Gods be rejoined in fellowship one with the other.
And the Alorns, the people of Belar the Bear-God, were a hardy
people and warlike, and clad themselves in the skins of bears and
wolves and shirts cunningly wrought of rings of steel, and terrible
were the swords and axes of the Alorns. And they ranged the north
– yea, even unto the land of eternal ice, to find the way they might
follow into Mallorea to come upon their ancient foes and destroy
them and to restore the Orb unto Aldur. And in his pride did each
Alorn warrior upon his passage into manhood raise sword or axe
unto the deathless stars and call forth his challenge even unto Torak
himself. And in the iron tower of Cthol Mishrak did the mai^tned
God hear the challenge of the Alorns and did see the cold light of the
north flickering from their sword edges, and the pain of Kal-Torak
did increase ten-fold, and his hatred of his youngest brother and of
the rash people who followed him and cast their threats even in the
teeth of the stars cankered in his soul.
THE RIVAN CODEX
Now, of all the kings of the Alorns, the bravest and most crafty
twas Cherek of the broad shoulders, and went he even unto the Vale
of Aldur and sought out Belgarath, Disciple of Aldur and spake unto
him, saying, ‘Now are the ways of the north open, and I have sons
exceedingly bold. The signs and the auguries are propitious. The
time is ripe to seek our way to the city of endless night and to regain
the Orb from the usurper.’
But Belgarath was loath to go from the Vale of Aldur for behold,
his wife Poledra was exceedingly great with child, and her time was
nigh.
And yet did Cherek prevail upon him, and by night they stole
away and were joined a thousand leagues to the north by the sons of
Cherek.
* We changed this in Belgarath the Sorcerer. That ‘thousand leagues’ looks great in a ‘Holy
Book’, but it’s too cumbersome in a story. Moreover, three thousand miles would have put
them in the general vicinity of the north pole
And the eldest Dras was named and of great power and
craftiness was he. And the second son Algar was named and fleet
was he as the wind and bold. And the youngest was named Riva
and pure was he and steadfast and his grip was as death, for naught
upon which he set his hand could escape him.
And behold, the time of darkness was upon the north, and the
season of snow and of ice and of mist, and the moors of the north
glittered beneath the stars with rime-frost and steel-grey ice in the
deathly cold. And Belgarath the Sorcerer took the shape of a great
dark wolf, and on silent feet did he slink through the dark,
snowfloored forests of the north where the trees cracked and shattered in
the sundering cold.
And in those days were the ruff and shoulders of the great wolf
Belgarath silvered by frost, and ever after was the Sorcerer Belgarath
silver of hair and beard.
And it came to pass that the companions passed toward the south
into Mallorea and even unto the City of Darkness which was Cthol
Mishrak, wherein dwelt the maimed God who was king of the
Angaraks. And ever were they guided by the wolf Belgarath who
ran before them, his belly low to the ground and his shoulders and
ruff touched with the silver of eternal frost.
And at last came they even unto the City of Night wherein dwelt
Kal-Torak and his people, the Angaraks, and the wolf Belgarath
slunk low to the ground and sought out the way and led them even
into the dark city and yet unto the foot of the iron tower.
THE HOLY BOOKS
Then climbed they in crafty silence with muffled feet the rusted
iron steps which had known no foot of man or God for twenty
centuries. And Cherek of the broad shoulders, more like the Bear
than the Bear-God himself, mounted first, and behind him Algar the
fleet-footed and Riva the steadfast, and guarding the rear were Dras
the bull-necked and the wolf Belgarath.
And mounted they the smoldering darkness of the tower and
came even unto the iron-bound chamber of the maimed God where
slept in pain-hunted slumber the titan Torak.
And he had caused his face to be bound up with iron to hide from
men and Gods the melted flesh and burned eye which the Orb had
wrought upon him.
And as they passed through the chamber of the maimed God,
stirred he in his sleep and opened behind the iron binding the eye
which the Orb had burned. And such was the power of the maimed
God that the eye which was not glowed red, and the iron tower
glowed likewise a smoldering and sooty red.
And passed they through in dreadful fear of the mahned and
sleeping God who stirred ever in his sleep as the pain with which
the Orb had touched him seared him.
And in the chamber beyond lay the Iron Cask in which had rested
for a thousand years and yet for another thousand years the Orb of
Aldur. And in fear looked they upon the Cask, knowing the power
of the Orb.
And Cherek Bear-shoulders, King of the Alorns, spake unto
THE RIVAN CODEX
Belgarath the Sorcerer, saying, ‘Take thou the Orb and return it unto
thy Master, its rightful owner.’
And Belgarath, Disciple of Aldur, spake, saying, ‘Nay, King of the
Alorns. I may not touch it, neither may I look upon it, lest it destroy
me. None may touch the Orb now unless he be without W intent.
Only him who would not use it may touch it now. Thus doth the Orb
protect itself and the Gods and men and the very world – for behold,
once was it used to crack open the earth and will not be used so
again. If any here be without ill intent – if one of you be pure enough
to take up the Orb and convey it at peril of his life and surrender it at
the end of our journey with no thought of gain or of power or of
dominion, let him stretch forth his hand now and take up the Orb of
Aldur.’
And Cherek Bear-shoulders was troubled, and he spake, saying,
‘What man is without ill intent in the deepest silences of his soul?’
And he put forth his hand and as that hand came nigh unto the Iron
Cask felt he even in his heart the great heat of the Orb that lay within
and knew then his unworthiness. And bitter was that knowledge to
him. And he turned away.
And Dras Bull-neck, his eldest son, came forward and stretched
forth both his hands and put them upon the Cask. And then he
withdrew them and turned his head and wept.
And Algar Fleet-foot came forward and stretched forth his hand.
And he too withdrew his hand and turned away.
But Riva Iron-grip went even unto the Cask and opened it and
did reach within and took up the Orb. And behold, the fire of the
Orb shone through his fingers – yea, even through the flesh of his
hand – and he was not burned. ‘
I.7
THE HOLY BOOKS
‘Behold,’ spake Belgarath the Sorcerer unto Cherek
Bear-shoulders, ‘thy youngest son is pure and without ill intent. And his doom
and the doom of all who follow after him shall be to bear the Orb
and to protect it from evil.’
‘So be it,’ spake Cherek, King of the Alorns. ‘and I and his
brothers will sustain and protect him while this doom is upon him – even
though it be until the end of days.’
And Riva muffled the Orb of Aldur in his cloak and hid it in his
bosom, and the companions passed quickly out through the
dreadful chamber wherein slept the maimed God, ever stirring and
restless in his pain. And the eye that was not watched them. And
Kal-Torak cried out in his sleep, but woke not.
And down they hurried even unto the foot of the tower. And then
went they quickly unto the gates of the City of Darkness which was
Cthol Mishrak and into the wasteland beyond.
And it came to pass when they had gone but three leagues did the
maimed God awaken from his slumber and found the Iron Cask
open and the Orb that he had so dearly purchased gone.
And horrible was the wrath of Kal Torak. And girt he himself in
black iron and took he up his great sword and his spear likewise,
and went he then down from the iron tower and turned and smote it
– and behold, the iron tower which had endured a thousand years