Blood Brothers of Gor

"I do not understand," I said.

"I assumed," he said, "they would attempt to enlist the aid of men in what, from their point of view, would seem to be a project of interest to men, my apprehension and destruction. Surely they would attempt to contact Samos of Port Kar and, in this, would presumably be apprising you, too, of their plans."

"We rendered them no assistance," I said. "They had to make other arrangements, with mercenaries."

"That is what I thought would happen," said Zarendargar. "I was a better judge of men, I think, then they."

"Perhaps," I said.

"You would come to the Barrens," he said. "I was sure of it."

"You were correct," I smiled.

"They did not expect you to come to the Barrens," he said.

"Of course not," I said.

"That was a serious miscalculation on their part," he said. "But perhaps they could not be blamed for it. They could not know something which I knew."

"What is that?" I asked.

"That once, long ago," he said, "we shared paga."

Yesterday, early, Zarendargar and his companion had left the victory camp. I did not, of course, attempt to follow them.

I continued to look back to the rise behind me. I lifted my hand to the folk gathered there.

Mahpiyasapa, civil chieftain of the Isbu Kaiila, was there, and his friend, Kahintokapa, of the Casmu, he of the Yellow-Kaiila Riders. His shield still bore the visage of Zarendargar. Grunt was there, too, and his son, by the Dust-Leg women. With him, as well, was his friend Wagmezahu, Corn Stalks, of the Fleer, who had come with the Fleer to Council Rock. Tomorrow Grunt and his son, with the Hobarts, and various slaves, would set forth for the Dust-Leg country, where he would winter. I saw Canka and Winyela, and Wasnapohdi and Waiyeyeca; and Oiputake, with her master, Wapike. Many others were there, too, come out from the camp, men such as Akihoka and Keglezeal. Too, prominent among those on the rise were two I had known even to the touchings of wounds, even to the comminglings of blood, my friends, my brothers, Hci and Cuwignaka.

I then turned away, again, and again, slowly, took my way westward, toward the Ihanke.

Toward noon I did look upward once, and behind me. In the sky there was a great black tarn.

I lifted my hand and arm to it, the palm of my hand facing inward, in Gorean salute. It turned then, taking its way eastward, I watched it until it disappeared, a distant speck in the blue skies over the vastness of the Barrens.

I then continued on my way, the neck tether of the kaiila behind me looped about the pommel of my saddle.