Celeborn's Nine - Riders of the Night

Author's note: .............................................................................................................

Tiger couldn't understand why no one wanted to speak to her about Aslin. It was as if her heart would break if she couldn't get her feelings out, but neither Elrohir nor Elladan wanted to say anything. And Glorfindel acted as if he didn't want to be around her that much anymore, which hurt her feelings even more. Master listened, but she wanted someone to talk back to her. She wanted someone to say how sorry they were Aslin was gone. Tomy only cried, and Asplil said he didn't want to talk about it.

Oddly Atawulfe who hardly knew the Saka girl became the one to talk to her. Sitting in front of the fire in the main hall, they regaled each other with tales of how wonderful Aslin had been.Tiger didn't know how Atwulfe knew how wonderful Aslin had been, but it still made her feel better hearing it from someone else.

After an hour of praising Aslin, they got quiet and stared at the fire. Lord Celeborn, some papers in hand, arrived and sat in one of the large chairs near the fire. They were a history of the region written in a language he understood. The Snow Queen's library was as interesting as Elrond's.

Tiger looked at Atawulfe and said, "You should have stayed when the trolls caught me."

"Why is that?" he asked, thinking that getting help for her had been the wiser decision.

"You could have seen the monster," she answered.

"Monster?" Atawulf asked in disbelief. "you saw a monster?"

"Yes, Tiger does not lie," she replied defensively.

Celeborn looked up and listened to Tiger's description of a creature that glowed with its own fire. "Tiger," he interrupted her, "when did you see this monster?"

"Many months back," she answered apologetically.

"Describe it to me." And she did. Sitting back in the chair, his face reflecting his amazement, he said, "Tiger, why didn't you tell anyone?"

"Master was angry with Tiger, and no one asked," she answered, thinking now that she was in trouble. "Is Lord Celeborn angry with Tiger?"

"No, but I think you saw the balrog," Celeborn said and got up. "Come with me."


Everyone gathered in the great hall and listened as Tiger described what she saw in the cavern. Glorfindel, the only one with a clear vision of what a balrog was had to admit it certainly sounded like one. But he couldn't understand why Tiger thought the thing was sleeping.

"Sounds like we need to check it out," he finally said for his seat at the table.

Orophin, holding up the wall, had a different idea. "Or we can leave and go home."

Everyone looked at him in disbelief or amazement. "Why would you suggest that?" Elladan asked.

Orophin gave him a thoughtful look and said, "Because I do not want to die."

Haldir, speaking in elvish, said, "Only the humans have died." Tiger jerked her head up at him with hurt in her eyes. Did Master not like the humans? He saw her expression and said, "I d not mean to sound hard or indifferent. I like them."

Orophin snorted and said, "We have been lucky, but this may be our time."

Celeborn would accept no suggestion that involved leaving something as evil as a balrog alive. "If I must go alone, I will," he said angrily.

Glorfindel, his smile almost black, looked at Celeborn and said, "This is not the time for theatrics. We need to see what it is, but we also need to ready to fight just in case it is."

"Providing it is still there," Elrohir responded, his demeanor grim and cold. He didn't really care what they did, so long as they did something. He was becoming a little stir crazy. "I agree with Glorfindel, we need to check it out. If Orophin wants to stay here, let him. I'm going to ready my things."

Haldir looked at his brother, questioning him with his eyes. Orophin turned away a moment, uncomfortable with the choice being forced on him. Everyone was moving around him, even the Sakas who had already lost two of their own. Meeting Haldir's sharp gaze, he said, "Of course I'm going, but I do not feel good about this."

Celeborn, readying himself, called out, "You know we'll be going on foot. The horses won't tolerate a balrog."

Glorfindel, drawing Scopias aside, said, "leave your women here. We won't be on horses, and I fear they'll be in the most danger."

Scopias considered it and then said to Tomy, "Stay here and make offerings for us."

Tomy frowned but did not argue. The younger women ought to stay behind; she just didn't like staying with them. Watching the men arm themselves, she fought the urge to join them, and instead, helped Melanippus pull on a warm tunic and then some heavy leather padding to protect his human body and flanks.

"Be careful," she said, trying to hide the anxiety in her voice.

He smiled and said, " Thank-you. I will."

Glorfindel, strapping on his sword belt, a heavy cloak over his shoulders, started towards the the doors, his actions setting everyone else into motion. His perfect face was devoid of emotion, his thoughts already moved ahead to what if this sleeping monster is a balrog. What were they going to do? Couldn't very well take a centaur into a cave. A moment later Tiger as tiger raced by him into the snow. Glancing up at the sky with its high wisps of white feathers, ice clouds, he could not help but wonder if he would see them on the return trip. Tiger, waiting for them at the gate, looked back, her golden tiger eyes on him, and he wondered why the gods just didn't take her and promises be damned! Bitterness. He didn't need to dwell on things he could not control right now.

Celeborn, who had not been a part of the group that had rescued Tiger from the cave trolls, stayed a step behind Glorindel, as they entered a part of the forest he was not familar with. His grandsons came just a little behind him and the Galadhrim behind them. The Sakas and Melanippus brought up the rear. Tiger was up ahead, but she never got too far away. She would reach a point and stop, but the moment she saw them, she would be off again.

Arriving at the mouth of the cave several hours later, Glorfindel told the Sakas and Melanippus to build a fire, a great roaring fire, and keep it going. He did not want them in the cave. But he did need a torch and made one for himself and Celeborn. The other elves would have to do without. He did not want them to have anything in their hands to impeded their ability to get to their weapons.

The cave was empty, all of its inhabitants either killed or chased off. This gave Glorfindel some dark satisfaction. Tiger, still in her tigerskin, padded down the tunnel to the end of it, to the place where the great cavern yawned before them. Standing up as Tiger, her eyes adjusting to that near perfect darkness, she frowned. The monster had moved.

Glorfindel still leading the troop stopped beside her and looked out across the cavern. "Do you smell that?" he asked the others.

"Sulphur," Celeborn replied. "Understandable, we are in a cave."

Glorfindel looked at the elflord and said, " The Snow Queen did say the balrog had moved closer, but that smell belongs to a dragon. Tiger's sleeping monster is a dragon."

"Tiger saw a dragon?" Rumil asked a hint of fear in his voice. "Are they together?"

"That I do not know," Glorfindel said, "but if they are, it won't be a first."

"So what do we do now?" Orophin asked.

A deep rumbling growl farther back in the cavern answered him. The decision had been made for them.