Celeborn's Nine - Riders of the Night

Haldir wasn't sure how this was going to play out, but he knew one thing for certain, he wasn't leaving Edoras without Tiger. When the sentries told him he had to disarm in order to enter the hall and see Eomir, he readily handed over his sword and nodded at the Galadhrim to do likewise. He didn't want any trouble.

Entering the hall, lowering his head and holding his arms out palms up, he said, "King Eomir, I seek an audience with you."

Eomir tried not to look horrified as the elf slowly approached him. With all of his court and his knights around him, Eomir was not in any danger from the elf; he just hadn't expected to see Haldir so soon. Glancing at his wife, he read the concern in her eyes, and when her eyes met his, he knew she was the one who had told the elf where Tiger was.

"You and I will talk later," he warned her. To Haldir he asked, "What brings the captain of the Galadhrim to Edoras?"

Haldir smiled and said, "I have learned that the King of Rohan has something that belongs to me."

"And that?" Eomir asked suspiciously, his eyes narrowing.

"A jinn tiger who can appear as both a woman and a tiger," Haldir answered, his eyes already having swept the hall and not finding her. BUt he could feel her. She was here.

"You are mistaken," Eomir replied with a wave of a riding glove. "No such creature is here."

This was not what Haldir wanted to hear. "Then the king would not mind if I stayed awhile and satisfied my own curiosity," he stated amicably.

"The king would mind," Eomir countered. "That would indicate you believe the king is a liar."

Haldir decided he didn't want to keep playing this game. "I know she is here," he replied evenly.

Eomir stood up and approached the elf. "I ought to thrash you," he growled omeniously.

"You have me at the disadvantage," Haldir answered, still keeping his voice even.

Eomir suddenly thought of a way to keep the tiger while not being haunted by Haldir. "All right, suppose I have the cat. I caught her and by rights she is mine."

Haldir wondered where this was leading. "And?"

"And we contest for her. If I yield, she is yours. If you yield, she is mine."

"I would prefer another way," Haldir replied, unsure if he could take on the king right now. Eomir was a respected warrior, and Haldir was still sore....very sore.

Eomir grinned and glanced around the hall, his actions provoking the elf. "The hero of Helm's Deep has second thoughts now." Some of the Rohhirm joined their king in his chuckle; those who had been there were not so amused.

"Name your contest," Haldir replied uncomfortably.

Eomir looked around the hall and then said, "Swords. Not to the death mind you, just til the other yields. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Haldir said as a sword was handed to him. Excusing himself for a moment, he went back to Orophin and raised his tunic. "Remove the bandage, it will slow me down."

"This is not wise," Orophin replied.

"Just remove the bandage," Haldir said, resolved to not yield ever. Orophin reluctantly unwound the bandage. Haldir's pale shoulder was still streaked with deep red gashes and bruising and was slow of healing. Haldir ignored his brothers' concern as he lowered the tunic and faced the king. "Ready," he said.

Eomir tested the elf, looking for weakness, but Haldir possessed a disciplined mind and did not show any at first. Then the swords began their own song of violence. It didn't take the king long to realize that his opponent was weak on the right side. And that was where he concentrated his blows. Haldir thought the bones were trying to seperate again the pain was great, but he refused to yield.

"Yield!" he yelled at the elf. "I can see you are in no shape to be fighting."

Haldir shook his head and readied for another attack. The crash of the sword sent electric bolts through his right hand. Deftly, as if a mere afterthought, he switched to his left hand.

Lothiriel watched the duel until she couldn't stand it any longer. Eomir was punishing the elf, but Haldir was not relinquishing his claim to the jinn tiger. Rising from her chair, the queen ran back to the private rooms, to the one that housed the jinn tiger.

"Your Master is here," she told Tiger. "Come!"

Tiger jumped off the bed and ran after her back to the hall. There for the first time in many heart beats, Tiger gazed at her beautiful Master. But what was going on here? She didn't understand 'yield', and she didn't know why the brothers were watching Master fight the king without helping him. It made no sense to her. The king suddenly got close to Master and forearmed him across the face. Blood spurted from Master's nose and lip as he fell on the floor, and Tiger could see Master was in terrible pain, but when the king said 'yield' Master shook his head and tried to get up. Tiger could stand it no more. She could not let him keep hurting Master.

For the first time the warriors of Rohan witnessed the shape shift of a jinn tiger. With a roar she leaped forward, and a dozen swords were drawn and turned on her, but Tiger was not attacking the king. If Master was going to get hurt everytime he tried to get up, Tiger was not going to let him get up. Gently, using her body, she forced him down and laid over him. He tried to grab her neck, but she turned so she could see the king. There was no rage in her eyes, but she was not going to let him keep hurting Master. A soft snarl reinforced what she was thinking.

Haldir clutched at the tiger's neck, wanting her to get off of him before Eomir's men did something to her. He could see they were all pointing weapons at her, ready to strike at a second's notice. "Tiger, move," he insisted.

Tiger shifted again and turned to Master. The pain in his eyes tore at her heart, but right now the only way she could help him was to stay between him and the king and purr. It was a soft rumble that told him it would be all right, that she loved him. She loved Master with her entire being and licked his face. Tiger knew she was trapping herself again, but she didn't care. She could not live without Master and accepted it. Glancing around the great hall, all eyes on her and the king, she knew they were waiting for someone to make the next move. Orophin, Rumil and the Galadhrim looked as if they wanted to rush to Haldir's side but were afraid to. Tiger wanted to tell them that she was not going to allow anymore harm to come to Master, but she couldn't, not yet anyway.

"Look at her," Lothiriel cried passionately. "She is never going to love you as she loves him, as I love you."

Eomir looked at the great cat and knew his wife's words were right. "All right," he relented. I yield." He looked at his wife, tears shimmering in her eyes and held his arm out to her. Like a frightened child, she ran to him, holding him tight, thanking whatever gods had answered her prayers.

Orophin, Rumil and the Galadhrim, permitted to move now, ran up and pried Tiger off Haldir. When she sat up, they all took turns hugging her, and Tiger was happy for the first time in many months, but her heart softened when she saw how hurt her beautiful master was. He had suffered so for Tiger.

Haldir cared for nothing but putting his good arm around her and holding her close. "We need to go," he hissed painfully as she and his brothers helped him up. He didn't want to stay one more minute in Edoras. Even though unsteady on his feet, he insisted on climbing on the back of his horse and offering Tiger a hand up. She climbed behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. And it felt so good holding him again, she laid her cheek against his back. And he would have revelled at her hands on his body again, but for the fact there was something seriously wrong now with him. They had to get out of Edoras before he succumed to hi injuries.

No need for wild riding now, they started out at a slow walk headed back towards Minis Tirith. And Haldir tried to hold on, telling himself that it was just his shoulder, that it wasn't that bad. That....it felt like the bones were rubbing against one another. He should have let them treat him more.

An hour out of Edoras, Tiger called frantically to the brothers telling them that Master had gone slack. Orphin and Rumil jumped off their horses and grabbed Haldir before he fell to the ground. Frightened, Tiger took his head in her lap and stroked his hair. Master had to be all right.
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Glorfindel and the twins had continued on without Celeborn and the men from Minas Tirith, who had stopped out of the sheer exhaustion of their horses. The slayer suddenly reined in his horse. Up ahead he could see the Galadhrim and Tiger. "This doesn't look good," he told the twins.

Tiger knew everything was going to be all right when Glorfindel arrived. He would know what to do. There was only time for a quick hug before Glorfindel took notice of Haldir's condition. The shoulder was hot and red and swollen. He was bleeding internally.

"We need to find a better place to lay him," Glorfindel said. "Help me with him."
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When light finally returned, a cart was found for Haldir to travel in, and although she insisted that Master had told her to never use magic on him, Tiger obeyed Glorfindel and put Master into a deep sleep. Then she rode in the cart with him, his head upon her lap. Every so often she would touch his body as if trying to convince herself that he was real. She even bent over once and kissed his parted lips and tasted the raw flesh from Eomir's beating. Master was so hurt it frightened Tiger.

Queen Arwen had everything ready when they arrived at Minis Tirith. A litter would carry Haldir to his room. Tiger climbed out of the cart to follow Master when she overheard a woman whisper, "Maybe the bastard will die." Tiger glanced around and saw it was the woman Armanea. For a moment Tiger and the woman's eyes locked on each other. Tiger was puzzled by the emotion rising in her breast. She had never felt real hatred before.

"Shouldn't you be going with them?" Armanea asked Tiger contemptuously.

She was right, Tiger needed to go with Lord Celeborn and Glorfindel. They would want her to remove the sleeping spell.

Armanea watched them enter the hall with the injured elf on a litter. Even in his misery he was beautiful. Her lip curled in a soft snarl as she remembered how he had left her begging for him, and now she hated him passionately. Hated him enough that she wanted him dead. He was not going to be leaving Minis Tirith.