A/N: This story was co-written with my friend. Everything you recognize does not belong to us, it belongs to J.R.R Tolkien. Please read and review!
"Is that a new pattern, Bombu?"
"Oh yes, Balini. I just learned this technique in which you can make a continuous braid continuing from your head to your beard."
"Oh, that is lovely. You must teach it to me sometime."
It was a summer afternoon in the great city of Erebor. Deep inside the mountain, a ring of dwarf women sat cozily in their beard-braiding circle. The women were chattering and gossiping, all while braiding their beards into elaborate designs. Their chatter mostly consisted of their normal lives, living inside the mountain. There was, however, a particular dwarf in this circle—a dwarf woman named Kilia. She was the youngest amidst the group of dwarves, and her ideas were quite different from the rest. Living inside the mountain her whole life, she longed to see the world outside Erebor—to see the kingdoms of elves and men in the vast world past the stone walls. Kilia often brought these Ideas and stories she heard of the outside world to the beard-braiding circle. Most of the time, her ideas were just passed off as silly nonsense, and sometimes even looked down upon. Most dwarf women were perfectly content with the lifestyle that had been followed for centuries in the mountain. But Kilia wanted to be different. She hungered to break away from the traditional lifestyle she had been trapped in her whole life. On this particular day, she decided to take her ideas to the circle.
"I was thinking," Kilia suddenly spoke uup, "that since it's now the Fourth Age…"
All the women paused to listen, but did not look away from their beards.
Taking a deep breath, Kilia continued. "Maybe we could try something new. You know, different than usual."
"And what would that mean?" Kilia's sister Filia inquired.
"Well, maybe…"
Everyone waited expectantly, and slightly annoyed.
"We could shave your beards!" Kilia finally declared.
Right then, a dead silence fell upon the circle. Kilia thought she heard Bombu faint. In another corner, Balini's bottle of beard gel clattered on the floor. For once, every dwarf woman paused braiding their facial hair. All they could do was just star in utter shock and disbelief—that someone would ever think, and speak of such a horrendous idea. In the unbearable silent atmosphere, Kilia could feel the heat building up in her ears. Finally, Garine, the eldest and most experienced woman of the circle, broke the silence.
"That is the most outrageous thing I have ever heard," she boomed. As she rose from her chair, Kilia could see Garine's elaborately woven beard unfold to her waist. Kilia, trying her best to be courageous, decided to speak back.
"Dwarf women have had beards since the First Age!" she shot back. "Why not change that? What harm could it do? Besides, beards are considered unfeminine in every other culture!"
Garine took one step towards Kilia, hands crossed over her chest. Kilia shrank back as the figure loomed over her.
"There is a reason why we stay to the ways we have," she said harshly. "Your silly nonsense and daydream will cause trouble for you one day."
Kilia looked down shamefully.
"I suggest you keep your thoughts to yourself." Garine said with finality as she returned to her seat. It was over. Everyone suddenly hurried to continue on their beards, trying to ignore what just happened.