13. Naming Day

Reginard and Ferdibrand carried the Thain to the great room well before the celebration was due to begin, settling him comfortably in a chair. 'We're getting good at this,' he commented.

'Don't get too used to it,' Regi grunted. 'As soon as you're back on your feet this special treatment is going to stop.'

Diamond came in, two servants behind her carrying the sleeping babes nestled in their baskets. She stooped to kiss her husband, whispering, 'They're clean, they're fed, with any luck they'll sleep through it all.'

'Miss the celebration?' he chuckled. 'What a hard-hearted mum you are!' Her arms circled him in a quick hug, and then she was standing beside his chair as Sandy opened the doors to admit the friends and relations, bearing their gifts.

When all were gathered around, and the oohing and ahhing at the sight of the sweetly sleeping babes had subsided, he raised his voice to speak the traditional words.

'It has been a month and a day since these new hobbits graced the Shire with their presence,' he said, 'and we gather now to welcome them to the family and to write their names in the book.' Diamond looked down at him, and he met her eye with a grin. He still had not told her what the boy babe's name would be, only that he thought she'd be in perfect agreement when she heard it.

'You picked out the name for the lass,' he had maintained. ' 'Tis only fair that I pick out the name for the lad, and it will be Tookish enough for the son of the Thain, trust me on this.'

There was a soft murmur of "welcome", and then Faramir stepped forward, carrying the two flutes he had so laboriously carved. 'Welcome to the family,' he said. 'I give the gift of music, that their hearts may be ever light.' He lay the flutes between the baskets with their slumbering inhabitants.

Reginard came forward with a loaf of bread. 'Welcome to the family,' he repeated the greeting. 'I bring bread, that they may never know hunger.'

One by one the relations and friends stepped up with their greeting and their gifts, wine for joy, flowers for beauty, honey that life might be ever sweet, oil that they might live off the fat of the land, and more. Many of the gifts were clever, and laughter was sprinkled amongst the more serious presents.

Meliloc Brandybuck stepped forward with a small bowl filled with white crystals. 'Salt,' he said, after his greeting, a twinkle in his eye. 'That they would never be spoiled.'

After the last gift was given, Reginard stepped forward again with a sparkling crystal glass filled with water. 'Welcome to the family,' he repeated. 'I bring water, that they may never know thirst, or drought, that the rain that falls into their lives may be ever sweet and refreshing, that all their sorrows may be quickly washed away.'

He stepped forward as Diamond picked up the tiny girl-babe and settled her in Pippin's lap. Pippin dipped his thumb into the water, stroked it gently over the babe's forehead, kissed the wet spot tenderly. 'Welcome to the family, my lass,' he murmured. She stirred slightly in her sleep, and he held her up. 'We welcome Forget-me-not!' There was a soft chorus of assent, and he handed her back to Diamond, receiving the boy-babe in return. Again he blessed the child with the water, murmured his welcome, and as he held the child up the eyes opened wide in the tiny face as if to receive the greetings of all the well wishers there, or perhaps in curiosity to find out what his name might be. Pippin was aware that there was not a sound in the great room, he could see that Diamond was holding her breath. He smiled widely and said clearly, 'We welcome... Merigrin!' There was a cheer and a chorus of welcome, and the musicians struck up the first tune, with many more to come.