Brandy Hall, 1442 SR, 21 FA
Two hobbit lads raced around the halls, chasing each other.
'Farry! Farry, if you don't give that back, I swear I'll-'
Faramir Took turned around with a mischievous look in his eyes. 'Come on, Cary! My cousin getting a note from a lass is a momentous occasion, thereby I must be the first to read it!'
'Please, Farry, give it back!' Desperation was in Caradoc Brandybuck's blue-grey eyes, his cheeks flushed from both running after Faramir and embarrassment. Faramir intended on giving the note back, of course, he wasn't nasty like that, but he did enjoy teasing his cousin. The lads were close like their fathers before them, having a similar appetite for trouble. They were even the same age, Faramir a couple of months older.
Faramir smiled. 'All right, just as long as you tell me what it says.' Caradoc almost snatched the note back, fearful of losing it again. He carefully opened it and read it, his heart pounding. He smiled widely as he finished reading the last line.
'Who's it from?' Faramir asked.
'A lass from Hobbiton,' was all Caradoc would say. He had met her there on a visit to Bag End and her sister was a good friend to Rosie-lass Gardner. Caradoc hid the note in his pocket, because if his sister found it, he'd be in trouble.
'Lads! Lunch is ready!' was the call from the kitchen. Estella Brandybuck carefully carried a pot of her famous chicken soup to the table. 'Cary, would you please go and get your sister? Farry, come help me set the table, there's a good lad.' Faramir went into the kitchen, helping his Aunt Estella set the able for five.
'Should Uncle Merry be home soon?'
'Yes, he should be, hopefully. He's been a bit busy at work, it's harvest time all over the Shire.'
Faramir nodded. 'I heard Dad say he might have to get more people in to help.'
'I'm sure your uncle will send some strong lads over,' Estella replied as she buttered some bread and put it on plates, Faramir carefully laying cutlery out. 'How's your mum been keeping? I haven't seen her for an awfully long time.'
'She's well, so is Dad. But she seems worried about him. Says he's working too hard.'
Estella nodded. 'Both your dad and your uncle do, but that's just the way it goes, Farry. But don't worry, you'll have quite a while yet.'
The front door opened and a voice muttered, 'Where is everyone?'
Estella smiled. 'In here, love!'
Merry walked into the kitchen and smiled. 'Just in time for lunch, I see. Hullo Faramir,' he said, laying a hand on Faramir's shoulder.
'Hullo, Uncle Merry.'
Merry kissed Estella's cheek. 'Hello, dear.'
'Did you have a good day?'
Merry sighed. 'The same old stuff. But never mind.' He looked around. 'It's quiet in here, where are those two ruffians?'
'Merry!' laughed Estella. 'They're coming, they'll be back.' She shook her head. 'Ruffians. They get that from you, you know.'
Merry looked offended. 'I'll have you know, my good lady, that I was an extremely well behaved lad when I was younger. No mischief for me.'
'Then tell me, my good sir, why was it that one of Farmer Maggot's hounds nearly ripped the seat out of your breeches?' Merry grinned as Faramir laughed.
'Tell me the story, Uncle Merry.'
'I would, Farry, but I'm sure your mother wouldn't be very happy with me for giving you ideas.' The door opened again, and in came Caradoc and his younger sister, Éowyn, who immediately ran to embrace her father.
'Hullo, Wyn! What have you been up to today?'
'I just went around and played with Asphodel and Berimac,' the little lass replied, with a mop of light brown curls and her father's blue-grey eyes.
'Did you have a good time? I hope you thanked your cousins for having you.'
'Yes, Dad.'
'Good. Come on, you lot, eat up before your soup gets cold.'
Everyone took their seats and ate together, Merry rightfully praising his wife on her excellent spread. They all talked about what they did that day and Faramir couldn't resist.
'Uncle Merry, did you know that Cary got a letter off a lass today?'
Merry looked at his son in shock. 'Did you really? Who is she?'
'Sh-she's a lass from Hobbiton,' Caradoc stammered, highly embarrassed and completely unprepared.
Merry smiled. 'Does she like you?'
Caradoc went redder and was sliding down in his chair.
Éowyn laughed. 'A letter from a lass! Are you sure, Cary?' she said.
'Yes,' Caradoc squeaked.
'Come on, Cary, there's no need to be embarrassed,' his mother said kindly. 'I myself sent one lad such a letter.'
'What happened, Mum?' Éowyn asked.
Estella smiled, looking at Merry. 'I married him.'
'But I don't want to get married yet!' Caradoc cried.
'Cary, you have all the time in the world,' Merry said. 'You're too young to be thinking about it anyway. But write back to her, you never know. Come on, all of you, eat your soup.'
Everyone ate in silence. Merry helped Estella clear the table while the children went out to play afterwards.
'They're growing up so quickly, aren't they?' Merry said to no one in particular.
'Yes, they are. Before we know it, they'll marry and have children of their own and maybe Buckland will have a new master,' Estella replied.
'We'll both be old by then. We all will be. No more adventures for us.'
'I thought you liked it that way.'
'I do... but I miss King Éomer. And the Lady.' The sadness in his voice was painfully evident.
He was thinking about Éowyn, the White Lady their daughter was named for. He had not seen her for a very long time, and he missed her very much. Estella did not know how deep their friendship went, but she knew that Merry loved her, as much as herself and their children, maybe.
'Whatsay we will go to see them one day? Take the children? I'm sure that the Lady will want to meet her namesake. And your king will want to see his Holdwine again.'
Merry smiled at the use of his Rohirric title. 'I'd like that very much.'
Two hobbit lads raced around the halls, chasing each other.
'Farry! Farry, if you don't give that back, I swear I'll-'
Faramir Took turned around with a mischievous look in his eyes. 'Come on, Cary! My cousin getting a note from a lass is a momentous occasion, thereby I must be the first to read it!'
'Please, Farry, give it back!' Desperation was in Caradoc Brandybuck's blue-grey eyes, his cheeks flushed from both running after Faramir and embarrassment. Faramir intended on giving the note back, of course, he wasn't nasty like that, but he did enjoy teasing his cousin. The lads were close like their fathers before them, having a similar appetite for trouble. They were even the same age, Faramir a couple of months older.
Faramir smiled. 'All right, just as long as you tell me what it says.' Caradoc almost snatched the note back, fearful of losing it again. He carefully opened it and read it, his heart pounding. He smiled widely as he finished reading the last line.
'Who's it from?' Faramir asked.
'A lass from Hobbiton,' was all Caradoc would say. He had met her there on a visit to Bag End and her sister was a good friend to Rosie-lass Gardner. Caradoc hid the note in his pocket, because if his sister found it, he'd be in trouble.
'Lads! Lunch is ready!' was the call from the kitchen. Estella Brandybuck carefully carried a pot of her famous chicken soup to the table. 'Cary, would you please go and get your sister? Farry, come help me set the table, there's a good lad.' Faramir went into the kitchen, helping his Aunt Estella set the able for five.
'Should Uncle Merry be home soon?'
'Yes, he should be, hopefully. He's been a bit busy at work, it's harvest time all over the Shire.'
Faramir nodded. 'I heard Dad say he might have to get more people in to help.'
'I'm sure your uncle will send some strong lads over,' Estella replied as she buttered some bread and put it on plates, Faramir carefully laying cutlery out. 'How's your mum been keeping? I haven't seen her for an awfully long time.'
'She's well, so is Dad. But she seems worried about him. Says he's working too hard.'
Estella nodded. 'Both your dad and your uncle do, but that's just the way it goes, Farry. But don't worry, you'll have quite a while yet.'
The front door opened and a voice muttered, 'Where is everyone?'
Estella smiled. 'In here, love!'
Merry walked into the kitchen and smiled. 'Just in time for lunch, I see. Hullo Faramir,' he said, laying a hand on Faramir's shoulder.
'Hullo, Uncle Merry.'
Merry kissed Estella's cheek. 'Hello, dear.'
'Did you have a good day?'
Merry sighed. 'The same old stuff. But never mind.' He looked around. 'It's quiet in here, where are those two ruffians?'
'Merry!' laughed Estella. 'They're coming, they'll be back.' She shook her head. 'Ruffians. They get that from you, you know.'
Merry looked offended. 'I'll have you know, my good lady, that I was an extremely well behaved lad when I was younger. No mischief for me.'
'Then tell me, my good sir, why was it that one of Farmer Maggot's hounds nearly ripped the seat out of your breeches?' Merry grinned as Faramir laughed.
'Tell me the story, Uncle Merry.'
'I would, Farry, but I'm sure your mother wouldn't be very happy with me for giving you ideas.' The door opened again, and in came Caradoc and his younger sister, Éowyn, who immediately ran to embrace her father.
'Hullo, Wyn! What have you been up to today?'
'I just went around and played with Asphodel and Berimac,' the little lass replied, with a mop of light brown curls and her father's blue-grey eyes.
'Did you have a good time? I hope you thanked your cousins for having you.'
'Yes, Dad.'
'Good. Come on, you lot, eat up before your soup gets cold.'
Everyone took their seats and ate together, Merry rightfully praising his wife on her excellent spread. They all talked about what they did that day and Faramir couldn't resist.
'Uncle Merry, did you know that Cary got a letter off a lass today?'
Merry looked at his son in shock. 'Did you really? Who is she?'
'Sh-she's a lass from Hobbiton,' Caradoc stammered, highly embarrassed and completely unprepared.
Merry smiled. 'Does she like you?'
Caradoc went redder and was sliding down in his chair.
Éowyn laughed. 'A letter from a lass! Are you sure, Cary?' she said.
'Yes,' Caradoc squeaked.
'Come on, Cary, there's no need to be embarrassed,' his mother said kindly. 'I myself sent one lad such a letter.'
'What happened, Mum?' Éowyn asked.
Estella smiled, looking at Merry. 'I married him.'
'But I don't want to get married yet!' Caradoc cried.
'Cary, you have all the time in the world,' Merry said. 'You're too young to be thinking about it anyway. But write back to her, you never know. Come on, all of you, eat your soup.'
Everyone ate in silence. Merry helped Estella clear the table while the children went out to play afterwards.
'They're growing up so quickly, aren't they?' Merry said to no one in particular.
'Yes, they are. Before we know it, they'll marry and have children of their own and maybe Buckland will have a new master,' Estella replied.
'We'll both be old by then. We all will be. No more adventures for us.'
'I thought you liked it that way.'
'I do... but I miss King Éomer. And the Lady.' The sadness in his voice was painfully evident.
He was thinking about Éowyn, the White Lady their daughter was named for. He had not seen her for a very long time, and he missed her very much. Estella did not know how deep their friendship went, but she knew that Merry loved her, as much as herself and their children, maybe.
'Whatsay we will go to see them one day? Take the children? I'm sure that the Lady will want to meet her namesake. And your king will want to see his Holdwine again.'
Merry smiled at the use of his Rohirric title. 'I'd like that very much.'