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 might 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 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.’
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 mists 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 burn 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 man-child 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 in brilliance with each infant touch as if it rejoiced that the line remained unbroken.
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, frost-touched wolf.
And his second daughter Beldaran was called, because the mark of the Sorcerers was not upon her. And fair was she, and her hair was like gold. And dearly was she beloved by her father and equally by her dark-haired sister. And they contended one with the other for her affection. But it came to pass that when his daughters had reached their sixteenth year did Belgarath fall into a deep sleep, and in a dream did the spirit of Aldur come unto him and spake, saying, ‘My beloved disciple, I would have thy house joined with the house of the guardian of the Orb. Choose thou, therefore, which of thy daughters wilt thou give to the Rivan King to wife, for in the joining of thy house with the house of Riva shall a line invincible be forged that will join my will with the will of my brother Belar, and Torak himself may not prevail against us.’
And in the deep silences of his soul was Belgarath tempted. Thus might he rid himself of his spiteful daughter whose tongue seared like acid and whose white lock was ever a rebuke unto him. But, knowing the burden upon the Rivan King, sent he instead Beldaran, his fair daughter to be the mother of the Rivan line – and wept when she was gone.
And Polgara wept also with the departure of her sister, knowing in her soul that the beloved Beldaran would fade and that her love for Riva would age her and that like a flower would she wither and drop away. But in time Polgara dried her tears and went even unto her father.
And she spake unto her father, saying, ‘Behold, Old Grey Wolf, thus are we alone, and now
