Bildad came two years, almost to the day, after his twin sisters-- he was born the day before their birthday! For the first time since I had begun to bear Tûk's children I was ill. He was born nearly a month early, and I labored long with him. I remember little of those early days after his birth, but I was told afterwards that at one point Tûk feared he would lose us both. He was the first of my children whom I did not nurse. I was far too sick to do so. I had never ever experienced sickness since I had taken my hobbit form. I still do not know why it happened or how, though I wonder if it did not happen because I had begun to forget myself, to forget who I was, to lose sight of my nature, to think I truly was a hobbit in all ways.

One night, when they feared that Bildad would die, they brought him and placed him in my arms. I was at first scarcely aware of him. Only Tûk sat by me. Yet as I began to realise this was my babe and that he might leave me before I could know him, my heart and mind reached out to my innermost self. I drew upon my powers, and called upon my Lady. I felt a warmth move through me, and through my child. Tûk told me we were both filled with a great light. The next day, both of us were as well as if we had never been ill.

Bildad was as loving as Buttercup, as curious as Raz, as fond of songs and tales as Addie, as adventurous as Kali and Ban. And, perhaps because they had come so close to losing him, he was the pet of the family.