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Thank you very much, Oshun!

This was actually your alternative birthday fic, so to speak. I wrote both pieces, then decided that perhaps you would prefer "Hazelnuts".

I think maybe there needs to be a prologue of some kind before Maedhros launches into all this explanation? The obvious thing would have been to write about Feanor more directly, I guess, but somehow I always feel uneasy about writing Feanor "close-up".

I made a point of getting Celebrimbor involved already in this chapter because of course he takes over later in the story.

I really like this chapter. Especially, the beginning and the end.

"Give me your hand."

Is so young, intimate and sweet.

And Fingon saw in his cousin’s face the memory of the market square in Tirion and a whole people swayed by Feanor’s voice.

And this is the antithesis: complicated, darker, and dangerous.

Like it a lot.

The friendship is sort of canonical, but in that version of the canon Celebrimbor is not a Feanorian. The account of the friendship nevertheless seems a bit fraught (hints of possible professional rivalry)--so I have picked up that quality of fraughtness and adapted it to the Feanorian version of Celebrimbor.

Poor Tyelpo! I like to think his friendship with Narvi was plain sailing...

The opening reminded me of a graphic novel:  I could see it.  

Fingon never expected to worry about vegetables, did he?  I like that.  It shows that he cared for the smallest details, though feeding your people is no small thing.  

Celebrimbor.  It's what he doesn't say that is most interesting, and most telling.  No pressuring, no grudge-holding, just a sweet smile.  Love that.  

This is really fascinating!  The opening idea, Feanor's idea, is one I very much wish had come into being.  That's the bittersweet in this story, and Maedhros.  Always Maedhros.

Lovely, lovely!  I hope you write more.  I'd very much like to see this all the way through to Aragorn...or beyond?  Yes, I love to think of happy endings, or at least as happy as can be.   

Thank you so much, Levade!

I was sort of trying to alternate conversation-heavy bits with bits that have more description in them. I'm glad the description in the prologue works!

I have written another story in which young Fingon plans the perfect kingdom in great detail--and because he's got no real idea of Middle-earth conditions and, of course, events overtake them anyway, he finds he got almost everything wrong. He adapts, however, as you see!

I'm very glad Celebrimbor came across so well.

I have written some of the following chapters already and parked them elsewhere because bits in between are missing. Next one up is Earendil. I do mean to take this all the way to Aragorn, although I find the idea of writing Aragorn quite intimidating!

 

Would that our meetings be ever joyful and our partings, while sorrowful, never palled by regret...

...but alas our enemy is great; his iron hand greedily snuffs out our light, and when his hand is withdrawn, the stain of his shadow perpetuates through our words and deeds.

For the moment, my friend, your smile has banished even the small, but virulent, trace of his shadow that I so unwittingly and callously wove into our final goodbye. In this reprieve, I will fasten a light that will endure, even through the inevitable onslaught of his darkness. For this light, though seemingly small, will beget the lights that spell the ultimate end of darkness, even after it consumes us both.

You are wishing that Enerdhil would write this in a letter to Celebrimbor?

It is lovely and I'm glad that this story moved you enough to write it!

I think Enerdhil, at this point, is still not really aware enough of his own importance to write something quite like that, but maybe later on, when he has had time to reflect...

I remember reading the first three parts of this on your Livejournal, but I think I missed the fourth somehow or other.  I really like the exchange between Enerdhil and Celebrimbor here...the best teachers always learn still more while teaching, don't they, and the best pupils are often those who unwittingly aide in that process.  Also the elessar as a metaphor for Gondolin is very fitting here.

Thank you very much, Huin! I'm glad this piece worked for you. I imagine these two both as highly talented people who developed a real synergy in their work, but Enerdhil has a bit of a chip on his shoulder, as you may have noticed, and so didn't realize how great his own contribution was.

I think I may not have posted the Enerdhil chapter on LiveJournal, actually. This whole thing is a bit of a mess because it's written so out of chronological order. If I ever manage to write the Earendil section, I can get it back into sequence.

 

I love this- thought I had read everything of yours and then find this. It is a perfect explanation and ties up all the loose ends very nicely. As always your rendering of Maedhros is perfect and the thought and reasoning so very plausible. I like the link with Celebrimbor.

Ah- my favourite so far. All tht he says is true but it's her face I see so clearly when she turns around- Cate Blanchett I'm afraid -but it is so clear!  I like the practicality of Celebrimbor's reasoning- and really enjoyed the hnotion of Galadriel experimenting with leadership styles and the people being unused to unquestioning obedience. But there is always a sense of something more with Celebrimbor - this is great.

This actually made me cry oddly- because he is so angry for her! And unrelenting in his determintion that she WILL be able to walk strongly. I htink you get under the skin of Celebrian as few do- her gult and sense of worthlessness, but faced by the one who does understand, he just literally sweeps her off - not her feet but carries her almost- just takes on her pain and you just KNOW she will be whole again.

You do get that nicely embarrassed, humble side of Aragorn ever so well- he is a great king but still the Man, and still a bit anxious perhaps about his birthright. But it;s his love for Arwen that secrues him. Gandalf is perfect- impatient and a bit grumpy in a twinkly sort of way and Pippin can't quite keep quiet but sort of wants ot do things right. Lovely bit of the fellowship.

How can I care about a green stone when distracted by Earendil's willow whistle?

"Mother Idril, I would we had a good Ecthelion of the Fountain here to play to me on his flute, or make me willow whistles!”

The most tear-jerking part of the Fall of Gondolin for me!

Beautiful work.

Yes, I find those willow whistles entirely devastating, too, that's why I put one in!

But the job the green stone is doing is to link it up with this bit in Chapter 8:

...when you look up at night towards the evening star, you may think that your ancestor carries the twin—or rather elder sibling—of your own stone, as he sails up above—it wards his heart against the cold splendour of the skies with memories of Middle-earth and reminds him of the reason he undertook his lonely task...