Polgara looked out the window as she saw Durain running to the cottage, alone. Turning

from the window, she looked at Durnik and sighed, "He's all bloody--- again!"

Durnik got up from the chair he sat upon, and went to the door.

Opening the door, he called out to his son, "What did we tell you boys? No more

fighting!"

"Father!" Durain cried.

Durnik shook his head and looked away, turning back into the house, "I can't save you

boys from getting in trouble anymore."

"No--- Father!" Durain almost screamed as he slammed the gate door open, "It's Coro!"

Durnik quickly looked back at Durain, "What?" He said.

"Someone's talking to Coro!"

Polgara pushed past Durnik, and put her hands on her hips, "What are you talking about

young man?"

"W-we were playing, and uh, we saw this person coming to us."

Alarmed, Durnik asked, "Who was it?"

"I don't know!" cried Durain, all baffled, "but Coro cried out as if it was Grandfather,

and ran towards the person--- the next thing I know, I'm laying on the floor, and Coro's

nowhere to be seen! I looked everywhere--- I swear I did, but I can't find him!"

Polgara snapped her fingers at her son and ordered, "Get in the house, and stay there!"

Turning to her husband she said, "Come with me."

With that, she hurried past the gate and headed up the hill.

A whisper of her Will was heard, and as Durain watched, she transformed into a snowy

white owl, that hurriedly flapped her wings, and soared high in the air.

Durnik, only a few feet behind, glanced back to make sure Durain was in the house and

saw his son looking at him through the window. Looking back, he shimmered into a large

light brown wolf that sped out of sight.

Durain, waited until his mother was out of sight as well. When she was gone, he went to

the washroom and gazed into the mirror. His face was all swollen. After he washed his

face, he looked back up, and gasped.

He didn't see himself in the mirror, what stared back at him was the man he had seen.

The man Coro had run towards in joy.

The man staring back at Durain was tall, and a large black cloak hung at his shoulders,

half concealing the murky gray gauntlet that was on the hand. Durain even saw himself in

the man's silver armor.

Durain paled, and looked at the man's face.

Thick eyebrows, glaring at the fifteen-year-old, shadowed the man's dark eyes as dirt was

on the tanned face, his upper lip slightly curved into a sneer.

Durain stuttered to say something but his eyes began to water from not blinking.

He blinked, but the man still stood there.

Glaring.

Backing away, Durain hit his back against the wall, blocking him form backing away any

further.

He shrieked when the man raised a hand towards him.

Durain wasn't sure if the arm was coming out of the mirror, but he didn't care to know.

"Durain." The man called with Coro's voice. "Where are you? Durain--- what are you

doing?"

The man's face went grave.

Grabbing the sink with both hands, the man pulled himself out of the mirror, and jumped

off the ground, his steel boots booming against the wooden floor like the roar of thunder.

In fear, Durain fell to the ground, silent as he clamped his eyes closed.

The man leaned down, and grabbed his shoulders, and began to shake him rudely.

"DURAIN!" he yelled, eyes flashing, "Open your damn eyes!"

The shaking continued hysterically until Durain opened his eyes to see Coro.

"Shut up!" Coro cried, clamping his palms to his ears.

Durain realized he was screaming, and stopped.

"W-who was here?" He asked, his dry throat hurting when he spoke.

"No one! Jeez." Coro rolled his eyes, "Now, I was asking if you wanted to eat

something."

Durain, confused, looked at Coro.

"Well?" Coro asked, making a face as he headed out the washroom door.

"Well what?"

"Ah!" Coro cried, storming out of the room.

Standing up, he fearfully looked in the mirror, and saw himself, face wet. Taking his

shirt, he wiped his face dry, and ran out the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

"Coro!" he called.

From the kitchen, he heard a grunt for a reply.

Walking into the kitchen, Durain asked his twin, "So where did you go?"

Coro who was stirring something in a pot on the oven, turned around to look at him.

With a serious face, Coro asked, "What?"

"Stop saying what! Who was that man? Where the HELL did you go?" Durain lectured,

"Mother and Father are gone out to look for you!"

"What the 'HELL' are you talking about? They're gone to Grandfather's tower, you

dumb ass."

Durain frowned, "Grandfather's not here." He declared.

Raising his eyebrows, Coro nodded, "Yes he is here," then sarcastically he added, "No, it

was just some stranger that asked us to take him to Mother."

"Coro. This isn't funny. I was laying on the floor, in the field, and when I got up, you

weren't there!" Durain shouted, "I came here and told Mother and Father. They went

running okay?"

Quietly, Coro turned around and continued stirring.

Puzzled, Durain just stared at his twin's back. "Why are you ignoring me?" Durain asked

suddenly, clenching his teeth, as he felt used in some way.

"I'm not ignoring you." Coro said.

Durain scuffed.

"I'm just not saying anything because you don't make any sense."

The front door suddenly opened, and Polgara, Durnik, Belgarath, and Poledra entered.

"Boys!" Durnik called.

Pulling the pot off the oven, Coro headed out of the kitchen, after frowning at Durain,

who followed a moment later, with a scowl upon his tanned face.

Belgarath gazed at his golden-eyed wife, then back at his Grandson's.

"How are you boys?" He asked as they both hugged Poledra and shook hands with him.

"Fine." Coro replied.

"Perfect." Lied Durain.

Polgara smiled at her father, as Durnik gazed into his sons' eyes, a smile hidden behind

the short beard he was growing.

"What's going on?" Coro asked.

Poledra reached inside of her red cloak she wore and pulled out two small boxes, and

handed them both one each.

They opened it at the same time, and gasped in surprise.

Amulets of their own!

At last!

Coro pulled his out of the box and asked Poledra to put it on around his neck as Durain

got his put on by Polgara. Coro's amulet had a python in it, curled up with an eye looking

at them from the pile it had become after curling upon itself; and Durain's amulet had a

dragon on it, the majestic wings wide open, and the snake-like neck stretched up, and the

tail curled about.

Looking up at his twin, Coro smiled, and received a smile, with no warmth in his twins

pale brown eyes, and shivered. Belgarath looked over at Poledra, and in return, Poledra

sighed, "It's happened. The Curse of the Twin's is in play, isn't it?"

Polgara looked at her sons, and lowered her eyes.