Silk's Wedding Chapter 2
By Rose G
Disclaimer - All these belong to David Eddings. I reserve only Silk and maybe Zith for exterminating evil English teachers.
Silk rode steadily alongside Barak, his face twisted into a grimace as the wind cut through his tunic. He was slouching in the saddle, and Barak's mighty roan stallion was using him as a windbreak. This journey was definatly turning bad. Sulking, he wasn't paying attention to the over familiar Great North Road, and Barak was too busy laughing at his friend to notice the scenery.
The wolf leapt out from the bare trees, its ruff and shoulders silvered as though it had run through frosty grass. It run straight towards Silk, howling mournfully with its grey shot muzzle lifted to the iron grey sky, and the sound echoed plaintively, singing to the wind of an age old sorrow. Silk's black mare reared, her two white forefeet fighting with the evening sky. The little merchant slid fairly elegantly out of his saddle, rolling onto the steel hard ground, then wincing when Barak landed on top of him as his roan charger bolted, his hooves striking sparks from the earth.
A few minutes later, when Silk had staggered to his feet and finished inventing profanities on the spot, and Barak had stopped seeing stars, the wolf still stood there, it's lips pulled back in a strangely human grin. 'Belgarath!' Silk yelled at it, and the wolf shimmered briefly before the old sorcerer stood there, laughing uproariously. Forgetting his annoyance, he reached out his hand to Belgarath in greeting.
Barak smiled grimly then looked around for his mount. 'Belgarath, you just frightened the bravest horse I've ever seen.'
'What, was that because it was willing to take your weight?'
'Shut up, Silk.'
'You Chereks have no sense of humour. It's their worst fault, wouldn't you say, Belgarath?'
'And this habit of being over clever and their apparently overwhelming need to make smart comments is a bad thing for anyone who is unfortunate enough to be stuck on the Great North Road with a Drasnian. You're just jealous because I brought a horse, and you didn't get to make a two hundred percent profit on the deal.'
'Silk, be quiet. Barak, tell Silk were you got that horse, then lay off needling Silk. He's got a lot on his mind, haven't you, Silk?'
'Mandorallean gave him to me. His wife's banned him from getting involved in any more duels after he broke his leg fighting.'
Silk spluttered incoherently. 'What? Mandorallean got beaten? How? Who by?' His words tumbled over each other, and because of his surprise, his accent reverted to the well-spoken speech of the Royal House of Drasnia.
Barak smiled. 'I was around his country a while ago, and he was hobbling around. Apparently, he took on half the Austrian army, and lost quite badly. Someone insulted him, and he didn't like it, but he forgot to tell anyone else what he was up to. He took about half of their army down with him, and his wife went mad. He's banned from any more fighting, and she gave his horse to me. He's a good horse.'
Belgarath laughed again, then caught his breath. 'Sorry, Barak. I heard about that, but I didn't believe it until now. And now I think we'd best move on, if Silk wants to be in Riva for his wedding.'
Silk whimpered. 'I don't want to get married. Velvet still hasn't forgiven me for saying that I don't want to wear a smart tunic and that Sadi wasn't coming.'
The little merchant remounted and with Belgarath and Barak walking beside him in what seemed a half mocking guard of honour, they set off again. Only a few leagues had passed when Belgarath's worn face was lit by a radiant smile. 'Poledra!' He hurried forward, embracing the tawny-eyed woman who stood holding three horses by the roadside. Both Silk and Barak, now that they knew her story, could see the traces of the wolfish beauty in her face.
'Three of us coming with you, eh, Silk?' Barak's voice, behind his mocking grin, was warm.
'Yeah. And I think we could go to the Vale, couldn't we? Pick up Polgara and Durnik, and anyone else who's around. And maybe I could hide out there until Velvet forgets about the wedding.' His voice was hopeful.
'No, Silk.' Belgarath laughed again, and the four rode on into the night.
Sorry if not much happened in this. Next chapter, they meet Polgara's twins, and Belgarath buys a snake! Please let me know what you think.
By Rose G
Disclaimer - All these belong to David Eddings. I reserve only Silk and maybe Zith for exterminating evil English teachers.
Silk rode steadily alongside Barak, his face twisted into a grimace as the wind cut through his tunic. He was slouching in the saddle, and Barak's mighty roan stallion was using him as a windbreak. This journey was definatly turning bad. Sulking, he wasn't paying attention to the over familiar Great North Road, and Barak was too busy laughing at his friend to notice the scenery.
The wolf leapt out from the bare trees, its ruff and shoulders silvered as though it had run through frosty grass. It run straight towards Silk, howling mournfully with its grey shot muzzle lifted to the iron grey sky, and the sound echoed plaintively, singing to the wind of an age old sorrow. Silk's black mare reared, her two white forefeet fighting with the evening sky. The little merchant slid fairly elegantly out of his saddle, rolling onto the steel hard ground, then wincing when Barak landed on top of him as his roan charger bolted, his hooves striking sparks from the earth.
A few minutes later, when Silk had staggered to his feet and finished inventing profanities on the spot, and Barak had stopped seeing stars, the wolf still stood there, it's lips pulled back in a strangely human grin. 'Belgarath!' Silk yelled at it, and the wolf shimmered briefly before the old sorcerer stood there, laughing uproariously. Forgetting his annoyance, he reached out his hand to Belgarath in greeting.
Barak smiled grimly then looked around for his mount. 'Belgarath, you just frightened the bravest horse I've ever seen.'
'What, was that because it was willing to take your weight?'
'Shut up, Silk.'
'You Chereks have no sense of humour. It's their worst fault, wouldn't you say, Belgarath?'
'And this habit of being over clever and their apparently overwhelming need to make smart comments is a bad thing for anyone who is unfortunate enough to be stuck on the Great North Road with a Drasnian. You're just jealous because I brought a horse, and you didn't get to make a two hundred percent profit on the deal.'
'Silk, be quiet. Barak, tell Silk were you got that horse, then lay off needling Silk. He's got a lot on his mind, haven't you, Silk?'
'Mandorallean gave him to me. His wife's banned him from getting involved in any more duels after he broke his leg fighting.'
Silk spluttered incoherently. 'What? Mandorallean got beaten? How? Who by?' His words tumbled over each other, and because of his surprise, his accent reverted to the well-spoken speech of the Royal House of Drasnia.
Barak smiled. 'I was around his country a while ago, and he was hobbling around. Apparently, he took on half the Austrian army, and lost quite badly. Someone insulted him, and he didn't like it, but he forgot to tell anyone else what he was up to. He took about half of their army down with him, and his wife went mad. He's banned from any more fighting, and she gave his horse to me. He's a good horse.'
Belgarath laughed again, then caught his breath. 'Sorry, Barak. I heard about that, but I didn't believe it until now. And now I think we'd best move on, if Silk wants to be in Riva for his wedding.'
Silk whimpered. 'I don't want to get married. Velvet still hasn't forgiven me for saying that I don't want to wear a smart tunic and that Sadi wasn't coming.'
The little merchant remounted and with Belgarath and Barak walking beside him in what seemed a half mocking guard of honour, they set off again. Only a few leagues had passed when Belgarath's worn face was lit by a radiant smile. 'Poledra!' He hurried forward, embracing the tawny-eyed woman who stood holding three horses by the roadside. Both Silk and Barak, now that they knew her story, could see the traces of the wolfish beauty in her face.
'Three of us coming with you, eh, Silk?' Barak's voice, behind his mocking grin, was warm.
'Yeah. And I think we could go to the Vale, couldn't we? Pick up Polgara and Durnik, and anyone else who's around. And maybe I could hide out there until Velvet forgets about the wedding.' His voice was hopeful.
'No, Silk.' Belgarath laughed again, and the four rode on into the night.
Sorry if not much happened in this. Next chapter, they meet Polgara's twins, and Belgarath buys a snake! Please let me know what you think.