This, my friend, is a pint!

Bilbo’s 111th birthday party was in full swing. The third round of food was being served, and the… fourth or fifth round of ale was being served. The band recently hopped up on the stage and began performing, causing majority of the hobbits to pair off and enter the dancing green. Melian Gamgee sat next to her brother, admiring the music and the ambiance, paying special attention to her good friend Pippin playing his stringed instrument on the stage.

“Pippin’s gotten really good,” she observed, to which Frodo and Sam both agreed. Sam, however, wasn’t paying much attention to the musicians, but to the dancers (or, rather, dancer). His eyes never left Rosie Cotton since she entered the dancing green, and Frodo noticed. “Go on, Sam… ask Rosie for a dance,” Frodo said. “We both know he’s too shy to do that,” Melian commented, taking a sip of her ale before adding, “He needs a little push.” She stood up from her seat and pulled her brother up, dragging him over to the edge of the dancing green where he was swept up and away by Rosie herself.

Frodo, watching from afar, laughed as Melian returned to their table and sat where Sam once was. “Brilliant, Mel… I’m sure he’ll thank you later,” he said, picking up his ale and lifting it up towards her. “More like scold me later,” she retorted, following suit with her mug, toasting his before taking a sip. “Ah! Melian!!” she heard a familiar voice call out to her. She turned to see her good friend Merry Brandybuck walking in her direction. “Merry!” she replied.

Merry took a seat next to her and looked out at the crowd of dancers. “Do my eyes deceive me or is Sam dancing with Rosie Cotton?” he asked, bewildered. Frodo nodded. “Our dear Melian made sure of that,” he answered. Merry smiled over at Mel and said, “well, that’s not fair, is it?? That Sam is out there dancing while you’re just sitting on the sidelines!” “You know I’m not much of a dancer; I’d much rather watch!” Melian retorted. “Nonsense!” Merry said, hopping up from his seat.

He offered her his hand and politely asked, “Melian, would you dance with me?” Melian rolled her eyes. “Please don’t make me!!” she whined. “Oh, c’mon, Mel! It’s not everyday I ask a girl to dance with me!” he said. Come to think of it… girls were usually asking him to dance, and Melian never remembered him accepting any of their offers. “Fine,” Melian said with a sigh, taking his hand as he stood her up and dragged her to the dancing green.

He put one hand on her waist, while holding her hand with the other as he began to jig around energetically, leading her around the green. She jumped along with him, resting one hand on his shoulder, laughing at how silly she thought they must’ve looked. “See? Everyone around us is dancing too,” he pointed out, causing Melian to notice all the other hobbits dancing to the rhythm of the music. The song ended and everyone stopped and clapped to show their appreciation for the musicians hard at work.

Merry bowed politely, and Melian gave a little curtsey, though she felt awkward doing so. “Thanks for dancing with me, you were great,” he said, beaming at her. “Oh, not really… but I had fun, actually,” she said, smiling back. “So, do you want to dance again, then?” he asked, raising an eyebrow and offering her his hand again. “Don’t push it,” she replied, rolling her eyes and playfully pushing his hand away. She walked back over to where Sam was sitting, and he sat up taller upon seeing her. “There you are, Mel! I was wondering where you went off to!” he said as she took a seat across from him. She took a long sip of ale as he looked her over.

Melian kept her hands working at the Houses of Healing. Thanks to her knowledge of gardening and herbs, she proved to be quite useful in helping treat the various soldiers being brought in from the battlefield… some with very grave injuries. Though the actual battle of Pelennor Fields was over, the work at the Houses was just beginning. Melian was dumping out another dirty bucket of water used to clean off wounds when a familiar face caught her attention, coming into the House.

It was Eomer, and in his arms was an armored figure with long blonde hair. Right behind him was Aragorn from Rohan, and in his arms was what looked like a child. As soon as Melian saw the curly brown hair on the small figure, she recognized him. “Merry!!” she exclaimed, dropping the bucket and running over to Aragorn. He lowered Merry onto one of the low beds, and Aragorn explained.

“They’re both gravely injured… they fought and defeated the Witch-king,” he said as he began stripping Merry of his armor, revealing his injured arm, black and cold from the Black Breath. Melian looked at the pale, lifeless body of Merry in shock. “Melian, I need you to get me a bundle of aethelas. And a fresh bowl of warm water, not too hot,” Aragorn instructed. She nodded, keeping a level head, despite her hands shaking slightly.

She continued to follow Aragorn’s instructions as he worked on both Merry and Eowyn, cleaning their other wounds and the dirt from their faces while Aragorn muttered a number of Elvish phrases to reverse the Black Breath. He finished up with Merry and wrapped his injured arm in a bandage. Melian kept her eyes fixed on Merry the whole time. Aragorn squatted so he was eye-level with her, placing a hand gently on her shoulder. “He’ll be alright, Melian… He just needs rest now… Stay by his side and keep talking to him. He’ll hear what you’re saying,” he said, reassuringly.

She nodded and sat down next to him while Aragorn went to continue Eowyn’s treatment. She took his uninjured hand in hers and studied it. It was rougher than it used to be. Scars on his knuckles and callouses on his palms, worn from the battle and the training that he had faced. “You stupid, brave hobbit,” she said quietly, now looking at his face, studying the bruises and scars there. His eyes were shut, and he did look peaceful, and less pale… then Melian realized she hadn’t been talking like Aragorn had instructed her.

“Do you remember the night of Mr. Bilbo’s party? When you asked me to dance with you? You know I’m not much of a dancer, but you still dragged me to the dance floor. Once we started dancing, I felt a lot more comfortable and had fun… You’ve always known how to make me feel comfortable, no matter what. I think it was that night that I began to realize how charming and kind and handsome you were, and why so many other girls in the Shire fancy you,” she began, holding his hand the whole time and blushing slightly.

“But then when we began our journey with Mr. Frodo, I began to notice things more… things I had always known, but… was different now… your organization, your quiet thinking, your love for adventure, your fascination with maps, your bravery, your protective nature over Pip and I… Please don’t die, Merry… I still need you… I- I love you,” she said, smiling smally. She used her free hand to stroke the curls from off his forehead and continued to gently stroke his hair as she thought about what to say next.

“Speaking of stupid, brave, hobbits… you should’ve seen the way Pippin spoke to the steward of Gondor when we first arrived at Minas Tirith…” she began, then proceeded to tell the entire lore of what had happened since their separation at Edoras. Time passed, and sleep began to overtake her as the sun was setting. Still sitting next to Merry’s bed, Melian slumped over, her head resting perpendicular to Merry’s as she drifted off to sleep, her hand never leaving his.

The following morning, as the sun was rising, Melian felt a stir under her hand, causing her to sit up sleepily and look at Merry. “Melly??” he said, barely over a whisper, opening his eyes and looking up at her. “Yes, I’m here, Merry!!” she said, trying to contain her excitement. All she wanted to do was give him a tight hug, but she refrained from fear of hurting him. “What’s the time?? I’m hungry…” he said. Melian chuckled and said, “Just rest, Mer… I’ll go get Aragorn.”

Melian skipped down the street of Bywater with her basket full of carrots and potatoes in hand. She had one more stop to the herb shop she had to make before going home and preparing her roast beef pot pie. Her beloved Merry Brandybuck was coming into Hobbiton as he often had to spend time with Melian and of course see his cousin Frodo while he was nearby. As she passed people, she gave a friendly “hullo!” to those she knew, and a small nod to those she didn’t.

She rounded the corner of one shop, and in doing so nearly ran into someone. “Oh, I’m sorry-” she said, apologizing to the stranger, only to realize it wasn’t a stranger after all. “Merry?? I thought you weren’t arriving until later this afternoon!” she said, happy to see him. He put his finger to his lips and gently pulled her around the corner next to him against the wall. “Shhhh,” he said, looking around the corner as he held her against the wall with one arm.

She remained quiet, trusting her Merry and knowing he would explain it all in due time. She noticed Frodo pass them, walking with several papers in hand. He walked into a nearby shop, not noticing the two young hobbits hiding from him around the corner. “Whew, I’m surprised he didn’t see us,” Merry said once they were in the clear. “So, you’re spying on Frodo? What for?” Melian observed. “I’ll give you a full explanation later…” Merry said, looking down at her basket. “Is there anything else you need to get?” he asked.

“I just need to stop by the herbs shop. I’m making a roast beef pot pie!” she said, smiling at him. “I was hoping so… Anything I need to bring?” he offered. Melian shook her head and said, “I don’t think so, I have just about everything I need.” He nodded. “I’ll be along in a little while. In time to give you a hand with the cooking,” he said. “With a thorough explanation, I hope,” Melian teased. He nodded and noticed Frodo coming out of the shop. “Of course!” he said, giving her a quick peck on the cheek before stealthily following behind Frodo.

Melian purchased the herbs and spices she needed before heading back to the Gamgee residence, where she began to peel the carrots and potatoes. As she was preparing all the things for their meal, she heard a knock on the door, and after gaining permission, in walked Merry with a little basket. “Hullo, Merry dear!” Melian said, affectionately. “Hullo, Melian,” he said, setting the basket down on the kitchen counter that she was working on.

“I told you that you didn’t need to bring anything!” Melian said, peeking in the basket. “I know… but I also know how much you love these shortbread cookies! I figured they would be a good addition to our afternoon tea,” Merry explained. “Thanks, Mer… but one meal at a time! Go get your hands washed so that you can help me with the chopping!” she replied, peeling the last potato. Merry followed instructions and found a knife and cutting board, joining Melian on the opposite side of the counter.

“So about me spying on Frodo,” Merry began as they worked, knowing he owed her a full explanation. “Remember when Mr. Bilbo left the Shire mysteriously? I mean… of course you do… but I have reason to believe that Frodo is planning on leaving the Shire also,” Merry began. Melian listened intently as she rolled out the dough to the pie and Merry chopped the veggies. “He’s been acting so queer since Mr. Bilbo’s leaving, so I’ve been paying close attention. As I watched him today, he was getting some appraisals on how much it would be to sell Bag End,” he said.

“Sell Bag End?? If anyone but you were telling me this, I wouldn’t believe them!” Melian said, with raised eyebrows. “He’s been hinting at it… which is why I followed him today, and his actions today seem to confirm my suspicions. I spotted him the other week at Buckland, eyeing a house over at Crickhollow, but why would he want to sell Bag End and move towards the outskirts of the Shire if not for the ultimate purpose of leaving?” Merry said.

Melian pondered on his words for a bit, then spoke up and asked, “so you think Frodo means to go after Mr. Bilbo?” Merry shrugged. “Possibly… I haven’t discovered the whole why yet. From what I can tell, he now has the Ring that belonged to Mr. Bilbo, so I wonder how that may factor into it,” he replied, now passing Melian the chopped vegetables. “Hmmm,” Melian said, thoughtfully. The pair continued to work in a thoughtful silence, until the pie was finally put into the hot oven.

Sam, Merry, Pippin, and Melian go on a little apple picking adventure.

“Are you sure there were apple trees this way??” Sam asked as he trudged along behind Melian, Pippin, and Merry. “Yes, of course! Just over the crest of this hill!” Melian replied, with her hands on her hips as she stopped to wait for her brother. The four hobbits had met in Bywater at the crack of dawn to venture out to the outskirts of the Old Forest… all in the name of picking some fresh apples. “I just don’t know why we have to travel all this way to pick some apples that we could’ve easily bought in the Hobbiton market just down the road,” Sam complained as he sat down on a log to catch his breath.

“Because the journey is part of the fun!! C’mon now, we’re nearly there!” Merry said, reaching under Sam’s arm and pulling him up from his seat. Sam begrudgingly stood up and continued up the hill. “Besides, if Gaffer knew you were coming all this way for silly adventures, I’m not sure if he’d be too pleased… trust a Brandybuck and a Took,” he said under his breath. “I think Gaffer will indeed be pleased with baskets full of apples!” Melian replied. “To tell you the truth, Mel didn’t want us to drag you along, afraid it would be too ‘adventurous’ for you,” Merry explained.

“Yes, but we figured we needed another body to help us carry more apples back!!” Pippin added with a chuckle. “Ah! Here we are!” he then said as they approached the top of the hill. Right at the top of what felt like a mountain was a number of apple trees. There was an array of bright crimson apples, shiny green apples, and golden apples. Sam looked up at them wide-eyed, as if he had never seen such beautiful apples. “Well, I’ll be…” he said to himself.

Merry reached up and picked one of the red apples, wiping it on his sleeve before taking a big bite. “Mmmm… so juicy,” he said with his mouth full, handing it over to Melian so she could take a bite. “Well, this is great and all, but how are we supposed to reach most of the apples?” Sam asked as he picked a golden apple to try. He had a point… they were hobbits, after all, and most of the apples on the trees were well beyond their reach. “Climbing the trees, of course!!” Pippin answered, throwing away the core of an apple he was already able to finish.

“Exactly,” Melian said, throwing her basket over to Pippin. “Here… hoist me up,” she said to Merry, who was putting his hands together for her to step on. “Oh, no you don’t,” Sam said, setting his basket on the ground before stepping into Merry’s place. “I won’t have you lookin’ up my sister’s skirt… even if you two are going out,” Sam said. “Sam!!” Melian said, her face as bright as the apples on the tree. “Th-that was not my intention at all!!” Merry exclaimed, innocently. Ever since Bilbo’s party, Sam had been keeping a close eye on them. Of course he approved of Merry, but Melian was his little sister, after all.

Sam hoisted up his sister, who grabbed hold of a branch and lifted herself up into the tree of red apples. “Heads up, Pip!” she said, picking an apple and throwing it down at him, hitting him squarely in the head. The apple bounced off him and fell into the basket, getting his attention. “Ok, I’m ready!” he said, now catching the apples as she threw them down to him. Merry managed to climb into the tree of green apples and began throwing some down to the two other hobbits below.

The four hobbits continued to pick apples, laughing and chatting all the while, and of course stopping for a little picnic snack. All four of their baskets were full, so they decided to head back to the Gamgee residence for their lunch. As they walked back, Melian found herself walking next to Merry, while Pippin and Sam lagged behind a bit. “You want me to carry your basket for a bit?” Merry asked Melian. “No, it’s alright… thanks, though,” she replied.

“I really wasn’t trying to peek up your skirt, you know,” Merry said, Sam’s comment still bugging him. “You’re still thinking about that? I know,” she began. “And Sam does trust you… he’s just being the big brother that he is. And of course I trust you, too. You’ve always been nothing but a gentleman,” Melian said, blushing slightly. Merry smiled at her. He was quite smitten with her, and though they had been seeing a lot more of each other since their date at Bilbo’s party, he didn’t feel right about asking her to court him officially until he had a talk with old Gaffer Gamgee.

They were happy to arrive to the Gamgee residence and to smell the soup that was simmering on the stove for lunch… though not as happy as old Gaffer was when he saw the many baskets of apples. “We can have apple pie, apple butter, apple jam, apple tarts, apple…” and he proceeded to name all the things that they could make with the apples. “One at a time, father… let’s start with apple pie,” Melian said, kissing her father on the cheek.

While she cleaned up the dishes, the boys began peeling and slicing the apples. Melian rolled out the dough and prepared the pie, putting the crust in a cross-hatched pattern before sticking it in the oven. Sam left for his gardening duties at Bag End while the pie baked, and the other three hobbits found themselves in the living room with cups of tea in hand. They talked for a while, until Pippin began nodding off with drowsiness. “I think I’ll have a little cat nap while we wait for the pie,” Pippin said, curling up in the armchair he was sitting in.

“Not a bad idea, actually… we have worked hard today,” Melian said with a yawn. She pulled up her feet on the couch in between her and Merry and rested her head on the arm of the couch, cuddling one of the many couch pillows in her arms as she shut her eyes. Merry continued to quietly read his book until he heard the rhythmic breathing of a sleeping Melian. He peered over at her, and seeing that her mouth was slightly opened, he knew she was definitely asleep.  Melian’s feet had made their way to his lap, so he strategically and quietly got out from beneath them and off the couch.

He roamed around a bit, looking for someone, and then spotting the Gaffer through the window smoking outside, he decided to join him. “Mind if I join?” Merry asked, getting out his pipe from his jacket pocket as he shut the yellow door behind him. “Not at all… I could always use some company,” Gaffer said. Merry began smoking his pipe, mustering up the courage to do what he came here for. They sat in silence for a bit until Merry broke it by saying, “I’ve been wanting to ask you something.”

“What is it, my boy?” Gaffer asked. “Well, I was wondering if I might have your blessing to start courting Melian,” Merry said as coolly as he could, though his face was on fire. “Court her?? Haven’t you been doing so already?” he replied sincerely. “I- well… we have been spending more time together… but I haven’t actually asked her to court me or anything yet,” Merry replied, surprised at the old Gaffer’s answer. “Why yes, of course, boy! I’ve been waiting for a young sensible hobbit to marry my daughter! And why not the future Master of Buckland!! You have my blessing!” Gaffer replied.

Merry sighed a long sigh of relief… though the Gaffer was kind to all he met, Merry couldn’t help but have been a bit nervous in asking him for the blessing to court his daughter. It would eventually lead to marriage of course, and that was no small thing. “Tell me why you’ve chosen my daughter,” Gaffer added. Being the future Master of Buckland was no small thing either, and in the Gaffer’s mind, they were just a family of humble gardeners in comparison. Merry looked at him wide-eyed and then gave some thought before he spoke.

“She’s not like any of the other hobbit girls I know… she’s brave and fun, willing to go on any adventures I put her up to… she even suggests adventures to go on herself, like the apple picking today. She’s smart and perceptive, teaching me knew things and learning of the world around her. She’s beautiful but doesn’t know it. She’s the best baker in the Shire in my opinion… even now I am excited for her apple pie—” he said, suddenly remembering the pie.

“THE PIE!” he said, realizing the smoke he smelled was no longer just pipe weed but also of apple pie coming out the window. He put out his pipe and ran inside, checking the oven to see a beautifully golden crusted apple pie inside. He found some oven mitts and carefully pulled it out of the oven, realizing some of the juice from the pie had spilled to the bottom of the oven, causing the smoke he was smelling. “THE PIE IS DONE!” Melian exclaimed, rushing into the kitchen. “Oh, thank goodness…” she said upon seeing Merry.