"Quiet," said Verna. The file continued its journey through the trees and brush, threading its way through the darkness and branches.
"We have seen men," said one of the girls, insistently.
"Be silent," said Verna.
"We should have taken slaves," said another irritably.
"No," said Verna.
"The circle," said another. "We must go to the circle!" Verna stopped and turned.
"It is on our way," said another.
"Please, Verna," said another, her voice pleading.
Verna regarded the girls. "Very well," she said. "We shall stop at the circle." The girls relaxed visibly ...
Then perhaps after another hour, we came, almost abruptly, suddenly, to a stand of the high trees, the Tur trees, of the northern forests. It was breathtakingly beautiful. The girls stopped. I looked about myself ...
We found ourselves now in the stand of the lofty Tur trees. I could see broadly spreading branches some two hundred feet or more above my head. The trunks of the tree were almost bare of branches until, so far above, branches seemed to explode in an interlacing blanket of foliage, almost obliterating the sky. I could see glimpses of the three moons high above. The floor of the forest was almost bare. Between the lofty, widely spaced trees there was little but a carpeting of leaves. I saw two of the girls looking up at the moons. Their lips were parted, their fists clenched. There seemed to be pain in their eyes. "Verna," said one of them.
"Silence," said their leader. It was no accident that we had stopped at this place. One of the girls whimpered.
"All right," said Verna, "go to the circle." The girl turned and sped across the carpeting of leaves.
"Me, Verna!" cried another.
"To the circle," said Verna irritably. The girl turned and sped after the first. One by one, with her eyes, Verna released the girls, and each ran lightly, eagerly, through the trees. Then Verna came to me and took my leash from the hand of the girl who had held it. "Go to the circle," she told the girl. Swiftly, not speaking, the girl ran after the others. Verna looked after them ...
Then to my amazement, Verna unsnapped the choke leash from my throat and then unbound my wrists ... "Follow the others," she said. "You will come to the clearing. At the edge of the clearing, you will find a post. Wait there to be bound."
"Yes, Mistress," I said. After some hundred yards I came to the edge of a clearing. It was some twenty five to thirty yards in diameter, ringed by the lofty trunks of Tur trees. The floor of the clearing was lovely grass, thick and some inches in height, soft, and beautiful. I looked up. Bright in the dark, star-strewn Gorean sky, large, dominating, seemingly close enough to touch, loomed the three moons of Gor.
The girls of Verna's band stood about the edge of the circle. They did not speak. They were breathing deeply. They seemed restless. Several had their eyes closed, their fists clenched. Their weapons had been discarded.
