Ce'Nedra questions Polgara about sorcery. While talking to Mandorallen she is attacked by a lion. Mandorallen kills it with his bare hands and Ce'Nedra crowns him her knight. Durnik warns her not to play games with Garion's feelings if marriage is what she wants and Ce'Nedra explains to him that she has no choice - her marriage will be arranged by her father - before bursting into tears.

The party is forced to hide from a group of Murgos led by Brill. Silk begins to suspect Brill is more than an ordinary hireling. Belgarath realises the Murgos are preparing for war when Ce'Nedra tells him the Murgos are from Rak Hagga - southern Murgos are never brought west unless war is in the air.

The party reach a camp of gold scavengers on the edge of Maragor. They see Brill and discover that he is actually a Dagashi assassin. Belgarath and Polgara decide to cut through Maragor and put the entire party into a waking sleep to pretect their minds from the ghosts.

Garion shakes off the compulsion to sleep and talks to the voice in his head. It tells him that many years ago events had deviated from what was supposed to be and he is the one who has to set things right. The dry voice in his mind is the personification of that purpose. Garion realises that there must be an opposite awareness which wants things to go wrong. Belgarath and Polgara see the Monks of Mar Terrin who warn them that they are close to Mar Amon.

Belgarath and Polgara try to reason with Mara, to no avail. As they go to leave Mara sees Ce'Nedra and tries to take her but the voice in Garion's mind intervenes and stops him. Although amazed, Belgarath and Polgara lead the party away quickly to avoid causing Mara any further pain. Garion asks Polgara to send him back to sleep.

The party awaken on the edge of Maragor. Bandits try to steal their gold but Silk tricks them using bags of gravel. Garion and Ce'Nedra have a snowball fight. Riding along a gorge they see the monsters sent out by the Grolims on the other side. They also see Brill, and he and Silk exchange 'pleasantries'. Garion and Belgarath hear the lonely dragon.

Hettar realises that the pregnant pach horse is about to give birth. Instinctively Garion leads his companions to the cave of the Gods. The mare gives birth but the foal is stillborn. Garion uses sorcery to bring it back to life. The horse is marked with the mark from Garion's hand.

Belgarath and Garion discuss the limitations of sorcery. Badly shaken by the events in the cave Ce'Nedra picks a fight with Garion. Hettar drops back and kills two Murgos that are following.

The party arrive at the Vale. Belgarath and Garion discuss sorcery and visit Belgarath's tower.

Aldur arrives and bestows his blessing upon the party. Garion tries to move Belgarath's rock and, although he succeeds, ends up buried up to his armpits in the meadow. Silk and Hettar eventually rescue him.

Belgarath shows Garion how to move the rock. Beltira. Belkira and Beldin arrive. Beldin tells that Zedar has moved Torak's body to Cthol Mishrak. Belgarath says the party is going to Prolgu.

The party moves into the Ulgo mountains. They are attacked by Hrulgin but Hettar kills the head stallion and the rest of the herd flees. Mandorallen, Barak and Hettar kill some nearby Algroths.

The party is attacked by rock wolves and an Eldrak called Grul. With the help of the ghost-like wolf, Poledra, they are able to defeat it.

Belgarath sinks into despair after seeing Poledra. Polgara tells him to snap out of it. The party passes through the abandoned city of Prolgu and enters the caves of the Ulgos.

On entering the caves they hear the chanted hymns of the Ulgos around them. Belgarath tells the Gorim that he intends to find the caves under Rak Cthol and he needs a diviner named Relg to help him.

The Gorim begins to tell Ce'Nedra the Book of Ulgo but is stopped by the admonitions of Relg. The sanctimonious zealot refuses to leave the caves and be defiled and demonstrates his ability to walk through rock. UL arrives and commands Relg to serve him.

UL admonishes Relg for his pride and orders him to obey Belgarath. He gives Garion his blessing and instructs Ce'Nedra to stay in the caves at Prolgu. After he leaves the group plan their escape from Rak Cthol. Belgarath tells Hettar to warn Cho-Hag that Murgos will be following them but refuses to take him into Cthol Murgos.

Relg leads the party out of the caves. Hettar leaves to find Cho- Hag. Relg panics under the 'empty' sky and Garion tries to reassure him. Relg asks Garion to forgive him his sins but Garion says that he cannot.

Garion is charged with caring for Relg who is very preoccupied with sin. Garion, Silk, Durnik and Barak watch a Thull kill himself rather than be sacrificed to Torak and Silk gives Relg a lesson in Angarak religion. The party enters Cthol Murgos and hears tales of fabricated charges aimed at forcing Westeners out of the country.

The party arrive at a Murgo supply post. While they are there they meet the Nadrak Yarblek, an old acquaintance of Silk's whi invites them into his tent. Yarblek tells them that Taur Urgas is coming and Silk quickly leaves. The rest of the party slip out but Garion and Barak double back to watch what is happening. They see Brill who offers Taur Urgas a gift - a semi-concious Silk whom he captured trying to escape, much to the kings delight.

Garion and Barak report what they saw. Yarblek comes to join the party and tells them that Silk is imprisoned in a hole in the ground. Relg goes through the rock to rescue Silk, who tells his companions that the reason Taur Urgas hates him so much is because Silk killed his eldest son.

The party crosses the Murgo wasteland, including the trecherous quicksand around the Tarn of Cthok. They are ambushed by Murgos but thanks to Polgara are ready for them and defeat them easily.

Garion and Polgara create a sheild with their minds to hide the party from any searching Grolims. The party reach Rak Cthol.

Relg leads the party into the caves below the city. While in the caves they find the Marag woman Taiba. Belgarath decides it is time to fight Ctuchik. He sends Silk to collect some Murgo robes.

The party travel through the city. While alone Garion is attacked by Brill but Silk arrives and kills Brill by throwing him over a parapet. Garion sees what happens in the Temple of Torak. He goes to destroy it but the voice tells him this is not the time. The party arrive at Ctuchiks rooms.