Obi-Wan nodded, but Qui-Gon's words seemed vague to him. Usually Qui- Gon's advice was clear and direct. Even his gaze was faraway.

Then, in one of the shifts in concentration that marked his character, Qui-Gon abruptly stood, his concentration clear now. "Something is tracking us," he said briskly.

"Something?"

"Animals. No doubt they are tracking us for food. The tracks indicate that it is a pack of malia."

"Malia?"

"Fierce beasts that live in the high country. They are not large — they travel on all fours, and come up to your knees, but they are very dangerous. It is said that if you are close enough to hear the cry of a malia, you are already dead."

Despite the bright sun, Obi-Wan shivered. "And they are tracking us?"

"It has been a hard winter here. It is better to avoid them. Let's go."

Qui-Gon slung his survival pack over his shoulder and began to walk.

Obi-Wan hurried to gather his things and follow. They spent the next hour hiking over sheer rock, which led them to forest trails. The trail left by the Jedi was difficult, but with eyes sharpened by the Force they were able to pick up the minute differences in soil, leaves, and snow that indicated a presence had passed. They were able to move quickly. Obi-Wan hoped they were putting kilometers between themselves and the malia pack.

Suddenly, Qui-Gon stopped ahead. Obi-Wan could see that the trail now forked into two paths. The two Jedi studied the area, then split up to travel a short distance up each path, looking for clues. They did not need to confer; they had been through this process many times before.

Usually, either Qui-Gon or Obi-Wan found a clue as to which path to take. This time, they returned to the fork without a clear idea of which way to go. A probe or tracking droid would have been helpful, but this exercise was designed to teach Obi-Wan how to survive without them.