It had taken several days and a detour to rid himself of the caravan, but in the end Celeborn had been unable to abandon the women and their retainers to the badlands. There were still bandits roaming the territory, and on more than one occassion they glimpsed their campfires while traveling at night. Lady Tasmine once she realized her mistake refused to let Celeborn abandon them and had her people ready their horses and camels the moment he emerged from his tent late in the afternoon. She also made sure he had a fine supper waiting for him. Fortunately her son and a small army showed up before they all got fat.

But the trek had taken them into the lands of a demon that Celeborn and Glorfindel remembered from their youthful wanderings. If it weren't for their water supply Celeborn would have taken them northwards around the demon lands, but they didn't have enough to make the trip, and there was a river several days ride from where they were. Still it was with uneasy hearts and minds that they pressed on in the darkness.

Every night he reminded them of something more terrible than any flesh and blood monster could ever be, the Demon of Desire, the great liar. They would be fortunate if they never saw it, but fate was not with them. Celeborn felt it first like a dry wind on his face. It was coming! The horses stomped their feet uneasily and tossed their heads. Legolas suggested they ride away from it, but there was no horse ever been born that could outrun Want..

It appeared first like a pure white antelope of great beauty stomping its silver hooves in agitation. Curved horns of solid gold caught fire in the dark and created the ethereal light that surrounded it. Dark sapphire eyes flashed, and gold dust floated with every breath. It was temptation and all who looked upon it saw their heart's desire. Celeborn saw his family united; Haldir his golden wood; Glorfindel the loves of his youth. Aragorn saw the power to do the good that he desired, and Gimli saw the glory of the dwarves rising again from the earth. It was temptation at its worst. And it was a lie.

Hearing the approach of the demon hounds, the two elf lords ordered the riders off their horses and told them to turn their heads, to not look upon what was coming. "Legolas if you love your friend, do not let him see this!" Glorfindel shouted.

Legolas shielded Gimli's eyes with his own body as the red eared white hounds descended upon temptation. The baying echoed unbearably off the rock walls and filled the air with its suffocating noise, but nothing was so terrible as the hellish undead riders pursuing the lie. Riders of the damned, condemned through all eternity to chase that which they can not catch.

"Look away!" Glorfindel yelled again, but the men were already entrapped by the power of the LIE. Elven hands grabbed at bridles and bits, trying to keep their friends from falling to the temptation, from losing their souls to the demon.

Aragorn spurred Brego, but two elves held him fast. The dark bay stallion reared and pawed the air, torn between the spur and the hands holding it. Crazed by the riders, the baying of the hounds and the explosion of light, Aragorn lashed at the elves with the ends of his long reins. One of his retainers broke free and joined the chase. The cry became deafening; the hounds on top of them in all their fury, then it was dark and silent, the demon and the damned gone with one of Aragorn's retainers.

Realizing what he had done, Aragorn gazed down in horror at the elf he had struck. Blood streaked across Haldir's face. Why did it have to be him? "Oh Halidr, I'm sorry," Aragorn painfully apologized.

Haldir didn't want his apology. "Why couldn't you just listen?" the elf asked bitterly. "Why couldn't you have just looked away?" He wiped his face with the back of his hand and then stared at the blood on his glove. "You will not bleed me anymore," he told the King of Gondor and caught the reins of his own horse and mounted.

Aragorn clenched his fists and slowly shook his head as the elves mounted their horses and Celeborn led them back into the velvet night. The King of Gondor rode along knowing that he and Haldir would have to face each other eventually and make peace. Haldir was coming to terms with his grief, but his anger was only getting worse.

Green grass and a river! The elves grinned at the prospect of getting clean. The men and Gimli were not quite as thrilled. And they were even less thrilled when they realized the elves meant to hit the river the moment they had their horses tended. Gimli had never cared for naked elves and decided to go ahead and take his nap now. Aragorn, more inhibited than his adopted brothers, put his tent up and readied his bed. After last night, he was more than tired; he was exhausted. He'd wash later on. The last thing he saw before he entered his tent to rest was Haldir sitting in the water, a dark slash down his forehead, through his right brow and cheek. He was watching the King of Gondor with an evil light in his eyes.

After man and elf retired to their beds, Elrohir was still lying naked in the water, the sandy bank supporting his head as the current gently flowed around him. Orophin was tossing shelled nuts at him, which he was trying to catch with his mouth.

"You know I am bored when this is entertainment," Orophin finally groaned. He was dressed save for his boots.

"And to think I was staying awake just so you'd have company," Elrohir replied with a yawn and a good stretch. Frowning, he pointed into the sky and asked, "What is that?"

Orophin looked up and squinted. There was something up there circling overhead , but what was it? Green and blue and yellow and white white skin became visible, as did its antlers. "It's a dragon!" he hissed and jumped up. "It's a dragon!" he yelled louder. "My Lord! We are being attacked by a dragon!"

Suddenly feeling very vulnerable, Elrohir jumped up and reached for his sword on the bank behind him. The dragon, flying like a serpeant crawled, slowly descended towards the river. The two elves had never seen a dragon like this before, but they were certain it was a dragon. And there was someone on its back!

Celeborn, fully armed and ready for battle, stepped out of his tent and then lowered his sword. It was a dragon all right, a Chine dragon and the woman on its back was a friend from another time. Settling in the river, the glorious creature of magic and light, purred contentedly as the raven haired woman in scarlet robes walked down its tail to the bank.

"Elves in western Chine," she said in their own language. "Only Celeborn and Glorfindel would come this far for a cup of tea."

"Longma," Glorfindel, still tugging on his leggings, greeted as he stepped out of his tent. "It has been ages."

"But you wear them better than I do," the woman said and pointed a long red laquered finger at the elf, who was quick to plant a kiss on her cheek.

"You are always beautiful," Glorfindel said as Celeborn planted a kiss on her other cheek.

"And you are still a handsome liar," she scolded him. "I remember you said you were going to come back."

"And here I am," Glorfindel grinned and opened his arms in his infamous "here I am" pose.

"I wanted you to return before I was too old to enjoy you," she continued and turned to look at the gaping mouthed men, elves and dwarf. "Have they never seen a woman before?" she asked curiously.

"Not one who arrives on a dragon," Celeborn explained. "And where is the tea you have spoken about?"

"Make me a fire and I will show you," she said, a small pan miraculously appearing from one of her long scarlet sleeves.

The twins and the Galadhrim bowmen sat a safe distance from the Chine dragon on the river bank, although it acted more like a large cat than the kind of dragon they were familar with, and it was beautiful. It's eyes gleamed emerald and gold and its five fingered toes did not seem as vicious as the dragons of Arda. And they were certain they could hear it purring.

"What does it eat?" Rumil asked softly.

"Nosey elves," Elladan answered. "How would we know what it eats any more than you?"

"It has no wings," one of the Galadhrim said. "How does it fly without wings?" Everyone looked at him. "I'm just curious."

Longma and the elf lords made pleasant conversation for most of the day with Aragorn, his companions and Haldir listening in. AS it turned out, she was old...very old and had known the elf lords when they had been little more than adventurous children. She had even known Gandalf when he had been a youth, and they had visited before he sailed off with Galadriel and Elrond. She was also one of the Maiar, but she liked Arda and was not yet ready to abandon it. What was ten thousand years to an immortal?

It pained her to see Haldir's beautiful face marked, and with the gentlest of touches, she healed the wound and placed a smile on his lips. She also understood more about the young elf than he realized and that troubled her. He suffered much guilt and anger, and believed himself betrayed by the ones he had loved and counted on the most. How can you be the good knight when your queen has abandoned you? He loved Galadriel with his entire being, she was perfect, and only with her was he chaste, and she had sent him off to die and had then abandoned him. How could he love himself when she didn't? He thought himself unworthy, somehow dirty. Poor forest child, how can you live that way? It wouldn't last, but she caressed his face, and for a little while Haldir saw value in his life and loved himself. He was grateful.

After a pleasant visit, Longma rose to her gold slippered feet said, "Go that way two days and you will reach my keep. I know what you are after, and I am not out of the way. I will be looking for you, and do not disappoint me this time, Glorfindel."

"We will be there," Celeborn promised as the dragon rider returned to her beast. It purred louder and rose on its feet as she walked up its tail to her seat on its back. Then with a sensuous undulation of its body, the dragon rose into the air and disappeared into the clouds.