Читать книгу The Rivan Codex: Ancient Texts of The Belgariad and The Malloreon - David Eddings - Страница 8

NOTE The myths of the Alorns describe a time when men and Gods lived together in harmony. This was the time before the world was cracked and the eastern sea rushed in to cover the land where they dwelt, a country which lay to the east of what is now Cthol Murgos and Mishrak ac Thull.

The cracking of the world is known in Alorn mythology as ‘the sundering’ or ‘the dividing of the peoples’, and their count of time begins then.

At the beginning of days made the Gods the world and the seas and the dry land also. And cast they the stars across the night sky and did set the sun and his wife, the moon, in the heavens to give light unto the world.

And the Gods caused the earth to bring forth the beasts, and the waters to bud with fish, and the skies to flower with birds.

And they made men also, and divided men into Peoples.

Now the Gods were seven in number and were all equal, and their names were Belar, and Chaldan, and Nedra, and Issa, and Mara, and Aldur, and Torak.

Now Belar was the God of the Alorns, and dwelt with them and loved them, and his totem is the bear.

And Chaldan was the God of the Arends, and he dwelt with them and was judge over them, and his totem is the bull.

And Nedra was God over the people who called themselves after his name, the Tolnedrans, and he cherished them and accepted their worship, and his totem is the lion.

And Issa was God over the snake people, and he accepted their dull-eyed worship, and his totem is the serpent.

And Mara was God over the Marags, which are no more, and his totem was the bat, but his temples are cast down and vacant, and the spirit of Mara weeps alone in the wilderness.

But Aldur was God over no people, and dwelt alone and considered the stars in his solitude. But some few of the people of the other Gods heard of his wisdom and journeyed unto him and besought him to allow them to stay with him and be his pupils. And he relented and allowed it to them, and they became his people and joined in brotherhood to learn at his feet, and his totem is the owl.

And Torak is God over the Angaraks, and sweet to him was their adulation and their worship and the smell of the burning of their sacrifices. And the Angaraks bowed down before Torak and called him Lord of Lords and God of Gods, and in the secret places of his heart Torak found the words sweet. And behold, he held himself apart from the fellowship of the Gods and dwelt alone in the worship of the Angaraks. And his totem is the dragon.

And Aldur caused to be made a jewel in the shape of a globe, and behold, it was very like unto the size of the heart of a man, and in the jewel was captured the light of certain stars that did glitter in the northern sky. And great was the enchantment upon the jewel which men called the Orb of Aldur for with the Orb could Aldur see that which had been, that which was, and that which was yet to be – yea, verily, even that which was concealed even though it were in the deepest bowels of earth or in darkness most impenetrable. Moreover, in the hand of Aldur could the jewel cause wonders no man or God had yet beheld.

And Torak coveted the Orb of Aldur for its beauty and its power, and in the deep-most crevasses of his soul resolved he to own it even if it came to pass that he must slay Aldur that it might be so. And in a dissembling guise went he even unto Aldur and spake unto him.

‘My brother,’ said he, ‘it is not fit that thou absent thyself from the company and the counsel of thy brothers. I beseech thee that thou takest unto thyself a people and return to our company.’

And Aldur looked upon Torak his brother and rebuked him, saying, ‘It is not I who have turned from the fellowship and sought lordship and dominion.’

And Torak was shamed by the words of Aldur, his brother, and was made sore wroth, and rose he up against his brother and smote him and reached forth his hand and took from his brother the jewel which he coveted, and then he fled.

And Aldur went unto the other Gods and spoke with them of what had come to pass, and the Gods rose up, and each of them besought Torak that he return the Orb to Aldur, but he in no wise would do it. And thus it came to pass that the Gods caused each his own people to gird themselves for war.

And behold, Torak did raise the Orb of Aldur and did cause the earth to split asunder, and the mountains were cast down, and the sea came in and did engulf the lands of the east where the people of the Gods dwelt. And the Gods took their people and fled from the great inrushing of the sea, but Aldur and Belar joined their hands and their wills and did cause mountains to rise up to set limits upon the sea which had come in. And the Gods were parted one from the other, and the people also. And men began to reckon time from the day in which Torak caused the seas to come in.

Now it came to pass that the six Gods went even unto the west with their people, but Torak took the Angaraks unto the east, and the sea that had rushed in separated the Angaraks from the other peoples.

Not without hurt, however, did Torak crack the earth, for such was the virtue of the Orb that in the day when Torak raised it against the earth and against the mountains did the Orb begin to glow. Faint at first, the fire of the Orb waxed stronger with each of the commands of Torak. And the blue fire of those distant stars seared the flesh of Torak. In pain did he cast down the mountains. In anguish did he crack the earth asunder. In agony did he let in the seas. And thus did the Orb of Aldur requite Torak for putting its virtue to evil purpose – Behold, the left hand of Torak was consumed utterly by the fire of the Orb, and like dry twigs did the fingers thereof flare and burn down to ashes. And the flesh on the left side of Torak’s face did melt like wax in the holy fire of the Orb, and the eye of that side did boil in its socket.^*

And Torak cried out a great cry and cast himself into the sea to still the burning which the Orb had caused, but it availed him not. Truly it is written that the pain of Torak which the Orb had caused in punishment will endure until the end of days.

And the Angaraks were dismayed by the anguish of their God, and they went unto him and asked what they might do to end his pain.

And Torak spake, calling the name of the Orb.

And they sought to bring the Orb unto him, but the fire which had awakened in the Orb consumed all who touched it, and they devised a great iron cask to bear it in.

And behold, when Torak opened the cask, the Orb burned with renewed fire, and Torak cried a great cry and cast it away from him.

And the Angaraks spake unto him, saying, ‘Lord, wouldst thou have us destroy this thing or cast it even into the sea?’

And Torak cried a great cry again and spake, saying, ‘No! Truly will I destroy utterly him who would raise his hand against the jewel. Though I may not touch it nor even behold it, I have dearly purchased it, and never will I relinquish it.’

And behold, Torak, who had once been the most beautiful of the Gods, arose from the waters. Fair still was his right side, but his left was burned and scarred by the fire of the Orb which had requited him thus for raising it against the earth and the other Gods with evil intent.

And Torak led his people away to the east and caused them to build a great city, and they called its name Cthol Mishrak, which is the City of Night, for Torak was ashamed that men saw him marred by the fire of the Orb, and the light of the sun caused him pain. And the Angaraks built for him a great iron tower that he might dwell therein and that their prayers and the smells of incense and the smoke of burning sacrifice might rise up unto him and ease his pain. And he caused the Iron Cask which contained the Orb to be placed in the top-most chamber thereof, and often went he and stood before the Iron Cask and stretched forth his remaining hand as he would touch the Orb. And his remaining eye yearned to behold its beauty, and then would he turn and flee weeping from the chamber lest his yearning become too great and he open the Iron Cask and perish.

And so it prevailed in the lands of the Angaraks which men called Mallorea for a thousand years and yet another thousand years. And the Angaraks began to call the maimed God KAL-TORAK – a name signifying at once King and God.

Of the six Gods who had with their people gone unto the west thus was their disposition. To the south and west to jungles dank and rivers sluggish went Issa, the serpent God and the snake people. And Nedra went even unto the fertile land to the north of jungle, and Chaldan took his people, the Arends, unto the northwest coast, and Mara sought the mountains above the Tolnedran plain.

But Aldur, in the pain of the loss of the Orb and the shame over what the jewel that he had made had wrought upon the world retreated even unto the Vale which lay at the headwaters of the river bearing his name, and shut himself away from the sight of men and of Gods – and none came nigh him but Belgarath, his first Disciple.

Now it came to pass that Belar, the youngest of the Gods and most dear to Aldur, took his people unto the north and sought they for a thousand years and yet another thousand years a way by which they might come upon the Angaraks and overthrow them and regain the Orb that Aldur might come forth again and men and Gods be rejoined in fellowship one with the other.

And the Alorns, the people of Belar the Bear-God, were a hardy people and warlike, and clad themselves in the skins of bears and wolves and shirts cunningly wrought of rings of steel, and terrible were the swords and axes of the Alorns. And they ranged the north – yea, even unto the land of eternal ice, to find the way they might follow into Mallorea to come upon their ancient foes and destroy them and to restore the Orb unto Aldur. And in his pride did each Alorn warrior upon his passage into manhood raise sword or axe unto the deathless stars and call forth his challenge even unto Torak himself. And in the iron tower of Cthol Mishrak did the maimed God hear the challenge of the Alorns and did see the cold light of the north flickering from their sword edges, and the pain of Kal-Torak did increase ten-fold, and his hatred of his youngest brother and of the rash people who followed him and cast their threats even in the teeth of the stars cankered in his soul.

Now, of all the kings of the Alorns, the bravest and most crafty was Cherek of the broad shoulders, and went he even unto the Vale of Aldur and sought out Belgarath, Disciple of Aldur and spake unto him, saying, ‘Now are the ways of the north open, and I have sons exceedingly bold. The signs and the auguries are propitious. The time is ripe to seek our way to the city of endless night and to regain the Orb from the usurper.’

But Belgarath was loath to go from the Vale of Aldur for behold, his wife Poledra was exceedingly great with child, and her time was nigh.

And yet did Cherek prevail upon him, and by night they stole away and were joined a thousand leagues^* to the north by the sons of Cherek. And the eldest Dras was named and of great power and craftiness was he. And the second son Algar was named and fleet was he as the wind and bold. And the youngest was named Riva and pure was he and steadfast and his grip was as death, for naught upon which he set his hand could escape him.

And behold, the time of darkness was upon the north, and the season of snow and of ice and of mist, and the moors of the north glittered beneath the stars with rime-frost and steel-grey ice in the deathly cold. And Belgarath the Sorcerer took the shape of a great dark wolf, and on silent feet did he slink through the dark, snow-floored forests of the north where the trees cracked and shattered in the sundering cold.

And in those days were the ruff and shoulders of the great wolf Belgarath silvered by frost, and ever after was the Sorcerer Belgarath silver of hair and beard.

And it came to pass that the companions passed toward the south into Mallorea and even unto the City of Darkness which was Cthol Mishrak, wherein dwelt the maimed God who was king of the Angaraks. And ever were they guided by the wolf Belgarath who ran before them, his belly low to the ground and his shoulders and ruff touched with the silver of eternal frost.

And at last came they even unto the City of Night wherein dwelt Kal-Torak and his people, the Angaraks, and the wolf Belgarath slunk low to the ground and sought out the way and led them even into the dark city and yet unto the foot of the iron tower.

Then climbed they in crafty silence with muffled feet the rusted iron steps which had known no foot of man or God for twenty centuries. And Cherek of the broad shoulders, more like the Bear than the Bear-God himself, mounted first, and behind him Algar the fleet-footed and Riva the steadfast, and guarding the rear were Dras the bull-necked and the wolf Belgarath.

And mounted they the smoldering darkness of the tower and came even unto the iron-bound chamber of the maimed God where slept in pain-hunted slumber the titan Torak.

And he had caused his face to be bound up with iron to hide from men and Gods the melted flesh and burned eye which the Orb had wrought upon him.

And as they passed through the chamber of the maimed God, stirred he in his sleep and opened behind the iron binding the eye which the Orb had burned. And such was the power of the maimed God that the eye which was not glowed red, and the iron tower glowed likewise a smoldering and sooty red.

And passed they through in dreadful fear of the maimed and sleeping God who stirred ever in his sleep as the pain with which the Orb had touched him seared him.

And in the chamber beyond lay the Iron Cask in which had rested for a thousand years and yet for another thousand years the Orb of Aldur. And in fear looked they upon the Cask, knowing the power of the Orb.

And Cherek Bear-shoulders, King of the Alorns, spake unto Belgarath the Sorcerer, saying, ‘Take thou the Orb and return it unto thy Master, its rightful owner.’

And Belgarath, Disciple of Aldur, spake, saying, ‘Nay, King of the Alorns. I may not touch it, neither may I look upon it, lest it destroy me. None may touch the Orb now unless he be without ill intent. Only him who would not use it may touch it now. Thus doth the Orb protect itself and the Gods and men and the very world – for behold, once was it used to crack open the earth and will not be used so again. If any here be without ill intent – if one of you be pure enough to take up the Orb and convey it at peril of his life and surrender it at the end of our journey with no thought of gain or of power or of dominion, let him stretch forth his hand now and take up the Orb of Aldur.’

And Cherek Bear-shoulders was troubled, and he spake, saying, ‘What man is without ill intent in the deepest silences of his soul?’ And he put forth his hand and as that hand came nigh unto the Iron Cask felt he even in his heart the great heat of the Orb that lay within and knew then his unworthiness. And bitter was that knowledge to him. And he turned away.

And Dras Bull-neck, his eldest son, came forward and stretched forth both his hands and put them upon the Cask. And then he withdrew them and turned his head and wept.

And Algar Fleet-foot came forward and stretched forth his hand. And he too withdrew his hand and turned away.

But Riva Iron-grip went even unto the Cask and opened it and did reach within and took up the Orb. And behold, the fire of the Orb shone through his fingers – yea, even through the flesh of his hand – and he was not burned.

‘Behold,’ spake Belgarath the Sorcerer unto Cherek Bear-shoulders, ‘thy youngest son is pure and without ill intent. And his doom and the doom of all who follow after him shall be to bear the Orb and to protect it from evil.’

‘So be it,’ spake Cherek, King of the Alorns, ‘and I and his brothers will sustain and protect him while this doom is upon him – even though it be until the end of days.’

And Riva muffled the Orb of Aldur in his cloak and hid it in his bosom, and the companions passed quickly out through the dreadful chamber wherein slept the maimed God, ever stirring and restless in his pain. And the eye that was not watched them. And Kal-Torak cried out in his sleep, but woke not.

And down they hurried even unto the foot of the tower. And then went they quickly unto the gates of the City of Darkness which was Cthol Mishrak and into the wasteland beyond.

And it came to pass when they had gone but three leagues did the maimed God awaken from his slumber and found the Iron Cask open and the Orb that he had so dearly purchased gone.

And horrible was the wrath of Kal-Torak. And girt he himself in black iron and took he up his great sword and his spear likewise, and went he then down from the iron tower and turned and smote it – and behold, the iron tower which had endured a thousand years and yet a thousand years more was cast down, and great was the ruin thereof.

And the maimed God spake unto the Angaraks in a great voice, saying, ‘Because ye have permitted this thing to come to pass, shall ye dwell no more in cities. Because you have become unwatchful and indolent and have allowed a thief to steal that which I have purchased at such great cost, I will break your city and cast it down and drive you forth from this place, and ye shall be wanderers in the earth until ye return to me that which was stolen.’ And he raised up his arms and broke the city and cast it down in ruin and drove forth the Angaraks into the wilderness, and Cthol Mishrak was no more.

And in the wasteland to the north^* the companions heard the outcry from the city, and the Angaraks pursued them. And once the Angaraks came upon them, and Cherek Bear-shoulders and his sons Dras Bull-neck and Algar Fleet-foot did turn and withstand them, and the Angaraks fled. And again the Angaraks came upon them, and again did Cherek and his sons withstand them, though their numbers were greater.

And yet a third time did the Angaraks come upon them and with them strode Kal-Torak himself and the great hosts of the Angaraks.

And Riva Iron-grip saw that his father and his brothers were weary even unto death and that their wounds bled. And the bearer of the Orb did turn and did reach into his bosom and withdrew the Orb and held it forth that the maimed God and his hosts might behold it.

And great was the confusion of the host by reason of the Orb, and Kal-Torak cried out a great cry and did turn away, but drove he the Angaraks back again and commanded them to regain the Orb.

But Riva did raise again the Orb of Aldur, and it shone brighter even than before, and the eyes of the Angaraks were dazzled, and they turned away again, but the maimed God raised his hand against them and drave them yet once more against the companions.

And yet a third time did Riva raise the Orb, and the sky was lit by its fire, and behold, the front ranks of the host were consumed by it. And then did the hosts of the Angaraks flee from the Orb, and in no way could Kal-Torak drive them back again.

And so passed the companions again unto the north and returned they unto the west. And the spies of Torak did follow them, but Belgarath the Sorcerer assumed again the form of the wolf and waylaid the spies of Torak, and they followed no more.

And behold, the Gods of the west did hold council, and Aldur advised them. And he spake unto them, saying, ‘It may not be that we ourselves make war upon our brother Torak, for in the warfare of Gods shall the world itself not be destroyed? Must we then absent ourselves from the world that our brother Torak not find us and make war upon us and thus destroy the world.’

And the other Gods were silent, each loath to leave the people he loved, but all knew that Aldur spoke truth, and that if they remained, would the world be destroyed.

And Belar, the youngest of the Gods, wept, for he loved deeply the Alorn people, and Aldur relented. And he spake unto them, saying, ‘In spirit might each remain with his people, and guide them and protect them, but in no wise may Gods themselves remain, lest Torak find us and make war upon us and the world be unmade and our people perish utterly.’

‘And wilt thou, my brother, bear away the Orb which is thy chiefest delight?’ quoth Chaldan, God of the Arends.

‘Nay, my brother,’ quoth Aldur, and sad was his heart in the speaking. ‘The Orb must remain, for only in the Orb lies that which will prevent our brother Torak from lordship of the world. So long as the Orb remains, Torak shall not prevail against it, and thy people will be safe from his enslavement.’

And so it came to pass that the Gods departed from the world which they had made, and in spirit only did they sojourn each with his people. And Torak only of the seven Gods did remain, but he was restrained by the Orb of Aldur from lordship over the world and prevented from the enslavement of all peoples of the world. And in the wastelands of Mallorea in the east did the maimed God know this, and the knowledge cankered in his soul.

And Belgarath spake unto Cherek and his sons, saying, ‘Hearken unto the words of the Gods, for behold, this is their judgement and their doom^* upon you. Here must we part and be sundered one from the other even as in the day wherein all men were sundered.’

And to Riva he spake, saying, ‘Thy journey is longest, Iron-grip. Bear thou the Orb even unto the Isle of the Winds. Take with thee thy people and thy goods and thy cattle, for thou shalt not return. Build there a fortress and a sanctuary and maintain it and defend the Orb with thy life and with the lives of thy people, for know ye that the Orb alone hinders Torak from Lordship and Dominion – even over the whole world.’

And to Dras he spake, saying, ‘Turn thou aside here, Bull-neck, and maintain the marches of the north against the Angaraks and against Kal-Torak. Take thy people and thy goods and thy cattle also and return no more, lest the marches be unguarded.’

And to Algar he spake, saying, ‘Turn thou also aside here, Fleet-foot, and maintain the plains to the south against the enemy. Take thy people and thy goods and thy cattle also and return no more lest the plains be unguarded.’

And to Cherek he spake, saying, ‘Upon thee, Bear-shoulders, lies the doom of the sea. Go thou onward even unto the peninsula of the north that is named for the Alorns. And build thou thereon a sea port and a fleet of swift ships and tall, and maintain the seas that the enemy come not by water against Riva, thy son. And maintain there thy people and thy goods and thy cattle. And teach unto thy people the ways of the sea that none upon the waters may prevail against them.’

And he raised up his face and spake in a great voice, saying, ‘Hear me, Torak-One-eye. Thus is the Orb defended and made secure against thee. And thou shalt not prevail against it. I, Belgarath, first Disciple of Aldur, proclaim it. In the day that thou comest against the west shall I raise war upon thee, and I shall destroy thee utterly. And I will maintain watch upon thee by day and by night. And I will abide against thy coming – yea, verily, be it even unto the end of days.’

And in the wastelands of Mallorea Kal-Torak heard the voice of Belgarath and was wroth and smote about him in his fury, destroying even the very rocks, for he knew that in the day when he went against the kingdoms of the west, in that day would he surely perish.

And then did Cherek Bear-shoulders embrace his sons and turned away and saw them no more.

And Dras Bull-neck turned aside and abode in the lands drained by the Mrin River, from Aldurfens north to the steppes and beyond, and from the coast to the mountains of Nadrak. And he builded a city at Boktor east of the junction of Mrin and Atun. And men called this northern land the country of Dras, or, in the language of the Alorns, Drasnia. And for a thousand years and yet another thousand years dwelt the descendants of Dras Bull-neck in the north and stood they athwart the northern marches and denied them unto the enemy. And tamed they the vast herds of reindeer, and the horned beast became as cat or dog unto them, and they took from the rivers and marshes furs and skins most luxuriant; and bright gold they found and silver also and did commerce with the kingdoms of the west and with the strange-faced merchants of the east also. And Drasnia prospered, and Kotu at Mrin-mouth was a city of wealth and power.

And Algar Fleet-foot turned aside and went to the south with his people and his goods and his cattle. And horses were there on the broad plains drained by the Aldur river, and Algar Fleet-foot and his people caught horses and tamed them, and for the first time in the world men rode upon horses. And the people of Algar named their country for their leader and called its name Algaria. And they became nomads, following after their herds and ever keeping watch that the enemy not come upon them. And they builded a fortress to the south of Algaria and called it The Stronghold, and they garrisoned it but they dwelt not there, preferring to remain with their herds. And for twenty centuries they dwelt in these lands and traded horses to other kingdoms.

And Cherek Bear-shoulders returned even unto Aloria which is to the north and west, and because he had been divided from his sons and the Alorn people were no longer one, he called the name of the country with his own name, and ever after for a score of centuries was the land known as Cherek. And he builded a great city at Val Alorn and a seaport there at the mouth of the Alorn River, and ships caused he to be built unlike the ships of other nations – for behold, the ships of others were for commerce and the carrying of goods, but the ships of Cherek were for war. And the people of Cherek became sea warriors and patrolled they the seas that the enemy not come across the dark water unto the Isle of the Winds. And it was rumored that the people of Cherek were pirates and brigands of the sea, but none could say for sure.

And Riva Iron-grip went forth even unto the west coast of Sendaria and took ship and did sail with his people and his goods and his cattle across the Sea of the Winds unto the Isle that lay therein. And many days did he search the coast until he found the spot where he might land. And upon all the Isle of the Winds there is but one place to land a ship and he did alight there and took his people and his goods and his cattle and placed them on the strand, and then burned he the ships which had borne him thence that none might return. And he caused to be built a fortress and a walled city around it. And they called the name of the city Riva and nought that was builded therein was for commerce or for display, but for war only.

And within the fortress in the most heavily defended spot caused Riva to be built a throne-room and carved he a great throne therein of black rock. And high was the back thereof.

And it came to pass that a deep sleep fell upon Riva, and Belar, Bear-God of the Alorns, came to him in a dream. And Belar spake unto him, saying, ‘Behold, Guardian of the Orb, I will cause two stars to fall down from out the sky, and I will show thee where they lie, and thou shalt take up the two stars and shall place them in a great fire and shall forge them. And the one star shall be a blade, and the other a hilt, and it shall be a sword that shall guard the Orb of my brother Aldur.’

And Riva awoke, and behold, two stars did fall from out the sky, and Riva sought them, and the spirit of the Bear-God was with him and showed him where the stars that had fallen had come to earth. And Riva took them up and bore them back to the city and forged them even as Belar had instructed.

But behold, when it was done, the blade and the hilt could in no way be joined together.

And Riva lifted his face and cried out unto Belar. ‘Behold, I have marred the work, for the blade will not be joined unto the hilts, and the sword will not become one.’

And a fox which had sat near, watching the work, spake unto Riva, saying, ‘The work is not marred, Iron-grip. Take up the hilt and place the Orb thereon even as a pommel-stone.’

And Riva knew that he was in the presence of an enchantment and did even that which the fox had commanded. And behold, the Orb became as one with the hilts which Riva had forged from the star Belar had caused to fall. And even the strength of Riva’s hand could not sunder them one from the other.

And Riva spake, saying, ‘Still is the work marred, for the blade and the hilts still remain unjoined.’

And the fox spake again, saying, ‘Take the blade in thy left hand, Iron-grip, and the hilts in thy right and join them.’

‘It may not be,’ quoth Riva, ‘for they will not join.’

And the fox laughed, saying, ‘How is it that thou knowest that they will not join when thou hast not yet attempted it?’

And Riva was ashamed, and took up the blade in his left hand and the hilts in his right and did set them together, and behold, the blade passed into the hilts even as a stick into water, and the sword was joined and even the strength of Riva’s hand could not unjoin it.

And the fox laughed again, saying, ‘Take up the sword, Iron-grip, and go forth with it and smite with it the great rock which doth stand upon the highest mountain upon this Isle.’

And Riva took up the sword and went unto the mountain and raised up the sword against the great rock which stood thereon.

And he smote once and clave the rock in twain, and the water gushed forth therefrom and formed a river which flowed down even unto the city of Riva.

And the fox laughed again and ran away, but stopped once and looked back, and Riva beheld that the fox was a fox no longer, but the great silver wolf, Belgarath, whom he had known before.

And men called the river that flowed from the rock which Riva had clave The River of Veils by reason of the mists which ever surrounded it as it descended into the valley where lay the city of Riva.

And Riva caused the sword to be placed upon the great black rock that stood at the back of his throne. And it did hang point downward with the Orb which was now the pommel-stone at the highest point, and did the sword cleave itself unto the rock, and none save Riva could remove it therefrom. And such was the virtue of the Orb that it did burn with cold fire when Riva sat upon the throne. And when he took down the sword and raised it did the sword itself become as a great tongue of blue flame, and all who beheld this great wonder were amazed and understood it not.

And thus was wrought the Hall of the Rivan King, and thus his throne and thus was forged his sword. And ever after were the descendants of Riva marked with the mark of the Orb upon the palm of their hands, and the man-child who would become king was borne at his birth unto the throne-chamber and the hand that was so marked was placed upon the Orb that it might know him and destroy him not when he came into his inheritance.

And with each such joining did the bond between the Orb of Aldur and the line of Riva become stronger. And the Orb waxed in brilliance with each infant touch as if it rejoiced that the line remained unbroken.

And so it endured in the City of Riva for a thousand years and for yet another thousand years.

And with the sundering of the companions and the departure of Cherek and his sons, hastened Belgarath southward for a thousand leagues even unto the Vale of Aldur that he might behold his children, the fruit of the womb of Poledra, his wife. And came he even unto the Vale of Aldur and found that his wife had been delivered of twin daughters, and then had she died.

And his eldest daughter was named Polgara, and even as an infant were her eyes steely and her face grim. And dark was her hair as wing of raven, and because she was his eldest, even in the fashion of the Sorcerers, stretched he forth his hand and laid it upon her brow – and behold, her mother, Poledra, had in her final hour, divided her anger from her love. And in Polgara, the dark-haired twin, resided her anger that Belgarath her husband, had gone from her when her time was nigh. And thus it was that when Belgarath, her father, laid his hand upon Polgara’s brow did the hair thereof turn white, and ever after was the raven hair of Polgara touched at the brow with the same silver which marked the ruff of the dark, frost-touched wolf.

And his second daughter Beldaran was called, because the mark of the Sorcerers was not upon her. And fair was she, and her hair was like gold. And dearly was she beloved by her father and equally by her dark-haired sister. And they contended one with the other for her affection. But it came to pass that when his daughters had reached their sixteenth year did Belgarath fall into a deep sleep, and in a dream did the spirit of Aldur come unto him and spake, saying, ‘My beloved disciple, I would have thy house joined with the house of the guardian of the Orb. Choose thou, therefore, which of thy daughters wilt thou give to the Rivan King to wife, for in the joining of thy house with the house of Riva shall a line invincible be forged that will join my will with the will of my brother Belar, and Torak himself may not prevail against us.’

And in the deep silences of his soul was Belgarath tempted. Thus might he rid himself of his spiteful daughter whose tongue seared like acid and whose white lock was ever a rebuke unto him. But, knowing the burden upon the Rivan King, sent he instead Beldaran, his fair daughter to be the mother of the Rivan line – and wept when she was gone.

And Polgara wept also with the departure of her sister, knowing in her soul that the beloved Beldaran would fade and that her love for Riva would age her and that like a flower would she wither and drop away. But in time Polgara dried her tears and went even unto her father.

And she spake unto her father, saying, ‘Behold, Old Grey Wolf, thus are we alone, and now mayest thou reveal unto me the secrets of our line that I may succeed thee and care for thee in thy dotage.’

And then was Belgarath mightily provoked and raised up his hand against his spiteful daughter, but she smiled upon him sweetly, and his hand faltered, and he turned and fled from her.

And she called after him, saying, ‘Father, still hast thou not instructed me in our art.’

And Belgarath fled. And, laughing, did his daughter, Polgara, pursue him.^*