“What are you saying?” Thrang questioned, his pale face growing hard.

“Isn’t it clear?” said Kat, causing all of them to jump.

“No, it’s not clear at all,” said Thrang, looking as if he didn’t want to hear anything Kat had to say.

“That creature was not a true hellerash,” Kat said flatly. “It has no blood and no life in it.”

“Impossible,” said Thrang weakly.

“But that can mean only one thing,” said Arconn, glancing at his arrow and then turning to look at Alex.

“Necromancer,” said Alex, a chill running down his back as he said the word.

“No, it can’t . . .” Thrang began and trailed off.

“It is the only explanation,” said Alex. “It is the only thing that could call a long-dead hellerash back to life, or at least to a half-life.”

Alex felt his friends staring at him, but their confused and frightened looks did not trouble him as much as the next words he had to say.

“I must face him,” said Alex, looking down at his saddle.

“No, it is too dangerous,” Kat broke in.

“We will find another path to the south,” Thrang said quickly.

“You do not understand,” said Alex, holding up his hand. “As a true wizard, I must seek out this evil and try to destroy it.”

“I forbid it,” said Thrang forcefully. “You are part of this company, and I am the leader. You will not seek out this danger that has nothing to do with our quest.”

“I know you speak from friendship, Thrang, but I have no choice,” said Alex. “My vow as a wizard is more binding than our agreement, and if I must, I will break the adventurers’ bargain and go on alone.”

“Not alone,” said Arconn quickly.

“Thank you, my friend, but you cannot break the bargain without losing honor,” said Alex. “I would not allow you to leave the company in any event, as they will need you more than ever, once I leave.”

“Arconn is right,” said Thrang forcefully. “If you must seek out this evil, then you will not do it alone. Even if our adventure fails completely, I will not leave you to face this evil by yourself.”

“Then we continue south,” said Alex, grateful for Thrang’s words.

“We continue south,” Thrang repeated. “And may evil fear our approach.”

The rest of the company cheered Thrang’s words, and Alex couldn’t help but feel grateful to his friends. He was worried, however, because he knew, perhaps better than any of them, the danger that a necromancer presented. He also knew that, in the end, he would have to face the necromancer alone. That meeting would be incredibly dangerous, not just for him, but for all of Thraxon as well.

They continued south along the road, moving as quickly as they could and looking for a safe place to make their camp. As the sun dropped in the west, Thrang called them to a halt and moved them a short distance off the main road. A series of large boulders formed a horseshoe shape, the center of which provided the perfect campsite.

“A good spot,” Nellus observed. “The creatures can come at us from only one direction.”

“They might jump down from the rocks behind us,” said Thrain in a worried tone.

“And they might bar our path from leaving,” Thrang added nervously. “Still, it seems the best place we’ll find today, so we might as well make camp.”

There was little talk and no joking or stories around the campfire that night. They were all tense, and even the slightest sound from outside their camp was enough to draw all of their eyes. When Thrang and the others went to their tents, leaving Alex and Arconn on watch, Alex took his writing things out of his magic bag. He needed to let Whalen know about this latest development.

“You are sending word to Master Vankin?” Arconn said.

“Yes,” said Alex, looking up at his friend.

“He knows a great deal, and may be able to advise you on dealing with this evil,” said Arconn, his eyes fixed on the campfire. “Though I confess, I am concerned about you meeting a necromancer.”

“So am I, but there is nothing that can be done about it,” Alex answered, folding the letter he’d been working on. “I am here, so I must face this test.”

“And if you fail?” Arconn questioned, a pained look on his face.

“I will not allow myself to be used by this evil,” Alex said forcefully, guessing at Arconn’s greatest fear. “I will summon the dragon to destroy me before I become the puppet of a necromancer.”

“I hope it will not come to that,” Arconn replied softly, glancing at Alex.

“So do I,” said Alex with a weak smile. “So do I.”

There was no sign of the hellerash that night, and they saw no tracks or signs of the creature for the next few days. Alex could tell that the others were beginning to hope they had left the hellerash behind them. Thrang even voiced the hope that there was no necromancer and that the company could continue on their quest without any trouble.

Alex, however, knew there was a necromancer. Ever since he’d seen the hellerash, he had felt the presence of evil. Worse, Alex knew knew the necromancer was aware of him as well.

“We should reach the Lost Mountains in a day or two,” Thrang said as they were breaking camp one morning. “Then perhaps we can get some news of Albrek and his people.”

“I doubt it will be that easy,” Kat commented in a low tone.

“Oh, the dwarfs of the Lost Mountains should be friendly enough,” Thrang went on, trying to avoid the point Kat was trying to make.

The others did not comment, because they were all thinking of the hellerash, even though none of them would say so.

“You sense the presence of the necromancer,” Alex said quietly to Kat as they started off.

“Yes,” said Kat, looking pale and tired. “I fear that I will be overcome if you fail.”

“Then I must not fail,” said Alex, forcing a smile.

The morning was sunny and warm, but by midday dark clouds rolled across the sky and the smell of rain filled the air. Thrang urged them forward, hoping to find a dwarf city or village for them to spend the night in. As darkness began to grow around them, Alex noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. For a moment he wasn’t sure he’d seen anything at all, but he knew that he had.

“Yes,” Arconn said, noticing Alex’s look. “I see them too.”

“What’s that?” Thrang questioned, taking his attention off the road ahead.

“Several of the hellerash,” said Arconn. “They have been circling us for the last hour.”

“As long as they keep their distance,” Nellus said, looking over his shoulder.

“They won’t attack until it’s dark,” said Kat. “They will want as much cover as possible before coming at us.”

“Then we should hurry,” said Thrang in a worried tone. “We may arrive at a village soon, and any dwarfs we find will be sure to help us against these creatures.”

Alex had his doubts. If they had been close to a dwarf city or village, the hellerash would not be circling them now. Even as he considered their chances against the evil creatures, he saw that the hellerash were getting closer to them.

“There,” said Arconn, pointing to a large hill to the left of the road. “If we can reach the top, we can make our defense there.”

“Yes,” Thrang agreed quickly. “It will be better than meeting them in the open. Quickly now—to the hilltop.”

Thrang spurred his horse forward and the others followed him. At first the horses seemed reluctant to run toward the hill, but when a sudden piercing howl rose from behind them, the horses all shuddered and dashed forward. Alex knew that the howl had been a signal, a call to the attack, and he could feel Shahree trembling beneath him.

“Easy, girl,” Alex said softly to his horse. “We have faced greater dangers before.”

Shahree seemed to calm down, but only slightly as she raced forward. Alex could sense her desperation to reach the safety of the hilltop before the hellerash could attack.

The landscape became a blur and the company was spreading out. Kat’s horse was not as swift as the others, and she was falling behind, and fast. Alex slowed Shahree, unwilling to leave Kat, but the others rushed on. It looked as if they had completely lost control of their horses and were struggling just to hold on.