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sabriel (the abhorsen trilogy)_加斯·尼克斯-第26部分

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wide shoulders and a muscular build had deceived her for a moment; but there was a middleaged woman before her; eyes shut; throat cut; short brown hair caked with sea salt and blood。

鈥渢he village healer;鈥潯aid mogget; indicating a bracelet on her wrist with his nose。 sabriel pushed the rope bindings aside for a better look。 the bracelet was bronze with inlaid charter marks of greenstone。 dead marks now; for blood dried upon the bronze; and no pulse beat in the skin under the metal。

鈥渟he was killed three or four days ago;鈥

sabriel announced。 鈥渢he stone was broken at the same time。鈥

touchstone looked back at her and nodded grimly; then resumed watching the houses opposite。 his swords hung loosely in his hands; but sabriel noticed that his entire body was tense; like a pressed jack…in…the…box; ready to spring。

鈥渨hoever 。 。 。 whatever 。 。 。 killed her and broke the stone; didn鈥檛 enslave her spirit;鈥

sabriel added quietly; as if thinking to herself。

鈥渋 wonder why?鈥

neither mogget nor touchstone answered。

for a moment; sabriel considered asking the woman herself; but her impetuous desire for journeys into death had been soundly dampened by recent experience。 instead; she cut the woman鈥檚 bonds; and arranged her as best she  could; ending up with a sort of curled…up sleeping position。

鈥渋 don鈥檛 know your name; healer;鈥潯abriel whispered。 鈥渂ut i hope you go quickly beyond the final gate。 farewell。鈥

she stood back and drew the charter marks for the funeral pyre above the corpse; whispering the names of the marks as she did so鈥攂ut her fingers fumbled and words went awry。 the baleful influence of the broken stone pressed against her; like a wrestler gripping her wrists; clamping her jaw。 sweat beaded on her forehead; and pain shot through her limbs; her hands shaking with effort; tongue clumsy; seeming swollen in her suddenly dry mouth。

then she felt assistance e; strength flowing through her; reinforcing the marks; steadying her hands; clearing her voice。 she pleted the litany; and a spark exploded above the woman; became a twisting flame; then grew to a fierce; white…hot blaze that spread the length of the woman鈥檚 body; totally consuming it; to leave only ash; light cargo for the sea winds。

the extra strength came through touchstone鈥檚 hand; his open palm lightly resting on her shoulder。

as she straightened up; the touch was lost。

when sabriel turned around; touchstone was just drawing his right…hand sword; eyes fixed on the houses鈥攁s if he鈥檇 had nothing to do with helping her。

鈥渢hank you;鈥潯aid sabriel。 touchstone was a strong charter mage; perhaps as strong as she was。 this surprised her; though she couldn鈥檛 think why。 he鈥檇 made no secret of being a charter mage鈥攕he鈥檇 just assumed he would only know a few of the more fighting…related marks and spells。 petty magics。

鈥渨e should move on;鈥潯aid mogget; prowling backwards and forwards in agitation; carefully avoiding the fragments from the broken stone。

鈥渇ind a boat; and put to sea before nightfall。鈥

鈥渢he harbor is that way;鈥潯ouchstone added quickly; pointing with his sword。 both he and the cat seemed very keen to leave the area around the broken stone; thought sabriel。 but then; so was she。 even in bright daylight; it seemed to dull the color around it。 the lawn was already more yellow than green; and even the shadows looked thicker and more abundant than they should。 she shivered; remembering cloven crest and the thing called thralk。

the harbor lay on the northern side of the  bluff; reached by another series of steps in the rocky hill; or in the case of cargo; via one of the shear…legged hoists that lined the edge of the bluff。 long wooden jetties thrust out into the clear blue…green water; sheltered under the lee of a rocky island; a smaller sibling of the village bluff。 a long breakwater of huge boulders joined island and shore; pleting the harbor鈥檚 protection from wind and wave。

there were no boats moored in the harbor; tied up to the jetties; or at the harbor wall。 not even a dinghy; hauled up for repair。 sabriel stood on the steps; looking down; mind temporarily devoid of further plans。 she just watched the swirl of the sea around the barnacled piles of the jetties; the moving shadows in the blue; marking small fish schooling about their business。

mogget sat near her feet; sniffing the air; silent。

touchstone stood higher; behind her; guarding the rear。

鈥渨hat now?鈥潯sked sabriel; generally indicating the empty harbor below; her arm moving with the same rhythm as the swell; in its perpetual tilt against wood and stone。

鈥渢here are people on the island;鈥潯ogget said; eyes slitted against the wind。 鈥渁nd boats  tied up between the two outcrops of rock on the southwest。鈥

sabriel looked; but saw nothing; till she extracted the telescope from the pack on touchstone鈥檚 back。 he stood pletely still while she ferreted around; silent as the empty village。 playing wooden again; sabriel thought; but she didn鈥檛 really mind。 he was being helpful; without metaphorically tugging his forelock every few minutes。

through the telescope; she saw that mogget was right。 there were several boats partly hidden between two spurs of rock; and some slight signs of habitation: a glimpse of a washing line; blown around the corner of a tall rock; the momentary sight of movement between two of the six or seven ramshackle wooden buildings that nestled on the island鈥檚 south…western side。

shifting her gaze to the breakwater; sabriel followed its length。 as she鈥檇 half expected; there was a gap in the very middle of it; where the sea rushed through with considerable force。 a pile of timber on the island side of the breakwater indicated that there had once been a bridge there; now removed。

鈥渋t looks like the villagers fled to the island;鈥

she said; shutting the telescope down。 鈥渢here鈥檚 a gap in the breakwater; to keep running water between the island and shore。 an ideal defense against the dead。 i don鈥檛 think even a mordicant would risk crossing deep tidal water鈥斺

鈥渓et鈥檚 go then;鈥潯uttered touchstone。 he sounded nervous again; jumpy。 sabriel looked at him; then above his head; and saw why he was nervous。 clouds were rolling in from the southeast; behind the village鈥攄ark clouds; laden with rain。 the air was calm; but now she saw the clouds; sabriel recognized it was the calm before heavy rain。 the sun would not be guarding them for very much longer and night would be an early guest。

without further urging; she set off down the steps; down to the harborside; then along to the breakwater。 touchstone followed more slowly; turning every few steps to watch the rear。 mogget did likewise; his small cat…face continually looking back; peering up at the houses。

behind them; shutters inched open and fleshless eyes watched from the safety of shadows; watched the trio marching out to the breakwater; still washed in harsh sunlight; flanked by swiftmoving waves of terrible water。 rotten; corroded  teeth ground and gnashed in skeletal mouths。

farther back from the windows; shadows darker than ones ever cast by light whirled in frustration; anger鈥攁nd fear。 they all knew who had passed。

one such shadow; selected by lot and pelled by its peers; gave up its existence in life with a silent scream; vanishing into death。 their master was many; many leagues away; and the quickest way to reach him lay in death。 of course; message delivered; the messenger would fall through the gates to a final demise。 but the master didn鈥檛 care about that。

the gap in the breakwater proved to be at least fifteen feet wide; and the water was twice sabriel鈥檚 height; the sea surging through with a rough aggression。 it was also covered by archers from the island; as they discovered when an arrow struck the stones in front of them and skittered off into the sea。

instantly; touchstone rushed in front of sabriel; and she felt the flow of charter magic from him; his swords sketching a great circle in the air in front of them both。 glowing lines followed the swords鈥櫋ath; till a shining circle hung in the air。

four arrows curved through the air from the island。 one; striking the circle; simply vanished。

the other three missed pletely; striking stones or sea。

鈥渁rrow ward;鈥潯asped touchstone。 鈥渆ffective; but hard to keep going。 do we retreat?鈥

鈥渘ot yet;鈥潯eplied sabriel。 she could feel the dead stirring in the village behind them and she could also see the archers now。 there were four of them; two pairs; each behind one of the large; upthrust stones that marked where the breakwater joined the island。 they looked young; nervous and were already proven to be of little threat。

鈥渉old!鈥潯houted sabriel。 鈥渨e are friends!鈥

there was no reply; but the archers didn鈥檛 loose their nocked arrows。

鈥渨hat鈥檚 the village leader鈥檚 title鈥攗sually; i mean? what are they called?鈥潯abriel whispered hurriedly to touchstone; once again wishing she knew more about the old kingdom and its customs。

鈥渋n my day 。 。 。鈥潯ouchstone replied slowly; his swords retracing the arrow ward; attention mostly on that; 鈥渋n my day鈥攅lder鈥攆or this size of village。鈥

鈥渨e wish to speak with your elder!鈥潯houted sabriel。 she pointed at the cloud…front advancing behind her; and added; 鈥渂efore darkness falls!鈥

鈥渨ait!鈥潯ame the answer; and one of the archers scampered back from the rocks; up towards the buildings。 closer to; sabriel realized they were probably boathouses or something like that。

the archer returned in a few minutes; an older man hobbling over the rocks behind him。 the other three archers; seeing him; lowered their bows and returned shafts to quivers。 touchstone; seeing this; ceased to maintain the arrow ward。 it hung in the air for a moment; then dissipated; leaving a momentary rainbow。

the elder was named in fact; as well as title; they saw; as he limped along the breakwater。 long white hair blew like fragile cobwebs around his thin; wrinkled face; and he moved with the deliberate intention of the very old。 he seemed unafraid; perhaps possessed of the disinterested courage of one already close to death。

鈥渨ho are you?鈥潯e asked; when he reached the gap; standing above the swirling waters like some prophet of legend; his deep orange cloak flapping around him from the rising breeze。

鈥渨hat do you want?鈥

sabriel opened her mouth to answer; but  touchstone had already started to speak。 loudly。

鈥渋 am touchstone; sworn swordsman for the abhorsen; who stands before you。 are arrows your wele for such folk as we?鈥

the old man was silent for a moment; his deep…set eyes focused on sabriel; as if he could strip away any falsity or illusion by sight alone。

sabriel met his gaze; but out of the corner of her mouth she whispered to touchstone。

鈥渨hat makes you think you can speak for me? wouldn鈥檛 a friendly approach be better? and since when are you my sworn鈥斺

she stopped; as the old man cleared his throat to speak and spat into the water。 for a moment; she thought that this was his response; but as neither the archers nor touchstone reacted; it was obviously of no account。

鈥渢hese ar
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