What would have happened if there had been another member of the company to pick up in Arendia….

Chapter one: The Girl with two faces

There's another one

. The dry voice in Garion's mind informed him smugly.

 What? Garion asked, bemused.

 There's another one. One who you need to take with you on your quest. Another one in Arendia. One that Belgarath and Polgara don't know about. The voice finished with immense satisfaction.

Who is it? Garion asked, still bemused.

"The Woman with two faces." The dry voice murmured.

Who's that? Garion pressed. But the voice was gone.

 "Ah, Grandfather?" Garion asked tentatively.

"Yes, Garion?" The old man replied, looking up from his tankard. Polgara sat quietly across the campfire, fixing her father with a disapproving stare, whilst her nimble fingers mended a torn tunic.

"Umm…" Garion paused. This seemed to be something that had to be said 'just so'. "Well, He just told me that there's another person in Arendia that were' supposed to find, you know, apart from Lelldorin."

Belgarath nodded. "Yes, the next one's a Mimbrate." Lelldorin stood up, repulsion written across his transparent face. "Belgarath, you cannot possibly be considering taking one of those… those… Mimbrate scum with us?" Belgarath regarded the young Austurian calmly. "Sit down, Lelldorin, and yes, we will be traveling with a Mimbrate, and it's something that you can do nothing about." The young Arend sullenly fiddled with a flap on his boot. Belgarath turned to Garion. "But why would he bother telling us about that? Surely he didn't think I'd forget something as important as that!"

 "Uh.." Garion started. Belgarath looked up. "Was there something else, Garion?"

 "Um.. Yes. He said that.. That you and Aunt Pol didn't know who this person was, and that they absolutely must come with us." Belgarath swore. "Did he give you any names, dear?" Polgara looked up from her needlework, throwing her father yet another disapproving look. "Um.. He said that this person was 'The woman with two faces'."

 "Ah." Polgara looked over to her father, who had ceased erupting profanities and was now staring sullenly out through the forest. "Well at least that narrows it down a bit." The old man sighed. "We know she's a woman. But, unfortunately, we don't know her name, age, class, or anything else useful about her."

"Don't be such a defeatist, father."

 As Belgarath was about to speak, a blue-banded hawk spiraled down into the clearing and shimmered into the shape of Beldin. "Uncle," Polgara nodded. She wrinkled her nose. "I suggest you bathe. You're more than a bit strong on the downwind side."

"Is that the best you can do, girl? You're loosing your touch." The hunchback snorted. "Belgarath, you may want to look at this. I was flicking through the passages of the Mrin, and look what I found." He held out a wrinkled piece of parchment with a passage hastily scrawled onto it. He read it aloud; "' And there shall be a 13th of the number in Asturia, The Woman with two faces, whom bides in the place where a noble heart is scarce to find. Hasten there, for she cannot wait.'"

Belgarath looked up at his brother in befuddlement. "Where did you find this? I could swear I've never seen it before, and I've been studying the Mrin for quite a while." Beldin looked at Belgarath, an earnest look on his face. " You know as well as I do, Belgarath. I was flicking through the pages, and then it just appeared on the page, like that!" He clapped his gnarled hands for emphasis. Belgarath gripped his chin, looking down at the parchment with intense concentration. "I think this is all our friends' doing. Just now, he informed Garion that there's another person we need to find that we don't know about. A "Woman with two faces", as the passage suggests."

 "Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I really must be off." Beldin grinned, then shimmered into the shape of the blue-banded hawk, and Garion waved a silent good-bye. Belgarath turned to Lelldorin. "Where do you think you'd be least likely to find someone of nobility, Lelldorin?" The young austurian shrugged. "A serf camp, I guess." "right, everyone. Pack up, we're off to the nearest serf camp."

***


A/N= So, what do you think? =^_^= ...I know the end's kinda a cliffhanger, but... *grins* The more reveiws I get, the faster I'll post. (Yes, I know I'm evil ^ ^) It probably won't be out too soon, though, because I have evil, evil Exams coming up, and, well, you know the drill... My life has stopped outside of a textbook. ^_^ heh... BTW, If you liked this fic, while you're here, could you be so kind as to read some of the other fics I've written and tell me what you think? Any input would be greatly appreciated. ^_^
Luv ~*Elfea*~