Day Four: Braiding

NOTE: Again, I took liberties with Middle-Earth culture but this was a lot of fun to write.

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Tauriel knew that she ought to look more serious about it but she could not help but smile as she watched the determined dwarf perform his task. He looked so solemn that one would have thought he was engaged in some kind of dangerous activity that required his full concentration - when all he was doing was braiding her hair.

The elf warrior was still trying to wrap her head around the novelty of a dwarf smoothing out the tangles in her red hair and weaving them into what seemed like a very elaborate braid. Never in her wildest dreams would she have thought this would happen to her and yet, there they both were. She had noticed the other dwarves busy braiding each others hair and beards right before a fight and she had wondered why this seemed like an essential stage in their preparation for battle. She had expressed her curiosity and then Kili eagerly explained that this was an almost sacred ritual in their culture, a tradition each dwarf tried to uphold for the honor of his family and his people.

"Our braids are a mark of honor and nobility," Kili had elaborated, "and proof that we are warriors of great strength and skill."

"Indeed," Tauriel had answered in awe, fascinated by yet another facet of dwarf culture.

"But isn't that why you braid your hair too?" the dwarf asked in puzzlement. Tauriel had simply smiled at this.

"I confess our reasons for braiding our hair are not quite as profound," the elf explained, "we do it for aesthetic value, more than anything else. We are fortunate that despite the length of our hair, it does not get easily tangled but we still do need to keep some of it in place, especially during battle."

She felt almost embarrassed about this revelation but there was really no harm in it. It was just another difference in perspective between dwarves and elves. And yet, she really did admire the earnest way in which Kili and his companions arranged their hair.

Seeing her interest, Kili gathered his courage and offered to braid her some of hair in the traditional dwarf fashion. Tauriel had stared at him incredulously.

"Well, I thought that since you are fighting by our side," the dwarf said nervously, "it would be a good idea, like a gesture of good faith, to share our tradition with you, since it is not so very different from what you do, anyway. But only if you don't mind, that is."

He struggled for words a few moments longer before Tauriel put him out of his misery.

"It would be an honor," she said sincerely, much to the other's delight.

A few hours later, Tauriel found herself admiring her friend's work as she gazed at her reflection in a nearby lake. She had never had someone take such time and care in decorating her hair and she found herself extremely pleased by the result. She had never been a vain elf but this time, she decided there was no harm in indulging herself for a little bit.

But then, she felt slightly self-conscious and so did not notice the smitten look on Kili's face as he watched her.

"Beautiful," Tauriel declared proudly, "I am honored to have been a part of your tradition. Thank you."

"It was an honor to include you," Kili said sheepishly. The elf maiden gave him such a look of gratitude and joy that he was not quite sure what to say, so of course he ended up blurting out, "It's a pity you don't have a beard!"

Tauriel blinked and Kili realized what he had just said. A look of pure horror filled his face.

"I didn't mean that you need a beard," he stammered, "but some dwarf ladies have them and braid them and they look lovely. Not that you aren't lovely, obviously, and anyway, elves don't grow beards, do they? I don't know why I even said that, please forgive me, I..."

Tauriel smiled sympathetically and gave the poor, flustered dwarf a quick kiss on the forehead, rendering him speechless.