people caught horses and tamed them, and for the first time in the
world men rode upon horses. And the people of Algar named their
country for their leader and called its name Algaria. And they
became nomads, following after their herds and ever keeping watch
that the enemy not come upon them. And they builded a fortress
to the south of Algaria and called it The Stronghold, and they
garrisoned it but they dwelt not there, preferring to remain with
their herds. And for twenty centuries they dwelt in these lands and
traded horses to other kingdoms.
And Cherek Bear-shoulders returned even unto. Aloria which is to
the north and west, and because he had been divided from his sons
and the Alorn people were no longer one, he called the name of the
country with his own name, and ever after for a score of centuries
was the land known as Cherek. And he builded a great city at Val
Alorn and a seaport there at the mouth of the Alorn River, and ships
caused he to be built unlike the ships of other nations – for behold,
the ships of others were for commerce and the carrying of goods, but
the ships of Cherek were for war. And the people of Cherek became
sea warriors and patrolled they the seas that the enemy not come
across the dark water unto the Isle of the Winds. And it was rumored
that the people of Cherek were pirates and brigands of the sea, but
none could say for sure.
And Riva Iron-grip went forth even unto the west coast of
Sendaria and took ship and did sail with his people and his goods
and his cattle across the Sea of the Winds unto the Isle that lay
therein. And many days did he search the coast until he found the
spot where he might land. And upon all the Isle of the Winds there is
but one place to land a ship and he did alight there and took his
people and his goods and his cattle and placed them on the strand,
and then burned he the ships which had borne him thence that none
‘night return. And he caused to be built a fortress and a walled city
around it. And they called the name of the city Riva and nought that
was builded therein was for commerce or for display, but for war
only.
And within the fortress in the most heavily defended spot caused
Riva to be built a throne-room and carved he a great throne therein
of black rock. And high was the back thereof.
And it came to pass that a deep sleep fell upon Riva, and Belar,
Bear-God of the Alorns, came to him in a dream. And Belar spake
I unto him, saying, ‘Behold, Guardian of the Orb, I will cause two
stars to fall down from out the sky, and I will show thee where they
lie, and thou shalt take up the two stars and shall place them in a
great fire and shall forge them. And the one star shall be a blade, and
the other a hilt, and it shall be a sword that shall guard the Orb of my
brother Aldur.’
And Riva awoke, and behold, two stars did fall from out the sky,
and Riva sought them, and the spirit of the Bear-God was with him
and showed him where the stars that had fallen had come to earth.
And Riva took them up and bore them back to the city and forged
them even as Belar had instructed.
But behold, when it was done, the blade and the hilt could in no
way be joined together.
And Riva lifted his face and cried out unto Belar. ‘Behold, I have
marred the work, for the blade will not be joined unto the hilts, and
the sword will not become one.’
And a fox which had sat near, watching the work, spake unto
Riva, saying, ‘The work is not marred, Iron-grip. Take up the hilt
and place the Orb thereon even as a pommel-stone.’
And Riva knew that he was in the presence of an enchantment
and did even that which the fox had commanded. And behold, the
Orb became as one with the hilts which Riva had forged from the
star Belar had caused to fall. And even the strength of Riva’s hand
could not sunder them one from the other.
And Riva spake, saying, ‘Still is the work marred, for the blade
and the hilts still remain unjoined.’
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And the fox spake again, saying, ‘Take the blade in thy left hand,
Iron-grip, and the hilts in thy right and join them.’
‘It may not be,’ quoth Riva, ‘for they will not join.’
And the fox laughed, saying, ‘How is it that thou knowest that
they will not join when thou hast not yet attempted it?’
And Riva was ashamed, and took up the blade in his left hand
and the hilts in his right and did set them together, and behold, the
blade passed into the hilts even as a stick into water, and the sword
was joined and even the strength of Riva’s hand could not unjoin it.
And the fox laughed again, saying, ‘Take up the sword, Iron-grip,
and go forth with it and smite with it the great rock which doth
stand upon the highest mountain upon this Isle.’.
And Riva took up the sword and went unto the mountain and
raised up the sword against the great rock which stood thereon.
And he smote once and clave the rock in twain, and the water
gushed forth therefrom and formed a river which flowed down even
unto the city of Riva.
And the fox laughed again and ran away, but stopped once and
looked back, and Riva beheld that the fox was a fox no longer, but
the great silver wolf, Belgarath, whom he had known before. .
And men called the river that flowed from the rock which Riva
had clave The River of Veils by reason of the n-dsts which ever
surrounded it as it descended into the valley where lay the city of
Riva.
And Riva caused the sword to be placed upon the great black rock
that stood at the back of his throne. And it did hang point
downward with the Orb which was now the pommel-stone at the highest
Point, and did the sword cleave itself unto the rock, and none save
Riva could remove it therefrom. And such was the virtue of the Orb
that it did bum with cold fire when Riva sat upon the throne. And
when he took down the sword and raised it did the sword itself
become as a great tongue of blue flame, and all who beheld this
great wonder were amazed and understood it not.
And thus was wrought the Hall of the Rivan King, and thus his
throne and thus was forged his sword. And ever after were the
descendants of Riva marked with the mark of the Orb upon the
palm of their hands, and the manchild who would become king was
borne at his birth unto the throne-chamber and the hand that was so
marked was placed upon the Orb that it might know him and
destroy him not when he came into his inheritance.
And with each such joining did the bond between the Orb of
Aldur and the line of Riva become stronger. And the Orb waxed
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THE RIVAN CODEX
brilliance with each infant touch as if it rejoiced that the
remained unbroken.
i
And so it endured in the City of Riva for a thousand years and for
yet another thousand years.
And with the sundering of the companions and the departure of
Cherek and his sons, hastened Belgarath southward for a thousand
leagues even unto the Vale of Aldur that he might behold his
children, the fruit of the womb of Poledra, his wife. And came he even
unto the Vale of Aldur and found that his wife had been delivered of
twin daughters, and then had she died.
And his eldest daughter was named Polgara, and even as an
infant were her eyes steely and her face grim. And dark was her hair
as wing of raven, and because she was his eldest, even in the fashion
of the Sorcerers, stretched he forth his hand and laid it upon her
brow – and behold, her mother, Poledra, had in her final hour,
divided her anger from her love. And in Polgara, the dark-haired
twin, resided her anger that Belgarath her husband, had gone from
her when her time was nigh. And thus it was that when Belgarath,
her father, laid his hand upon Polgara’s brow did the hair thereof
turn white, and ever after was the raven hair of Polgara touched at
the brow with the same silver which marked the ruff of the dark,