1 Chapter 5
Garion pulled his horse beside Lilianna's and smiled. "I had to tell her." He muttered.
Lily's thoughts were elsewhere. She was racking her brain, trying desperately to remember what was going to happen next, but it seemed that the more time went on the fewer things she could remember. She could recall the big things, like characters, prophecy names, who married who, but the actual events kept eluding her. Why?
"Lily. Did you hear me?" Garion asked, gently touching her shoulder.
"Oh. Uh huh. Sorry Garion. I was just thinking. What did you say?"
"I was trying to apologize for breaking our secret, but I just had to tell Aunt Pol. It was the right thing to do wasn't it?"
Lilianna smiled warmly. "Of course it was Garion. We should have told her sooner, but it all worked out. You made the right choice."
He grinned widely. "That's good. So were still friends?"
"Of course Garion."
"What are you two talking about back there?" came the overly sweet voice of Aunt Pol.
"Nothing." The two answered simultaneously.
Belgarath laughed. "You know when they say nothing, it usually means something."
"Oh, and you're the expert now Old Wolf?"
"Hardly Pol. Everyone knows the 'nothing' rule."
Garion and Lily gave each other a knowing look and laughed.
Just then Belgarath called the party to a halt. His eyes became distant and Lily could hear a very distant sound in her ears.
" We go this way. There's a woodcutters trail through the forest that we can take. It's narrow, but if we walk single file we should get there."
Lily glanced toward Polgara with a frighten look on her face. Since her encounter on the train being surrounded by trees did not seem the most comforting. Just the thought of the dark man made her visibly shudder.
A steady hand found it's way to her shoulder. "I'll be right behind you." Durnik the smith smiled with his honest face, and she didn't feel so afraid.
They plodded along, single file, not saying a word. Tension was high and the anxiety was palpable. Belgarath lead the way, with Polgara close behind. Followed by Garion, Lily, and Durnik bringing up the rear. It was these strategic positions that prevented Lily or Garion from seeing the man in the bushes.
"Stop." He yelled and jumped in front of Garion's horse.
Garion screamed and spurred his horse into action. "Giant!" He yelled as his horse flew passed his Aunt.
Lily charged her horse after him without even thinking. When she reached the clearing she saw a small, weasel looking man-helping Garion up.
"On your feet Rabbit."
"Silk." Lily hollered in recognition.
"I'm sorry do I know you?" He questioned, moving himself protectively in front of the boy.
"No. But I know you by reputation. That nose of yours is famous." She responded with wit, hoping it sounded convincing.
Silk grinned maliciously. "But of course. It never steers me wrong."
"Excuse me." Garion stated firmly. "But shouldn't we be getting back to Aunt Pol? I don't want that giant to eat her."
The man laughed. "I wouldn't have any fear of that. Your Aunt Pol is perfectly capable of taking care of herself, but I do agree. Let's find the others." Then he gazed up at Lily. "What's your name little girl?"
"Lilianna."
"Hum. Nice name. Odd, but nice. Where are you from?"
"Sendaria." She lied quickly. If there's one thing she could remember it was that the Sendars paid no attention to race. She didn't have to resemble anything to be from there.
Silk nodded and she could see his nose twitching.
"Well let's go then." She commented, no longer wanting to stay put. She lifted Garion into her saddle. "We'll find your horse in the morning. He can't be far." The boy only nodded and lowered his head. Silk took the reins and walked their mount back to camp.
***
That night Lily lay very still in her makeshift bed. The stars that shined so brightly in the night sky seemed to be whispering to her, telling her their secrets. //If only I could understand what they were saying.//
The day had been uneventful. The nosey little thief had led them back to camp, where Garion could be introduced to his 'giant'. In Lily's eyes Barak wasn't so much a giant as a big teddy bear. Her gut reaction had been to run up and give him a big hug, but she restrained. Polgara had cooked them all a lovely supper of gruel and Silk ate it quietly.
She thought about all these things and more as she tried to find sleep. She tried to remember how she got here. The event fading slowly from her mind, she was frightened that she was losing herself in this world. That the longer she remained here she would eventually become it, and all memories of her other life would fade away.
//And why would that be a bad thing?// She asked herself. //There's nothing for me back there. No family, no life, no meaning. At least here I have friends. Friends that might even one day grow to love me.// She closed her eyes and shook her head. These thoughts only served to confuse her. She felt like she was missing something, like the all the pieces of the puzzle had yet to be found.
Rolling over and snuggling into the furs her eyes caught sight of something in the distance. She sat up and strained to see who it was.
//Polgara?//
She rose from her bag and wrapped herself tightly in her robe to ward the chilly night air. Carefully, she made her way to the small knoll the sorceress sat upon.
"Lady Polgara?" She murmured.
Polgara twisted to see her. "What are you doing up dear?"
"I couldn't sleep." Lily was honest. She took a seat next to Pol on the grass. "May I sit with you Lady Polgara?"
"Of course you may dear." And she smiled warmly. Neither of them said anything, but Lily felt calm just being near her. She listened to the gentle hum of the stars and closed her eyes. She felt peaceful, safe, and welcome. This world may not have been her own, but it certainly seemed willing to accommodate her. She took comfort in that thought, and decided not to beat it down with her constant rationalizing.
Her last memory before falling deep into sleep was the brief flash of a woman's face, gentle and strong. The woman placed her on the pile of furs and covered her tightly. Ever so lightly her hand loving brushed Lily's hair from her face and Lily fell into a restful sleep, knowing that the women would be there.
She dreamt that night. Her mind filling with images of her deepest desires. She had a family. She watched herself run from the small cottage to frolic in the greenest of fields. A little boy followed close behind her and she somehow knew he was her brother. His blonde locks coiled up to his forehead in a mess of curls, and his deep penetrating eyes sparkled with mischief. He seemed wise beyond his years and Lily could sense their closeness. As she turned she saw her would be father. A tall, sturdy man mending the fence. He turned and winked, filling her with laughter. She ran playfully back inside the cottage and saw two small children playing with their dolls. //My Sisters.// She thought absently. They were twins, with flaxen curls and dark eyes. As she admired them she heard a noise from the kitchen and looked in to find her mother preparing supper. Dark hair cascading down her back as she moved among boiling water and sizzling poultry all while humming softly to herself. It was all she could have hoped for, and just as soon as it had appeared, the fantasy was gone.
Her eyes fluttered open as a gentle humming filled her ears. The smell of bacon filled her nostrils and pulled her out of bed.
"Well good morning." Polgara said mildly, not removing her attention from the pan.
"Good morning. Did you ever get to sleep Lady Pol?"
"Yes dear. Now, would you care for some breakfast?"
"Yes please." Lily replied eagerly, realizing she was starved. "Where are Garion and the rest?"
"Garion is fetching some water while Father, Silk, and Barak are scouting ahead." She handed Lily a plate of Bacon and a cup of water.
"Thank you." She replied before stuffing the food in her face.
Polgara smiled. "You might want to slow down on that a bit. You'll get sick if you eat to fast."
Lily giggled, but obeyed. "So where to next Polgara?"
"Darine, last I heard." The she looked pointedly at the girl. "Would you believe were dragging turnips with us?"
Lily laughed. "Turnips Lady Polgara?"
"Turnips!" She said, her voice slightly shrill. " Father thinks he's being clever."
"Well it is a rather good disguise if I say so myself."
"Don't you stick up for him. I've had enough of that this morning." Her tone was firm, but the tiny smile that played across her lips showed she was rather please.
Lily nodded. "Would I do a thing like that Lady Pol?" The both laughed just as Garion grunted up the path, arms full of canteens.
He dropped them on the ground and turned to his Aunt Pol. "I did it Aunt Pol."
She nodded. "Very good dear. Now stay out of trouble till the others return."
"Yes Ma'am." He replied and sulked away to tend to the horses.
Lilianna gulped down the last of her breakfast, thanked Polgara again and ran to catch up with him.
"What's the matter Garion?"
"Nothing." He patted the horse lightly.
"Hey, I thought we were friends. Why don't you tell me what's wrong?"
He sighed heavily. "It's nothing really. Just me being silly. Did you hear how Mister Wolf introduced everybody last night?"
"Yeah." She tried hard to remember.
"He called Aunt Pol, Mistress Pol, and Silk laughed."
"So Durnik calls her Mistress Pol all the time." She crossed her arms and waited for his response.
"That's not the point. Silk looked at her like it wasn't her real name, like she'd been called something else before, by him!"
"Garion…"
"It means that she's not who she says she is! That maybe Aunt Pol really isn't my aunt."
"Garion, I think your being unreasonable."
"I don't care Lilianna. She's all I have. I'm worried that…maybe…I don't know."
Lily grabbed the boy's shoulders firmly and stared directly into his eyes. "Look Garion, I don't know much about you or your family, but I do know that Mistress Pol is your Aunt. You should never doubt that."
He sighed and lowered his head. "I don't know Lily."
She became frustrated. In her eyes Garion had a family. He had people that loved and cared for him, and here he was questioning it. It made her angry. "If you don't know in your heart that she's yours, then you don't deserve her." And she walked away.
Garion shook his head. //She'll get over it.// He thought, but he wasn't so sure.
***
Lily marched right past camp to the stream. Throwing herself on a rock she hugged her knees to her chest and watched the sun reflecting off the water. She felt like her head was going to explode. Everything just seemed to be so crazy. She couldn't recall a time when she felt so stressed. Even traveling from foster home to foster home hadn't befuddled her this much. Being a child of logic, Lily found it hard to just accept. She could perform the task from time to time, but her mind always questioned. //My curse.// She thought to herself.
WOULD YOU STOP WITH ALL THIS SELF PITY? IT'S DRIVING ME CRAZY.
"What?" Lily asked aloud, not really sure where the voice had come from.
OH COME NOW LILIANNA. YOU KNOW BETTER THAN THAT. The voice resounded within her mind.
//Know better than what?// this time she directed her thoughts inward.
THAT'S BETTER. NOW I NEED YOU TO PAY ATTENTION.
//What in Aldur's name are you talking about?//
ALREADY SWEARING BY THE GODS. VERY GOOD LILIANNA. YOU'RE EVEN BETTER THAN I HOPED.
//The necessity? //
GOOD GIRL, THERE MAY BE HOPE FOR YOU YET. NOW LISTEN CAREFULLY. SOMTHINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN THAT YOU MUST BE PREPARED FOR. THAT MARK ON YOUR PALM MAKES YOU IMPORTANT, DON'T IGNORE IT. TELL POLGARA NOT TO DISMISS GARION'S TRAINING, HE HAS THE POWER AND NEEDS IT IN TUNE WHEN THE TIME COMES.
//What are you talking about? Am I the Godslayer?//
NO, BUT SOMETHING JUST AS IMPORTANT. PAY ATTENTION TO THE SIGNS LILY. DON'T MISS THEM.
//But why me?//
I REFUSE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
And then the voice was gone, leaving her completely perplexed. She sat by the water for a few moments, playing the dialogue over again in her head. //If I can hear the voice of necessity, then somehow I must be connected with the child of light and the prophecy. But I'm from a completely different world!!//
The mark on her palm began to itch. She stared at it intensely as if it would tell her something. " ' Don't ignore it', he said. Don't ignore it." She whispered softly while tracing a finger across her palm. A small smile crept upon her face and she bolted from her rock in search of Polgara.
Garion pulled his horse beside Lilianna's and smiled. "I had to tell her." He muttered.
Lily's thoughts were elsewhere. She was racking her brain, trying desperately to remember what was going to happen next, but it seemed that the more time went on the fewer things she could remember. She could recall the big things, like characters, prophecy names, who married who, but the actual events kept eluding her. Why?
"Lily. Did you hear me?" Garion asked, gently touching her shoulder.
"Oh. Uh huh. Sorry Garion. I was just thinking. What did you say?"
"I was trying to apologize for breaking our secret, but I just had to tell Aunt Pol. It was the right thing to do wasn't it?"
Lilianna smiled warmly. "Of course it was Garion. We should have told her sooner, but it all worked out. You made the right choice."
He grinned widely. "That's good. So were still friends?"
"Of course Garion."
"What are you two talking about back there?" came the overly sweet voice of Aunt Pol.
"Nothing." The two answered simultaneously.
Belgarath laughed. "You know when they say nothing, it usually means something."
"Oh, and you're the expert now Old Wolf?"
"Hardly Pol. Everyone knows the 'nothing' rule."
Garion and Lily gave each other a knowing look and laughed.
Just then Belgarath called the party to a halt. His eyes became distant and Lily could hear a very distant sound in her ears.
" We go this way. There's a woodcutters trail through the forest that we can take. It's narrow, but if we walk single file we should get there."
Lily glanced toward Polgara with a frighten look on her face. Since her encounter on the train being surrounded by trees did not seem the most comforting. Just the thought of the dark man made her visibly shudder.
A steady hand found it's way to her shoulder. "I'll be right behind you." Durnik the smith smiled with his honest face, and she didn't feel so afraid.
They plodded along, single file, not saying a word. Tension was high and the anxiety was palpable. Belgarath lead the way, with Polgara close behind. Followed by Garion, Lily, and Durnik bringing up the rear. It was these strategic positions that prevented Lily or Garion from seeing the man in the bushes.
"Stop." He yelled and jumped in front of Garion's horse.
Garion screamed and spurred his horse into action. "Giant!" He yelled as his horse flew passed his Aunt.
Lily charged her horse after him without even thinking. When she reached the clearing she saw a small, weasel looking man-helping Garion up.
"On your feet Rabbit."
"Silk." Lily hollered in recognition.
"I'm sorry do I know you?" He questioned, moving himself protectively in front of the boy.
"No. But I know you by reputation. That nose of yours is famous." She responded with wit, hoping it sounded convincing.
Silk grinned maliciously. "But of course. It never steers me wrong."
"Excuse me." Garion stated firmly. "But shouldn't we be getting back to Aunt Pol? I don't want that giant to eat her."
The man laughed. "I wouldn't have any fear of that. Your Aunt Pol is perfectly capable of taking care of herself, but I do agree. Let's find the others." Then he gazed up at Lily. "What's your name little girl?"
"Lilianna."
"Hum. Nice name. Odd, but nice. Where are you from?"
"Sendaria." She lied quickly. If there's one thing she could remember it was that the Sendars paid no attention to race. She didn't have to resemble anything to be from there.
Silk nodded and she could see his nose twitching.
"Well let's go then." She commented, no longer wanting to stay put. She lifted Garion into her saddle. "We'll find your horse in the morning. He can't be far." The boy only nodded and lowered his head. Silk took the reins and walked their mount back to camp.
***
That night Lily lay very still in her makeshift bed. The stars that shined so brightly in the night sky seemed to be whispering to her, telling her their secrets. //If only I could understand what they were saying.//
The day had been uneventful. The nosey little thief had led them back to camp, where Garion could be introduced to his 'giant'. In Lily's eyes Barak wasn't so much a giant as a big teddy bear. Her gut reaction had been to run up and give him a big hug, but she restrained. Polgara had cooked them all a lovely supper of gruel and Silk ate it quietly.
She thought about all these things and more as she tried to find sleep. She tried to remember how she got here. The event fading slowly from her mind, she was frightened that she was losing herself in this world. That the longer she remained here she would eventually become it, and all memories of her other life would fade away.
//And why would that be a bad thing?// She asked herself. //There's nothing for me back there. No family, no life, no meaning. At least here I have friends. Friends that might even one day grow to love me.// She closed her eyes and shook her head. These thoughts only served to confuse her. She felt like she was missing something, like the all the pieces of the puzzle had yet to be found.
Rolling over and snuggling into the furs her eyes caught sight of something in the distance. She sat up and strained to see who it was.
//Polgara?//
She rose from her bag and wrapped herself tightly in her robe to ward the chilly night air. Carefully, she made her way to the small knoll the sorceress sat upon.
"Lady Polgara?" She murmured.
Polgara twisted to see her. "What are you doing up dear?"
"I couldn't sleep." Lily was honest. She took a seat next to Pol on the grass. "May I sit with you Lady Polgara?"
"Of course you may dear." And she smiled warmly. Neither of them said anything, but Lily felt calm just being near her. She listened to the gentle hum of the stars and closed her eyes. She felt peaceful, safe, and welcome. This world may not have been her own, but it certainly seemed willing to accommodate her. She took comfort in that thought, and decided not to beat it down with her constant rationalizing.
Her last memory before falling deep into sleep was the brief flash of a woman's face, gentle and strong. The woman placed her on the pile of furs and covered her tightly. Ever so lightly her hand loving brushed Lily's hair from her face and Lily fell into a restful sleep, knowing that the women would be there.
She dreamt that night. Her mind filling with images of her deepest desires. She had a family. She watched herself run from the small cottage to frolic in the greenest of fields. A little boy followed close behind her and she somehow knew he was her brother. His blonde locks coiled up to his forehead in a mess of curls, and his deep penetrating eyes sparkled with mischief. He seemed wise beyond his years and Lily could sense their closeness. As she turned she saw her would be father. A tall, sturdy man mending the fence. He turned and winked, filling her with laughter. She ran playfully back inside the cottage and saw two small children playing with their dolls. //My Sisters.// She thought absently. They were twins, with flaxen curls and dark eyes. As she admired them she heard a noise from the kitchen and looked in to find her mother preparing supper. Dark hair cascading down her back as she moved among boiling water and sizzling poultry all while humming softly to herself. It was all she could have hoped for, and just as soon as it had appeared, the fantasy was gone.
Her eyes fluttered open as a gentle humming filled her ears. The smell of bacon filled her nostrils and pulled her out of bed.
"Well good morning." Polgara said mildly, not removing her attention from the pan.
"Good morning. Did you ever get to sleep Lady Pol?"
"Yes dear. Now, would you care for some breakfast?"
"Yes please." Lily replied eagerly, realizing she was starved. "Where are Garion and the rest?"
"Garion is fetching some water while Father, Silk, and Barak are scouting ahead." She handed Lily a plate of Bacon and a cup of water.
"Thank you." She replied before stuffing the food in her face.
Polgara smiled. "You might want to slow down on that a bit. You'll get sick if you eat to fast."
Lily giggled, but obeyed. "So where to next Polgara?"
"Darine, last I heard." The she looked pointedly at the girl. "Would you believe were dragging turnips with us?"
Lily laughed. "Turnips Lady Polgara?"
"Turnips!" She said, her voice slightly shrill. " Father thinks he's being clever."
"Well it is a rather good disguise if I say so myself."
"Don't you stick up for him. I've had enough of that this morning." Her tone was firm, but the tiny smile that played across her lips showed she was rather please.
Lily nodded. "Would I do a thing like that Lady Pol?" The both laughed just as Garion grunted up the path, arms full of canteens.
He dropped them on the ground and turned to his Aunt Pol. "I did it Aunt Pol."
She nodded. "Very good dear. Now stay out of trouble till the others return."
"Yes Ma'am." He replied and sulked away to tend to the horses.
Lilianna gulped down the last of her breakfast, thanked Polgara again and ran to catch up with him.
"What's the matter Garion?"
"Nothing." He patted the horse lightly.
"Hey, I thought we were friends. Why don't you tell me what's wrong?"
He sighed heavily. "It's nothing really. Just me being silly. Did you hear how Mister Wolf introduced everybody last night?"
"Yeah." She tried hard to remember.
"He called Aunt Pol, Mistress Pol, and Silk laughed."
"So Durnik calls her Mistress Pol all the time." She crossed her arms and waited for his response.
"That's not the point. Silk looked at her like it wasn't her real name, like she'd been called something else before, by him!"
"Garion…"
"It means that she's not who she says she is! That maybe Aunt Pol really isn't my aunt."
"Garion, I think your being unreasonable."
"I don't care Lilianna. She's all I have. I'm worried that…maybe…I don't know."
Lily grabbed the boy's shoulders firmly and stared directly into his eyes. "Look Garion, I don't know much about you or your family, but I do know that Mistress Pol is your Aunt. You should never doubt that."
He sighed and lowered his head. "I don't know Lily."
She became frustrated. In her eyes Garion had a family. He had people that loved and cared for him, and here he was questioning it. It made her angry. "If you don't know in your heart that she's yours, then you don't deserve her." And she walked away.
Garion shook his head. //She'll get over it.// He thought, but he wasn't so sure.
***
Lily marched right past camp to the stream. Throwing herself on a rock she hugged her knees to her chest and watched the sun reflecting off the water. She felt like her head was going to explode. Everything just seemed to be so crazy. She couldn't recall a time when she felt so stressed. Even traveling from foster home to foster home hadn't befuddled her this much. Being a child of logic, Lily found it hard to just accept. She could perform the task from time to time, but her mind always questioned. //My curse.// She thought to herself.
WOULD YOU STOP WITH ALL THIS SELF PITY? IT'S DRIVING ME CRAZY.
"What?" Lily asked aloud, not really sure where the voice had come from.
OH COME NOW LILIANNA. YOU KNOW BETTER THAN THAT. The voice resounded within her mind.
//Know better than what?// this time she directed her thoughts inward.
THAT'S BETTER. NOW I NEED YOU TO PAY ATTENTION.
//What in Aldur's name are you talking about?//
ALREADY SWEARING BY THE GODS. VERY GOOD LILIANNA. YOU'RE EVEN BETTER THAN I HOPED.
//The necessity? //
GOOD GIRL, THERE MAY BE HOPE FOR YOU YET. NOW LISTEN CAREFULLY. SOMTHINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN THAT YOU MUST BE PREPARED FOR. THAT MARK ON YOUR PALM MAKES YOU IMPORTANT, DON'T IGNORE IT. TELL POLGARA NOT TO DISMISS GARION'S TRAINING, HE HAS THE POWER AND NEEDS IT IN TUNE WHEN THE TIME COMES.
//What are you talking about? Am I the Godslayer?//
NO, BUT SOMETHING JUST AS IMPORTANT. PAY ATTENTION TO THE SIGNS LILY. DON'T MISS THEM.
//But why me?//
I REFUSE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
And then the voice was gone, leaving her completely perplexed. She sat by the water for a few moments, playing the dialogue over again in her head. //If I can hear the voice of necessity, then somehow I must be connected with the child of light and the prophecy. But I'm from a completely different world!!//
The mark on her palm began to itch. She stared at it intensely as if it would tell her something. " ' Don't ignore it', he said. Don't ignore it." She whispered softly while tracing a finger across her palm. A small smile crept upon her face and she bolted from her rock in search of Polgara.