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everal hundred feet above the ground。 one overeager sword thrust would mean a fatal fall鈥攊f the gore crows didn鈥檛 kill her on the way down。
鈥渋鈥檒l have to summon a greater wind！鈥潯he yelled at mogget； who was now sitting right up on her pack； fur bristling； yowling challenges at the crows。 they were very close now； flying in an eerily exact formation鈥攖wo long lines； like arms outstretched to snatch the fleeing paperwing from the sky。 very little of their once…black plumage had survived their rushing dive； white bone shining through in the last light of the sun。
but their beaks were still glossily black and gleaming sharp； and sabriel could now see the red glints of the fragmented dead spirit in the empty sockets of their eyes。
mogget didn鈥檛 reply。 possibly； he hadn鈥檛 even heard her above his yowling； and the gore crows鈥櫋awing as they closed the last few yards to attack； a strange； hollow sound； as dead as their flesh。
for a second of panic； sabriel felt her dry lips unable to purse； then she wet them and the whistle came； slow and erratic。 the charter marks felt clumsy and difficult in her head； as if she were trying to push a heavy weight on badly made rollers鈥攖hen； with a last effort； they came easily； flowing into her whistled notes。
unlike her earlier； gradual summonings； this wind came with the speed of a slamming door； howling up behind them with frightening violence； picking up the paperwing and shunting it forward like a giant wave lifting up a slender boat。 suddenly； they were going so fast that sabriel could barely make out the ground below； and the individual islands of the delta merged into one continuous blur of motion。
eyes closed to protective slits； she craned her head around； the wind striking her face like a vicious slap。 the pursuing gore crows were all over the sky now； formation lost； like small black stains against the red and purple sunset。
they were flapping uselessly； trying to e back together； but the paperwing was already a league or more away。 there was no chance they could catch up。
sabriel let out a sigh of relief； but it was a sigh tempered with new anxieties。 the wind was carrying them at a fearful pace； and it was starting to veer northwards； which it wasn鈥檛 supposed to do。 sabriel could see the first stars twinkling now； and they were definitely turning towards the buckle。
it was an effort to call up the charter marks again； and whistle the spell to ease the wind； and turn it back to the east； but sabriel managed to cast it。 but the spell failed to work鈥攖he wind grew stronger； and shifted more； till they were careening straight towards the buckle； directly north。
sabriel； hunkered down in the cockpit； eyes and nose streaming and face frozen； tried again； using all her willpower to force the charter marks into the wind。 even to her； her whistle sounded feeble； and the charter marks once again vanished into what had now bee a gale。 sabriel realized she had totally lost control。
in fact； it was almost as if the spell had the opposite effect； for the wind grew wilder； snatching the paperwing up in a great spiral； like a ball thrown between a ring of giants； each one taller than the last。 sabriel grew dizzy； and even colder； and her breath came fast and shallow； trying to salvage enough air to keep her alive。 she tried to calm the winds again； but couldn鈥檛 gain the breath to whistle； and the charter marks slipped from her mind； till all she could do was desperately hang on to the straps in the hammock…seat as the paperwing tried its best to ride the storm。
then； without warning； the wind ceased its upward dance。 it just dropped； and with it went the paperwing。 sabriel fell upwards； straps suddenly tight； and mogget almost clawed through the pack in his efforts to stay connected with the aircraft。 jolted by this new development； sabriel felt her exhaustion burn away。 she tried to whistle the lifting wind； but it too was beyond her power。 the paperwing seemed unable to halt its headlong descent。 it fell； nose tilting further and further forward till they were diving almost vertically； like a hammer rushing to the anvil of the ground below。
it was a long way down。 sabriel screamed once； then tried to put some of her fear…found strength into the paperwing。 but the marks flowed into her whistle without effect； save for a golden sparkle that briefly illuminated her white； wind…frozen face。 the sun had pletely set； and the dark mass of the ground below looked all too much like the grey river of death鈥攖he river their spirits would cross into in a few short minutes； never to return to the warm light of life。
鈥渓oose my collar；鈥潯ewed a voice at sabriel鈥檚 ear； followed by the curious sensation of mogget digging his claws into her armor as he clambered into her lap。 鈥渓oose my collar！鈥�
sabriel looked at him； at the ground； at the collar。 she felt stupid； starved of oxygen； unable to decide。 the collar was part of an ancient binding； a terrible guardian of tremendous power。 it would only be used to contain an inexpressible evil； or uncontrollable force。
鈥渢rust me！鈥潯owled mogget。 鈥渓oose my collar； and remember the ring！鈥�
sabriel swallowed； closed her eyes； fumbled with the collar and prayed that she was doing the right thing。 鈥渇ather； forgive me；鈥潯he thought； but it was not just to her father that she spoke； but to all the abhorsens who had e before her鈥攅specially the one who had made the collar so long ago。
surprisingly for such an ancient spell； she felt little more than pins and needles as the collar came free。 then it was open； and suddenly heavy； like a lead rope； or a ball and chain。
sabriel almost dropped it； but it became light again； then insubstantial。 when sabriel opened her eyes； the collar had simply ceased to exist。
mogget sat still； on her lap； and seemed unchanged鈥攖hen he seemed to glow with an internal light and expand； till he became frayed at the edges； and the light grew and grew。 within a few seconds； there was no cat…shape left； just a shining blur too bright to look at。 it seemed to hesitate for a moment and sabriel felt its attention flicker between aggression towards her and some inner struggle。 it almost formed back into the cat…shape again； then suddenly split into four shafts of brilliant white。 one shot forward； one aft； and two seemed to slide into the wings。
then the whole paperwing shone with fierce white brilliance； and it abruptly stopped its headlong dive and leveled out。 sabriel was flung violently forward； body checked by straps； but her nose almost hit the silver mirror； neck muscles cording out with an impossible effort to keep her head still。
despite this sudden improvement； they were still falling。 sabriel； hands now clasped behind her savagely aching neck； saw the ground rushing up to fill the horizon。 treetops suddenly appeared below； the paperwing imbued with the strange light； just clipping through the upper branches with a sound like hail on a tin roof。
then； they dropped again； skimming scant yards above what looked like a cleared field； but still too fast to land without total destruction。
mogget； or whatever mogget had bee； braked the paperwing again； in a series of shuddering halts that added bruises on top of bruises。
for the first time； sabriel felt the incredible relief of knowing that they would survive。 one more braking effort and the paperwing would be safely down； to skid a little in the long； soft grass of the field。
mogget braked； and sabriel cheered as the paperwing gently lay its belly on the grass and slid to what should have been a perfect landing。
but the cheer suddenly became a shriek of alarm； as the grass parted to reveal the lip of an enormous dark hole directly in their path。
too low to rise； and now too slow to glide over a hole at least fifty yards across； the paperwing reached the edge； flipped over and spiraled towards the bottom of the hole； hundreds of feet below。
w w w。 xiao shuotxt。 co m
chapter xii
灏忚txt澶╁爞
sabriel regained consciousness slowly； her brain fumbling for connections to her senses。 hearing came first； but that only caught her own labored breathing； and the creak of her armored coat as she struggled to sit up。 for the moment； sight eluded her； and she was panicked； afraid of blindness； till memory came。 it was night； and she was at the bottom of a sinkhole鈥攁 great； circular shaft bored into the ground； by either nature or artifice。 from her brief glimpse of it as they鈥檇 fallen； she guessed it was easily fifty yards in diameter and a hundred deep。 daylight would probably illuminate its murky depths； but starlight was insufficient。
pain came next； hard on the heels of memory。 a thousand aches and bruises； but no serious injury。
sabriel wiggled her toes and fingers； flexed muscles in arms； back and legs。 they all hurt； but everything seemed to work。
she vaguely recalled the last few seconds before impact鈥攎ogget； or the white force； slowing them just before they hit鈥攂ut the actual instant of the crash might never have been； for she couldn鈥檛 remember it。 shock； she thought to herself； in an abstract way； almost like she was diagnosing someone else。
her next