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鈥渂ut i鈥檓 not fit to wield royal鈥斺��
鈥渏ust do as you鈥檙e told；鈥潯ogget said firmly。
鈥渢hink of yourself as abhorsen鈥檚 sworn swordhand； if it makes you feel better； though in this present era； you鈥檒l find mon sense is more important than honor。鈥�
鈥渧ery well；鈥潯ouchstone muttered； humbly。
he stood up and put on the underclothes and shirt； but couldn鈥檛 get the trousers past his heavily muscled thighs。
鈥渢here鈥檚 a kilt and leggings in one of the chests back here；鈥潯ogget said； after watching touchstone hopping around on one leg； the other trapped in too…tight leather。
touchstone nodded； divested himself of the trousers； and clambered up through the hole； taking care to keep as far away from mogget as possible。 halfway up； he paused； arms braced on either side of the gap。
鈥測ou won鈥檛 tell her？鈥潯e asked。
鈥渢ell who？ tell what？鈥�
鈥渁bhorsen。 please； i鈥檒l do all i can to help。 but it wasn鈥檛 intentional。 my part； i mean。 please； don鈥檛 tell her鈥斺��
鈥渟pare me the pleadings；鈥潯aid mogget； in a disgusted tone。 鈥渋 can鈥檛 tell her。 you can鈥檛 tell her。
the corruption is wide and the spell rather indiscriminatory。
hurry up鈥攕he鈥檒l be back soon。 i鈥檒l tell you the rest of our current saga while you dress。鈥�
sabriel returned from the spring feeling healthier； cleaner and happier。 she鈥檇 slept well and the morning鈥檚 ablutions had cleared off the blood。
the bruises； swellings and sunburn had all responded well to her herbal treatments。 all in all； she felt about eighty percent normal； rather than ten percent functional； and she was looking forward to having some pany at breakfast other than the sardonic mogget。 not that he didn鈥檛 have his uses； such as guarding unconscious or sleeping humans。 he鈥檇 also assured her that he had tested the charter mark on the figurehead…man； finding him to be unsullied by free magic； or necromancy。
she鈥檇 expected the man to still be asleep； so she felt a faint frisson of surprise and suspense when she saw a figure standing by the ship鈥檚 bow； facing the other way。 for a second； her hand twitched to her sword； then she saw mogget nearby； precariously draped on the ship鈥檚 rail。
she approached nervously； her curiosity tempered by the need to be wary of strangers。 he looked different dressed。 older and somewhat intimidating； particularly since he seemed to have scorned her plain clothing for a kilt of gold…striped red； with matching leggings of redstriped gold； disappearing into turned…down thigh boots of russet doeskin。 he was wearing her shirt； though； and preparing to put on a red leather jerkin。 it had detachable； lace…up sleeves； which seemed to be giving him some problems。
two swords lay in three…quarter scabbards near his feet； stabbing points shining four inches out of the leather。 a wide belt with the appropriate hooks already encircled his waist。
鈥渃urse these laces；鈥潯e said； when she was about ten paces away。 a nice voice； quite deep； but currently frustrated and peaking with temper。
鈥済ood morning；鈥潯aid sabriel。
he whirled around； dropping the sleeves； almost ducking to his swords； before recovering to transform the motion into a bow； culminating in a descent to one knee。
鈥済ood morning； milady；鈥潯e said huskily； head bowed； carefully not meeting her gaze。 she saw that he鈥檇 found some earrings； large gold hoops clumsily pushed through pierced lobes； for they were bloodied。 apart from them； all she could see was the top of his curly…haired head。
鈥渋鈥檓 not 鈥榤ilady；鈥欌�潯aid sabriel； wondering which of miss prionte鈥檚 etiquette principles applied to this situation。 鈥渕y name is sabriel。鈥�
鈥渟abriel？ but you are the abhorsen；鈥潯he man said slowly。 he didn鈥檛 sound overly bright； sabriel thought； with sinking expectations。
perhaps there would be very little conversation at breakfast after all。
鈥渘o； my father is the abhorsen；鈥潯he said； with a stern look at mogget； warning him not to interfere。 鈥渋鈥檓 a sort of stand…in。 it鈥檚 a bit plicated； so i鈥檒l explain later。 what鈥檚 your name？鈥�
he hesitated； then mumbled； 鈥渋 can鈥檛 remember； milady。 please； call me 。 。 。 call me touchstone。鈥�
鈥渢ouchstone？鈥潯sked sabriel。 that sounded familiar； but she couldn鈥檛 place it for a moment。
鈥渢ouchstone？ but that鈥檚 a jester鈥檚 name； a fool鈥檚 name。 why call you that？鈥�
鈥渢hat鈥檚 what i am；鈥潯e said dully； without inflection。
鈥渨ell； i have to call you something；鈥潯abriel continued。 鈥渢ouchstone。 you know； there is the tradition of a wise fool； so perhaps it鈥檚 not so bad。 i guess you think you鈥檙e a fool because you鈥檝e been imprisoned as a figurehead鈥攁nd in death； of course。鈥�
鈥渋n death！鈥潯xclaimed touchstone。 he looked up and his grey eyes met sabriel鈥檚。 surprisingly； he had a clear； intelligent gaze。 perhaps there is some hope for him after all； she thought； as she explained： 鈥測our spirit was somehow preserved just beyond the border of death； and your body preserved as the wooden figurehead。 both necromantic and free magic would have been involved。 very powerful magic； on both counts。
i am curious as to why it was used on you。鈥�
touchstone looked away again； and sabriel sensed a certain shiftiness； or embarrassment。
she guessed that the forthing explanation would be a half…truth； at best。
鈥渋 don鈥檛 remember very well；鈥潯e said； slowly。
鈥渢hough things are ing back。 i am 。 。 。 i was 。 。 。 a guardsman。 the royal guard。 there was some sort of attack upon the queen 。 。 。
an ambush in the鈥攁t the bottom of the stairs。
i remember fighting； with blade and charter magic鈥攚e were all charter mages； all the guard。 i thought we were safe； but there was treachery 。 。 。 then 。 。 。 i was here。 i don鈥檛 know how。鈥�
sabriel listened carefully； wondering how much of what he said was true。 it was likely that his memory was impaired； but he possibly was a royal guard。 perhaps he had cast a diamond of protection 。 。 。 that could have been why his enemies could only imprison him； rather than kill。 but； surely they could have waited till it failed。 why the bizarre method of imprisonment？ and； most importantly； how did the figurehead manage to get placed in this most protected of places？ she filed all these questions for later investigation； for another thought had struck her。 if he really was a royal guard； the queen he had guarded must have been dead and gone for at least two hundred years and； with her； everyone and everything he knew。
鈥測ou have been a prisoner for a long time；鈥潯he said gently； uncertain about how to break the news。 鈥渉ave you 。 。 。 i mean did you 。 。 。 well； what i mean is it鈥檚 been a very long time鈥斺��
鈥渢wo hundred years；鈥潯hispered touchstone。
鈥測our minion told me。鈥�
鈥測our family 。 。 。鈥�
鈥渋 have none；鈥潯e said。 his expression was set； as immobile as the carved wood of the previous day。 carefully； he reached over and drew one of his swords； offering it to sabriel hilt…first。
鈥渋 would serve you； milady； to fight against the enemies of the kingdom。鈥�
sabriel didn鈥檛 take the sword； though his plea made her reflexively reach out。 but a moment鈥檚 thought closed her open palm； and her arm fell back to her side。 she looked at mogget； who was watching the proceedings with unabashed interest。
鈥渨hat have you told him； mogget？鈥潯he asked； suspicion wreathing her words。
鈥渢he state of the kingdom； generally speaking；鈥�
replied the cat。 鈥渞ecent events。 our descent here； more or less。 your duty as abhorsen to remedy the situation。鈥�
鈥渢he mordicant？ shadow hands？ gore crows？ the dead adept； whoever it may be？鈥�
鈥渘ot specifically；鈥潯aid mogget； cheerfully。 鈥渋 thought he could presume as much。鈥�
鈥渁s you see；鈥潯abriel said； rather angrily； 鈥渕y 鈥榤inion鈥櫋as not been totally honest with you。 i was raised across the wall； in ancelstierre； so i have very little idea about what is going on。 i have huge gaps in my knowledge of the old kingdom； including everything from geography to history to charter magic。 i face some dire enemies； probably under the overall direction of one of the greater dead； a necromantic adept。 and i鈥檓 not out to save the kingdom； just to find my father； the real abhorsen。 so i don鈥檛 want to take your oath or service or anything like that； particularly as we鈥檝e only just met。 i am happy for you to acpany us to the nearest approximation of civilization； but i have no idea what i will be doing after that。 and； please remember that my name is sabriel。 not milady。 not abhorsen。 now； i think it鈥檚 time for breakfast。鈥�
with that； she stalked over to her pack； and started getting out some oatmeal and a small cooking pot。
touchstone stared after her for a moment； then picked himself up； attached his swords； put on the sleeveless jerkin； tied the sleeves to his belt and wandered off to the nearest clump of trees。
mogget followed him there； and watched him pick up dead branches and sticks for a fire。
鈥渟he really did grow up in ancelstierre；鈥潯aid the cat。 鈥渟he doesn鈥檛 realize refusing your oath is an insult。 and it鈥檚 true enough about her ignorance。