Celeborn's Nine - Riders of the Night

Author's note: Vestal Virgins? I love it! hehehehehe.....but it is an interesting thought. And there are some surprises that I hope you will enjoy in the upcoming chapters.
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Aragorn really wanted to go, but Arwen's grip on his arm as they waved good bye to her grandfather and the nine was firm. Going after Khamul was neccessary. Tracking down a balrog, not so neccessary. Legolas and Gimli, loyal to Aragorn til the end, also lifted their hands as the riders passed down the dark path that led out of the city.

"It'll be awhile before we see them again," Gimli said with a deep sigh and gazed up at Arwen.

"I know," she said distantly, clinging tighter to her husband's arm.
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Through the softness of early fall nights, they rode to the southeast into a mountain range that seemed almost as magnificent as the Mountains of the Sky. And it became colder as they climbed. Fur cloaks and undertunics materialized from hidden packs, and on a ridge that looked out on eternity, Celeborn, wrapped in furs of fox and ermine, stayed his horse and watched the sun rise. It was but one mountain crest they had to cross before they would begin their descent into warmer climes, but it was a moment of majesty he could not deny himself. The sun was pristine and blazing on that cold world of the high mountains, and Celeborn raised his hand towards it as if he might touch the heavenly fire.

Glorfindel drew his horse near and stopped. Elflords true, their immortal hearts revelled at this moment of pure beauty. When did the elves ever come this way? A blast of cold wind whipped their cloaks about them, as if some mountain spirit dared them to continue, or perhaps a wind god, jealous of their beauty, sought to ruffle their fine furs and long hair. But it had no effect on them; they belonged not to the wind but to the light, whether moon or sun, they were the light.

Reluctant to camp on a ridge open to the taciturn winds, Celeborn led them over the crest, over snow mortal horses would shy at, into a valley of rock and ice cold streams. Here they would rest their animals for the next climb. There was little graze for the horses, but they made due eating the hardy plants that did strive to push through the rock and rumble to see the sun.

Tiger hunted and returned with a small goat like animal that the twins butchered and spitted over a fire. And when the night got cold, bitterly cold, she stayed in her tiger skin and shared her warmth with Master and his brothers. Tiger's fur was thick and soft and warm. Master lay with his head against her tiger chest, her fur keeping his face and head warm, her tiger arms keeping his ears warm and providing a pillow for his head. If Tiger tried to move and draw the warmth away from him, he complained and she stopped moving.

Sometime during the night, Glorfindel, while adding fuel to their fire, stopped and looked down at her in the middle of a group huddle. He smiled and knelt down to stroke the top of her head. Under all the furs and blankets were Master and five Galadhrim. The tarp kept any dampness from settling on top of them, but it was Tiger's heat that held them all in place. Human males would freeze too death in many instances rather than share warmth. Elves thought it foolish to be cold when you didn't have to. Tiger wanted to get up, or at least turn over, but she was being held tightly in place.

"You know you are spoiling them," Glorfindel said affectionately.

"Glorfindel," someone beside Tiger spoke up loudly although his voice was muffled, "go away."

"I'm just pointing out how you are abusing her," Glorfindel retorted good naturedly.

"Go away Glorfindel," someone else spoke up.

Haldir untangled himself and sat up. Tiger leaped at the chance to move and quickly seperated herself from the others over their loud protests. She trotted off a short ways into the dark to take care of things jinn tigers needed to take care of.

"Do you know how long it took us to get her to lay correctly?" Orophin grumbled and looked back over his shoulder to see where she had gone off to.

"Did you think she might not like laying there all night with you gentlemen holding her in a hammerlock?" Glorfindel responded defensively.

"You're just jealous you don't have a tiger," one of the Galadhrim growled.

Glorfindel lowered his head for a moment and then looked up with an arrogant smile on his face. "Let me put it this way," the elflord began, "if I had a creature who could turn into a beautiful woman, I wouldn't be making her lie all night in a tiger skin with a dozen gropy hands all over her."

Glorfindel stood up and returned to his bedroll with Haldir watching. "He has a point," Haldir told the other Galadhrim. "You have to sleep with yourselves now." Tiger returned, still in her tiger skin, and reluctantly, oh so very reluctantly returned to Master and his brothers. "Come here," Haldir told her, "and be a woman. No more tiger tonight."

"Well at least let her on this side," Rumil complained as Tiger snuggled up to Master and threw one leg over his.

Haldir, now having to use his arm behind his head as a pillow, looked down at Tiger who was using his breast as a pillow and said, "She can sleep wherever she wants."
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Since the mountains were treacherous at best and deadly at worst, Celeborn and Glorfindel decided it would be best to ride during the daylight hours. Once they entered the lower levels, if they ran into any human settlements, they could resume their night ride. But even with this plan in mind, they spend the morning packing their gear and saddling the horses, while what was left of the meat was warmed over the fire to make it easier to eat.

They were almost ready to go when a deep rumbing growl attracted their attention and sent the horses into a walleyed panic. Bows were readied as all went on the alert. Tiger shape shifted and scrambled up a rock face.

Celeborn held his breath and waited. And then he saw what they were up against. An enormous female bear with her huge cubs had been attracted to the smell of meat. They were trying to fatten up before disappearing for the winter. She roared and opened her huge maw. It would be easy to kill her and the cubs. There was hesitation as the bowmen waited for Celeborn to give the order to fire, but he couldn't do it.

"Give it to her," he said and turned towards his anxious horse.

"Tiger, come on!" Haldir called to her and ran to his horse. As graceful as a....well, a tiger, she leaped off the rock ledge, shape shifted and was on the horse behind him before the bear could carry out her bluff.

Rumil, his horse pawing and half rearing, not amused to find itself so near a bear while the other horses ran away, waved at the she-bear and yelled, "It's yours mother!" Then with a whoop, he was galloping after his companions.
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The next night found them on the side of a moutain peak. There was no graze for the horses and the wind was bitter, but no one complained or asked Tiger to shape shift. Clouds hid most of the sky until sometime after midnight when the wind blew them all away and presented a pristine sky to their eyes. It was at this time the Old Woman of the Mountain decided to make her appearance.

She came creeping over the rocks in a tattered black dress, her white hair unbrushed and tangled, her rummy eyes a pale blue that were even visible in the dark. Her nose was two sizes too big for her face, and her hands were gnarled and bent awkwardly around her walking stick. She entered their camp and stopped, her unearthly pale blue eyes sweeping over the assembled elves and jinn tiger.

"You are trespassing," she hissed in a voice that fairly crackled with age and venom.

"We meant no harm, madam," Celeborn said and stood up. He did not know who she was but she fairly crackled of magic. And that much magic had to be respected.

"Matters not, trespasser you are." She paused and looked at each elf in his term and even spared a glance for Tiger, who seemed completely unperturbed by her presence.

"And what is the penalty for trespassing, grandmother?" Elrohir asked curiously.

"I can bring the mountain down on top of you," she answered readily, and as if in response to her remark, the mountain rumbled softly beneath them.

"What would you have of us, grandmother?" Rumil asked.

The Old Woman looked around, and studied each elf again, closer this time. Finally she looked at Haldir than at Glorfindel. Both elves shuddered at the scrutiny, but Haldir's eyes carried the greater fear. He even reached his hand out and clasped Tiger's. Glorfindel saw this and said, "Grandmother, what do you desire of us?"

"A kiss," she cackled. Haldir shrank back even further.

"Then I am your elf," Glorfindel offered himself up. "I am told my kisses are like wine."

She looked him up and down out of her rummy eyes and then said, "And if I choose to take you to bed?"

Glorfindel swallowed hard. Mountain crashing down on them or Haldir dying of fright. "Madam," he began again. "Women weep when I leave them."

The Old Woman of the Mountain moved closer and more carefully appraised the golden haired elflord. Few could surpass Glorfindel for regal beauty or dignity of mind. Haldir's beauty was almost cold and icy next to Glorfindel's slow burning fire.

Glorfindel stood his ground as the Old Woman circled him and even laid a hand on his tight flanks, but he did not jump. He bore her scrutiny without shrinking away or laughing indignantly. Finally she said, "You will do. Come." To punctuate her command, the mountain rumbled even louder higher up.

Glorfindel gazed a moment at his companions and then followed the Old Woman off into the darkness.

"We'll not leave without you!" someone sounding alot like Elladan called out. It warmed Glorfindel's heart to think they thought that much of him.

The Old Woman led him up higher in the mountains to a cave that was lit by torches and blazing hearths. Glorfindel did not see anything dangerous, but like Celeborn, he could feel the Old Woman's magic.

She laid her walking stick against the cave wall and motioned for Glorfindel to sit beside her on a fur in front of the hearth. Glorfindel tried not to look too horrified as she patted on the animal skin beside her. Sitting gracefully beside her, he stared into the fire as she studied his face.

"Let me taste your wine kisses, then," she said.

Glorfindel took a deep breath and turned to her. This was for the good of all of them, he thought as his lips touched hers.