sabriel (the abhorsen trilogy)_加斯·尼克斯-第14章

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way　from　the　broken　stone。　the　almanac　showed　that　she　had　remembered　correctly：　the　buckle　was　due　north　　in　the　old　kingdom；　its　other　name　was　mariner鈥檚　cheat。　in　ancelstierre；　the　buckle　was　easily　ten　degrees　west　of　north。

north　located；　sabriel　started　to　make　her　way　to　that　side　of　the　crest；　looking　for　the　spur　that　slanted　down　to　the　valley　lost　in　darkness　below。　the　clouds　were　thickening　and　she　wanted　to　reach　level　ground　before　the　moonlight　disappeared。　at　least　the　spur；　when　found；　looked　like　easier　going　than　the　broken　steps　to　the　south；　though　its　gentle　slope　proclaimed　a　long　descent　to　the　valley。

in　fact；　it　took　several　hours　before　sabriel　reached　the　valley　floor；　stumbling　and　shivering；　a　very　pale　charter　flame　dancing　a　little　ways　in　front　of　her。　too　insubstantial　to　really　ease　her　path；　it　had　helped　her　avoid　major　disaster；　and　she　hoped　it　was　pallid　enough　to　be　taken　for　marsh…gas　or　chance　reflection。　in　any　case；　it　had　proved　essential　when　clouds　closed　the　last　remaining　gap　in　the　sky。

so　much　for　no　cloud；　sabriel　thought；　as　she　looked　towards　what　she　guessed　was　still　north；　searching　for　the　red　star；　uallus。　her　teeth　were　chattering　and　would　not　be　stilled；　and　a　shiver　that　had　started　with　her　ice…cold　feet　was　　repeating　itself　through　every　limb。　if　she　didn鈥檛　keep　moving；　she鈥檇　simply　freeze　where　she　stood鈥攑articularly　as　the　wind　was　rising　once　more　。　。　。

sabriel　laughed　quietly；　almost　hysterically；　and　turned　her　face　to　feel　the　breeze。　it　was　an　easterly；　gaining　strength　with　the　minute。

colder；　yes；　but　it　also　cleared　the　cloud；　sweeping　it　to　the　west鈥攁nd　there；　in　the　first　cleared　broom…stroke　of　the　wind；　was　uallus　gleaming　red。　sabriel　smiled；　stared　at　it；　took　stock　of　the　little　she　could　see　around　her；　and　started　off　again；　following　the　star；　a　whispering　voice　constant　in　the　back　of　her　mind。

do　not　tarry；　do　not　stop；　no　matter　what　happens。

the　smile　lasted　as　sabriel　found　the　road　and；　with　a　good　cover　of　snow　in　each　gutter；　she　skied；　making　good　time。

by　the　time　sabriel　found　the　mile　marker　and　the　charter　stone　behind　it；　no　trace　of　the　smile　could　be　seen　on　her　pale　face。　it　was　snowing　again；　snowing　sideways　as　the　wind　grew　more　frenzied；　taking　the　snowflakes　and　whipping　them　into　her　eyes；　now　the　only　exposed　portion　of　her　entire　body。　her　boots　were　soaked　　too；　despite　the　mutton　fat　she鈥檇　rubbed　into　them。　her　feet；　face　and　hands　were　freezing；　and　she　was　exhausted。　she鈥檇　dutifully　eaten　a　little　every　hour；　but　now；　simply　couldn鈥檛　open　her　frozen　jaws。

for　a　short　time；　at　the　intact　charter　stone　that　rose　proudly　behind　the　smaller　milemarker；　sabriel　had　made　herself　warm；　invoking　a　charter…spell　for　heat。　but　she鈥檇　grown　too　tired　to　maintain　it　without　the　assistance　of　the　stone；　and　the　spell　dissipated　almost　as　soon　as　she　walked　on。　only　the　mother…spirit鈥檚　warning　kept　her　going。　that；　and　the　sensation　that　she　was　being　followed。

it　was　only　a　feeling；　and　in　her　tired；　chilled　state；　sabriel　wondered　if　it　was　just　imagination。

but　she　wasn鈥檛　in　any　state　to　face　up　to　anything　that　might　not　be　imagined；　so　she　forced　herself　to　go　on。

do　not　tarry；　do　not　stop；　no　matter　what　happens。

the　path　from　the　charter　stone　was　better　made　than　the　one　that　climbed　cloven　crest；　but　steeper。　the　pathmakers　here　had　to　cut　through　a　dense；　greyish　rock；　which　did　not　erode　like　granite；　and　they　had　built　hundreds　　of　wide；　low　steps；　carved　with　intricate　patterns。

whether　these　meant　something；　sabriel　didn鈥檛　know。　they　weren鈥檛　charter　marks；　or　symbols　of　any　language　that　she　knew；　and　she　was　too　tired　to　speculate。　she　concentrated　on　one　step　at　a　time；　using　her　hands　to　push　down　on　her　aching　thighs；　coughing　and　gasping；　head　down　to　avoid　the　flying　snow。

the　path　grew　steeper　still　and　sabriel　could　see　the　cliff…face　ahead；　a　huge；　black；　vertical　mass；　a　much　darker　backdrop　to　the　swirling　snow　than　the　clouded　sky；　palely　backlit　by　the　moon。　but　she　didn鈥檛　seem　to　get　any　closer　as　the　path　switchbacked　to　and　fro；　rising　further　and　further　up　from　the　valley　below。

then；　suddenly；　sabriel　was　there。　the　path　turned　again　and　her　little　will…o鈥櫋璽he…wisp　light　reflected　back　from　a　wall；　a　wall　that　stretched　for　miles　to　either　side；　and　for　hundreds　of　yards　upwards。　clearly；　these　were　the　long　cliffs；　and　the　path　had　ended。

almost　sobbing　with　relief；　sabriel　pushed　herself　forward　to　the　very　base　of　the　cliff；　and　the　little　light　rose　above　her　head　to　disclose　grey；　lichen…veined　rock。　but　even　with　that　light；　there　was　no　sign　of　a　door鈥攏othing　but　　jagged；　impervious　rock；　going　up　and　out　of　her　tiny　circle　of　illumination。　there　was　no　path　and　nowhere　else　to　go。

wearily；　sabriel　knelt　in　a　patch　of　snow　and　rubbed　her　hands　together　vigorously；　trying　to　restore　circulation；　before　drawing　mosrael　from　the　bandolier。　mosrael；　the　waker。　sabriel　stilled　it　carefully　and　concentrated　her　senses；　feeling　for　anything　dead　that　might　be　near　and　should　not　be　woken。　there　was　nothing　close；　but　once　again　sabriel　felt　something　behind　her；　something　following　her；　far　down　on　the　path。　something　dead；　something　reeking　of　power。　she　tried　to　judge　how　distant　the　thing　was；　before　forcing　it　from　her　thoughts。

whatever　it　might　be；　it　was　too　far　away　to　hear　even　mosrael鈥檚　raucous　voice。　sabriel　stood　up；　and　rang　the　bell。

it　made　a　sound　like　tens　of　parrots　screeching；　a　noise　that　burst　into　the　air　and　wove　itself　into　the　wind；　echoing　from　the　cliffs；　multiplying　into　the　scream　of　a　thousand　birds。

sabriel　stilled　the　bell　at　once　and　put　it　away；　but　the　echoes　raced　across　the　valley；　and　she　knew　the　thing　behind　her　had　heard。　she　felt　it　fix　its　attention　on　where　she　was　and　she　felt　　it　quicken　its　pace；　like　watching　the　muscles　on　a　racehorse　going　from　the　walk　to　a　gallop。　it　was　ing　up　the　steps　at　least　four　or　five　at　a　time。　she　felt　the　rush　of　it　in　her　head　and　the　fear　rising　in　her　at　equal　pace；　but　she　still　went　to　the　path　and　looked　down；　drawing　her　sword　as　she　did　so。

there；　between　gusts　of　snow；　she　saw　a　figure　leaping　from　step　to　step；　impossible　leaps；　that　ate　up　the　distance　between　them　with　horrible　appetite。　it　was　manlike；　more　than　man…high；　and　flames　ran　like　burning　oil　on　water　where　it　trod。　sabriel　cried　out　as　she　saw　it；　and　felt　the　dead　spirit　within。　the　book　of　the　dead　opened　to　fearful　pages　in　her　memory；　and　descriptions　of　evil　poured　into　her　head。　it　was　a　mordicant　that　hunted　her鈥攁　thing　that　could　pass　at　will　through　life　and　death；　its　body　of　bog…clay　and　human　blood　molded　and　infused　with　free　magic　by　a　necromancer；　and　a　dead　spirit　placed　inside　as　its　guiding　force。

sabriel　had　banished　a　mordicant　once；　but　that　had　been　forty　miles　from　the　wall；　in　ancelstierre；　and　it　had　been　weak；　already　fading。

this　one　was　strong；　fiery；　new…born。　it　would　kill　her；　she　suddenly　knew；　and　subjugate　　　her　spirit。　all　her　plans　and　dreams；　her　hopes　and　courage；　fell　out　of　her　to　be　replaced　by　pure；　unthinking　panic。　she　turned　to　one　side；　then　the　other；　like　a　rabbit　running　from　a　dog；　but　the　only　way　down　was　the　path　and　the　mordicant　was　only　a　hundred　yards　below；　closing　with　every　blink；　with　every　falling　snowflake。　flames　were　spewing　from　its　mouth；　and　it　thrust　its　pointed　head　back　and　howled　as　it　ran；　a　howl　like　the　last　shout　of　someone　falling　to　their　death；　underlaid　with　the　squeal　of　fingernails　on　glass。

sabriel；　a　scream　somehow　stuck　and　choking　in　her　throat；　turned　to　the　cliff；　hammering　on　it　with　the　pommel　of　her　sword。

鈥渙pen！　open！鈥潯�she　screamed；　as　charter　marks　raced　through　her　brain鈥攂ut　not　the　right　ones　for　forcing　a　door；　a　spell　she鈥檇　learned　in　the　second　form。　she　knew　it　like　she　knew　her　times　tables；　but　the　charter　marks　just　wouldn鈥檛　e；　and　why　was　twelve　times　twelve　sticking　in　her　head　when　she　wanted　charter　marks　。　。　。

the　echoes　from　mosrael　faded；　and　in　that　silence；　the　pommel　struck　on　something　that　thudded　hollowly；　rathe