This is the story of Eowyn’s seashell. It takes place at Brandy Hall in Buckland post quest. The characters are, Merry and Estella and their children, Dernhelm age 12, Eowyn age 10, and Fredegar age 5. Pippin and Diamond and their child, Faramir age 8. There is also the mention of Lady Eowyn and a few Bracegirdles.

For this challenge story I was to use Diamond, a seashell, the Houses of Healing and a hobbit with a black eye in my story.

Rated G

Disclaimer: These are not my characters but I enjoy borrowing them from time to time. The Hobbits belong to J.R.R. Tolkien. He was just nice enough to share them with us. I have invented one or two for this tale, but everything else is Tolkien’s.

Merry would have laughed under better circumstances. If his daughter had not been standing just a few feet from him wearing a torn skirt and sporting two bloody knees then Merry might have found the entire thing funny. Instead he found himself wondering what sort of trouble the children had managed to get into this time. He watched Pippin and Faramir who were just across from him. They had locked eyes in the way that only father and son can and if Merry were in the mood to wager he would have bet on Pippin looking away first. Eight-year-old Faramir Took stood there with his hands fisted at his sides, every muscle in his body tense, and his bright green eyes locked on his father’s equally bright green eyes. The eyes were the one noticeable resemblance between the two hobbits.

Pippin had knelt down so that he and Faramir could talk face to face but, as always, Faramir seemed to have very little to say. So far, Pippin had done most of the talking. That was nothing unusual. Merry’s ten-year-old daughter had cried but had refused to explain things. It wasn’t that Eowyn didn’t have anything to say; it was a matter of honor. She would not tell on Faramir. Whatever had happened in the space of time between luncheon and tea would remain a secret unless Faramir talked. So far, he hadn’t.

Pippin sighed in frustration and shifted his position slightly. “Don’t you have anything to say about this at all?” Pippin asked as he ran his hands through his hair.

Faramir shook his head. The child’s jaw was clenched and his lips were pulled into a thin line. He stood there and looked at his father and said nothing.

Pippin leaned his head forward and broke eye contact just as Merry had known that he would. Pippin then turned and looked up at Merry and shrugged his shoulders. Eowyn sniffled and Merry reached into his pocket and removed a handkerchief. He handed it to her and she blew her pug nose.

When Eowyn had been born, Estella had held the little lass in her arms and examined her closely as if memorizing her. Then Merry’s darling wife had looked over at him and said, “I suppose that she’ll grow into it eventually.” Estella had been frowning slightly at the time.

“Grow into what?” Merry asked, still overcome with the joy that having a daughter had given him. He had a goofy smile on his face and he couldn’t stop staring at his beautiful wife and his amazing little daughter.

“Your nose,” Estella smiled. “This adorable little lass has your nose.”

Eowyn was a Brandybuck through and through. She had her father’s sandy curls, his temper, his stance, and his nose. Eowyn blew her nose again and then looked over at Faramir. The young Took looked over at her but still said nothing.

Pippin stood and began to pace. Merry was just about to reach out a hand and stop Pippin in his tracks when Freddy raced into the room on his short little legs carrying a large sea shell in his hands. He, like Eowyn, had been crying. Freddy hurried over to his older sister and extended the shell out toward her. “We got it, Owyn,” he whispered. Merry looked down at his children and watched as Eowyn took the shell from her five-year-old brother. She inspected it for a minute and then looked down at Freddy. “Dernhelm got it back,” Freddy said, in a slightly louder voice. The pride was evident as the little lad mentioned his older brother.

Pippin had stopped pacing and was now watching Merry’s children in fascination. Eowyn was so like Merry had been as a child. She was very intense and incredibly bright. She was also quick to anger but even quicker to forgive. Pippin smiled as Eowyn pulled Freddy into a hug and ran her fingers through his sandy curls. “Thank you for bring it to me, Fred,” Eowyn smiled her tears drying on her cheeks. Suddenly, Faramir had moved to Pippin’s side and the child slid his hand into his father’s. Pippin looked down at him curiously and squeezed his son’s hand reassuringly.

“Is anyone planning to explain any of this?” Merry asked.

“I suppose I will have to do that,” a voice sounded from the doorway.

They all looked over and saw Dernhelm come into the room. Merry’s oldest child had Estella’s eyes and her brown hair. Dernhelm also had Estella’s frown whenever he had need of it. Sometimes Pippin found this rather unsettling. The lad looked so much like Estella when he disapproved of something. Pippin had received that look from Estella a great many times. The two younger children were small copies of Merry, but Dernhelm was Estella’s lad.

The other children looked at Dernhelm as he came into the room and walked over to stand somewhere in between Pippin and Merry. Grinning, Freddy raced over and wrapped his arms tightly around his older brother’s legs and held on. With a sigh, Dernhelm dislodged Freddy’s grip and picked the child up. Freddy leaned against his older brother’s shoulder and placed an arm around his neck.

“It was the Bracegirdles again,” Dernhelm said looking at his father. Merry frowned but said nothing. He would give his twelve-year-old time to explain everything.

Faramir leaned his head against his father’s leg and continued to hold fast to his hand. Pippin looked down at the top of his son’s dark curly hair and smiled. He then looked over at Dernhelm. “What have that lot done now?” Pippin asked frowning.

“They took Eowyn’s sea shell,” Dernhelm said. “They pushed her down and took it.”

Faramir’s eyes narrowed and Eowyn sniffled again.

“And then Owyn hit Faramir!” Freddy said.

“Hush,” Dernhelm said giving the little hobbit a warning look as Faramir flinched a bit at his father’s side.

“Well she did,” Freddy objected but seeing the stern look on his older brother’s face, Freddy bit his lower lip and was quiet.

“Otto Bracegirdle came over to Eowyn and asked her if he could hold the shell,” Dernhelm said. “Naturally, Eowyn knows better than to give anything to Otto. That one is a pure-blooded thief if ever there was one.”

“Dernhelm,” Merry said in a warning tone.

“Well he is,” the lad said sounding a bit like Freddy had a minute before.

“Just stick to the story as it happened and try to leave out the slander no matter how accurate you believe it to be,” Merry frowned.

“Well, Eowyn told Otto that he couldn’t hold it and that’s when Orin came over and knocked her down,” Dernhelm said. “I was over by the stable with some of the older lads and Eowyn was just in front of the Oak tree so it took me a minute to get to her and by then Faramir and Freddy were already there ahead of me.”

“Freddy kicked Otto in the shin and so Otto pushed Freddy down and that was when Faramir hit Otto square in the mouth,” Theoden said smiling at his younger cousin.

Merry watched as Pippin tried not to grin while Faramir just stood there looking serious.

“Naturally, Orin took a swing at Faramir in defense of Otto,” Dernhelm said.

“Naturally,” Merry nodded.

“And then Eowyn decided to defend Freddy by hitting Orin only she missed,” Dernhelm said with a quick look at his sister who had lowered her eyes and was now staring at the floor. “She didn’t mean to but she and Orin both hit Faramir at the same time.”

Merry’s eyes widened and he looked over at his nephew who was now blushing slightly making the bruises around both of his eyes seemed even darker. Pippin sucked in a breath of air. This explained why Faramir had two black eyes and it also explained why Eowyn and Faramir seemed angry at one another. The two children were usually quite close and rarely fought but it seemed as if Eowyn might have done a bit of damage to Faramir’s pride.

“Eowyn got Faramir in the right eye and Orin got him in the left,” Dernhelm said. “And while all of this was going on, Otto grabbed the shell which was laying on the ground at the time and ran off with it.”

“He stepped on my hand,” Freddy murmured rubbing his fingers as if just recalling that it had hurt.

“So I had to get the shell back once I made sure that Eowyn and Orin hadn’t knocked Faramir out,” Dernhelm said.

“They didn’t,” Faramir said indignantly.

“Of course not,” Pippin said giving Faramir’s hand a squeeze. Pippin had grown up with three older sisters and so he knew how embarrassed Faramir must be about now. Pippin had been hit by a lass on more than one occasion.

“I came over and pulled Eowyn off of Orin and set that rascal on the run,” Dernhelm said.

Pippin and Merry looked over at Eowyn who raised her head and said, “I could have taken care of him myself. I had him down but Dernhelm pulled me off of him and that’s when he got away.”

“I couldn’t stand there and let you beat the snot out of him,” Dernhelm said.

“Yes you could,” Eowyn said stamping a foot. “I had him!”

Merry had a moment to wonder if perhaps his daughter was living up to the spirit of the Lady of Rohan for which she had been named before Freddy spoke up. “Otto stepped on my hand, Papa,” Freddy whimpered.

“You’re fine now, Fred,” Merry said gently. “I noticed that you had a firm grip on the sea shell when you came running in here.”

“But still,” Freddy whined and buried his face in Dernhelm’s shoulder. The last of the child’s words were mumbled into Dernhelm’s shirt collar and Merry was unable to make them out. Dernhelm rubbed the child’s back and smirked at his father. Freddy often milked his injuries for sympathy. The entire family was used to it. Freddy would probably be mentioning his injured hand for the next week whenever he felt the need for a little extra attention.

“So, you ran Orin off and then what happened?” Merry asked smiling at his oldest.

“Once I was sure that the children were going to be fine, I went after Otto,” Dernhelm said. He made it sound as if he were years older than the others when he said this.

Faramir straightened and muttered. “I am not a child.”

Merry looked over at Pippin and winked. Faramir might not look like his father but sometimes he sounded exactly like Pippin had at that age. Pippin ignored the wink and whispered to his son. “Of course you aren’t.” Pippin then gave Merry a slight glare.

“I told them to go into the smial and tell you what happened but I can see that they didn’t listen to me,” Dernhelm sighed. “Fred followed me and these two don’t seem to have explained a thing.” He looked from Eowyn to Faramir and both younger children ignored him.

“I wanted to watch you beat the snot out of Otto,” Freddy said grinning up at his older brother. “Otto stepped on my hand.”

“So we’ve heard,” Merry said smiling.

“If Dernhelm had left me alone, you could have watched me beat the snot out of Orin,” Eowyn said. She was still mad that her older brother had stolen her thunder.

“I saw you hit Faramir,” Freddy offered.

“It didn’t hurt,” Faramir said embarrassed.

“It did too,” Freddy said.

“Did not,” Faramir said. “She hits like a lass.”

Eowyn stormed over and stood before Faramir. “I do not and you take that back Faramir Took or I’ll pop you again!”

“I won’t!” Faramir said as the two of them stood and glared at one another. Faramir and Eowyn were the same height even though Eowyn was two years older. Merry had always thought that some of the Ent draft had found its way into Faramir because Pippin’s little one had always been tall for his age.

Merry walked over and put his hand on his daughter’s shoulder and said, “No one is popping anyone. There has been enough hitting go on here today.”

“He said that I hit like a lass,” Eowyn objected.

“Faramir, apologize to Eowyn,” Pippin said gently.

“I don’t want to,” Faramir said looking up at Pippin with his twin shiners encircling his green eyes.

“It isn’t about what you want, it’s about what’s proper,” Pippin said. “Apologize.”

Faramir looked at Eowyn and said, “I’m sorry that you hit like a lass.”

Merry tried not to grin and Pippin rolled his eyes and then tried to look stern. Merry had to look away because Pippin’s ‘stern father face’ always made him laugh. Pippin’s face was meant for smiling and any effort to look imposing nearly always failed. Merry bit the inside of his cheeks to keep from grinning and listened as Pippin said, “You know that isn’t what I meant, Faramir.”

“I’m sorry,” Faramir muttered.

“And what do you say, Eowyn?” Merry asked his daughter.

“I know you’re sorry,” Eowyn said glaring at Faramir.

Now it was Merry’s turn to look stern. “Eowyn Brandybuck, do you want to spend the next week in your room?” he asked.

“No, but he-“

“Eowyn,” Merry said and he squeezed her shoulder firmly.

“I accept your apology and I’m sorry that I hurt you,” she said with a sigh. From where he stood, Pippin could see Eowyn roll her eyes in disgust, looking very much like Merry but he didn’t say anything.

“It didn’t hurt,” Faramir said. “You hit-“

“Faramir!” Pippin broke in quickly in an effort to avoid another round.

“I hate lasses!” Faramir shouted. “You try to help them and they go and turn on you.”

“I hate you too!” Eowyn shouted and she reached over and shoved Faramir who quickly shoved her back.

Pippin reached out a hand and took hold of Faramir’s shirt collar and pulled the lad back. “We do not hit lasses,” he said sternly.

“She hit me first!” Faramir said and he pointed to one of his eyes. “I was trying to defend her from Orin and Otto and she hit me.” He tried to wiggle out of Pippin’s grip but failed.

“I don’t need defending!” Eowyn objected. “I can take care of myself. You and Dernhelm only got in my way, that's all.”

Dernhelm snorted. “The next time, I’ll let the Bracegirdles have you,” he muttered.

Freddy squirmed out of Dernhelm’s arms and ran over to his sister. “I’ll ‘fend you Owyn,” he said.

“Good luck,” Faramir muttered.

Merry turned his daughter around to face him and bent down to look at her. “What have I told you about fighting?” he asked.

“Not to,” she whispered looking down at her feet.

“Just me and Faramir and Dernhelm can fight ‘cause we’re lads. Isn’t that right, Papa?” Freddy asked.

“No, that isn’t right, Fredegar,” Merry said glancing at his son.

“I don’t want any of you fighting,” Merry said.

“We had to,” Dernhelm said. “Those Bracegirdles are always making trouble with us. We can’t just stand there and let them.”

“I don’t want you to stand there and let them hurt you or your sister or anyone else, but I also do not want you fighting like, like, well like_”

“A bunch of Bracegirdles!” Freddy interjected brightly.

Pippin found it hard not to laugh as Merry sighed and pulled his youngest into a hug. “Exactly, Fred,” Merry said. “We are not Bracegirdles. We are Brandybucks.”

“I’m not a Brandybuck,” Faramir muttered.

“No, you’re not,” Pippin smiled. “But you aren’t supposed to be out fighting all the same.”

“They deserved to be punched,” Faramir said.

Did you?” Pippin asked, looking at his son’s eyes. “Do you think that you got what you deserved in all of this as well?”

“No,” Faramir frowned. “I hit Orin because he was trying to take Eowyn’s shell and I didn’t try to take her old shell but she hit me all the same.” He glanced over at his cousin and then looked back at his father. “I didn’t deserve any of it.”

Eowyn opened her mouth to say something, but Merry pulled one of her curls and she stopped.

“If you get into a fight, sometimes you get hurt whether or deserve to or not,” Pippin said. “Dernhelm said that you hit Orin in the mouth.”

“He deserved it,” Faramir said.

“Maybe he doesn’t see it that way,” Pippin said. “Maybe Orin Bracegirdle is somewhere right now crying his eyes out and moaning about how he didn’t deserve to be punched in the mouth by you. Maybe right this very minute poor Orin is trying to figure out exactly what happened and why you hit him. After all, Orin wasn’t bothering you, was he?”

“No, but he was bothering Eowyn,” Faramir said.

“I know,” Pippin said. “He probably thought that she wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.”

“I showed him!” Eowyn said straightening her shoulders and looking proudly at Pippin.

“You did,” Pippin said. Merry frowned at his cousin. Somehow this didn’t seem the proper way to keep his daughter from fighting. “And you showed Faramir as well, didn’t you?” Pippin asked.

“Well, I,” Eowyn frowned. “I didn’t mean to hit Faramir. I was aiming at Orin.”

“Folks can get hurt by accident when a fight is going on,” Pippin said with a shrug. “Look at what happened to poor Fred here.” Pippin pointed to his little nephew. “I believe someone stepped on his hand didn’t they, Fred?”

The little lad nodded. “Otto did and it hurt,” Fred said, raising up his hand so that Pippin could see it properly while Merry rolled his eyes.

“I’m sure it did,” Pippin agreed. “Fights can get out of control and folks that aren’t even involved in them can get hurt.”

“I was ‘volved-ed,” Freddy said. “I kicked Orin.”

“I guess that means that you deserved what you got then,” Pippin said. “If you’re going to fight then you have to be prepared to get hurt.”

“Especially if there’s lasses involved,” Faramir muttered looking at Eowyn.

“Lasses get hurt too,” Pippin said. “Look at Eowyn’s knees.”

Faramir followed his father’s gaze and saw the dried blood on his cousin’s legs and the newly forming scabs on her knees. “Does it hurt?” Faramir asked.

“It did,” Eowyn said. “Not much, but it hurt at first.” She looked at him for a minute and asked, “Do your eyes hurt?”

“No,” Faramir said straightening. Merry sighed. Stubborn little Took. Pippin shrugged his shoulders and his eyes twinkled as he looked back at Merry.

“I’m sorry I hit you,” Eowyn said meaning it this time.

“It’s all right,” Faramir said, also meaning it. “You were aiming at Orin.”

“Wanna see my hand, Uncle Pip?” Freddy asked.

Pippin knelt down and let Freddy come over to him. He examined the hand carefully while the others watched. “I think you’re missing a finger, Fred,” Pippin said after completing his examination.

Freddy looked at his hand and began to count his fingers. “One, two, three, four, five,” he said frowning at Pippin. “That’s all of them,” he said.

“Oh,” Pippin said. “I must have miscounted. I thought you had six before.”

“I did not,” Freddy giggled.

“Are you sure?” Pippin asked.

“I had only five, didn’t I have only five, Papa?” Freddy asked, looking up at Merry.

“Yes, Fred,” Merry said. He smiled at Pippin. “Your Uncle Pip is teasing you.”

Pippin grinned at the child who charged over and tackled him knocking him back onto the floor. Pippin easily lost his balance as he was sitting on his heels so that he would be on the same level as Fred.  Eowyn grinned. “Tickle him, Fred!” she suggested.

“Oh, no,” Pippin said as Eowyn and Faramir joined Freddy. All three of them were tickling him and laughing. Dernhelm snickered and came over and took hold of his uncle’s hands. Pippin laughed. “Merry, do something,” he said in between giggles.

“You started it,” Merry smiled. “When you start something sometimes you get something that you don’t feel you deserve.” He put his hands in his pockets and watched the children wrestle with Pippin and tickle him.

“Coward,” Pippin laughed. “Faramir, help me.”

“We’re winning, Papa!” Freddy crowed as he sat on Pippin’s chest and tickled under his uncle’s arms.

“No fair, four against one,” Pippin complained between spurts of helpless laughter.

Diamond and Estella entered the room and looked down at the children who were all tickling Pippin while Merry stood there and watched. Estella raised an eyebrow. “What is this?” she asked, looking over at Merry.

“Revenge,” Merry said smiling.

“Mama!” Freddy said excitedly and got up off of Pippin and ran to Estella. “We were winning!”

“I saw that,” Estella said, bending down and hugging her youngest.

With Freddy gone, Pippin managed to sit up holding Eowyn under one arm and Faramir under the other one. Dernhelm had stood up quickly when Estella and Diamond had entered the room. He didn’t want to look like one of the children. He was twelve now.

“Ow!” Eowyn complained.

“Papa!” Faramir objected.

“Tis’nt funny now, is it?” Pippin grinned, letting them go and getting to his feet. “Hullo, Diamond,” he smiled.

“Can’t you behave yourself for five minutes, Peregrin Took?” she asked still grinning.

“No, he can’t,” Merry answered.

“Don’t tattle, Merry,” Pippin said as he walked over to greet his wife. Faramir followed and Diamond received a hug from both of them.

“Mama, how many fingers did I have yesterday?” Freddy asked. Estella looked at Merry in confusion.

“Ten darling,” Estella said.

Freddy looked at his hand and frowned. “On this hand?” he asked.

“No, dear five on each hand and that makes ten in all,” Estella said.

Freddy stuck out his tongue at Pippin who smiled at him.

“Eowyn!” Estella said, noticing her daughter’s knees and the torn skirt. “What happened to you?”

“Probably the same thing that happened to Faramir,” Diamond sighed looking at her son’s eyes, which were both circled in black.

“You two were supposed to be watching these children,” Estella said, looking from Merry to Pippin. “These are your children, Meriadoc!”

“And this one with the black eyes is yours, Peregrin,” Diamond said putting her hands on her hips and glaring at Pippin. “Are you hurt, darling?” she asked looking at Faramir.

“No,” Faramir insisted, looking embarrassed. “Why does everyone ask that?”

Dernhelm grinned at Faramir. The younger lad was determined not to let on that he had been hurt in any way. Dernhelm had been the same at that age. He was still that way.

“My hand hurts,” Freddy offered.

“What’s wrong with your hand, Freddy?” Estella ask picking up her youngest.

“Otto Bracegridle stepped on it,” Freddy said, rubbing his fingers.

“Yes, about two hours ago,” Dernhelm sighed. Freddy enjoyed letting everyone know about his injuries. Dernhelm wondered if his younger brother would ever out-grow that.

“Well, it still hurts sometimes,” Freddy whined as Estella stroked his curls and grinned at Dernhelm.

“Of course it does, dearest,” Estella said. She looked over at Eowyn. “But just now I need to have a look at your sister’s knees.” She sat the child down, much to his disappointment and went over to her daughter. “Look at you,” Estella sighed. “Have you been fighting again?”

“I had to, Mama,” Eowyn said.

“You come with me and I’ll get you cleaned up,” Estella said, sternly and she glanced over at Merry. “Try not to let anything happen to the other two while I’m gone, will you?”

Pippin snorted and Merry poked him in the ribs.

“No wonder this sort of thing happens,” Diamond said, taking Faramir’s hand. “The way you two carry on. A fine example you’ve set for these children!”

“I’m going with Mama,” Freddy said, quickly. “You and Uncle Pip are in trouble.”

“Loyal, isn’t he?” Pippin whispered to Merry as Freddy ran from the room.

“Clever,” Merry corrected. “He knows when to run.”

“Sit somewhere and try not to make mischief while I see to this child’s eyes,” Diamond said, looking sternly at Pippin.

“Di, I didn’t do-“

“I don’t want to hear it,” Diamond said, turning to leave.

Merry hit Pippin on the back of the head and smiled. “Sit,” Merry said.

Pippin sighed.

Dernhelm grinned at them. “I’m not getting married,” he announced. He then turned and left the room.

Merry and Pippin managed to wait until Dernhelm was gone before they laughed. They both sat down on the sofa and Merry looked over at Pippin and frowned.

“What?” Pippin asked.

“Nothing,” Merry said, still looking at his cousin.

“What?” Pippin asked again.

“Nothing,” Merry said. “It’s only that I think one of your front teeth might be missing.”

“What?” Pippin sat up straight and began running a finger over his teeth. “Which one?”

“One of the front ones,” Merry frowned. “Maybe one of the children knocked it out while you were playing with them before. Did you feel anything?" Merry peered at Pippin intently.

Pippin continued to check his teeth with his finger. “No,” Pippin said. He stood and went over to the mirror and began looking at his teeth. Merry was snickering. Pippin turned around and glared at him. “That isn’t funny, Merry,” he said.

Merry raised a hand and grinned. “How many fingers do I have, Pip?”

“Very funny,” Pippin said.

“Why don’t you go and see if there is any brandy in that decanter on the table,” Merry asked. “I don’t know about you, but I think a drink is in order before the lasses return. I don’t want to explain how their little ones got injured while in our care without some brandy fortifying me.”

“Good idea,” Pippin agreed and turned to get the decanter.

Within a few minutes, both hobbits had a full glass of Buckland’s finest brandy and a lit pipe. Wreathed in a smokey cloud of the pleasant smell of Old Toby, the two of them sat on the sofa and sipped their brandy.

Pippin broke the silence first. “Is that the same shell that I remember?” he asked.

“It is,” Merry said, taking a long puff on his pipe.

“So, it is the one that the Lady Eowyn gave to you while I was away?” Pippin asked.

“The very one,” Merry nodded. He thought of the time that he and Eowyn had spent in the Houses of Healing in Minas Tirith waiting for news of the battle and worrying about their friends and family who had ridden off to the Black Gates of Mordor for the final battle. He and Eowyn had each tried to offer comfort to the other. Merry was angry at being left behind and he was also very worried about all of his friends. He had just recently been reunited with Pippin and now his younger cousin had gone off to battle. Merry feared that Pippin would never return. Merry had been a lone hobbit amid men in a fierce battle himself. He knew how lost Pippin would be among all of those large soldiers once the fighting began.

Eowyn had been heartsick over the death of her dear Uncle, King Theoden of Rohan. She had also been feeling rejected by Aragorn who did not return her love in the way that she had hoped he would. Now, she was frightened for her brother, Eomer who was ridding to battle. She, like Merry, had feared that none would return. The war had seemed lost almost before the soldiers of Gondor and Rohan had left Minas Tirith. Merry had not dared to hope that Frodo and Sam would be successful in their efforts to destroy the One Ring.

“Tell me again,” Pippin said, interrupting Merry’s thoughts.

“You know it all by heart,” Merry sighed.

“I do, but tell it again just the same,” Pippin said, leaning back against the sofa and finishing his brandy.

“I was feeling very worried,” Merry began. “I didn’t know if I would ever see any of you again. The sky was dark as if it were night though it wasn’t. It was afternoon and there was a stillness about the Houses of Healing. It was almost suffocating. I felt as if the entire place was wrapped in wool to keep out the sound and the air. For some reason, I couldn’t seem to draw a full breath. I felt as if all of the life had drained from my body and that soon I might just sink into nothing.” Merry was very quiet for a moment and Pippin reached over and touched his older cousin’s arm.

Merry sighed and said, “Eowyn was crying. It was the first sound that I had heard all day, or that is how it seemed at the time. I couldn’t remember hearing any other sound until I began to hear her crying in the next room. As you know, she’s a very strong lass and she seldom cries.”

Pippin nodded and he felt the sofa shift slightly as Merry turned to face him. “I got up, though I can’t imagine how. I hadn’t the energy only moments before. Something drew me forward and I found myself going to sit on the side of her cot. She didn’t notice me at first. She just kept crying and I seemed unable to say anything.” Merry smiled at his cousin. “I remember thinking that it was a shame that you weren’t there with me because I knew that you would have said something.”

“Even if it would have been the wrong thing,” Pippin grinned.

“Even so, it would have broken the silence,” Merry said. “I just sat there until she looked up and saw me there on the side of her bed. I must have been a ridiculous sight. I was just sitting there, staring at her and doing nothing at all. Her arm was still in a sling and she was sitting with her back propped against several pillows. She was quite pale yet and her eyes were rimmed with red from her tears.”

Merry’s eyes looked distant as if he were seeing the Lady of Rohan as he spoke. Pippin waited, holding his tongue for once.

“I wanted to say something reassuring to this woman who had done so much for me,” Merry said. “It is she who allowed me to ride into battle with her. She is the one who saved me from utter shame. I wanted to do something for her even if it was only something small. I searched the room with my eyes and that was when I saw it.”

“The sea shell,” Pippin said.

“Yes,” Merry answered. “It was sitting on the little table by her bed. I had not seen one so big as that or so beautiful. It drew my attention and she followed my gaze. She smiled through her tears and picked up the seashell and held it out to me. She asked me if I would like to see it and I took it from her and held it. I can remember studying every curve of it and running my fingers over every inch of it. It was a thing of beauty amid so much injury and so much darkness. For some reason that I can’t explain it filled me with hope and I believe that she saw that in my face because when I looked up from the shell, she smiled at me.”

Pippin’s pipe had gone out but he didn’t bother to light it again. He merely held it in his hand and continued to look at Merry. Merry took a puff of his own pipe and said, “I asked her about the shell. It was strange. I had no need to ask her why she had been crying. It seemed perfectly reasonable to me that she would cry under the circumstances. I had cried many times. I didn’t need to know what reason she had chosen to cry this time, but I did want to know about the sea shell.” Merry smiled. “She told me that it had been a gift from her Uncle, King Theoden, when she had been a very small child of ten. She said that he had brought the shell to her when he had returned from his travels one time and that is when she told me that I should put the shell to my ear and listen.”

Pippin smiled. “I still wonder how it does that,” he said.

“I was transfixed by the sound,” Merry said. “She told me that it was the echo of the sea that I was hearing and I never doubted her words though it seemed impossible to me. I don’t know how long I sat with Eowyn’s shell to my ear listening to the sound of waves that I had never seen. I don’t know how long she watched me sit there. I only know that the first thing that I was aware of when I managed to lower the shell from my ear was the light.”

“I love this part,” Pippin said, softly.

Merry ignored this and said, “As I lowered the shell, light seemed to feel the room and for just a minute I felt as if Eowyn’s shell had taken me away to the Over Heavens because everything was bathed in a soft light. I stood and looked at the window and saw the sun for the first time in a very long time. Eowyn saw it too and both of us just stood there looking out of the window and smiling. I knew then that the battle was over. I didn’t need anyone to tell me that the Dark Lord had not got his ring back. I could see the sun again and that was evidence enough for me that the Dark Lord had been defeated. I didn’t know how he had been defeated, but as sure as the sun was coming into the room, I knew.” Merry frowned at Pippin. “What I didn’t know was if any of you were yet alive to share my view of the sunlight.”

“I dare say that I did not see the sunlight that day,” Pippin said with a slight quirk of a smile playing on his lips. “Something was blocking my view of it all.”

Merry smiled and got up to refill his glass. He brought the decanter of brandy back and refilled Pippin’s glass too before continuing. “As Eowyn and I stood there looking at the sun gleaming off of the White City, I wished silently that Frodo and Sam were safe and that you weren’t in too much trouble,” he said and mussed Pippin’s hair as he’d done when Pippin had been small.

“Not too much,” Pippin said taking a sip of his brandy. “Finish the story if you please.”

“You’ve heard this a million times, Peregrin,” Merry sighed trying to pretend that he was annoyed.

Pippin continued to look at him and said, “I look forward to the ending.”

“She suddenly laughed,” Merry said. “Then she reached over and picked up the shell which I had left lying on the bed. She pushed it into my hands and she said, ‘I want you to have this.’ I tried to argue with her. I told her that it was a gift to her from her Uncle and she said, ‘I want you to have it and I think that he would approve of my choice.’” Pippin mouthed the last words of the tale along with Merry. “It was given to me to enjoy and to do with what I pleased and it would please me to know that you have it. Someday, you may chose to give it away for reasons of your own, but I want you to have it now.”

Merry grinned at Pippin and continued. “I never thought that I would give so lovely a gift to anyone. I thought that one of my greatest joys would be to have that shell and to listen to the water trapped within it and think of my friend and remember the return of the sunlight.”

“But,” Pippin prompted.

“But, one day just after a very big storm as the sun was peeking through the clouds, I gave the seashell away,” Merry said. “I had been in bed with a rather nasty cold for several days and the storm had not improved my mood in the least. Suddenly, I saw a little curly head peering at me from the foot of my bed. My little Eowyn was almost seven. She was standing there holding the seashell in her chubby little fingers and looking at me. ‘Can I listen to the water, Papa?’ she asked and she climbed up on the bed with me. Instead of listening to it herself she pushed the sea shell to my ear and asked, ‘Can you hear it?’ That is when the sun came through my window and I just knew that it was time to give the sea shell away.”

Pippin smiled and leaned further back against the sofa and put his feet on Estella’s favorite coffee table. “I just love that story,” he sighed polishing off the last of his drink.

“Peregrin Took!”

Pippin jumped at the sound of Estella’s voice and quickly pulled his feet off of the table. Merry hid a smile behind his brandy glass. “Sorry,” Pippin said noticing the look in those eyes of Estella’s.

“That is my good table,” Estella said, hands on her hips.

“I think you should take your wife for a stroll in the garden before you get into serious trouble,” Diamond said from the doorway. “Faramir is playing with Eowyn and Freddy. The children should be fine with Estella here.” She smiled at the frown that creased Merry’s brow.

“Excellent idea,” Pippin said getting to his feet and nearly tripping over them as he made his way to her side. “We’ll just be outside then,” he said somewhat nervously to Estella as Merry began to snicker from his place on the sofa. Pippin frowned at Merry as Diamond pulled him from the room, her tiny hand holding firmly to his wrist.

When the Tooks had left, Estella sat down next to Merry and said, “Tell me again exactly why you named our daughter after a warrior.”

Merry smiled. It seemed to be a day for the telling tales. He let her settle into the crook of his arm and cleared his throat. “Well, when our daughter was born…..”

The End

G. W. 08/04/2005