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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 showed that she had remembered correctly： the buckle was due north in the old kingdom； its other name was mariner鈥檚 cheat。 in ancelstierre； the buckle was easily ten degrees west of north。
north located； sabriel started to make her way to that side of the crest； looking for the spur that slanted down to the valley lost in darkness below。 the clouds were thickening and she wanted to reach level ground before the moonlight disappeared。 at least the spur； when found； looked like easier going than the broken steps to the south； though its gentle slope proclaimed a long descent to the valley。
in fact； it took several hours before sabriel reached the valley floor； stumbling and shivering； a very pale charter flame dancing a little ways in front of her。 too insubstantial to really ease her path； it had helped her avoid major disaster； and she hoped it was pallid enough to be taken for marsh…gas or chance reflection。 in any case； it had proved essential when clouds closed the last remaining gap in the sky。
so much for no cloud； sabriel thought； as she looked towards what she guessed was still north； searching for the red star； uallus。 her teeth were chattering and would not be stilled； and a shiver that had started with her ice…cold feet was repeating itself through every limb。 if she didn鈥檛 keep moving； she鈥檇 simply freeze where she stood鈥攑articularly as the wind was rising once more 。 。 。
sabriel laughed quietly； almost hysterically； and turned her face to feel the breeze。 it was an easterly； gaining strength with the minute。
colder； yes； but it also cleared the cloud； sweeping it to the west鈥攁nd there； in the first cleared broom…stroke of the wind； was uallus gleaming red。 sabriel smiled； stared at it； took stock of the little she could see around her； and started off again； following the star； a whispering voice constant in the back of her mind。
do not tarry； do not stop； no matter what happens。
the smile lasted as sabriel found the road and； with a good cover of snow in each gutter； she skied； making good time。
by the time sabriel found the mile marker and the charter stone behind it； no trace of the smile could be seen on her pale face。 it was snowing again； snowing sideways as the wind grew more frenzied； taking the snowflakes and whipping them into her eyes； now the only exposed portion of her entire body。 her boots were soaked too； despite the mutton fat she鈥檇 rubbed into them。 her feet； face and hands were freezing； and she was exhausted。 she鈥檇 dutifully eaten a little every hour； but now； simply couldn鈥檛 open her frozen jaws。
for a short time； at the intact charter stone that rose proudly behind the smaller milemarker； sabriel had made herself warm； invoking a charter…spell for heat。 but she鈥檇 grown too tired to maintain it without the assistance of the stone； and the spell dissipated almost as soon as she walked on。 only the mother…spirit鈥檚 warning kept her going。 that； and the sensation that she was being followed。
it was only a feeling； and in her tired； chilled state； sabriel wondered if it was just imagination。
but she wasn鈥檛 in any state to face up to anything that might not be imagined； so she forced herself to go on。
do not tarry； do not stop； no matter what happens。
the path from the charter stone was better made than the one that climbed cloven crest； but steeper。 the pathmakers here had to cut through a dense； greyish rock； which did not erode like granite； and they had built hundreds of wide； low steps； carved with intricate patterns。
whether these meant something； sabriel didn鈥檛 know。 they weren鈥檛 charter marks； or symbols of any language that she knew； and she was too tired to speculate。 she concentrated on one step at a time； using her hands to push down on her aching thighs； coughing and gasping； head down to avoid the flying snow。
the path grew steeper still and sabriel could see the cliff…face ahead； a huge； black； vertical mass； a much darker backdrop to the swirling snow than the clouded sky； palely backlit by the moon。 but she didn鈥檛 seem to get any closer as the path switchbacked