In front of the others each one's secrets had been revealed, but they all knew they would stay among them. No stranger could know them for, in spite of all their differences, in spite of their hatred or love, they all shared a common link: they all belonged to the Snake tribe. Viper Zamenis hated Elenie and bore a grudge against Cobra, but she wouldn't reveal their real identity to the other students. Elenie Snake-Eyes hated Viper as much and hadn't forgiven Cobra for having betrayed her trust, but she remained quiet about it, as usual, and not even her uncle heard about it. Errol Snaffle didn't hate anybody nor had any grudge, but he had been in love with Viper and knew now that his love was hopeless - even dangerous. As for Cobra Slake, he was deeply hurt and wandered alone with his sadness for all company.
Of course the recent events concerning the Snake tribe left their marks. The four young people were hardly the same as before. Viper was still the queen of her court of suitors, but she now shunned Cobra openly, instead of following him as before, and the result was that Cobra was even more alone than usual. Her eyes were lingering more often on Errol than before though, but then, sometimes, her gaze was lightening up with an adamantine glow that Errol wouldn't have considered of good omen. As if she wanted to make it for Cobra to have turned her down, she was more exuberant, attractive and witty than before, driving her suitors totally crazy. Some of them would go on their knees, swearing eternal love, and she would refuse them in a laugh with one single sentence that would drive two more men to fall at her feet.
Elenie was now almost hiding and the fear in her eyes never disappeared. Cobra had promised her she wouldn't see him anymore, but in school it wasn't that easy for two people to never meet, so she was seeing his tall silhouette from time to time, but never closely enough to be able to see his eyes, for example. Even in astrophysics class he had switched places with Errol and she couldn't see him, for Errol was always between them, as a shield for his friend. No matter how much he bullied her, Rennard couldn't get Cobra to react anymore and the loneliness in Elenie's misty green eyes was getting deeper and deeper with each day passing by.
Errol was still surrounded by his fan club, as if nothing had changed, still up for the first trick - preferably on Rennard. But his gaze was now carefully avoiding Viper and on the contrary, he was keeping an eye on Cobra more closely than before, to Cobra's sorrow. Witty as usual, he didn't miss any occasion to tease one of 'his' girls when she was touching his arm on purpose, making the girl blush - and sending the others into giggles, till they were themselves the target of Errol's words. But some of them noticed that he didn't really feel like teasing them anymore and tried to push their advantage, getting slowly bolder, persuaded that he was beginning to be interested in one of them - maybe the boldest would have him become attached to her. Errol saw their schemes from their first move, but he didn't even care to stop them.
Cobra who, during the last weeks, had more or less kept an eye on Elenie, was now avoiding her almost ostensibly, so ostensibly in fact that everybody should have noticed it... had someone cared for what he was doing. He never tried to catch her eye and, as his previous watch had led him to know her habits, he knew now which ways to use to be sure she wouldn't meet him. Already silent by nature he was even more silent by now, especially in class, where he wasn't saying any word at all. Rennard was terribly furious for he wasn't able to get the single reaction from him. He usually didn't tease Cobra, for Cobra was able to match him for bad temper, but now was the perfect occasion to do it in all impunity, which was putting Errol in a mad rage.
The two bullies who had once tried to bother Viper hadn't had the occasion to do so again and they were visibly very frustrated by that. The fact Viper was now shunning Cobra seemed a perfect occasion to achieve their goal and Gerry, the bolder of the two bullies, decided it was time to act. He waited patiently till he thought the way was really clear. Viper had left her suitors and was alone in a narrow dark corridor - one of those leading to Rennard's classroom - and Cobra was brooding alone in a corner of the common room. Suddenly Viper saw Gerry in front of her; she didn't even need to turn the head to know that Mark was just behind her. She sighed, as if she was truly tired of their little games, and rolled the eyes to the ceiling.
"He he, Viper, nice encounter here," said Gerry.
"I have already heard this once before..." muttered Viper not troubled at all.
"Except that this time, your mighty knight won't rush to your help," smirked Mark.
"My mighty knight?" repeated Viper, leaning against the wall. "Oh, I have a knight now? That's great!"
"You know who we are talking about!" said Gerry, half-threatening. "This... I-know-everything dark-looking skinny excuse for a man!"
Viper's eyes went round with surprise. She bit her lip; she was mad at Cobra for what he had done to her, but still he was her Lord's son - had she known that before, she would never have tried to trick him the way she had. It was against her whole education to let a stranger to the tribe insult someone of the tribe, let alone the Lord's son! No matter how strange her education had been since she was the Hunter's daughter, bound to follow her father's steps, she was still loyal to Lord Ydriss; Cobra's accusations like what she was trying to steal his lordship had been very painful for her to hear. But on the other hand, if she rushed to Cobra's defence, they might suspect something between them and that, she couldn't allow! None outside the tribe had the right to know about the tribe; already Elenie's case, with her mother from another tribe, was a problem...
She shook herself. Her thoughts were wandering too far, she had to concentrate on the immediate problem.
"I know no one matching this description," she said disdainfully.
"I'm speaking of Mister Cobra Slake!" exclaimed Gerry.
"You're not speaking to the right person, then. Cobra Slake is Elenie's mighty knight, not mine."
"So he won't come to your rescue?" insinuated Mark.
"I don't need anybody to come to my rescue," shrugged Viper.
"Playing the tough girl, I see," retorted Gerry and his words had a painful echo in Viper's mind.
He pushed her against the wall, his arm across her throat.
"And now," he whispered softly, "are you still a tough girl?"
Viper tried to jerk away, but Gerry's arm was like an iron bar, blocking her and chasing the air out her of ribcage. She hit him in the ribs with her fist but he only laughed. With his free hand he caressed her cheek.
"So, delightful Viper," he murmured, "do you intend to play with me like you play with the fools constituting your court?"
As quick as the snake whose name she was carrying Viper turned the head and bit his hand.
"Ouch! Girl, you will pay for that!"
"Sorry, I'm just broke this month," answered Viper between her teeth.
"That's not the kind of money we want," said Mark.
"No, really?" said Viper, ironical, still trying to push Gerry away.
"I'm going to teach you politeness, girl!" yelled Mark.
"My, my, what a lack of imagination in this conversation!" intervened a new voice. "I have a strong impression of déjà-vu."
Cobra was here, leaning against the wall, arms crossed on his chest.
"Let us set things straight: I may be a... what was it already? a I-know-everything dark-looking skinny excuse for a man, but I'm still jinxed, for all I know. So are you really sure you want to face me?"
"We are stronger than you are," noticed Gerry calmly, without releasing his grip on Viper.
"Oh, I agree with you without any difficulty. But I'm more clever than you," smiled Cobra. "And I'm certainly not jinxed for no reason."
Viper didn't know if she should be happy because he was here to protect her or worried about what might happen to him. Her tribe instincts reacted first, before her own safety:
"Go away, Cobra!" she hissed. "I can get rid of them without your help, thank you!"
Her tone had nothing gentle in it, but Cobra was able to read between the lines.
"Sorry, Zamenis, I'm not really here for helping you, but rather to bother them," he retorted on the same tone.
"Go care for Elenie, Slake, but let us in peace with Viper!" said disdainfully Mark.
Cobra seemed to consider the proposition.
"Nope," he said finally. "That doesn't appeal to me..."
Viper was pleading with her eyes:
"Go away, just go away, don't reveal yourself, please..."
Cobra ignored her plea.
"Obviously, it's going to be a bit harder this time to convince you," he commented. "Though you know I'm jinxed, it's obvious I'll have to prove it this time..."
The terror in Viper's eyes was almost unbearable. Instead of giving her new forces, his help was paralysing her. She was unable to move or to jerk free from Gerry's grip. Cobra extended his arm and put his hand on Mark's shoulder, pressing down his fingers in the junction with the neck. At first, Mark almost laughed; then suddenly, his eyes widened and he exclaimed:
"My arm! What did you do to my arm? It's numb, I can't feel it anymore!"
He tried to move it and had to renounce. Cobra slightly smiled.
"Convinced? I just have to touch you to get any part of your body as numb as your arm is now!"
Worried, Gerry was releasing a bit his grip on Viper, who took advantage of it, jerking free and coming by Cobra's side. Mark, terrified, fled shamelessly, holding his arm with his other hand; Gerry, left alone behind, considered the situation an instant and decided that Mark's choice was the wisest, so he followed his friend's tracks quite quickly. Viper turned to Cobra.
"Thank you," she said. "But you hadn't to do that."
"Yes, I had. For you are from my tribe and tribe bond is thickest than anything else in the world. No matter what, Zamenis, never forget that you are from the Snake tribe and as such, entitled to the tribe protection. And I, as Lord Ydriss's son, am to give this protection to you."
"You shouldn't take advantage of the fact they say you're jinxed," remarked Viper.
"You know perfectly that what I did had nothing to do with my real powers."
"Yes, I know that. But others don't."
"Because they are not good in anatomy, that's all," shrugged Cobra.
Viper vaguely nodded and, as she was going to say she had to go, Cobra said:
"You should talk with Errol."
"And what good would it do?" muttered Viper.
"Maybe it would make both of you feel better," suggested Cobra.
"Nothing can make feel better someone who had been interested in the Hunter. I am like Elenie, Cobra, an outcast, but not for the same reasons. And before you say anything, nothing can make me feel better either. I am the Hunter, I am bound to be alone."
"You are not the Hunter anymore. The Hunter doesn't exist anymore."
"Cobra," sighed Viper. "My father was the Hunter. I saw him die before my eyes, killed by Snake-Eyes, I was twelve. Your own father told me I was the new Hunter, because nothing could compare to my hate of that snake transformed into a man. My parents had already brought me up with this hate in me and seeing those I loved fall under Snake-Eyes' strikes only increased my hate. You may say the Hunter doesn't exist anymore, Cobra, you may say it, you may have your father saying it too, it won't change anything. I am the Hunter, I embody his hate, the strength in my arm is coming from all those who suffered from this murderer, all those who seek revenge. I am vengeance embodied, I am hate embodied! Nothing you can say can change that, Cobra. The hate will always run through my veins with the last drop of blood."
"Viper..." called softly Cobra.
Viper stopped immediately. It was the first time ever she had heard Cobra call her by her first name.
"There is something everyone must learn: it's called forgiveness. Listen to me before cursing me. Snake-Eyes lived of hatred and revenge too, for he wanted vengeance on whoever had killed his beloved wife, on whoever had scared his little daughter so much that fear would never leave her eyes anymore. And so he sought vengeance, day after day, week after week, through the years, fighting and killing to survive, for everybody thought him a murderer when he was only a grieving husband. And now what? Well, he still hasn't satisfied his desire for vengeance and he is now the enemy to hunt down and kill. The whole kingdom is on his tracks and the real assassin who started it all is still free, nobody even thinking of him. Is it what you want to become? Do you want to have a new Hunter on your tracks? Do you want to share the same fate as Snake-Eyes? Do you want to see the husband you may choose someday stoned to death under your very eyes by an angry mob? Do you want to see your children shunned from everywhere, having to hide their name and go nameless? Is it what you want?"
Viper remained silent a moment before answering:
"I'm already an outcast, alone and hated, living only for vengeance. How long before being hunted down, I don't know. How long before my men leave me to go back to their family if they have still one, by fear of being tracked like me? Those are questions I can't answer, Cobra, but my fate is already sealed."
Cobra grabbed her by the shoulders.
"Nothing is irremediable, Zamenis! There is no fate except the one you choose yourself and build everyday. Listen, Errol is not only my guardian, the Guardian, he is my friend too and I care for him. Seeing him mourn your loss is unbearable for me. No matter what you think, no matter your bad reputation of Hunter, if you ask him, he will bind his life to yours and his fate will become yours, as yours will become his. And he will be happy to do so."
Viper shook the head, jerking free at the same time.
"No, he won't. I have observed him since he knows I'm the Hunter and he's now avoiding me, avoiding even looking at me. Is it supposed to be a good omen?"
Cobra smiled knowingly and Viper bit her lower lip, just realising she had confessed an interest in Errol.
"He is acting this way because of me. He thinks he can protect me from you if he's defiant with you. But you are no threat to me, so his whole attitude is stupid."
Viper looked at him for quite a long time.
"When did you decide that I was no threat to you?"
Cobra shrugged.
"I always knew you were faithful to my father. Don't forget that, even if I had been defiant, Iriss would have set me straight quite quickly. He doesn't really care for being tactful when I'm acting like a fool," he added quite bitterly.
Viper had a light smile imagining the stern Cobra being scolded like a child by a small snake.
"Seriously, Viper," said Cobra, putting his hand on her shoulder, "try to talk to Errol. Please?"
She nodded vaguely, not promising anything, and left without adding another word. Cobra sighed and his shoulders fell heavily. He had hoped to bring back a smile on Errol's lips, but it seemed he had failed.
A new year was beginning at school; Cobra and Errol, along with Viper and Elenie, were now in fifth year. Cobra, trying to stop thinking of Elenie, was busy observing the newcomers, especially careful for tribe people. Three people retained his attention: one was obviously from the Spider tribe, showing her belonging to her tribe by ostentatious jewels in the shape of a spider. Cobra didn't worry too much; though the two tribes didn't like each other, they always prudently stayed away from bringing trouble to each other.
The two other ones rather puzzled him. They were clearly sisters, but the youngest was as clearly under age for the school, no matter how qualified she might be. There was something about them that made him think about birds and he already knew what it meant: they were from the Bird tribe. His instincts had never failed him on that subject. He bit his lower lip; that was going to bring some difficulties. Normally everybody was relatively careful not to put people from Snake tribe in presence of people from Bird tribe. But then his belonging to the Snake tribe, as Errol's, had been kept secret. Elenie was probably as secret as theirs. Only Viper's belonging was known from everybody and Cobra knew the headmaster from the school wouldn't care to refuse students just for Viper's sake - or the students'.
He was observing them from one of his secret spots giving on the common room for first-year students. The two sisters were never leaving each other, the younger almost following the eldest like her shadow. Suddenly he felt he wasn't alone anymore and he turned the head to meet Errol's blue eyes. His blonde friend looked up above his shoulder and he understood immediately what was causing the frown on Cobra's brow. He nodded and disappeared as silently as he had come. Cobra had an unpleasant impression of déjà-vu when Errol came back half an hour after, saying calmly:
"I got their names."
"Shoot, I'm listening," replied Cobra, still looking at the two sisters.
"The Spider girl is named Aranea Whydah; I think I remember having heard her name before, but I need to check that. The Bird sisters are Swanilda and Robin Fledgling. The youngest is registered for only half the classes."
"She shouldn't be registered at all," grumbled Cobra.
Errol remained silent a moment and then asked:
"Did you say something about me to Viper?"
"Of course I did. Why do you ask?"
"She is looking at me in a way that clearly shows she has the intention to talk to me, but dares not, and yet she feels obligated to do so," shrugged Errol.
"So," thought Cobra with satisfaction, "you still observe her, my friend. That's good..."
"Zamenis and you are very much alike. You both surrounded yourselves with suitors you don't care for, in a pitiful try to make you forget how much you would like the missing one to be with you. This stupid game has to end. Errol, Zamenis is not a danger for me and if you don't believe me on that, ask Iriss, he will tell you."
"She tried to bind you to her, she was interested in you, not in me, did you forget that? Did you forget what she told me, that she became my friend only to be closer to you? How could I get close to her now?" said Errol bitterly.
"You really are alike. Forgiveness, Errol. You are the most forgiving person I know, why should she be an exception to your rule?"
"There's another exception to my rule, if you really want to go there, Cobra: this other exception is called Elenie Snake-Eyes. I don't think I'll ever forgive her for what she did to you."
"Errol, please don't be more a Snake than my father. I don't hold a grudge against her, why would you?"
"Because I'm not as wise as you are," retorted Errol sarcastically.
"Yeah, sure," sneered Cobra, leaving the place.
Errol followed him; they were crossing the gallery above the main hall when the headmaster burst out of nowhere, heading hastily to the huge gate. A tall man entered, immediately greeted by the headmaster. Cobra stopped when seeing the man, pushing Errol back against the wall.
"What?" grunted Errol.
"This man..."
"Well?"
"I feel danger."
Errol wasn't even tempted to laugh; as a matter of fact, he hated when Cobra was feeling danger, because it usually meant that what was coming was real danger.
"He seems kind of inoffensive, though," he mentioned.
"Yeah, and you look as dangerous as a teddy bear," replied Cobra, never letting his gaze wander away from the newcomer.
The headmaster was speaking low and fast, as usual, and Cobra had lots of difficulties understanding what he was saying, catching only one word from time to time. But what he understood perfectly was the stranger's answer:
"I am here to bring her back with me, even against your will."
Then suddenly Cobra knew who he was.
"Errol, go find Zamenis and tell her to hide! Hide with her, don't let her go out, do you hear me? Quickly, go!"
"But Cobra..."
"There is no 'but'," hissed Cobra. "Do as I said and now!"
Puzzled Errol obeyed, leaving running. Cobra leaned a bit more on the banister. What he had feared had just happened and, not for the first time, he almost cursed his irritating habit to always be right, sooner or later.
"Why for once can't I be really wrong?" he muttered.
"I will ask you to proceed with all the required precautions and discretion!" protested the headmaster.
The tall man sent him a dark glance and didn't even answer. Cobra grinded his teeth. In front of him was Ravenger 'Bloodtracker' Scavenger, who could have been considered as a prime hunter for all tribes. Lord Ydriss, Cobra's father, hated that man, which was the reason for him 'creating' the Hunter for tracking down Snake-Eyes. Lord Ydriss would rather have let Snake-Eyes escape from justice than have called upon Bloodtracker's services. Bloodtracker never forgave him this 'insult' to his skills. Cobra leaned back against the wall and sighed.
"I'm in trouble too," he mused under his breath. "If Bloodtracker recognises me, I'm in deep trouble."
He wasn't really worried for himself, except for his anonymity, for he would have Errol, Viper and even Elenie to help him. The Snake tribe was the tribe with the most representatives in the school; strangely, till the three newcomers from first year, and the four Snake tribe people now in fifth year, there wasn't any other person from a tribe. Cobra knew pertinently that Viper should have been in fourth year, she was younger than them, but she was tracking Elenie to get her father, so she had managed to be in the same year as her. Cobra leaned again on the banister, to see what Bloodtracker was up to.
The headmaster probably heard the slight crack coming from the old banister, for he raised up the head so quickly that Cobra hadn't the time to move back.
"Mister Slake!" exclaimed the headmaster, who knew Cobra quite well, since Rennard had brought him for a discipline question. "Come down, please."
Cobra half-closed the eyes and obeyed. Bloodtracker's eyes were observing him and Cobra knew that the hunter wouldn't need much time to figure out the real identity of the young man.
"Mister Snake?" he said, extending his hand.
"Slake," rectified the headmaster before Cobra could say something.
Cobra shook Bloodtracker's hand, taking care to hide his left hand, which was wearing Elenie's bond ring. Someone from a tribe could read a bond ring from anybody, even from another tribe, and Cobra knew Bloodtracker would have known who was Elenie in reality.
"Are you sure?" insisted Bloodtracker. "He looks like the son of one of my friends."
"Mister Slake is an orphan," said the headmaster, who was obviously very irritated with Bloodtracker. "Mister Slake, here is Ravenger Scavenger. Mister Scavenger, here is my best student, Cobra Slake."
"Cobra Slake," repeated Bloodtracker. "My condolences for the lost of your parents."
"Thank you, but I do not grieve anymore. I never knew them," replied Cobra, lying easily, since this second life was his for so long now that it was for him like a second identity.
Bloodtracker looked surprised; he wasn't probably expecting this ease, since he was obviously not believing the headmaster. Cobra knew that Bloodtracker couldn't discover that he was from the Snake tribe; his aura had been carefully hidden by his own father, and only Errol - and Viper, thanks to the specific powers given to the Hunter - could see through this protection. He had nothing to fear from Bloodtracker on that subject... if he didn't betray himself in another way.
"Mister Slake, Mister Scavenger is here for a delicate mission. He is supposed to take with him Viper Zamenis."
"Zamenis?" repeated Cobra, as if surprised. "What is the problem, if I may ask?"
"It's a family affair," retorted Bloodtracker with a tone meaning that he wouldn't answer any question.
Cobra had a wry smile.
"Zamenis's family is all dead, everybody knows that."
"Mister Slake, since Mister Slake there is, this is none of your business. My mission is secret!" said dryly Bloodtracker, throwing a dark glance to the headmaster, as if he was asking him why he had called Cobra.
Cobra pretended to ponder a moment and then shook the head.
"I'm sorry, Mister Scavenger, since Mister Scavenger there is, but Zamenis is my business. Friends are always my business."
Bloodtracker's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Young man, I would seriously advise you to keep your mouth shut if you don't want to get into troubles too big for you."
"Is it a threat, Mister Scavenger?" asked Cobra politely.
The headmaster was becoming nervous and he seized the arm of the young man.
"Cobra," he whispered into his ear, "please be careful with that man. He is very dangerous, for all I understood. Can you get Viper Zamenis, please?"
"I don't want to put her in danger, Headmaster," replied Cobra, not even trying to hide his concern.
"I know, I know... but there's nothing to be done. He won't leave without Viper."
Cobra chewed thoughtfully his lower lip.
"No way for Zamenis to escape him, huh?"
"None."
Cobra swore under his breath.
"Alright, I'll get her," he said.
The glance he threw to Bloodtracker would have killed the hunter on the spot if Cobra's eyes had been weapons.
He didn't even pretend to look for Viper. He went straight where he knew Errol was, even if he couldn't have known. The bond he shared with Errol was so strong that he always knew where the blonde young man was. As a matter of fact, they were where nobody could have possibly thought of as for finding Viper: they were simply in the boys' dormitory, where nobody ever came during the day. As usual, Viper and Errol were arguing, but they were keeping their voice low, so that nobody would hear them from the corridor. As Cobra entered, Errol jumped in front of Viper, ready to fight for her.
"Relax, it's me," said Cobra.
He sat on his bed and looked at Viper.
"Sorry, Zamenis. Your worse nightmare found a life of its own."
"What is my worse nightmare supposed to be?" replied Viper quite aggressively.
"You are being hunted down. Don't look at me in disbelief or shock like that. Lord Ydriss didn't give the order, I can guarantee you this."
"Why are you so sure?"
"Because the man waiting for you is Ravenger Scavenger, better known as Bloodtracker."
Viper paled visibly.
"Bloodtracker?" she repeated, almost unable to prevent her voice from trembling. "He... he's looking for me?"
Cobra nodded painfully.
"Alright, you're right, my worse nightmare has come to life."
She breathed deeply, passing her hands on her face as if the nightmare would vanish. Errol was speechless.
"Who do you think hired him?" asked Viper. "Can Elenie..."
"No. I know you'll think I'm biased, but nobody from the Snake tribe, no matter how much he or she hates you would have accepted to degrade himself or herself by contacting Bloodtracker."
Viper considered him a short instant and believed him, for his voice sounded sincere. Cobra stood up.
"Zamenis... listen, I'm supposed to go back to Bloodtracker with you by my side. The headmaster asked me and there's no way for you to escape. But... do you trust me?"
Cool green eyes met dark eyes.
"You are my Lord's son," she replied simply and Cobra didn't need more, he knew what it meant.
He put his hand on her shoulder.
"I will 'deliver' you to him. But don't despair, because I'm not going to let you in his hands. You are from my tribe, you are from my blood."
Viper nodded.
"I won't despair," she promised. "Even if I feel his blade on my throat, I will still believe in you."
Cobra had a slight nod of appreciation and headed to the door. Viper hugged a very surprised Errol and smiled at him, one of the smiles she usually used for a cohort of suitors, the kind of smile that drove them crazy, and she had the satisfaction to see that Errol was at least slightly bewildered. He caught her by the arm.
"Good luck," he said softly.
Viper nodded and followed Cobra; the young man turned back to Errol.
"I will bring her back to your arms," he said.
Errol raised his eyebrows.
"Has she already actually been in my arms?" he asked half-jokingly.
Cobra never looked more serious than when he said:
"Maybe that's the moment to make it happen."
He left, his hand closing just above Viper's elbow.
Bloodtracker's face lightened when seeing Viper next to Cobra. The young man could almost read his thoughts: he thought he was near the end of his mission, that, at last, he had found the Hunter.
"Where are your men?" he whispered to Viper.
"Outside. I couldn't keep them with me inside the school," she replied on the same tone.
"Headmaster, here is Viper Zamenis," said Cobra.
The headmaster nodded painfully.
"Mister Scavenger, here is the young student you wanted to see. Viper Zamenis."
"From the Snake tribe," said Bloodtracker, looking hungrily at Viper. "Viper Zamenis, the Hunter."
Viper's eyes narrowed dangerously. Her identity was supposed to remain secret out of the tribe - and even among the tribe if possible. Saying it in front of the headmaster was a grave infraction to the tribes' rules. She dryly pointed out the fact to Bloodtracker who shrugged.
"I don't think you should care for this infraction, lady. There are more important things at stake... like your life, for example," he added sotto voce.
Viper didn't even shiver. She grinned and said:
"Oh, now, I'm scared."
And her answer infuriated Bloodtracker.
Cobra shared a last long glance with her as Bloodtracker was dragging her outside. His gaze was clearly saying:
"Don't let hope die. I'll be there for you."
Hers answered as clearly:
"I will wait and trust in you, son of my Lord."
The huge gate closed behind Bloodtracker and Viper.
"Cobra," said the headmaster, seeing how restless the young man was, "don't try anything foolish. This Scavenger is not the kind of sparing people standing on his way."
Cobra turned the head to the headmaster.
"And I'm not the kind of letting my friends in danger. Sir, I require a time out of school. The length is unknown yet."
"What are you going to do, Cobra?"
He shrugged.
"Easy. I'm going to track down this man and save Zamenis from him. No, don't protest, it's of no use. There is more at stake than you know, Sir, and you can't interfere with that. Just believe me when I say I know what I'm doing."
Without giving time to the headmaster for an answer, Cobra left the room, heading hastily to the boys' dormitory. From under his bed he recovered the large flat box containing Iriss under its bronze shape. He rapidly drew the opening rune on the lid and opened the lid. He looked lengthily at Iriss's still form before slowly pronouncing the odd words of the spell waking up the snake. The scales began to shine slightly and their join turned into a bright copper. The emerald-green eyes looked up at Cobra, never breaking contact even when the young man took the snake on his lap to give him some of his warmth.
"What's happening now?" sighed Iriss, resting his head on Cobra's thigh.
"Zamenis is in danger. I'm leaving school to rescue her."
"Since when do you care for her?" asked Iriss, closing his eyes.
"Since she is from my tribe," replied Cobra calmly.
Iriss opened again one emerald-green eye.
"Forget everything about Viper Zamenis," he said. "She is nothing but trouble."
Cobra stared in disbelief at the lazy snake lying on his lap.
"I can't believe what I just heard! She is from my tribe, Iriss!"
"You really like girls bringing troubles, don't you?" sighed Iriss, cuddling a bit more.
"Sorry, Mister Wisdom, I thought you could help me. Obviously, I was mistaken," retorted wryly Cobra. "I apologise for awakening you then."
Iriss began to protest but Cobra didn't listen to him and transformed him back into a bronze snake. For once the snake wasn't calm, at rest, but was dressed on his tail, visibly in the middle of a tirade. Cobra put him back in the box and the box returned under his bed.
Quite furious, Cobra left the dormitory, had a slight movement of the hand toward Errol and went out in the gardens for a walk. Once he was far enough, he checked a last time nobody was looking at him and then ran to the nearest wall, which he climbed on with agility. He jumped on the other side and ran away from school without the slightest guilt.
At first, Viper hadn't tried to fight Bloodtracker, even if she was making her best to slow him down, pretending her ankle was strained. Bloodtracker, not having planned on this, was muttering against her and more than once threatened her to kill her on the spot if she didn't hurry. She shook the head, pointing out that they were among people who would try to stop him. Regretfully Bloodtracker had to agree she was right. But when he began to use streets and paths less frequented, she started to feel ill at ease, for he more than once had the perfect occasion to kill her without being disturbed, so her pace was slightly faster than before.
After the second day, she nevertheless began to worry. She hadn't seen the slightest trace of Cobra and she wondered briefly he hadn't abandoned her. All her education rebelled against this idea: it was impossible, nobody from a tribe could abandon someone else of the same tribe, especially not the tribe lord's son. True, her being the Hunter made her case a bit special, but then, Cobra had promised her he would be there for her. She tried to reason herself, thinking that they were still near the school and Cobra couldn't bring her back there, Bloodtracker would follow them again and this would never end. Yes, that was certainly the reason why.
On the fourth day of her forced trip with Bloodtracker, when waking up, she found a small bronze-like scale near her hand. She took it in her hand and felt immediately Cobra's aura on it. She half-closed her eyes in relief: Cobra was near, he was here! She glanced quickly at Bloodtracker; he wasn't caring for her, as long as she didn't try to run. She fumbled around her neck, replacing her pendant by Cobra's scale. Her pendant was the proof of her identity as the Hunter. Without any remorse, she let it fall on the ground near the place she had found Cobra's scale. If, as she thought, Cobra was observing her - them - he would find it and take it with him.
Now that she knew Cobra was here, she felt much better. She wondered if he had put the scale near her to reassure her, as if he had somehow known of her worries. But now that she felt the scale against her skin with each step she took, she swore to herself she wouldn't doubt again, not even once. And as she felt much better, she found back her witty mind and didn't hesitate to contradict Bloodtracker or even to provoke him. Bloodtracker was infuriated by this new behaviour and slapped her more than once, but even with blood running from her lips, Viper was still standing in front of him, a look of defy in her cool green eyes. Never before had Cobra blessed more her strong character.
They had left the city now and were at the edge of the forest. Normally Viper wouldn't have minded for the forest: she actually liked it, having spent quite a long time in there, since Snake-Eyes' favourite disguise was to go into the forest and transform back into the snake he had once been, thus becoming almost invisible. She had lost his tracks more than once like that, for if tracking a man could be easy, tracking a snake, even for someone from the Snake tribe, was a different ball game.
But now that Bloodtracker was leading her deeper and deeper in the forest, she was beginning to feel uneasy again. In the city she had been quite safe, Bloodtracker, no matter his reputation, couldn't kill her in front of everybody, the law didn't allow it, no matter what the 'victim' had done. But in the woods, nobody could prevent him to do so if he wanted. Nobody... but Cobra! She chastised herself for having once more lost the faith in Cobra, but she had to admit to herself she wasn't used to rely on someone else than herself. That didn't feel quite right.
She remained on her guards the whole day, quite nervous, and Bloodtracker, feeling it, had a bad smile, for he knew what she was thinking. He still hadn't breathed a word of the fate he was reserving her and seemed to enjoy a lot letting her in doubt. At night, she curled up against a tree, hoping Cobra would watch over her if she failed to wake up. As an answer to her wish she felt something cool and slick gliding over her ankles; she knew immediately it was a snake. The snake glided till its face was near Viper's, its tail still around her ankles. A hiss in her ears:
"Rest safe..."
It was everything she needed. She closed her eyes, trusting this unknown snake, probably sent by Cobra. A thought stirred in her mind, wondering if the snake could be Cobra himself. She half-smiled in her sleep and forgot everything about those thoughts as she drifted to deep sleep.
She woke up brutally, suddenly remembering she had promised herself to sleep lightly. The sun was rising and on the other side of the fireplace, Bloodtracker was still sleeping. Then why had she woken up so brutally? She looked around her and saw immediately the sign near the place her head had been while sleeping. She recognised them instantly: they were the signs used by the Snake tribe for tracking. She read them and erased them just after:
"You alive. Danger. Forget."
That didn't make any sense but Viper knew Cobra couldn't be too explicit in case Bloodtracker knew how to read them. 'You alive' could hardly express his surprise, since he already knew she was still alive. It couldn't mean either he was reminding her he would protect her, since he had given her the scale the day before for this same reason. So it could mean only one thing: Bloodtracker wanted her alive. Yes, it made sense: Cobra somehow knew, or figured out, that Bloodtracker wanted her alive and he was telling her so that she would relax. 'Danger' needed no further explanation. 'Forget' puzzled her a bit though. She didn't think it might refer to Cobra and her, or else he would have used the sign for 'don't forget', which wasn't very different from 'forget'. Then who could forget? Bloodtracker? And suddenly everything was limpid in her head! The message was to be read:
"Bloodtracker wants you alive, but be careful, he might forget!"
Cobra was probably referring to the day before, when she had infuriated Bloodtracker so much. It was a warning to be moderate or Bloodtracker could forget his mission and kill her on the spot! But one question was still nagging in her mind: who had hired Bloodtracker to kill her?
Both reassured and worried by Cobra's message, Viper kept following Bloodtracker - not having anything else to do anyway - without trying to infuriate him but most of her nervousness had disappeared. Bloodtracker noticed it and wondered briefly why her behaviour was changing so often. But then he internally shrugged: it was no concern of his, he would not be burdened with this girl that much longer anyway... A bad smile twisted his lips and it was fortunate for Viper she didn't see it for her tranquillity would have shattered immediately. But a third presence saw it and felt much less confident...
The trip continued for one full week before Bloodtracker began looking around him for someone. Viper, tired, wasn't paying attention at all. She just leaned against a tree and closed her eyes, waiting for the husky voice of her gaoler to shout at her another time again in the day. Then Bloodtracker clapped his tongue, having found the tracks he was looking for. Not even bothering to call his prisoner, he extended his hand behind him, closed his fingers around her wrist and drew her to him without any gentleness.
Then they entered a glade; a man was sitting down against a tree and he stood up when seeing her. Bloodtracker pushed Viper ahead and crossed his arms on his chest. Viper's eyes were fixed on the stranger, wide open, and she opened her mouth, as to say something, but no sound came out.
"You have her, now pay me what you owe me," said the rough voice of Bloodtracker.
The stranger nodded and threw a heavy purse toward the hunter. But Viper reacted and caught the purse before Bloodtracker understood what she was going to do. The hunter pounced on her, his hands around her neck, but the stranger ordered him dryly to let her alone. Viper was still looking at him.
"You... are... dead..." she said finally, forcing the words to come out her mouth.
"Dead? Oh, yes, true. I am. Dead and buried. And forgotten, maybe?"
She shook the head.
"I saw Snake-Eyes kill you under my very eyes!"
"Hum, no. You saw someone looking like me fighting with someone looking like Snake-Eyes. By the way, my opponent is dead now."
"Snake-Eyes is dead?"
"You will know all the answers later. First of all, let's get rid of our companion; give him the purse."
"No. Answer this question if you want me to do that: why did you send Bloodtracker after me? You could simply have sent a message, I would have come! I am your daughter!"
"Discretion, daughter. That's how we have survived! By sending Bloodtracker after you, I was making our enemy believe that you were tracked down and thus the fact I'm alive is still a secret."
Viper felt the weight of the purse and shook the head:
"So much gold just for getting me at school? It doesn't make any sense, father!"
"Give him the purse, Viper," said the man patiently. "I answered your questions. Other answers are coming after."
Shrugging, Viper threw the purse behind her shoulder and heard Bloodtracker catching it. The third presence, perplexed too by the weight of the purse, caught a strange glance from the stranger to Bloodtracker and decided that decidedly, something was terribly wrong... Bloodtracker felt the weight of the purse in his turn, seemed to find it satisfactory and left the glare... but didn't go very far, as the third presence could notice.
Rattler Zamenis motioned his daughter to come closer. She obeyed, still looking at him as if she couldn't believe her eyes, and was right in doing so: she had seen him die in front of her eleven years ago and now he was before her... He held out his hand toward her, saying:
"Alright, give it back to me now!"
She looked at him, confused.
"What?"
"The Hunter symbol. It belongs to me."
Viper winced imperceptibly. She hadn't it anymore, Cobra had it. Then something slid along her arm, touched her palm and fell on the ground. Rattler saw the glittering of it and almost pounced on it.
"Where is the lace?" he asked, half-angry.
In front of him his daughter was staring at him in disbelief; this man wasn't her father, it was impossible! Where was the man she had learnt to love so much, whose death had replaced blood in her veins by hatred? His hands fell on Viper's shoulders, fumbling around her neck, and pulled on the leather string hidden under her shirt. His stupefaction was boundless when he discovered a bronze-like scale hanging on the lace.
"What is that? How is it you replaced what should have been your pride by this stupid scale?" he yelled.
"And how is it you greet me as if I am your enemy?" retorted his daughter, deeply hurt.
"Is Snake-Eyes dead?"
"No," she said, surprised.
"Is his daughter dead?"
"No," she repeated.
"Then why didn't you do your job? Don't tell me that in ten years you didn't manage to find any track of Snake-Eyes or his daughter!"
"I was keeping an eye on his daughter, waiting for her to lead me to her father, till you sent that Bloodtracker after me!" yelled Viper, suddenly angry. "What happened to you, what did you do to my father?"
"I am your father, silly," replied Rattler.
Inadvertently he closed his hand on the scale and started violently.
"Who gave this scale to you?" he asked, closing his fingers on his daughter's throat.
Spite had replaced love and surprise in Viper's eyes and she didn't answer.
"Ravenger!" called Rattler.
The hunter appeared immediately.
"Was the reward worth your expectations?" Rattler asked.
Bloodtracker nodded wordlessly.
"Then you know what to do, she is yours."
Bloodtracker made one step toward Viper. Shocked she didn't react: what, was her father giving her to this bloodthirsty killer? How could it be?
Then a slim silhouette fell from a tree and 'landed' gracefully next to Viper.
"I did give her the scale," said a deep voice so familiar to her.
"Mister Slake," purred Bloodtracker. "This is really my lucky day!"
Cobra had a wry smile.
"I don't really think so..."
Rattler was looking at the newcomer with wide eyes, unable to believe them.
"You are... you are..." he spluttered out.
"Yes, I am, thank you for noticing," said Cobra amiably. "Viper, dear heart, I think it's time for you to leave the scene. Our friend Bloodtracker completed his mission, so now the dirty job is between him, your father and me."
Viper looked at Cobra with the mouth agape; she had never heard him call her 'dear heart' before!
"And may I know what dirty job you seem to think you are going to be involved in?" asked Rattler who, though more than surprised by the identity of the newcomer, couldn't yet betray him in front of Bloodtracker.
"Why, stopping you, of course!" replied Cobra without missing a beat.
"You cannot stop me! Nobody can, except..."
Rattler didn't finish his sentence and Cobra's mocking smile was growing wider.
"Let's say, for the sake of the argument, that I can, alright? Sorry, Rattler, the Hunter doesn't exist anymore. Your quest of hate is over. This... rattle is nothing more than that," he added, taking the Hunter symbol from Rattler's hand.
"Give it back to me! It's mine!" yelled Rattler.
"No, it's not," retorted flatly Cobra. "If it belongs to someone, it's to your daughter. You are dead for eleven years, Rattler. She is the Hunter now, not you - that is, she would be the Hunter if the Hunter still existed."
"Sorry to interrupt your fun, mister Slake, may I know exactly why you say the Hunter doesn't exist anymore? Is he dead?" asked Bloodtracker, frowning.
"The Hunter is dead, Bloodtracker," confirmed Cobra.
He was surprised by Bloodtracker's angry outburst:
"Did he lie to me then?" he exclaimed, pointing at Rattler. "He said this girl was the Hunter, he said I could get my revenge! And you are telling me the Hunter is already dead, that my vengeance is dead before having even existed?"
"Oh oh," murmured Cobra. "Problems coming fast, very fast..."
Viper couldn't believe what her ears had just heard.
"You told him he could get his revenge on me, father? You told him that?" she exclaimed. "How could you do such a thing?"
In a very swift movement, Cobra seized Viper and had her quiet, his hand on her mouth.
"Revenge for what?" he asked politely to Bloodtracker. "The Hunter had never had anything to do with anybody outside the Snake tribe."
At that point everybody was beyond surprise: Viper for having been betrayed by her own father, Rattler for seeing with who her daughter was, Bloodtracker didn't even care anymore what Cobra was doing in the story, nor how he could know so much about tribes if he wasn't from one, and as for Cobra himself, he seemed very at ease, as if nothing could even surprise him.
Bloodtracker took a deep breath.
"The Hunter is after Snake-Eyes, right? Everybody knows that, even outside the Snake tribe."
Cobra nodded wordlessly.
"The thing is the Hunter pretty much kills everybody who saw Snake-Eyes."
From the corner of his eye, Cobra saw Viper make a quick gesture of denial.
"And I'm not going to ever forgive the Hunter to have killed my son for having given water to Snake-Eyes!" yelled Bloodtracker. "My son was five years old, how could he have known?"
"How long ago was that?" asked Cobra, frowning in turn.
"Had he lived, my son would now be twenty years old."
"Fifteen years ago? Then the Hunter you are looking for is not Viper Zamenis. She is twenty-three. Think, Bloodtracker! She couldn't have killed at eight!"
"You're right," admitted Bloodtracker reluctantly. "Then if it's not her, it's her father..."
He turned to Rattler, who was expecting it a bit sooner and was quite surprised to realise that Cobra hadn't designed him more clearly.
"Hep, you calm down!" said Cobra, releasing Viper only to catch Bloodtracker. "The point is not to kill Rattler."
"The point is to get my revenge," retorted Bloodtracker darkly, trying to jerk free.
Surprisingly Cobra's hold on his arm was feeling heavier than he would have expected.
"Let me go. Who are you to stand in my way?"
"Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is that I am here, in your way. Rattler wants his vengeance, Viper wanted hers, you want yours, even Snake-Eyes wants his! Everybody wants one! Who is the first one who should feel at peace in first?"
"Maybe me," said a new voice.
Rattler noticed immediately how fast Cobra lost his countenance as he was turning on his heels, praying that his ears had deceived him. But no, Elenie was really standing there, arms crossed on her chest, not looking disturbed at all by the presence of three well-known killers, two of them being on her tracks.
"No..." moaned softly Cobra.
"I apologise for interrupting, kind sirs, but your conversation was so interesting I couldn't resist!" she said and her irony was not something Cobra was used to.
"Viper! It's her! It's his daughter! What are you waiting for?" yelled Rattler.
Suddenly Viper felt weary, so tired of this hatred she had carried and embodied since she was twelve, this hatred that had no meaning anymore. She looked at Cobra.
"Did you know it all along?" she asked sotto voce.
He shook the head.
"Not really. I knew there was something; asking for forgiveness for the death of a loved one wouldn't be considered very tactful, huh?"
"But you forgave Elenie to have abandoned you," remarked Viper.
Cobra winced a bit.
"She didn't kill anybody I loved."
"No, but she broke your heart."
Cobra shrugged.
"I'm a very forgiving person, I guess, then."
Elenie wasn't caring very much for their private discussion, even if she started ever so slightly when hearing her own name. She went straight to Rattler.
"Hunter," she said. "So what about me getting my vengeance first?"
"Your father still hasn't found the murderer of his beloved wife, has he?" retorted Rattler with spite.
"Thank you for the answer, I was wondering if you knew the truth or not. So, tell me, if you know my father's not guilty for the crime everybody accuses him of, why are you tracking him down?"
"My Lord asked me to," replied Rattler, throwing a dark glance at Cobra.
"Liar," interrupted Cobra straight out. "I was there; you came to my father, who considered your offer, because you knew he didn't want to hire Bloodtracker!"
Before any answer could be made, Bloodtracker pounced on Cobra, falling on the ground with him, his knee painfully crushing the young man's chest.
"I knew it! You are the heir to the Snake tribe! Since I can't have your father, you'll pay for him!"
In Bloodtracker's hand a shiny blade appeared, obviously very sharp. Viper hesitated only a fraction of second before rushing at Cobra's help, while Elenie, reacting as fast as lightning, summoned huge snakes, which tied up Rattler to the tree he had been leaning on. The old Hunter tried to talk to them, so they would untie him, but none listened to him. Elenie had a satisfied smile and turned to the fighting scene.
In spite of Viper's help, Cobra's situation was still precarious. Bloodtracker's knee had slid till his throat, crushing it also, and red spots were dancing in front of his eyes. Viper was still holding back the arm with the dagger - for the moment - but it was obvious Bloodtracker's rage was going to overcome her. Calmly Elenie reverted to her father's original shape and a huge boa constrictor glided toward Bloodtracker. Surprised by the sensation of cold rings gliding on his skin Bloodtracker loosened a bit his grip on Cobra, who took advantage of the fact for one, breathing again and two, turning also into a snake, though he much preferred the king cobra.
With a boa around his body and a cobra before him, obviously ready to spit his venom, Bloodtracker understood he wasn't leading the game anymore. Everybody had frozen, muscles tense, ready to react at the first move from any of the others. Viper, a deep cut on her shoulder, crawled away and had a sad twisted smile when seeing her father tied up to the tree with snake ties. Bloodtracker looked down at the boa.
"Who are you?" he asked.
He wasn't really expecting the snake to answer, but she actually did, hissing something he didn't understand. Viper, sitting on the ground, wincing because of her hurt shoulder, said wearily:
"She said she is Elenie Snake-Eyes, daughter of the infamous murderer."
"And who are you?"
"I am Viper Zamenis, daughter of Rattler Zamenis, Hunter of the Snake tribe, and I was too the Hunter during eleven years... till not that long ago."
"And who is he exactly?"
"Cobra Snake, son of Lord Ydriss, heir to the Snake tribe."
"She hates you and you hate her, why didn't you kill her? Why did she go to his rescue?"
"That's a long story," sighed Viper. "And you are not making it shorter, nor easier."
"Me? I was... am after the Hunter, that's all!"
"But you tried to kill Cobra. And, thinking of it, you would still be Ravenger Scavenger if Snake-Eyes had not been hunted down for murder. So you want to revenge on all the three of us."
"Who are you to know so much, to understand so much?"
"I'm nothing. He taught me everything," she said, pointing Cobra out. "I didn't understand on the moment, but now, I do."
She stood up painfully and came to Bloodtracker.
"Remain still," she ordered to the hunter. "Elenie, listen to me. Cobra was right. He told me the magic word, but I refused to listen. Forgiveness. I'm sorry. Let him go, it's over."
The boa returned her gaze and Viper couldn't take her eyes away; she understood the reason of Snake-Eyes' name. Elenie's eyes, under her human shape, were beckoning, but it was nothing compared to the magnetism of her eyes as a snake. She knelt by Bloodtracker's side.
"If you want revenge on the Hunter," she added softly, "take it on me. I won't fight back."
The surprise in the boa's golden eyes was boundless, then, slowly, the snake shook the head and glided on the ground, releasing Bloodtracker of her mortal grip. The hunter took a deep breath, appreciating not having his ribs crushed anymore. But in front of him there was still the cobra on his tail, watching him out with a look less than amiable - if he could read properly the expression of a snake! Turning his gaze back to Viper, he saw another girl standing next to her. Elenie. And she was looking at Viper with a strange air, as if she was trying to decide what to do about her. Still tied to his tree, Rattler hissed in fury.
"Cobra," called Elenie, turning the head away from Viper. "Stop to threaten him. All this stupid hate has to come at end."
Regretfully Cobra transformed back and stood there, in front of Bloodtracker, head bent down. Elenie reached for him, touched his hand, then the bond ring he was wearing, and slowly he went toward her, between Viper and her. Bloodtracker looked at the three of them, trying to understand.
"You should hate each other. Your fathers hate each other. And yet you stand side by side. How is it?"
"Cobra killed the Hunter," said simply Viper.
"Cobra bonded with me, knowing who I was," said Elenie almost at the same time.
Only Cobra remained silent. He just looked at Rattler and, on a move from his hand, the snakes disappeared, setting him free. Elenie looked lengthily at her enemy and then went fearlessly to him.
"Cease that game," she said wearily. "I'm tired of hiding, of lying, of being alone. I want a normal life."
She looked up at him.
"Please," she added softly.
Rattler's hand reached out for her cheek, caressing it lightly.
"My child," he said with love. "You look so much like your mother..."
Thunder striking them wouldn't have surprised the others more than this single sentence. Cobra felt Viper falter.
"No..." she whispered with the voice of someone seeing her world shatter in front of her.
Elenie passed her hands on Rattler's face and when she stepped aside Viper couldn't recognise her father. She went toward him.
"Father?"
Her voice was nothing more than a little girl's voice. The reaction of Rattler surprised everybody: he snarled viciously at Viper, his hands closing on her neck as soon as she was near enough.
"Don't call me father! I never was your father! The only daughter I ever had is Elenie and she has all my love, as she always had it since your mother is dead!"
Confused Viper didn't even fight.
"I am Rattler Zamenis Snake-Eyes!" proclaimed Rattler. "Father of Elenie and husband of a murdered wife. You want to know what happened, silly girl? My wife was kidnapped and when I found her again and brought her home, she had a child, you, and was so deeply hurt that she killed herself with my own dagger to shorten her sufferings. I vowed I would find the man who did that to her, your father, dearie. She wanted me to love you as my own, but in your eyes I always saw a stranger dancing, a stranger who had killed the sun of my life!"
"It wasn't my fault!" protested Viper despite her tight throat. "I was just a baby by then! Why did you lie to me during twelve long years, if you hated me so?"
"To respect my promise to a dead. Lord Ydriss granted me the power of shape changing and I used it to delude him. So the Hunter was born. Till the day I set up my own death in front of you, silly girl, and you believed it all! I wanted you to track Elenie, who was so skilled she would have killed you without knowing who you were! But it's not too late!"
He raised his hand and Viper, her world destroyed around her, just closed her eyes, waiting for the fatal blow... which never came. She briefly felt a body against hers, heard a choked cry and then the silence. She opened carefully her eyes, to see her father... no, Snake-Eyes looking down with an expression of horror on his face. She looked down too but before realisation came to her mind, a terrible shout broke out from behind.
"NO!"
Cobra, able to move at last, ran forward and knelt next to Errol, who was curling up on the ground, trying to hide the silver dagger buried deep in his chest. Elenie put her hand on Cobra's shoulder, as to tell him she shared his pain.
"Errol, no, please, no..."
Horrified, Viper knelt also and took Errol's hand in hers. He opened an eye with difficulty and tried to smile.
"I... was afraid... to be... to be late," he said between clenched teeth.
Cobra, out of his mind, said some words under his breath and then shook Errol without any gentleness.
"Say the words!" he shouted.
"N-n-no..."
"Say them, damn it!"
"I... I can't..."
"You can! I order you to do so!"
Errol closed again his eyes and, as his head was rolling back, he faltered out:
"I call... on the... bond..."
Cobra let him go immediately, huddling up on himself, choking back a cry of pain. Elenie understood the first, feeling deep inside a pain that wasn't hers.
"No! Cobra!"
She put her arms around him and held him close; behind her Errol straightened on one elbow. Viper, devastated, helped him and, still weak, he leaned on her shoulder.
"What did you do, Cobra? Did you have to do something so stupid?" he whispered. "I'm supposed to watch over you, not the contrary..."
Forcing the pain away for a short instant, Cobra looked up at him.
"Call Iriss... and tell him... my father..."
"Iriss is still under your bed, Cobra. I didn't bring him with me."
"You can... still... call him."
Shrugging, knowing it was too late to argue anyway, Errol did as he was told and an image of Iriss appeared in front of them.
"Well, at last!" yelled the snake. "What an idea to stuck me in bronze while I was talking! Now my jaw is hurting and..."
Errol called him several times, but the Snake Spirit was obviously on fire and didn't stop an instant.
"Iriss, shut up!" shouted Errol at the end.
Surprised by this outburst - Errol was usually very polite - Iriss remained open-mouthed - but quiet.
"What is it again?" he grumbled.
Errol just showed him Cobra, who was leaning heavily in Elenie's arms, his breath coming hard.
"Oh my," said the snake. "This is serious. I'm getting his father at once."
And he disappeared.
"Cobra," called Errol. "Iriss is getting your father. Hold on, alright?"
Cobra had a slight nod, just to show he had heard.
"Cobra, stay with me," whispered Elenie into his ear. "Stay with me, don't let me alone, please."
She knew he heard her, but his stillness was driving her crazy. She looked up at her father and her eyes had nothing of the loving gaze a daughter should have.
"A plot where I was supposed to kill my sister, then you trying to kill her yourself, ending up wounding the Guardian and now, the Snake tribe's heir is dying because of you! I hope you are satisfied!"
"Elenie, love, listen..."
"Don't call me love! If he lives, maybe I will allow you to call me love again. But if he dies, all my love will be buried with him."
"What are you saying?"
Elenie's only answer was to point out the bond ring at Cobra's ring finger.
"You bonded with the Snake tribe's heir?" shouted Rattler.
"Yes, I did, and this bond brought me the happiest moments of my life lately."
Cradling Cobra's body in her arms, she leaned over him and whispered:
"Stay with me, love, please..."
"I'll... stay with you... till the end," answered Cobra.
"Hold on, Cobra, hold on!" Errol urged him.
"I'm... trying to..."
Suddenly Lord Ydriss himself materialised in front of them. He had a look around him; Bloodtracker stepped back, not really happy to meet the Snake Lord. Lord Ydriss saw him and frowned, but then shrugged.
"Snake-Eyes, old friend, I'm happy to see you!" he said when seeing Rattler.
"Sorry to cut you short, my lord," interrupted Elenie, "but my father doesn't deserver to be called 'old friend' just right now, especially not by you!"
Curious Lord Ydriss turned the head toward the girl and saw his son in her arms. Cobra's pallor was enough for Lord Ydriss to know what had happened.
"Who did this?" he asked while kneeling next to his son.
"She did," replied Rattler, designing Viper.
Lord Ydriss had a brief glance toward Viper and reported his attention to Cobra. Everybody was so worried for the young man that nobody re-established the truth. The Snake Lord took his son in his arms.
"Errol, can you help me or are you too weak?" he asked without looking up.
"I can help you, my lord."
"We'll use the power of the bond."
"Let me help you too," offered Elenie. "Cobra and I share a bond too."
Lord Ydriss didn't care to ask about it, he just nodded. Elenie took Cobra's left hand in hers, while Errol was doing the same with the right one. Using the power of the bond, they 'split' the deep wound between the three of us, proceeding more slowly than Cobra had done with Errol, and certainly not keeping it in the same place.
"Can you stand up now, son?" asked Lord Ydriss.
"Yes, I'll make it," replied Cobra with a strained voice.
"Good. Everybody let go."
Errol and Elenie obeyed immediately. Lord Ydriss looked around him with a severe look on his face.
"Alright, someone explains the situation to me. What is Blood... Ravenger Scavenger doing here? And how is it that Snake-Eyes is out of his hiding? Let's begin with you, young lady," he said turning to Elenie.
"I am Elenie Snake-Eyes, his daughter," she replied, showing Rattler. "Cobra and I bonded some time ago."
If Lord Ydriss was surprised by this announcement, he didn't let it show.
"You?"
"I am Viper Zamenis; I was the Hunter and I was also the daughter of Rattler Zamenis."
"Oh! The young Viper! I didn't recognise you, you've grown since last time. So why did you attack my son?"
"She didn't actually," said Errol, still leaning on Cobra, probably scolding him all he could. "What happened is the following: Bloodtracker brought Viper here, where she discovered that her father, Rattler Zamenis, was not dead as she thought. As a matter of fact, Rattler Zamenis is not her father, he is Elenie's father and Elenie happens to be Viper's half-sister. You still follow me, my lord? To summarise what happened next, Snake-Eyes hates Viper, tried to kill her, wounded me instead of her and Cobra transferred my wound on himself to protect me. Did I miss something?"
Lord Ydriss looked up at Snake-Eyes.
"Why did you give up your cover, old friend? By the way, it would have been a bit cleverer from you to have the Hunter killing Snake-Eyes instead of the contrary, twelve years ago... You could have lived a quiet life after that."
"You... you knew? From the beginning?"
"Of course I knew. I did grant you the power of shape changing, didn't I?"
"Well, obviously me having something to hold on in my life was too much for him, even if it was a memory. So he had to destroy it," intervened Viper. "I guess that I should be happy to know that my real father is alive... even if he's a monster."
"Viper..." called Cobra. "You still have Errol... Did his last action prove to you he's not a boy anymore, but a grown man?"
"And now more than ever before, Cobra, how could I accept? I have been the Hunter for eleven years, I am known as the Hunter's daughter, and, as Bloodtracker proved it, as you told me yourself, there are some people who want to see the Hunter dead. And now, not only I'm the Hunter, but I'm the daughter of a monster, my half-sister is Snake-Eyes' daughter and my 'foster' father is Snake-Eyes himself! Don't you think it's a bit too much for someone to accept? Hell, I even have some difficulties accepting it myself!"
"Which is why you were ready to let Snake-Eyes kill you without fighting, huh?"
"Yes, this is why," replied simply Viper.
"Well, I can't really speak for him, but I'm sure my impulsive friend here doesn't care the last bit for all this. Now, of course, you are the only one who can decide if you want to screw up your life for the rest of your living days."
Pushing away his father's gentle hold, Cobra sat on the ground, looking around.
"Bloodtracker, forgiveness is the key, but maybe is it too early to ask you this. At least, now, you know the face of your enemy."
His eyes rested a bit on Snake-Eyes and then he turned the head away. Elenie whispered into his ear:
"Now you know what I meant when I told you I couldn't accept your offer. I didn't know all this about my father, but no matter what I think of it, he is still my father."
He smiled gently to her.
"No matter what your father did or thinks to do now, my offer to you is still valid. Think of it, Elenie. Now we both know all there is to know..."
He stood up and smiled at his father.
"Thank you for coming so fast, father."
"I hope that will be a lesson for you," muttered Lord Ydriss, trying to hide how worried he had been. "But I'm proud of you, son, terribly proud of you."
He gently tapped on his son's shoulder and disappeared the same way he had come.
"I'm going to hear about that from Iriss for a long long time," smirked Cobra. "Come on, guys, school is waiting for us and, for all I know, only Zamenis and me were excused. I will have a Hell of a time to explain to the headmaster why you got out without telling him we are all from the Snake tribe."
"Let him guess," shrugged Errol, smiling for the first time since the big confrontation with Viper. "Anyway, everybody knows I follow Viper like a lost puppy and that you and I are always near of the other. As for Elenie, well, Rennard proclaimed in front of the whole astrophysics class that you were her mighty knight."
"Which doesn't mean she is my fair lady," grinned Cobra.
The girls, shocked, looked at them then, above the men's shoulders, they looked at each other. The same smile spread on their face and Viper winked.
"Hey sister," she called, "ready to drive them crazy for us on the way back to school?"
"Sure, sister!" replied Elenie without missing a beat. "Let's make them believe that the sun and moon are in our eyes!"
Cobra and Errol exchanged a worried glance as the girls' smile was widening evilly.
"Oh oh," murmured Cobra. "Problems coming fast, very fast..."
Errol burst out laughing and three laughers soon joined his.
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