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broad plains drained by the Aldur river, and Algar Fleet-foot and his
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.'