Sorceress of Darshiva

girl suggested.
    "I'm not sure about that." He smiled. "It's very hard to explain to a snake why you're starving her, and I wouldn't want her to get cross with me."
    They rode out not long afterward, following Toth's gestured directions.
    "He says that we can probably find a village south of the big town on the river," Durnik told them.
    "Ferra," Silk supplied.
    "I suppose so. I haven't looked at a map for a while. Anyway, he says that there are quite a few villages on this side where we might be able to hire a boat to get us across to Darshiva."
    "That's assuming that they aren't all deserted," Silk added.
    Durnik shrugged. "We'll never know until we get there."
    It was a warm morning, and they rode across the rolling grasslands of southern Peldane under cloudless skies. About mid morning, Eriond rode forward and fell in beside Garion.
    "Do you think Polgara would mind if you and I took a little gallop?" he asked. "Maybe to that hill over there?" He pointed at a large knoll off to the north.
    "She probably would," Garion said, "unless we can come up with a good reason."
    "You don't think she'd accept the idea that Horse and Chretienne need to run once in a while?"
    "Eriond, you've known her for a long time. Do you really think she'd listen if we tried to tell her that?"
    Eriond sighed. "No, I suppose not."
    Garion squinted at the hilltop. "We really ought to keep an eye out to the north, though," he said thoughtfully. "That's where the trouble's going to break out. We sort of need to know what's happening up there, don't we? That hilltop would be a perfect place to have a look."
    "That's very true, Belgarion."
    "It's not as if we'd actually be lying to her."
    "I wouldn't dream of lying to her."
    "Of course not. Neither would I."
    The two young men grinned at each other. "I'll tell Belgarath where we're going,"
    Garion said. "We'll let him explain it to her."
    "He's the perfect one to do it," Eriond agreed.
    Garion dropped back and touched his half-dozing grandfather's shoulder. "Eriond and I are going to ride over to that hill," he said. "I want to see if there are any signs that the fighting's started yet."
    "What? Oh, good idea." Belgarath yawned and closed his eyes again.
    Garion motioned to Eriond, and the two of them trotted off into the tall grass at the side of the trail.
    "Garion," Polgara called, "where are you going?"
    "Grandfather can explain it, Aunt Pol," he shouted back. "We'll catch up again in just a bit." He looked at Eriond. "Now let's get out of earshot in a hurry."
    They went north, first at a gallop and then at a dead run with the grass whipping at their horses' legs. The chestnut and the gray matched stride for stride, plunging along with their heads thrust far forward and their hooves pounding on the thick turf. Garion leaned forward in his saddle, surrendering to the flow and surge of Chretienne's muscles. Both he and Eriond were laughing with delight when they reined in on the hilltop.
    "That was good," Garion said, swinging down from his saddle. "We don't get the chance to do that very often any more, do we?"
    "Not often enough," Eriond agreed, also dismounting. "You managed to arrange it very diplomatically, Belgarion."
    "Of course. Diplomacy's what kings do best."
    "Do you think we fooled her?"
    "Us?" Garion laughed. "Fool Aunt Pol? Be serious, Eriond."
    "I suppose you're right." Eriond made a wry face. "She'll probably scold us, won't she?"
    "Inevitably, but the ride was worth a scolding, wasn't it?"
    Eriond smiled. Then he looked around, and his smile faded. "Belgarion," he said sadly, pointing to the north.
    Garion looked. Tall columns of black smoke rose along the horizon. "It looks as if it's started," he said bleakly.
    "Yes." Eriond sighed. "Why do they have to do that?"
    Garion crossed his arms on Chretienne's saddle and leaned his chin pensively on them. "Pride, I suppose," he replied, "and the hunger for power. Revenge, too, sometimes. I guess. Once in Arendia, Lelldorin said that very often it's because people just don't know how to stop it, once it's started."
    "But it's all so senseless."
    "Of course it is. Arends aren't the only stupid people on earth. Any time you have two people who both want the same thing badly enough, you're going to have a fight. If the two people have enough followers, they call it a war. If a couple of ordinary men have that kind of disagreement, there might be a broken nose and some missing teeth, but when you start getting armies involved, people