Castle of Wizardry Read Online Free PDF Page B

beyond the tumbled scree at the base of the pinnacle was alive with Murgo horsemen scurrying this way and that in a frenzied, disorganized search.
    "They don't seem to know what they're doing," Garion observed quietly to Silk as the two of them watched. The sun was just sinking into a bank of cloud on the western horizon, staining the sky fiery red, and the stiff wind brought a dusty chill with it as it seeped into the cave opening.
    "I imagine that things are a bit scrambled up in Rak Cthol," Silk replied. "No one's in charge any more, and that confuses Murgos. They tend to go all to pieces when there's nobody around to give them orders."
    "Isn't that going to make it hard for us to get out of here?" Garion asked. "What I mean is that they're not going anyplace. They're just milling around. How are we going to get through them?"
    Silk shrugged. "We'll just pull up our hoods and mill around with the rest of them." He pulled the coarse cloth of the Murgo robe he wore closer about him to ward off the chill and turned to look back into the cave. "The sun's going down," he reported.
    "Let's wait until it's completely dark," Polgara replied. She was carefully bundling the little boy up in one of Garion's old tunics.
    "Once we get out a ways, I'll drop a few odds and ends," Silk said. "Murgos can be a little dense sometimes, and we wouldn't want them to miss our trail." He turned to look back out at the sunset. "It's going to be a cold night," he remarked to no one in particular.
    "Garion," Aunt Pol said, rising to her feet, "you and Durnik stay close to Taiba. She's never ridden before, and she might need some help at first."
    "What about the little boy?" Dumik asked.
    "He'll ride with me."
    "And Belgarath?" Mandorallen inquired, glancing over at the stilh sleeping old sorcerer.
    "When the time comes, we'll just put him on his horse," Polgara replied. "I can keep him in his saddle - as long as we don't make any sudden changes in direction. Is it getting any darker?"
    "We'd better wait for a little longer," Silk answered. "There's still quite a bit of light out there."
    They waited. The evening sky began to turn purple, and the first stars came out, glittering cold and very far away. Torches began to appear among the searching Murgos. "Shall we go?" Silk suggested, rising to his feet.
    They led their horses quietly out of the cave and down across the scree to the sand. There they stopped for several moments while a group of Murgos carrying torches galloped by several hundred yards out. "Don't get separated," Silk told them as they mounted.
    "How far is it to the edge of the wasteland?" Barak asked the little man, grunting as he climbed up onto his horse.
    "Two days' hard riding," Silk replied. "Or nights in this case. We'll probably want to take cover when the sun's out. We don't look all that much like Murgos."
    "Let's get started," Polgara told him.
    They moved out at a walk, going slowly until Taiba became more sure of herself and Belgarath showed that he could stay in his saddle even though he could not yet communicate with anyone. Then they nudged their horses into a canter that covered a great deal of ground without exhausting the horses.
    As they crossed the first ridge, they rode directly into a large group of Murgos carrying torches.
    "Who's there?" Silk demanded sharply, his voice harsh with the characteristic accents of Murgo speech. "Identify yourselves."
    "We're from Rak Cthol," one of the Murgos answered respectfully.
    "I know that, blockhead," Silk barked. "I asked your identity."
    "Third Phalanx," the Murgo said stiffly.
    "That's better. Put out those torches. How do you expect to see anything beyond ten feet with them flaring in your eyes?"
    The torches were immediately extinguished.
    "Move your search to the north," Silk commanded. "The Ninth Phalanx is covering this sector."
    "But"
    "Are you going to argue with me`?"
    "No, but"
    "Move! Now!"
    The Murgos wheeled their horses about and galloped off into the