[Encaitare]

Caity giggled along with the two elves at Shimshin's harmless tricks, and shook her head good-naturedly at the woman who had pretended to swoon and nearly been dropped by her husband. Then she turned back to Mithalwen.

"I've only been to one handfasting before, and that was when I was a child," she said. "But I certainly can tell you what's likely to happen. There will be a lovely ceremony, where Miss Zimzi and Master Derufin will pledge themselves to one another, and have their hands bound for a time. A song will be played just for them and they shall dance together, and then have their hands released. Then," she continued merrily, "there will be food and drink and dancing. There will be a number of speeches, of course, and that will take a while, but soon enough it will be back to the festivities."

Mithalwen smiled. "It sounds wonderful. Will it go all night?"

"Probably," Caity said. "There hasn't been a handfasting this big for a long time. But do you want to know the secret to keeping your energy?" She pointed across the lawn to the elderly hobbits around their vat. "See what those three gammers are mixing up? That's maiden's blush punch, and you'll just want to dance until morning... or so I've been told." She glanced over at Rasputina, who was chewing her sandwich thoughtfully and looking over at the tables.

She seems awfully distracted, Caity thought. I wonder if something's happened.