Haldir kept his promise to Tiger. He fed her the blood that the tiger needed each night until the seed took and life settled in her womb. On the day she knew for certain, he went for a ride alone outside of Minas Tirith. He needed to think, to decide what he was going to do next. Fear tugged at him, reminding him with cold whispers of Tiger's fate the last time they had been here.

He told himself that things were different now, that she would be safe with him. But always in the back of his mind something kept telling him to take her back to Longma, at least until the cub...baby...was born. Longma would be a better nurse for her than he, and Tiger hadn't seen Longma in a long time. She would keep the dragonwitch busy with her stories for months and months. Tiger wouldn't have time to get bored...or miss him. Longma would always be there for her, not out roaming the countryside looking for monsters to slay.

It only made sense. He had to take her back to Longma's keep.

Speaking with his brothers and Glorfindel first, he told them his plan and waited for a reaction. Unanimously they all agreed; Tiger would be better off with Longma until she was delivered and the child was old enough to travel safely. Unless Haldir wanted to give up adventuring, which he did not.

"Well, I think Celeborn can spare us a couple of weeks," Glorfindel said optimistically. "I wouldn't mind seeing Celestial again."

"Or I the dolphins," Legolas spoke up from an open doorway. "I'm sorry I listened in, but I am growing weary of courtly life."

"As I," Gimli added and gave his elfin friend a weary glance. Court life was making him fat and lazy. "And since WE do not have pregnant spouses, I see no harm in joining you. Safety in numbers, you know," he reminded the other elves.

Rumil, grinning at the eaves droppers, laughed, "And since we've already killed all the ugly things between here and there, it ought to be a short ride."

"Unless some new uglies have stepped in to fill the void," Glorfindel reminded him.

"Oh, that would be right fun," Gimli said, his eyes glowing. "I've decided I am not partial to too much peace. It dulls the senses."

Glorfindel looked at the smiling Haldir and said, "I guess you'd better tell her we're going to see Longma."

Tiger was ecstatic. And Dog was coming too! Haldir didn't think it wise to mention he was leaving her with Longma and returning to Rivendale without her. She was happy now; he wanted her to stay that way.

Tiger was going home to see Longma! Lord Celeborn and his grandsons weren't going, but Glorfindel and the Galadhrim were, as were Legolas and Gimli. King Aragorn wanted to come along, but the queen wouldn't let him. Their cub was due soon and she wanted him there to witness its birth. This seemed like a good idea to Tiger, who found that Dog was still the good listener that he had always been.

Glorfindel, riding point with Haldir, sometimes listened to her conversations with Dog and wondered if she knew Haldir was going to be leaving her at the Keep. She was under the impression that this was a simple visit, and Haldir was saying nothing to disuade her thinking.

At night, when they made camp, he would watch her sometimes when she was doing something else, and Glorfindel could have sworn there was a sorrow there he didn't understand. But the moment Tiger spotted him looking at her, he would break into an affectionate smile and take her hand in his and make her sit with her back against his body.

Haldir knew he needed to tell Tiger that he was leaving her at Longma's, but he didn't want to upset her. It was most certainly his intention to return her once she was able to travel again. Longma would be able to take better care of her and the baby than he. But sometimes he wondered if that was true. And a deep sense of loss would overtake him and he would hold her tigher and whisper tender words in her ears.

When Longma saw them riding up the trail to her keep, she knew.