Creative Commons Licence
THAKUR-NA
A Terran Empire story
by Ann Wilson
Copyright (C) 1992 by Ann Wilson
Sandeman, 2624 CE
It was midafternoon before Dana's hunger overcame her excitement at being on Sandeman, hiking with her chosen lord—her thakur, in the Sandeman term she preferred—and trying to track a balik. She hadn't gotten within two hundred meters of the wolflike predator, and had finally realized she wasn't going to, so the two found a small clearing with bare rocks which made decent seating. Jason dug hot-cans of trail food out of his hiking pack, Dana did the same with cold-cans of fortified milk, and they sat eating and drinking in silence. They were putting the empty cans back in their packs when Dana began looking around, frowning.
"What is it?" Jason asked.
"I thought I heard something … brushing against branches, snow falling … but no other predators would invade a balik's territory, and it's probably kilometers away by now."
"Other tourists, maybe. Clan Torrance is supposed to have a hunting party in the area, but they aren't due till tomorrow noon."