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LUCY'S FINGERS comb through my hair, expertly working the tangles out while humming a calming, old Narnian song. Eyes closed, I relax and listen to the soft melody while her fingers run through my hair in a strangely soothing sensation. I feel my head yank back a little when she tugs on a particularly resilient knot.
She gasps and stops instantly. "Oh, I'm sorry! I thought I'd gotten all of them."
"Don't worry," I laugh. "It's all Edmund's fault if you ask me." The mess he made of my hair from throwing me over his shoulder like a sack of flour is astounding.
"That is true." She giggles and resumes her untangling with gentle fingers. I offered to regrow all my hair so it comes back smooth and free of the knots it acquired throughout the day, but Lucy insisted that was half the fun of doing someone's hair. And so, she set about getting to work while the boys and Trumpkin went off to gather firewood and food for a proper meal.
Now finished with checking and sharpening her arrows, Susan sets her quiver aside and looks over at us with a smile. "What are you thinking, Lu?" She asks. "A crown braid or some simple plaits?"
"I don't know," she muses thoughtfully, dragging her fingers through my hair, disentangled at last. "Which do you think Edmund would like?"
I nearly choke on the air in my throat. "Lucy!" I exclaim in shock. The two of them burst into a fit of laughter while I fight the embarrassed shades of red creeping across my cheeks.
Susan grins and examines my face. "I think you'd look lovely with a simple plait," she decides.
"Really?" Lucy gets to her feet and comes around to take in my appearance next to her sister. She tilts her head to the side, eyebrows drawn together and lips pursed slightly in contemplation. She nods and glances at Susan. "You're right." An excited grin blooms across the young queen's lips when she meets my eyes. "You're going to love it," she gushes, accepting a small, circular band from Susan before hurrying back to me.
"So will Edmund," the older girl teases. I roll my eyes at the jesting and sit still as Lucy begins her work on my hair, using her fingers to pull it back into a tight grip.
Susan smirks. "Shall I find some flowers to tie in as well?" She asks.
"Yes, please!" Lucy sings, gathering loose strands at my temples. "Little white ones would look beautiful!"
I chuckle softly and stop myself from pointing out how they're unlikely to keep their appearance through the night. Lucy can have fun and appreciate them until then, perhaps even keep a few flowers to put in before we're to start hiking tomorrow morning.
Slinging her bow and quiver across her back, Susan grins down at the two of us. "I'll be back in a few minutes," she declares, heading off into the trees in search of Lucy's requested flowers. I watch her disappear into the woods, the leaves and bushes swallowing her figure. Lucy scolds me when I interrupt her careful work by reaching out to grab my sword, dragging it across the grass so it rests beside me. Just in case.
