"Oh, it does indeed, Zakath," the little man told him. "Mimbrates are the bravest people in the world probably because they don't have brains enough to be afraid of anything. Garion's friend Mandorallen is totally convinced that he's invincible."

"He is," Ce'Nedra said in automatic defense of her knight. "I saw him kill a lion once with his bare hands."

"I’ve heard of his reputation," Zakath said. "I thought it was exaggerated."

"Not by very much," Garion said. "I heard him suggest to Barak and Hettar once that the three of them attack an entire Tolnedran legion."

"Perhaps he was joking."

"Mimbrate knights don't know how to joke," Silk told him.

“I will not sit here and listen to you people insult my knight,” Ce'Nedra said hotly.

"We're not insulting him, Ce'Nedra," Silk told her. "We're describing him. He's so noble he makes my hair hurt."

"Nobility is an alien concept to a Drasnian, I suppose," she noted.

"Not alien, Ce'Nedra. Incomprehensible."

"Perhaps in two thousand years they've changed," Durnik said hopefully.

"I wouldn't count on it," Beldin grunted. "In my experience, people who live in isolation tend to petrify."

"I needs must warn ye all of one thing, however," Cyradis said. "The people of this island are a peculiar mixture. In many ways they are even as you have described them, but their heritage is also Dal, and they are conversant with the arts of our people.”

"Oh, fine," Silk said sardonically, "Mimbrates who use sorcery. That's assuming they can figure out which way to point it."

"Cyradis," Garion said, "is this why Zakath and I are wearing armor?"

She nodded.

“Why didn't you just say so?”

"It was necessary for you to find that out for yourselves."

"Well, let's go have a look," Belgarath said. "We've dealt with Mimbrates before, and we've usually managed to stay out of trouble."

They rode on through the forest in golden afternoon sunshine and, when they reached the edge of the trees, they saw the structure Beldin had reported. It stood atop a high promontory, and it had the usual battlements and fortifications.

"Formidabie," Zakath murmured.

“There's no real point in lurking here in the trees,” Belgarath told them. "We can't get across all that open ground without being seen. Garion, you and Zakath take the lead. Men in armor are usually greeted with some courtesy."

"Are we just going to ride up to the castle?" Silk asked.

"We might as well," Belgarath said. "If they still think like Mimbrates, they'll almost be obliged to offer hospitality for the night, and we need a certain amount of information anyway.”

They rode out onto an open meadow and proceeded at a walk toward the grim-looking castle. "You'd better let me do most of the talking when we get there," Garion said to Zakath. "I sort of know the dialect.”

"Good idea," Zakath agreed. "I'd probably choke on all the these and thous."