Wow! What great comments! I am thrilled. I do get drawn into my own stories when I am writing them by the smallest details often. They put me strongly in the time and place I am trying to imagine. Those are also the things I remember about incidents in my life.

Celebrian ran off with the second part, once I let her open her mouth. I wanted Elrond to have love and stability in his life after a lot of loss and hardship in the early part. Which, of course, makes Celebrian's future more upsetting. I glad he came across as brave to you. I thought of him that way, but he tended to be self-deprecating in the story and I was afraid some readers' might take that a face value.

Thanks so much. You noticed everything that I hoped my ideal reader would care about.