Timpoochee stepped up higher on the river bank to get a better view.
“What it is?,” asked Cornstalk.
“I can see a twisting shape behind the stone, like long grass in the water,” Timpoochee said.
Suddenly, he froze, as if he’d discovered tlvdatsi on a tree limb above him.
“Elaqua,” Timpoochee said calmly but alert. “Rattlesnake. I don’t know if it means us harm. We’ve done nothing to bring its wrath.”
The boys already knew, from stories of their elders, to avoid offending any of the creatures with great power. Elaqua was one of those creatures.