Chapter 3
A week later all the Alorn monarchs and assorted other people had arrived. The most talked about topic was of course Toraks appearance.
"I'd hoped all this business had gone now," grumbled King Anheg of Cherek
" And there's me thinking you liked excitement Anheg, don't tell me you've turned into an old women" laughed Belgarath
Anheg replied with some unsavoury words that made all the men in the room chuckle, though conversation soon carried on.
"I thought the darkness all went after what happened at Korim," Hetter, crown prince of Algaria, remarked in his quiet way.
"This isn't the other prophecy," Belgarath replied " this is just pure evil, that's what's worrying me."
"At least he hasn't got any disciples left, they're all dead." Barak remarked but Belgarath shook his head.
"Zedar was never dead. He was entombed but he's not dead. Torak will set him free, he may have already done so.
People were silent as they thought about this piece of information.
Anheg broke the silence, "what about this dryad, Xchel. I thought that UL was the god of the Ulgos."
"Well technically Dryads are his people, so really there is no reason he shouldn't have her as a disciple. Just shows that there are more to some people aren't just pretty faces." Replied Belgarath.
"Or very pretty faces, you have to admit she is exquisite no wonder Torak proposed to her." Hetter said. " But it puts Eriond in a difficult situation."
"How do you mean," Eriond asked warily.
"Well if she's a disciple of UL wont you have to ask her permission before you marry her."
It was now well known how the god and the dryad felt about each other but nobody had even considered that they would marry each other.
"I don't know," Eriond replied, " I don't think Torak was going to do, but it might be polite to."
XXXXXXXXXX
Meanwhile the dryad in question was relaxing with her cousin in the royal gardens. Inevitably their talk turned to Xchel's relationship with Eriond.
"So are you going to marry him?" Questioned Ce'Nedra.
"We've only been together a week Ce'Nedra, its far too early to say," Xchel replied.
"Garion and I didn't even have a courting period and we still had to get married."
"Ce'Nedra, you and Garion were made for each other and anyway you two knew each other for ages before you got married. It's a bit different than Eriond and I." Xchel remarked.
"I suppose so, anyway marriage is a bit alien to dryads anyway isn't it," Ce'Nedra replied.
"My parents were married, some dream my mother had said I had to be born legitimately."
" I never knew that my aunt was married" Ce'Nedra squealed
"My mother didn't tell anyone except me when I was older, apparently they were married by a God deep in the woods."
Ce'Nedra was dying to ask whom her aunt had married but she knew nothing she could do would get the answer out of her young cousin. There was silence in the garden till brisk footsteps announced the approach of Polgara.
"Ce'Nedra your daughter needs feeding, she's crying her eyes out." Ce'Nedra stood up and hurried towards the nursery. Polgara turned to Xchel." Are you coming inside," Xchel shook her head, "well don't get burnt." With that Polgara headed back inside.
Xchel shut her eyes and let the smells and the sounds of the garden wash over her, she was about to sink into sleep when a shadow fell over her and blocked out the sun. Xchel opened her eyes ready to shout at whomever was ruining her nap but her words remained unsaid. Standing over her was the person who had come into this garden only a week earlier, the God Torak. He held his hand over Xchel's small mouth.
"Shush little one, we're going on a journey. What I saw last week has greatly interested me."
"He moved his hand away and Xchel spluttered, "Where are you taking me"
"Just on a journey" Then Torak laughed deeply and they were gone, all that was left behind a piece of parchment with a black dragon painted on.
XXXXXXXXXX
The door to the room where the monarchs were meeting burst open and in the door way stood Polgara, with a worried expression on her face. She strode over to her father and laid a piece f parchment down in front of him.
"Xchels gone, I found this piece of parchment where I last saw her."
Belgarath picked up the piece of parchment and showed everyone the black dragon painted on it.
"This is the symbol of Torak, what he saw last week must have prompted him to take Xchel, we must find her as soon as possible, before he changes her. Polgara can you get in contact with Aldur he might be able to find Torak."
"There's no need for that Belgarath," Eriond spoke out strongly. "I will go gather my father and my brothers, we will find him make no mistake."
A week later all the Alorn monarchs and assorted other people had arrived. The most talked about topic was of course Toraks appearance.
"I'd hoped all this business had gone now," grumbled King Anheg of Cherek
" And there's me thinking you liked excitement Anheg, don't tell me you've turned into an old women" laughed Belgarath
Anheg replied with some unsavoury words that made all the men in the room chuckle, though conversation soon carried on.
"I thought the darkness all went after what happened at Korim," Hetter, crown prince of Algaria, remarked in his quiet way.
"This isn't the other prophecy," Belgarath replied " this is just pure evil, that's what's worrying me."
"At least he hasn't got any disciples left, they're all dead." Barak remarked but Belgarath shook his head.
"Zedar was never dead. He was entombed but he's not dead. Torak will set him free, he may have already done so.
People were silent as they thought about this piece of information.
Anheg broke the silence, "what about this dryad, Xchel. I thought that UL was the god of the Ulgos."
"Well technically Dryads are his people, so really there is no reason he shouldn't have her as a disciple. Just shows that there are more to some people aren't just pretty faces." Replied Belgarath.
"Or very pretty faces, you have to admit she is exquisite no wonder Torak proposed to her." Hetter said. " But it puts Eriond in a difficult situation."
"How do you mean," Eriond asked warily.
"Well if she's a disciple of UL wont you have to ask her permission before you marry her."
It was now well known how the god and the dryad felt about each other but nobody had even considered that they would marry each other.
"I don't know," Eriond replied, " I don't think Torak was going to do, but it might be polite to."
XXXXXXXXXX
Meanwhile the dryad in question was relaxing with her cousin in the royal gardens. Inevitably their talk turned to Xchel's relationship with Eriond.
"So are you going to marry him?" Questioned Ce'Nedra.
"We've only been together a week Ce'Nedra, its far too early to say," Xchel replied.
"Garion and I didn't even have a courting period and we still had to get married."
"Ce'Nedra, you and Garion were made for each other and anyway you two knew each other for ages before you got married. It's a bit different than Eriond and I." Xchel remarked.
"I suppose so, anyway marriage is a bit alien to dryads anyway isn't it," Ce'Nedra replied.
"My parents were married, some dream my mother had said I had to be born legitimately."
" I never knew that my aunt was married" Ce'Nedra squealed
"My mother didn't tell anyone except me when I was older, apparently they were married by a God deep in the woods."
Ce'Nedra was dying to ask whom her aunt had married but she knew nothing she could do would get the answer out of her young cousin. There was silence in the garden till brisk footsteps announced the approach of Polgara.
"Ce'Nedra your daughter needs feeding, she's crying her eyes out." Ce'Nedra stood up and hurried towards the nursery. Polgara turned to Xchel." Are you coming inside," Xchel shook her head, "well don't get burnt." With that Polgara headed back inside.
Xchel shut her eyes and let the smells and the sounds of the garden wash over her, she was about to sink into sleep when a shadow fell over her and blocked out the sun. Xchel opened her eyes ready to shout at whomever was ruining her nap but her words remained unsaid. Standing over her was the person who had come into this garden only a week earlier, the God Torak. He held his hand over Xchel's small mouth.
"Shush little one, we're going on a journey. What I saw last week has greatly interested me."
"He moved his hand away and Xchel spluttered, "Where are you taking me"
"Just on a journey" Then Torak laughed deeply and they were gone, all that was left behind a piece of parchment with a black dragon painted on.
XXXXXXXXXX
The door to the room where the monarchs were meeting burst open and in the door way stood Polgara, with a worried expression on her face. She strode over to her father and laid a piece f parchment down in front of him.
"Xchels gone, I found this piece of parchment where I last saw her."
Belgarath picked up the piece of parchment and showed everyone the black dragon painted on it.
"This is the symbol of Torak, what he saw last week must have prompted him to take Xchel, we must find her as soon as possible, before he changes her. Polgara can you get in contact with Aldur he might be able to find Torak."
"There's no need for that Belgarath," Eriond spoke out strongly. "I will go gather my father and my brothers, we will find him make no mistake."