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He sently touched the snohite lock at her brow Then, for the last time in his life, he asked the question that had been on his lips since he was a tiny boy "Why me, Aunt Pol? Why me?"

"Can you possibly think of anyone else you'd trust to deal with these matters, Garion?"

He had not really been prepared for that question It came at him in stark sihed, "I suppose not Soh I wasn't even consulted"

"Neither was I, Garion," she answered "But we didn't have to be consulted, did we? The knowledge of e have to do is born in us" She put her arms around him and drew him close "I'hed a bit wryly "I suppose I didn't turn out too badly after all," he conceded "I can get ht feet at least"

"And you have no idea how long that took to explain to you," she replied with a light laugh "You were a good boy, Garion, but you'd never listen Even Rundorig would listen He didn't usually understand, but at least he'd listen"

"I miss him sometimes Hietand Zubrette, I o, and Zubrette is up to her waist in children--five or so I used to get a o back to Faldor's farm to deliver her newest baby"

"You did that?" He was amazed

"I certainly wouldn't have let anyone else do it Zubrette and I disagreed about certain things, but I'm still very fond of her"

"Is she happy?"

"I think she is, yes Rundorig's easy to e, and she has all those children to keep her mind occupied" She looked at him critically "Are you a little less moody now?" she asked

"I feel better," he replied "I always feel better when you're around" :

"That's nice"

He reet a chance to tell you what the Oracles said about Ce'Nedra?"

"Yes," she said "I'll keep an eye on her Why don't we go belo? The next feeeks et all the sleep we can while we have the chance"

The coast of Peldane was engulfed in fog just as Captain Kadian had predicted, but the beacon fires burning on the walls of Selda provided reference points, and they were able to feel their way carefully along the coast until the ship's captain estimated that they were near the beach shown on Kadian's chart

"There's a fishing village about a hness," the captain advised Silk "It's deserted now, because of all the troubles in the area, but there's a dock there--or at least there was the last time I sailed past this coastWe should be able to unload your horses there"

"Excellent, Captain," Silk replied