Celeborn's Nine - Riders of the Night

Tiger was ecstatic and the first thing she did after kissing Longma hello was run down to the Koi pond to see the Celestial. The huge dragon had been speaking to her for hours on the ride across the valley, and it had been almost humour listening to her answer him with words while he spoke to her mind.

For Haldir it was most agonizing. He knew what he was doing was right, right? Tiger would be safe with Longma, and she would let him know when the Time came and he would return with her, right? Watching Tiger carry on her three way conversation with Celestial and Dog reminded him that she was no ordinary woman, that there would always be things about her he would not be a part of.

Longma did not have anything but kind greetings for the elves. She asked and Celeborn and the twins, and that night at supper, she heard all about their great adventures looking for the balrog. It even slipped that Orophin had a son, one that he would probably never seen again.

"Why is that?" Longma asked curiously as the servants poured them all porceline cups full of wonderful hot tea.

"No reason to ever go there again," Orophin asnwered. "I mean it's not like he's really an elf. Is it?"

Longma smiled. "I know this woman," she said. "Perhaps we can make a little time to go see him."

Orophin's eyes brightened. "What do you mean?"

"I have a dragon. We can drop in for a short visit, unless you are in a hurry to leave."

Tiger, frowning at the thought of leaving, spoke up, "No, Longma, we just got here."

Longma smiled and glanced at Haldir. His face told her everything. "No, Tiger, I do not want you to leave so soon."

Tiger smiled and then glanced at Haldir, who reached over and took her hand in his. That night, he made love to her in a way that he had not done in a long time. Long and slow, holding the moment of perfection back. Tiger seemed to understand his need to take their time, but he couldn't tell her why. EVerytime he touched that part of his mind, it hurt too bad. Maybe he wasn't doing the right thing. Maybe he should take her back with him.

When that perfect moment could not be held back any longer, Haldir shuddered almost violently as Tiger arched her back up into him, her body clinging to him. Then he held her, held her while she slept, while his own thoughts kept sleep from him. This was the right thing, he told himself, but it still hurt.
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Orophin looked up at the celestial dragon as he heaved his huge mass out of the water. It streamed off him and left pools of running water on the sand.

"Come now," Longma said and stepped on the offered forefoot. Orophin followed her up the brilliant scaled leg and then waved at his friends watching from the ground. "Sit," Longma said and crossed her ankles, lowering her body to the flat back of the dragon. Orophin did as he was told and within seconds Celestial was leaping like a giant cat towards the sky.

It made Orophin's head swim to see the earth disappearing below him, but at the same time it was exilherating. Celestial covered the distance between Longma's Keep and the Ice Queen's keep in hours. He landed in the open grasslands just beyond the forest and started roaring.

"She's expecting us," Longma explained and shushed the great dragon. "She knows we're here," she told him.

Orophin watched as a great open wagon pulled by six gray horses emerged from the forest. The Ice Queen was standing beside a man that he recognized as the young wolf who had been tiger's friend when last here. Only he wasn't a youth anymore. He was a full bodied man. Wolves of all different ages and sizes ran beside the imperial wagon. Among them was a young pure white adolescent wolf.

"Let's get off," Longma said as Celestial lowered his body to the ground and extended his foreleg.

Orophin stepped off and watched in awe as the Ice Queen left her wagon and brought the wolves with her towards him. He held his breath, his eyes fixed on the young animal.

"Longma, Orophin," she greeted them. "Welcome back."

"Is that him?" Orophin asked quickly.

The Ice Queen smiled gently. "Yes, that's him. Would you like to seem him in elven form?"

"Yes, I would."

The Ice Queen turned to the young wolf and called him to her. His name was Tark and he answered readily. "That's my darling," she said and stroked his pure white head. Some magic slipped off the tips of her fingers and Tark found himself sitting on the ground in his new skin. He looked up at the ICe Queen with sheer devotion in his eyes.

"Stand up, Tark," the Ice Queen told him. "It's all right. They're friends."

Orophin held his breath as Tark stood up. He was beautiful, but shy, wellformed and slender. Tark tried to keep the Ice Queen between him and these new people. It made Orophin smile.

"Will you ever tell him who I am?" Orophin asked.

"I will now," the Ice Queen said. "Tark, this is your father, Orophin." Tark looked at her with unsure eyes and then looked at Orophin. "He may still be too young to understand," the Ice Queen apologized. "Tark, you need to remember his face," she said and stroked the young male's perfect face. His face brightened at the touch. "I've not taken him as a lover yet. He needs to mature some more," she explained.

"Do you think you might let him visit me sometime?" Orophin asked hopefully.

"It is possible, but I can not promise it," she said and dropped her hand. "I do not believe he will ever think like an elf or even like a man. They have always been wolves in their minds. And for that reason alone they do not leave me."

"I understand," Orophin said, wishing he could at least touch his son. "Will he let me hug him?"

"I can make him stand still for you, if you insist. But he won't understand it."

"No, I don't want to force myself on him," Orophin said. "May I come back some day to see him?"

"Certainly. I would not deny that to you or hiim."

Orophin bobbed his head. "Then I think I'll come back when he can understand better."

"Wise decision," the Ice Queen concurred.

Orophin smiled as he climbed back on the dragon and looked down at his perfect son. He would certainly return to see Tark again.