Chapter 7: Panther, lion, eagle, bear and wolf

The night slowly set in and the decided to rest. They had been following the River Loudwater Bruinen all the way from Rivendell and had now arrived in an area scattered with woodland. They decided to camp for the night in the shelter of some trees.

They sat around the campfire and enjoyed their evening meal, consisting of the supplies they had received at Rivendell. Gandalf, Aragorn and Gimli were peacefully smoking their pipes and Legolas was sitting a bit away from the group, looking out in the night.

To Selina the dark around them was full of activity and she desired to be a part of it. She could make out some animals moving in the nearby trees, hear the rustling of the leaves, when the wind blew through them and smell the cool night air. The wild was calling out to her. A far away look settled on her face.

She snapped out of this trance like state when she was addressed by Aragorn, "Selina, pray come over and give us the pleasure of your company!"

Her head shot around and her eyes gleamed eerily in the light reflected from the campfire. She walked over to the men.

"You seem to be depressed. What ails you, Selina?", Gandalf asked friendly.

She let out a sigh. "I can feel that the night around me is full of life. It calls out to me. I'd like to run with the creatures of the forest under the light of the moon."

"How one can want to run around in the dark is totally beyond me!", Gimli snorted gruffly.

Selina bared her fangs and hissed at him, effectively shutting him up. "You would understand if you had a totem yourself, dwarf!"

"Could a human achieve this kind of connection to?", Aragorn asked with an interested expression on his face.

"I don't know. We never met humans before and much less allowed them to perform the ritual, but I possess the ability to tell you your totem if you wish to know it, for I chose to become a shaman and this power is our privilege."

"Would you tell me mine?", Aragorn wanted to know with curiosity shining in his eyes.

Selina nodded and stepped closer. She kneeled down in front of him, so that her faces were on the same level. She extended her hand to him and he took it. Selina fixed him with her intense eyes, her golden eyes glowing unnaturally in the dark.

Aragorn felt a pleasant warmth creep up his arm, that had his origins were their palms touched. Her gleaming eyes seemed to watch right into his very soul. Then suddenly the feeling ceased, when she retreated her hand.

A smile played at the corners of her mouth. "As I had suspected ", she paused briefly. "Your totem is mountain lion. It stands for power and resourcefulness. A noble creature who is willing to sacrifice itself for others", she said to him, her head cocked and a grin on her face.

Gandalf had an interested look on his face. "Now, Selvadage'tok shaman come and tell me mine! ", the old wizard said and extended his hand to her. She repeated the process, taking his palm in hers.

This time it felt different. When Selina had established the connection by using her shamanic powers, it worked both ways to her surprise.

She felt the intense blue eyes of the old Istari burn right into her soul. She but on a determined face, but after a few seconds she had to snatch back her hand, because she couldn't stand his piercing gaze anymore.

Her eyes were wide in astonishment and her breath came in fast intervals. The old wizard just smiled at her knowingly, while a air of mystery surrounded him.

"You could have warned me, Istari! ", she said, with a tint of accusation in her voice. "I didn't know this would happen myself", he answered calmly. "What did you see?"

"The eagle", she bowed her head in respect and when she continued her voice was barely more than a whisper. "The symbol of the connection with the divine plane, of power acquired through knowledge."

"Interesting to say the least", the wizard said, his eyes sparkling with merriment, out of a reason only known to him. "I guess now it is your turn, Master Gimli!"

They all looked expectantly at the dwarf who was next in line. He mumbled something under his breath and grudgingly held out his hand to Selina, who repeated the process as she had previously done with the other two men.

When she had finished, Selina let out a rich and friendly laugh. Gimli's expression immediately turned sour.

"Don't be angry, Master Dwarf! You are the bear, a very strong and well respected totem. It possess inner strength and is the keeper of hidden wisdom. As you are very protective of your friends, it is with its young." With every word the dwarf's chest seemed to swell even more with pride.

"Legolas, my friend, come over and let Selina tell you your totem!" Aragorn exclaimed.

The elf rose to his feet and walked over to them. Legolas sat down in front of her and offered her his hand. Selina shook her head and Legolas and the others looked at her with baffled expressions on their faces.

"I already know. The aura of your totem radiates much stronger around you than with the others", she explained, smiling at him.

"You are a forest spirit and you can't deny it. I can smell the cool scent of its trees and herbs on you. You wander the woods by night, enjoying their loneliness and the secrets they only show to you. You are the wolf! It is a very wise and loyal creature, which often is a teacher to others, Eldar."

Legolas raised his eyebrows in astonishment and wondered inwardly how she had been able, to come this close to the truth. She truly was a very intriguing and mysterious woman.

~

They all lay to rest later, except Legolas, who had agreed to take the first watch.

Selina was ripped out of her dreams by a a soft touch on her shoulders. A growl escaped her throat and she was immediately up with her daggers in her hands, ready to attack the person who had disturbed her sleep.

She blinked, her eyes still heavy and unfocused from sleep, and could finally make out the person's face.

Before her stood Legolas, his hands raised in a defensive gesture. She threw him an apologizing look and remembered ruefully that it was her time to relief him of his watch. Selina shedded her daggers quickly. The elf stepped close and spoke to her in a hushed voice, "I have seen eyes in the dark, we are being followed. I can not tell anymore, as it was too dark. Be careful on your watch! " Then he turned and left to lie down and get some sleep.

Selina sighed and sat down, her keen eyes trying to detect even the slightest movement in the dark. But she saw nothing but a wild cat lurking about and an owl, flying around on its nocturnal hunt. She stifled a yawn and continued her watch. Everything was quiet and peaceful. Selina had to fight against her tiredness, to keep herself from falling asleep again. She didn't know whether she was awake or dreaming, when she heard a soft voice in her head.

"Look beneath the surface and you will discover the truth!"