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still he ran； through another arch； along a raised way； the stones falling away under his feet； down a short stair； jumping gaping holes。 a closed door halted him for a moment； and sabriel breathed a sigh of relief； but he kicked at it viciously； till the rotten wood collapsed and he could back through； carefully shielding sabriel from splinters。
beyond the door was a large； open field； bordered by tumbledown walls。 tall weeds covered the expanse； with the occasional stunted； selfsown tree rising above them。 right at the western edge； perched where a wall had long since crumbled down the hill； there were two paperwings； one facing south and the other north鈥攁nd two people； indistinct silhouettes bordered with the flaming orange of the afternoon sun that was sinking down behind them。
touchstone broke into a gait that could only be described as a gallop； parting the weeds like a ship ploughing a sargasso sea。 he ran right up to the two standing figures； gently placed sabriel on the ground before them鈥攁nd fell over； eyes rolling back to whiteness； limbs twitching。
sabriel tried to crawl over to him； but the pain in her side suddenly bit sharp and deadly； so it was all she could do to sit up and look at the two people； and beyond them； the paperwings。
鈥渉ello；鈥潯hey said； in unison。 鈥渨e are； for the moment； the clayr。 you must be the abhorsen and the king。鈥�
sabriel stared； dry…mouthed。 the sun was in her eyes； making it hard for her to see them clearly。 young women； both； with long blond hair and bright； piercing blue eyes。 they wore white linen dresses； with long； open sleeves。
freshly pressed dresses that made sabriel feel extremely dirty and uncivilized； in her reservoirsoaked breeches and sweaty armor。 like their voices； their faces were identical。 very pretty。
twins。
they smiled； and knelt down； one by sabriel鈥檚 side； the other by touchstone鈥檚。 sabriel felt charter magic slowly welling up in them； like water rising in a spring鈥攖hen it flowed into her； taking away the hurt and pain of the arrow。
next to her； touchstone鈥檚 breath became less labored； and he sank into the easy quiet of sleep。
鈥渢hank you；鈥潯roaked sabriel。 she tried to smile； but seemed to have lost the knack of it。 鈥渢here are slavers 。 。 。 human allies of the dead 。 。 。 behind us。鈥�
鈥渨e know；鈥潯aid the duo。 鈥渂ut they are ten minutes behind。 your friend鈥攖he king鈥攔an very； very fast。 we saw him run yesterday。 or tomorrow。鈥�
鈥渁h；鈥潯aid sabriel； laboriously pushing herself up onto her feet； thinking of her father and what he had said about the clayr confusing their whens。 best to find out what she needed to know before things got really confusing。
鈥渢hank you；鈥潯he said again； for the arrow fell on the ground as she fully straightened up。 it was a hunting arrow； narrow…headed； not an armor…punching bodkin。 they had only meant to slow her down。 she shivered； and felt the hole between the armor plates。 the wound didn鈥檛 feel healed exactly鈥攋ust older； as if it had struck a week ago； instead of minutes。
鈥渇ather said you would be here 。 。 。 that you have been watching for us； and watching for where kerrigor has his body。鈥�
鈥測es；鈥潯eplied the clayr。 鈥渨ell； not us exactly。
we鈥檝e only been allowed to be the clayr today； because we鈥檙e the best paperwing pilots 。 。 。鈥�
鈥渙r actually； ryelle is 。 。 。鈥潯ne of the twins said； pointing at the other。 鈥渂ut since she would need a paperwing to fly home in； two paperwings were needed； so 。 。 。鈥�
鈥渟anar came too；鈥潯yelle continued； pointing back at her sister。
鈥渂oth of us；鈥潯hey chorused。 鈥渘ow； there isn鈥檛 much time。 you can take the red and gold paperwing 。 。 。 we painted it in the royal colors when we knew last week。 but first； there鈥檚 kerrigor鈥檚 body。鈥�
鈥測es；鈥潯aid sabriel。 her father鈥檚鈥攈er family鈥檚鈥敗he kingdom鈥檚 enemy。 for her to deal with。 her burden； no matter how heavy； and how feeble her shoulders currently felt； she had to bear it。
鈥渉is body is in ancelstierre；鈥潯aid the twins。
鈥渂ut our vision is weak across the wall； so we don鈥檛 have a map； or know the place names。
we鈥檒l have to show you鈥攁nd you鈥檒l have to remember。鈥�
鈥測es；鈥潯greed sabriel； feeling like a dull student promising to deal with a question quite beyond her。 鈥測es。鈥�
the clayr nodded； and smiled again。 their teeth were very white and even。 one； possibly ryelle鈥攕abriel had already got them confused鈥敗rought a bottle made of clear green glass out from the flowing sleeve of her robe； the telltale flash of charter magic showing it hadn鈥檛 been there before。 the other woman鈥攕anar鈥敗 roduced a long ivory wand out of her sleeve。
鈥渞eady？鈥潯hey asked each other simultaneously； and； 鈥測es；鈥潯efore their question had even penetrated sabriel鈥檚 tired brain。
ryelle unstoppered the bottle with a resonant 鈥減op；鈥潯nd in one quick motion； poured out the contents along a horizontal line。 sanar； equally quickly； drew the wand across the falling water鈥攁nd it froze in mid…air； to form a pane of transparent ice。 a frozen window； suspended in front of sabriel。
鈥渨atch；鈥潯anded the women； and sanar tapped the ice…window with her wand。 it clouded over at that touch； briefly showed a scene of whirling snow； a glimpse of the wall； then steadied into a moving vision鈥攎uch like a film shot from a traveling car。 wyverley college had frowned on films； but sabriel had been to see quite a few in bain。 this was much the same； but in color； and she could hear natural sounds as clearly as if she were there。
the window showed typical ancelstierran farmland鈥攁 long field of wheat； ripe for the harvest； with a tractor stopped in the distance； its driver chatting with another man perched atop a cart； his two draft…horses standing stolidly； peering out through their blinkers。
the view raced closer towards these two men； veered around them with a snatch of caught conversation； and continued鈥攆ollowing a road； up and over a hill； through a small wood and up to a crossroads； where the gravel intersected with a macadamized route of greater importance。 there was a sign there； and the 鈥渆ye；鈥潯r whatever it was； zoomed up to it； till the signpost filled the whole of the ice…window。 鈥渨yverley ？ miles；鈥�
it read； directing travelers along the major road； and they were off again； shooting down towards wyverley village。
a few seconds later； the moving image slowed； to show the familiar houses of wyverley village； the blacksmith…cum…mechanic鈥檚 shop； the wyvern public house； the constable鈥檚 trim house with the blue lantern。 all landmarks known to sabriel。 she concentrated even more carefully； for surely the vision； having shown her a fixed point of reference； would now race off to parts of ancelstierre which were unknown to her。
but the picture still moved slowly。 at a walking pace； it went through the village； and turned off the road； following a bridle…path up the forested hill known as docky point。 a nice enough hill； to be sure； covered by a cork tree plantation； with some quite old trees。 its only point of interest was the rectangular cairn upon the hilltop 。 。 。 the cairn 。 。 。 the image changed； closing in on the huge； grey…green stones； square…cut and tightly packed together。 a relatively recent folly； sabriel remembered from their local history lessons。 a little less than two hundred years old。 she鈥檇 almost visited it once； but something had changed her mind 。 。 。
the image changed again； somehow sinking through the stone； down between the lines of mortar； zigzagging around the blocks； to the dark chamber at its heart。 for an instant the icewindow went pletely dark； then light came。 a bronze sarcophagus lay under the cairn； metal crawling with free magic perversions of charter marks。 the vision dodged these shifting marks； penetrated the bronze。 a body lay inside； a living body； wreathed in free magic。
the scene shifted； moving with jagged difficulty to the face of the body。 a handsome face； that swam closer and closer into focus； a face that showed what kerrigor once had been。 the human face of rogir； his features clearly showing that he had shared a mother with touchstone。
sabriel stared； sickened and fascinated by the similarities between the half…brothers鈥攖hen the vision suddenly blurred； spinning into greyness； greyness acpanied by rushing water。 death。
something huge and monstrous was wading against the current； a jagged cutting of darkness； formless and featureless； save for two eyes that burned with unnatural flame。 it seemed to see her beyond the ice…window； and lurched forward； two arms like blown storm clouds reaching forward。
鈥渁bhorsen鈥檚 get！鈥潯creamed kerrigor。 鈥測our blood will gush upon the stones 。 。 。鈥�
his arms seemed about to e through the window； but suddenly； the ice cracked； the pieces collapsing into a pile of swift…melting slush。
鈥測ou saw；鈥潯he clayr said together。 it wasn鈥檛 a question。 sabriel nodded； shaking； her thoughts still on the likeness between kerrigor鈥檚 original human body and touchstone。 where was the fork in their paths？ what had put rogir鈥檚 feet on the long road that led to the abomination known as kerrigor？ 鈥渨e have four minutes；鈥潯nnounced sanar。
鈥渢ill the slavers e。 we鈥檒l help you get the king to your paperwing； shall we？鈥�
鈥測es； please；鈥潯eplied sabriel。 despite the fear… some sight of kerrigor鈥檚 raw spirit form； the vision had imbued her with a new and definite sense of purpose。 kerrigor鈥檚 body was in ancelstierre。 she would find it and destroy it； and then deal with his spirit。 but they had to get to the body first 。 。 。
the two women lifted touchstone up； grunting with the effort。 he was no lightweight at any time； and now was even heavier； still sodden with water from his ducking in the reservoir。 but the clayr； despite their rather ethereal appearance； seemed to manage well enough。
鈥渨e wish you luck； cousin；鈥潯hey said； as they walked slowly to the red and gold paperwing； balanced so close to the edge of the broken wall； the saere glistening white and blue below。
鈥渃ousin？鈥潯abriel murmured。 鈥渋 suppose we are cousins鈥攐f a sort； aren鈥檛 we？鈥�
鈥渂lood relatives； all the children of the great charters；鈥潯he clayr agreed。 鈥渢hough the clan dwindles 。 。 。鈥�
鈥渄o you always鈥攌now what is going to happen？鈥�
sabriel asked； as they gently lowered touchstone into the back of the cockpit； and strapped him in with the belts normally used for securing luggage。
both the clayr laughed。 鈥渘o； thank the charter！ our family is the most numerous of the bloodlines； and the gift is spread among many。 our visions e in snatches and splinters； glimpses and shadows。 when we must； the whole family can spend its strength to narrow our sight鈥攁s it has done through us today。
tomorrow； we will be back to dreams and confusion； not knowing where； when or what we see。 now； we have only two minutes 。 。 。鈥�
suddenly； they hugged sabriel； surprising her with the obvious warmth of the gesture。 she hugged them back； gladly； grateful for their care。
with her father gone； she had no family left鈥敗ut perhaps she would find sisters in the clayr； and perhaps touchstone would be 。 。 。
鈥渢wo minutes；鈥潯epeated both the women； one in each ear。 sabriel let them go； and hurriedly took the book of the dead and the two charter magic books from her pack； wedging them down next to touchstone鈥檚 slightly snoring form。
after a second鈥檚 thought； she also stuffed in the fleece…lined oilskin and the boat cloak。
touchstone鈥檚 swords went into the special holders next； but the pack and the rest of its contents had to be abandoned。
鈥渘ext stop； the wall；鈥潯abriel muttered as she climbed into the craft； trying not to think about what would happen if they had to land somewhere uncivilized in between。
the clayr were already in their green and silver craft； and； as sabriel did up her straps； she heard them begin to whistle； charter magic streaming out into the air。 sabriel licked her lips； summoned her breath and strength； and joined in。 wind rose behind both the craft； tossing black hair and blond； lifting the paperwings鈥櫋ails and jostling their wings。
sabriel took a breath after the wind…whistling； and stroked the smooth； laminated paper of the hull。 a brief image of the first paperwing came to mind； broken and burning in the depths of holehallow。
鈥渋 hope we fare better together；鈥潯he whispered； before joining with the clayr to whistle the last note； the pure clear sound that would wake the charter magic in their craft。
a second later； two bright…eyed paperwings leapt out from the ruined palace of belisaere； glided down almost to the swell in the sea of saere； then rose to circle higher and higher above the hill。 one craft； of green and silver； turned to the north…west。 the other； of red and gold； turned south。
touchstone； waking to the rush of cold air on his face； and the unfamiliar sensation of flying； groggily muttered； 鈥渨hat happened？鈥�
鈥渨e鈥檙e going to ancelstierre；鈥潯abriel shouted。
鈥渁cross the wall； to find kerrigor鈥檚 body鈥攁nd destroy it！鈥�
鈥渙h；鈥潯aid touchstone； who only heard 鈥渁cross t