A Merry Meeting

Though Merry had not yet met his new cousin he had heard him, wailing in the night.

His mother assured him that the high, thin sound of the baby's crying was a good thing, a sign of healthy, healing lungs, and Merry thought his mother must be right, for surely babies were supposed to cry, not cough. But he'd heard his cousin cough far too much during the three long, dreadful days since Merry and his family had arrived at Whitwell.

Merry had heard other things too: hushed and urgent conversations that stopped abruptly whenever he came near, the sound of the healer coming and going, Cousin Pearl's quiet tears when she thought no one was listening.

Although he had not seen him, Merry loved his cousin already and could not help but worry about him. And yet –

"A lad at last, Frodo, isn't it grand?"

Merry's eyes were shining, and Frodo hugged him tight.

"It is," he said. "You need a little cousin to look after, just as I have you. And this one will need your help very much, I think."

"I'll let you help him too, Frodo," Merry offered generously, and snuggled closer.

– he was hopeful, too.

*

When Merry finally met his cousin, the first thing he noticed was the small nose already showing signs of being distinctly, Tookishly sharp. In the flickering light the baby's soft, sparse curls shone gold and red and brown but his eyes were a clear and vivid green, just like his father's.

A hand emerged from the blankets and Merry was reminded of a chick creeping out of its shell, one small wing pushing its way into the world. He watched the slow, clumsy movements of the tightly curled fingers as they reached, and it took Merry a moment to realize that his cousin was reaching for him.

At his aunt’s encouraging nod, Merry took the tiny fist. He held it gently, fearing that he might break it, before the thin, delicate bones shifted to squeeze his fingers. The baby’s grip was surprisingly strong.

"He's like a bird," Merry said at last. "Peregrin is a good name for him. Just like the falcon," he added with a grin.

Paladin and Eglantine shared a smile. Their son had wandered so far that he had nearly been lost, but somehow he managed to return, safe and whole. Someday they knew he would soar.