Andrew and his companion followed very carefully. They had to be cautious since the Dire Tiger had an extremely keen sense of smell. It turned its head to look back several times, and if Andrew had not steadied Chantelle to remain perfectly still, they would have risked exposure.

Axel appeared very anxious, keeping his head down and hurrying along the path. The secluded trail extended all the way to the end of the hillside and then began descending. After turning into a large pine forest, the terrain became flat.

"We're here!" Axel blurted out excitedly as he walked over to a raised mound of earth. He cleared away the leaves used as camouflage on top of the mound, immediately revealing an entrance large enough for a person to crawl through.

Andrew and Chantelle hid behind a cluster of bushes in the shadows cast by moonlight.

They watched as Axel bent down and crawled into the entrance. After Axel gave the Dire Tiger a couple of commands in the local dialect, it roared once and