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"Yes," she murmured "I saw that al the beach to the abandoned fishing village "Do you want me to do it, Grandfather?" Garion coffered "Set fire to the driftwood, I mean?"

"No," the old man replied, "I'll take care of it You and Pol take the others on down along the shoreline I'll catch up in a bit"

"Do you want these?" Durnik asked, offering the old arath shook his head "I'll do it the other way," he f'said "I want to give the Chandim some noise to listen to, as well as the fire to watch That should get their undivided attention" He strode off into the fog, heading back up the beach

"Co back the hood of her cloak "We'll scout ahead again I think we'll want to move fairly fast"

The two of thee once more "Keep your ara's voice silently instructed "With this fog, the Chandihts rather than their eyes"

"Yes, Aunt Pol," he replied, loping toward the upper end of the beach Sand was different underfoot than grass or turf It gave slightly under his paws and it slowed hi in sand He ran along for a couple of ly loud surge colanced back over shoulder The fog was illue that sounded almost like a detonation, then another, and another

"Tacky, father," he heard Polgara say disapprovingly "Why are you being so ostentatious?"

"I just wanted to be sure they heard me, is all," the old man replied

"They probably heard you in Mal Zeth Are you co back now?"

"Let me start a few more fires first The Chandim have a limited attention span Besides, the smoke should confuse the Hounds' sense of smell"

There were several ht had a note of self-satisfaction in it

About twentylike a ghost "Oh, there you are," Belgarath said to Garion in the way of wolves "Let's spread out a bit and ht behind us"

"Did the Chandi?"

"Oh, yes" Belgarath's tongue lolled out in the wolfs version of a grin "They were definitely curious There were quite a few of the for about another hour before Garion's nostrils caught the scent of a horse and rider coing back and forth until he pinpointed the man's location Then he ran forward It was a solitary Te fires Belgarath had ignited Garion rushed hi terribly The Guardss and du his startled rider into a bleached pile of driftwood The horse fled, and the Guardss and branches half-buried in the sand

"Trouble?" Belgarath's thought ca

"A Guardsman," Garion replied "He fell off his horse I think he s"