Absolutly brilliant story! I loved the Aragorn torture with Elrond watching. I liked the chain, did it have dark magic or something in it to make it hurt so bad or is that how it normally feels to be beaten with a chain?

What was that weapon Erester used?

Keep writing, you are a great writer!

Erestor looked up with the fabled warrior's eyelid still between his fingers. "Of course not! What do you take us for? We merely bet that you would injure someone tonight." ' The comicality! You are so amusing! Do you work Elf-magic into you story? Or some beguilement? How can someone write so well as you? No galu govad gen! The exit of Valendil was as funny as sad. The warriors clustering about a sorry excuse for a pack horse and a sorrier still Elf! But the pain he must know! I am so glad you had Estel forgive him! And I never would have been elicit such a deep insight! I would have completely ignored the fact that the Twins would have had such fear as to lose *another* parent! I may only applaud, until I begrudgingly recall the language. But still! A master would be proud of this! I spotted some religious veiws in here (intentional or no), and was glad of them.

Cuio vae,
Elemmire

Forget not Menelmacar

At the end of this chapter, I am not swelling with excitemtent, but calm and at ease with how you are lowering the tension. My mind rests well, and yet I am more than ready to continue. There are so many amazing sentences and dialog, I can't begin to show! Elrond's little discussion with Estel went well, astonishingly for the situation. Erestor and Glorfindel's was so curiously mysterious I must demand answers, until I niggle it out of you! Did you have some discussion with Tolkien about our Rivendell friends? For surely this plot is no lesser than one of his- not cheesy and repeated through a thousand fics, but singular and durable, standing the test of time: a classic to be treasured by any fan of Tolkien- large or small. I am yet awed. (I hope your finals go well!) You're awesome!

~ Garo arad vaer ~
Elemmire

Forget not Menelmacar and his Belt of Doom 

O, sorrow! sorrow! What despair have you wrung from me! Valendil, the poor abused villian! In all rights, he is far deeper than Nazgul! Calaquendi... and I had pondered calling myself Moriquendi... kinda funny...
   You shaking Erestor's control was brilliant! Suspense, drama, angst, you have it all, perfectly preportioned, and mixed to add strongest effect! It is beautiful, heart-breaking, and wonderful. Elrond trying so desprately to save Estel from any pain, so desprately... I am glad you did not prolong their torture, and saved them. Estel, Estel, do not kill him! It is not worth it! I must go on! The next chapter! I must!

Elemmire

Hahahaha! Your A/N! Yes, I completely agree with the Cirdan thing, and Maglor and Meadhros seem good candidates. I have read the Sil, and grown to love many characters in there, so my agreement is not out of ignorance. In fact, I read the whole of the two's end just to see if it fit... and it did.
   Poor Valendil, poor Elrond, poor Estel... poor everybody! You pass around the bitter cup! And I drink from it madly! Erestor, I remember my awe at his transformation. I thought it the best character development ever! What's Erestor's past? You must share! " 'You will have to travel fast to get there and back in time." He stared for a moment at the elder twin and then snapped, "Elladan, why do I still see you?" " It is so funny! The twins infatuation with their tutor's transformation! And Erestor's skill is astonishing! I may not let myself linger, for want to go on. One thing, I spotted this "He had trained for many years as a warrior, but it apparently he did not..." Just thought to point it out.

Belain na le,
Elemmire

Menelmacar

Gen hannon! Your response was very timely! My work a treat? I'm going to start screaming again! Yes I'm daft! -- Ok, back on track. *deep breath* This chapter was so amazing, I cannot begin to explain. Poor Estel! What a terrifying place you set him! I can't decide who to pity more- Elrond, Estel, or Valendil. For shame! how can you confuse your readers so cruely? Tehe.
   I'm glad you had Estel become frightened in that... moment... with Valendil. I had been so worried that you would do something uncouth, but- I'm so glad you didn't! ... The way you opened the chapter was perfect- a little chilling, a little confusing. Last chapter we were having a family meeting, and the next Elrond is Enchained(did you base the title on that, or more on Valendil?)! I cherish this story! And my poem is very sadly lost to this point. I would be honoured to have your permission to try my humble hand again at a poem for this, and put it up in "I Yanta Imbe". (I believe whomever, sister or no, tells you you write poms is insane, and no master of poetry! Every one I have seen from you has been excellent!... If scary at times)
   Your torture is utterly creative, and horrifying! Not simple, not overly extravagant, just shocking, cruelly removed. Who are you tormenting more... your characters or your readers? "He did not pray for death or anything so melodramatic; a dead father could not save his son." It almost made me laugh, but it also sombered me. Your writing style I much appraise! Poor, sweet Calaquendi could tell you that!
 

Elemmire
Forget not Menelmacar

"You will moan and you will scream,

And kneeling, mercy beg.

Sweet music calls me back to life,

My soul revived through vengeance fed." I remember reading that. It was the best and most frightening of all his poems. Terrifying to the extreme. I wrote my own poem based on it, but it was not so deadly, nor so shaking. I adored this story, and now even more! "The resultant discussion of reflexes, who had them, whose were fastest, and the proper way to storm angrily past an armed elf took another half an hour." O, hilarity! Your words are music to my ears! This has all right to be on my Fav Stories list, as it is.

Elemmire

Aiiiii! Better than the last! I loved the Valendil/Estel collison, and after that was paramount! Glorfindel, Elladan's rampage, the discussion of Elrond and his sons... it all mounted an increasing tension. My chest is tingling, butterflies are in my stomach, and my throat is aching! How do you do it? I am awed! The humour only adds to the mystery, the fear, and your setting- ai! It is wholly wonderful to my eyes! My day is getting better and better! You make it so obvious, and so confussing! It is amazing! Knowing what will happen only adds to my fascination; I spot little traces of you revealing so much! Your writing is so much finer than anyone's I have ever, ever, ever seen! I love your mixing of genres! It helps your story flower. On to the next chapter!

Elemmire

Ah! shivers! The plot thickens and boils over! My heart was pounding! I love this story! Erestor... dear me... the villian! At least you didn't kill Erestor! Estel's treatment of him was so darling! Totally realistic, and heart-warming! I wouldn't want you after me! What nasty things could you cook up... we're still on amiable terms... right?
   Everything! Perfection as we may grasp! I love it! I am rushing on!

Elemmire 

Ah, such fond memories this brings! I had been surfing Fanfiction, and found this, a few chapters in. I opened it with mild curiousity, little knowing the consequences!!!!
   O, it is a dream still! Soon to be nightmare, but ai! You weave the words so well, it is haunting! Pity, remourse, anger, sympathetic despair! Valendil! I have never forgotten him in all my journeys! I loved him as much as I hated him. But you work such pity from me, it is hard to describe, and in the prologue no less! He is so delicate, and so tattered, only you could pull it off without becoming too fluffy and overdone. It is a terrible creature you set before us, that through the whole, we cannot truly hate him... those are the best of villians! The flashbacks melded with present happenings is marvelous, a frightening vision to behold, but precious as the Distant Shore. "I do not sing, M'lord."

Elemmire S-S
Forget not Menelmacar

Thank you for sharing, Pentangle. I enjoyed this story very much.

Okay, I'm half-blind at the moment, but I'll try to leave you a review nonethless. Though, I'm hardly coherent when I can't see:)

Prologue: Valendil seems fishy from the beginning. I wonder whether Cirdan never noticed anything? Valendil turns out to be quite the madman (madelf?), you would think his jumbled thoughts made themselves known to others. In any case, I love the memories and th poetry. They are disturbing and somehow fractured - like Valendil himself, probably.

First Chappie: It's totally a propos, but I wonder why not more authors use liqueur as anesthesia in their fic. It was *so* common in the past centuries, but somehow the practice never seemed to have reached ME - at least in fanfic.

Second Chappie: The opening scene with Estel, Valendil and the bedsheet is soooo classic slapstick! Wonderful. You do the comic relief very well and then you slip back effortlessly into the dramatic when their talk turns to Elrond. Estel is the only one who gets a glimpse of the "real" Valendil and he uses this knowledge to warn his family. Alas, noone believes him. They really should know better!

Third Chappie: The twins' ride was wonderful. Very quiet and fluffy scene. Described perfectly those magical moments when you are out in nature and everything just seems to suddenly *fit*. Of course it can't last... and you always come up with the most surprising methods to injure someone. Remind me to never get on your bad side;-) And WHY does nobody believe Estel *huggles baby ranger*. Elrond starts out so promisingly with: It is hard for me to remember that you are no longer a child. But then he disregards Estel's findings and even scolds him for his undercover activity!

Fourth Chappie: Elrond's thought while being chained to the wall? Priceless. I love his dry and sarcastic humour. I like your Elrond, he's a very balanced character. I probably adore him so much, because I have a pretty hard time writing him:) Valendil is creeping me out. Instilling pain and grief and then, in the same heartbeat really, looking for comfort and touch and warmth. Twisted.

Fifth Chappie: Ha! Take-Charge Erestor. Is he some kind of CIA-agent in disguise? I like the fact that Estel's motivation at the moment is solely his father's torment. Granted, he is disturbed and possibly frightened. But the fear for his father override those for the moment. He swears to kill Valendil for what he did to Elrond, not what he already did and still might do to him. I love that kid. It is a frightening thing to grow up and find that your parents are humans (elves), too, and can hurt and cry and fear just like everyone else.

Sixth chappie: Secret Agent Erestor is back. Now I am really looking forward to the Glor'n'Stor backstory you're working on. The dynamics between them are fascinating, the way the seem to understand each other through a glance. It's a joy to read. Same with the scene where Elrond comforts Estel *sighs*.

Seventh Chappie: I have to admit, I hoped for a short moment Estel would really kill him. I know those elves. They go and save his life and then they don't know what to do with him... But of course it would have haunted Estel, *especially* because he managed to pity Valendil from the beginning.

Eighth Chappie: The Elrond-breakdown scene. O my. Usually is portrayed as the unshakeable elflord. It makes him much more approachable to see him break down and rage like this. And the way he is comforted by his friends shows a lot of depth. I want to see more of that!! Also the little hope in the final Valendil-scene, even though I don't think it can change anything for him. It might give Estel some closure, but I don't believe Valendil can change after the thousands of years he has gone with that rage. 
And sorry, but are they *bowling*? Hilarious!!

I loved it. The historical depth with Valendil, Elrond, Elros, Maglor was mostly hinted at, but very powerful especially because of this. The horrors you imagine are usually more terrible than the ones laid out before you.