“That would explain why Arconn sent Thrain back to warn us,” Nellus said.

“Yes, but not why he chose to follow the serpent in the first place,” said Alex.

“I’m sure he had a good reason,” said Thrang. “Arconn would not do anything foolish.”

“Should we look for him?” Barnabus questioned, glancing between Alex and Thrang.

“He didn’t say anything about needing us to come after him, did he?” Thrang asked.

“No,” said Thrain. “He said he would return shortly and told me to hurry back.”

“Then we will wait,” said Thrang, his hand going to his beard as he thought. “If Arconn does not return soon, then we will go and look for him.”

“I would suggest that I go and look,” said Alex, taking his eyes off the northern horizon to look at Thrang. “If all of us happened upon the nagas, it would feel threatened and might attack.”

“Very well,” Thrang agreed. “I know from experience that you can take care of yourself in any situation.”

The others settled back around the fire, but Alex stayed where he was. His eyes returned to the horizon, and he tried to use his powers to sense what was ahead of them on the road. The concern and high emotions of his friends at the fire made this difficult for him, but slowly he managed to expand his thoughts to the north. He was surprised to feel Arconn’s mood, and more surprised that the elf was not overly concerned with the creature he was following.

Alex stretched his thoughts further, his hands gripping his staff with the effort. He could sense the nagas moving unconcerned between the trees and through the tall grass, apparently unaware that Arconn was following it.

After several minutes Alex let his mind relax, shaking the blood back into his hands. He was not worried about Arconn, but a small part of him was worried that the nagas might still prove to be dangerous.

With his heightened senses, he could hear his friends talking around the fire.

“How long should we wait?” Barnabus questioned.

“What exactly did Arconn say?” Thrang asked Thrain.

“That he would return shortly,” Thrain answered, still pale from the shock of seeing the giant snake.

“It will be dark soon,” Nellus pointed out.

“Arconn can see in the dark,” Kat commented.

“But we cannot,” said Thrang, sounding worried and irritated.

They all stopped talking and sat staring into the fire. Alex continued to study the northern horizon, his senses on alert. Kat joined him by his side.

“Could this be what I spoke of?” Kat questioned, her voice low so the others could not hear.

“Perhaps,” answered Alex.

“Then its intentions are evil, and it is waiting for a better time to attack us,” Kat said softly.

“Yes,” Alex agreed. “I was thinking of the rumors Bane heard. A nagas would make travelers vanish, just as bandits or trolls would.”

“So you think the rumors had something to do with this nagas creature?”

“I do,” said Alex.

Just then Arconn appeared, hurrying toward the camp with a grim but satisfied look on his face.

“Thrain explained, then?” Arconn asked as soon as he could make himself heard over the questions of the others.

“He did,” said Thrang. “And a foolish thing it was for you to go off following a giant snake.”

“I had my reasons,” said Arconn calmly.

“And what might they have been?” Thrang questioned, a note of anger in his voice.

“I wanted to see where the creature made its home,” answered Arconn. “I thought the nagas might be the source of the rumors Bane had heard.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” Alex added.

“And did you find the pit where this serpent sleeps?” Thrang asked.

“Yes, and my suspicions were verified,” said Arconn. “Bones and debris littered the ground in front of the serpent’s cave. I fear it has been waylaying travelers for some time now.”

“And would waylay us, too, if it had a chance,” said Thrang.

“It may have already seen us,” said Kat.

“What’s that? How? When?” Thrang asked.

Kat explained what had happened on the hill and that she now felt certain that the evil intentions she had felt came from the nagas, and that it was only waiting for a convenient time to attack them.

“What should we do?” Barnabus asked.

“Attack it first,” Nellus suggested.

“It is growing dark, and the nagas would have great advantage in the dark,” said Arconn.

“Yet we cannot remain here,” said Thrang thoughtfully. “If the nagas has seen us here, we should move. Then at least it will not find us where it expects us to be.”

“There is some wisdom in that, though where to move to is a problem,” said Alex. “The nagas can move swiftly, and it will try to follow us wherever we go. If it does not find us here, it will be on guard, making it harder for us to attack it.”

“What, then?” Thrang questioned, looking at Alex.

“Perhaps we can draw it in,” Alex suggested. “It knows we are here, but it does not know that weknow it is here.”

“How difficult are these things to kill?” Thrang asked, fingering his ax.

“They are powerful creatures, and some have stings in their tails,” said Arconn.

“Their teeth are long and sharp, and they can raise as much as half their body off the ground,” Alex added.

“Dangerous at both ends, then,” Thrang said. “Still, we must do something before this creature attempts to attack us.”

“It is a difficult problem,” said Alex, thinking it through. “I would suggest not being in the tents where we are separated and vulnerable to attack, but if we are all in the open, then the nagas will see us and might wait for another time to attack.”

“There are also the horses to consider,” said Arconn. “If it cannot get at us, it may go for the horses.”

“Well, we must do something,” Thrang repeated, looking worried and desperate. “And we must do something now.”

Chapter Nine

The Nagas

Alex sat alone beside the fire, watching as the flames began to fail. All of his senses were alert, and his mind searched the ground around their camp for any sign of the nagas. The others were crowded into two of their four tents, waiting for any sound that would indicate the nagas was attacking. It was a desperate plan, but they couldn’t think of anything else to do.

As a precaution, Alex had put a hiding spell on their horses, so at least the nagas would not be able to find them easily. It was not a difficult spell, but there were seven horses, and it had required more time than Alex would have liked. Still, the horses should be safe, and once the nagas appeared, his friends would be close at hand.

The nagas was both cunning and intelligent. No simple tricks would deceive the giant serpent, and they didn’t have time to plan anything too difficult. So Alex sat alone as bait, watching the fire and waiting for the nagas to arrive. He worried that his ability to feel the nagas was limited, and he hoped that he would have time to act before the nagas could attack him.

Suddenly the hair on the back of Alex’s neck stood up. The nagas had arrived. Alex could feel its eyes looking at him from the darkness, searching the camp. Alex remained still, as if dozing by the fire during his watch. He needed the nagas to come closer before he tried anything or else it might escape into the darkness.

Concentrating, he could feel the snake moving, circling the camp, and looking for the best place to attack.

Alex stayed still, focusing his mind on the nagas. He knew exactly where it was, and he was impressed and a little surprised by the snake’s patience. The nagas was considering every possibility before it attacked, as if it half-expected some trick. For a moment Alex wondered if the creature had seen Arconn following it earlier, but he didn’t think that was the case. This was a careful creature by nature, but it was also ruthless in its desire to destroy.