This is terrific and thoroughly entertaining. I love the descriptions and the introduction of so many disparate pieces of Elven magic with plausible explanations. The towers, the Palantir, the "harmony." Love your choices for weaving Gildor's relationship to his family into your version and giving him a wife who can tolerate his roaming. All of it is so imaginative! Not least of all, I love hearing that part of Gil-galad's Aeglos survived and is honored as a family heirloom. I am an absolute sucker for magical visions of the West too.

I really enjoyed Merry's point of view here.

I like the idea of Merry and Pippin feeling a bit entish occasionally, afterwards. And also of healing offered to Pippin for his experience with the Palantir.

You assign a really interesting role to Gildor here. Thought-provoking!