Eomac Brandybuck, Called...
Genre: Drama/ General
Rating: G
Pairing: None
Disclaimer: I can not claim that the characters of Merry, Pippin, or Faramir are mine. They belong to Tolkien. I do, however, own Eomac, and enjoy this privilege by including him (against his will, might I add) in many unnecessary medical and scientific experiments. Enjoy!
Author's Note: Special thanks to Dillon for the name! I couldn't think of one. Only I would write a story about the naming ceremony for Meriadoc's son without a name in mind. Ah well, thank again!
Merry is 102, Pippin is 94, Faramir is 54, Eomac is 53.
Eomac stared up desperately at the gray sky. The clouds hung low, and rumbled with thunder, shaking the soil beneath the weary hobbit's feet. He silently urged the clouds to open up, to let loose a torrent of rain...anything to delay what he now knew to be inevitable: The passing of his father.
Not passing. He thought bitterly. If that were the case, then I could forgive him for leaving. It'd be his time. But this...He trailed off. Even though the situation was now at hand, he still couldn't bring himself to think of it.
It happened only two nights ago. Merry had called his son into his study late at night, and when Eomac entered, he saw also that his cousin Pippin was there, with a very somber looking Faramir at his side.
Eomac took the seat in front of his father's desk, regarding the older hobbit curiously. As of late, Merry's appearance had begun to reflect his age more and more; his seemingly perpetual youthfulness having been replaced by a more worn-down, haggard hobbit, and this worried Eomac greatly. But now, sitting in front of his father, Eomac saw that his eyes, although riddled with the same culmination of mystery, despondency, and tranquillity that they had always had, now had a glint of something else. Excitement. It was like a shimmer on a lake at sunset; there one moment, gone the next. But Eomac knew what he saw, and he felt himself grow timid of what his father was about to say.
Merry took a deep, steadying breath, and folded his hands carefully on the table. Looking Eomac straight in the eye, he spoke.
"Pippin and I are leaving, Eomac." His words were even and calm, as if he were chatting idly about the weather.
Eomac cocked his head to the side a bit, and knitted his brow. "Leaving? What do you mean, leaving?" He tried to, but failed, to mask the concern in his voice.
Merry hung his head in his hands. Without looking up, he said, "I mean, Pippin and I are going to Rohan, and then to Gondor." He paused. "And chances are, we won't be coming back."
The future Master of Buckland sat still as stone in his chair, absorbing the new information. Surely there must be a mistake! Father and cousin Pippin have gone away plenty of times and have always returned. Why should this time be any different?
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Faramir choking back a sob. Eomac met his father's eyes with a look reminiscent of cold steel. "What do you mean you won't be coming back?" he demanded.
Merry had obviously been anticipating this question, and said as evenly as he could, "This is something we both must do, Eomac. Pippin and I belong back in the East. The Shire may be our home," he took a deep breath, "But the kingdoms of Men are, too."
The words that flowed out of his father's mouth incited anger within Eomac. "You're a hobbit, father! A hobbit! Not one of the Big Folk! You and cousin Pippin belong here, and you know that!" he spat. Merry looked sadly at his son. "I'm not asking you to understand why we must go Eomac. I'm not sure that even I know the answer to that. But I know in my heart that this is what we must do, just as Frodo passed over to the West. Don't try to understand, Eomac. But please, try and accept it."
Merry's words did nothing to extinguish the anger in Eomac's heart. He sprung up from the chair, and strode behind the desk over to the Master. He wanted to yell at his father, scream at him. Kick him, strike him. Whatever it would take to make him stay. But instead, his heart crumbled as the cruel reality of the situation hit the young Brandybuck like a ton of bricks, and he fell into his father's opened arms. His father was leaving, and it seemed that nothing could quell Merry's quiet determination. Not even his own son.
"We're setting out tomorrow." Merry whispered in his ear. "I need you to come, alright?" Eomac could hear the pain in his father's voice as he spoke. He was glad this made his father upset. Eomac wanted the Master to be upset. But he still nodded.
"Yes, sir." He quietly replied.
And now all four of them stood at the edge of the Shire, saying goodbye to each other for what they all knew in their hearts would be the last time. Eomac had his fists balled up tightly, and burrowed them deep into the folds of his pockets. He sighed, and watched his breath react with the cold air around him, sending the white air flowing up into the sky until it dissipated. He wished he could do the same.
Glancing over, he saw Faramir throw himself into his father's arms, weeping slightly. Pippin stroked his son's golden hair, whispering words of encouragement into Faramir's ears, only to betray himself as tears slid down his cheek, also. Pippin pulled away, and handed some papers and a box to his heir, his child, his son.
"Faramir Took the I," he began, his voice quivering ever so slightly, "I, Peregrin Took the I, 32nd
Thain of the Shire and head of the Took Clan, do hereby name you to be the 33rd Thain of the Shire, and head of the Took Clan." Pippin picked up the quill that Merry had prepared for him, and with a shaky hand, signed the parchment that declared Pippin was resigning, and that Faramir was to take on all his responsibilities and titles in his stead. He passed his paper and quill to Faramir to sign, and finally to Merry, who was signing as a witness. Within moments, the ceremony that was usually carried out with the enhancement of a lavish ball was completed. Faramir folded the paper and stuck it in his pocket. He wasn't crying any more.
"You can't tuck me in anymore." He said quietly in his father's ears. Pippin smiled. "No, no I cannot." He choked, and held his son a bit tighter. "And I'm afraid that this time I cannot promise you tomorrow, either."
Faramir looked into his father's eyes, and smiled also. "It's ok, Da; I'm not afraid any more."
At this point, Merry turned to face his Eomac, who had his jaw set firmly, and made a point of looking everywhere but at his father's face. Merry rested his hands of his son's shoulders, and gazed mournfully down at his child.
"Eomac...I know you're upset with me. But please, don't part with me like this..." He pleaded. Eomac slowly raised his eyes, and saw the pain written upon his father's face. It became quite clear then to Eomac why Frodo went through with the quest; we all must do things we don't want to. It killed him inside for his father to leave, but in his heart, Eomac knew it had to be. He leaned in and caught his father in a tight embrace.
"I wish it weren't so," Eomac said softly, "but I understand, Father."
"I knew you would, Eomac."
Merry gently broke free from the embrace, and fished through his coat pockets. A few moments later, he produced a piece of paper that looked very similar to the one Pippin had just given to Faramir. Eomac felt himself go tense, and Merry cleared his throat nervously.
"As per tradition of the House of Brandybuck, I, Meriadoc Brandybuck the Magnificent, 7th Master of the Hall in Buckland, resign from office, and hereby bequeath my goods, titles, and responsibilities to Eomac Brandybuck." Merry then signed the paper, and after Eomac and Pippin had both added their signatures, Merry folded the paper up once again. Eomac held out his hand to receive it, but Merry held onto it. "We are not done yet." He said, smiling slightly. Eomac looked at his father questioningly, and Merry continued. "I need to give you your name."
The new Master felt his face go slightly red; he had always thought this bit of the ceremony was embarrassing.
Merry smiled warmly at his son. "I'm going to skip the formalities with this, if you don't mind." When Merry saw the look of relief that passed over Eomac's face, he continued.
"Eomac, from the day you entered my life, you have been a source of unending joy, pride, and, dare I say, wonderfully thought out practical jokes." Everyone chuckled, and Eomac felt his cheeks rouge a bit, thinking back to younger days when Faramir and himself were known for their infamous terrorizing of the Shire.
"Every day of my life since you were born, you've reminded me that sacrifice is necessary. You have shown me that there are things that are worth fighting for, worth defending. You have done so many things for me by simply being my son, and for this I give you the greatest of thanks. A father couldn't have asked for a better son than you."
Merry felt tears threatening to spill from his eyes, while Eomac was already openly weeping. It meant so much to Eomac to hear his father speak so highly of him.
"You have brought me joy simply by smiling, pride in what you've become, and a somber sadness in knowing that I cannot watch you flourish, and become even more amazing and successful than the hobbit that you already are. You've brought me, and so many countless others, so much..." Merry trailed off, his voice shaking with uncried tears. He looked into his sons misty eyes, and smiled. "I cannot pin down all that you've done for me, and all you will do for everyone else. It is impossible to restrict you to one thing. And so, you will be called Eomac, the Bringer Brandybuck. Bringer of laughter, bringer of prosperity, bringer of everything good."
Merry fell silent and his arms dropped to his sides. Eomac clutched at the business papers in his hands that his father had just handed to him, and found that for once in his life, he could say no more than 'Thank you'. But he knew that it was enough.
Pippin and Merry hoisted themselves atop their ponies, and looked down once more, one last time, upon their sons. They would never see them, or the Shire again. But they both knew that, in leaving their sons behind, it would be as if they had never left at all.
Faramir and Eomac waved, and Merry and Pippin rode away over Sarn Ford. The two young hobbits then turned back, their feet silently leading the way home. And with them, although they both carried new occupations and titles, Eomac also brought something else back to Brandy Hall with him: the pure satisfaction of a father's love, and the knowledge that this was as boundless as the Sundering Seas.
'I know you would bring your love to me, to everyone, if you could, Father.' He thought. 'So in your stead, I will bring it back for you.'
And he did.
Author's Note: The bit about Pippin not tucking Faramir in comes from my ficlet "I can promise you tomorrow". It's a poignant tale about young Faramir and his Da . Please go read/ review it! Okay, enough shameless plugging.
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