After learning that Ctuchik, the evil Angarak sorcerer, has stolen the Orb from the apostate magician Zedar, Garion and friends plan to go after him. They first take a detour to the Vale of Aldur. In a cave on the way, Garion brings a dead colt (whose birth he had helped minutes before) back to life. This event is of great significance as both Polgara and Belgarath maintain that before this, it was impossible to use the Will and the Word to restore life to the dead.