I LOVE the detail that Thingol doesn’t know the name of his killer and his reflection about his experience with generations of mortal Dwarves. That hooked me right away.
“the Mama-dancer”! Such a cute way to put that. I love little Dior’s Takes on which tales and entertainments are the best and worst.
Finrod and Luthien knowing each other! Yes!
The description of the Trees bringing color to the world is one I’ve never seen before, but it makes so much sense. After all, light does quite literally bring color to our perception!
Love your description of Doriath. I love your description of everything, really.
Dior is hilarious and cute. And his worry and fear is so affecting.
Your use of the different names at the top of each section is so interesting! And the weaving together of the nonlinear narrative is very effective.
The look of abject relief Dior receives from the March-warden at the gate is the first blow; the second is the name Eluchíl, which hangs on his shoulders as a too-heavy mantle. Oh, Dior.
As long as the bundle remains only a bundle, he can remain a son. !!
"Sire," says Almedel, very gentle. "Dior, lad." !!!!
I read the entire fall of Menegroth scene enraptured.
A-ran, a-ran! sings one to the other in a discordant tenor, and his fellow replies: A-king, a-king! I love this little wordplay!
And he knows in that moment that his daughter, his star-spray, the three-year-old Elwing who drooled into his shoulder and sang lisping nonsense songs about geese and bats, did not survive the fall of Doriath. Wrench my heart out, why don’t you.
But oh, that ending. The tentative promise of a new beginning, forged as it is in irreparable grief.
I am in LOVE with this fic! It’s brilliant. It overflows with genuine pathos and the way you trace how the characters change throughout their lives, it’s just—ah! So very good. I don’t know how to communicate how much I loved it.
This comment really made my day!! Thank you so much. <3 I was very nervous about writing my first serious Silm fics for TRSB, and I’m so so happy you enjoyed it.
I had a wonderful time writing and imagining Dior and his family. I really wanted to convey some of the complex feelings and life experiences that are easy to overlook from a larger “elf-eye view” of history. I’m so glad that the emotion came across! (On a related note: Yess, Lúthien & Finrod friendship 100%!! We know he spent at least a few years in Doriath, and no one can convince me those two wouldn’t get along like a house on fire.)
Thank you again so so much for reading (and reccing!!) I can’t express how happy I was to get this wonderful comment. :)
I've heard that Luthien and Finrod headcanon before and thought it was interesting, but something about it appearing in fic had me going, "oh, yes! Mine now too!"
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