very sweet fic. i've written one on the same subject but its a differnt storyline (of course!) i love the way people have completely different ideas of what would have happened :)

Oh my. Oh my.

What a beautiful story. It did naught but made me love Finarfin and Earwen more. I didn't realise he could be sentimental, and the last fruit of their love brought this story to a wonderful close.

A beautiful story.

Your portrayal of Finarfin and Earwen is so tender, in particular when you depict Finarfin's grief over the departure of his children.

You captured the drama and of the time setting and the despair of the characters very well.

I must say I especially admired the way you kept the dialogue between Finarfin and Earwen far from sappy. I don't mean that it wasn't touching,

because it was. But you didn't have Finarfin sniveling and begging his wife to come home, and then when Earwen did come home, you didn't have *her* sniveling and begging to be accepted. LOL I was just glad to see someone keep their characters' reactions far from soap-opera-ish, if you know what I mean. So, well done. And thanks for a good read.

What a beautiful and moving story.

I've always felt terribly for Finarfin, losing all of his children to Middle-Earth. I am so glad that he and Earwen have another child-it cannot, of course, fill the void left by the ones who left, but it can bring some hope and meaning back.

It's so beautifully written. "Some, Finarfin himself among them, wondered why it had taken the chilling words of a Vala to achieve this, instead of the wails of Olwe's people."

The scene where he seeks desperately for possessions of his children is so desperately sad-and so true, so real.

"Suddenly it struck Finarfin hos dark it was in the house, and he resolved to make more lamps."

He and Earwen have just created a new lamp: Isilme.

What a powerful story. Thank you.

Ah, nice! Sorry I'd missed it till now - must have been out of town when you first posted it. Intriguing to see the post-Kinslaying events in Valinor - that's something that Tolkien pretty much ignores. This does leave a lot of open questions, of course; one must feel sorry for Isilmë, for one thing, since she is born into a saddened people. And I misdoubt that her birth will solve things for Finarfin and Eärwen... But I did like Finarfin's reluctance to take the kingship and his shame, those rang true to me. And Eärwen's unwillingness to return to Tirion with an empty house and a diminished people.

Oh, how bueatiful. I always liked Finarfin. He suffered too, but is always oershadowed by his siblings. I haven't read the HoME books, but thuis was bueatiful.

Sometimes you have to pay the price for doing the right thing.

This is the story that I've wanted to see for quite a while now. Thank you. I am in tears.

Wow...This is a beautiful, touching story. I cried when he was searching his children's rooms. Its not exactly stuck to canon, but you can get away with it. Beautifully written ~Earwen

Oh, wow, Finch!

*sniffle*

Beautiful. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. I think I agree with the overriding sentiment on the review board that Finarfin has always seemed just a wimp to me. Not anymore! I nearly cried when he was searching Finrod's room so desperately - how terrible must that feel as a parent, to have nothing left connecting you with your child? And then, Eärwen's words: "Look up again, son of Finwë, for so do I" - perfect!

This is a beautiful, beautiful story!

I find it troubling, somehow, that the only reason Earwen returned to Tirion and Finarfin was that she was pregnant. Somehow... I just wanted her to get past the fact that Tirion is the city of the Kinslayers on her own... Or to go back for Finarfin himself. She obviously loves him very deeply... And she herself did make the choice to follow Feanor as well. Granted, she might not have done so had her husband and children not followed, but still... Is she dealing with her own guilt as well as her grudge against the Noldor?

I loved the image of Finarfin searching the house for his children's possessions. I almost cried with him. It was so very vivid and right...

Overall, a very disturbing vision of a darkened and broken Aman - but with a beautiful hope. Usually, we look to Middle-Earth while Valinor heals. So this is a very interesting, very unique perspective. Excellent work.

How nice it was to see Finarfin and Earwen find some happiness amidst all that sorrow. Although it will take Finarfin a long time to recover, and he will probably never fully heal either.

I loved the part where he wanders through the room, and when he talked to Galadriel's bird and Angrod's horse.

This was a rather sad story, although it does leave you with hope at the end.

This is a very disturbing story that leaves many questions unanswered. I'm glad Finarfin and Earwen could have another child, but it seems so little against the despair in which he finds himself. Ruling a 'subdued', guilt-sticken people, some of which don't want him, a wife who has decidedly mixed feelings about living with him. If other things don't turn around, Isilme is going to have a very hard life.

It seems like there are many stories to tell about what was going on in Valinor between the exile and Earendil's voyage. Will you tell us more of them?

Poor Finarfin - the moment in which he breaks down in Finrod's room is truly heartbreaking, as is his collection of the discards of his lost children. I like your presentation of the Valar after the loss of the Two Trees - they prove truly fallible during that time; losing so many of the Quendi only added to their grief.

This was absolutely marvellous. (I should start using other words to praise you, because I suspect they are always the same ;)).

Knowing I have to bring in Finarfin into my own fic one of these days, a story such as this makes it much, much easier.

This has both the sadness of tragedy as well the beauty and peacefulness of refound happiness.

Beautiful!