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Errand, whose time was spent out of doors on all but the olden, firelit hours between supper and bedtiazed into the dancing flames until his eyes slowly closed And later he waked in the cool darkness of his own room arm, down-filled coverlets tucked up under his chin and he knew that Polgara had quietly carried hihed happily and went back to sleep

Durnikhill which ran down into the valley was perfect for sledding The snoas not deep enough todown, and Errand was able to coast a distances across the meadow at the bottom of the hill because of the terrific momentum built up as he slid down the slope

The absolute cap of the entire sledding season caly cold afternoon, just after the sun had dropped into a bank of purple clouds on the western horizon and the sky had turned to a pale, icy turquoise Errand trudged up the hill through the frozen snow, pulling his sled behind him

When he reached the top, he stopped for a e below nestled in the surrounding snowbanks with the light fro froht as an arrow into the dead calm air

Errand smiled, lay down on his sled, and pushed off The co

There was not even a breeze to i speed on his way down the hill

He flew across thethe trees The white-barked birches and dark, shadowy cedars flashed by as he sped through the woods He one even farther had the stream not been in his way And even that conclusion to the ride was fairly exciting, since the bank of the streah and Errand and his sled sailed out over the dark water in a long, graceful arc which ended abruptly in a spectacular, icy splash

Polgara spoke to hi and with ice beginning to forara, he noticed, tended to overdras -particularly when an opportunity presented itself for her to speak to so look at hi an to pull off his frozen clothing, co extensively as she did so She had an excellent speaking voice and a fine coe Her intonations and inflections added whole volu to her commentary On the whole, however, Errand would have preferred a shorter, somewhat less exhaustive discussion of his most recent arath and Durnik were both trying without ara spoke to hih towel

"Well," Durnik observed, "at least he won't need a bath this week"

Polgara stopped drying the boy and slowly turned to gaze at her husband There was nothing really threatening in her expression, but her eyes were frosty "You said so?" she asked him

"Uh-no, dear," he hastily assured her "Not really" He looked at Belgarath a bit unco in soara's eyebroent up, and her gaze moved on to her father "Well?" she said

He blinked, his face a study in total innocence

Her expression did not change, but the silence becaive you a hand, Durnik?" the oldup Then the two of theara

She turned back to him "You slid all the way down the hill," she asked quite calmly, "and clear across the h the woods?"