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]

"I don't know," replied Sam,

"He was in the newspapers a lot before I left, but they never mentioned where he came from. My friend Nicholas might know, and he would be able to help, I think. His uncle is the Chief Minister, Edward Sayre, you know. Nick is coming to visit next month, but you should be able to catch him before he leaves."

Sam can't help but smile when he thinks of Nick, he makes things exciting.

[charter_npc]

Touchstone stops himself from looking surprised. "He's coming here?" he asked. He remembered Nick from the hospital after the necromancer's attack. ""I'm surprised they'll let him. I don't think the Army has issued a permit in years, apart from that lot of refugees---and that was a political show. The Army didn't have a choice."

Of course, Nick did have connections.

[makesthings]

"Nick can be very persuasive," said Sam, think of various scrapes Nick had talked him into at school---and less often, out of the blame afterwards.

"I asked Ellimere to seal a visa for him, for our side."

The thought of Nick coming has made the past few months slightly more bearable.

[unlessidoit.livejournal.com]

"I sent it ages ago," she says with a snide glance at Sam. "Some of us are efficient, you know."

[charter_npc]

"Good," said Touchstone. "It will be a useful connection, and important for one of Ancelstierre's ruling families to see that we do not invent the stories they hear about the Kingdom. I'll also make sure the Barhedrin Guard Post provides an escort from the Wall. It wouldn't help negotiations if we lose the Cheif Minster's nephew."

Though, privately Touchstone thought that the ruling families could have a Wild Magic creature dropped in their laps and ask for tea and they still wouldn't believe it.

[unlessidoit.livejournal.com]

"What are we negotiating with?" she asks "I mean, down in Corvere they like to pretend that we don't even exist." She makes a bit of a face. "I was always having to convince stuck-up city girls that I wasn't making the Kingdom up."

It was something she got very, very good at...but it was also very, very tiring.

[walksindeath]

"Two things," Sabriel replies.

"Gold and fear. We have only a modest amount of gold, but it might be enough to tip the balance if it goes into the right pockets. And there are many Northerners who remember when Kerrigor crossed the Wall. We shall try to convince them that this will happen again if they send the Southerling refugees north."

[makesthings]

"It couldn't be Kerrigor, could it?" asked Sam.

"I mean whoever is behind all the trouble."

He just wants to have a name for the necromancer who attacked the game, maybe that will make that man less scary.

[walksindeath]

"No," says Sabriel instantly, hearing Touchstone react simultaneously. Their voices echo abruptly in the enclosed cavern, and she glances across to see her her husband looking back at her.

"No," she repeats, more quietly. "I looked in on Kerrigor when I visited the House. He sleeps still and forever under Ranna's spell, locked in the cellar, bound with every Mark of ward and guard your father and I have ever known. It is not Kerrigor."


Thank the Charter.

[charter_npc]

"Whoever, or whatever, it is, they shall be dealt with," said Touchstone, his voice powerful and regal. Though he hid the bit of fear at the idea of his half brother awakening to terrorize his children. He had dreams about it sometimes. Not that he ever told anyone.

"We four shall see to that. But for now, I suggest we all drink some mulled wine and talk of better things. How was the Midwinter Festival? Did I tell you that I danced the Bird of Dawning when I was your age, Sam? How did you do?"

He hoped to turn the topic to better things where they could be a family doing normal family things then people having a council of war.

[makesthings]

Sameth really doesn't want to answer those questions so says,

"I forgot the cups," as he hands over the still-warm jug.

[walksindeath]

Neither of their children seems to be answering Touchstone's question.

Oh dear.

"We can drink from the jug," says Sabriel. Frankly, given that she lives from water bottle as she treks across the kingdom most of the time, a jug is a step up -- she takes a swift and mostly elegant mouthful of wine and passes on the jug. "--Mm. That's good. Now tell me, how was your birthday, Sam? A good day?"

[makesthings]

Sam answered mechanically, hardly noticing Ellimere's rather pointed interjections, she always seemed to know what he forgot to do. At least his parents hadn't spoken to Jall yet or else they'd know all the harsh truths that Ellimere was hinting at.

It was a relief when the questioning moved to Ellimere and tennis. Apparently gossip about her traveled faster than his shortcomings, though he had to speak up again when Ellimere accused him of refusing to make more rackets. No else made them quite so well so he promised to make her twelve, they weren't hard to make just boring and his fingers always ended up hurting after wards.

The other continued to talk, but Sam just couldn't stop thinking about the books and the bells. What would he do if he had to fight the Dead? He hasn't been able to even open the book. Or what if he had to face the necromancer that he'd met in Death or someone more powerful? Kait and Gaius even Teja seemed to believe in him, clearly his parents did, but they don't know the truth.

Suddenly he blurted out, "What if it...this Enemy...isn't behind Corolini? What if he's going to do something else while you're both gone?"

[walksindeath]

Sabriel blinks, then bites her lip absently.

"If that is so, we will be just a week away, ten days at the most. A message-hawk to Barhedrin, a rider to the Perimeter, a telegraph from there or Bain to Corvere, train back to Bain - maybe even less than a week. But we think that whatever this Enemy - as you have dubbed it so well - plans, it must involve a great number of the Dead. The Clayr have Seen many possible futures in which our entire Kingdom is nothing more than a desert, inhabited only by the Dead. What else could bring this about but the sort of massing of the Dead that we suspect? And that could be brought about only by killing all those poor, unprotected refugees. Our people are too well guarded. In any case, apart from Belisaere, there are not two hundred thousand people in one place in all the Kingdom. And certainly not two hundred thousand without a single Charter mark among them."

[makesthings]

He hates this, there's just so much that he can't do and says heavily,

"I don't know what else it could be. I just wish you weren't going."

[walksindeath]

"Being the Abhorsen is a weightly responsibility," Sabriel says quietly. "One that I understand you are wary of shouldering, even when it is shared by me."

She does, all too well - remembering her own doubts at his age, and the constant struggle of her years since taking up the burden.

"But it is your destiny, Sam. Does the walker choose the path, or the path the walker? I am sure you will do very well, and we will soon be all together again, speaking of happier things."

[makesthings]

"When do you go?"

Sam asked, not even trying to hide his hope for delay. He has all the speeches written out, all he needs is the time to talk to her before she leaves, to get her help.

Its what Kait's been telling him to do, ask someone who knows and his Mother does know how terrifying The Book of the Dead can be.

[walksindeath]

"Tomorrow at dawn," Sabriel tells him reluctantly.

"Provided my leg is healed enough. Your father will ride with the real Embassy to the Northern Barbarians, and I will fly west. But I will double back to pick him up tomorrow night and we will then fly south the the House, to try to consult again with Mogget, then on to Barhedrin and the Wall. Hopefully this will confuse any spies who may be watching."

[charter_npc]

"We would stay longer," said Touchstone sadly, looking at his small family, so rarely together in one place,

"But as always duty calls--and we must answer."