[Nurumaiel]

Dinodas watched everyone greet their families, and looked at the ground uncomfortably. So much hugging, so many tears... and he realized Robin was no longer at his side. He searched the crowd for her, but didn't see her. He saw a different lass, and she was sobbing.

"Ann!" he cried, and there was a cry of delight. The girl rushed forward and through her arms around him, tears running freely down her face.

"Dinodas, oh, Dinodas, my dear brother," she said. "You came back safe. I was so afraid... the moment you left, the moment I said goodbye, I was so afraid you wouldn't come back alive."

He hugged her tightly, the joy in his heart nearly hurting him, it was so great. "Where are Mother and Father?" he asked.

A shadow passed over Ann's face. "Dad's fine," she said. "But Mum is awfully sick with fever. In fact, I shouldn't be here, but she insisted I go."

"Will she be all right?"

"She'll be fine, but, Dinodas, if you hadn't come back, she wouldn't have a chance of surviving."

"We have plenty of food," he replied.

"No, no, Dinodas, not the food. Her heart would break if your were killed. My heart would break, Father's heart would break. Our family would all be dead." She began to laugh. "But we're alive because you're safe!" She turned and began to run away from him, towards the direction of their home, calling, "Father will come soon! He's watching Mum!"

Dinodas saw Robin coming towards him, crying. But she wasn't crying from joy. Concerned, he hurried over to her. "Robin, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Everyone is so happy," she sobbed, gesturing to the crowd. "They're all back with their families, the children and the fathers, the brothers and sisters... but..."

"Are your parents all right?" he asked anxiously.

"They're fine, they're fine, though they aren't here yet. See, they're coming!" She pointed to where two hobbits were running as fast as their old legs would carry them. "But Emerald's family... they won't share in this joy. And Celandine's family already grieves. She was my cousin, and the dearest to me of all my relatives, and I miss her so much now. And when Mum and Dad hear, they'll be - "

She stopped and brushed her tears away. "But, Dinodas, I am happy. I can't help but being happy. Emerald and Celandine... they're happy, and I have my mother and father, and I have... you."

Dinodas looked quickly around to make sure no one was watching, and then he kissed her quickly. You can't blame him for being extremely startled when there was a loud laugh behind him. Whirling, he found himself face to face with his father.

"All right, so Robin and I are engaged," he muttered, and then, defiantly, "Is there anything wrong with that?"

"I knew you two would be married the moment I saw you together all those years ago, when you were only kids," his father replied, then he took him in his arms. "My dear, dear, son," he said. "I'm so glad you're alive." Mr. Green couldn't stop the tears that came to his eyes, and thankfully saw that other fathers were crying, as well.

Dinodas had silent tears streaming down his cheeks. His father, his Ann, and his mother was waiting back home, the home he lived in, his home, and... his Robin. He looked sideways at her and saw her embracing her mother, and heard Mrs. Brandybuck say, "My little one, you're engaged and going to be married. How could you grow up so fast?"

As the went to the Took mansion together, Dinodas' arm around his Robin's waist, the lass said softly, "This, Dinodas, was what Emerald and Celandine died for. So there could be all these tears of joy and love, so there could be the couples happily engaged. We don't need to regret that."

He smiled gently at her. "No, my little Robin-bird, we don't."