Tiger was excited that she was going home to see Longma. Lord Celeborn and his grandsons were staying in Rivendale, but Glorfindel and the Galadhrim were coming alone, as were Legolas and Gimli. King Aragorn had to stay behind because his cub was due soon and Arwen wanted him there to witness its birth. This seemed like a good idea to Tiger, who explained all this to Dog.

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

At night, when they made camp, Haldir watched her sometimes when she was doing something alone, and Glorfindel would have sworn there was a sorrow in him that he didn't understand. 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 was not taking his secret well.

He needed to tell Tiger that he was leaving her at Longma's, but he didn't want to upset her either. It was his intention to return for her once she was able to travel. Longma would 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. He her tigher and whispered tender words in her ears.

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

to Tiger was ecstatic and the first thing she did after kissing Longma hello was to run down to the Koi pond to see Celestial. The huge dragon had been speaking to her for hours on the ride across the valley, and it had been almost humourous 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, yes? Tiger would be safer with Longma, and she would let him know when the Time came and he would return with her, yes? 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 about Celeborn and the twins that night at supper where 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 hot tea in porceline cups.

"No reason to ever go there again," Orophin answered with a casual shrug. "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?" He had never held any hope on going back that way, so he had kept his desire in check.

"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."

The next morning Orophin looked up at the celestial dragon as he heaved his huge mass out of the water that streamed off him and left pools of running water on the sand. His foot prints became puddles of water.

"Come now," Longma said and stepped on the offered forefoot. Orophin followed her up the brilliant blue and gold 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 rumbled deep in his body as he descended to the ground.

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 first and watched in awe as the Ice Queen climbed out of her wagon and came towards him with the wolves following. He held his breath, his eyes fixed on the young animal.

"Longma, Orophin," she greeted with a polite inclination of the head. "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 pure 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, well-formed and slender. Tark tried to keep the Ice Queen between him and these new people which made Orophin smile.

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

"I will now," the Ice Queen assured him. "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 eyes 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 responded with a nod, 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 replied. "May I come back some day to see him?"

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

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

"Wise decision," the Ice Queen concurred with a brilliant smile.

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

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. They looked up in wonder and envy. 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 with conviction.

Tiger, Haldir and Rumil were at the Koi pond when Celestial landed and scattered the ducks. Tiger loved watching the ducks flap out of the way, and Dog found it amusing too. His small barks drew the attention of one very large irritated drake that charged him across the water. Rumil rescued Dog 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 cautioned and glanced past Tiger at Haldir. She saw the sadness flicker in his eyes. So he was leaving her, and she didn't know it yet.

"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 as she grabbed Dog and took off running. Longma touched Haldir's arm and stayed him."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? And 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 ruefully 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."

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

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

"I had not considered that," he admitted 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.

Of course those who knew why the trip to Longma's keep had been made were a little surprised when Haldir saddled Horse for Tiger and helped her on his back. Tiger was crying and waving at Longma who was crying and waving back and promising to come visit. Even Dog was doing his part. It was a most touching scene if not a little bewildering.

"Remind me why we came?" Rumil asked Orophin.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Orophin replied as Tiger and Dog rode past him.

"She talked him out of it," Glorfindel said as he also passed them. "Coming are you?"

Longma followed them out of the gate with her household and stood at the edge of the cliff watching them ride away. She kept waving until she was certain Tiger couldn't see her anymore. It was hard letting her go, and Haldir was right, Longma would have done everything in her power to keep her safe, but Tiger would have either grieved herself to death or more likely, she would have run away to find him.

At the bridge over the river, the dolphins appeared and stopped to view them. This time when Legolas put his hand down to touch one he did not jerk away. Even Gimli got up the courage to touch the smooth hard nose of one magical creature.

"It is a wonderous thing," he said and climbed on the small horse provided him.

Tiger waved good bye to the dolphins and even had Dog wave good-bye, although Dog wasn't so sure about the things in the water chattering at him.

For the next few hours it was pleasant riding, but late spring heat soon had them seeking the shelter of tree hidden places. No one was sleepy except Tiger who was 'catnapping' more, and it was only natural that some of them would get a bit restless waiting for the cool of the day and nightfall.

Glorfindel decided he would take a little walk with one of the Galadhrim bowmen. The countryside was green and fertile but by midsummer it would be brown and dry as the rains ended and summer heat took hold. From personal experience he knew this was snake country, bad snake country. The Galadhrim whose name was Jarna spotted a flock of white cranes flying overhead and pointed at them.

"Tissss the warriorsssss who killed the naga king," the first cobra maiden said to her sisters as they viewed the two elves from their shelter in the brush.

"Human, not," another sister hissed softly.

"Human not," another sister agreed.

"What sssshall we do?" another asked.

"To kill or not?" another asked coldly.

Glorfindel stopped, his sharp ears detecting the movement in the brush nearby. Jarna readied his bow and waited for whatever it was to appear. And when it appeared, he lowered the bow and stared with an open mouth. A woman with black hair, jeweled eyes and a sleek nude body was standing before them. A moment later four other women appeared, all identical to the first.

"What do you make of this?" he anxiously asked Glorfindel.

"Snake maidens," Glorfindel answered grimly after having seen the four as cobras before they turned into the women.

"Are they safe?"

"That I do not know," Glorfindel admitted, although he certainly hoped they were safe. Supernatural women were very dangerous to unwary or unprotected males.

"You killed the Naga king," one of the maidens spoke up, her voice a soft hiss.

Glorfindel arched a fine brow and whispered back to Jarna, "Our reputation procedes us." Then to the snake maiden, he said, "It was the dragon who killed the Naga king, not us."

"You summoned the dragon."

No point in arguing. "What do you want?" he waryly asked.

The five snake maidens approached Glorfindel and Jarna, their unusual eyes glittering like copper laced with gold. "To kill or not to kill," the first one said and studied Glorfindel with an eye that saw him both as meat and as lover.

"We can defend ourselves," Glorfindel warned them and indicated the sword at his back.

"Can you?" she asked and looked up into his face. Fair skinned men were unheard of in her world, and golden hair; it was the first she had ever seen. "Are you as fair all over?"

All over? Odd question, Glorfindel thought. "Yes, I am," he replied. "Are you going to kill me?"

"Not sure," she answered as one of her sisters paid Jarna the same attention. Only Jarna had allowed her to touch him, and now she was exerting some sort of control over him. Two of her sisters were taking his bow from him while the another was removing his tunic. Jarna was either going to be killed or seduced, at the moment Glorfindel couldn't say for certain. He also did not notice the fifth sister behind him until she touched him on the side of the throat. A rush of desire raced through his veins as she circled him. It was so hot it felt as if he was being scalded. The snake maidens had no need of weapons.

"Now we decide," the first snake maiden said and ripped Glorfindel's tunic open. Glorfindel trembled as she leaned forward and licked his skin. Her tongue felt thick and soft and damp, but it also ended in a point. He shuddered even harder when that soft tongue brushed his nipples. Then she bit down; not enough to bring blood, but enough to have his absolute attention.

The snake maidens wove their spells and created a world that neither Glorfindel nor Jarna could escape from unless they chose to let them go. Deep beneath the ground in a cool cavern the women who were snakes tasted elf flesh for the first time.

On a silken bed, Glorfindel found himself being controlled exquisitely by them. They all wanted a taste, a touch, a lick; they wanted to kiss him, deep and hungrily, licking the back of his teeth and tasting the salt at his throat. One, unable to stop herself, bit down and drew hot blood. Deep in the throes of the arousal, it was just one more sensation. And those soft tongues lapped at the blood that flowed from his throat. Keeping him aroused kept the blood hot and sweet.

Jarna was being treated to the same tender care.

Somewhere in his fevered thoughts, Glorfindel realized they had chosen to kill them. What an intersting way to die, he thought.

Glorfindel slipped into a soft darkness that clouded his mind from all that was happening to him, but when the light finally returned he saw that the snake maidens were focusing all their attention on Jarna. He was very young for an elf, and something about him must have appealed to them more. Unable to move, Glorfindel realized they were killing him, feeding on his blood like vampires. He wondered when his time was coming.

Legolas fancied himself the better tracker and followed the trail of the two elves for as long as he could, which was remarkable since elves don't leave trails normally. What he found was most disturbing; the bare feet of five women had met up with Glorfindel and Jarna and then they all disappeared together.

Tiger, who could have followed Glorfindel and Jarna by scent had descided to let the 'boys' do their 'boy' thing and looked at the tracks on the ground in the waning light and frowned. Bare foot women out here were unheard of! Snakes lived out here, and her hair bristled at the thought of snakes. Kneeling down she sniffed the tracks.

"Snakes," she growled and looked up at Haldir. "Tiger hates snakes."

"You're saying snakes have Glorfindel and Jarna?" Gimli asked suspiciously and hefted his axe just in case there were any black nagas around.

Tiger took a deep sigh. "Yes," she finally answered and sat back on her butt, a puzzled look on her face.

Haldir crouched in front of her and asked, "Where would the snakes take them?"

"Below," Tiger answered, "but I do not know how to go there?"

Legolas knelt beside Tiger now, frustrated that Haldir had such an unusual girlfriend, and asked, "Is there anyone who could find them?"

Tiger looked at him and thought about it. "Celestial and Longma could."

Haldir laid his hand on Tiger's arm drawing her back to him. He hoped pregnancy wasn't going to make her difficult. "Tiger, can you talk to Celestial now? Can he still feel you?"

Tiger smiled. "I have already talked to him."

Longma heard the dragon's roar and knew something was wrong with Tiger. Grabbing her great sword she ran outside, her long sleeves flowing behind her like black wings, and headed towards the pond. 'Celestial' what is wrong? she asked anxiously.

'Tiger says elf missing'! Celestial answered and roared again, the water streaming off his maginificent body as he came ashore and extended his leg towards her.

'Haldir? Something is wrong with Haldir?'

'Glorfindel! Snakes have him! Snakes have Jarna!'

Longma ran up the sinewy leg and took her seat. "Don't waste anytime, Celestial!" she told him.

Celestial roared again and leaped into the sky.

Glorfindel could see them licking the blood off Jarna's body. In the strange light of the cavern, he looked like marble he was so pale. Sated from their fine feed, the snake maidens were not ready to finish Glorfindel off.

He suspected the others would be looking for them now, but he didn't even know how he got here, unless Tiger had some extra magic about her that they didn't know of yet. And why couldn't he move? But he already knew the answer to that, cobras immobilize their prey with their poisonous bites. One of the maidens had bitten him. That he had some small movement was probably due to his elfen heritage. Made of tougher stuff than humans. He shut his eyes and tried not to think about what was going to happen to him. In all likelihood they enjoyed the smell of fear.

It was dark when Longma and Celestial arrived. Tiger was right, Snakes had taken Glorfindel and Jarna, and knowing how they behaved, the dragonwitch was certain one or both of them were dead by now. Still, the abduction could not go unpunished.

"Dig them out, Celestial," Longma told the great dragon.

Glorfindel felt hands caress his body. One of the Snake maidens was wanting a taste and ran her tongue down his belly. She wanted him warm, his body heavy with emotion and sensation that sweeted the blood. He thought she might bite him there since blood was required to make it thick and hard, but she did not. She hissed softly and ran that soft tongue back up his body to his breast. The hard muscle would not produce a lot of blood, but it would give her a place to bite. Her sharp teeth broke through the skin on either side of his right nipple. Blood oozed sweetly into her mouth until she started sucking. It came easier. He felt his head swim as her saliva entered his blood stream.

One of the other snake maidens moved towards them and he was certain he was experiencing his last sensation on earth. So what was that crashing noise! That awful roar?

The snake maidens jumped up as Celestial tore into their cavern with Longma and the elves behind her. Armed with sword and bow, they dispatched the shrieking, hissing demonesses in quick time. Tiger, who had not been allowed to join the fight, came in last and looked around.

"Tiger hates snakes," she growled and then spotted Jarna. Running to him, she lifted his head but he was cold now. Tears welled in her eyes as Haldir and Gimli joined her. "Tiger hates snakes," she repeated.

"Aye, so do I," Gimli agreed. "So do I."

Longma and the brothers freed Glorfindel, but the paralysis was upon him and he was having a difficult time breathing now. "I need to take him back to the Keep with me," Longma said. "Celestial, lower your head!"

Longma insisted that Haldir and Legolas take the rest of the riders on homeward that to turn around and go back would put them on their journey when it was hotter and more dangerous. She was taking Glorfindel back to the keep, but once he was well, she would return him to them.

Being elfkind did mean he had a stronger constitution and was living through an event that would have instantly killed a human. And poor Jarna had suffered a long time before they had finally killed him. His remains were burnt to keep predators from getting them.

On the ride back to the keep, Glorfindel, wrapped in a blanket to keep him warm, shook violently from the poison that was circulating through his blood. Too high and he couldn't breathe, which meant Celestial had to fly lower than normal. And once at the Keep he had to land in the courtyard so Longma's servants could get him down and into a bed.

Glorfindel was cold one minute and hot the next, and he was having the strangest dreams. Creatures from his worst nightmares were tormenting him, and one in particular would not leave him be. And he kept falling, and he knew once he hit he would be dead. He kept reaching for something but did not know what it was.

Longma stayed by his bed and wiped the sweat off his brow one minuted and covered him the next; it was a vicious cycle as the poison worked through his system. He tossed and turned and made frightened sounds. Once he reached up with his hand, a good sign to Longma, and she grabbed it. It scared him so bad he yelled and she had to release it.

Soothing herbs were burnt in his room, and a special tea was made for him, but he was too deep in delirium to drink it, so it sat on the table beside him.

Sometime before morning the poison released its grip on his body, and he opened his eyes to see her sitting beside him, her head lowered in sleep. He did not remember anything after the second snake maiden attacked him, and so he was pleasantly surprised to see her sitting there.

"Longma?" he called to her softly.

She blinked twice and then raised her head. "Dragons be praised!" she exclaimed and stood up. "How do you feel?"

"Weak," he answered. "How?"

"The boys tracked you to the spot where the snake maidens captured you. Tiger summoned Celestial and here we are."

Glorfindel smiled and then thought about Jarna. "The Galadhrim with me?"

She frowned gently and said, "He did not make it, I am sorry. But we killed the five sisters."

"Good," he answered wearily. But he had one more question. "Where are the others?"

"I made Haldir and Legolas continue towards home. I said I would drop you off when you felt better. Hungry?"

Glorfindel smiled. "I believe I am."

Longma was good to her word. She nursed Glorfindel until he was well enough to leave, and she behaved herself, only flirting a little when he initiated it. At dinner on what would be his last night at the keep, he asked her how she wanted him to repay her kindness.

"You owe me nothing," she said and smiled at him. "Unless you want to give me something."

"What would you have?"

She took a sip of plum wine and smiled. "Perhaps we can ride the dragon," she suggested.

"I think I would like that," he answered as sipped his own wine.

Gold against ivory. Glorfindel moved her hair away from her neck and kissed her just below the ear. He was the male dragon and lightly bit her shoulder. Mentally locked with Celestial who was in the heavens high above them, he felt what the dragon felt as it found its mate. Longma felt the she-dragon's desire as her own. Claws unleashed, teeth claiming sweet flesh to hold, not bite. Glorfindel could not remember a more powerful need racking his body. Longma's body was possessed as dragons mate. He did not know if he roared or if it was Celestial in his mind.

It was sex at its rawest, at its purest, and he could not control himself as he pounded into her. When Celestial came, he came, and it almost hurt it was so good. Longma made a sharp crying sound as her body answered his. It was mind numbing.

When the dragons seperated, he collapsed across Longma's back. He didn't want to move, and Longma was content to let him lay on top of her. In a little while, if she was lucky, he would be ready again. Glorfindel had great stamina.

At first light Glorfindel climbed Celestial's leg to take his seat behind Longma. Before the day was over he was back with the riders on their way home.

Riding into Minis Tirith after being gone over a month was interesting, mostly so because Celeborn and his grandsons had decided to wait for them there. And since everyone had expected Haldir to be leaving Tiger with Longma, there was some surprise that she was still with him. There was also a great deal of sadness over the loss of the young Galadhrim. After all they had been through the previous year with all the monsters they had run into on the steppes and in Hellenes, this just seemed so unfair.

Of course things could not go entirely smooth, after all it was Tiger and Haldir. Too much peace and quiet and the universe got out of whack. That first week back, taking some extra time to rest from the long ride before going home, Tiger over heard some women speaking. They were actually surprised that Haldir had that strange cat woman with him. Wasn't he leaving her behind?

Instead of getting upset or hysterical, Tiger waited until Haldir was visiting with Aragorn, Arwen and everyone else at Minis Tirith to approach him about what had been his intentions. And being Tiger, she couldn't just take him aside, throw plates, cry, and gnash her teeth, she knocked him down and sat on him, and then nose to nose, or almost nose to nose, she asked him what did those women mean he was going to leave her behind? That she was in her tiger skin and using a human voice made for one impressive display of power.

"It's got to be the hormones," Elladan remarked curiously.

"Most definately," Glorfindel agreed.

Rumil, finding it most amusing, spoke up. "Haldir, dear brother, I think you better tell her the truth. We can't protect you this time?"

"What is the truth?" Tiger asked again, her golden eyes boring into his.

"Get off me," Haldir gasped. "I can't breath." Tiger didn't get off him, but she shape shifted into her human body. "If I tell, you have to promise me you won't do anything stupid like run off or fight me."

"I will be calm," Tiger assured him, her face reflecting her skepticism. That and the other elves were taking bets on what she was going to do to him.

"I was going to leave you, but then realized I couldn't," he answered her. He did not think it neccessary to mention Longma's threat about having Celestial eat him.

Tiger stared at him with that cynical expression of hers, one she usually kept for snakes, and then she smiled and threw her arms around his neck. "Tiger is so glad you did not leave her," she said and buried her face in the side of his neck.

After several unneccessary "aws" from his brothers and friends, Haldir convinced Tiger it was all right if she got off him. Tiger obeyed, but there was no being mad at her. Her happiness had an infectious quality about it.

Summer passed uneventfully. After being gone for so long, Celeborn felt a need to sit down and write his adventures. The twins occassionally went out and found enemies to kill, but most of the time was spent being lazy, resting for when they would go out again.

Winter cloaked everything in pristine whiteness, and the boys did some hunting to keep themselves occupied. The night was crystal clear and cold when Tiger had her cub...baby, although everyone just naturally called the tiny elven creature a cub. In a warm room, safe from the cold with Longma smiling at her, Haldir staring at his son in amazement, Tiger had her promise fulfilled. And when she looked at her cub, her smiled could have brightened the room without all the lamps and roaring fire. Tiger was happy, but she still had a problem with names. Cub was Boy. Haldir was going to have to come up with his own name preyty quick before everyone else started calling his son Boy.

How does one begin the end of a story? Tiger had her cub...her son...Rua, and Haldir got the boy named quick to keep Tiger from calling him Boy, which had been her first choice. But knowing the end was close, whether a day or a thousand years, it didn't matter, made every moment precious to him.

When Rua turned five, he entered his home to find mother and son sitting on the floor in thier tigerskins talking to each other. It was an interesting moment to say the least. Until then Rua had been simply an elfchild with long golden hair and heartbreaking blue eyes. Now here he was talking to his mother looking like a perfect little tiger.

Rumil was the one who decided they needed to go get Orophin's son for a visit. Wouldn't that be fun? A tiger and a wolf? Orophin wasn't certain that was a good idea, but curiosity got the better of him and off they went to bring the boy back with them.

Only Orophin's son was not a child anymore. An immortal white wolf, perfect of face and form with a proud arrogant bearing that made Haldir seem shy and timid. But the Snow Queen thought it was a good idea for her white wolf lover to attend to his father's business for at least a year. Tark agreed to go back to Rivendale with him, and because his mistress told him to pay attention to what Orophin did, Tark paid very close attention, although wearing clothes was not something Tark took to right away. He particularly had difficulty with the concept of leggings. He had never had anything over his groin before and this made leggings very uncomfortable. And unlike Tiger who could shape shift with her clothes on, Tark couldn't do it. He had to be nude to put on his wolf skin, and since he wasn't riding, he had to be nude most of the time.

It wasn't until they reached Gondor that Orophin insisted he wear clothes and ride on the horse behind him. Tark obeyed, although he and the horse were not on the best of terms. To the horse, he still smelled like a wolf.

Tiger was particularly thrilled to see Tark, and he professed to remember her smell. Tiger understood and did not take offense. Tark would remember how they all smelled.

Glorfindel found it all entertaining, although he suspected Tark was a little overwhelmed by everything. And he didn't know what to think when he first encountered Tiger and Rua in their tiger skins playing in the river. Stripping out of his clothes, he joined them in the river.

Their adventures took them farther and farther out of Rivendale, but no one paid any attention because it was a perfect summer and all was quiet. Sometimes in their human skins, sometimes in their animal skins, Tiger, Tark and Rua would entertain themselves in the woods, occassionally hunting deer or small animals that Rua could catch.

What they did not count on was running into orcs. Orcs! Lone survivors out of the mountains, desperate for food and wares. Tiger roared defiantly and sent Tark and Rua scampering back for home. Armed with a bow, one of the orcs fired. It struck Tiger full in the chest. Blind with rage, she attacked.

Haldir knew something was wrong, and ice clutched his heart when Tark and Rua, running hard on his small cat legs, hurried up to him. Shifting into his human skin, Tark said the words that Haldir dreaded more than anything. "Orcs!"

Running as fast as he could, shouting for his brothers, for anyone to come help him, Haldir grabbed his bow out of his home and told Tark to take him back to the last place he had seen Tiger.

In a killing rage, Tiger could not be stopped, but once the rage was over,she collapsed. Afraid to shape shift, fearing she would die before Haldir got there, she closed her eyes and panted desperately for air. The orcs were all dead, but her body was pierced by a half dozen arrows. There would be no magic this time, she feared. She just wanted to live long enough to see her beautiful master again.

"Tiger?"

She opened her eyes and looked up at Prometheus. Tigers don't cry, but jinn tigers do. Tears welled up under her lashes as she tried to lick his hand. "Tiger has cub," she whispered softly to him.

"I know. He's beautiful," Prometheus assured her. He was stroking her head when Haldir and the others arrived.

Haldir took one look at the Titan and knew what was happening. The promises were about to be fulfilled. Prometheus was going to take Tiger from him to save her life; he would not do it otherwise. That was his damnable promise.

Haldir knelt by Tiger and looked at the horrible wounds on her. Prometheus had removed some of the arrows but not all. There were some that would kill her instantly if he removed them.

"Tiger?" Haldir whispered and caressed her golden head. She opened her eyes and looked at him. She was past speech now. She weakly licked his hand. Haldir could not let her die. Looking at the Titan, he sobbed, "Take her if that will save her!"

Prometheus, his own eyes gleaming with unshed tears, ran his hand over the tawny tiger skin and found the magic to recreate his beloved jinn tiger. "She won't remember you," he sighed remorsefully.

"But I will remember," Haldir vowed as the change passed over Tiger. In her place lay a beautiful woman with golden hair and sapphire eyes. She looked up at Prometheus and asked, "Master, where have you been?"