Celeborn's Nine - Riders of the Night

Glorfindel, Legolas and Gimli were sitting on the river bridge trying to conjure up dolphins, when Celestial made his appearance in the sky and chortled at them.

Gimli, embracing his axe, grumbled, "I wish I had gone with yah. I'm still having a hard time visualizing this Ice Queen woman."

"Not to mention the Queen of the Mountain," Legolas said as they stood up and started back down the road towards the mountain cliffs. "She really appeared to you as a hag?"

"Indeed she did," Glorfindel said with an amused smile. "I thought I was sacrificing myself for the good of the group, but she turned out to be a beautiful woman."

"You were lucky she let you go," Gimli intoned.........

Tiger, Haldir and Rumil were at the Koi pond with Celestial landed and scattered the ducks. Tiger loved watching the ducks flap out of the way, and Dog found it amusing also, his small barks drawing the attention of one very large irritated drake. Rumil scooped the little dog up well before the duck got to him, but with his courage magnified by at least four feet of elf, he started barking even harder.

"Hush, Dog," Tiger said and lightly tapped his head. Grinning as Celestial extended his foot, she waited for Orophin and then pounced on him. "Did you see your cub?" she asked anxiously. "What did he look like?"

Orophin smiled and said, "He would have made a fine elf, I think. I'm going back to see him when he's older."

Longma, stepping off the dragon behind him, thoughtfully remarked, "I never understood why she did that to her wolves." But she didn't have time to ponder any more of it; Tiger grabbed her in an embrace and almost lifted her off her feet. "Careful, girl, careful." She glanced past Tiger at Haldir and saw the sadness flicker in his eyes. So he was leaving her. She didn't know if she was angry or pleased.

"Tiger," she said and stroked her face, "run back to the keep and tell my servants to ready a hot bath for me. I feel sort of....misty." Tiger's face brightened. She grabbed Dog and took off running. Longma touched Haldir's arm and prevented him from following her. "You and I must talk," she said.

Haldir looked hesitant but obeyed the dragonwitch. She led him down a path that went higher up the mountain. "Why now?" she finally asked him.

"She needs someone to look after her, and I'm not very good," he replied without apology. There was a long pause, and then he added, "And if I am going to lose her to Prometheus, I don't want to be here."

Longma stopped and turned to him. "So you drop her off and ride away. What about your child? Besides, I know about his two promises. He can't take her unless you free her." Her eyes widened as she thought of something. "And you're not going to do that, are you?"

"If she stays with me something bad will happen to her. This way she's safe," he explained.

Longma's anger rose the longer she stared at the elf. "I will keep her," she finally said, "but only after I kill you for abandoning her." And she meant it. If Haldir abandoned Tiger to keep Prometheus from getting her, she would track the elf down and let Celestial rip him apart. "I won't let you hurt her like that now. She loves you."

"She was created by Prometheus," he reminded her.

"Oh, yes, she was, but it is not your place to try and alter the future. Tiger, this Tiger, loves you. Granted she is not a true woman or even a true tiger, but she is what she is and she lives for you. And THAT is not an exageration. She has shown it to you countless times, I'm sure."

"Then don't I owe it to her to keep her safe? Here with you?"

"No. She needs to be with you. If you leave her she will grieve too death, or she will try to follow you. Do you want that on your thoughts, wondering if she is trying to follow you?"

"I had not considered that," he said and turned away to sit on a flat rock beside the trail.

"Then consider it. Take her home with you, watch your son or daughter being born. You might discover a new kind of love if you do."

"There's no one there to help, and I'm not..."

"Then I will come to you before its time. She is my daughter...in our own way....and I would not miss it for anything. Take Tiger home with you.....do not leave her here to weep. I would have to kill you if you did." And there was a finality to her statement that told him she was not teasing.

"What of Prometheus?"

"He's a god. He has forever to get her back."

Haldir took a deep breath and considered it. He was taking Tiger home with him, and the dark feelings around his heart lifted. "All right. I'll take her home with me. And you will come before its time?"

"You can not keep me away," she promised him.