"All pairs will go forth in the direction they are facing," he bellowed out. "Move quickly to the top of the next ridge. But from that point on, be cautious, and watch for movement. Keep in view of the team on either side of you so you can signal them. Avoid fighting unless it is necessary, but find out how many there are, what they are doing, and where they are going. Then send messengers back to let us know. Soon, the light of dawn will begin to brighten the eastern sky. When the sunrise color fades, return here, whether they are found or not. There will be no fires--if you smell smoke, it will not be ours. Go quickly and return in the bright daylight."

They ran swiftly in their appointed directions. Those heading west or southwest gathered in a small war party on the single trail through the swamp at the southern end of the lake. Tamahna and Mahkawan each paired off with young Paccu warriors. Karnack, who had killed the grizzly with Petawahin and Sequannah, was now keeping pace with Mokotak. The more he saw of this massive warrior, the less sure he became of whom he was actually more afraid. He felt more secure with their combined strength, but he also sensed that this warrior would attack the whole of the Snake warriors without fear or even thought of his own life. He was not quite prepared for this type of sacrifice yet, but he would not be known as a coward.

Sequannah was paired with what seemed to be one of the most capable of the Paccus. He announced his name as Woltah, doing a brief and graceful dance with his spear. The three who had come to them the day before had not done this. Sequannah merely stated his name and signed a greeting. Woltah seemed clever, tricky, strong and enduring. But if he was truly a great warrior, Sequannah thought, wouldn't he have been counted among the dead at the Paccu village, instead of the captive. Sequannah and Woltah moved directly south, with Mokotak and Karnack on their left. Quebathe and another Paccu stalked to their right.

Each team was comprised of one Paccu and one Minnecou and two of the pairs were both Minnecou to ensure a common means of communication. Many of the Paccus were exhausted, and remained in the Minnecou camp. Petawahin and Quitkwa were also forced to remain behind. Though they protested, Ketanka reminded them that the Snake warriors could also come from some unexpected direction. This, however, was not quite enough to stifle their complaints--Kwoita and the Washan were allowed to prowl around behind the scouting party; two of the most feeble and defenseless warriors imaginable. While it was risky, Ketanka felt their combined wisdom and experience would be indispensable to the ten teams in front of them.

As the silvery beginnings of dawn streaked red, orange and purple across the sky, two of the teams dangerously outpaced the others. Though they could see the warriors behind, they quickly became indistinct and too distant for handsign. Mokotak and Woltah respectively were at the head of each, sprinting in a south-southeasterly direction, as if they knew exactly where the Snake warriors were.

Kwoita and the Washan noticed the gap and pressed ahead to fill it. If either end of the line encountered the hostile enemy, it could lead to disaster, especially on the western end. Ketanka should have foreseen this and placed the most experienced team there. Everyone would be in danger if the scouts were to cross ahead of the Snake warriors instead of behind them.

Just as they caught up, the Washan experienced a strange sensation, and signaled in both directions for all teams to halt. Mokotak, Karnack, Woltah and Sequannah were now completely out of view.

The Washan remained motionless, scanning through the brush. The others stood in patient curiosity. Some distance ahead of them, Kwoita noticed a large black shadow maneuvering directly between the two advance groups and the initial line of scouts. He pointed this out to the Washan because he couldn't see clearly enough to determine exactly what it was. The Washan signaled the others to remain still while he went ahead to investigate. The further he proceeded, the more fluid the shadowy mass appeared. The Washan froze when he realized it was actually a mass of wriggling serpents. All were heading in the same direction, some of them twice as long as a man. Rarely had he seen snakes even close to this length, but never moving in numbers. He remained motionless; snakes cannot see that which does not move. They were swirling along at a quicker pace than he'd thought, and in greater numbers. Three lodges lashed together would take up less space than this nearly solid tangle of thick, black snakes.

The leading edge stopped suddenly, and the trailing serpents slithered right over them. Out of the wriggling confusion, several large snakes wound their way off in a southeasterly direction along the freshly traveled path of Woltah and Sequannah. Several also headed in the opposite direction, towards Kwoita and the Washan. The slithering mass then continued on, leaving three small vipers to mark the trail. The dark, creeping shadow hadn't gotten far when it stopped cold, as if it had run into the base of a cliff--they had scented the trail of Mokotak and Karnack. Once again, several large snakes broke off from the boiling throng and wound their way down both directions of the trail.

Kwoita looked up to see the Washan trembling in fear; his face in a sweat, his color pallid. He became alarmed as the snakes approached the fear-stricken Washan.

"Washan! Do we kill them?" he whispered loudly.

No response. An odor of moist clay filled the air as the serpents crept to within striking distance. Kwoita picked up a heavy piece of wood to swing at them--he might not be quick or accurate enough to kill them with his spear. The serpents immediately perceived his movement and diverted in a straight line to him. Kwoita merely glimpsed the hypnotic stare in their golden orbs. It was too late to realize that what had tried to overcome the Washan, now had complete control over him.

The Washan's spell broken, he grabbed his spear to help the aged grandfather. The serpents were absorbed in their hypnotic attack upon Kwoita. The Washan thrust his spear into the base of one of the wide triangular heads, then pulled back quickly, ready to bolt. The viper turned halfway, but immediately recoiled to its fix on Kwoita. He warily stepped up to the serpents once again and speared the same viper, severing its head. He ran several paces in anticipation of their immediate diversion to him, but they never moved. They appeared to be as entranced as their victim. Four serpents were beheaded before Kwoita's trance was broken. The Washan killed the other two, then poked under leaves and into the underbrush to ensure that they had disposed of them all.

The warriors on either side of them moved to investigate. As the first team glimpsed another group of serpents, they too became entranced. The Washan moved only when he saw them freeze and followed their traumatized gaze. Again, he beheaded every snake, apparently unperceived. All of the warriors had gathered within a few short moments.

"These snakes are not normal. Do not look directly at them or you will not be able to move," the Washan stated. "If you have seen the snakes that crossed in front of us, then you know that this is unusual and that for them to send out groups that follow the scent of a trail is unnatural, especially where humans are concerned. There are snakes left to mark the trails, and others that went off in both directions of each path. They are still following Mokotak and Sequannah, and we must get to them quickly, but first we must kill the ones that sit in the trail."

Two clusters of vipers were coiled on the path, awaiting the advance of Snake scouts. The Washan and the others spied from a distance, deciding who would distract the snakes. Those who had already fallen under the serpentine spell adamantly refused, causing the others became leery. Two Paccus stepped forward, though their nervousness was apparent. They signed their intentions. The Washan immediately sent them off in a wide circle to come up behind the snakes. Once they fell under the spell, the snakes would already be facing away from the attacking warriors.

The two Paccus paralleled the trail for a short distance, then doubled back to where the vipers remained coiled. Sensing movement, the snakes reeled to face the two Paccus and, like the others, the Paccus immediately fell under the mysterious influence of the serpents' power. As the Washan and the others moved in, the Paccu with Quebathe made a short clucking noise. Behind them, two Snake warriors poked around the underbrush, then climbed a small hill to get a better view. They were scouts in advance of the main party.

One of them spotted the two Paccus, spellbound in the snakes' trail. Both warriors whooped as they raced towards them. Quebathe and his partner crept swiftly through the underbrush and tripped the scouts with their spears, impaling them where they fell. The Washan and the others killed the vipers, freeing the two Paccus. But there was no time to follow Sequannah or Mokotak; the clamor of the advancing Snake warriors' procession could already be heard. They fled north over the nearest ridge, closer to the Minnecou encampment, carrying the two dead Snake warriors with them. The Washan gathered the dead snakes and threw them well away from the trail, while taking the time to place a few of the severed snakes heads in the satchel hanging from his breechclout.

The Paccu and Minnecou warriors waited for some time before the main party of Snake warriors finally came into view. Many felt they could have saved the two advance parties had they tried, but there was no way of knowing just how far ahead they had strayed. Their fates appeared to be grim. Even if they looked back frequently, they would not be on guard for an enemy slithering along at ankle height. The Paccus watched with disgust, fear and anger as their relatives trudged in the distance like so many fish on a string. The Snake warriors strutted along, unleashing their sadistic impulses with sickly laughter. Several captives were dragged along with knives to their throats, apparently to deter more Paccus from trying to escape. Each group consisted of twenty to thirty Paccus and six to ten Snake warriors prodding them along with spears and whips. Two bands of a dozen Snake warriors, each, constantly patrolled the flanks of the procession, scrutinizing the prisoners and the surrounding forest.

In the middle of the procession, a cruel looking chieftain posed arrogantly on his litter, in the shade of a thatched canopy. The scowl on his face was plainly of cold contempt, and not the beginnings of a squint. He didn't appear to be looking at anyone in particular, but rather over everyone. So effective was his demeanor, that none of his warriors would risk looking directly at him. Yet, the instant he raised his hand, the whole procession came to a halt. Four warriors raced from each direction.

The procession hushed as everyone awaited his commands. The Minnecou scouting party perceived a faint mumbling from the distant litter. Soon, Snake warriors began beating the bushes with their spears, while a group of six warriors sprinted ahead in search of the two advance scouts. Two attendants helped their chief down from his litter. A large black crest on his head fanned from front to back. Starting at the base of his skull and running down the length of his back, was a long stripe in a yellow and black checkered pattern. He shoved the two attendants away as they propped him up, but fell immediately to the ground from whence he began to swing at them with his staff for not catching him. It appeared that his legs were paralyzed and he was in a rage. They picked him up and propped him against a tree which he held onto with both hands as he turned slowly about to survey the area. It seemed strange to the Minnecou that the Snake warriors would fear one in such a disabled condition.

Still, almost no sound came from the procession, except for the low grumbling directed towards the two attendants. They hurried to carry out his every command, running to prepare everything quickly and in a meticulous manner. They escorted him back to the litter and when one of them tripped over a stone, he batted the fallen attendant unconscious with his staff. The slumped body was kicked into the underbrush.

Many of the warriors began to return with the limp carcasses of dead snakes in their hands, most with severed heads. As each warrior brought in a dead snake, he was placed in a formation consisting of two lines on either side of the procession. Four of the six warriors who had gone ahead, came back with the news that there was no sign of the two advance scouts. The chieftain cursed and screamed, waving his staff in the air. Dark clouds began to appear on the horizon as rolls of thunder boomed in the distance. Quiktkoata looked to the ground. The faintest trace of a moccasin print pointed towards the southeast. He immediately dispatched six warriors. He then shouted out to the two lines holding the dead serpents, and they began to beat and whip viciously at the captive Paccus.

The Minnecou held their Paccu allies at bay; there was no way to even conceive of getting to the captives without being captured themselves, though the Paccus could not bear to watch their relatives being whipped as they watched safely from a distance. Quiktkoata hoped to flush them out with this vicious display, but the Minnecou held them in check. He shouted insults into the forest as his warriors tortured the captives. But there were just too many Snake warriors, capable and well armed. Any attempt at rescuing more Paccu captives was certain to end in disaster. Quiktkoata sneered as he scanned the wooded ridges for signs of movement. He rested back upon his litter, convinced that the escaped Paccus were some distance away, but within view of their suffering relatives. He reveled in their fear of him. From over the ridge behind the procession, another band of Snake warriors suddenly appeared. The Washan was relieved that he and the other Minnecou had been able to subdue their Paccu allies, but was dismayed at the number of warriors patrolling in back of the procession. They may discover Sequannah and Mokotak.

Shortly after these warriors had appeared, six warriors dragged Woltah and Sequannah out of the brush and up to the Snake chief's litter. Woltah's legs were tied together; his hands lashed behind him. One warrior held onto a crop of Sequannah's hair, pushing him along in front of him. His feet barely touched the ground. His hands were tied.

The Washan sent everyone back to the Minnecou encampment to defend it in the event it was discovered. Only he and the Wolf brothers would trail the Snake warriors. He felt it necessary to go himself in order to find out what other powers they possessed. The Paccus began to follow, but the Wolf brothers and Quebathe threatened with their spears. Tired and weary, there was little they could do to resist.

Quebathe and Shatomi led them back through the swampy trail at the southern end of the lake. Their trail was meticulously concealed once they entered the swamp, and diversions were set up everywhere to send followers into the bogs, sinkholes and pockets of quicksand. The quicksand was of a loose consistency, where a body would sink immediately up to the chest, but became more viscous after this point. The feet of the victim would then become helplessly mired, with the head almost completely submerged. When they stood on their toes to reach for the next breath of air, they sank further into the deep pockets and drowned within moments of slipping into the mire.