I think the quote you’re thinking of, Losthuniel, is this one:
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Even for those who are mightiest under Iluvatar there is some work they may accomplish once, and once only. The light of the Trees I brought into being, and within Ea I can do so never again.
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It’s Yavanna, and she’s speaking of her Trees, which have been destroyed and which she can’t remake. Feanor says something similar about the Silmarils, which she’s asking him to give up:
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For the less even as the greater there is some deed that he may accomplish once only; and in that deed his heart shall rest. It may be that I can unlock my jewels, but never again shall I make their like; and if I must break them, I shall break my heart.
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The Teleri equivalent of this sentiment is quoted by Maedhros at the beginning of this thread. The interesting thing is that Feanor is asking of them just exactly what he’d refused Yavanna—and he certainly refused: if you’re confused by his “This thing I will not do of my free will. But if the Valar will constrain me, then shall I know indeed that Melkor is of their kindred,” you’ve only to look a little further down the page to “had he said yea at first…his after deeds might have been other than they were”—and he doesn’t even seem to realize it. That’s Feanor for you; he’s in it for Feanor. Furthermore, his desire is actually less worthy than hers, since she wants to restore the trees and bring light to everyone, while he just wants his revenge, and if possible to get his jewels back so he can hide them in his basement again. She wants to work toward the good of all and asks him to make a sacrifice to that end; he refuses, but he goes on to ask the Teleri to make a similar sacrifice for Feanor’s own good. No surprise, then, that they refuse, but I do like the irony.
And the sense that the Teleri owe the Noldor something (though it may not be the original admission to Valinor) is certainly important—Feanor makes that very argument, telling them that they’d renounced their friendship. And of course the feeling of kinship is very strong since they’ve worked together for so long and they’ve intermarried and all. But as to safe passage, Maedhros, keep in mind that Feanor is already tainted by his oath, and has declared himself an enemy of the Valar. The curse of Mandos hasn’t come on him yet, but I suspect that the Teleri had at least some idea that to participate in his wild schemes was to defy the Valar and probably to lose something for it, and unlike Feanor, they wouldn’t do that for any kinship.
Did I miss anything?
--Belin Ibaimendi