Blackfoot

Chapter 11

The Company stopped about half way down the mountain, catching their breaths as Gandalf counted their numbers. Selene stopped a safe distance back, feeling the heavy fear and caution amongst the dwarves.

Dwalin was the first to break the silence as Gandalf recounted looking worried. "Gandalf, would you care to explain?"

Distracted, Gandalf looks at them. "What?"

"That!" He snapped and pointed at Selene.

Selene doesn't react, her control was returning but she was still a long way from being able to turn back to explain, so she had to rely on Gandalf.

Gandalf looks at her worriedly. "Ah, well...Selene...Selene is-"

"Blackfoot."

Selene's gaze met Thorin's, and she lowered her head slightly, feeling his anger.

"Err, yes." Gandalf said, frowning. "But she's-"

"What?" Dwalin growled. "You didn't think it necessary to tell us that our enemy was traveling with us!?"

She growls, she wanted to get across that she was on their side, even though she felt she shouldn't have to.

"Enemy? Do you really think that if Selene was still your enemy that she would be traveling with you, or that she would have saved your lives several times?" Gandalf looked at each of them. "Would you even have believed me if I had explained it? Selene barely understands it all herself, let alone trying explain it to you lot."

Thorin broke away from her gaze. "And what guarantee did we have that she wouldn't turn on us?"

The growl that left Selene was a frustrated one, so she decided to prove a point, even as Gandalf went to explain.

She leapt, knocking Thorin to the ground, pinning his arms under her paws and baring her teeth over his throat. The dwarves reacted by drawing their weapons but Gandalf shouted at them to wait.

She was growling, but it wasn't threatening. Their gazes were locked and he made no effort to move, instead, he saw the red shift back into amber and even fleck with silver as he watched. Slowly, she stopped baring her teeth, and the dwarves all watched in amazement as she instead licked Thorin's cheek and moved away, sitting down to watch them all.

Gandalf can't help but chuckle as Dwalin helps Thorin to his feet, still glaring darkly at Selene. "I think she just proved her point. If I'm much mistaken, Selene could not hurt any of you even if she tried."

Selene made a small sound of agreeance.

"Why?" Thorin asked, his cheeks red from embarrassment even though he didn't show it.

"Well, that is hard to explain because I don't rightly know." Gandalf looks at her thinking. "If I'm not mistaken, Thorin Oakenshield, it is because of her connection to you."

Thorin looks at the wizard and Gandalf gives him a very knowing look.

"Whether you realised it or not, during the battle of Moria, you saved her life that day. Had she not encountered you, she would still be known as Blackfoot, but whatever meeting you on the battlefield did, it changed her, thus giving you the human you have been traveling with." Gandalf looks to Selene as if for conformation. "She cannot harm you or any of your companions because of that connection, although I'm certain that she's grown fond of you all anyway."

Selene snorts in response.

"But why she hasn't turned back to help explain all of this, I am uncertain." She gives Gandalf a very stern look, one that he quickly understood. "Well, I'm sure one of them could lend you a coat."