Title: Braids
Fandom: Silmarillion
Challenge: Magic
Bingo prompt: Ink
Rating: G
Length: 200
Content notes: N/A
Author notes: Thanks go to Zana, & Morgynleri for encouragement & sanity-checking.
This is set sometime during the Long Peace/Siege of Angband (FA years of the sun 70 - 455). Can be read as whatever pair you like. Though I am seeing the referenced ink as black, it could easily be red, gold, silver, or brown.
Summary: They learned very quickly to braid up their hair



They learned very quickly to braid up their hair for battle. And not just battle — for patrolling, scouting, hunting, traveling. Nowhere in Ennorë was without danger of ambush or attack by yrch or evil creature, desperate Men or fear-maddened beast. Working braids, battle braids, plaits woven with songs of protection and sight. It became rare to see hair flowing loose and long, freed from braid and pin and arming cap. Rare to feel one’s own hair ruffled by the breeze, moving like water over one's shoulders, down one's back, brushing lightly at nether-cheeks and thigh, clean and combed and smooth.

It was rare luxury indeed to relax for a day unburdened, free oneself, to watch one's loved-and-beloved arisen from bathing, clothed only in their hair that ran like ink over breast and back and thigh, washed clean of dust and duty and battle-magics. Here stone songs were protection more than enough, other people well skilled and willing to take up duty for a time. Here, freed of all armor between them, they could be with one another in every way, not just heart-connected, but seeing, touching, fëa and hroä twined together, plaiting a joyful magic, a lasting braid of love.