This was awesome! What an exciting story! I loved everything about it--Isildur's characterization and his exhilaration in the hunt rings particularly true--but I would like to especially comment on two thingd: 1) I had never given thought to distance before, and seeing now what this whole operation must have taken has brought a new appreciation and awe to me; 2) This may not have been what you intended, but your descriptions of the statues brought to mind the decline of greek civilization as reflected in their art, but also roman imitation of greek art which was, though to all purposes, still magnificent, did not quite measure up to classical standards, and I thought that worked in so many levels for this particular time period. All in all, I just loved this storyand am adding it to my favorites :-)

This is a really gripping account!  The opening is very striking and I love the amount of detail you include; it makes everything seem very realistic.  All the way through I was very conscious of the risks, both in the short term (getting run through by a guard) and possibly in the long term (being captured, implications for the family).  The transition from imagined dangers, as Isildur approached the tree, to very real dangers, as the guards became aware of him, was excellent.  Thank you!

Stunning story of Isildur and the somewhat reckless courage it took to do something like that. Wonderfully told!

I love how much detail you put into this! The symbolism of the statues and their destruction was particularly affecting, and I enjoyed the note of Isildur's nickname's real-life inspiration.