Cradle of Stars by Dawn Felagund, Elleth

Surely he knew of the lax customs surrounding love between the same sex; surely he knew the Telerin word that translated into Noldorin most accurately as friend-love, a word that many a naïve Noldorin scholar had asserted showed the precious weight given to friendships among the Teleri (usually with some speculative eloquence about their long estrangement and great love for the Noldor). But it was nothing of the sort. It was a literal love between friends—both romantic and sexual—embarked upon before a marriage and sometimes resumed after the years of children. It applied equally to both sexes, although mixed-sex friend-love was rare—though never unheard of, Eärwen told me once. Nothing was unheard of among the Teleri, at least as far as love was concerned.

This is so well done!! I envy you the invention.

Thoroughly absorbed in the story and hope to go back and comment more thoroughly later. But just pried myself lose for a moment to tell how much I like your handling of this.

You dare to send me? And what of you?
This is your place, you coward—

Such a strong ending of this chapter!

Really loved the lines that preceded it describing Arafinwe.

Are you truly guiltless, Arafinwë? Innocent, foolish Arafinwë?
They are your people—you were so proud of your accentless Telerin.
Your broadmindedness.
Your tolerance.
So proud that you fucked early in your Telerin marriage, broke the laws, subjected yourself to marital pleasures out of purported concern for your wife's happiness. What of her now? She is yours, not mine

It works for me if one wants to see Anaire as a living and breathing person and not some sort of saint!

As usual, I find the emotional responses and reactions of the characters throughout the story believable and convincing.

Of course, I was thinking of "The Work of Small Hands" throughout. 

A very powerful use of that motif of drowning, which you use in unexpected ways!

It's a moving look at the impact of the Kinslaying on those left behind in Alqualonde, both emotional and economical.

(I tend not to think of the swanships as fisher boats so much, because of their apparent size, but that may be due to quite mistaken assumptions about how the Teleri fished.)

And it ends so hopefully, with that unveiling of the lamps!

I liked the female characters, including the glimpses of those I hadn't necessarily expected, as Irisse.

Such lovely artwork, Elleth!

So, here I am at the end of this breath taking story. You touched upon so much here that I could go on in detail, wondering if we had a limit on characters you can use in this field. Back in the day LJ had that restriction, I think you will fondly remember those comments. Of course you could say: review every chapter... but the option of clicking on 'next chapter' was so tempting because I did want to know what happened next. And before you know it, there is this last chapter. And so much happened in between. Mourning, deep loss, anger, acceptance, growth, love, finding each other again... How can you re-invent yourself again, how can you redefine yourself when you are stripped (and if I may add brutally) closed off your children. Who are you then at the very core, what is then left? The journey of both here, each their own way is so beautifully done. Leaving me to wonder that if Fingolfin is reborn again, how they will pick up the pieces. Actually, come to think of it... how will the role of women be in this society. I explored it myself as you know, how a young woman tries to rescue and salvage birds after the host left for Beleriand. I was almost inclined to say: wow Finarfin, forget about that Kingship, but Indis decided otherwise. I just hope that in your verse he won't allow for patriachal rule, so strict and stiffening as you have written it through Ainare's eyes. But then again, after WWII we also slipped back to that, women took that step back to the traditional roles after they kept the economy going. So many thinky thoughts here. :) I better return that soapbox to you. Haha.