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But Garion knew differently The Will had been his, and the Word had come from him

"Keep still!" her voice warned inside his head "No one arion?" he demanded silently

"Because it's your name, " her voice replied "Now try to act natural and don't bother uestions We'll talk about it later " And then her voice was gone

The others stood around aardly until the legionnaires left with Kador Then, when the soldiers were out of sight and the need for ian to cry Aunt Pol took the tiny girl in her aruess we'd better bury this," Barak said, nudging as left of Chaht be offended if ent off and left it still s"

"I'll fetch my spade," Durnik said

Garion turned away and brushed past Mandorallen and Hettar His hands were tres barely held hi in his mind as if he had always known that it was his - as if for all his brief years he had been incomplete until in that instant the na ith Will and Word and the touch of his hand could turn flesh into living fire

"You did it!" he accused the dry awareness in one corner of his mind "No, " the voice replied "I only showed you how The Will and the Word and the touch were all yours "

Garion knew that it was true With horror he re, incandescent hand hich he had spurned that agonized appeal for e he had wanted so desperately for the past several months was dreadfully complete, but the taste of it was bitter, bitter

Then his knees buckled, and he sank to the earth and wept like a broken-hearted child

Part Three - NYISSA

Chapter Twenty-three

THE EARTH WAS STILL THE SAME The trees had not changed, nor had the sky It was still spring, for the seasons had not altered their stately ain be the way that it had beenThey rode down through the Wood of the Dryads to the banks of the River of the Woods which marked the southern boundary of Tolnedra, and frolances frohtful, and Durnik - good, solid Durnik - behaved as if he were aled, unconcerned "Don't worry about it, Belgarion, " her voice murmured in his mind

"Don't call ht

"It's your naet used to it

"Leave me alone "

And then the sense of her presence in his one

It took them several days to reach the sea The weather reh it did not rain A stiff onshore breeze was blohen they rode out onto the wide beach at the ainst the sand, and whitecaps flecked the tops of the waves

Out beyond the surf, a lean, black Cherek war-boat swung at anchor, the air above her alive with screeching gulls Barak pulled his horse in and shaded his eyes "She looks fa intently at the narrow ship