One day the storyteller arrives at Faldor's farm. He begins to teach Garion how to steal and, at supper one night, tells the story of the Book of Alorn to the farm workers. He and Garion discuss what is and is not possible.

Garion and the storyteller go into Upper Gralt to buy spices for Aunt Pol. Whilst there they see a Murgo and Garion, following Wolf's (the storyteller) lead, lies about who he is. Wolf leaves the farm.

While rafting that summer Garion nearly drowns and, while struggling in the water, sees the dark stranger again. Zubrette and Doroon ask about the birthmark on Garion's hand and Pol tells him it runs in his family. Erastide arrives and with it comes a Murgo wishing to do trade. Faldor refuses to trade on Erastide so the Murgo agrees to wait until after the festivities. He seems to recognise Pol. Garion and Zubrette are caught kissing by Pol and a new farmhand called Brill arrives.

Wolf returns and tells Pol they need to leave. Pol insists on taking Garion with them, claiming Faldor's farm isn't safe for him. Wolf tells a story about the ghosts of Maragor. Garion tells Wolf and Pol about Brill spying on them and takes Wolf to find Brill. Garion and Wolf find Brill trying to leave. Brill draws his sword and Garion leaps to defend Wolf. Durnik arrives and deals with Brill. Wolf finds that Brill had Angarak gold. Durnik insists on coming with them to protect Pol. The party leaves.

Garion meets Barak and Silk and is initially so scared by Barak's size that he runs. Silk catches him and brings him back. Armed with a cargo of turnips and disguised as wagoneers the party heads toward Darine, following the trail of some object, although Garion does not know what.

The party arrives in Darine. Garion talks to Durnik about what is happening. Garion and Silk go to sell the turnips and arrange another cargo. They meet a Murgo named Asharak whom Garion recognises as the dark stranger from his youth. Silk begins to teach Garion the secret language.

Pol and Wolf shield the party from some passing Murgos. The party arrive in Winold where Garion sees Brill, as a result of which the party leave early. Silk is adamant that Garion is not a Sendar.

Arriving in Muros Wolf finds no trace of what he is following. Durnik sees Brill and, while leaving, the party is ambushed by Brill's men. Garion tries to talk about Asharak but suffers a strange compulsion not to speak. Wolf collects new horses from an Algar encampment.

The party travel to Camaar where Pol poses as the Duchess of Erat. Barak says that Garion looks like a Rivan. A Sendarian captain, Brendig, insists that Wolf accompanies him to the royal palace at Sendar.

Garion and his companions are conveyed to the royal palace at Sendar. Pol dismisses Garion as an orphan. Eavesdropping, he learns that the Alorn kings are searching for them. Garion is shocked to overhear that Wolf is actually Belgarath the Sorceror and Pol is Polgara the Sorceress - Garion feels his orphaning is complete.

A Cherek warship conveys the party to Val Alorn. In a fit of defiance Garion rides at the head of the ship through the Great Maelstrom. In Val Alorn a blind seer prophesises Barak's 'doom' and greats Garion as "greatest of lords".

Garion and his companions arrive at Anhegs palace. Noble greetings take place and then, at Silk's suggestion, the council retreats to a more private location and Garion is sent to the armoury. He sees a man in green acting in a suspicious manner.

Garion and Durnik look around Anheg's palace. Barak, Silk, Durnik and Garion go to see Barak's ship. Garion meets a young Cherek girl, punches a beligerent youth and is rewarded with a kiss on the cheek. Pol is not impressed. Garion sees Asharak with the man in green but again is unable to speak of him to the others.

Barak takes Garion hunting. While in the forest he sees the man in green conversing with a flaxen haired man who seems particularly interested in Garion himself. He then spears his boar but it attacks him. Barak comes to his rescue but to Garion's befuddled eyes Barak looks like a mixture of man and bear.

While the kings meet again, Garion, hurt that he is being excluded, decides to explore the palace. In a disused section he finds footprints which he follows, realising they must belong to the man in green. This takes him to a vantage point from which he (and the spy) can hear the kings in conference discussing the need to prepare for war in the case the theif should use the 'thing' to raise the Angaraks against the West. Garion decides that he needs to tell someone about the spy and goes in search of Barak.

Garion tells Barak all he has seen and Barak goes straight to the throne room. He told Anheg that Jarvik had broken his banishment. Garion's compulsion not to speak of Asharak is noticed and broken. Garion returns to his room where Asharak is waiting for him. Garion runs.

Garion runs from Asharak and gets lost in Anheg's palace. Eventually he ends up in a secret passage above Anheg's throne room. From there he hears the story of how Asharak bought the Earl of Jarvik and that Asharak wanted Garion, a fact which greatly concerns Pol. Garion then reveals his whereabouts but explains that he has no idea where he is.

Garion is rescued from the tunnel. Belgarath asks Hettar to join the party and reveals him as a Sha-Darim. He then warns the kings to be discrete in their preperations for war.

Garion realises that Pol, Anheg and Belgarath are discussing him, somewhat cryptically. Anheg recognises Garion's birthmark. Pol restores the blind seers sight, thus removing her gift.