It is a beautiful story. You are very gifted in creative writing.
LotR is my absoloute favorite book...
I don't spend very much time on this site; your story is one of the few I've reviewed.
That is wonderful that you are working towards your assiociate dgree in college. that is definitely what I am going to do when I go to college.
cheers!
Sarah

Miss Aranel,

If you are aquainted with me IRL, which if you are then would know it(G.W.C.). PLease email me because i have been trying to get our email from Raakainya, but i keep forgeting to ask her. If not then ingore this review.

Oh my, what a wonderful story! You give Elwing and Earendil so much more depth in their characters, the atmosphere of the moment is almost tangible - I almost imagined to benextto them on the beac an watch them.
For me it is a story that rounds up those many scenes of the Silmarillion giving only too short information, lacking a lot one would like to know.
I would very much like to translate the story into German and add it to my archive on w.elenarda.de. Do I get your permission to do so? ;-)

Liriel

Aw! This is really sweet. It's nice to see them young, and have a glimpse at how Elwing may have honored her family. Thanks for this :)

really lovely little piece; moving. nice one!

Hey! This was lovely - I suspected what the candles were for about half way through and so sad... I hope they're in Valinor, and happy poor little mites. No elflings of that age had a particularly good time, did they. :( Aw!

Lovely story and Merry Christmas!

What an absolutely awesome story! :-)
Stories about young Earendil and Elwing are rare, so that is a wonderful thing already, but I enjoyed the quiet tone and the subject of this. It is a fabulous idea to blend the sweet, subtle beginnings of a love story with the sad subject of mourning for lost loved ones - and the brightly coloured candles are so fitting for those poor little lost boys, especially if one remembers your Elured and Elurin story. The little memory of Doriath is very sweet, if sad - and Earendil's offer is as amusing (young gentleman... hmm... gentleelf? so obviously beginning to fall in love!) as touching - offering her something actually worth more than the mere gift or partaking in some Midwinter entertainment... I also loved the use of the symbolism of light (so important in the dark time of the year) in this story - the candles that would not burn through the night but were snuffed in the morning accompanying the (probably) "last Midwinter" the royal family of Doriath could spent together, the bright, seemingly merry candles set floating on the sea so that you lose sight of them at some point standing for the lost princes of whom one does not know if they are alive or dead, but definitely "out of sight", and finally, the candles that are "alwaysstill burning in the morning" for the new hope, the new perspective, Earendil and his blossoming love can offer. It is very sweet to see him grow aware of the attraction Elwing holds for him, and I love that he does not go away when she tells him he can leave, but tries to share and understand her sorrow - and still finds the time to turn his words to the lost brothers into a compliment for Elwing!
In my opinion, the story is not too sappy at all - I rather like how the emotion is always a bit restrained (Elwing not wanting Earendil to see her cry), mirroring that their relationship is not one of perfect love and trust yet, but a tentative thing.
Finally, I loved the little allusions to their future fate - the sea bird reference for Elwing, Earendil's wish to sail even in winter weather...
The whole atmosphere of winter by the sea (sometimes frosty, but most often not snowy indeed) was caught well and set the perfect scene for this most lovely little story.
Thank you for writing and posting it - and a verry merry Christmas to you! :-)