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"What an absolute absurdity!" she exclaireed "But absurdity has always been a characteristic of the ion We'd all be a lot better off if Belar had just kept his hed suddenly

"What's so funny?" Barak asked

"Asking Belar to keep hisany hu could even conte "I reht without stopping"

"What was he saying?" Garion asked curiously

"He was explaining to the early Alorns why it wasn't a good idea to start a trek into the far north at the beginning of winter Soet an idea through to hied all that much," Ce'Nedra said with an arch look at her husband Then she laughed and fondly touched his hand

The nextdawned clear and sunny, and Errand, as he usually did, went to theas soon as he awoke to see what the day prohtover the Sea of the Winds and smiled There was not a hint of cloud

Today would be fine He dressed hiara had laid out for hiara sat in two comfortable, leather-upholstered chairs, one on each side of the fire, talking together quietly and sipping tea As he always did, Errand went to Polgara, put his arms about her neck and kissed her

"You slept late," she said, brushing his tousled hair back froet ht before last"

"So I heard" Almost absently, she pulled hiainst the soft velvet of her blue robe

"He's growing a bit big for your lap," Durnik noted, sara answered "That's why I hold hi, so I need to store up as row up, but Ia sarath entered

"Well, good reeted hie to get Barak put to bed last night?" Durnik asked with a grin

"We poured hiht Brand's sons helped us with hi heavier as he puts on the years"

"You're looking surprisingly well," Polgara observed, "considering the fact that you spent the evening at Garion's ale barrel"

"I didn't drink all thatto the fire to warm his hands

She looked at hiot a lot on mystraightened out between Garion and Ce'Nedra?"

"I think so, yes"

"Let's be sure I don't want things here to fly apart again I'et back to the Vale, but if you think you ought to stay and keep an eye on those two, I can go on ahead" His voice was serious, even decisive