that! And Maglor certainly has come a long way from the doomy, gloomy ellon we saw at the beginning of the story! Being around other people, and taking care of Arthalion, has brought him a long way!
Author's reply
I thought that was pretty funny myself, Sunny. Shows that Maglor can laugh at himself, which is a good thing. And he certainly has come a long way from what he was before. He's not all the way there yet, but he's getting there and that's all that matters. Thanks for reviewing. I appreciate it.
someone
· 29 April 2013
· Chapter 25: Mapping
Those cats are going to be trouble. If no one knows where they are, they may be hunting the map-makers...
Arthalion is proving to be a valuable member of this little group of wanderers, and as he pointed out, the cats need only to follow the scent to their headquarters. Which means that if the cats are not out there to get the hunters/mappers, they might be getting ready to attack everyone at the towers while many of the warriors are away.
At first, the elves only wanted to get to the shore. Now they have a nice home and an aqueduct, and they are talking of domesticating goats and finding a forge and mapping the area. It's getting so home-like that they might find it difficult to leave for Valinor when the chance comes. *grin*
Author's reply
Hi somenone. Oh yes, those cats will indeed be trouble and sooner than you think. Arthalion is coming into his own now that he's with Maglor and the others. And the Elves are only being realistic, recognizing the fact that they will need to wait for the ocean to return and for trees to grow so they can make ships. But as home-like as it may seem, their ultimate goal is to reach Aman. They are expected for Tea with the Valar after all. *sly grin*
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review. I really appreciate it.
Agape4Gondor
· 29 April 2013
· Chapter 25: Mapping
A good chapter. A bit of a rest for us, thought Maglor and crew spent a LOT of time walking. I like maps and this expedition was fun to watch. I kept waiting for an attack and enjoyed the gentle chapter. Felt deeply for Arthalion.
Author's reply
Well in a world without mechanical transportation and all the horses are living in the south where it's warm, walking is about the only way to go unless they plan to tame some wild moose, like you see Thranduil riding in the Hobbit movie and I don't see that happening. *grin* At any rate, I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for leaving a comment, Agape. It's very much appreciated.
Cairistiona
· 29 April 2013
· Chapter 25: Mapping
How awful it must have been for Arthalion and his brother, watching the ship sail away from them. I'm glad Maglor was there for him when he released some of the grief. Now it looks like a long time coming before we see them set sail. I confess I'm fantasizing with Aerin in wishing Eärendil would come down and swoop them up! But I imagine Maglor is right... it won't be that easy. And in the meantime, there's mapping, storms and cat-creatures!
Author's reply
I'm sure it was pretty devestating for them both, Cairistiona. I know I would feel despair if it were me. Maglor is a good friend to have under any circumstances and Arthalion is lucky to have him. If Eärendil did as you wished, there wouldn't be much of a story and I never cared for the deux ex machina approach to storytellng anyway. That's cheating the reader, as far as I'm concerned. I hope that how I tell the story and how it ends will prove far more satisfying.
Anyway, thanks for reviewing. I really appreciate it.
UTfrog
· 29 April 2013
· Chapter 25: Mapping
So they are setting in for the winter. Why do I think you are setting us up for a big surprise?
Author's reply
Hmm... I guess we'll have to see, won't we? LOL! Thanks for reviewing, UTfrog. I appreciate it.
Celeth
· 29 April 2013
· Chapter 25: Mapping
So, it was Damrod's fault that the sabertooths are now extinct!!! hahaha
Arthalion really has come a long way. It is so good to know that they are there for each other, and slowly helping one another towards healing. Its wonderful to have a friend like that.
Author's reply
I suppose we can blame Damrod for their extinction. *grin*
Arthalion has indeed come a long way, as has Maglor from when we first meet him wishing only to die. The two of them are good for each other and for the other Harthadrim. We should all be so fortunate as to have such friends supporting and helping us along life's road.
Thanks for commenting, Celeth. It's much appreciated.
Celeth
· 28 April 2013
· Chapter 24: Settling In
So, it looks like Maglor will be working as a smith soon. It shouldn't be too hard for him, its in his blood after all. And with Gloredhel helping him, they will have everything they need in no time. Its just the growing of trees for the ship that will take a long time. But what's a few centuries to immortals, after all. Maybe they will even have elflings too, while waiting.
In most of your writings I noticed that Galadriel comes across as a spirited and rather stubborn elleth. I guess I have mostly "seen" her from Frodo's perspective in LOTR: wisdom, grace and royalty personified. But then I suppose being a cousin, Maglor would have the right to laugh and poke fun at his cousin.
Author's reply
Elflings... now there's a thought. LOL!
As for Galadriel, we only see her (at least in LOTR) through a mortal's eyes, but I doubt that Galadriel was always wisdom, grace and royalty personified, especially growing up and from the story of Galadriel and Celeborn found in UT, we see that stubborn and spirited side of her. Of course you're correct, as her cousin, Maglor is free to laugh and poke fun at her at any time.
Thanks for reviewing, Celeth. It's appreciated it.
Laer
· 27 April 2013
· Chapter 24: Settling In
"If there were some Dwarves hanging about....” made me laugh out loud; with my husband wondering what was so funny. Gloredhel and Maglor will be able to make them an anchor with the found plates. I would hazard a guess that the elves are needed still for something, or they would have found a "ride" by now.
Author's reply
Hi Laer. And that's odd because it's not really that funny, but I suppose in teh context it could be. At any rate, I'm glad you found the line amusing. And your guess may be truer than you think, but not necessarily in the way you expect. We'll see eventually. Thanks for revieiwng. I appreciate it very much.
obsidianj
· 27 April 2013
· Chapter 24: Settling In
So, reality sets in that there is no ready made boat to get them to Aman, that they may have to stay a long while in and around Mithlond. But they don't give up hope. I like they way you write about hope in this chapter. Hope is such an important concept. It is all that keeps them going. Without hope, they could just fade.
Author's reply
Reality sets in but hope remains and they don't fall into despair and fade. As Námo points out in another of my stories: Hope is what sustains the universe. Indeed, the universe is founded on hope as much as it is founded on love. The two, of course, go together.
At any rate, these are the Harthadrim and they truly live up to their name, as we will see.
Thanks for reviewing, obsidianj. I appreciate it very much.
Larner
· 26 April 2013
· Chapter 24: Settling In
At last they are comfortable for the winter, and they are working on making things work as well as they can. And Arthalion is finding his own place among them. Hope they have no more confrontations with the saber tooths!
Author's reply
Yes, they are settling in quite nicely and Arthalion has found a family. As for the saber tooths, well, that remains to be seen. Thanks for reviewing, Larner. It's appreciated.