Oh, how I love your Thranduil! Such an amazing story, and I'm so going to add it to my favorites!

You write Thranduil's story so beautiful that I'm at a loss for words. You captured Oropher's bravery and his folly, Thranduil's bravery and stubbornness, you've written their kingly manners very well and personally, I'd say I saw no better portraying of Thranduil.

Continue writing stories about them! I daresay your stories about Thranduil are the best I've read on !

who'd have thought that Thranduil told a lie that turned out to be true, ha lol he is crack up, i was so sure that i would cry reading this, that in the end, i didnt even shed a tear, hehe lol onkay now i must leave to go and conquer the world of middle earth the x-box version, lol bye

Thanks

Racheal, Grace, . . ( . .)

Oh, so that is the reason why Galion and Thranduil hold that grudge against Erestor they display in "Thorn Gate"... :)

More seriously, this is a great chapter and a perfect follow-up to the first one. I loved the contrast between the start "The Belain must love him" against the later "The Belain must hate him". I also thought the backstory of that derogatory name very telling. What a fiendish slur to use, and how cruelly wounding where it hurts! Survivor's guilt is a cruel thing and very hard to escape, the feeling of guilt for being one of the few who escaped being hardly escapable for those who manage. For the survivors of Doriath, who escaped not one, but two slaughters, it must have been a deep wound. Erestor would deserve more than just a slightly too-firm grip on a wounded arm, for playing on that.

On another note, as sad as the ending is, it is also a powerful testament to both the friendship and bond between Galion and Thranduil, and to the quality of Thranduil as a king. "The first falsehood of his royal career" - and used, like many that come later, for all the right reasons. Small wonder that Galion (and the other Greenwood elves) are willing to die for this Elf (and a good thing that they do not have to).

Powerful chapter, and wonderful story, Jael. Thank you for writing and sharing!

Aislynn

Oh, my. This is one your best stories. It's so deep and full of things to think about. I really love it. Congratulations for your wonderful job.

Now this was heartbreaking I was so happy to see Thranduil and Galion had survived the battle and then returned in time to chastise Erestor, who certainly needed it and was that Glorfindel under the other helmet?

But the loss of Galion's eldest son was a tragedy in deed as was reading of how Thranduil and Galion prepared the grave the whole scene really brought home the pointlessness of war and the sacrifice made by soldiers everywhere

Yet the story also gave us a very good view of the strength of the bond between Thranduil and Galion as well

thank you

Thank you so much for this

I liked how awkward everyone found it to deal with their new king when they were so accustomed to the prince he had been

And there was a real sense of loss as well, of elves trying to come to terms with terrible grief

And of course we now know where Legolas got his reckless streak from

Really fine story. Thranduil comes across in every line, even those in which he observes others. That's a fine writer's practice.

This is a wonderful Thranduil, brave and mad and a true leader of his people. I like the way you work all the politics and friction into the story.

You were so right; this was a sad chapter. But a chapter that is so telling of Thranduil's character. Strong and majestic.

I look forward to reading more!

Ces

That was beautiful! I loved the huge range of emotions-really brilliant. Thanks for writing this

P.s. I was listening to Let it Be from Across the Universe, and it fit so perfectly!

I adore that poem... and it fits so well. You make some stunning choices, milady!

OMG so it was ERESTOR... LOLOL! Oh how I love it. How difficult to admit what he did... how awful to have to eat craban in front of mere Wood-Elves and Sindar... LOL! And I take it the golden-haired one was none other than Glorfindel? Ah, the excellence of being courtly and polite and FIRM with a hand on the shoulder... :)

Ai, but poor Galion... :( I remember reference to him losing his son in other of your stories, but seeing it "live" as it were, that is most sorrowful. The poor kid... The grave-digging scene was wonderful in its sorrow too, so perfectly crafted... I love the way you handle details, how the turn of a head, the movement of a hand can mean so much. I adore and respect that kind of writing, and you do it SO very well! Thank you!

Sad and yet marvelous, the way Yeats fits the green elves so well... *hugs self with delight*

Hi, Jael!

Very beautiful, and what a fitting sequel to "Rose"! I dearly hope to see that Golodh get his education in just how hard a grey-elf is capable to punch. Of course, how that snob is capable of still using that derogatory nick-name for Oropher after Oropher has just proven a month ago that he and his (now mostly late army are anything *but* turn-tails, while the dear Golodh and hios king and army carefully stood back, puzzles me. I hope he is getting his just deserts within the story.

On another note, I loved the preparations, and specially the "magic" part. "Believe..." - so very clever, and so clearly working. Very nice thought.

Loved the battle description, too. What struck me most interestingly, here, is that, again, it were not the Noldor who made the fierce attack that would safe the gates, but another race: the Dwarves. Those Golodhrim do seem to have a tendency to let others do the dirty work, do they?

Cannot wait for the next chapter. This one totally made my day, today. :)

Aislynn

Opps. You have a missing period and space!

-and I saw it sting him to the quickPerhaps he might have been more temperate -

A fitting sequel to TRitFG. I really love your Galion and when you write from his perspective.

-'He is beautiful,' Galion told himself, even as his own throat echoed the cry. 'And he is twice as mad as his father ever was, when the spirit takes him. I would die for Thranduil.'-

I think this line made the most impact on me.

Still haven't quite forgiven you for the out of line Noldo. *wink*

Love this story. It is powerful and moving and I really just don't know what else to say.

I just love your Thranduil and I can't wait to see what's going to happen. I am so glad you are sharing another story with us. Thank you very much