Elwen requested a Frodo hairwashing/brushing story. Here's mine with a nice helping of post-quest angst.

The young Apprentice Healer watched as they washed the Perian Ringbearer's emaciated body. She could not restrain a small shuddering sob of pity for his many painful-looking wounds. The burns that had charred his tender white skin, the dark bruises and scrapes that seemed to cover every inch of him,  the livid red whip-weel that ran down from one of his so-thin shoulders to his thigh,  his poor, dry, cracked lips, the scars that tried but failed to mar his gentle, beautiful face.

Another small sob escaped her. This poor small being, who had saved them all,  had suffered so very much, and it brought her great grief to see him so.

"Hush!" the older healer-woman who was training her warned. "You must never show your emotions so to those in our care. It can alarm them. You must control yourself."

"He cannot hear us. He is in the healing sleep."

"You must not presume to know what they can or cannot hear or sense, even so. I know they sense kindness and heal the quicker for it."

"I am sorry. I will not give in to my feelings again."

Her teacher nodded solemnly and continued cleansing and placing healing poultices and ointments on the Perrianath's wounds. Then she covered him with a warm white coverlett.

"Is there something I may do for him?" The young apprentice asked.

"He needs to rest."

"His hair is so matted and filthy. It cannot be good for him for it to remain so."

"It is very bad to leave it this way but  washing it now may disturb him."

"He did not wake during all your tending of his grievous wounds many of which are severe. I

would be most gentle and surely cleaning all that filth from his hair will soothe him."

"Perhaps you are right. Can you do this without disturbance or mishap?"

"I have treated many of our young children and bathed and washed them whilst they slept. Twill not be much different for this small one."

"You may do this then. But have a care. He is in a very fragile state and the King will be most displeased if any harm should come to him."

"I would not... nor could I..... harm this little one." And as she watched Frodo's impassive face she could not restrain the tear that escaped from her fair lashes.

The older healer saw but did not reprimand the girl.  Well could she herself understand how this strange beautiful small being could arouse the most heartfelt feelings of pity, awe at his astonishing heroism, and..yes...love. It seemed that all who saw him felt these things - from the most gruff old soldier to the youngest apprentice.

The older woman patted the girl's shoulder gently and left her to her task.

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The girl filled a basin with an ample quantity of warm water that had been heated nearby for the purpose of washing the injured one's hurts. Then she selected a lavender infused soap from the supplies she carried with her in her ministrations.

She then gently lifted the Perian's head and placed several layers of absorbant cloths beneath him. 

He never stirred. And she felt pleased at her gentle skill.

Slowly she began to soak the washing cloths with water and after wringing out sufficient moisture she began to dampen his dirty, tangled curls.

She shook her head with woe. How long had it been since this small one had had the simple pleasure of being clean? The cloths came away darkly begrimed merely from this initial task of moistening his locks.

Again and again she applied the damp cloths to his hair and only after the passing of much time did the water penetrate the mats and dirt sufficiently for her to work the lavender soap into a lather.

Beneath her sensitive fingers she could feel the knots and clumps of cinder and clay, ash and grime that clung with stubborn tenaciousness to his hair, as if the land of Mordor refused to give up these fragments of it possession of Frodo's person.

But tenderly as she had ever done, the young apprentice, worked and reworked the lather through his tresses till one by one the knots came undone and the grime and filth of Mordor gave up it's clutches to the strands and at last let go to fall away and float as a noxious scum on the surface of the wash water.

The scent of lavender now replaced the sulfurous reek that had first escaped from his hair when she had begun to wash it.

She got a fresh basin of water and rinsed and rinsed till.... There, she sighed to herself, clean at last!

Now to comb it out as gently as she possibly could.

With the greatest of care she drew the wide-toothed comb through Frodo's hair and she gasped with surprise and some other feeling that touched her deeply but which she could not name when she saw that his hair was a deep chestnut brown that shined and curled around her fingers as she combed it. She had never seen such  color and lustrousness on any creature before.

This small one.....he was so very, very beautiful. And that he had suffered so for her's and all their sakes made her throat tighten and a treacherous sob try to escape her lips. Escape it did but she managed to keep the sound of it silent.

Instead she reached out and barely touching him with her fingertips she stroked the outline of his cheek.

So beautiful.

She had not spoken aloud but at that, nevertheless, his eyelids fluttered and slowly opened to reveal eyes of the most startlingly brilliant violet blue.

"Oh, I did not mean to wake you." She said with soft anxiety.

But he did not really seem to hear or see her. Perhaps he was still asleep as he should be.

Slowly his eyelids closed again over those incredibly luminous eyes and his dark lashes rested lightly upon his pale cheeks.

"Thank you." He said it so quietly that she was not sure at first if he had spoken. But he had. he had thanked her for this comfort. Just to be wholly clean again from head to toe was such a blessed relief. He had sensed it and that her loving care had gone just that extra bit further to make him feel thoroughly cleansed of the horrible filth of that dark, dark land he had been so lost in for so long.

A small smile passed over his lips as he fell back into the deep healing sleep that he so needed to recover his health and strength.

The Young Apprentice smiled too and with one fingertip brushed a damp curl from his forehead.

So, so beautiful!

Then she knew she must leave him to rest and heal, though she would watch him most vigilantly till he was well.

She lent over him and softly kissed his brow. No longer did the stench of Mordor cover him but now the clean fresh aroma of homely herbs and flowers. How much better these suited him!

"Thank you, oh Perian...... Ringbearer." she whispered and withdrew.