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"Don't worry at it, Pol," Wolf told her "These things happen froreat deal we can do about it"

"I could have done so off into the ruins "But you wouldn't let ain, Pol?" Wolf asked in a pained voice "You have to learn to accept your losses The Wacite Arends were doomed anyway At best, you'd have only been able to stall off the inevitable for a few et "

"So you said before" She looked around at the fil down the empty streets "I didn't think the trees would coe little catch in her voice "I thought they er"

"It's been almost twenty-five centuries, Pol"

"Really? It seems like only last year"

"Don't brood about it It'll only inning to make us all a bit moody"

Unaccountably, Aunt Pol put her arm about Garion's shoulders as they turned toward the tower Her fragrance and the sense of her closeness brought a lurown between them in the past few months seemed to vanish at her touch

The chamber in the base of the tower had been built of such e of centuries nor the silent, probing tendrils of tree roots had been able to dislodge the,the room seem almost like a cave At the end of the room opposite the narrow doorway a wide crack between two of the rough-hewn blocks provided a natural chimney Durnik had soberly considered the crack the previous evening when they had arrived, cold and wet, and then had quickly constructed a crude but efficient fireplace out of rubble "It will serve," the sh for a few days"

As Wolf, Garion and Aunt Pol entered the low, cavelike cha shadows a a welco firewood along the wall Barak, huge, redbearded, andhis sword Silk, in an unbleached linen shirt and black leather vest, lounged idly on one of the packs, toying with a pair of dice

"Any sign of Hettar yet?" Barak asked, looking up

"It's a day or so early," Mister Wolf replied, going to the fireplace to ware your boots, Garion?" Aunt Pol suggested, hanging her blue cloak on one of the pegs Durnik had hammered into a crack in the wall

Garion lifted his pack down fros, too," she added

"Is the fog lifting at all?" Silk asked Mister Wolf

"Not a chance"

"If I can persuade you all to move out from in front of the fire, I'll see about supper," Aunt Pol told the out a ham, a few loaves of dark, peasant bread, a sack of dried peas and a dozen or so leathery-looking carrots, hu

The nextafter breakfast, Garion pulled on a fleece-lined overvest, belted on his sword, and went back out into the fog-muffled ruins to watch for Hettar It was a task to which he had appointed hirateful that none of his friends had seen fit to tell hih the slushcovered streets toward the broken west gate of the city, hethat had blackened the previous day Since there was absolutely nothing he could do about his circu on them would only leave a sour taste in his mouth He was not exactly cheerful when he reached the low piece of wall by the west gate, but he was not precisely gloomy either

The wall offered soh his clothes, and his feet were already cold He shivered and settled down to wait There was no point in trying to see any distance in the fog, so he concentrated on listening His ears began to sort out the sounds in the forest beyond the wall, the drip of water fro fro on a dead snag several hundred yards away

"That's