Page 31 (1/2)

"Yes"

"Have you had it off at any tiave it to you?"

"Just once," Garion admitted "When I took a bath in the Tolnedran hostel"

Wolf sighed "You can't take it off," he said, "not ever - not for any reason Take it out from under your tunic"

Garion drew out the silver pendant with the strange design on it The old man took a ht and there was upon it the figure of a standing wolf so lifelike that it looked almost ready to lope away

Aunt Pol, her one arm still about Garion's shoulders, drew a similar amulet out of her bodice Upon the disc of her ht hand, dear," she instructed, fir her aht hand, she placed her left hand over his closed fist Wolf, also holding his talisle as if the pendant were suddenly alive Mister Wolf and Aunt Pol looked at each other for a longin Garion's hand suddenly becas flickered before his eyes He saw a round rooh up somewhere A fire burned, but there was no wood in it At a table there was seated an old man who looked somewhat like Mister Wolf but obviously was so directly at Garion, and his eyes were kindly, even affectionate Garion was suddenly overwhel love for the oldGarion's hand

"Who was the old man?" Garion asked

"My Master," Wolf replied

"What happened?" Durnik asked, his face concerned

"It's probably better not to talk about it," Aunt Pol said "Do you think you could build a fire? It's time for breakfast"

"There are soet out of the wind," Durnik suggested

They all remounted and rode toward the trees

After they had eaten, they sat by the small fire for a while They were tired, and none of theain Garion felt particularly exhausted, and he wished that he were young enough to sit close beside Aunt Pol and perhaps to put his head in her lap and sleep as he had done when he was very young The strange thing that had happened htened "Durnik," he said, more to drive the mood away than out of any real curiosity "What sort of bird is that?" He pointed

"A raven, I think," Durnik answered, looking at the bird circling above theht so too," Garion said, "but they don't usually circle, do they?"

Durnik frowned "Maybe it's watching so has it been up there?" Wolf asked, squinting up at the large bird

"I think I first sae were crossing the field" Garion told hilanced over at Aunt Pol "What do you think?"

She looked up fro "I'll see" Her face took on a strange, probing expression