Chapter 8: An unexpected advise

The next morning the packed their belongings and climbed their horses to continue their journey south. Selina was riding besides Gandalf and was engaged in a vivid conversation with him. Then suddenly she felt a presence. The tiny hairs on her neck raised and she felt a unpleasant chill sweep over her skin, though a warm breeze was blowing. She raised in her saddle, her eyes searching her surroundings.

They were currently riding over a plain covered with high grass, that reached almost one meter above the ground. Selina could detect a movement a stone's throw away from their horses. Without any explanation she jumped off her horse and stood almost up to her waist in grass. The young Selvadage'tok woman drew her daggers and ran off in the direction of source of the movement.

Suddenly the silent ocean of green came alive. Whatever creature it was that had followed them, was now running away and left behind a trail on waving blades of grass.

But Selina was still hot on its pursuit and even managed to gain a few meters on it. After a few seconds she was running on the same level with the creature. She squinted her eyes together, not able to believe what she saw. A black panther! How on Middle-Earth was that possible? How had it come here?

"Stop!", she shouted. She didn't know why she had done it, the words just came out of her mouth without thinking.

The panther looked at her as if it was considering to follow her command. Then it growled and to her utter and complete surprise, this sound arrived in her ears as an actual sentence. She had often heard that she would be able to communicate with her totem animal, but experiencing it first hand was overwhelming.

"Why should I do this?", the panther asked in velvety voice.

"Because I can't talk to you properly while we are running!", she answered and became suddenly aware that she hadn't spoken the common tongue of Middle-Earth, but in the language of the panther, growling back at it.

"Very well, Selvadage'tok! We shall talk then!", it said and stopped.

She shedded her daggers and walked up to the beast, her hands raised in a defensive gesture.

"I don't attack my own kind. Don't be afraid!", it assured her seriously.

"How do you know that my totem is the panther?", she asked in astonishment.

"I can smell it on you.", the panther purred.

Selina suddenly heard the sound of an approaching horse. She saw the beast tense and feared that it would run away any second. "Stay, I beg you!", she pleaded with it. "I will tell them to go away!"

At her words the panther became somewhat calmer. Selina turned in the direction of the rider. It was Aragorn.

"Aragorn, don't come closer! I have discovered our pursuer and I'm talking to him, but he will only stay if you leave us alone!", she called out to him.

She saw him briefly hesitate, contemplating the situation, than he nodded and rode back to the waiting group. Selina let out a relieved sigh and turned back to the panther. To her surprise it hadn't moved from its spot.

"Excuse my rudeness. I didn't even present myself! My name is Selina!", she said.

"I'm Sulrahthi! You remind me of my young ones, Selina! You are still unexperienced and don't know your own powers.", the she-panther answered with amusement sparkling in her eyes.

"Did you follow us just to tell me this?", the Selvadage'tok woman asked slightly irritated.

"No.", Sulrahthi cocked her head.

Selina lowered herself to a crouch, so that she was on eye level with the panther and looked at her expectantly.

"Have you ever asked yourself why your brother drank all of the sanctified water? Do think he acted out of his own free will?", Sulrahthi asked her.

"Wait! How did you know....?", Selina wanted to ask, but was cut short by the she-panther.

"A surge of power of this proportions doesn't go by unnoticed, especially not when destruction and death follow shortly after. Besides, rumors spread quickly amongst the creatures of Middle-Earth.

I strongly advise you to keep your eyes and ears open, if you and the others want to survive! There is more to this matter than you know!", with that words the panther raised to its feet and turned to leave.

"Wait! Will I see you again?", the Selvadage'tok woman exclaimed quickly.

"You will, young one. And remember to be on guard!", with that she disappeared in the high grass.

"The voice I heard last night must have been her!", Selina thought to herself, still looking at the spot were the panther had sat.

She turned and slowly walked back to her companions.

"What happened? What did you discover?", Gandalf asked her curiously.

"I just found our pursuer. Don't worry he's more or less harmless! ", she answered under the questioning gazes of the others

"So? What did you find out?", Aragorn asked when she had climbed her horse.

"We have to be careful. There are still some facts unknown to us. She didn't want to tell me more, but she will return.", Selina told him hesitantly.

The king of Gondor looked at her for a view seconds, challenging her with his eyes to tell him more, but he had to content himself with the information he already had gotten out of her, as Selina refused to reveal anymore to him. He wondered with whom she had spoken. Whatever or whoever it had been, must not have been human. It had been too small. He squinted his eyes together. He would keep an eye on the Selvadage'tok woman. If she had secrets in front of the group and him, maybe she couldn't be trusted after all.