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"Yes," Errand replied, "I aentle child," she replied "I ht other than that of the e?" Errand asked her "You could warara would welcoara, the ti woman said, "and it is not cold where I ahtly as if she were in fact peering at hih the cloth over her eyes was quite thick "It is true, then," she reat distance, but now that I am face to face with thee, I know that there can be no ain," she told hi his manners

She smiled, and her sht to the murky winter afternoon "I aentle Errand, even though the tiainst thee" And then she vanished, disappearing so suddenly that she was there and then gone in the space of a single heartbeat

Startled a bit, Errand glanced at the snohere she had stood and saw that there were no marks or footprints He sat down on his sled to think about it Nothing that the strange young woman had said really seemed to make much sense, but he was fairly sure that a tiht, he concluded that this peculiar visit would upset Polgara if she heard about it Since he was certain that this Cyradis posed no threat and meant him no harm, he decided that he would notquite chilly atop the hill, he pushed his sled intoslope and across the meadow and to within a few dozen yards of where Durnik was fishing with such total concentration that he was oblivious of all that was going on around hiara was tolerant about Durnik's pastiht, and silvery color of the prizes he brought hoe to find new and interesting ways to fry, bake, broil, roast, and even poach fish She ada returned once again, Belgarath came by, mounted on a spirited roan stallion

"What happened to your mare?" Durnik asked the old arath made a sour face "I was halfway to Drasnia when I discovered that she was pregnant I traded her for this enthusiast" He gave the prancing roan a hard look

"It looks as if you ain," Durnik arath's horse over

"The reed "This one doesn't have a brain in his head All he wants to do is show off -running, ju the air with his hooves" He shook his head in disgust

"Put hiested, "and wash up You're just in time for supper You can have a baked fish As a matter of fact, you can have several baked fish if you'd like"

After they had eaten, Belgarath turned his chair around, leaned back, and pushed his feet out toward the fire He looked around with a contented sstone floor, the lis, and at the dancing light and shadow coood to relax a bit," he said "I don't think I've stoppedsince I left here last autuara asked him as she cleared away the supper dishes

"Beldin and I had quite a long talk," the oldon in Mallorea that I don't quite like"

"What earthly difference can it make now, father? Our interest in Mallorea ended at Cthol Mishrak when Torak died You were not appointed caretaker of the world, you know"

"I wish it were that easy, Pol," he said "Does the na Sardius' perhaps?"