The countryside grew more hilly and broken as they rode west. Although the overcast continued to be as heavy as before, there appeared to be some hint of light along the western horizon as afternoon progressed.
They clattered across a stone bridge that arched over a tumbling stream. “It smells clean, Belgarath,” Durnik said. “I think it’s coming down out of the mountains.”
Belgarath squinted up the gully from which the stream emerged. “Why don’t you have a look?” he suggested. “See if there’s a place to make camp. Good water has been hard to find, so let’s not pass any up.”
“I was thinking the same thing myself.” Then the smith and his towering mute friend rode off upstream.
They set up camp for the night several hundred yards up the gully where a bend in the stream had opened out a kind of curved gravel bench. After they had watered the horses and set up the tents, Polgara began cooking supper. She cut steaks from the side of beef and made a thick soup of dried peas, seasoned with chunks of ham. Then she set a large loaf of dark peasant bread near the fire to warm, humming to herself all the while. As always, cooking seemed to satisfy some deep-seated need in her.
The supper which came from her fire that evening was of near-banquet proportions, and evening was settling in as they finished eating and leaned back contentedly.
“Very good, Pol.” Beldin belched. “I guess you haven’t lost your touch after all.”
“Thank you, uncle.” She smiled. Then she looked at Eriond. “Don’t get too comfortable,” she told him. “At least not until you’ve finished helping with the dishes.”
Eriond sighed and took a bucket down to the stream for water.
“That used to be my job,” Garion told Zakath. “I’m glad there’s someone younger along this time.”
“Isn’t that women’s work?”
“Would you like to tell her that?”
“Ah—now that you mention it, perhaps not.”
“You learn very fast, Zakath.”
“I don’t believe I’ve ever washed a dish—not in my entire life.”
“I’ve washed enough for both of us, and I wouldn’t say that too loudly. She might decide that it’s time for you to learn how.” Garion gave Polgara a speculative sidelong glance. “Let’s go feed the wolf and her puppy,” he suggested. “Idleness in others irritates Aunt Pol for some reason, and she can almost always think of things for people to do.”
“Garion, dear,” Polgara said sweetly as they rose. “After the dishes are done, we’ll need water for bathing.”
“Yes, Aunt Pol,” he said automatically. “You see?” he muttered to the Emperor of Mallorea, “I knew we hadn’t moved quite fast enough.”
“Do you always do what she asks? And does she mean me, too?”
Garion sighed. “Yes,” he replied, “on both counts.”
They rose early the next morning, and Beldin soared off to scout on ahead while the rest ate breakfast, struck camp, and saddled their horses. The damp, sullen chill which had hovered over this desolate countryside was now edged with a drier kind of cold as the prevailing wind swept down from the summits of the Dalasian mountains. Garion pulled his cloak about him and rode on. They had gone only a league or so when Beldin spiraled down out of the overcast sky. “I think you’d better turn south,” he advised. “Urvon’s just ahead, and his whole army’s right behind him.”
Belgarath swore.
“There’s more,” the hunchback told him. “The Darshivans managed to get past Atesca—or through him. They’re coming up from behind. The elephants are leading the inarch. We’re right between two armies here.”
“How far ahead of us is Urvon?” Belgarath asked him.
“Six or eight leagues. He’s in the foothills of the mountains.”
“And how far behind us are the elephants?”
“About five leagues. It looks to me as if they’re going to try to cut Urvon’s column off. There’s no help for it, Belgarath. We’re going to have to run. We have to get out of the middle of this before the fighting starts.”
“Is Atesca pursuing Zandramas’ army?” Zakath asked intently.
“No. I think he followed your orders and pulled back to that enclave on the bank of the Magan.”
Belgarath was still swearing. “How did Urvon get this far south so fast?” he muttered.
“He’s killing his troops by the score,” Beldin replied. “He’s making them run, and Nahaz has demons whipping them along.”
“I guess we don’t have any choice,” Belgarath said. “We’ll have to go south. Toth, will you be able to lead us to Kell if we go into the mountains down near the border of Gandahar?”
The big mute nodded, then gestured to Durnik.
“It’s going to be more difficult, though,” the smith translated. “The mountains are very rugged down there, and there’s still a lot of snow at the higher elevations.”
“We’ll lose a lot of time, Grandfather,” Garion said.
“Not as much as we’ll lose if we get caught in the middle of a battle. All right. Let’s go south.”
“In a moment, father,” Polgara said. “Ce’Nedra,” she called, “come up here.”
Ce’Nedra shook her reins and drove her carriage up to where they stood.
Polgara quickly explained the situation to her. “Now then,” she said, “we need to know exactly what they’re doing and what they’re planning to do—both armies. I think it’s time for you to use my sister’s amulet.”
“Why didn’t I think of that?” Belgarath said, sounding a bit embarrassed.
“You were too busy trying to remember all the swearwords you’ve ever heard,” Beldin suggested.
“Can you do that and drive the carriage at the same time?” Polgara asked the little queen.
“I can try, Lady Polgara.” Ce’Nedra sounded a little dubious. She lifted the sleeping puppy out of her lap and laid him beside his mother.
“Let’s move out,” Belgarath said.
They turned off the road and jolted across an open field through long-dead grass. After they had gone a short distance, Ce’Nedra called to Polgara. “It’s not working, Lady Polgara,” she said. “I need both hands on the reins on this rough ground.”
They reined in.
“It’s not that big a problem,” Velvet said. “I’ll lead the carriage horse, and Ce’Nedra can concentrate on what she’s doing.”
“It’s a little dangerous, Liselle,” Belgarath objected. “If that carriage horse shies, he’ll jerk you out of the saddle and the carriage will run right over you.”
“Have you ever seen me fall off a horse, Ancient One? Don’t worry, I’ll be perfectly fine.” She rode over to the carriage horse and took hold of his reins. They started out slowly and then gradually picked up speed. Polgara rode beside the carriage, and Ce’Nedra, a little frown of concentration on her face, kept her hand on the amulet chained about her throat.
“Anything?” Polgara asked.
“I’m hearing a lot of random conversation, Lady Polgara,” the little queen replied. “There are great numbers of people out there. Wait a minute,” she said, “I think I’ve pinpointed Nahaz. That’s not the sort of voice you forget.” She frowned. “I think he’s talking to Urvon’s generals. They’ve had the Hounds out, so they know the elephants are coming.”
“Will you be able to come back to them?” Belgarath asked her.
“I think so. Once I find somebody, I can usually locate him again fairly quickly.”
“Good. See if you can find out if the Darshivan generals know that Urvon’s just ahead of them. If there’s going to be a battle, I want to know exactly where it’s going to happen.”
Ce’Nedra turned slightly, her amulet clenched tightly in her fist. She closed her eyes. After a moment, she opened them. “I do wish they’d be still,” she fretted.
“Who?” Silk asked her.
“The elephant herders. They babble worse than old women. Wait. There they are. I’ve got them now.” She listened for a few moments as the carriage jolted along over the rough ground. “The Darshivan officers are very worried,” she reported. “They know that Urvon’s army is somewhere in the mountains, but they don’t know his exact location. None of their scouts came back to report.”
“The Hounds are probably seeing to that,” Silk said.
“What are the Darshivans planning?” Belgarath asked.
“They’re undecided. They’re going to push on cautiously and send out more scouts.”
“All right. Now see if you can go back to Nahaz.”
“I’ll try.” She closed her eyes again. “Oh, that’s revolting!” she exclaimed after a moment.
“What is it, dear?” Polgara asked her.
“The Karands have found a narrow gorge. They’re going to lure the elephants into it and then roll boulders and burning bushes down on them from the top.” She listened for a few moments longer. “Once they’ve eliminated the elephants, the whole army is going to charge down out of the foothills and attack the rest of the Darshivans.”
“Is Urvon there?” Beldin asked, his eyes intent.
“No. He’s off to the side someplace. He’s raving.”
“I think you’d better go find that gorge,” Belgarath told the dwarf. “That’s where the battle’s going to be, and I want to be sure it’s behind us and not on up ahead somewhere.”