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maybe the paperwing was her child； sabriel thought； running her hand along the sleek surface of the fuselage； feeling the charter marks quiescent in the fabric。 she felt a lot better about their forthing flight。
鈥渨e鈥檇 best hurry；鈥潯ogget continued。 鈥渋t will be dark all too soon。 do you have the marks remembered？鈥�
鈥測es；鈥潯eplied sabriel firmly。 she turned to the sendings； who were now lined up behind the wings； anchoring the paperwing till it was time for it to be unleashed upon the sky。 sabriel wondered how many times they鈥檇 performed this task； and for how many abhorsens。
鈥渢hank you；鈥潯he said to them。 鈥渇or all your care and kindness。 goodbye。鈥�
with that last word； she settled back in the hammock…seat； gripped the rim of the cockpit with both hands； and whistled the notes of the lifting wind； visualizing the requisite string of charter marks in her mind； letting them drip down into her throat and lips； and out into the air。
her whistle sounded clear and true； and a wind rose behind to match it； growing stronger as sabriel exhaled。 then； with a new breath； she changed to a merry； joyous trill。 like a bird revelling in flight； the charter marks flowing from pursed lips out into the paperwing itself。 with this whistling； the blue and silver paint seemed to e alive； dancing down the fuselage； sweeping across the wings； a gleaming； lustrous plumage。
the whole craft shook and shivered； suddenly flexible and eager to begin。
the joyous trill ended with one single long； clear note； and a charter mark that shone like the sun。
it danced to the paperwing鈥檚 prow and sank into the laminate。 a second later； the yellow eyes blinked； grew fierce and proud； looking up to the sky ahead。
the sendings were struggling now； barely able to hold the paperwing back。 the lifting wind grew stronger still； plucking at the silver…blue plumage； thrusting it forward。 sabriel felt the paperwing鈥檚 tension； the contained power in its wings； the exhilaration of that last moment when freedom is assured。
鈥渓et go！鈥潯he cried； and the sendings plied； the paperwing leaping up into the arms of the wind； out and upward； splashing through the spray of the waterfall as if it were no more than a spring shower； flying out into the sky and the broad valley beyond。
it was quiet； and cold； a thousand feet or more above the valley。 the paperwing soared easily； the wind firm behind it； the sky clear above； save for the faintest wisps of cloud。 sabriel reclined in her hammock…seat； relaxing； running the charter marks she鈥檇 leaned over and over in her mind； making sure she had them properly pigeonholed。
she felt free； and somehow clean； as if the dangers of the last few days were dirt； washed away by the following wind。
鈥渢urn more to the north；鈥潯ogget鈥檚 voice suddenly said behind her； disturbing her carefree mood。 鈥渄o you recall the map？鈥�
鈥測es；鈥潯eplied sabriel。 鈥渟hall we follow the river？ the ratterlin； it鈥檚 called； isn鈥檛 it？ it runs nornor… east most of the time。鈥�
mogget didn鈥檛 reply at once； though sabriel heard his purring breath close by。 he seemed to be thinking。 finally； he said； 鈥渨hy not？ we may as well follow it to the sea。 it branches into a delta there； so we can find an island to camp on tonight。鈥�
鈥渨hy not just fly on？鈥潯sked sabriel cheerily。
鈥渨e could be in belisaere by tomorrow night； if i summon the strongest winds。鈥�
鈥渢he paperwing doesn鈥檛 like to fly at night；鈥�
mogget said； shortly。 鈥渘ot to mention that you would almost certainly lose control of the stronger winds鈥攊t is much more difficult than it seems at first。 and the paperwing is much too conspicuous； anyway。 have you no mon sense； abhorsen？鈥�
鈥渃all me sabriel；鈥潯abriel replied； equally shortly。 鈥渕y father is abhorsen。鈥�
鈥渁s you wish； mistress；鈥潯aid mogget。 the 鈥渕istress鈥潯ounded extremely sarcastic。
the next hour passed in belligerent silence； but sabriel； for her part； soon lost her anger in the novelty of flight。 she loved the scale of it all； to see the tiny patchworked fields and forests below； the dark strip of the river； the occasional tiny building。 everything was so small and seemed so perfect； seen from afar。
then the sun began to sink； and though the red wash of its fading light made the aerial perspective even prettier； sabriel felt the paperwing鈥檚 desire to descend； felt the yellow eyes focusing on green earth； rather than blue sky。 as the shadows lengthened； sabriel felt that same desire and began to look as well。
the river was already breaking up into the myriad streams and rivulets that would form the swampy ratterlin delta； and far off； sabriel could see the dark bulk of the sea。 there were many islands in the delta； some as large as football fields covered with trees and shrubs； others no bigger than two armspans of mud。
sabriel picked out one of the medium…sized ones； a flattish diamond with low； yellow grass； a few leagues ahead； and whistled down the wind。
it faded gradually with her whistle and the paperwing began to descend； occasionally nudged this way or that by sabriel鈥檚 control of the wind； or its own tilt of a wing。 its yellow eyes； and sabriel鈥檚 deep…brown eyes； were fixed on the ground below。 only mogget； being mogget； looked behind them and above。
even so； he didn鈥檛 see their pursuers until they came wheeling out of the sun； so his yowling cry gave only a few seconds鈥櫋arning； just long enough for sabriel to turn and see the hundreds of fast…moving shapes diving down upon them。 instinctively； she conjured charter marks in her mind； mouth pursed； whistling the wind back up； turning them to the north。
鈥済ore crows！鈥潯issed mogget； as the flapping shapes checked their dive and wheeled to pursue their suddenly enlivened prey。
鈥測es；鈥潯houted sabriel； though she wasn鈥檛 sure why she answered。 her attention was all on the gore crows； trying to gauge whether they鈥檇 intercept or not。 she could already feel the wind testing the edges of her control； as mogget had prophesied； and to whip it up further might have unpleasant results。 but she could also feel the presence of the gore crows； feel the admixture of death and free magic that gave life to their rotten； skeletal forms。
gore crows didn鈥檛 last very long in sun and wind鈥攖hese must have been made the previous night。 a necromancer had trapped quite ordinary crows； killing them with ritual and ceremony； before infusing the bodies with the broken； fragmented spirit of a single dead man or woman。 now they were truly carrion birds； birds guided by a single； if stupid； intelligence。
they flew by force of free magic； and killed by force of numbers。
despite her quickness in calling the wind； the flock was still closing rapidly。 they鈥檇 dived from high above and kept their speed； the wind stripping feathers and putrid flesh from their spellwoven bones。
for a moment； sabriel considered turning the paperwing back into the very center of this great murder of crows； like an avenging angel； armed with sword and bells。 but there were simply too many gore crows to fight； particularly from an aircraft speeding along several hundred feet above the ground。 one overeager sword thrust would mean a fatal fall鈥攊f the gore crows didn鈥檛 kill her on the way down。
鈥渋鈥檒l have to summon a greater wind！鈥潯he yelled at mogget； who was now sitting right up on her pack； fur bristling； yowling challenges at the crows。 they were very close now； flying in an eerily exact formation鈥攖wo long lines； like arms outstretched to snatch the fleeing paperwing from the sky。 very little of their once…black plumage had survived their rushing dive； white bone shining through in the last light of the sun。
but their beaks were still glossily black and gleaming sharp； and sabriel could now see the red glints of the fragmented dead spirit in the empty sockets of their eyes。
mogget didn鈥檛 reply。 possibly； he hadn鈥檛 even heard her above his yowling； and the gore crows鈥櫋awing as they closed the last few yards to attack； a strange； hollow sound； as dead as their flesh。
for a second of panic； sabriel felt her dry lips unable to purse； then she wet them and the whistle came； slow and erratic。 the charter marks felt clumsy and difficult in her head； as if she were trying to push a heavy weight on badly made rollers鈥攖hen； with a last effort； they came easily； flowing into her whistled notes。
unlike her earlier； gradual summonings； this wind came with the speed of a slamming door； howling up behind them with frightening violence； picking up the paperwing and shunting it forward like a giant wave lifting up a slender boat。 suddenly； they were going so fast that sabriel could barely make out the ground below； and the individual islands of the delta merged into one continuous blur of motion。
eyes closed to protective slits； she craned her head around； the wind striking her face like a vicious slap。 the pursuing gore crows were all over the sky now； formation lost； like small black stains against the red and purple sunset。
they were flapping uselessly； trying to e back together； but the paperwing was already a league or more away。 there was no chance they could catch up。
sabriel let out a sigh of relief； but it was a sigh tempered with new anxieties。 the wind was carrying them at a fearful pace； and it was starting to veer northwards； which it wasn鈥檛 supposed to do。 sabriel could see the first stars twinkling now； and they were definitely turning towards the buckle。
it was an effort to call up the charter marks again； and whistle the spell to ease the wind； and turn it back to the east； but sabriel managed to cast it。 but the spell failed to work鈥攖he wind grew stronger； and shifted more； till they were careening straight towards the buckle； directly north。
sabriel； hunkered down in the cockpit； eyes and nose streaming and face frozen； tried again； using all her willpower to force the charter marks into the wind。 even to her； her whistle sounded feeble； and the charter marks once again vanished into what had now bee a gale。 sabriel realized she had totally lost control。
in fact； it was almost as if the spell had the opposite effect； for the wind grew wilder； snatching the paperwing up in a great spiral； like a ball thrown between a ring of giants； each one taller than the last。 sabriel grew dizzy； and even colder； and her breath came fast and shallow； trying to salvage enough air to keep her alive。 she tried to calm the winds again； but couldn鈥檛 gain the breath to whistle； and the charter marks slipped from her mind； till all she could do was desperately hang on to the straps in the hammock…seat as the paperwing tried its best to ride the storm。
then； without warning； the wind ceased its upward dance。 it just dropped； and with it went the paperwing。 sabriel fell upwards； straps suddenly tight； and mogget almost clawed through the pack in his efforts to stay connected with the aircraft。 jolted by this new development； sabriel felt her exhaustion burn away。 she tried to whistle the lifting wind； but it too was beyond her power。 the paperwing seemed unable to halt its headlong descent。 it fell； nose tilting further and further forward till they were diving almost vertically； like a hammer rushing to the anvil of the ground below。
it was a long way down。 sabriel screamed once； then tried to put some of her fear…found strength into the paperwing。 but the marks flowed into her whistle without effect； save for a golden sparkle that briefly illuminated her white； wind…frozen face。 the sun had pletely set； and the dark mass of the ground below looked all too much like the grey river of death鈥攖he river their spirits would cross into in a few short minutes； never to return to the warm light of life。
鈥渓oose my collar；鈥潯ewed a voice at sabriel鈥檚 ear； followed by the curious sensation of mogget digging his claws into her armor as he clambered into her lap。 鈥渓oose my collar！鈥�
sabriel looked at him； at the ground； at the collar。 she felt stupid； starved of oxygen； unable to decide。 the collar was part of an ancient binding； a terrible guardian of tremendous power。 it would only be used to contain an inexpressible evil； or uncontrollable force。
鈥渢rust me！鈥潯owled mogget。 鈥渓oose my collar； and remember the ring！鈥�
sabriel swallowed； closed her eyes； fumbled with the collar and prayed that she was doing the right thing。 鈥渇ather； forgive me；鈥潯he thought； but it was not just to her father that she spoke； but to all the abhorsens who had e before her鈥攅specially the one who had made the collar so long ago。
surprisingly for such an ancient spell； she felt little more than pins and needles as the collar came free。 then it was open； and suddenly heavy； like a lead rope； or a ball and chain。
sabriel almost dropped it； but it became light again； then insubstantial。 when sabriel opened her eyes； the collar had simply ceased to exist。
mogget sat still； on her lap； and seemed unchanged鈥攖hen he seemed to glow with an internal light and expand； till he became frayed at the edges； and the light grew and grew。 within a few seconds； there was no cat…shape left； just a shining blur too bright to look at。 it seemed to hesi