Snippet #1928399

River listened to them, then stayed silent, nodding only once at Anya's volunteering to lead the woman on.

Valium glanced at the smaller man, but River was paying close attention to the black smoke and it was hard to tell if he was ignoring the vampire on purpose or just examining Cain's little portal. After a second, Valium looked to the others. "Backup plan. We need another trap in case the first does not work, and an escape route for if it all goes to South."

"I can claim the waters," River said, slightly distracted by the orb Cain was holding as he stared at it with the blue-black eyes of his other form. "Once they're mine, it will be very difficult for anyone else to work with them at all. All we'll have to do is get in the water and I can defend us very well there." A half smile quirked his lips. "The fishermen will get mad at me, but I can make it safe."

"And the energy to gather for the second trap?" Narik-ta asked.

"We can gather it from each of you and Laric (river) can use his runes," Rory said. "I'm no good at traps."

"No, but you are good with stone and wood," River said. "There's bedrock beneath us and trees all around. You could form that into a shield like she did, if we gave you sufficient energy, and I can add my runes to that." Then he caught the expression on Sarka's face. "There's just one thing..." He walked over to Sarka, eyes now the normal brown of his human form, and crouched to keep them at eye level. "It might be important, Sarka. Whatever you're not saying may be the thing that saves us all, that saves Keiser."