按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
g； blades reflecting the light that was itself reflected from the snow。 only horyse looked inwards； waiting for her。
with her skis over her shoulder； sabriel picked her way among the broken timbers of the gate。
going through the arch； from mud into snow； from bright sun into the pallid luminescence of a snowfall； from her past into her future。
the stones of the wall on either side； and above her head； seemed to call a wele home； and rivulets of charter marks ran through the stones like rain through dust。
鈥渢he old kingdom weles you；鈥潯aid horyse； but he was watching the charter marks run on the stones； not looking at sabriel。
sabriel stepped out of the shadow of the gate and pulled her cap down； so the peak shielded her face against the snow。
鈥渋 wish your mission every success； sabriel；鈥�
continued horyse； looking back at her。 鈥渋 hope 。 。 。 hope i see both you and your father before too long。鈥�
he saluted； turned smartly to his left； and was gone； wheeling around her and marching back through the gate。 his men peeled off from the line and followed。 sabriel bent down as they marched past； slid her skis back and forth in the snow； then slipped her boots into the bindings。
the snow was falling steadily； but it was only a light fall and the cover was patchy。 she could still easily make out the old north road。
fortunately； the snow had banked up in the gutters to either side of the road； and she could make good time if she kept to these narrow snow…ways。 even though it seemed to be several hours later in the old kingdom than it was in ancelstierre； she expected to reach cloven crest before dusk。
taking up her poles； sabriel checked that her father鈥檚 sword was easy in its scabbard； and the bells hung properly from their baldric。 she considered a quick charter…spell for warmth； but decided against it。 the road had a slight uphill gradient； so the skiing would be quite hard work。 in her handknitted； greasy wool shirt； leather jerkin and thick； double padded skiing knickerbockers； she would probably be too warm once she got going。
with a practiced motion； she pushed one ski ahead； the opposite arm reaching forward with her pole； and slid forward； just as the last swordsman passed her on his way back through the gate。 he grinned as he passed by； but she didn鈥檛 notice； concentrating on building up the rhythm of her skis and poles。 within minutes； she was practically flying up the road； a slim； dark figure against the white of the ground。
锛凤挤w。xi锛s锛╱otxt。锛ｏ集锛�
chapter iv
灏忥紲璇达紲t锛渪t锛炲ぉ锛煛峰爞
sabriel found the first dead ancelstierran soldier about six miles from the wall； in the last； fading hours of the afternoon。
the hill she thought was cloven crest was a mile or two to the north。 she鈥檇 stopped to look at its dark bulk； rising rocky and treeless from the snow…covered ground； its peak temporarily hidden in one of the light； puffy clouds that occasionally let forth a shower of snow or sleet。
if she hadn鈥檛 stopped； she would probably have missed the frosted…white hand that peeked out of a drift on the other side of the road。 but as soon as she saw that； her attention focused and sabriel felt the familiar pang of death。
crossing over； her skis clacking on bare stone in the middle of the road； she bent down and gently brushed the snow away。
the hand belonged to a young man； who wore a standard…issue coat of mail over an ancelstierran uniform of khaki serge。 he was blond and grey…eyed； and sabriel thought he had been surprised； for there was no fear in his frozen expression。 she touched his forehead with one finger； closed his sightless eyes； and laid two fingers against his open mouth。 he had been dead twelve days； she felt。 there were no obvious signs as to what had killed him。 to learn more than that； she would have to follow the young man into death。 even after twelve days； it was unlikely he had gone further than the fourth gate。 even so； sabriel had a strong disinclination to enter the realm of the dead until she absolutely had to。 whatever had trapped鈥攐r killed鈥攈er father could easily be waiting to ambush her there。 this dead soldier could even be a lure。
quashing her natural curiosity to find out exactly what had happened； sabriel folded the man鈥檚 arms across his chest； after first unclenching the grip that his right hand still had on his sword hilt鈥攑erhaps he had not been taken totally unawares after all。 then she stood and drew the charter marks of fire； cleansing； peace and sleep in the air above the corpse； while whispering the sounds of those same marks。 it was a litany that every charter mage knew； and it had the usual effect。 a glowing ember sparked up between the man鈥檚 folded arms； multiplied into many stabbing； darting flames； then fire whooshed the full length of the body。 seconds later it was out and only ash remained； ash staining a corselet of blackened mail。
sabriel took the soldier鈥檚 sword from the pile of ashes and thrust it through the melted snow； into the dark earth beneath。 it stuck fast； upright； the hilt casting a shadow like a cross upon the ashes。 something glinted in the shadow and； belatedly； sabriel remembered that the soldier would have worn an identity disc or tag。
shifting her skis again to rebalance she bent down and hooked the chain of the identity disc on one finger； pulling it up to read the name of the man who had met his end here； alone in the snow。 but both the chain and disc were machinemade in ancelstierre and so unable to withstand the charter magic fire。 the disc crumbled into ash as sabriel raised it to eye level and the chain fell into its ponent links； pouring between sabriel鈥檚 fingers like small steel coins。
鈥減erhaps they鈥檒l know you from your sword；鈥�
said sabriel。 her voice sounded strange in the quiet of the snowy wilderness and； behind each word； her breath rolled out like a small； wet fog。
鈥渢ravel without regret；鈥潯he added。 鈥渄o not look back。鈥�
sabriel took her own advice as she skied away。
there was an anxiety in her now that had been mostly academic before and every sense was alert； watchful。 she had always been told that the old kingdom was dangerous； and the borderlands near the wall particularly so。 but that intellectual knowledge was tempered by her vague childhood memories of happiness； of being with her father and the band of travelers。
now； the reality of the danger was slowly ing home 。 。 。
half a mile on she slowed and stopped to look up at cloven crest again； neck cricked back to watch where the sun struck between the clouds； lighting up the yellow…red granite of the bluffs。
she was in cloud shadow herself； so the hill looked like an attractive destination。 as she looked； it started to snow again； and two snowflakes fell upon her forehead； melting into her eyes。 she blinked and the melted snow traced tear trails down her cheeks。 through misted eyes； she saw a bird of prey鈥攁 hawk or kite鈥攍aunch itself from the bluffs and hover； its concentration totally centered upon some small mouse or vole creeping across the snow。
the kite dropped like a cast stone； and a few seconds later； sabriel felt some small life snuffed out。 at the same time； she also felt the tug of human death。 somewhere ahead； near where the kite dined； more people lay dead。
sabriel shivered； and looked at the hill again。
according to horyse鈥檚 map； the path to cloven crest lay in a narrow gully between two bluffs。
she could see quite clearly where it must be； but the dead lay in that direction。 whatever had killed them might also still be there。
there was sunlight on the bluffs； but the wind was driving snow clouds across the sun and sabriel guessed it was only an hour or so till dusk。 she鈥檇 lost time freeing the soldier鈥檚 spirit； and now had no choice but to hurry on if she wished to reach cloven crest before nightfall。
she thought about what lay ahead for a moment； then chose a promise between speed and caution。 stabbing her poles into the snow； she released her bindings； stepped out of her skis and then quickly fastened skis and poles together to be strapped diagonally across her backpack。 she tied them on carefully； remembering how they鈥檇 fallen and broken her charterspell on the parade ground鈥攐nly that morning； but it seemed like weeks ago and a world away。
that done； she started to pick her way down the center of the road； keeping away from the gutter drifts。 she鈥檇 have to leave the road fairly soon； but it looked like there was little snow on the steep； rocky slopes of cloven crest。
as a final precaution； she drew abhorsen鈥檚 sword； then resheathed it； so an inch of blade was free of the scabbard。 it would draw fast and easily when she needed it。
sabriel expected to find the bodies on the road； or near it； but they lay further on。 there were many footprints； and churned…up snow； leading from the road towards the path to cloven crest。
that path ran between the bluffs； following a route gouged out by a stream falling from some deep spring higher up the hill。 the path crossed the stream several times； with stepping…stones or tree trunks across the water to save walkers from wet feet。 halfway up； where the bluffs almost ground together； the stream had dug itself a short gorge； about twelve feet wide； thirty feet long and deep。 here； the pathmakers had been forced to build a bridge along the stream； rather than across it。
sabriel found the rest of the ancelstierran patrol here； tumbled on the dark olive…black wood of the bridge； with the water murmuring beneath and the red stone arching overhead。
there were seven of them along the bridge鈥檚 length。 unlike the first soldier； it was quite clear what had killed them。 they had been hacked apart and； as sabriel edged closer； she realized they had been beheaded。 worse than that； whoever 。 。 。 whatever 。 。 。 had killed them had taken their heads away鈥攁lmost a guarantee that their spirits would return。
her sword did draw easily。 gingerly； her right hand almost glued to the sword hilt； sabriel stepped around the first of the splayed…out bodies and onto the bridge。 the water beneath was partly iced over； shallow and sluggish； but it was clear the soldiers had sought refuge over it。
running water was a good protection from dead creatures or things of free magic； but this torpid stream would not have dismayed even one of the lesser dead。 in spring； fed with melted snow； the stream would burst between the bluffs； and the bridge would be knee…deep in clear； swift water。 the soldiers would probably have survived at that time of year。
sabriel sighed quietly； thinking of how easily seven people could be alive in one instant； and then； despite everything they could do； despite their last hope； they could be dead in just another。
once again； she felt the temptation of the necromancer； to take the cards nature had dealt； to reshuffle them and deal again。 she had the power to make these men live again； laugh again； love again 。 。 。
but without their heads she could only bring them back as 鈥渉ands；鈥潯 derogatory term that free magic necromancers used for their lackluster revenants； who retained little of their original intelligence and none of their initiative。 they made useful servants； though； either as reanimated corpses or the more difficult shadow hands； where only the spirit was brought back。
sabriel grimaced as she thought of shadow hands。 a skilled necromancer could easily raise shadow hands from the heads of the newly dead。 similarly； without the heads； she couldn鈥檛 give them the final rites and free their spirits。
all she could do was treat the bodies with some respect and； in the process； clear the bridge。
it was near to dusk； and dark already in the shadow of the gorge； but she ignored the little voice inside her that was urging her to leave the bodies and run for the open space of the hilltop。
by the time she finished dragging the bodies back down the path a way； laying them out with their swords plunged in the earth next to their headless bodies； it was dark outside the gorge too。 so dark； she had to risk a faint； charterconjured light； that hung like a pale star above her head； showing the path before dying out。
a slight magic； but one with unexpected consequences； for； as she left the bodies behind； an answering light burned into brilliance on the upper post of the bridge。 it faded into red embers almost immediately； but left three glowing charter marks。 one was strange to sabriel； but； from the other two； she guessed its meaning。
together； they held a message。
three of the dead soldiers had the feel of charter magic about them； and sabriel guessed that they were charter mages。 they would have had the charter mark on their foreheads。 the very last body on the bridge had been one of these men and sabriel remembered that he had been the only one not holding a weapon鈥攈is hands had been clasped around the bridge post。
these marks would certainly hold his message。
sabriel touched her own forehead charter mark and then the bridge post。 the marks flared again； then went dark。 a voice came from nowhere； close to sabriel鈥檚 ear。 a man鈥檚 voice； husky with fear； backed by the sound of clashing weapons； screaming and total panic。