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sabriel laid it flat on her hand； lifted it to her lips； and blew on it as if she were launching a feather。 like a glider； it flew from her hand into the river。 sabriel held that launching breath as the boat was almost swamped； only to breathe in with relief as it breasted a ripple； righted itself and surged away with the current。 in a few seconds it was out of sight； heading for the second gate。
it was the second time in her life that sabriel had launched just such a paper boat。 her father had shown her how to make them； but had impressed on her to use them sparingly。 no more than thrice every seven years； he had said； or a price would have to be paid； a price much greater than a drop of blood。
as events should follow as they had the first time； sabriel knew what to expect。 still； when the noise of the second gate stilled for a moment some ten or twenty； or forty； minutes later鈥攖ime being slippery in death鈥攕he drew her sword and saraneth hung down in her hand； its clapper free； waiting to be heard。 the gate had stilled because someone 。 。 。 something 。 。 。 was ing back from the deeper realms of death。
sabriel hoped it was the one she had invited with the paper boat。
chapter vi
灏彙ｈ銆倀/x/t澶ｅ爞
charter magic on cloven crest。
it was like a scent on the wind to the thing that lurked in the caves below the hill； some mile or more to the west of the broken charter stone。
it had been human once； or human…like at least； in the years it had lived under the sun。
that humanity had been lost in the centuries the thing spent in the chill waters of death； ferociously holding its own against the current； demonstrating an incredible will to live again。 a will it didn鈥檛 know it possessed before a badly cast hunting spear bounced from a rock and clipped its throat； just enough for a last few minutes of frantic life。
by sheer effort of will； it had held itself on the life side of the fourth gate for three hundred years； growing in power； learning the ways of death。 it preyed on lesser spirits； and served or avoided greater ones。 always； the thing held on to life。 its chance finally came when a mighty spirit erupted from beyond the seventh gate； smashing through each of the upper gates in turn； till it went ravening into life。 hundreds of the dead had followed； and this particular spirit had joined the throng。 there had been terrible confusion and a mighty enemy at the very border between life and death； but； in the melee； it had managed to sneak around the edges and squirm triumphantly into life。
there were plenty of recently vacated bodies where it emerged； so the thing occupied one； animated it and ran away。 soon after； it found the caves it now inhabited。 it even decided to give itself a name。 thralk。 a simple name； not too difficult for a partially deposed mouth to voice。 a male name。 thralk could not remember what its original sex had been； those centuries before； but its new body was male。
it was a name to instill fear in the few small settlements that still existed in this area of the borderlands； settlements thralk preyed upon； capturing and consuming the human life he needed to keep himself on the living side of death。
charter magic flared on cloven crest again； and thralk sensed that it was strong and pure鈥敗ut weakly cast。 the strength of the magic scared him； but the lack of skill behind it was reassuring and strong magic meant a strong life。 thralk needed that life； needed it to shore up the body he used； needed it to replenish the leakage of his spirit back into death。 greed won over fear。 the dead thing left the mouth of the cave and started climbing the hill； his lidless； rotting eyes fixed on the distant crest。
sabriel saw her guide； first as a tall； pale light drifting over the swirling water towards her； and then； as it stopped several yards away； as a blurred； glowing； human shape； its arms outstretched in wele。
鈥渟abriel。鈥�
the words were fuzzy and seemed to e from much farther away than where the shining figure stood； but sabriel smiled as she felt the warmth in the greeting。 abhorsen had never explained who or what this luminous person was； but sabriel thought she knew。 she鈥檇 summoned this advisor only once before鈥攚hen she鈥檇 first menstruated。
there was minimal sex education at wyverley college鈥攏one at all till you were fifteen。 the older girls鈥櫋tories about menstruation were many； varied and often meant to scare。 none of sabriel鈥檚 friends had reached puberty before her； so in fear and desperation she had entered death。 her father had told her that the one the paper boat summoned would answer any question and would protect her鈥攁nd so it had。 the glowing spirit answered all her questions and many more besides； till sabriel was forced to return to life。
鈥渉ello； mother；鈥潯aid sabriel； sheathing her sword and carefully muffling saraneth with her fingers inside the bell。
the shining shape didn鈥檛 answer； but that wasn鈥檛 unexpected。 apart from her one…word greeting； she could only answer questions。
sabriel wasn鈥檛 really sure if the manifestation was the very unusual dead spirit of her mother； which was unlikely； or some residual protective magic left by her。
鈥渋 don鈥檛 have much time；鈥潯abriel continued。
鈥渋鈥檇 love to ask about 。 。 。 oh； everything； i guess 。 。 。 but at the moment； i need to know how to get to father鈥檚 house from cloven crest 。 。 。 i mean barhedrin ridge。鈥�
the sending nodded； and spoke。 as sabriel listened； she also saw pictures in her head of what the woman was describing； vivid images； like memories of a journey she鈥檇 taken herself。
鈥済o to the northern side of the ridge。 follow the spur that begins there down till it reaches the valley floor。 look at the sky 。 。 。 there won鈥檛 be any cloud。 look to the bright red star； uallus； near the horizon； three fingers east of north。
follow that star till you e to a road that runs from south…west to north…east。 take that road for a mile to the north…east； till you reach a mile marker and the charter stone behind it。 a path behind the stone leads to the long cliffs immediately north。 take the path。 it ends in a door in the cliffs。 the door will answer to mosrael。 beyond the door is a tunnel； sloping sharply upwards。
beyond the tunnel lies abhorsen鈥檚 bridge。 the house is over the bridge。 go with love鈥攁nd do not tarry； do not stop； no matter what happens。鈥�
鈥渢hank you；鈥潯abriel began； carefully filing the words away with the acpanying thoughts。
鈥渃ould you also 。 。 。鈥�
she stopped as the mother…sending in front of her suddenly raised both arms as if shocked； and shouted； 鈥済o！鈥�
at the same time； sabriel felt the diamond of protection around her physical body twinge in warning and she became aware that the north mark had failed。 instantly； she turned on her left heel and began racing back to the border with life； drawing her sword。 the current almost seemed to strengthen against her； twining around her legs； but then fell away before her urgency。
sabriel reached the border and； with a furious thrust of will； her spirit emerged back into life。
for a second； she was disoriented； suddenly freezing again and thick…witted。 a grinning； corpse…like creature was just stepping through the failed north mark； its arms reaching to embrace her； carrion…breath misting out of a mouth unnaturally wide。
thralk had been pleased to find the charter mage鈥檚 spirit wandering and a broken diamond of protection。 the sword had worried him a little； but it was frosted over and his shriveled eyes couldn鈥檛 see the charter marks that danced beneath the rime。 similarly； the bell in sabriel鈥檚 left hand looked like a lump of ice or snow； as if she鈥檇 caught a snowball。 all in all； thralk felt very fortunate； particularly as the life that blazed within this still victim was particularly young and strong。 thralk sidled closer still and his double…jointed arms reached to embrace sabriel鈥檚 neck。
just as his slimy； corrupted fingers stretched forward； sabriel opened her eyes and executed the stop…thrust that had earned her second place in fighting arts and； later； lost her the first。 her arm and sword straightened like one limb to their full extent and the sword…point ripped through thralk鈥檚 neck； and into eight inches of air beyond。
thralk screamed； his reaching fingers gripping the sword to push himself free鈥攐nly to scream again as charter marks flared on the blade。 white…hot sparks plumed between his knuckles and thralk suddenly knew what he鈥檇 encountered。
鈥渁bhorsen！鈥潯e croaked； falling backwards as sabriel twisted the blade free with one explosive jerk。
already； the sword was affecting the dead flesh thralk inhabited； charter magic burning through reanimated nerves； freezing those alltoo… fluid joints。 fire rose in thralk鈥檚 throat； but he spoke； to distract this terrible opponent while his spirit tried to shuck the body； like a snake its skin； and retreat into the night。
鈥渁bhorsen！ i will serve you； praise you； be your hand 。 。 。 i know things； alive and dead 。 。 。
i will help lure others to you 。 。 。鈥�
the clear； deep sound of saraneth cut through the whining； broken voice like a foghorn booming above the shriek of seagulls。
the chime vibrated on and on； echoing into the night； and thralk felt it bind him even as his spirit leaked out of the body and made for flight。 the bell bound him to paralyzed flesh； bound him to the will of the bell…ringer。
fury seethed in him； anger and fear fueling his struggle； but the sound was everywhere； all around him； all through him。 he would never be free of it。
sabriel watched the misshapen shadow writhing； half out of the corpse； half in it； the body bleeding a pool of darkness。 it was still trying to use the corpse鈥檚 mouth； but without success。 she considered going with it into death； where it would have a shape and she could make it answer with dyrim。 but the broken charter stone loomed nearby and she felt it as an everpresent fear； like a cold jewel upon her breast。
in her mind； she heard her mother…sending鈥檚 words； 鈥渄o not tarry； do not stop； no matter what happens。鈥�
sabriel thrust her sword point…first into the snow； put saraneth away and drew kibeth from the bandolier； using both hands。 thralk sensed it and his fury gave way to pure； unadulterated fear。 after all the centuries of struggle； he knew true death had e for him at last。
sabriel took up a careful stance； with the bell held in a curious two…handed grip。 kibeth seemed almost to twitch in her hands； but she controlled it； swinging it backwards； forwards； and then in a sort of odd figure eight。 the sounds； all from the one bell； were very different to each other； but they made a little marching tune； a dancing song； a parade。
thralk heard them and felt forces grip him。
strange； inexorable powers that made him find the border； made him return to death。 vainly； almost pathetically； he struggled against them； knowing he couldn鈥檛 break free。 he knew that he would walk through every gate； to fall at last through the ninth。 he gave up the struggle and used the last of his strength to form a semblance of a mouth in the middle of his shadow…stuff； a mouth with a writhing tongue of darkness。
鈥渃urse you！鈥潯e gurgled。 鈥渋 will tell the servants of kerrigor！ i will be revenged 。 。 。鈥�
his grotesque； gulping voice was chopped off in mid…sentence； as thralk lost free will。
saraneth had bound him； but kibeth gripped him and kibeth walked him； walked him so thralk would be no more。 the twisting shadow simply disappeared and there was only snow under a long…dead corpse。
even though the revenant was gone； his last words troubled sabriel。 the name kerrigor； while not exactly familiar； touched some basic fear in her； some memory。 perhaps abhorsen had spoken this name； which undoubtedly belonged to one of the greater dead。 the name scared her in the same way the broken stone did； as if they were tangible symbols of a world gone wrong； a world where her father was lost； where she herself was terribly threatened。
sabriel coughed； feeling the cold in her lungs； and very carefully replaced kibeth in the bandolier。
her sword seemed to have burned itself clean； but she ran a cloth over the blade before returning it to the scabbard。 she felt very tired as she swung her pack back on； but there was no doubt in her mind that she must move on immediately。 her mother…spirit鈥檚 words kept echoing in her mind； and her own senses told her something was happening in death； something powerful was moving towards life； moving towards emergence at the broken stone。
there had been too much death and too much charter magic on this hill； and the night was yet to reach its blackest。 the wind was swinging around； the clouds regaining their superiority over sky。 soon； the stars would disappear and the young moon would be wrapped in white。
quickly； sabriel scanned the heavens； looking for the three bright stars that marked the buckle of the north giant鈥檚 belt。 she found them； but then had to check the star map in her almanac； a handmade match stinking as it cast a yellow flicker on the pages； for she didn鈥檛 dare use any more charter magic till she was away from the broken stone。 the almanac