Chapter One.
Belgarion, King of Riva, Overlord of the West, Godslayer, beloved husband and father, sighed as he looked at the gentle peace of The Vale Of Aldur. His wife, Ce'Nedra, Queen of Riva, co-ruler of The Isle Of Winds, Princess of the Tolnedran Empire, Jewel of the House of Borune, beloved wife and mother looked over at him.
"What's the matter, Garion?" She asked, keeping an ever watchful eye on her children.
"Have you ever noticed that, no matter how peaceful the world is out here, down there it seems even more so?" Garion motioned towards the Vale.
"It does seem like that, doesn't it?" His queen replied, moving forward towards the Vale.
Garion called his children and together, the Royal family of Riva descended into the Vale. They called their horses to a halt in front of a cottage not too far into the Vale. As they dismounted, the door to the cottage opened, and out walked a beautiful woman. Her hair was raven black, except for a stunning white lock of hair, just at her brow. Her deep blue eyes sparkled merrily as she watched the family approach. Garion was the first to reach her.
"Aunt Pol." He said, embracing the woman. The woman smiled and fondly patted his arm.
"I've missed you Garion." She said simply. She then greeted the rest of the family. "Ce'Nedra dear, you're looking well." She said, addressing the tiny Queen.
"Thank you Lady Polgara." Ce'Nedra answered, unconsciously slipping into her old way of addressing the woman.
"I thought we stopped with all the 'Ladies'." Polgara said, frowning slightly. Ce'Nedra grinned a little sheepishly.
"I'm sorry Aunt Pol." She apologised. "I'm just a little tired after the journey." Polgara's eyes narrowed
"Did Garion rush you here?" Polgara asked, with a glare at Garion. Garion looked affronted.
"No I didn't Aunt Pol." He said, throwing a look at his wife.
"He didn't Aunt Pol. I don't know why I'm tired." Ce'Nedra explained.
"Well fine. At least you arrived on time. Come and see everyone else. They're with my parents." Polgara said, leading the family deeper into the Vale.
"Everyone else, Aunt Pol?" Garion asked, confused.
Polgara didn't even turn around when she answered. "It was very strange. Before you arrived, Barak, Silk, Hettar, Mandorallen, Lelldorin, and Relg all arrived." Polgara frowned, concentrating. "They all turned up with no warning or anything. All they said was that they felt that they had to be here."
"It seems too much like when I was the Child Of Light." Garion said, looking at his Aunt Pol.
Polgara nodded. "It seems that way, doesn't it."
Belgarath's tower came into view and so did all of their friends. Garion greeted all his friends with hugs and warm handshakes. Ce'Nedra gave kisses and so did her daughters. Geran greeted everyone with the formality of a young prince.
Everyone was talking at once when they heard twin screeches from above. Two hawks, a blue-banded one and a lavender-banded one. They landed and shimmered into two people. One was a stunningly beautiful woman and the other was a deformed dwarf who was very dirty and ugly.
"Uncle Beldin!" Polgara cried, running towards the dwarf, tears in her eyes. She embraced the man tightly.
"Pol my girl, you're getting a bit fat." Beldin said, looking at Polgara critically.
Polgara laughed "You haven't changed at all Uncle."
More greetings and some tears were shed, as everyone reunited with the two who had been away from them for so long.
After a while Silk mentioned something that had been nagging at him for the past hour "Excuse me, but does the Vale usually have strange shadows floating through it?" He asked Belgarath.
Belgarath shook his head "No it doesn't. Why?"
"Because there's been this strange shadow moving across the Vale. I never can quite seem to see all of it." Silk said. He was about to say more when a figure dressed in dark clothes rushed across the Vale and hurled themself at Beldin. Beldin fell to the ground with a crash, the dark-clothed figure right on top of him, kicking and punching. Everyone stood shocked at this, then at Beldin's grunt of pain, Hettar and Barak moved forward and pulled the person off of Beldin.
"We don't take it too well when our friends are attacked." Barak said ominously.
"Let me go!" The figure protested in a voice much too high to belong to a full grown man.
"Who art thou to attack our friend?" Mandorallen asked, his armour creaking.
"I have no problem with you Mandorallen, or your friends. My quarrel is with the old man." The person said, their hood covering their face.
"How do you know us?" Silk asked, his curious nature getting the better of him.
"I know all of you Kheldar, and what you have done. Of course the whole world knows of that, but I know better than most." The faceless person answered. "Now I'll tell you again. Let me go! I don't want to have to hurt you, but if you stop me from obtaining my revenge, then you'll leave me no choice."
Belgarath stared at his newly returned brother. "What have you done recently to annoy someone brother?" He asked off handedly.
"Nothing that I can recall." Beldin answered, scratching at his armpit.
"It didn't happen recently." The cloaked person spat. "It happened when The Child Of Light was travelling to Cthol Murgos. Beldin was not with you." The person stopped for a minute, and a small sob could be heard coming from the hood. Beldin's eyes had widened though. "Since you have obviously made your choice, then I am sorry." And with that, the cloaked person broke free of Hettar's and Barak's grasp, crouched down to the ground and swung her leg out to knock down the pair of them. They both fell to the ground in a heap. Silk leapt forward to seize the cloaked person's arm, when they spun around to face him.
"So Kheldar, you are going to try and stop me too?" The person asked.
Silk grinned "You seem to know how to fight aside from simple brawling so you may be a challenge." There was a glint in Silk's eyes.
"I'll be more than a challenge Kheldar." And with that, the cloaked person threw off their cloak. Everyone gasped in surprise for instead of a young man standing before them, there was a young lady, dressed in a dark blue tunic. "Are you still going to try me?" She taunted.
Silk's eyes hardened, and he was about to attack when,
"Stop Silk." Beldin had come between Silk and the mystery woman. "You can't hurt her." He continued much to everyone's surprise.
"You know this woman Beldin?" Vella, who was the violet-banded hawk, asked.
"Yes I do." Beldin said, his head down.
Vella frowned "How?" Her tone was icy.
"No need to be like that Vella. Uncle Beldin doesn't know me like that." Everyone looked shocked.
"Uncle?" Belgarath asked. "Since when were you an uncle?" He demanded of his brother.
"His relationship to me is like Polgara's to Belgarion. He's my uncle a couple hundred of generations removed." The woman told Belgarath.
"Milaya, what are you doing here?" Beldin asked, identifying his niece.
"I'm here to get some revenge. You let my entire family die when you could of helped! Do you want to know what Jessaleigh and Nicolla's last words were before that horrid pair of Gromlims finished them? Their last words were "Laya, why isn't Unka Din here to help us?" Those very words have been repeating themselves over and over in my head for years." Milaya's eyes were hard as she stared at Beldin. "I want to know too. Why weren't you there to help us, Unka Din?" Milaya spat out, watching as Beldin flinched at these words. She opened her mouth to say more, but stopped, seeming to listen to someone inside her head. "My revenge has been postponed. I must go." And Milaya turned away and walked off towards the boundaries of the Vale. She stopped once, as a chestnut coloured mare appeared by her side. She mounted the mare and took off.
There was a soft sob, and everyone turned to see Beldin sitting on the grass, tears streaming down his face. About to comfort him, his friends were surprised by a blue glow to the side of him. Aldur appeared and Beldin, at the sight of his master, stood.
"Gentle Beldin, thine niece doest still love thee, but she is hurt by thee and how thou didst naught to help. All of thee must follow Milaya though. All except thine children and Gentle Beldin and Vella. They must stay here with me." Aldur said (A/N: My archaic speech is a little rusty and probably sucks so sorry. ( ) Everyone nodded, knowing that it was pointless to say no to a God. They packed and said their goodbyes then, on horses, they left.
"Hello Garion." A very familiar voice rang through Garion's mind. It was the Prophecy Of Light.
Belgarion, King of Riva, Overlord of the West, Godslayer, beloved husband and father, sighed as he looked at the gentle peace of The Vale Of Aldur. His wife, Ce'Nedra, Queen of Riva, co-ruler of The Isle Of Winds, Princess of the Tolnedran Empire, Jewel of the House of Borune, beloved wife and mother looked over at him.
"What's the matter, Garion?" She asked, keeping an ever watchful eye on her children.
"Have you ever noticed that, no matter how peaceful the world is out here, down there it seems even more so?" Garion motioned towards the Vale.
"It does seem like that, doesn't it?" His queen replied, moving forward towards the Vale.
Garion called his children and together, the Royal family of Riva descended into the Vale. They called their horses to a halt in front of a cottage not too far into the Vale. As they dismounted, the door to the cottage opened, and out walked a beautiful woman. Her hair was raven black, except for a stunning white lock of hair, just at her brow. Her deep blue eyes sparkled merrily as she watched the family approach. Garion was the first to reach her.
"Aunt Pol." He said, embracing the woman. The woman smiled and fondly patted his arm.
"I've missed you Garion." She said simply. She then greeted the rest of the family. "Ce'Nedra dear, you're looking well." She said, addressing the tiny Queen.
"Thank you Lady Polgara." Ce'Nedra answered, unconsciously slipping into her old way of addressing the woman.
"I thought we stopped with all the 'Ladies'." Polgara said, frowning slightly. Ce'Nedra grinned a little sheepishly.
"I'm sorry Aunt Pol." She apologised. "I'm just a little tired after the journey." Polgara's eyes narrowed
"Did Garion rush you here?" Polgara asked, with a glare at Garion. Garion looked affronted.
"No I didn't Aunt Pol." He said, throwing a look at his wife.
"He didn't Aunt Pol. I don't know why I'm tired." Ce'Nedra explained.
"Well fine. At least you arrived on time. Come and see everyone else. They're with my parents." Polgara said, leading the family deeper into the Vale.
"Everyone else, Aunt Pol?" Garion asked, confused.
Polgara didn't even turn around when she answered. "It was very strange. Before you arrived, Barak, Silk, Hettar, Mandorallen, Lelldorin, and Relg all arrived." Polgara frowned, concentrating. "They all turned up with no warning or anything. All they said was that they felt that they had to be here."
"It seems too much like when I was the Child Of Light." Garion said, looking at his Aunt Pol.
Polgara nodded. "It seems that way, doesn't it."
Belgarath's tower came into view and so did all of their friends. Garion greeted all his friends with hugs and warm handshakes. Ce'Nedra gave kisses and so did her daughters. Geran greeted everyone with the formality of a young prince.
Everyone was talking at once when they heard twin screeches from above. Two hawks, a blue-banded one and a lavender-banded one. They landed and shimmered into two people. One was a stunningly beautiful woman and the other was a deformed dwarf who was very dirty and ugly.
"Uncle Beldin!" Polgara cried, running towards the dwarf, tears in her eyes. She embraced the man tightly.
"Pol my girl, you're getting a bit fat." Beldin said, looking at Polgara critically.
Polgara laughed "You haven't changed at all Uncle."
More greetings and some tears were shed, as everyone reunited with the two who had been away from them for so long.
After a while Silk mentioned something that had been nagging at him for the past hour "Excuse me, but does the Vale usually have strange shadows floating through it?" He asked Belgarath.
Belgarath shook his head "No it doesn't. Why?"
"Because there's been this strange shadow moving across the Vale. I never can quite seem to see all of it." Silk said. He was about to say more when a figure dressed in dark clothes rushed across the Vale and hurled themself at Beldin. Beldin fell to the ground with a crash, the dark-clothed figure right on top of him, kicking and punching. Everyone stood shocked at this, then at Beldin's grunt of pain, Hettar and Barak moved forward and pulled the person off of Beldin.
"We don't take it too well when our friends are attacked." Barak said ominously.
"Let me go!" The figure protested in a voice much too high to belong to a full grown man.
"Who art thou to attack our friend?" Mandorallen asked, his armour creaking.
"I have no problem with you Mandorallen, or your friends. My quarrel is with the old man." The person said, their hood covering their face.
"How do you know us?" Silk asked, his curious nature getting the better of him.
"I know all of you Kheldar, and what you have done. Of course the whole world knows of that, but I know better than most." The faceless person answered. "Now I'll tell you again. Let me go! I don't want to have to hurt you, but if you stop me from obtaining my revenge, then you'll leave me no choice."
Belgarath stared at his newly returned brother. "What have you done recently to annoy someone brother?" He asked off handedly.
"Nothing that I can recall." Beldin answered, scratching at his armpit.
"It didn't happen recently." The cloaked person spat. "It happened when The Child Of Light was travelling to Cthol Murgos. Beldin was not with you." The person stopped for a minute, and a small sob could be heard coming from the hood. Beldin's eyes had widened though. "Since you have obviously made your choice, then I am sorry." And with that, the cloaked person broke free of Hettar's and Barak's grasp, crouched down to the ground and swung her leg out to knock down the pair of them. They both fell to the ground in a heap. Silk leapt forward to seize the cloaked person's arm, when they spun around to face him.
"So Kheldar, you are going to try and stop me too?" The person asked.
Silk grinned "You seem to know how to fight aside from simple brawling so you may be a challenge." There was a glint in Silk's eyes.
"I'll be more than a challenge Kheldar." And with that, the cloaked person threw off their cloak. Everyone gasped in surprise for instead of a young man standing before them, there was a young lady, dressed in a dark blue tunic. "Are you still going to try me?" She taunted.
Silk's eyes hardened, and he was about to attack when,
"Stop Silk." Beldin had come between Silk and the mystery woman. "You can't hurt her." He continued much to everyone's surprise.
"You know this woman Beldin?" Vella, who was the violet-banded hawk, asked.
"Yes I do." Beldin said, his head down.
Vella frowned "How?" Her tone was icy.
"No need to be like that Vella. Uncle Beldin doesn't know me like that." Everyone looked shocked.
"Uncle?" Belgarath asked. "Since when were you an uncle?" He demanded of his brother.
"His relationship to me is like Polgara's to Belgarion. He's my uncle a couple hundred of generations removed." The woman told Belgarath.
"Milaya, what are you doing here?" Beldin asked, identifying his niece.
"I'm here to get some revenge. You let my entire family die when you could of helped! Do you want to know what Jessaleigh and Nicolla's last words were before that horrid pair of Gromlims finished them? Their last words were "Laya, why isn't Unka Din here to help us?" Those very words have been repeating themselves over and over in my head for years." Milaya's eyes were hard as she stared at Beldin. "I want to know too. Why weren't you there to help us, Unka Din?" Milaya spat out, watching as Beldin flinched at these words. She opened her mouth to say more, but stopped, seeming to listen to someone inside her head. "My revenge has been postponed. I must go." And Milaya turned away and walked off towards the boundaries of the Vale. She stopped once, as a chestnut coloured mare appeared by her side. She mounted the mare and took off.
There was a soft sob, and everyone turned to see Beldin sitting on the grass, tears streaming down his face. About to comfort him, his friends were surprised by a blue glow to the side of him. Aldur appeared and Beldin, at the sight of his master, stood.
"Gentle Beldin, thine niece doest still love thee, but she is hurt by thee and how thou didst naught to help. All of thee must follow Milaya though. All except thine children and Gentle Beldin and Vella. They must stay here with me." Aldur said (A/N: My archaic speech is a little rusty and probably sucks so sorry. ( ) Everyone nodded, knowing that it was pointless to say no to a God. They packed and said their goodbyes then, on horses, they left.
"Hello Garion." A very familiar voice rang through Garion's mind. It was the Prophecy Of Light.