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I had to laugh at Cemnare standing puzzled in the market after so long - I have a map book of my area from ... oh gosh... 24 years ago!  And I feel the same way sometimes like this was not on my map this road is new where is the building that used to be here?? 

I did so feel for Anduniel that the birds would not stay.  Though I cannot say I entirely disagree with Erendis.  

Very heartfelt but sorrowful fic!

Of course I can understand why Erendis had more on her mind than the birds, but I was very happy to read this addition to the tale!

She thought of that day that she had preserved for years in her memory in glowing colours, like a jewelled window, until now. She had been so happy, in her new dress for the occasion with her basket of flowers! And now that memory had cracked. Was it only she herself who had been so uncomplicatedly happy, even then, because she had been too young to know better?

I really like this description, and it's very relatable!

I'm delighted by the idea of Elvish bird friends (being a friend of birds myself!). Trained by Elwing and Melian, even better! It's very sweet that Anduniel gets to see the birds again, or birds of the same kind, along with all the women of her family. And I love that the birds not only sang, but "played with her as a friend," because that's a very special sign of trust. I can just imagine them hopping all over her or hanging from her fingers.

 

I am so pleased you liked this! 

I'm sure I was a little bit influenced by you and your posts here, because although I love watching birds going about their business and listening to them, I have never had one as a pet. Elvish bird friends did seem reasonable to me, though, considering what else we have in canon!

I'm also glad that Anduniel's feelings make sense to you!

Thank you!

I love the point of view here, and the state of Numenor as seen through the girl's eyes. I also love her quick sympathy, even if it is perhaps under-informed and definitely naive. Lovely to see Cemnare!

Thank you very much!

Glad you enjoyed the point of view and liked seeing Cemnare again!

Yes, Anduniel is meant to be under-informed as well as naive. My impression of the canonical narrative of that celebration in Andunie was that, although we as readers see the problems coming, knowing what we do about how things have gone between Aldarion and Erendis already, people there did not. So the idea here is that a few, like Valandil, were in the know and had concerns, but many people were not aware of the looming crisis until Erendis left for Emerie. (Also, Anduniel, by present lights, is probably somewhere on the ace spectrum, which makes some kinds of things harder for her to understand.)

I have been thinking a lot about this story: Anduniel's feelings about her cousin's marriage, the puzzlement of Cemnare at the, to her, rapid changes to the streets, the sadness of the grey birds only returning for "a while" every coming of age.

That the grey Elven-birds originally given to Erendis and Aldarion were trained by Melian and Elwing is a lovely touch . 

How sweet, that the birds visited others! (And sad that they recognized when they had to stop.)

But Erendis probably thought she was doing something kind for them, sending them away rather than keeping them in an unhappy place?