Celeborn's Nine - Riders of the Night

Author's note: Amazons? But of course, but they will be based on real women and a real culture. What is the point of rehashing old Xena stories?
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The camp was beside a small stream that fed into a larger one, and while the elves couldn't see them, the place was alive with spirits, most of them simple plant spirits that did little more than peep from under grass blades at the larger beings. Tiger saw them and smiled, which naturally attracted Glorfindel's attention.

"What do you see?" he asked as he finished tieing up his tent securely between some willow trees.

"Tiger does not know," Tiger answered as the small spirit creature looked fearfully up at the approaching elf and vanished.

"Where is it?" Glorfindel asked and plopped on the grass beside her.

"They left when you came over," she replied and ran her hand over the grass.

"What else do you see?" he inquired curiously, disappointed at missing the little spirits.

"There are spirits everywhere," she said and looked around, seeing tree nymphs in disguise and river spirits hiding in the shallow water.

"Will they show themselves to you?"

Tiger shrugged her shoulders. "I can try." She went to the edge of the stream and looked into the water. Although the water was shallow, the naiades who lived in the stream, could make themselves any size they wanted. Haldir's brothers and the Galadhrim joined her and Glorfindel on the stream bank, their eyes searching the water.

What are we looking for?" Rumil asked curiously.

"Naiades," Tiger answered.

"What are they?" one of the Galadhrim asked.

"River spirits, I think," Glorfindel answered. "Do you see anything?"

"They are here, but playing," she answered as Elrohir and Elladan now joined the group at the water's edge.

"We're looking for river spirits," Orophin quietly explained before either could ask. The twins nodded their heads.

Tiger looked up as a Naiade, clad only in her long bluish brown hair, appeared before her in spirit form. "What is it you want, Jinn?" the elegant female asked.

"My friends want to see you," she answered, her sudden conversation with seemingly thin air startling them.

The Naiade waded closer and studied Elrohir's face and allowed her eyes to wander lower. "He is handsome, but why does he hide himself?"

"He is elfkind; they do that."

"What? What?" Elladan asked.

Tiger shook her head. "How do we know she is not just talking to herself?" one of the Galadhrim asked.

"Tiger, will she show herself to us?" Glorfindel asked hopefully.

The Naiade laughed softly and said, "If we show ourselves, we will want payment. What does an elf have to give us?"

"I do not think they have much money," Tiger replied.

The Naiade laughed again. "No, silly. We want to see what elves hide beneath their tunics."

"You want to see them naked?" Tiger asked, puzzled by this. Then realization hit her. "You want sex?"

Orophin laid his hand on Tiger's shoulder and stopped her. "Please tell me Tiger that this Naiade is not like Glorfindel's mistress."

Tiger had to think on this. The Naiade and her sisters were beautiful just like the Mountain Queen, but Orophin didn't want them to be? She was thoroughly confused. "The Naiades are beautiful," she finally decided.

The giggling Naiade moved closer and said, "I would show that one my beauty."

"Orophin would like that," Tiger said and sat back on her on her haunches.

"Tell them we will have sex with them tonight, after it is dark and quiet." She then turned away and disappeared.

"What did she say?" Rumil asked anxiously.

"They will return tonight after it is dark for sex," Tiger answered and stood up. She was feeling a presence she had not felt in a long long time. Leaving the elves on the bank, she continued down the stream bank until she was out of sight of the camp. That was when Cleo came to her.

"I thought it was you," the sphinx hissed omeniously from a high bank.

"Hello, Cleo," Tiger said and sat down in the sand, her eyes on the creature that was part woman, part lion.

"Riddle me this," the sphinx hissed and and leaped to the ground. "What has three legs but can only stand on two?"

"Tiger has heard that one before," Tiger said and yawned to prove her point. "In all the time Tiger has been away you have not learned anymore new riddles?"

"Where's your master, Tiger?" the sphinx asked and stretched sensuously.

"Tiger has new master," Tiger answered.

"Human? God?"

"Elf."

"By Hades beard, where did you find an elf?" Cleo asked curiously. "How long have you been his servant?"

"We are in our second year."

"You were with Prometheus a thousand years before his mishap," Cleo taunted her. "Ever see him?"

Tiger frowned. "Tiger does not know where Prometheus is. He left Tiger without saying why."

Cleo looked surprised. "You really are that stupid, aren't you?"

Tiger frowned dangerously. "Watch your words."

Cleo used a hind leg to scratch an itchy spot on her back. "You really don't know where he is?"

"No."

"He's chained on a mountain with an eagle ripping his liver out and eating it every morning. Sometimes for diversion, it eats his heart."

Tigers eyes grew wide as she imagined this scene in her mind. "You lie!" she hissed.

Cleo opened her paws as if to say, believe what you want. "I must admit I find the scene extremely erotic. Naked god, chained to a rock, hot blood every morning. No one has touched him for almost 10,000 years. Imagine that." She grinned so her sharp teeth showed clearly.

"You are evil," Tiger growled.

"And someone is coming to look for you. I wonder how he tastes," Cleo said and leaped back up on the bank.

Tiger looked around as Haldir slipped through the brush looking for her. "Are you all right?" he asked affectionately.

"You should not have come," she told him as Cleo, ever the actress, leaped to the ground in front of them.

Haldir looked at the strange creature in front of him and reached for his sword, but Tiger stayed his hand. "You can not kill her that way."

"Indeed," Cleo said, speaking elvish as well as a native speaker. Cleo had the power to learn any language from just hearing a piece of it once. "Riddle me this or die. What is neither woman nor cat whose purr is as dangerous as her teeth?"

Haldir frowned. What kind of nonsense was this? He looked down at Tiger who was staring up at him. "What is this about?" he asked her.

"You must answer, Master, she will kill you."

Haldir frowned even harder. All right, the obvious answer was Tiger, but he looked at the sphinx and said, "You."

The sphinx curse and threw herself over in the sand. "How did you know?" she asked.

"Neither Tiger's purr nor her teeth have ever hurt me. That just leaves you."

"Romantic fool," Cleo grumbled in Hellene. "I need to go. Give my regards to Prometheus."

Tiger watched the sphinx slip away and then stood up. Master was giving her a funny look that seemed a little uncertain, but she wrapped her arms around his waist and sought his mouth for a kiss.

"The Naiades are coming tonight," she said against his lips. "They want to make love to your brothers and the other riders."

"That sounds interesting," Haldir mused and settled his mouth against hers. He loved it when Tiger's tongue caressed his. So slow and sensuous. "We aren't going to have anymore company here, are we?"

Tiger looked around. "No."

"Good," Haldir said and drew her down into the sand, his mouth pressed hard against hers.