Here are the next couple of chapters of my story. I'm reasonably happy with
the Silk one, but I'm not too sure about the Polgara one. If I think of a
way to improve it, it might change. Sorry about the long delay. I have had
a lot of work I had to do and, while I had the two chapters roughly
planned, they both needed a bit of rewriting. I hope the next update won't
be quite this long.
I have absolutely no idea why I am doing this. I suppose that it probably has something to do with Belgarath and that damned Melcene brother of his. They convinced me that the whole story needs to be told, not just the parts that the Tolnedran and Melcene scholars have recorded. Oh, eventually I'm sure that they would learn everything (although the Tolnedrans would certainly ignore most of the more "fantastic" parts), but I've been convinced that certain people need to know right now. So, against my better judgement, I'm going to record my role in the recent crisis.
Things started normally. Unlike my sorcerous friends, I had no idea the world had suddenly changed. Liselle and I had quite happily settled down into a semi-retired state as soon as she became too pregnant to carry on. I had already began to leave more of our business decisions up to Yarblek from the instant we got married, but the business continued to prosper anyway so we were able to live very comfortably. The two of us were having as much fun as we could raising Khonder and every month or two Yarblek would pay us a visit. Young Khonder gets on very well with his Nadrak uncle. The two are always sneaking off into corners and hiding from us. They are very good at it too.
As I said, I initially had no idea that there was a crisis on the horizon. That all changed when Javelin decided to pay me a visit.
This was not the first time Javelin had called on us, you understand. He tended to come by about once a month to keep the two of us informed about what was going on in the world. Oh, he wanted to see his grand-nephew too, of course, but I think he had plans that one of us would take over Drasnian intelligence after he eventually retired. This visit was different to the previous ones. The old man seemed to be agitated, for one thing. This was the first time I had ever seen Javelin agitated. Also, Liselle and Khonder were out visiting Kheva, so he did not want them to know about it. "What do you want, Javelin?" I asked him.
"I came to see you, Silk. I have a bit of a problem on my hands."
"So go and see somebody else about it. Hunter, maybe. I'm retired."
"Do we really need to go through this again? We really need you, and I suspect that you're starting to get a little bored sitting around doing nothing."
I knew by now that whatever it was that Javelin wanted me to do, I shouldn't do it. It was bound to be dangerous, and I did not want to leave Khonder without a father and Liselle without a husband. I couldn't stop myself being curious, however, so with my nose twitching I asked him "What do you want me to do this time?"
"It's about the Bear-cult again."
"I thought we'd pretty much exterminated them at Rheon and Jarviksholm."
"We did, the Cherek and Drasnian cultists anyway. What I'm worried about now are the Algar cultists."
"Javelin, most Algars don't stay still long enough to form groups. How can the Algar cultists be a problem?"
"I thought the way you did until a few months ago. Until then, there seemed to be no problem. One of my agents inside Algaria reported that the Algar cultists were gathering somewhere. That was the last report he made. At the same time I stopped hearing from your cousin, Khaldon. Khaldon didn't report anything suspicious, but other assets in Tolnedra have told me that several Algars have been seen in Tol Vordue. I was worried about Khaldon, so I sent Hunter to find out what he could. Hunter never reported back to me."
"That does seem fairly serious, but why have you come to me?"
"I've still got some agents in Tolnedra, and they report that the Algars are still going in and out of Tol Vordue. Your cousin has reportedly been seen there."
"Javelin, I may not like my cousin, but he's no Bear-cultist. Nor is he a traitor."
"Normally, I'd agree with you, but all of the agents we've lost contact with were known to him. It's too much of a coincidence, and I hate coincidences. I want you to go to Tol Vordue and find out what's going on."
"I'd really love to help you," I said with a trace of real regret in my voice, "but I'm a bit tied up with my family right now. Why don't you come back in a couple of years time when I might be available?"
"Silk, there's something else you should know. Hunter is your old friend Kheran."
I was totally amazed. I'd never have thought of Kheran as Hunter. Javelin was right, though. I couldn't just leave Kheran in trouble. When I'd had to escape Bethra and when the Murgos were hot on my trail Kheran had pretty much saved my life. I owed him too much not to go to his aid now. Javelin had me well and truly hooked. "When do you need me in Tol Vordue?" I asked.
I have absolutely no idea why I am doing this. I suppose that it probably has something to do with Belgarath and that damned Melcene brother of his. They convinced me that the whole story needs to be told, not just the parts that the Tolnedran and Melcene scholars have recorded. Oh, eventually I'm sure that they would learn everything (although the Tolnedrans would certainly ignore most of the more "fantastic" parts), but I've been convinced that certain people need to know right now. So, against my better judgement, I'm going to record my role in the recent crisis.
Things started normally. Unlike my sorcerous friends, I had no idea the world had suddenly changed. Liselle and I had quite happily settled down into a semi-retired state as soon as she became too pregnant to carry on. I had already began to leave more of our business decisions up to Yarblek from the instant we got married, but the business continued to prosper anyway so we were able to live very comfortably. The two of us were having as much fun as we could raising Khonder and every month or two Yarblek would pay us a visit. Young Khonder gets on very well with his Nadrak uncle. The two are always sneaking off into corners and hiding from us. They are very good at it too.
As I said, I initially had no idea that there was a crisis on the horizon. That all changed when Javelin decided to pay me a visit.
This was not the first time Javelin had called on us, you understand. He tended to come by about once a month to keep the two of us informed about what was going on in the world. Oh, he wanted to see his grand-nephew too, of course, but I think he had plans that one of us would take over Drasnian intelligence after he eventually retired. This visit was different to the previous ones. The old man seemed to be agitated, for one thing. This was the first time I had ever seen Javelin agitated. Also, Liselle and Khonder were out visiting Kheva, so he did not want them to know about it. "What do you want, Javelin?" I asked him.
"I came to see you, Silk. I have a bit of a problem on my hands."
"So go and see somebody else about it. Hunter, maybe. I'm retired."
"Do we really need to go through this again? We really need you, and I suspect that you're starting to get a little bored sitting around doing nothing."
I knew by now that whatever it was that Javelin wanted me to do, I shouldn't do it. It was bound to be dangerous, and I did not want to leave Khonder without a father and Liselle without a husband. I couldn't stop myself being curious, however, so with my nose twitching I asked him "What do you want me to do this time?"
"It's about the Bear-cult again."
"I thought we'd pretty much exterminated them at Rheon and Jarviksholm."
"We did, the Cherek and Drasnian cultists anyway. What I'm worried about now are the Algar cultists."
"Javelin, most Algars don't stay still long enough to form groups. How can the Algar cultists be a problem?"
"I thought the way you did until a few months ago. Until then, there seemed to be no problem. One of my agents inside Algaria reported that the Algar cultists were gathering somewhere. That was the last report he made. At the same time I stopped hearing from your cousin, Khaldon. Khaldon didn't report anything suspicious, but other assets in Tolnedra have told me that several Algars have been seen in Tol Vordue. I was worried about Khaldon, so I sent Hunter to find out what he could. Hunter never reported back to me."
"That does seem fairly serious, but why have you come to me?"
"I've still got some agents in Tolnedra, and they report that the Algars are still going in and out of Tol Vordue. Your cousin has reportedly been seen there."
"Javelin, I may not like my cousin, but he's no Bear-cultist. Nor is he a traitor."
"Normally, I'd agree with you, but all of the agents we've lost contact with were known to him. It's too much of a coincidence, and I hate coincidences. I want you to go to Tol Vordue and find out what's going on."
"I'd really love to help you," I said with a trace of real regret in my voice, "but I'm a bit tied up with my family right now. Why don't you come back in a couple of years time when I might be available?"
"Silk, there's something else you should know. Hunter is your old friend Kheran."
I was totally amazed. I'd never have thought of Kheran as Hunter. Javelin was right, though. I couldn't just leave Kheran in trouble. When I'd had to escape Bethra and when the Murgos were hot on my trail Kheran had pretty much saved my life. I owed him too much not to go to his aid now. Javelin had me well and truly hooked. "When do you need me in Tol Vordue?" I asked.