Chapter Eight
My fuzzed mind, slowly started to wake and I could hear soft singing coming from the other end of the room, near the window. At first the words were quiet and I couldn't understand them, but as soon as I began opening my eyes, the lyrics were clear.
" 'The road goes ever on and on, down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the road as gone, and I must follow if I can'," then humming. I smiled when I saw Pippin holding the little babe and gently swaying her. " 'Pursuing it with weary feet, until it joins some larger way, where many paths and errands meet. And whiter then? I cannot stay."
"I love it when you sing," I spoke up. My voice was weak and almost silent.
Pippin let out a small gasp and turned to face me, with the baby. He immediately smiled. "Mornin'. We were waitin' for you to wake up."
I tried to push myself up a bit, but felt pain tear through my entire body.
"Take it easy," he told, seeing the anguish on my face.
I ignored him until I was up and leaning against the head board. "How is she?"
"She's perfect," he beamed. "She looks like you," he sat next to me and I could see the baby, who was barley awake. "Here." he set her in my open arms.
"Oh..." was the only sound that escaped my lips. Her ears were so tiny, her hands...everything about her was small. I held onto her small fingers and lightly brushed my lips against them. "She's going to have your eyes."
He smiled and softly kissed me. "Are you hungry?"
"A little bit," I replied, unable to look away.
"The family is stoppin' by tomorrow, and Rosie left some herbs for your tea," he disappeared a moment and the baby started to cry.
"Shh, it's okay, Baby," I told. "Are you hungry? I suppose so, you haven't eaten." Pippin promptly returned with my tea in one hand and a glass bottle with milk in the other.
"Estella says you can nurse her startin' tomorrow," I nodded and took the bottle, giving it to the baby. He sat on a chair next to the bed. "She needs a name."
"I know," I sighed. "We didn't even think about it."
"Flower names are most common," he noted, running a finger lightly across her head.
"Too common," I almost scoffed. "You give me one flower name that hasn't been used ten or twelve times in this Shire."
He moved to sit right next to me. "We spent thirteen months out in the world, seein' things no one here has even dreamed of. We could name her after somethin' out there."
The proposition amused me. He was right of course. We saw Ents (well he did), exotic flowers, Elves, Big Folk...
"Eowyn," I mused.
"Perfect," he answered without hesitation. He kissed me again.
******
I had stayed in bed all day and through the night. Eowyn was up at least five times crying. I would start to get up, but Pippin stopped me and took care of it. I was now standing, holding her in my arms, watching out the window at the fresh snow on the ground.
Suddenly I heard the front door open and the gibbering question of 'where is she?' said by two new grandmothers. Moments later I had Mum and Eglantine in my room, letting at a gasp when they saw me.
"Oh Wisteria!" Mum gushed and came towards me. "She's beautiful."
"Oh, she has Peregrin's eyes," Eglantine commented.
"That's a Bramble nose," Mum said.
"And those ears!"
I could hear Pippin talking to Father and Paladin in the den. Our sisters started to appear at the door, trying to peer in. Poppy pushed her way through, followed by Tigerlily, Ivy and the Tooks.
"She's squishy," Poppy told me.
"I think she's cute," Pearl said.
"Now girls," Mum ordered. "Let's give Wisteria some space." They all backed up, but only an inch.
"Actually, it's time for me to put her down for her nap," they sighed. "You can see her again tomorrow." I almost regretted saying that, that meant they would all be over here again.
******
:: Da and Fastolph shook my hand in congratulations, but were quiet afterwards. Da was slightly disappointed I dinn'a have a son and I knew Fastolph was weary about bein' around a man who impregnated his eldest daughter.
Thankfully Ma, Blossom and the girls came out, with disappointment on their faces. I panicked. "Is she all right?"
"She's fine," Ma answered. "She's just putting the baby down for a nap."
"Didn't you two give her a name?" Pearl asked, running her finger along the bannister.
"Of course we did," I snapped back. How foolish did she think I was?
"Which is?"
"Eowyn,"
"Eowyn?" Pearl repeated back.
"It's the name of the Big Folk," Pimpernel proudly stated. She was always showing off how much she knew of the outside world.
"She was a Lady of Rohan," Wisteria announced upon comin' into the den. "And a good friend."
"A flower name would have been nice," Ma pointed out. "But Eowyn is beautiful, just the same." She smiled.
"So we can't see the baby anymore?" Poppy asked.
"Not today," Wisteria replied. "She needs to rest."
"Well, then I'm going out to play," Poppy announced, taking her scarf and wrappin' tight around her neck. She was followed by Pearl, Pimpernel, Pervinca and Tigerlily.
"I suppose we should be going then," Ma said. She kissed me and Wisteria and linked arms with Da. He said one last congratulation before headin' out. Blossom and Fastolph did the same.
"Thank goodness that is over," I sighed, sittin' down in m'chair in front of the fire place.
"They're coming back tomorrow," Wisteria sadly said.
"Come sit with me," I asked. She wrapped her shawl around her shoulders and moved to sit on my lap. "I love you so much."
She only smiled and kissed me. ::
My fuzzed mind, slowly started to wake and I could hear soft singing coming from the other end of the room, near the window. At first the words were quiet and I couldn't understand them, but as soon as I began opening my eyes, the lyrics were clear.
" 'The road goes ever on and on, down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the road as gone, and I must follow if I can'," then humming. I smiled when I saw Pippin holding the little babe and gently swaying her. " 'Pursuing it with weary feet, until it joins some larger way, where many paths and errands meet. And whiter then? I cannot stay."
"I love it when you sing," I spoke up. My voice was weak and almost silent.
Pippin let out a small gasp and turned to face me, with the baby. He immediately smiled. "Mornin'. We were waitin' for you to wake up."
I tried to push myself up a bit, but felt pain tear through my entire body.
"Take it easy," he told, seeing the anguish on my face.
I ignored him until I was up and leaning against the head board. "How is she?"
"She's perfect," he beamed. "She looks like you," he sat next to me and I could see the baby, who was barley awake. "Here." he set her in my open arms.
"Oh..." was the only sound that escaped my lips. Her ears were so tiny, her hands...everything about her was small. I held onto her small fingers and lightly brushed my lips against them. "She's going to have your eyes."
He smiled and softly kissed me. "Are you hungry?"
"A little bit," I replied, unable to look away.
"The family is stoppin' by tomorrow, and Rosie left some herbs for your tea," he disappeared a moment and the baby started to cry.
"Shh, it's okay, Baby," I told. "Are you hungry? I suppose so, you haven't eaten." Pippin promptly returned with my tea in one hand and a glass bottle with milk in the other.
"Estella says you can nurse her startin' tomorrow," I nodded and took the bottle, giving it to the baby. He sat on a chair next to the bed. "She needs a name."
"I know," I sighed. "We didn't even think about it."
"Flower names are most common," he noted, running a finger lightly across her head.
"Too common," I almost scoffed. "You give me one flower name that hasn't been used ten or twelve times in this Shire."
He moved to sit right next to me. "We spent thirteen months out in the world, seein' things no one here has even dreamed of. We could name her after somethin' out there."
The proposition amused me. He was right of course. We saw Ents (well he did), exotic flowers, Elves, Big Folk...
"Eowyn," I mused.
"Perfect," he answered without hesitation. He kissed me again.
******
I had stayed in bed all day and through the night. Eowyn was up at least five times crying. I would start to get up, but Pippin stopped me and took care of it. I was now standing, holding her in my arms, watching out the window at the fresh snow on the ground.
Suddenly I heard the front door open and the gibbering question of 'where is she?' said by two new grandmothers. Moments later I had Mum and Eglantine in my room, letting at a gasp when they saw me.
"Oh Wisteria!" Mum gushed and came towards me. "She's beautiful."
"Oh, she has Peregrin's eyes," Eglantine commented.
"That's a Bramble nose," Mum said.
"And those ears!"
I could hear Pippin talking to Father and Paladin in the den. Our sisters started to appear at the door, trying to peer in. Poppy pushed her way through, followed by Tigerlily, Ivy and the Tooks.
"She's squishy," Poppy told me.
"I think she's cute," Pearl said.
"Now girls," Mum ordered. "Let's give Wisteria some space." They all backed up, but only an inch.
"Actually, it's time for me to put her down for her nap," they sighed. "You can see her again tomorrow." I almost regretted saying that, that meant they would all be over here again.
******
:: Da and Fastolph shook my hand in congratulations, but were quiet afterwards. Da was slightly disappointed I dinn'a have a son and I knew Fastolph was weary about bein' around a man who impregnated his eldest daughter.
Thankfully Ma, Blossom and the girls came out, with disappointment on their faces. I panicked. "Is she all right?"
"She's fine," Ma answered. "She's just putting the baby down for a nap."
"Didn't you two give her a name?" Pearl asked, running her finger along the bannister.
"Of course we did," I snapped back. How foolish did she think I was?
"Which is?"
"Eowyn,"
"Eowyn?" Pearl repeated back.
"It's the name of the Big Folk," Pimpernel proudly stated. She was always showing off how much she knew of the outside world.
"She was a Lady of Rohan," Wisteria announced upon comin' into the den. "And a good friend."
"A flower name would have been nice," Ma pointed out. "But Eowyn is beautiful, just the same." She smiled.
"So we can't see the baby anymore?" Poppy asked.
"Not today," Wisteria replied. "She needs to rest."
"Well, then I'm going out to play," Poppy announced, taking her scarf and wrappin' tight around her neck. She was followed by Pearl, Pimpernel, Pervinca and Tigerlily.
"I suppose we should be going then," Ma said. She kissed me and Wisteria and linked arms with Da. He said one last congratulation before headin' out. Blossom and Fastolph did the same.
"Thank goodness that is over," I sighed, sittin' down in m'chair in front of the fire place.
"They're coming back tomorrow," Wisteria sadly said.
"Come sit with me," I asked. She wrapped her shawl around her shoulders and moved to sit on my lap. "I love you so much."
She only smiled and kissed me. ::