The Ladies' Baths at the Rivan Citadel

[golden_acorns]

The scene inside was one of horror. The Lady Arell lay in a crumpled heap on the tile floor with the hilt of a dagger protruding from between her shoulders. In the center of the steaming pool, a tall, raw-boned woman in a dark cloak was grimly holding something under the water-something that struggled weakly-and floating on the surface above tat

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[wellthrownstone]

She's not breathing.

And his world stopped, except that it couldn't, except that he was the gods-damned Child of Light and his entire world was inside this tiny little body and he wasn't letting it go.

"What can I do," because he didn't know, couldn't think. And so "Aunt Pol, what can I do?"

But Aunt Pol wasn't there. He laid her down, but there were no signs of life, nothing.

"SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

[golden_acorns]

Something throbbed sharply against his chest, and he looked into his wife's still face, desperately searching for some sign of life. But Ce'Nedra did not move, and her little body was limp. Again he caught her to him.

[wellthrownstone]

Once again he felt that sharp throp--almost like a blow against his heart. He held Ce'Nedra away from him again, searching with tear-filled eyes for the source of that strange, jolting throb. The flickering light of one of the torches stuck in iron rings around the marble walls of the pool seemed to dance on the polished surface of the silver amulet at her throat. Could it have been--? With a trembling hand, he put his fingertips to the amulet. He felt a tingling shock in his fingers. Startled, he jerked his hand away. Then he closed his fist about the amulet. He could feel it in his palm, throbbing like a silver heart, beating with a faltering rhythm.

"Ce'Nedra!" he said sharply. "You've got to wake up. Please don't die, Ce'Nedra!" But there was no sign, no movement from his wife. Still holding the amulet, Garion began to weep. "Aunt Pol," he cried brokenly, "what can I do?"

[golden_acorns]

The amulet throbs sharply once more, and Ce'Nedra vanishes.