Celeborn's Nine - Riders of the Night

Haldir accepted Tiger Blossom's hungry kiss and was even beginning to warm to the idea that he might begin her lessons now when someone knocked at the door. The cat hissed and jumped to the floor, once more wearing the skin of a a magnificent tiger.

"Enter," he called over his shoulder.

Longma opened the door and was not at all surprized to find the jinn tiger with the elf. She had sensed the change in the cat earlier but had resisted the desire to find out what exactly had happened. Now she knew. By consuming the blood of the immortal, not to mention his seed, the jinn tiger had bound herself to him. Had he been mortal, it would have meant nothing except maybe an interrupted meal.

"You can show yourself to me," Longma told the cat. "I know what has happened."

"And what has happened?" Haldir asked as he stood and respectfully pressed his hand to his heart.

"You have a jinn tiger now," Longma said as the cat took the shape of a beautiful woman and grabbed his right leg, rubbing her face along his thigh. Silk and muscle; she wanted him.

"I did not ask for nor desire the tiger," Haldir said.

"She trapped herself," Longma explained with a smile, "but yours she is; and as she is as immortal as you; she will be with you a long time."

Haldir looked down at the exquisite face, as the glittering green gold eyes that were outlined by deep black lashes and brows, the tiger's mask, and at the tawny hair that framed her face like a mane. He decided there were worst things in life than being followed by something so beautiful. But he couldn't have her mauling him all the time. "Will she listen to me?" he asked curiously and absently brushed a stray lock of mane away from her face.

"You are her master. She will do whatever you say."

"In that case, what choice do I have? Can we get her some clothes so she will be more.....human?"

"Indeed," Longma agreed. "I'm certain I can find something for her. In the mean time, you are needed in the great hall."

Haldir inclined his head, told Tiger Blossom to go with Longma, and then strode back to the hall where the other riders were meeting.

"It is risky," Glorfindel complained.

"Everything we do is risky," Celeborn countered. "But the dragon can get there is hours while we are still a week away on horseback.

"Then let me do it," Glorfindel said. "No one will miss me if I fall off."

"I have a suggestion," Elrohir spoke up, "let me go. If I fall off, you still have him." He pointed at his brother.

"What are they wanting to do?" Haldir asked Orophin.

"Longma has offered to take one of them on the dragon to the Nazgul's keep."

"And now they argue over it?" he mused and took a seat at the table, pushing the chair back so he could stretch out his legs. For a moment he and Aragorn made eye contact, a sort of understanding passing between them.

Rumil, seeing the disagreement as food for humor, spoke up, "Let me go and I won't fall off."

Gimli grinned and said, "Now that is a sound idea."

"No," both elf lords answered.

Glorfindel, looking down at Haldir, said, " Longma went to get you. Did she say she had something else to do?"

"She had something to do," Haldir replied, but the words weren't out of his mouth good when Tiger Blossom appeared.

Running towards him, her midnight green silk gown not covering as much as it could have, Tiger Blossom seemed ecstatic and so pleased with herself. Granted, all she had on was the green robe, and it wasn't tied, and she had no shoes on or anything else on, but she was trying to be "human", to please her master. Ignoring all the gaping mouthed males watching her, she threw herself on the floor at his feet.

"Do you like it?" she asked and showed him one of the beautiful birds embroidered on the collar.

"It is beautiful," he agreed, "but when you are in this shape, you do not sit on the floor." Quickly seeing where her eyes were glancing, he added, "Nor on the table."

"Where do I sit?" she whispered against his lips.

"In a chair," he whispered back. It occurred to him that he might finish dressing her, but she was trying so hard to be a good jinn tiger, and he didn't want to upset her. It also amused him to see the faces his companions were making. She really was a beautiful creature.

Longma, arriving behind her, stopped by at the chair and adjusted Tiger Blossom's robe so less skin was exposed. She then lightly slapped Haldir on the arm. Tiger Blossom scowled at Longma for laying a hostile hand on her Haldir, but the dragonwitch scowled back. Then, just to prove her point, Longma slapped the elf on the arm again. Tiger Blossom hissed but made no threatening jestures.

Finding his tongue, Celeborn asked, "That is not the tiger, is it?"

"It is," Longma answered with a wicked smiled. "Apparently young Haldir has her affections."

"Why couldn't you have gone for that walk?" Elrohir asked his brother.

"She would have eaten ME," Elladan answered quickly. "Our luck is not the same as Haldir's."

"AS that may be," Longma interrupted them. "Lord Celeborn, are you ready to ride a dragon?"

"Indeed I am," the elflord answered eagerly as she started for the outer arch.

Glorfindel, looking disappointed, glanced back at Haldir's jinn tiger and asked," You didn't see another one, did you?" He had said it loud enough for Longma to hear.

The dragonwitch, laughing softly, glanced back at the elf who had shared her bed the night before. Proud lovely Glorfindel, she would have to take him on his own dragonride. If they had the time, she might even show him how to make love on a dragon.

Haldir gave Tiger Blossom permission to turn back into a cat for the walk to the dragon pond. She thanked him with a quick stolen kiss.

Celestial was rising out of the water when they reached the pond. A magnificent creature of sky and water and fire, he chortled loudly as he stepped up on the bank, his jeweled eyes spinning in ever changing colors of gold and silver and copper. Longma waved Celeborn after her and together they climbed the dragon's tail to a place on his back where Longma bid the elflord sit.

"Magic will hold us in place," Longma said as she touched her dragon's thoughts. With the water still dripping off his blue green hide, the dragon leaped skywards.

Celeborn felt the slightest pull backwards as the dragon rose higher and higher into the sky. The elflord had sometimes wondered what it would be like to fly, and had even considered asking Gandalf one time if the great eagles would permit such a ride, but he had held his tongue. Now he was flying higher than even the eagles dared, up into the mists of the clouds.

A part of him wanted to shout for joy, but another part of him reminded him that this was no joy ride. They were going to have a look at the Nazgul's keep.
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The riders stared up into the sky until the dragon had disappeared into the clouds. Now there was nothing to do now but wait for them to return. Aragorn's two remaining retainers decided that since the dragon was gone, they would try some fishing in his pond. The appearance of an army of servants with baskets of food and everything one could possibly need to fish, led them to believe that Longma had already anticipated their wants and needs. She did not want her guests getting bored and into trouble while she was away. And the arrival of the musicians and singers delighted everyone...except the jinn tiger. She didn't want her master looking at black eyed beauties and ignoring her. As gently as she could, she knocked him back in the grass and lay across him so he was flat under her and the only thing he could see was her tiger face.

Thoughts and desires passed between them. And Haldir relented. Tiger Blossom snarled happily and jumped off him, her tiger face twisting in a tiger grin. Gimli stared in amazement as the tiger roared and unconciously felt for his axe.

Haldir got up, wiped the grass off his clothes, and started back down the forest trail towards the keep. Tiger Blossom followed.
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Tiger Blossom ran her face over his and then licked his chin and lips.

"No," he whispered and moved her hair back away from her face. "Kiss me, do not taste me." She looked at him with so much longing in her eyes, he was tempted to give into her desire, but he told himself no. There would be a time when he needed gentle love making, and if she didn't know how to do.......

Blossom hesitated and lowered her face to his. He wanted her lips against his, but gently. He wanted her tongue in his mouth, but slowly. And he wanted to make the contact last. This pleased her master and made him softly moan. She could tell from his smell that he wasn't in pain, so the noise had to have been from pleasure. She was doing well.


Tiger Blossom sniffed the injury that she had made on his belly and regretted drawing the hot blood. Master did not deserve this injury and it saddened her. Master moved her away from the wound with his left hand. He did not want her kissing him there.

He told her to nuzzle his ears and kiss his throat. Master trusted her not to draw out the hot blood that throbbed just below her lips. Oh, and he tasted good. But she wanted master moaning in pleasure, not in pain. She wanted him to love Tiger Blossom, to be proud of her. Rubbing her face and tawny hair against his shoulder, she waited for him to tell her what to do next. Master wanted his nipples sucked. She obeyed, taking the right one in her mouth first and gently pulling on it with her teeth. Gently he told her, gently. He took her hand and placed it on the other. She understood and twirled it between her fingers. Master's eyes looked as if they were melting, and the soft noises coming from his throat told her he was pleased.

Master told her to kiss his erection, to run her tongue over it. Oh, master liked that. He moaned deeply. Then he told her to suck it, to take it into her mouth but to watch her teeth. She was not to ever use her teeth on him here. Tiger Blossom licked and sucked him steadily. His skin got very hot and he stroked his nipples, pinching them, as the fire grew in his belly. He told her to take him deep in her throat just before he arched his back and filled her mouth with his seed.


He rested awhile and then set about extinguishing Tiger Blossom's fire. She remembered a strange roar coming out of her mouth as he took her from behind. And before the afternoon was over, master made love to her in a strange way; he was on top and she was underneath. It felt good having his body on top of hers, and she liked the way he kissed her. And it was slow and lazy and she seemed to sense that he didn't care if he came again or not. He was simply enjoying the feel of his body moving within hers. Oh, he came again, master, she knew, would always come again if he desired sex. Master was beautiful, and she was lucky and grateful that Celestial and had kept her from killing him. She kissed his mouth and smiled. She loved master.
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Haldir finally got out of bed because he was hungry. Knowing that everyone was still at the pond, he and Tiger Blossom, dressed in her pretty blue robe, made their way back to the picnic. Sly grins met them upon their arrival, and Haldir pretended to ignore them as he found a spot on the grass and rummaged through the food to see what was left. Tiger Blossom could eat anything but meat.

Orophin, savoring a goblet of excellent rice wine, smiled at the jinn tiger and asked, "Have a nice nap?"

"Oh, we did not nap," she explained readily. "Master taught me how to make love to him."

"Tiger Blossom," Haldir interrupted her. "How about turning back into a tiger now."

"Oh, no, brother," Rumil protested. "We would love to hear what the lady has to say."

"I know," Haldir said as Tiger Blossom assumed her cat shape and lay in the grass beside him purring contentedly
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