Festival of Solmath Emsiecat

Every year during Solmath, roughly a week before the turn of Rethe, a celebration was held in the Shire.

Now a hobbit by nature will look to any cause as worthy of celebrating; such was their love for good food, good cheer, and good company. It had often been said that the Shire-folk went so far as to adopt a number of festivals from other races, simply to have reason to throw a good party.

Whether this accusation was true or not was a matter hotly debated amongst hobbits and people travelling through their lands... Whereby 'hotly debated' means to politely invite the accuser for afternoon tea and explain to them in as much hobbitish common sense as possible why and how they were wrong.

Regardless, the hobbits did agree that one of their celebrations was adopted from men; this being the aforementioned Festival of Solmath.

The Festival of Solmath was one hobbits held close to their hearts. It had made its way to their lands on the wings of stories spun by travelling men from the south looking for trade, and the hobbits had fallen in love with it almost instantly. The festival actually celebrated just that, falling in love, and once the hobbits had heard the tales and learnt the customs; they took to adopting it most enthusiastically.

This had been a century or two ago, and by now the holiday was so deeply ingrained into hobbit culture that it often took some delicate reminding that it hadn't actually been their holiday to begin with.

Of course, there were always a certain few who could not be bothered with such frivolities: one of these few being a certain Master Bilbo Baggins of Bag End.

He maintained that it was a ridiculous notion and though there were plenty who proclaimed Bilbo did not like it simply because he had nobody to celebrate with, Bilbo had an entirely different reason which he never saw prudent to explain lest he be branded a 'spoil-sport'. The fact of the matter remained, that to him, it seemed to trivialise love and all its intricacies by giving it just one day to be celebrated.

Love, Bilbo thought most stoutly, should be a year round celebration. Furthermore, it should not only be limited to those silly tweens mooning over the lad or lass down the way, but should encompass all aspects of the emotion; family, friends, loves old and new, all of them.

And so, Bilbo had never celebrated the Festival of Solmath. Not even as a faunt, when all his year mates were running around Hobbiton gifting one another messily hand-made mathoms and sweet treats and shy little kisses.

He still recalls his mother, laughing long and hard when he had told her resolutely; face screwed up in childish determination, that he would never celebrate anything so silly.

"Your soul is too old for that wee body of yours." His mother had teased affectionately, but not tried to sway his opinion on the matter.

As the years had gone by, Bilbo's stance had softened on the festival a little. He had learnt that denying something that brought others joy so absolutely was, in a way, quite petty. Therefore, the hobbit had grown to tolerate the silliness that surrounded the festival and simply keep to himself that day.

It was not that Bilbo particularly hated the celebration, not at all! He was very fond of the idea of love; he just took issue with how... how trite it had become. He always made sure to send his friends and family small mathoms to show his regard that way, but he had never particularly embraced the enthusiastic lengths some of his neighbours went to.

It was after a certain dwarf came to live with him that Bilbo had to suffer the foolishness of the Festival of Solmath again.

Thorin had been living at Bag End for several months; all through Lithe and Halimath, right through Yule, and then of course into Solmath.

Given his time away from the Shire, and the fact he was not particularly fond of recognising the festival anyway, the hobbit could be forgiven for forgetting the date was almost upon them.

Heavy rain and a chill wind had kept them from bothering to go to market for a few days, but by the fourth day they were running low on some essentials, and Thorin seemed about ready to claw at the walls through being cooped up in one attitude for too long.

Bilbo had thought nothing of thrusting a basket into his hands and shooing him out the door to 'get yourself some fresh air, and give me some peace and quiet'.

It was only upon the dwarf's return that Bilbo realised his grievous error.

In stumbled Thorin positively laden with a basket full of food (more treats than essentials, Bilbo noted in dismay), a huge bunch of flowers, and an iron key clamped firmly between his teeth, doing his very best not to topple over or drop anything.

The flowers and the key were the giveaway and Bilbo buried his face in his hands, tips of his ears turning red as he bemoaned his fate. "Oh no, they got to you as well!"

Thorin made an intelligible sound, which might have been a valiant attempt to offer Bilbo an answer, but with the key still hanging from his lips and a large amount of flowers hiding his face, Bilbo had little to no hope of understanding him.

Jostling and juggling with his purchases, Thorin eventually managed to set them all down safely and tried again. "I was trying to say that I ran into Hamfast on the way down to the market and he began telling me about the holiday you all celebrate today; why did you not tell me? I nearly didn't get you anything to cele- oh is something the matter, Bilbo?"

Part way through his explanation, Thorin had finally noticed the deep flush on Bilbo's face and trailed off, slightly concerned.

Bilbo was currently imagining the various inventive ways he could exact revenge on his friend and neighbour and so nearly missed Thorin's question.

"No! No not at all, it's just..." Bilbo nibbled his lower lip feeling conflicted. On the one hand, the festival quite irritated him, but on the other, Thorin had bought him gifts... And curse it he looked entirely too sweet holding out those flowers to him as well. "I don't usually bother celebrating the Festival of Solmath. I think this is the first time I've ever received gifts that weren't of the friendly sort from my family."

"Oh," Thorin's brow creased. "Do you not like the festival?"

Bilbo sighed tolerantly, and readily accepted the flowers, smiling despite his principles on the matter. They were lovely...

"As a rule, I find it a little... grandiose. They are using a day to celebrate love when I have always thought love should just be celebrated everyday. It is not as if I hate it or anything though... and it was very thoughtful to get me gifts."

Bilbo could not help but grin, hiding his face partially behind the flowers in an attempt to hide how foolishly pleased he felt.

"Did Hamfast help you with these, per chance?"

Thorin had slowly been learning the language of flowers after moving to the Shire, but he still wasn't quite as proficient with it as the hobbits.

"Ah, well... yes I had a little help." Thorin rubbed the back of his head looking sheepish. "I nearly chose yellow chrysanthemums to go in the bouquet, and Hamfast was quick to point out that my regard for you is not exactly a secret."

Bilbo snickered, setting the flowers aside to press a quick kiss to the dwarf's cheek.

"As I said, I don't usually celebrate this, but I'm starting to think I could make an exception... just this once."

Thorin beamed at him and then handed him the key, shrugging one shoulder in mild confusion. "I'm afraid I'm not entirely sure what that is meant to be for, but the lady on the stall said it was important I give it to you if I truly loved you, and I do so..."

Bilbo had to fight back another blush and hide his laughter beneath the façade of a cough. For a stoic warrior king of dwarves, he was entirely too endearing sometimes. "So you bought it simply because she said it would prove your love for me?"

Thorin shot him a quick little grin and nodded. Honestly... such sweetness should not be allowed!

"Daft thing," Bilbo murmured indulgently then smiled and then twirled the key in his fingers, explaining it to the confused dwarf. "It is a charm of sorts. We give it to those we love as a 'key to the heart', it's symbolic and basically means that whoever you give this to can unlock and own your heart."

"Ah, well I suppose that makes sense." Thorin seemed to accept the explanation easily enough, and if Bilbo thought it a rather silly gesture, Thorin seemed quite taken with it.

Bilbo gave Thorin a warm embrace, thanking him for the gifts before going to find a vase for the flowers.

As they were putting away the groceries (definitely too many treats), Bilbo explained the festival to Thorin in full. How it had originated from stories told by the men of the south. How they had happily taught the hobbits their traditions, and how overtime the hobbits had woven these together with their own ideas and festivities.

"... To be honest, considering Solmath is the 'mud-month' folk around here probably just wanted an excuse to celebrate something and take their minds off the miserable weather!"

Thorin handed Bilbo a bag full of cookies, but not before snagging one for himself. "I don't think there's anything wrong in that. This time of year can drag on rather; I think it's quite a fine idea to celebrate something in order to make it more enjoyable."

"Oh, I'm not debating that, I just wish they would show so much devotion the rest of the year."

"I think it might be a little difficult to do anything as grand as this year round, Bilbo. Wouldn't it lose its meaning?"

"Well, true, but just small gestures little and often would likely be more gratefully received by people, don't you think?"

"Hmm, that is a good point." Thorin had finished the cookie and attempted to sneak another, Bilbo batted his hand away lightly.

"Enough of that, you bought far too many treats as is without eating them all yourself!"

"But you see that is why they need to be eaten then, otherwise they will go stale."

"You have the palate of a child, you do know that don't you?"

"A trait common in all dwarves, alas," Thorin agreed far too easily causing Bilbo to cast his dwarf a sidelong look and tut.

Bilbo's gaze landed on the flowers again as he left Thorin to finish putting away his purchases (and likely sampling them too), and could not help but feel a little guilty. Even without knowing the reasons for it, Thorin had readily purchased gifts for Bilbo, simply because he cared for him.

The hobbit felt warmth grow in his chest and nodding to himself resolutely, let Thorin know he would just be in the garden if he was needed.

This time of year there were not many plants that could be grown without the aid of a greenhouse, it was how the hobbits grew flowers for the festival among other things.

Most greenhouses were located outside Hobbiton in the surrounding farmland. However, Bilbo was fortunate enough to own a very small one of his own, situated at the back of his garden.

Usually, the hobbit used it to grow more delicate plants from seed, and then later transfer them to his garden once the weather warmed up. It was simply good luck that he had planted some more ornamental flowers this year, and though he was not over keen on the idea of cutting them, he took solace in the fact that Thorin would enjoy the gift.

Taking care to choose flowers he felt meant something to both of them, Bilbo arranged them as prettily as possible and bound the stalks together with some twine.

Sneaking back into the smial, Bilbo headed for the spare room, where little trinkets from his parents were still kept.

He remembered vividly how his father would always gift his mother with thoughtful mathoms every Solmath, and how his mother would do the same in return.

There was one mathom he could remember holding particular significance, and he felt Thorin should have that.

It had been when Bilbo had been young, and his parents married for a good number of years. That Solmath, Bungo had given Belladonna a particularly fine key. He had claimed that although he had already given her one the first year they met, this one was a symbol of eternity.

Bilbo had not paid it any particular attention at the time, being young, petulant, and not understanding the emotion behind the pledge. However, he did recall his mother wore the little key around her neck for the rest of her days, and would often press a kiss to the cool metal, eyes growing fond and full of love in the years following Bungo's passing.

Rummaging through the chest at the end of the spare room bed, Bilbo eventually found it squirreled away in an envelope addressed to him. His mother had made him promise to give it to his love should he ever find one, and until he had been presented with a key of his own today, Bilbo had quite forgotten about it.

It was a very pretty thing, Bilbo thought, seeing it now in a new light. Finely made from silver and the elegant, curling shape of it was very pleasant to look upon. It was a small detail on the handle, which caught his eye though, and made him laugh incredulously. Acorns and oak leaves!

They always had loved the oak tree above Bag End, and the meaning of eternity and strength in that tree had obviously inspired Bungo to add the design to this key.

Shuffling into the parlour, Bilbo, feeling rather awkward and more than a little flustered, flopped unceremoniously down besides a reading Thorin, giving his shoulder a light nudge to gain his attention.

"I uh... thought you might like these... since it is the Festival of Solmath and well... I'm rather fond of you," Bilbo downplayed it all with a wry twist of his lips, Thorin chuckling at the awkwardness.

Thorin set aside his book, looking over the flowers with a semi-practiced eye and grinning at the meanings threaded throughout. Joy, passionate love, friendship, gratitude, regal, faithful, steadfast; all in a riot of colour.

He then noticed the key in Bilbo's other hand, and the hobbit noted his gaze and fumbled to explain. "It was my mother's, gifted to her by my father. She wanted me to give it to the one I loved when the time came, but I confess I had forgotten about it until you reminded me with the key you gave to me earlier. I'd be very happy if you-"

Bilbo was unable to finish his sentence, as Thorin was quick to tug Bilbo into an embrace, nuzzling at his hair and grinning from ear to ear. "And here I thought you didn't celebrate," Thorin teased, pressing a kiss to the side of Bilbo's neck. "I would happily accept that key, Bilbo."

"Careful now, you'll crush the flowers," Bilbo clucked his tongue, desperate to hide his blush, and got them out of harms way before returning the embrace. "A-and I don't celebrate... not usually. But since you gave me gifts it is only fair..."

Thorin laughed, smothering Bilbo's protests with a kiss, and then pulling back to speak properly.

"I can understand why you don't celebrate it, and really I suppose there is no real need. We love one another, and taking a whole day every year to try to prove that does seem a little odd. I think that perhaps your idea was better; we can prove it little and often all year round..."

He paused, eyes thoughtful and considering, and Bilbo felt his lips twitch as he recognised the look Thorin wore before he said anything ridiculous.

"I do hope you don't mind us getting all those treats on Solmath though, they are very good."

Trying hard not to laugh, Bilbo agreed. He was more than willing to compromise on that.