“That was probably more than he makes in a month,” Kat commented, riding beside Alex.
“Then he is underpaid,” said Alex with a laugh.
Soon the small town was far behind them, but Thrang decided they should continue to follow the road simply because it was going in the right direction. Alex wondered about the wisdom of that decision, but he kept his thoughts to himself.
After they had ridden for some time, Thrain drew up alongside Alex. “If I was wrong to ask about Bane, I’m sorry,” he said quietly.
“You were not wrong to ask,” said Alex. “There is no secret that needs to be kept.”
“Well then, can you tell me the answer?” Thrain asked.
“Bane is a paladin,” Alex began. “But wizards use a different word, which is why I didn’t understand when Thrang and Arconn tried to warn me last night. The wizard word has much more meaning, of course, but paladin will do.”
“Yes, we know he is a paladin,” said Thrang. “But what happened to the four wizards who gave Bane his quest?”
“It is not a simple question to answer, even for me,” said Alex. “To create a paladin requires a great deal of magical power. It’s not as if the wizards could simply say, ‘You’re a paladin. Go on this quest.’ There is much more to it than that. To give Bane the power he would need, they had to let go of some of their own. The four wizards poured their own power into Bane. Once that was done, they were no longer wizards, but they were not simply men either.”
“You mean they gave up their magical powers so Bane could go on his quest?” Thrain asked in a puzzled voice.
“Yes,” answered Alex.
“So Bane has the power of all four wizards in him?” Kat questioned after a long pause.
“Yes,” Alex said again.
“Yet you proved stronger in your test of will,” said Arconn, looking over his shoulder at Alex. “He bowed to you, not you to him.”
“That is true,” said Alex. “However, Bane could not use all of his power against me. His full power can only be used against the shadow he chases or against those who serve that evil.”
“Still, you were stronger than the four,” Kat said.
“I am not evil, and I do not have the same restrictions that Bane has,” said Alex. “I said as much last night while telling him about my meetings with the shadow.”
“It was impressive to see,” Barnabus said from behind Alex.
“What was?” Alex asked, not sure what Barnabus meant.
“The contest of power,” Barnabus answered. “It was impressive to see.”
“What exactly did you see?” Alex questioned.
“You don’t know?” Barnabus asked in reply.
“I was a bit busy at the time,” said Alex with a slight smile.
“You passed through the table like a ghost,” said Barnabus. “That alone was startling.”
“And when you and Bane locked eyes, it was as if all light and sound had been drained from the world,” Arconn added.
“All we could see was the two of you, standing there surrounded by a shining white light while the rest of the world was in darkness,” said Thrain, his voice shaking slightly.
“It seemed to me that nothing else in all the known lands mattered but the outcome of your contest,” said Nellus. “Though I don’t think any harm would have come if Bane had prevailed.”
“Perhaps no harm, but less good,” said Kat, looking away from Alex and toward the east.
“I . . . I didn’t realize,” said Alex, shaking his head. “For me, you all just melted away until only Bane existed.”
“When Bane knelt, it was like the world snapped back into being,” said Thrang, rubbing his nose on the back of his sleeve.
“I will have to be more careful in the future,” said Alex. “I did not realize the effects of such a test on those not involved.”
For a while they rode in silence. Alex now understood the stunned looks on his friends’ faces and the reason Thrain was reluctant to look him in the eye. They had seen a contest of two great powers—powers that they did not really understand. Alex knew it was fortunate that his contest with Bane had been nothing more serious than a test. If it had been real battle—a battle that his own reckless feelings had almost started—then things might have turned nasty.
***
When they stopped for their midday meal, Arconn surveyed their surroundings. “This road seems little used, but the grass and weeds have not grown over it.”
“Perhaps grass and weeds grow more slowly here. Or perhaps the rain from last week has washed away any tracks,” Nellus suggested.
“Perhaps,” said Arconn, looking east along the road. “There is a strange feel to this road, but I cannot make out what it is.”
“Should we perhaps leave the road and travel across open ground?” Alex questioned, voicing the thoughts he’d had earlier in the day.
“The road goes in our chosen direction,” said Thrang, stroking his beard in thought. “To leave it would slow our progress.”
“And to stay on it might lead us to danger,” Barnabus said.
“We don’t know there is any danger,” said Kat. “If there is, it will find us as easily in the open as along the road.”
“We will stay on the road for now,” said Thrang, his voice final. “If there is danger, then we will meet it when it comes. If there is no danger, we will move quicker on the road.”
They all agreed, though Arconn’s comment about a strange feel to the road stuck in Alex’s mind. He, too, felt there was something strange about the road, but he also understood Thrang’s point about wanting to travel as quickly as possible.
When they camped for the night, Alex felt more watchful than he normally did. There was nothing definite to trouble his thoughts, but something in the back of his mind continued to nag at him. He kept his worries to himself and listened while the others talked around the campfire. When the others went to their tents, Alex stood and looked into the darkness. There was danger ahead; he was certain of it.
“May I speak with you?” Kat asked.
Alex turned to look at her, unsurprised by her presence. He had half-expected her to remain at the fire when the others went to bed. “Of course,” he said.
“I . . . I wanted to thank you for what you did,” said Kat, her voice halting as she spoke. “At the tavern.”
“I did only what I said I would do,” said Alex.
“Yes, but to face a paladin . . . that was a risk.”
“I did not know what a paladin was. If I had known, I may have been more hesitant to face him.”
“You would not have hesitated,” said Kat, sounding sure of her words. “To hesitate is not in your nature.”
“You know me so well already.” Alex laughed.
“I am a seer, and I often know things about people without knowing them for long.”
“Can you see the possibilities, like an oracle?” Alex questioned.
Kat shook her head. “There are different kinds of seers. Some see as oracles do, only not so clearly. That is not my gift.”
“What is your gift?” Alex asked.
“I have a gift for finding,” said Kat. “It is my strongest gift, though not my only one.”
“You also have a gift for knowing the intentions of others,” said Alex. “If Bane had been evil, you would not have approached him as you did.”
Kat smiled and nodded. “A useful gift, though at times it is unwelcome.”
“Bane has many demons to fight. He was not angry with you, but with himself.”
“I do not blame him,” said Kat. “But I do thank you for your actions.”
Alex nodded and smiled at Kat. She was different than he thought she would be, and yet at the same time, almost exactly what he thought she would be. It was difficult to explain, and he did not try.
Kat returned his smile and then headed to her tent.
Alex watched her go, then turned to look into the darkness again. He knew there was noth
ing there, but for a long time he stood watching just the same.
The following day passed with no sign of danger or other travelers. Alex began watching the road more closely, looking for anything—a footprint, a track, even a bit of garbage—that would show that other people had used it. There was nothing to be seen, however, and his thoughts remained troubled.
After three days of following the road, Alex had given up on looking for any signs, and he turned his thoughts to other things. At first he spent his time practicing some methods that relaxed his mind but allowed his body to function as normal. He found this very restful, though it removed his need to sleep at night. After a few nights of not sleeping, he decided to practice some sensory exercises instead. They were supposed to help him know when someone was coming or if danger or enemies were close. He found these exercises much more difficult to do than relaxing his mind, and he guessed that having so many people around made it more difficult than it would be if he were alone.
On their seventh day of following the road, Thrang stopped them next to a stream, the first they had found since leaving the mountains.
“We have traveled far already, and a little extra rest will do us good,” Thrang said. “We will camp here.”
“I would guess we are getting close to the Eastern Sea,” said Nellus, looking across the grasslands. “I think we’ve traveled at least a hundred and fifty miles from the mountains.”
“Closer to two hundred,” said Arconn, jumping lightly from his saddle.
“As you are so light on your feet, perhaps you can hunt us up some fresh meat,” Barnabus said to Arconn.
“I have seen little to hunt, but I will try,” Arconn answered.
“May I come along?” Thrain asked, his enthusiasm for the adventure having returned over the past several days.
“Don’t go too far,” Thrang warned. “And keep both eyes open for trouble.”
“We’ll do that.” Arconn laughed. “And perhaps, if we have a spare moment, we might look for game.”
Thrang grunted as Arconn and Thrain walked away from camp.
Alex knew that Thrang was worried about Thrain. It was true that this was Thrain’s first adventure and the young dwarf didn’t know a great deal about the dangers that came with adventures, but as long as he was with Arconn, he should be all right. Alex walked forward and stood by his dwarf friend, who was still looking north at where Thrain and Arconn had disappeared.
“He’ll be fine,” Alex said. “Arconn is with him, after all.”
“Yes, I suppose he will,” said Thrang. “And I suppose I’d better get a fire going, since Thrain has managed to sneak off before doing it.”
Alex laughed and helped Thrang gather wood for their campfire, an easy task because there were more trees along the stream than there had been along the road. They soon had a large pile of wood, and Thrang ignited a small fire and began heating water for tea.
Alex left the campsite and climbed a small hill to the northeast, wanting to get a good look at the countryside. Kat asked if she could walk with him, and he happily agreed.
The hill was small and it took them only a few minutes to climb to the top. Alex leaned on his staff and looked around, taking in the change in landscape to the east and the distant mountains to the west. He glanced at Kat and saw that she was gazing north with a look of expectation on her face.
“What is it?” Alex questioned, his voice lowered so as not to startle Kat.
“Something strange,” answered Kat in a slow and dreamy voice. “Evil intentions, but I cannot name the source.”
“Are we in danger?”
“I do not think so,” Kat whispered. “Not now, not yet.”
The dreamy look suddenly left Kat’s face, and she blinked and rubbed her eyes. She gave Alex a questioning look, and he explained what had just happened.
“A trance?” Kat questioned.
“Not exactly,” said Alex. “I think you were seeing or at least feeling something that was there. I couldn’t tell if you were looking at something in the future or at something that is some distance away from us.”
“But that’s never happened before,” said Kat, a note of worry in her voice.
“If it had, would you know?”
“No, I suppose not.”
“You will need to learn how to remember such things,” said Alex. “Perhaps I can help you with that. For now, I think we should mention this to the others.”
“No,” Kat said quickly. “Not yet. Not until we know if my words hold any meaning.”
“By the time we know, it might be too late for your words to do any good.”
“If we remain watchful and careful, we should be fine.”
“As you wish,” Alex agreed. He thought Kat’s prediction or premonition was a good thing. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that they were not in any immediate danger, so he was willing to do as Kat requested and not mention what had happened to any of the others.
The two of them walked back to the camp in silence, but they had not been back for long when Thrain came rushing back to the camp alone. He looked worried and afraid, and it took several minutes for him to catch his breath before he could speak.
“A huge snake,” Thrain managed to say at last. “Arconn told me to come back and let you know. He said it was a nag-something and that he was going to follow it.”
“A nagas?” Alex questioned.
“Yes, that’s what he said,” Thrain answered, still breathing hard and looking terrified.
“What’s a nagas?” Thrang asked.
“As Thrain said, a giant snake,” answered Alex, looking north. “They have a human-looking head, and they can speak to people if they choose to.”
“Are they dangerous?” Kat questioned, looking slightly panicked.
“They can be if they are startled or angered,” said Alex. “They are also known to protect treasure, or hoard treasure if they have not been given one to protect.”
“And Arconn is following this thing?” Thrang asked, looking back to Thrain.
“He said he would return shortly,” Thrain answered. “He didn’t seem to think there was any real danger.”
“There may not be,” said Alex. “But some nagas are evil, and they have been known to attack unsuspecting travelers.”
“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 min
utes 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.