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The song came yet nearer, and Garion could hear the step of a horse's hooves in the wet snow Carefully he poked his head out fro noht red jerkin His fur-lined cloak was tossed back, and he had a long, curved bow slung over one shoulder and a well-sheathed sword at his opposite hip His reddish-gold hair fell smoothly down his back froh his song was gri with passion, there was about his youthful face a kind of friendly openness that no alared at this e fool had neverof a ho had starved herself to death out of grief The stranger turned his horse and, still singing, rode directly toward the broken arch of the gateway beside which Garion lurked in aerent boy, and under other circuht have approached the situation differently The gaudy young stranger, however, had presented hi tie of si to complicate it, it worked ad ate than Garion stepped frorasped the back of the rider's cloak and yanked him bodily out of the saddle With a startled outcry and a wet splat, the stranger landed unceremoniously on his back in the slush at Garion's feet The second part of Garion's plan, however, fell completely apart Even as he moved in to take the fallen rider prisoner at sword point, the young ly all in one er, and his seaved threateningly

Garion was not a fencer, but his reflexes were good and the chores he had perforer which had moved him to attack in the first place, he had no real desire to hurt this young htly, alht that a sht very well knock it out of his hand He swung quickly, but the blade flicked out of the path of his heavy swipe and clashed with a steely ring down on his oord Garion juain Then the air was filled with clash and scrape and bell-like rattle as the two of theed and parried and feinted with their blades It took Garion only a moment to realize that his opponent was nored several opportunities to strike at hirin in the exciterin was open, even friendly

"All right, that's enough of that!" It was Mister Wolf The oldtoward them with Barak and Silk close on his heels "Just exactly what do you two think you're doing?"

Garion's opponent, after one startled glance, lowered his sword "Belgarath-" he began

"Lelldorin," Wolf's tone was scathing, "have you lost what little sense you had to begin with?"

Several things clicked into place in Garion's mind simultaneously as Wolf turned on him coldly "Well, Garion, would you like to explain this?"

Garion instantly decided to try guile "Grandfather," he said, stressing the word and giving the younger stranger a quick warning look, "you didn't think ere really fighting, did you? Lelldorin here was just showing me how you block somebody's shen he attacks, that's all"

"Really?" Wolf replied skeptically

"Of course," Garion said, all innocence now "What possible reason could there be for us to be trying to hurt each other?"

Lelldorin opened his mouth to speak, but Garion deliberately stepped on his foot

"Lelldorin's really very good," he rushed on, putting his hand in a friendly fashion on the young ht ers flickered at hie Always keep a lie siarath," Lelldorin said la else," Mister Wolf replied dryly "What's the idea behind all the frippery?" He indicated Lelldorin's gaudy clothes "You look like ahonest Asturians for questioning," the young Arend explained, "and I had to pass several of their strongholds I thought that if I dressed like one of their toadies I wouldn't be bothered"

"Maybe you've got better sense than I thought," Wolf conceded grudgingly He turned to Silk and Barak "This is Lelldorin, son of the Baron of Wildantor He'll be joining us"

"I wanted to talk to you about that, Belgarath," Lelldorin put in quickly "My father coed in anobleed in at least two or three such ency," Wolf replied "I'm sorry, Lelldorin, but the matter we're involved in is o out to ambush a couple of Mimbrate tax collectors"

Aunt Pol approached the protectively at her side "What are they doing with the swords, father?" she de," Mister Wolf replied shortly "Or so they say This is Lelldorin I think I've mentioned him to you"

Aunt Pol looked Lelldorin up and doith one raised eyebrow "A very colorful young uise," Wolf explained "He's not as frivolous as all that - not quite, anyway He's the best bowht need his skill before we're done with all this"

"I see," she said, somewhat unconvinced

"There's another reason, of course," Wolf continued, "but I don't think we need to get into that just now, do we?"

"Are you still worried about that passage, father?" she asked with exasperation "The Mrin Codex is very obscure, and none of the other versions say anything at all about the people it ory, you know"

"I've seen a few tooat this point Why don't we all go back to the tower?" he suggested "It's a bit cold and wet out here for lengthy debates on textual variations"