[The question snaps Thorin from his reverie. It's almost startling, really - no one's ever questioned him about his hair in this place.]

[He reaches up and idly drags his fingers along one of his braids.]

They can mean different things for different Dwarves.

But for myself, the braids themselves have no meaning. They are merely a gesture of respect to my culture, my people.

The beads-

[He tugs one of the blue beads at the end of one braid.]

-are another matter. They represent loved ones lost. They are a rite of passage, earned in battle.

Many Dwarves also tattoo themselves, or pierce their bodies with jewelry to pay respect to lost loved ones.

[Thorin has enough piercings and tattoos alone; but Dwalin was almost covered from head to toe.]