Kur of Gor

Chapter, the Forty-Ninth: TRACKS

"Hold,” said Lord Grendel, nostrils flaring.

He and Cabot were some pasangs from their concealed camp.

"There,” said Grendel, “where the brush is awry. Set an arrow to your bow."

Cabot lowered the slain tarsk from his shoulders, and readied the great bow.

Half bent, head moving from side to side, ears erected, Grendel warily approached an opening in the brush.

"What is it?” whispered Cabot.

"Kur, Purple Scarf,” said Grendel. “Part of a Kur, part of a Purple Scarf."

Cabot looked about, and joined his friend.

"It was killed in the open, and then dragged here, see the track, to be hidden from view."

"It is half buried,” said Cabot.

"Sleen,” said Grendel.

"Yes,” said Cabot. The forest panther sometimes drags its prey into a tree, presumably to keep it safe from smaller predators, or from scavengers. The larl will often sleep in the vicinity of prey half eaten, thusly guarding it. Who would challenge a larl? Smaller beasts wait patiently, until it abandons its prey, and stalks away in its disinterested, lordly fashion. The sleen will commonly drag prey to a concealed location, where it may feed undisturbed, in solitude. Sometimes it buries part of the meat. The sleen is commonly nocturnal, usually emerging from its lair, or burrow, at night. It is in its way a single-minded beast and will follow a trail on which it has begun even through the midst of similar or different, even more desirable, prey animals. It is Gor's finest tracker. A common application of the sleen on Gor is the hunting of fugitive slaves.

"It is not the first,” said Cabot.

"No,” said Grendel.

"We have had foragers in this area, humans,” said Cabot. “None have been attacked."

"I do not understand,” said Grendel.

"Only Kurii have been killed,” said Cabot.

"It makes no sense,” said Grendel.

"It is almost as though the camp were being guarded,” said Cabot.

"Absurd,” said Grendel.

"Look,” said Cabot. “Here!” He pointed to the soft earth. “Tracks!"

"Sleen tracks,” said Grendel.

"Observe them,” said Cabot. “Closely."

"Interesting,” said Grendel.

"One track is lighter than the others,” said Cabot. “The paw barely touched the ground."

"The rear paw of the left side,” said Grendel.

"You understand this?” said Cabot.

"Certainly,” said Grendel. “It is lame."