In the reservoir

[walksindeath]

The faint light from the Charter Stones seems to turn everything to muted grey and gold from behind Sabriel's half-closed eyes. It is warm here in the centre of the reservoir, slowly melting away the chill from crossing the water earlier. She lies still in the bottom of the boat so as not to jar her leg; it still hurts, but by now in a healthier, sorer way as the spells drain away the inflammation and infection, bolstered by the strength of the Charter stones above.

The stones are always comforting, although sometimes if she thinks too deeply, she wonders if the darker traces on the rock under the flow of charter marks are Touchstone's blood, from the many months he had spent mending them. And then she remembers coming down here the first time, into the horror of black water broken stones and oncoming Dead.

Maudlin thoughts, and probably feverish.

She closes her eyes all the way, and wills the Charter to heal her faster. There's so little time for anything, these days.

Comments

[makesthings]

As the steps finally reach the water and where the barge is tied up, Sam dips his hand into the clear water. He's always amazed at just how clear it was and he watched the Charter Marks from through his fingers. Once they were all standing in the midst of the simple raft, Touchstone undid the rope and whispered a single word that began to move them towards the Great Charter Stones and Sabriel.

As they moved slowly over the unmoving water, Sam wondered about the power of blood especially here where blood had broken the stones and now was healing them. How could he be connected to those Great Stones through his blood, what was so different about royal, Abhorsen and Clayr blood?

Ever since he could ask, he'd been trying to find out and understand as much as he could about how Charter Magic worked but so much had been lost. His father had taught him all that he knew but Touchstone knew battle magic not the magic of making that fascinated Sameth so much. His mother was Abhorsen and Sam knew he should be learning that magic but his fear of Death had grown so much.

They passed between two columns and Sam found his eyes adjusting to the twilight of the reservoir as the six Great Stones appeared in front of them, their irregular shapes fit but were so different from the clean masonry of the columns.

He couldn't see the barge and his mother and wondered if something like Kerrigor or Blowden had found their way into this powerful and isolated space. Something moved on the barge and Sam gasped afraid of what it might be, a lump of moving darkness then his father slapped him on the back and he took a breath again.

His mother cast a small light up into the darkness and he saw her smile though she looked so pale and there were white streaks in her hair. He didn't want to think of her growing old and leaving him to be Abhorsen. They drifted between two of the stones and the into the ring of power at the center.

Sameth started as he felt a surge of energy and some of his fear and guilt lessened and he felt more like himself that he hadn't truly felt like the cricket match. There had been glimmerings at Milliways, but never this feeling of confidence.