sabriel (the abhorsen trilogy)_加斯·尼克斯-第7部分

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he　saluted；　turned　smartly　to　his　left；　and　was　gone；　wheeling　around　her　and　marching　back　through　the　gate。　his　men　peeled　off　from　the　line　and　followed。　sabriel　bent　down　as　they　marched　past；　slid　her　skis　back　and　forth　in　the　snow；　then　slipped　her　boots　into　the　bindings。

the　snow　was　falling　steadily；　but　it　was　only　a　light　fall　and　the　cover　was　patchy。　she　could　still　easily　make　out　the　old　north　road。

fortunately；　the　snow　had　banked　up　in　the　gutters　to　either　side　of　the　road；　and　she　could　make　good　time　if　she　kept　to　these　narrow　snow…ways。　even　though　it　seemed　to　be　several　hours　later　in　the　old　kingdom　than　it　was　in　ancelstierre；　she　expected　to　reach　cloven　crest　before　dusk。

taking　up　her　poles；　sabriel　checked　that　her　father鈥檚　sword　was　easy　in　its　scabbard；　and　the　bells　hung　properly　from　their　baldric。　she　considered　a　quick　charter…spell　for　warmth；　but　decided　against　it。　the　road　had　a　slight　uphill　gradient；　so　the　skiing　would　be　quite　hard　work。　in　her　handknitted；　greasy　wool　shirt；　leather　jerkin　and　thick；　double　padded　skiing　knickerbockers；　she　would　probably　be　too　warm　once　she　got　going。

with　a　practiced　motion；　she　pushed　one　ski　ahead；　the　opposite　arm　reaching　forward　with　her　pole；　and　slid　forward；　just　as　the　last　swordsman　passed　her　on　his　way　back　through　the　gate。　he　grinned　as　he　passed　by；　but　she　didn鈥檛　notice；　concentrating　on　building　up　the　rhythm　of　her　skis　and　poles。　within　minutes；　she　was　practically　flying　up　the　road；　a　slim；　dark　figure　against　the　white　of　the　ground。

锛凤挤w。xi锛�os锛╱otxt。锛ｏ集锛�



chapter　iv

灏忥紲璇达紲t锛渪t锛炲ぉ锛煛峰爞
sabriel　found　the　first　dead　ancelstierran　soldier　about　six　miles　from　the　wall；　in　the　last；　fading　hours　of　the　afternoon。

the　hill　she　thought　was　cloven　crest　was　a　mile　or　two　to　the　north。　she鈥檇　stopped　to　look　at　its　dark　bulk；　rising　rocky　and　treeless　from　the　snow…covered　ground；　its　peak　temporarily　hidden　in　one　of　the　light；　puffy　clouds　that　occasionally　let　forth　a　shower　of　snow　or　sleet。

if　she　hadn鈥檛　stopped；　she　would　probably　have　missed　the　frosted…white　hand　that　peeked　out　of　a　drift　on　the　other　side　of　the　road。　but　as　soon　as　she　saw　that；　her　attention　focused　and　sabriel　felt　the　familiar　pang　of　death。

crossing　over；　her　skis　clacking　on　bare　stone　in　the　middle　of　the　road；　she　bent　down　and　gently　brushed　the　snow　away。

the　hand　belonged　to　a　young　man；　who　wore　a　standard…issue　coat　of　mail　over　an　ancelstierran　uniform　of　khaki　serge。　he　was　blond　and　grey…eyed；　and　sabriel　thought　he　had　been　surprised；　for　there　was　no　fear　in　his　frozen　expression。　she　touched　his　forehead　with　one　finger；　closed　his　sightless　eyes；　and　laid　two　fingers　against　his　open　mouth。　he　had　been　dead　twelve　days；　she　felt。　there　were　no　obvious　signs　as　to　what　had　killed　him。　to　learn　more　than　that；　she　would　have　to　follow　the　young　man　into　death。　even　after　twelve　days；　it　was　unlikely　he　had　gone　further　than　the　fourth　gate。　even　so；　sabriel　had　a　strong　disinclination　to　enter　the　realm　of　the　dead　until　she　absolutely　had　to。　whatever　had　trapped鈥攐r　killed鈥攈er　father　could　easily　be　waiting　to　ambush　her　there。　this　dead　soldier　could　even　be　a　lure。

quashing　her　natural　curiosity　to　find　out　exactly　what　had　happened；　sabriel　folded　the　man鈥檚　arms　across　his　chest；　after　first　unclenching　the　grip　that　his　right　hand　still　had　on　his　sword　hilt鈥攑erhaps　he　had　not　been　taken　totally　unawares　after　all。　then　she　stood　and　drew　the　charter　marks　of　fire；　cleansing；　peace　　and　sleep　in　the　air　above　the　corpse；　while　whispering　the　sounds　of　those　same　marks。　it　was　a　litany　that　every　charter　mage　knew；　and　it　had　the　usual　effect。　a　glowing　ember　sparked　up　between　the　man鈥檚　folded　arms；　multiplied　into　many　stabbing；　darting　flames；　then　fire　whooshed　the　full　length　of　the　body。　seconds　later　it　was　out　and　only　ash　remained；　ash　staining　a　corselet　of　blackened　mail。

sabriel　took　the　soldier鈥檚　sword　from　the　pile　of　ashes　and　thrust　it　through　the　melted　snow；　into　the　dark　earth　beneath。　it　stuck　fast；　upright；　the　hilt　casting　a　shadow　like　a　cross　upon　the　ashes。　something　glinted　in　the　shadow　and；　belatedly；　sabriel　remembered　that　the　soldier　would　have　worn　an　identity　disc　or　tag。

shifting　her　skis　again　to　rebalance　she　bent　down　and　hooked　the　chain　of　the　identity　disc　on　one　finger；　pulling　it　up　to　read　the　name　of　the　man　who　had　met　his　end　here；　alone　in　the　snow。　but　both　the　chain　and　disc　were　machinemade　in　ancelstierre　and　so　unable　to　withstand　the　charter　magic　fire。　the　disc　crumbled　into　ash　as　sabriel　raised　it　to　eye　level　and　the　chain　fell　into　its　ponent　links；　pouring　between　sabriel鈥檚　fingers　like　small　steel　coins。

鈥減erhaps　they鈥檒l　know　you　from　your　sword；鈥�

said　sabriel。　her　voice　sounded　strange　in　the　quiet　of　the　snowy　wilderness　and；　behind　each　word；　her　breath　rolled　out　like　a　small；　wet　fog。

鈥渢ravel　without　regret；鈥潯�she　added。　鈥渄o　not　look　back。鈥�

sabriel　took　her　own　advice　as　she　skied　away。

there　was　an　anxiety　in　her　now　that　had　been　mostly　academic　before　and　every　sense　was　alert；　watchful。　she　had　always　been　told　that　the　old　kingdom　was　dangerous；　and　the　borderlands　near　the　wall　particularly　so。　but　that　intellectual　knowledge　was　tempered　by　her　vague　childhood　memories　of　happiness；　of　being　with　her　father　and　the　band　of　travelers。

now；　the　reality　of　the　danger　was　slowly　ing　home　。　。　。

half　a　mile　on　she　slowed　and　stopped　to　look　up　at　cloven　crest　again；　neck　cricked　back　to　watch　where　the　sun　struck　between　the　clouds；　lighting　up　the　yellow…red　granite　of　the　bluffs。

she　was　in　cloud　shadow　herself；　so　the　hill　looked　like　an　attractive　destination。　as　she　looked；　it　started　to　snow　again；　and　two　snowflakes　fell　upon　her　forehead；　melting　into　her　eyes。　she　blinked　and　the　melted　snow　　traced　tear　trails　down　her　cheeks。　through　misted　eyes；　she　saw　a　bird　of　prey鈥攁　hawk　or　kite鈥攍aunch　itself　from　the　bluffs　and　hover；　its　concentration　totally　centered　upon　some　small　mouse　or　vole　creeping　across　the　snow。

the　kite　dropped　like　a　cast　stone；　and　a　few　seconds　later；　sabriel　felt　some　small　life　snuffed　out。　at　the　same　time；　she　also　felt　the　tug　of　human　death。　somewhere　ahead；　near　where　the　kite　dined；　more　people　lay　dead。

sabriel　shivered；　and　looked　at　the　hill　again。

according　to　horyse鈥檚　map；　the　path　to　cloven　crest　lay　in　a　narrow　gully　between　two　bluffs。

she　could　see　quite　clearly　where　it　must　be；　but　the　dead　lay　in　that　direction。　whatever　had　killed　them　might　also　still　be　there。

there　was　sunlight　on　the　bluffs；　but　the　wind　was　driving　snow　clouds　across　the　sun　and　sabriel　guessed　it　was　only　an　hour　or　so　till　dusk。　she鈥檇　lost　time　freeing　the　soldier鈥檚　spirit；　and　now　had　no　choice　but　to　hurry　on　if　she　wished　to　reach　cloven　crest　before　nightfall。

she　thought　about　what　lay　ahead　for　a　moment；　then　chose　a　promise　between　speed　and　caution。　stabbing　her　poles　into　the　snow；　she　released　her　bindings；　stepped　out　of　　her　skis　and　then　quickly　fastened　skis　and　poles　together　to　be　strapped　diagonally　across　her　backpack。　she　tied　them　on　carefully；　remembering　how　they鈥檇　fallen　and　broken　her　charterspell　on　the　parade　ground鈥攐nly　that　morning；　but　it　seemed　like　weeks　ago　and　a　world　away。

that　done；　she　started　to　pick　her　way　down　the　center　of　the　road；　keeping　away　from　the　gutter　drifts。　she鈥檇　have　to　leave　the　road　fairly　soon；　but　it　looked　like　there　was　little　snow　on　the　steep；　rocky　slopes　of　cloven　crest。

as　a　final　precaution；　she　drew　abhorsen鈥檚　sword；　then　resheathed　it；　so　an　inch　of　blade　was　free　of　the　scabbard。　it　would　draw　fast　and　easily　when　she　needed　it。

sabriel　expected　to　find　the　bodies　on　the　road；　or　near　it；　but　they　lay　further　on。　there　were　many　footprints；　and　churned…up　snow；　leading　from　the　road　towards　the　path　to　cloven　crest。

that　path　ran　between　the　bluffs；　following　a　route　gouged　out　by　a　stream　falling　from　some　deep　spring　higher　up　the　hill。　the　path　crossed　the　stream　several　times；　with　stepping…stones　or　tree　trunks　across　the　water　to　save　walkers　from　wet　feet。　halfway　up；　where　the　bluffs　almost　ground　together；　the　stream　had　dug　itself　a　short　　gorge；　about　twelve　feet　wide；　thirty　feet　long　and　deep。　here；　the　pathmakers　had　been　forced　to　build　a　bridge　along　the　stream；　rather　than　across　it。

sabriel　found　the　rest　of　the　ancelstierran　patrol　here；　tumbled　on　the　dark　olive…black　wood　of　the　bridge；　with　the　water　murmuring　beneath　and　the　red　stone　arching　overhead。

there　were　seven　of　them　along　the　bridge鈥檚　length。　unlike　the　first　soldier；　it　was　quite　clear　what　had　killed　them。　they　had　been　hacked　apart　and；　as　sabriel　edged　closer；　she　realized　they　had　been　beheaded。　worse　than　that；　whoever　。　。　。　whatever　。　。　。　had　killed　them　had　taken　their　heads　away鈥攁lmost　a　guarantee　that　their　spirits　would　return。

her　sword　did　draw　easily。　gingerly；　her　right　hand　almost　glued　to　the　sword　hilt；　sabriel　stepped　around　the　first　of　the　splayed…out　bodies　and　onto　the　bridge。　the　water　beneath　was　partly　iced　over；　shallow　and　sluggish；　but　it　was　clear　the　soldiers　had　sought　refuge　over　it。

running　water　was　a　good　protection　from　dead　creatures　or　things　of　free　magic；　but　this　torpid　stream　would　not　have　dismayed　even　one　of　the　lesser　dead。　in　spring；　fed　with　melted　snow；　　the　stream　would　burst　between　the　bluffs；　and　the　bridge　would　be　knee…deep　in　clear；　swift　water。　the　soldiers　would　probably　have　survived　at　that　time　of　year。

sabriel　sighed　quietly；　thinking　of　how　easily　seven　people　could　be　alive　in　one　instant；　and　then；　despite　everything　they　could　do；　despite　their　last　hope；　they　could　be　dead　in　just　another。

once　again；　she　felt　the　temptation　of　the　necromancer；　to　take　the　cards　nature　had　dealt；　to　reshuffle　them　and　deal　again。　she　had　the　power　to　make　these　men　live　again；　laugh　again；　love　again　。　。　。

but　without　their　heads　she　could　only　bring　them　back　as　鈥渉ands；鈥潯�a　derogatory　term　that　free　magic　necromancers　used　for　their　lackluster　revenants；　who　retained　little　of　their　original　intelligence　and　none　of　their　initiative。　they　made　useful　servants；　though；　either　as　reanimated　corpses　or　the　more　difficult　shadow　hands；　where　only　the　spirit　was　brought　back。

sabriel　grimaced　as　she　thought　of　shadow　hands。　a　skilled　necromancer　could　easily　raise　shadow　hands　from　the　heads　of　the　newly　dead。　similarly；　without　the　heads；　she　couldn鈥檛　give　them　the　final　rites　and　free　their　spirits。

all　she　could　do　was　treat　the　bodies　with　some　respect　and；　in　the　process；　clear　the　bridge。

it　was　near　to　dusk；　and　dark　already　in　the　shadow　of　the　gorge；　but　she　ignored　the　little　voice　inside　her　that　was　urging　her　to　leave　the　bodies　and　run　for　the　open　space　of　the　hilltop。

by　the　time　she　finished　dragging　the　bodies　back　down　the　path　a　way；　laying　them　out　with　their　swords　plunged　in　the　earth　next　to　their　headless　bodies；　it　was　dark　outside　the　gorge　too。　so　dark；　she　had　to　risk　a　faint；　charterconjured　light；　that　hung　like　a　pal