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we assume begin to take us over. Let any who would practice this art
be cautious. To remain in a shape too long is to invite the very real
possibility that when the time comes to resume our proper form, we
will not desire to do so. I must quite candidly admit that by the time
my companion and I reached the land of the Bear-God, I had begun
to give long thoughts to the pleasures of the den and the hunt and
the sweet nuzzlings of puppies and the true and steadfast
companionship of a mate.
At length, we found a band of hunters near the edge of the forest
where Belar, the Bear-God, dwelt with his people. To the amazement
of my companion, I resumed my own shape and approached them.
'I have a message for Belar, thy God,' I told them.
'How may we know this to be true?' they asked me.
'Ye may know it to be true because I say it is true,' I told them.
'The message is important, and there is little time to delay.'
Then one of them saw my companion and cast his spear at her. I
had no time to make what I did appear normal nor to conceal it from
them. I stopped the spear in mid-flight.
They stood gaping at the spear stuck in the air as if in a tree.
Irritated, I flexed my mind and broke the spear in two.
'Sorcery" one of them gasped.
'The wolf is with me,' I told them sternly. 'Do not attempt to injure
her again.' I beckoned to her and she came to my side, baring her
fangs at them.
'And now convey me unto Belar,' I ordered them.
The God Belar appeared very young - scarcely more than a boy,
though I knew he was much, much older than I. He was a
fairseeming, open-faced God, and the people who served him were a
rowdy, undisciplined group, scarcely conscious of the dignity of
their Master.
'Well-met, Belgarath,' he greeted me, though we had never met
and I had told my name to no one. 'How does it go with my brother?'
THE RIVAN CODEX
'Not well, my Lord,' I told him. 'Thy brother, Torak, hath come
unto my Master and smote him and hath borne away a particular
jewel which he coveted.'
'What?' the young God roared, springing to his feet. 'Torak hath
the Orb?'
'I greatly fear it is so, my Lord,' I told him. 'My Master bids me
entreat thee to come to him with all possible speed.'
'I will, Belgarath,' Belar said. 'I will make preparations at once.
Hath Torak used the Orb as yet?'
'We think not, my Lord,' I said. 'My Master says we must make
haste, before thy brother, Torak, hath learned the full power of the
jewel he hath stolen.'
'Truly,' the young God said. He glanced at the young she-wolf
sitting at my feet. 'Greetings, little sister,' he said courteously, 'is it
well with thee?'
'Most remarkable,' she said politely. 'It appears that I have fallen
in with creatures of great importance.'
'Thy friend and I must make haste,' he told her. 'Otherwise I
should make suitable arrangements for thy comfort. May I offer thee
to eat?'
She glanced at the ox turning on the spit in his great hall. '7hat
smells interesting,' she said.