"Merry, what's he doing?" Pippin nudged me and whispered after Boromir put his hand out in some sort of awkward greeting. Seeing our raised eyebrows, Boromir squatted down, to make up for the difference in height.
"Boromir, of Gondor," he said, and kept his arm extended. Pippin and I continued to stare.
"Meriadoc Brandybuck, son of Saradoc," I said, attempting to assuage the strangeness of the situation. Then, after Pippin failed to answer his cue, "And this is Peregrin, my cousin."
"Ah," Boromir said, "Pleased to meet you," he nodded toward me, "And you, Peregrin." He kept his arm extended, and Pippin and I were at a loss at how to respond. After a pause, Boromir continued. "Like this," he said, and sensing our confusion, took Pippin's hand in his, and shook it up and down.
"Oh," Pippin said, blushing. "Pleased to meet you, too."
Standing, Boromir smiled. "Until later," he said, with a small nod, then turned and left.
"Shaking hands," said Pippin as soon as Boromir was out of earshot. "What kind of a silly custom is that?" He shook his head and continued in disbelief, "I suppose he's not heard of Mathoms, either!"
TBC