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The night was not pleasant They took a cold supper in the thicket and tried for what scant shelter they could make out of as available, since they could not erect their tents in the dense brush Autumn was in the air, and it was cold, once the sky turned dark As the first light of dawn touched the eastern horizon, they rose, ate a hasty breakfast, and rode on

The cold, hter all around thebeside an altar several hundred yards out in a field to the right of the road A band of roughly dressed soldiers were dragging three terrified villagers toward the altar by ropes tied about the victims' necks Garion did not even stop to think He discarded his lance, drew Iron-grip's sword, cautioned the Orb to avoid display, and then charged

The Groliious frenzy that he neither heard nor saw Garion bearing down on him He screamed once as Chretienne thundered over the top of him The soldiers took one startled look at Garion, threay their weapons, and fled That did not seeer, however Ih, as to goad hi unarmed men Instead, he simply rode theray's hooves, Garion wheeled, freed the prisoners, and cantered back to the road

"Don't you think that was a little excessive?" Belgarath derily

"Not under the circumstances, no," Garion snapped back "At least I' country won't be dragging civilians to the altar--at least not until all the broken bones ust and turned away

Still enraged, Garion glared belligerently at Polgara "Well?" he de, dear," she said h, don't you think you should let your grandfather knohat you're planning? These little surprises set his teeth on edge sometimes"

Beldin ca in "What happened out there?" he asked curiously when he had resu the nearby field

"My horse needed soot in his way"

"What's got you so foul-te?"

"This is all so stupid"

"Of course it is, but get ready for sos are just as bad down there as they are here"

CHAPTER THREE

They paused at the border to consider their alternatives The guardpost at the boundary was deserted, but black colues, and they could clearly see large groups oftiny in the distance"Things are a tittle anized down here," Beldin reported "About allin Voresebo were fairly shting The groups are bigger on up ahead, and there's a certain semblance of discipline I don't think we'll be able to bluff our way through Rengel the e did Voresebo"

Toth arath asked Durnik

"He suggests that we travel at night," Durnik replied

"That's an absurd notion, Toth," Sadi protested "If things are dangerous in the daytiht"

Toth's hands began to ain For some reason, Garion found that he could al to say