Much as he was unwilling to admit it, being injured did have some benefits for Haldir. Not only did he receive Gilwen’s undivided attention, he also had a lot of time where he was left alone with her undisturbed. Whenever she gave him tea to ease his pain (he really was in more pain than he cared to admit with more injuries than he had disclosed to his brothers and warriors), she would lie beside him and sing to him. Her voice lilted exquisitely with songs he had never before heard, and whenever he drifted off to sleep, he always awoke in her arms.

More than once he espied her adar and naneth covertly watching the two of them together, approving smiles on their faces. At some point, he would have to ask what customs their settlement observed for courting and marriage. But for now, he was content to be with her in whatever ways her parents allowed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Haldir had sufficiently recovered, the chieftains summoned him to council.

“My son,” Saelon addressed him as if making it very clear to the other chieftains to which settlement Haldir now belonged, “I have spoken with each of the warriors who accompanied you on the hunt. Every one of them told of the skills and strategies you employed and the expertise with which you brought about the destruction of the spiders. Every one of them is eager to follow you on further hunts should the need arise.” He clapped Haldir on the shoulder. “I am proud of you and grateful to you for being willing to risk this venture and for bringing about its success.”

Haldir inclined his head in acknowledgement of the praise. “My warriors – all of them – deserve the honor and praise for they entered into the danger willingly without hesitation and fought bravely using the skills we taught them. I am proud of them all.”

“Sûlion and those of my folk who accompanied him told me much of this venture,” Chieftain Sûllindo commented. “My son admitted he did not make it easy for you, yet you handled yourself with honor and grace. He and my ellyn spoke many words in praise of you. I know it was a burden for you, but thank you for allowing them to join your hunt.”

Sûllindo bowed his head for a few moments, shifting a little uncomfortably, before meeting Haldir’s eyes with new respect in his gaze. “I also thank you for saving my son’s life. He told me the details of that as well. It must have been difficult for you to do so after the way he admitted to behaving early in the hunt.”

Haldir felt it wise not to comment beyond a diplomatic, “I endeavor to see to the safety of all who are entrusted to my care.”

Saelon smiled knowingly and mouthed “well said” to Haldir such that Sûllindo did not see.

The other chieftain smirked as well, observing, “Saelon, you are indeed fortunate to have one such as him in your settlement. You had best be careful that one of our ellith does not steal him away.”

The ellon paused a moment then added, “Until one of us can figure out a way to entice you to settle among our respective folk, we would like for you to choose potential warriors from among each of our peoples and teach them as you have trained the ellyn of Celos Galen. You have sufficiently proven to us the need for having warriors in each of our settlements. They may not need to fight often, but they will be invaluable when they are needed.”

“What say you, Haldir?” Saelon asked. “Would you be willing to train them?”

Pausing a few moments to consider the proposal, Haldir carefully asked, “Would they be trained here or would my warriors from Lothlórien and I need to go to the other settlements?”

“That would be according to your preference,” Saelon said.

“Then I would prefer to start the training here.”

“Very well then,” Saelon said and the other chieftains agreed.

Then Haldir ventured, feeling this was as good a time as any to make this proposition, “There is one thing more that I need to do for the warriors of Celos Galen to fully initiate them and give them the honor due true warriors. There is a ritual which must be performed when a warrior commits his first kill of an enemy. Once the warriors of each of the other settlements and any new warriors hereafter commit their first kill of an enemy, this ritual must be followed for them as well. I think it would be good for you chieftains to see this so you can make certain that each of your warriors is given the honor he is due.”

“Please tell us what is involved so that we may see to the honor of our warriors,” Saelon said approvingly. 

And Haldir explained.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Twenty ellyn stood shoulder to shoulder in two even lines. He had not told them what the ceremony would involve, only that it was a great honor. Nervous eyes followed Haldir as he strode among the ellyn, looking each one up and down. Occasionally he stopped and scowled, adjusting a tunic here or a belt there. They had no uniforms yet, but that was something he would worry about later if the need for such arose. For now he was wary of introducing any more new concepts to these folk than necessary. The braids he viewed as a necessity and a right of honor, but the idea of people dressing in exactly matching clothing would likely be viewed as inefficient and impractical to such simple folk.

Regarding the ellyn with a practiced eye, Haldir realized that the ellyn of Lothlórien had been fighting or prepared to fight for so many ennin that the new recruits usually were young or the younger members of each family. These ellyn of Celos Galen who stood before him now ranged from the youngest son of the youngest generation of one family to the eldest adar with many generations of sons of another family. Nearly three quarters of these new warriors had been born at Cuiviénen. Haldir found the whole idea of this staggering.

There were so precious few left in the Third Age who had actually seen Cuiviénen let alone those who even had grandparents who had seen it. And none of those in the Third Age who had seen it could actually say in truth how old they themselves were for the measuring of years simply did not matter much then. Curiously enough, Haldir realized that it was possible that at 5000 and a few years of age he was older than all of these ellyn even though they all were born before his daeradar’s adar!

He shook his head in dismay to clear it of these confusing thoughts which boggled his mind. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the new warrior nearest him bow his head crestfallen.

Alarmed, Haldir looked over at the ellon, trying to figure out what the problem was. The warrior was neatly dressed and his hair freshly combed as Haldir had ordered.  The ellon’s grandparents and grandchildren looked on proudly from their place in the crowd. He could see no reason why the ellon should be distraught.

“What is wrong?” Haldir whispered to him in concern.

“Sir, the look you just gave me. I…I do not know what I did to displease you, but I am so very sorry.”

Haldir bit his lip trying not to laugh, but he could not stop the broad smile of amusement. “Everything is all right,” he quietly reassured the ellon. “I just came to some, ah…rather disturbing realizations that I was not expecting and they unsettled me. It is mere coincidence that I was looking at you at that moment.” He clapped the ellon on the shoulder reassuringly, bowing his own head in mildly embarrassed apology. “I am sorry for upsetting you. I was rather upset myself at that moment and not paying attention to anything around me.”

The ellon smiled back, clapping him on the shoulder in return. “Thank you, Captain Haldir.”

Haldir nodded, then stepped away, realizing more fully just how much his approval mattered to these ellyn. He found it meant a great deal to him to be held in such regard by them. He was used to it from his warriors in Lothlórien, having earned the right to such from many (perhaps too many) ennin of fighting, but to be held in such regard by ellyn he had known for so short a time…that touched him far more deeply than he ever expected.

At a signal from Haldir, Saelon called for silence and the warriors from Lothlórien joined Haldir. When the crowd stilled, Saelon nodded to Haldir who then spoke for all to hear.

“We are gathered here to celebrate the courage and prowess of the ellyn assembled here before you. Each ellon trained and worked very hard to do his duty in protecting you his people. You may ask, what is the difference between what these ellyn have done and what any of you have done who have ever defended your settlement in a time of need?”

Several ellyn, especially those of the other settlements, murmured and nodded at the question, clearly interested in the answer.

“When one’s home is threatened, then everyone becomes a defender and protector with whatever tool is at hand in order to save one’s life, one’s livelihood, one’s home. This is expected of anyone who wishes to survive in a time of need. With a warrior, however, defending and protecting are choices often made when there is the respectable option to stay home, and no one would think differently of the ellon for remaining in the settlement and not fighting.”

He paused for a moment, gesturing to the two rows of ellyn.

“These ellyn before you made a choice to excelbeyond the necessary skills to survive. They have chosen to be available to protect and defend even when those tasks are not asked of anyone else. They have honed their fighting skills with the bow, the sword, and the spear beyond that which is needed for the hunt. They have volunteered to go forth and meet the enemy rather than waiting for the enemy to come to them as previously was the tradition. They have followed the call of this duty with honor and dignity out of love and loyalty for their fellow Galadhrim.”

Haldir looked about, noticing the pride in the eyes of the new warriors and the people of Celos Galen while those of the other settlements looked less certain and even a little ashamed.

“Many of you have asked my brethren and me to explain why we wear our hair in this manner. It seems frivolous and unusual and sets us apart from everyone else.” A few people brazenly glared at Haldir for bringing up their past comments while others seemed embarrassed for having harbored these notions.

“When a warrior has completed his first personal defeat of an enemy, he earns the mark of a warrior: the badge and sign which mark him as a proven fighter and a brother in arms. The warrior earns the right, privilege, and honor to wear his braids.

“You have all heard the tales of danger and valor and strength and prowess of those who fought to defeat the spiders which threatened the safety of everyone here. These ellyn standing before you met this enemy and defeated it with the might of their arms and the blood of their bodies. What they have done for you has earned them the right to wear the braids which set them apart, the braids which mark them for all to see as warriors.”

Haldir turned to his warriors from Lothlórien and nodded for them to proceed. The six then went to the first six ellyn and began braiding the sides of each new warrior’s hair, inserting clay beads at different intervals.

Catching some whispered questions among the crowd, Haldir further explained, “The pattern of the braid including the kind and color of the beads used is unique to each settlement or group of settlements. The pattern we are using now is the one used by...”

Haldir paused a moment at a loss as to how to best to explain things without causing more questions. He finished the braid on one side and moved to the ellon’s other side, giving himself time to think.

“It is the pattern used by all of the Galadhrim from the other side of the mountains and not just one settlement. Our using this pattern for the warriors here shows our…ah…unity with our brethren who did not make the journey west.”

The last words came tumbling out with rather less confidence than the rest of Haldir’s speech. He had never had to explain the braids in this manner before for everyone just knew and accepted them because this was the way things have always been done. Suddenly he felt even less certain than before that he liked setting new standards and traditions.

Once the last braid was tied on the last warrior, the crowd cheered. Haldir sighed in exasperation and waved his arms for silence.

“Please!” he called out. “Please. The ceremony is not yet complete.”

Once everyone had calmed, Haldir and Angaril went to the first warrior in the first line. Angaril withdrew the sigil e-hereg and handed it to Haldir who held it up for all to see.

“This next part is called the blooding of the braids where the two eldest warriors present acknowledge the willingness of the new warrior to shed his blood in defense of others by shedding their blood for the new warrior. This blade is called the blood knife designed for use in this ceremony. After we blood the braids, we will say the traditional words of honor and acknowledgement and then give the three kisses of the warrior to the eyes which have seen much and will yet see far more and to the mouth which draws the breath of life that others might live.”

Haldir lowered the knife and proceeded to cut the palm of his right hand and that of Angaril’s. The new warriors collectively paled, looking worried and very concerned as a thin line of blood oozed out from each palm. The two elder warriors wiped their blood on the braids of the warrior.

Loudly Haldir proclaimed, echoed by Angaril, “Warrior’s blood for warrior’s braids."

Next he placed his hands on the sides of the warrior’s face and kissed each of the warrior’s eyes and mouth, then proclaimed, “A warrior is born, a sworn brother is given.”

Then Angaril gave his kisses and stated the proclamation. The other warriors visibly relaxed once they realized none of their blood would be required of them for this ceremony.

When the last braid of the last warrior was blooded, Haldir told them that per tradition they could wash their hair after the next turn of the stars.

Wrapping a strip of cloth around his still bleeding hand, Haldir gestured to the new warriors and introduced them each by name to the crowd which cheered as each warrior’s name was called.

After the crowd finally dispersed, Saelon, accompanied by the other chieftains, sought out Haldir.

“Captain Haldir,” he marveled, “I…I have never seen anything like this before! None of us have. In truth, I fear for our people left in the east. After seeing this ceremony which is now a tradition among them, I…I stand in awe now knowing what has been required of them in order to survive. I have to wonder how they will survive without you unless there are others like you. And…I give you my deepest gratitude for training warriors to defend us.”

Haldir saluted his chieftain then bowed. “It is my very great honor to share my knowledge with the ellyn of Celos Galen whom I have come to love and respect as much as I do my own folk of Lothlórien. I thank you for giving my ellyn and me the chance to prove ourselves to you and the opportunity to serve these our new people.” Then he turned to the other chieftains adding, “I look forward to training warriors to defend your settlements as well.”

Saelon embraced him in reply, speaking for all of the chieftains, “Well done, my beloved son.”  Then holding him at arm’s length, he added with a sly smile, “Now go find the lovely Gilwen and enjoy the feast.”

Haldir smiled, “Thank you. I believe I will.”

When he was far enough away from the chieftains that he deemed it safe, he sighed heavily, sagging against the nearest tree. His fellows from Lothlórien immediately surrounded him, speaking Sindarin.

“That was impressive,” Ferevellon said.

“Amazing,” his twin echoed.

“I liked the way you explained away the use of the Lórien braids,” said Orophin.

“And the covering for the lack of sunset of the following day for washing the hair,” Rúmil added. “We sort of forgot about that detail when we were planning the ceremony.”

“Thank you all for all of your help in this,” Haldir waved his bandaged hand to encompass everything in general. “The training, the battle, the ceremony, our healing after Helm’s Deep, surviving Helm’s Deep and coming here…I…I do not know what I would have done if I had ended up here alone. You are all my brothers and I love you and am grateful to you all.”

Each one hugged Haldir, offering their feelings on the matter as well. When the last one had his say to the group, Rúmil clapped Haldir on the back and said, “Well, lovely as this was, we are off to something lovelier.”

Haldir looked at the lot of them in confusion. “What?”

“We realized that you and Angaril each have something rather nice to occupy your time, so we finally gave in and acquired our own, shall we say, pretty pursuits.”

The four ellith responsible for the each of the two sets of brothers walked up and took each ellon by an arm, happily leading him away to join in the dancing.

Haldir and Angaril stared, dumbfounded, mouths agape at their retreating backs. Angaril started to speak a couple of times before words finally escaped his lips. “Did I just see...” then he gestured after them and tried again. “When…did that happen?”

Haldir gestured after them as well, just as speechless and confused, sputtering. “Wh-…I…They…” then his hand dropped to his side and he gave up.

“You know what, Angaril? I really do not care. I am just glad that it finally did happen. Now perhaps they will leave us alone.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

*Notes on the braid ceremony. I borrowed, with permission, the ceremony, the ritual words, and whatever other similarities in the braiding ceremony you might find from and in Fiondil’s  Elf Interrupted: Book One. I came up with the meanings, symbolism, and explanations for what happened in the ceremony and Fiondil approved.

sigil e-hereg – blood knife – the ceremonial knife used in the blooding ceremony.