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the icy water of the spring pleted the waking up process without kindness； sabriel exposing herself to it and the marginally warmer air for no more than the ten seconds it took to shed undershirt； wash and get dressed again。
clean； awake and clothed； she returned to the campfire and ate her share of the porridge。 then touchstone ate； while sabriel buckled on armor； sword and bells。 mogget lay near the fire； warming his white…furred belly。 not for the first time； sabriel wondered if he needed to eat at all。 he obviously liked food； but he seemed to eat for amusement； rather than sustenance。
touchstone continued being a servant after breakfast； cleaning pot and spoon； quenching the fire and putting everything away。 but when he was about to swing the pack on his back； sabriel stopped him。
鈥渘o； touchstone。 it鈥檚 my pack。 i鈥檒l carry it； thank you。鈥�
he hesitated； then passed it to her and would have helped her put it on； but she had her arms through the straps and the pack swung on before he could take the weight。
half an hour later； perhaps a third of the way up the narrow； stone…carved stair； sabriel regretted her decision to take the pack。 she still wasn鈥檛 totally recovered from the paperwing crash and the stair was very steep； and so narrow that she had difficulty negotiating the spiraling turns。 the pack always seemed to jam against the outside or inside wall； no matter which way she turned。
鈥減erhaps we should take it in turns to carry the pack；鈥潯he said reluctantly； when they stopped at a sort of alcove to catch their breath。
touchstone； who had been leading； nodded and came back down a few steps to take the pack。
鈥渋鈥檒l lead； then；鈥潯abriel added； flexing her back and shoulders； shuddering slightly at the packinduced layer of sweat on her back； greasy under armor； tunic； shirt and undershirt。 she picked up her candle from the bench and stepped up。
鈥渘o；鈥潯aid touchstone； stepping in her way。
鈥渢here are guards鈥攁nd guardians鈥攐n this stair。 i know the words and signs to pass them。
you are the abhorsen； so they might let you past； but i am not sure。鈥�
鈥測our memory must be ing back；鈥潯abriel mented； slightly peeved at being thwarted。
鈥渢ell me； is this stair the one you mentioned when you said the queen was ambushed？鈥�
鈥渘o；鈥潯ouchstone replied flatly。 he hesitated； then added； 鈥渢hat stair was in belisaere。鈥�
with that； he turned； and continued up the stairs。 sabriel followed； mogget at her heels。 now that she wasn鈥檛 lumbered by her pack； she felt more alert。 watching touchstone； she saw him pause occasionally and mutter some words under his breath。 each time； there was the faint； featherlight touch of charter magic。 subtle magic； much cleverer than in the tunnel below。 harder to detect and probably much more deadly； sabriel thought。
now she knew it was there； she also picked up the faint sensation of death。 this stair had seen killings； a long； long； time ago。
finally； they came to a large chamber； with a set of double doors to one side。 light leaked in from a large number of small； circular holes in the roof； or as sabriel soon saw； through an overgrown lattice that had once been open to air and sky。
鈥渢hat鈥檚 the outside door；鈥潯ouchstone said； unnecessarily。 he snuffed out his candle； took sabriel鈥檚； now little more than a stub of wax； and put both in a pocket stitched to the front of his kilt。 sabriel thought of joking about the hot wax and the potential for damage； but thought better of it。 touchstone was not the lighthearted type。
鈥渉ow does it open？鈥潯sked sabriel； indicating the door。 she couldn鈥檛 see any handle； lock or key。 or any hinges； for that matter。
touchstone was silent； eyes unfocused and staring； then he laughed； a bitter little chuckle。
鈥渋 don鈥檛 remember！ all the way up the stair； all the words and signals 。 。 。 and now useless！ useless！鈥�
鈥渁t least you got us up the steps；鈥潯abriel pointed out； alarmed by the violence of his selfloathing。
鈥渋鈥檇 still be sitting by the spring； watching it bubble； if you hadn鈥檛 e along。鈥�
鈥測ou would have found the way out；鈥�
touchstone muttered。 鈥渙r mogget would。
wood！ yes； that鈥檚 what i deserve to be鈥斺��
鈥渢ouchstone；鈥潯ogget interrupted； hissing。
鈥渟hut up。 you鈥檙e to be useful； remember？鈥�
鈥測es；鈥潯eplied touchstone； visibly calming his breathing； posing his face。 鈥渋鈥檓 sorry； mogget。 milady。鈥�
鈥減lease； please； just sabriel；鈥潯he said tiredly。
鈥渋鈥檝e only just left school鈥攊鈥檓 only eighteen！ calling me milady seems ridiculous。鈥�
鈥渟abriel；鈥潯ouchstone said tentatively。 鈥渋 will try to remember。 鈥榤ilady鈥櫋s a habit 。 。 。 it reminds me of my place in the world。 it鈥檚 easier for me鈥斺��
鈥渋 don鈥檛 care what鈥檚 easier for you！鈥潯abriel snapped。 鈥渄on鈥檛 call me milady and stop acting like a halfwit！ just be yourself。 behave normally。 i don鈥檛 need a valet； i need a useful 。 。 。 friend！鈥�
鈥渧ery well； sabriel；鈥潯ouchstone said； with careful emphasis。 he was angry now； but at least that was an improvement over servile； sabriel thought。
鈥渘ow；鈥潯he said to the smirking mogget。
鈥渉ave you got any ideas about this door？鈥�
鈥渏ust one；鈥潯eplied mogget； sliding between her legs and over to the thin line that marked the division between the two leaves of the door。
鈥減ush。 one on each side。鈥�
鈥減ush？鈥�
鈥渨hy not？鈥潯aid touchstone； shrugging。 he took up a position； braced against the left side of the door； palms flat on the metal…studded wood。
sabriel hesitated； then did the same against the right。
鈥渙ne； two； three； push！鈥潯nnounced mogget。
sabriel pushed on 鈥渢hree鈥潯nd touchstone on 鈥減ush；鈥潯o their bined effort took several seconds to synchronize。 then the doors creaked slowly open； sunshine spilling through in a bright bar； climbing from floor to ceiling； dust motes dancing in its progress。
鈥渋t feels strange；鈥潯aid touchstone； the wood humming beneath his hands like plucked lute strings。
鈥渋 can hear voices；鈥潯xclaimed sabriel at the same time； her ears full of half…caught words； laughter； distant singing。
鈥渋 can see time；鈥潯hispered mogget； so softly that his words were lost。
then the doors were open。 they walked through； shielding their eyes against the sun； feeling the cool breeze sharp on their skin； the fresh scent of pine trees clearing their nostrils of underground dust。 mogget sneezed quickly three times； and ran about in a tight circle。 the doors slid shut behind them； as silently and inexplicably as they鈥檇 opened。
they stood in a small clearing in the middle of a pine forest； or plantation； for the trees were regularly spaced。 the doors behind them stood in the side of a low hillock of turf and stunted bushes。 pine needles lay thick on the ground； pinecones peeking through every few paces； like skulls ploughed up on some ancient battleground。
鈥渢he watchwood；鈥潯aid touchstone。 he took several deep breaths； looked at the sky； and sighed。 鈥渋t is winter； i think鈥攐r early spring？鈥�
鈥渨inter；鈥潯eplied sabriel。 鈥渋t was snowing quite heavily； back near the wall。 it seems much milder here。鈥�
鈥渕ost of the wall； the long cliffs； and abhorsen鈥檚 house； are on； or part of； the southern plateau；鈥潯ogget explained。 鈥渢he plateau is between one and two thousand feet above the coastal plain。 in fact； the area around nestowe； where we are headed； is mostly below sea level and has been reclaimed。鈥�
鈥測es；鈥潯aid touchstone。 鈥渋 remember。 long dyke； the raised canals； the wind pumps to raise the water鈥斺��
鈥測ou鈥檙e both very informative for a change；鈥�
remarked sabriel。 鈥渨ould one of you care to tell me something i really want to know； like what are the great charters？鈥�
鈥渋 can鈥檛；鈥潯ogget and touchstone said together。
then touchstone continued； haltingly； 鈥渢here is a spell 。 。 。 a binding on us。 but someone who is not a charter mage； or otherwise closely bound to the charter； might be able to speak。 a child； perhaps； baptized with the charter mark； but not grown into power。鈥�
鈥測ou鈥檙e cleverer than i thought；鈥潯ented mogget。 鈥渘ot that that鈥檚 saying much。鈥�
鈥渁 child；鈥潯aid sabriel。 鈥渨hy would a child know？鈥�
鈥渋f you鈥檇 had a proper education； you鈥檇 know too；鈥潯aid mogget。 鈥渁 waste of good silver； that school of yours。鈥�
鈥減erhaps；鈥潯greed sabriel。 鈥渂ut now that i know more of the old kingdom； i suspect being at school in ancelstierre saved my life。 but enough of that。 which way do we go now？鈥�
touchstone looked at the sky； blue above the clearing； dark where the pines circled。 the sun was just visible above the trees； perhaps an hour short of its noon…time zenith。 touchstone looked from it to the shadows of the trees； then pointed： 鈥渆ast。 there should be a series of charter stones； leading from here to the eastern edge of the watchwood。 this place is heavily warded with magic。 there are 。 。 。 there were； many stones。鈥�
the stones were still there； and after the first； some sort of animal track that meandered from one stone to the next。 it was cool under the pines； but pleasant； the