Comments on Many Journeys

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I enjoyed these immensely. Your style and the moods of your work continues to blow me away. Especially "Carom" ... oh my, I had chills! The image of the silence smothering her weeping, coupled with the strength it must have taken to let him turn away ... wonderful!

I look forward to reading more of these, even if you can only update intermittently. ;) Also, I did add this story to the "Taming the Recalcitrant Muses" series since the software is being wonky and won't let authors add themselves. I hope this is okay; if not, just let me know! :)

Heh, thanks. I'd like to say 'I'm trying my best', but that wouldn't be strictly true, because sometimes the scenes just go and offer themselves. :)

Also, I know I haven't said a peep to the slew of your reviews, but read every single one, and they made me a very happy Elleth. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment on everything! :)

Elleth, my word. I am not often rendered speechless but your fiction tends to have that effect on me and "The Vessel" is no exception. It is hard to say what I love about this piece because you are masterful, as ever, in somehow constructing words in such a way that they become emotion itself. In "Discovery," there is such anxiety, hysteria (for lack of a better word); "The New Lamp," I had tears in my eyes by the ending. Your imagery and lines like "They harvest fire," as always, are simply amazing. I am sick with a real PITA cold today and just generally grumpy and needed some Elleth!fic to cheer me up, and I am not disappointed. :)



Dawn, thanks so much! I wish I could reply something even remotely intelligent to this, but as you know the writing just happens (which is annoying since that makes the effect hard to replicate). I certainly didn't intend to make anyone cry, even if I'm glad the story is that effective. *hugs* Get better soon, perhaps try white tea with honey and lemon, it's a miracle cure for colds.

Thank you for the review, and please don't apologize for thinking aloud! In fact, your comment made me wonder about Thorondor's (or Manwe's) motivation for listening to Fingon specifically. (Other than tying in neatly with the Eagle-ex-Machina trend in all three major works, that is! ;)) Hm. There may be more drabbles coming from this, so thank you again.

Thank you, and good catch in picking up on the inspiration for this drabble! It's all a matter of perspective, really - for those Númenoreans who didn't repent, I imagine Sauron and Ar-Pharazôn would be understood to be keeping word and quite possibly be styled as saviour figure - if not for the pesky Valar who dropped a pile of rocks on everyone. ;)

Wow, really impressive description of the first sunrise. Yes, the light might've brought hope to the elves, but it is also very plausible that this new thing can be scary, too. After all, they have never seen something like that before, and nothing prepared them for it. Well done!



It is! Which, incidentally are the exact words Tolkien used to describe Maglor rather than Daeron, and with the possibility of the Houseless - which Maglor might eventually have become - taking refuge in hidden places, wells, old trees and the like, I'm wondering if that was a deliberate allusion or just a coincidence. But with Daeron as one of the Sindar and a greater singer than Maglor... if there is any Elf at Old Man Willow's heart, it seems he'd be the better candidate.

Thank you very much, I'm glad the comparison works. I guess it helps highlight the contrast between then and the time of the story, which makes Maglor's misery somewhat more understandable rather than outright woe-is-me angstiness.

As for the situation within the story, it could be anything, really. I was briefly wondering whether or not it might either be the end of the Weichselian/Vistulian glacial period that he strayed into out of whatever climate the mythical pre-history of Middle-earth had, but the Little Ice Age seems more plausible in some respects... ultimately it's up to the reader, though, and I really like your idea. :)

Thank you - and I'm glad you found this detail striking. With the proposed nature of elven marriages (or even betrothals already) it seemed to make a lot of sense especially in this particular situation, even though it did rise from logistic considerations first - I find it hard to believe that Gwindor would not be stripped of his valuables during captivity. 

A mind awash with faeries! I love that description. I like this whole little peace - it's a fascinating idea that Maglor feels the need to have the story "live on" before he can rest! It certainly explains why he spent all those long years wandering and singing.

Yes, I definitely agree - in fact, that was part of my understanding of Maglor's wandering and singing for a while - I can't conceive of him as a completely inactive character, especially since his casting the Silmaril away always sounded to me like he did it with much more purpose than just to get rid of it - it's woe unto world's end for afar casting it, not just by wandering but also by keeping alive and known what transpired, and if he doesn't feel like it's being understood any longer, then it's good to have a philologist with similar interests on hand, I guess... (and then there also is this bit that I'll still need write at some point, about the intersection of a mythical 'age of heroes' and present reality and how Maglor really is a figure straying from one into the other, but that's only hinted at here, and it probably going to work better in a fic than a review reply). Either way, I'm thrilled you like this! :D

Fantastic, Elleth!  I made my enthusiam for these known elsewhere, and I'm thrilled that you collected the ficlets into a cohesive whole, here now posted on a more *ahem* stable archive than the emphemeral T-place.

This is so darkly power and beautiful, and although you might call it an AU, I'd call it an AH...that is, an alternative history, as this flows into Tolkien's legendarium perfectly, i.e., it fits in the same universe.  I cannot help but compare Lúthien's magnificence and power you've shown here to the (now paler) shadow of Galadriel's temptation by the One Ring.

So many wonderful turns of phrase here, e.g., she needs no rock-studded crown to bow her neck, but this last...

And should they try besiege her - she rained sleep upon the greatest of the Ainur. An army is no hardship, especially not since there is one to give her wings.

Wow!  That is oe helluza realization for the Noldor.

All in all, you have the foundation for a fantastic story arc here with the dyad of Lúthien and her "chief lieutenant," Thuringwethil (a fabulous contrast to Melkor and Sauron).  I dearly hope you continue this.

Finally, Dark Muse Approved™?  Nope.  Istyanis Approved™?  Yes!



I like the idea of considering this particular 'verse alternative history than an alternative universe -- and the idea that it fits into Tolkien's legendarium this easily is a huge compliment, so thank you for that! And you're right - Galadriel pales by comparison, doesn't she? One phrase that I had running through my mind while writing this was "I didn't fall to temptation - I rose to it", from Diane Lockward's Eve Argues Against Perfection, and that may be a main difference between these two ladies, quite apart from Lúthien being more powerful due to her heritage.

I don't know if it will turn into a story arc, but the 'verse is too intriguing to abandon, so there will in all likelihood be more, DM's disapproval notwithstanding. ;) Thank you so much for such a glowing review!

Hahaha, I hadn't even considered it that way - of course a fountain would be more heroically sound... as, I suppose, would be the Lord of the House of the Fountain rather than the Lord of the House of the Fishpond. :P (*Idril voice: It will be both! There is no reason to mock dear Ecthelion!*) Either way, thank you! :D