友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!阅读过程发现任何错误请告诉我们,谢谢!! 报告错误
九色书籍 返回本书目录 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 进入书吧 加入书签

sabriel (the abhorsen trilogy)_加斯·尼克斯-第13章

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!



d sky; palely backlit by the moon。 but she didn鈥檛 seem to get any closer as the path switchbacked to and fro; rising further and further up from the valley below。

then; suddenly; sabriel was there。 the path turned again and her little will…o鈥櫋璽he…wisp light reflected back from a wall; a wall that stretched for miles to either side; and for hundreds of yards upwards。 clearly; these were the long cliffs; and the path had ended。

almost sobbing with relief; sabriel pushed herself forward to the very base of the cliff; and the little light rose above her head to disclose grey; lichen…veined rock。 but even with that light; there was no sign of a door鈥攏othing but  jagged; impervious rock; going up and out of her tiny circle of illumination。 there was no path and nowhere else to go。

wearily; sabriel knelt in a patch of snow and rubbed her hands together vigorously; trying to restore circulation; before drawing mosrael from the bandolier。 mosrael; the waker。 sabriel stilled it carefully and concentrated her senses; feeling for anything dead that might be near and should not be woken。 there was nothing close; but once again sabriel felt something behind her; something following her; far down on the path。 something dead; something reeking of power。 she tried to judge how distant the thing was; before forcing it from her thoughts。

whatever it might be; it was too far away to hear even mosrael鈥檚 raucous voice。 sabriel stood up; and rang the bell。

it made a sound like tens of parrots screeching; a noise that burst into the air and wove itself into the wind; echoing from the cliffs; multiplying into the scream of a thousand birds。

sabriel stilled the bell at once and put it away; but the echoes raced across the valley; and she knew the thing behind her had heard。 she felt it fix its attention on where she was and she felt  it quicken its pace; like watching the muscles on a racehorse going from the walk to a gallop。 it was ing up the steps at least four or five at a time。 she felt the rush of it in her head and the fear rising in her at equal pace; but she still went to the path and looked down; drawing her sword as she did so。

there; between gusts of snow; she saw a figure leaping from step to step; impossible leaps; that ate up the distance between them with horrible appetite。 it was manlike; more than man…high; and flames ran like burning oil on water where it trod。 sabriel cried out as she saw it; and felt the dead spirit within。 the book of the dead opened to fearful pages in her memory; and descriptions of evil poured into her head。 it was a mordicant that hunted her鈥攁 thing that could pass at will through life and death; its body of bog…clay and human blood molded and infused with free magic by a necromancer; and a dead spirit placed inside as its guiding force。

sabriel had banished a mordicant once; but that had been forty miles from the wall; in ancelstierre; and it had been weak; already fading。

this one was strong; fiery; new…born。 it would kill her; she suddenly knew; and subjugate   her spirit。 all her plans and dreams; her hopes and courage; fell out of her to be replaced by pure; unthinking panic。 she turned to one side; then the other; like a rabbit running from a dog; but the only way down was the path and the mordicant was only a hundred yards below; closing with every blink; with every falling snowflake。 flames were spewing from its mouth; and it thrust its pointed head back and howled as it ran; a howl like the last shout of someone falling to their death; underlaid with the squeal of fingernails on glass。

sabriel; a scream somehow stuck and choking in her throat; turned to the cliff; hammering on it with the pommel of her sword。

鈥渙pen! open!鈥潯he screamed; as charter marks raced through her brain鈥攂ut not the right ones for forcing a door; a spell she鈥檇 learned in the second form。 she knew it like she knew her times tables; but the charter marks just wouldn鈥檛 e; and why was twelve times twelve sticking in her head when she wanted charter marks 。 。 。

the echoes from mosrael faded; and in that silence; the pommel struck on something that thudded hollowly; rather than throwing sparks and jarring her hand。 something wooden; something that hadn鈥檛 been there before。 a door; tall and strangely narrow; its dark oak lined with silver charter marks dancing through the grain。 an iron ring; exactly at hand height; touched sabriel鈥檚 hip。

sabriel dropped her sword with a gasp; grabbed the ring; and pulled。 nothing happened。

sabriel tugged again; half…turning to look over her shoulder; almost cringing at what she would see。

the mordicant turned the last corner and its eyes met hers。 sabriel shut them; unable to bear the hatred and bloodlust glowing in its gaze like a poker left too long in the forge。 it howled again and almost flowed up the remaining steps; flames dripping from its mouth; claws and feet。

sabriel; eyes still closed; pushed on the ring。

the door flew open and she fell in; crashing to the ground in a flurry of snow; eyes snapping open。 desperately; she twisted herself around on the ground; ignoring the pain in her knees and hands。 reaching back outside; she snagged the hilt of her sword and snatched it in。

as the blade cleared the doorway; the mordicant reached it; and twisting itself side…  ways to pass the narrow portal; thrust an arm inside。 flames boiled from its grey…green flesh; like beads of sweat; and small plumes of black smoke spiraled from the flames; bringing with them a stench like burning hair。

sabriel; sprawled defenseless on the floor; could only stare in terror as the thing鈥檚 four…taloned hand slowly opened and reached out for her。





chapter vii

灏*璇**t*xt**澶*鍫
but the hand didn鈥檛 close; the talons failed to rend defenseless flesh。

instead; sabriel felt a sudden surge of charter magic and charter marks flared around the door; blazing so brightly that they left red after…images at the back of her eyes; black dots dancing across her vision。

blinking; she saw a man step out from the stones of the wall; a tall and obviously strong man; with a longsword the twin of sabriel鈥檚 own。

this sword came whistling down on the mordicant鈥檚 arm; biting out a chunk of burning marsh…rotten flesh。 rebounding; the sword flicked back again; and hewed another slice; like an axeman sending chips flying from a tree。

the mordicant howled; more in anger than in pain鈥攂ut it withdrew the arm and the stranger threw himself against the door; slamming it shut with the full weight of his mail…clad body。

curiously for mail; it made no sound; no jangling from the flow of hundreds of steel links。 a strange body under it too; sabriel saw; as the black dots and the red wash faded; revealing that her rescuer wasn鈥檛 human at all。 he had seemed solid enough; but every square inch of him was defined by tiny; constantly moving charter marks; and sabriel could see nothing between them but empty air。

he 。 。 。 it was a charter…ghost; a sending。

outside; the mordicant howled again; like a steam train venting pressure; then the whole corridor shook and hinges screeched in protest as the thing threw itself against the door。 wood splintered and clouds of thick grey dust fell from the ceiling; mocking the falling snow outside。

the sending turned to face sabriel and offered its hand to help her up。 sabriel took it; looking up at it as her tired; frozen legs struggled to make a tenth…round eback。 close to; the illusion of flesh was imperfect; fluid and unsettling。 its face wouldn鈥檛 stay fixed; migrating between scores of possibilities。 some were women; some were men鈥攂ut all bore tough; petent visages。 its  body and clothing changed slightly; too; with every face; but two details always remained the same; a black surcoat with the blazon of a silver key; and a longsword redolent with charter magic。

鈥渢hank you;鈥潯abriel said nervously; flinching as the mordicant pounded the door again。

鈥渃an 。 。 。 do you think that 。 。 。 will it get through?鈥

the sending nodded grimly; and let go her hand to point up the long corridor; but it did not speak。

sabriel turned her head to follow its pointing hand and saw a dark passage that rose up into darkness。 charter marks illuminated where they stood; but faded only a little way on。 despite this; the darkness seemed friendly; and she could almost taste the charter…spells that rode on the corridor鈥檚 dusty air。

鈥渋 must go on?鈥潯sked sabriel; as it pointed again; more urgently。 the sending nodded; and flapped its hand backwards and forwards; indicating haste。 behind him; another crashing blow caused another great billow of dust; and the door sounded as if it was weakening。 once again; the vile; burnt smell of the mordicant wafted through the air。

the doorkeeper wrinkled its nose and gave sabriel a bit of a push in the right direction; like a parent urging a reluctant child to press on。 but sabriel needed no urging。 her fear was still burning in her。 momentarily extinguished by the rescue; the smell of the mordicant was all it needed to blaze again。 she set her face upwards and started to walk quickly; into the passage。

she looked back after a few yards; to see the doorke
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0
未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!