Lovely! Thank you darling! Today is my birthday and sitting in bed and evading this was such a nice relaxing thing. I look forward to future chapters!

Thank you - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Great story and series.

One might think that the Valar are using the requirement of the journey to Mandos as a test. After all, if she can get Haldir to actually adjust to life in Valinor, she will have shown that she has the ability to do the same for Spike (or at least get him adjusted to unlife in Valinor!) It is certainly going to be a different enviroment for Spike if he comes over, and the experience in dealing with Haldir will certainly help.

Sneaky Valar!

Thank you. Oh yes - the Valar have definite reasons for Haldir being her companion on this trip!

She's slowly winning over Haldir's grudging approval, isn't she? And perhaps snapping his head off and giving him information he hasn't been interested enough to find out for himself, or not listened to properly if he was told, will, eventually, make him snap himself out of his funk.

Go Tindómë go! Give him hell!

Great chapter :-)

Thank you! It will doubtless do them both good to be thrown together. He is finding this new life to be not at all what he had expected - and it was really time that someone called him on a few misconceptions. And his younger sister-in-law is certainly a good person to do it....

But, then, I don't suppose his brothers actually did tell him how much they mourned him - it's probably not a topic easily discussed over a cup of tea!

Yes, the Spartans have a lot to answer for...

It will do him some good to hear what really happened. And Tindy might be just hte person to do it.

Thanks for writing

"Thanks for writing"

Thanks for commenting - it is much appreciated.

And yes - he needs to stop wanting things to be as they were, or as he had expected them to be, and get used to how they ARE!

Nice, that certainly needed to happen!

Thank you! I wrote and rewrote this chapter, getting rid of unnecessary conversation early on - and then it was suddenly just the right place for this conversation instead.

I was wondering when the confrontation would come. Well done.

Thank you - there may be others, yet...

I'm interested to see where this goes. I've enjoyed the whole series. Also, this has little to do with this story, but today I came across an encyclopedia-type blog entry on Rumil and Orophin, and I was curious to see whether their pictures look anything like your conception of the brothers. http://homeschoolblogger.com/walkinginmiddleearth/661441/ They seem to be from the movies, so I also wonder if they were actually meant to be these characters or if the blog authors just took screenshots of random elf-extras, but I expect you can't answer that. ;-)

Thank you. It is always so nice to know that someone is enjoying the stories enough to take the time to let me know.

As for what the characters look like; as far as I can tell there were no original named parts in PJ's Fellowship of the Ring for Orophin and Rumil, but these two are recognised through much of fandom as being them, simply because of where they were standing, if you see what I mean!

I do have pictures in my own mind for them - I even have some saved. Perhaps I can put them onto here... I will try to add them to the time-line over the next couple of evenings. Because 'my' Orophin is not unlike the fandom one in that picture - but I think that that Rumil looks a bit too... um... rat-like? Not quite good-looking enough, anyway!

ETA - took a little longer than I meant to - but there are now pictures added to the time-line.

Amazing! I love the map idea! Did you realize that, or read about it? Now, it all makes sense!

PS: Tolkien is a genius and I love him even more.

PSS: I love the idea of the Valar homes being 'pocket dimensions'.

PSSS: You are awesome and I really loved this update.

I realized it all myself, when I was looking for maps. I thought 'that looks really familiar' and then it took me ages to find the map it reminded me of, if you see what I mean!

And I'm so glad that you like the idea of the pocket dimensions.

I WANT MORE!!!

*flails*

There will be more - honestly!

Hmm, who drew that Arda Map? And where was it published? I know it, but I cannot recall... Valar and Powers, neither give a straight answer.

Thanks for writing

It is a coloured-in version of the one by Karen Wynn Fonstad that is in my copy of The Atlas of Middle Earth. Finding it online was easier than scanning it in!

And you are quite right - the Valar and the Power are probably first cousins.

Hah, is Haldir finally going to see a good side to Tindómë's presence? After all she is giving him something to do that is interesting and challenging ("less boring than life here has been thus far"). Now he just has to acknowledge it! And get ready to move on in his life.

I'm sure they are going to have an interesting time as they figure out, on the road as if were, whether any of the maps (thanks for them) are accurate! Maybe one of them can become a map maker later ;-) Gimli might be interested to hear about metal prospecting...

Thanks

Well Haldir was, certainly, getting bored; even though he would never admit it out loud. But as to how they get on... it might take them a while, if they ever achieve it!

I'm so glad that you appreciated the maps. There may be a couple more in the next chapter...

As for Gimli - it is possible he has visited an elven mine already, when he spent time with Lord Aulë - but if he didn't he may well want to see how they work, as long as he is still fit enough to travel.

I loved the maps as well.

Thank you - I'm glad they helped... or perhaps confused!!

I love the update darling!!

I always enjoy 'hearing' the thoughts of all the characters, tis amusing.

I wonder what Tindome remembered?

And I appreciated the 3 maps - ha! Yes, I had quite a few issues trying to figure out those darn maps for my story as well. Rather confusing! :)

Thank you.

Sometimes it is fun to just do a round of all the characters to see where their thoughts are similar and where they differ.

Those maps are most confusing - and if they confuse us, how much more difficult if you are planning on crossing the land-mass from one side to the other!

Ah yes, the mapping of the various parts of Arda. Since the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings don't even match in times and distances, how would the poor Silmarillion fare?

A nice chapter. I look forward to reading the next one and finding out what Tindomë remembers.

Thanks for writing

Thank you.

The maps began to confuse/annoy me when I began looking at them - I could see them doing the same for the characters; especially as they are mainly based on the Silmarillion and it is quite possible that the Undying Lands are not, necessarily, the Unchanging Lands!

I am so happy you updated. Looks like I missed rhyming review day, so that's a bullet dodged. Can't wait for Haldir and Tindome to really talk.

Thank you. They are certainly going to have time for conversation on this trip!