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Hey, Kimberleighe. Ouch, I didn't get a notification. Sorry, my manners are usually better than this, lol. Thank you very much for reading and commenting. I'm glad Elwing's fear came across well, I had a very strong picture of that traumatised little girl and really hoped I found the right words for it. I loved writing this, thank you for liking it :)

~Kei

 

Oh Kei, I do not know where to start to express how much this piece moved me. First I have to get past the feeling ‘I want to write like this, painting a scene with such vivid words and yet at the same time drawing the reader in like that.' Feel free to smack me ;)

What a vignette, you showed us this safe haven through the eyes of Gil-galad and made me feel inside the emotions he felt when he listened to Elwing's words. But this tale is not only about description, nor about emotions... it is a character sketch of the woman to be named Elwing and how she grew up as almost otherworldly, making that immese difficult decision when the third kinslaying happened. I think many of us debated how a mother could have done such a thing, but with this piece alone I can see why. I can understand why she (now that I come to think of it) being partially a maiar, was able to fly as a bird away from carnage.

Then there is of course the mingling of cultures, so beautifully delivered and the dangers when one person can undo it by isolating such a young child with such tales. It makes me nearly wonder why Rueth would treat a child that way, to keep the trauma alive by chastising her so.

The storytelling at itself is a gem: tight, yet warm and moving, quiet and yet lush with descriptions but not overly so. Perfectly balanced, a story worth of a silmaril (but don't let those Fëanorians know I said so ;) ). I am most definitely adding this one to my favourites! Thank you!

 

Aww, you picked one of my personal favourite, darling --- and this is the kind of review you read and read again and then just sit smiling at. Thank you so much, I’m happy the story touched you, especially young Elwing. (and of course, I always love writing about Gil)

I also found it hard to understand how a mother could desert her children for the sake of an artefact, no matter how beautiful, but when I was writing Doubt I started to see how that could have happened, how a terrified young woman who had experienced massive trauma as a child might react when faced with the same people who had killed her parents and left her brothers to starve to death. Even someone emotionally well balanced would have been terrified. What I hadn’t seen was the effect the Kinslaying might have had on her as a child, I needed Gil to show me that, also with a little inspiration from the fey little child-queen Uli once wrote about, an image that never left me.

Rueth – I wanted to smack her, lol. A selfish woman, ambitious for her own position, doing immense damage in her efforts to keep Elwing dependent upon her. I’m sure her influence was reduced after this, but the damage had already been done.