Chapter 35. A Long-Awaited Celebration

It was the last day of the week, the rest day, and the market was closed. The flower vendors took turns, early in the morning each Highday, that bouquets might be bought for mothers or sweethearts, but even these would conclude all business by the middle of the morning, leaving the market deserted, well-scrubbed tables neatly stacked before the shop-faces, stones swept clean, ready for another day on the morrow.

On this day the market was deserted, but not lifeless. The tailor and his wife hurried across the stones under a misting of spring rain, arriving at the greengrocer's stand to a warm welcome as they ducked beneath the awning stretched in front of the shop front. Tables had been brought into the work area and set up along the edges; on one side of the room benches had been lined up to make hobbity tables, with pillow-topped wooden boxes for seats. Two fiddlers and a piper were playing, a drummer anchoring them with his beat, and dancers were swirling in the centre of the workspace. Talk and laughter competed with the music, and people spilled out of the workroom and into the kitchen, dining and sitting rooms behind the workspace, talking and singing, eating and drinking.

'Tom!' The tailor turned at the cry and broke into a wide grin.

'Gwill!' he cried in return, hurrying to pump the arm of one of the honoured guests at this celebration. 'You're looking remarkably well!'

'I'm feeling remarkably well!' the old man returned, and truly he looked as if a score of years had fallen from him during the six weeks that had passed since his fall and restoration.

'Well come, Tom,' Gwillam said, his voice still somewhat husky, his eyes perhaps more thoughtful than they'd been, but his smile as warm as ever.

'Master Tailor!' came an enthusiastic greeting from Robin, and the tailor met his grin with one of his own.

'Master Fisher!' he returned. 'I've not had a good fish dinner for more than a month...!'

'Tomorrow, for certain,' Robin said.

'The morrow!' the tailor said.

Old Gwill clapped him on the shoulder. 'The morrow,' he agreed. 'We're back to the fishing on the morrow, old friend, first day of the week as always.' Though there was no need to avoid the hobbits these days, by going out to fish on the first day of the week when it had been Diamond's habit to visit the market in past visits. No, for the hobbits came to the shop nearly every day, these days.

'Robin's going to show us his favourite fishing hole,' came a voice from somewhere near the floor, and the tailor looked down to find several excited young hobbits looking up. One he recognised as the eldest son of the Ernil, and two were sons of the Mayor, but he wasn't sure of the identities of the others.

'My lords,' said the tailor with a bow, and the young hobbits, to do them credit, were able to stifle laughter and return creditable bows of their own.

'But come along, Robin!' young Faramir Took said, tugging at Robin's hand. 'You were going to tell us the tricks of the trout hereabouts...'

'If you'll excuse us,' Robin said, and allowed himself to be pulled away.

The music ended with a flourish, and the greengrocer stepped from floor to chair to table top to gain the attention of the crowd. 'If I may...' he said with a bow, and the crowd quieted. The fiddlers imitated a fanfare, and Turambor held out his arms in a grand gesture. 'If I may have the pleasure,' he said.

'You may!' the tailor shouted, and there was a general laugh.

'My thanks, Counsellor!' Turambor said with a bow to the tailor, and Tom blushed, for the office was still a wonder to him, having been bestowed bare weeks before by the King. But he did not lose his smile, merely waved for the greengrocer to continue.

'If I may have the pleasure of introducing my newest granddaughter!' Turambor said, and then Denny was ducking through the entryway from the stairs, holding the door for his wife, Merileth, who walked carefully, bearing a blanketed bundle in her arms. There were ohs and ahs from the crowd, and soft murmurs.

'Fa! Fa! Fa!' chortled Denny's small son, and the tall man bent down to lift the little one to his shoulder, that he might beam upon the crowd and his tiny sister. 'Gweth!' the boy said in satisfaction. 'My Gweth!'

'Our Gwesthiel,' Denny said, putting his free arm around Merileth and leaning to kiss her cheek. 'Come, love, sit yourself down and let the well-wishers come to you.' He manoeuvred Merileth to a comfortable chair that had been placed for just that purpose, sat her down, and stood by her side, accepting congratulations as his due.

The crowd parted to allow the distinguished visitors to approach: Thain, Master and Mayor, their families with them, as well as Ferdibrand and Hildibold Took and their families--quite a crowd in themselves! The wives cooed over the baby, the husbands winked at the proud father, the children exclaimed over the tiny fingers that showed above the blanket ("Look how big they are!") and then Gwill stepped in to escort them to their places at the feast to follow.

When all the well-wishers had filed past, the trays of food began to pass down the tables, Eliniel and Airin, Seledrith and several neighbours taking care that the food was plentiful and came hot from the kitchen.

Pippin found himself sharing a bench-table with old Gwill and his sons, who sat upon cushions on the floor. 'You've thought of everything,' he said.

'Seledrith,' Gwillam said proudly. 'She and Denny worked out all the arrangements--he knew what would suit hobbits, and she knew all the rest.'

'And no doubt she worked you from dawning until twilight to carry out her plans,' Pippin said, but Gwillam only smiled.

'Is that not the function of a wife?' Diamond said in an innocent tone.

'Indeed, my love,' Pippin said, seizing her hand and laying a kiss there before releasing it again. He took a drumstick from the passing tray and looked at his loaded plate in satisfaction. 'They do things quite properly here,' he said. 'Plenty of food...'

'And plenty more where that came from!' Denny said from the head table nearby, where he sat holding the babe so that Merileth could eat.

'Not like the palace feasts in Minas Tirith,' Pippin said. 'You ought to have seen them! Fancy food, difficult on the digestion at best, arranged artistically but sparsely on the plate as if it were a picture, and about as edible!'

'We are believers in plain fare,' Turambor said, handing along a platter of roasted vegetables, 'and plenty of it!'

'Very sensible,' Pippin said. 'I can see why Denny and Gwillam married into your family.'

'They reminded me of Shire-folk, truth be told,' Gwill said with a twinkle in his eye. 'Turambor was my first friend in the new city.'

'Short of stature but great of heart,' Turambor said. 'That is what the men of Minas Tirith say of the folk of Lossarnoch.'

'...and his daughter was the best thing that ever happened to my business,' Gwill continued.

'And to me!' Gwillam said, watching Seledrith at her serving. Something made her look over, and their gaze met, and a smile touched both faces at the same time before she turned her attention once more to the task at hand.

There was much cheerful and pleasant talk before the dancing started again. Even old Gwill danced, claimed first by Seledrith and then by Eliniel, and when he was out of breath he eased himself down again, his eyes sparkling.

'It is good to see you so well,' Diamond said, patting his hand.

'Thank you, my lady,' Gwill said, with a bow of his head. He turned to one of the young hobbits sitting between Pippin and Diamond and said suddenly, 'But what is this I see? Did you not wash behind your ears this morning, as your mother no doubt taught you to do?'

Little Forget-me-not giggled as he reached out an empty hand, bringing it back with a small copper coin.

'My goodness!' Gwill said, affecting surprise. 'Are all young hobbits in the habit of keeping pennies in their ears?'

'Mostly just the Tooks,' Merry said, 'although it has been known in other families as well.'

'Shire-folk are full of surprises,' Gwill said, but in his eyes held a certain wistfulness that belied his bright tone.

'Which reminds me,' Pippin said, leaning forward to gain the attention of all. 'My family are not staying the entire summer, this trip. "We must away 'ere break of day" on the day after Mid-year...'

There was a general groan at this, but Gwill noticed Farry's grin and said, 'What is it, young Farry? Do you long as much as I do to see the Green Hills once more?'

'His eye is on higher hills, if it may be believed,' Pippin said. 'We will set off on the day after Mid-year's Day, to travel to the Brandywine Bridge, and there we will take our leave of our son. We shall return to Tuckburough, and he shall go on to Gondor.'

'Gondor!' came a cry from many at the table, and the young hobbits surrounding the Mayor and his wife seemed especially keen.

'We wondered...' Pippin said, seeming to feel his way now.

'Yes?' Gwillam said after the pause lengthened.

'What is it?' Seledrith said, for she had sat down as well, and was nursing baby Robin under her shawl.

'We wondered if we might steal away your dear Father,' Diamond said impulsively, leaning towards Seledrith, for she would be the one to convince.

'Steal him away?' Seledrith said, and laughed.

'We would like to bring him back to the Shire with us, for the remainder of the summer,' Pippin said. 'There's Gandalf's room in Bag End, which Sam always kept, even after the White Ship sailed...'

'Not much call for a Man-sized bed in the Shire,' Sam said. 'Too much trouble to get rid of it, and a shame to chop up such fine carving for kindling.'

'...and there are Man-sized furnishings in storage in the Great Smials, from the days of Gandalf's friendship with the Old Took,' Pippin said. 'It won't take us long to fix up a guest room...'

'Indeed,' Gwill murmured with a look of wonder.

'And if the weather is fine there'll be camping out in the Green Hills,' Pippin said.

'Sleeping under the stars!' Robin said in excitement. 'O Father, it'll be just like the old days, when we wandered free...'

'Not tied down by shop and responsibilities,' Gwillam said dryly. 'I do think you'll have to take Robin along with you to the Shire.'

'But what about you, my love?' Seledrith said bravely. Her hands tightened unconsciously on the babe, and he stopped nursing to push at her in reflexive response.

Gwill gave a sudden laugh. 'I think, my dear,' he said, 'that surely we could find someone to mind the shop for us...'

But Gwillam shook his head. 'Next year, perhaps,' he said. 'If you are to take up your old practice of summers in the Shire, Father, I think we'll stay here and mind the shop ourselves, with our little Robin still so small.'

'You mean,' Seledrith breathed, 'I might come with you?'

Gwillam put an arm about her and squeezed, gently enough not to disturb the nursing babe. 'Of course,' he said. 'I'd not leave you all alone with the babe, not if I have any choice in the matter!' ...Not even to save his own life. He'd stayed for Seledrith's sake, in the face of grave danger, though of course it had nearly meant a more permanent parting.

'Summers in the Shire; what a lovely idea!' Rose said. The Gamgees did not travel to the Lake quite so often as the Tooks. 'Your family will always find a place at Bag End; you may rest assured on that account!' After all, the smial had been built by a hobbit who loved company.

'Yes, lovely,' Ferdi said gloomily, but he put on a wry smile at Pippin's meaning look. 'I will be on holiday for this summer, seeing the sights, but I certainly look forward to seeing you in the Shire, Gwillam and Seledrith, next summer.'

'If you come in time for the Tookland Pony Races next year, you might see Ferdi's pony beat Pippin's,' Ferdi's wife, Nell, said slyly.

'Or not,' Pippin said, and laughed.

'We'll plan on it, shan't we, dear Father?' Seledrith said firmly.

'I think that we shall,' old Gwill said. 'Yes, let's.'

'Put it in the diary, Ferdi,' Pippin said, 'before you take yourself off to see the sights.'

'Your least wish,' Ferdi began, and shook his head, not completing the thought. Travelling to Gondor was not his greatest desire, no matter that Pippin wished it.

'Here now, your glass is empty,' Sergeant Haleth observed in passing. He carried a tray full of well-filled glasses; as one of Turambor's oldest friends in new Annuminas, he of course had been pressed into service upon his arrival at the party. He plonked down a brimming pint of ale before Ferdibrand. 'We cannot have that!'

Ferdi sipped thoughtfully. Perhaps it would not be such a hard thing, to travel in the company of Men.

Next: Epilogue