Chapter 330 - Night Whispers (2/2)
”Wizarding child, I have a favor for which to ask of you snake speaker,” the Great Horned Serpent gently asked.
”If it will bring no harm to others and if it is in my power to do so, I shall,” Rowan replied.
The Great Horned Serpent slowly turns as its giant tail comes forward cradling a large, glowing cream-colored egg. ”My daughter will not be borne for many months more, but I have already seen where her fate lies. She is to become the guardian of the black lake high in the northern highlands where the wizarding children reside for many months out of the year.”
The Great Horned Serpent paused in her statement and turns her large sapphire eyes onto Rowan. ”Snake Speaker, will you care for and protect my child and deliver her to her new home?”
”I will,” Rowan sincerely promised as truthfully it was no great favor. She'd been worried all for naught.
”You will not be my daughter's master, snake speaker, only a friend if she chooses to be,” the Great Horned Serpent sternly warned.
”I have no intention of becoming my forefather,” Rowan truthfully emphasized. ”I saw what evil madness lurked within the Basilisk of Salazar Slytherin. I hold no such evil desires to turn such a magnificent creature into a mere former shade of itself.”
The Great Horned Serpent nodded as she gently lowered her massive tail onto the edge of the marsh for Rowan to take the egg. Carefully putting her wand away, Rowan opens her arms as the egg is gently lowered into her arms. The egg was quite large as she had to clutch the cream-colored egg with both hands as it was roughly the size of a large watermelon.
”What is the child's name to be, snake mother?” Rowan politely asked.
”Nadira,” the beautiful pale Great Horned Serpent whispered.
”Meaning precious and scarce,” Rowan muttered out loud.
The Great Horned Serpent says, ”I cannot thank you enough, child snake speaker. Nor can I pay you in silver and gold. But I know that wizards consider my kinds horns very valuable.” Gently lowering her massive head, she stopped only a meter away as one of the large horns broke off and slowly was lowered into Rowan's arms to rest on top of the egg.
”When the time comes,” the Great Horned Serpent wisely hissed. ”You shall know it's purpose.”
Rowan furrows her brows a bit at that comment. Not able to ponder on it more as the Great Horned Serpent says, ”And allow me to grant you one more gift, snake speaker.” The large embedded gem in her forehead begins to glow as a blue light pours onto Rowan.
A foreign kind of knowledge enters Rowan's mind as she widens her eyes in both surprise and delight. The blue glow fades away as the Great Horned Serpent suddenly startles up as she stares into the distance. An instinctual musical humming sound is emitted from her mouth crying out in warning of the incoming danger.
”Snake Speaker beware of the Hydra! Go quickly now!” The Great Horned Serpent urgently urged as Rowan though tempted to wait to see did as she was told. There was a greater instinct inside her that told her to run. And that had perturbed her most of all.