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“thank you；” sabriel began； carefully filing the words away with the acpanying thoughts。
“could you also 。 。 。”
she stopped as the mother…sending in front of her suddenly raised both arms as if shocked； and shouted； “go！”
at the same time； sabriel felt the diamond of protection around her physical body twinge in warning and she became aware that the north mark had failed。 instantly； she turned on her left heel and began racing back to the border with life； drawing her sword。 the current almost seemed to strengthen against her； twining around her legs； but then fell away before her urgency。
sabriel reached the border and； with a furious thrust of will； her spirit emerged back into life。
for a second； she was disoriented； suddenly freezing again and thick…witted。 a grinning； corpse…like creature was just stepping through the failed north mark； its arms reaching to embrace her； carrion…breath misting out of a mouth unnaturally wide。
thralk had been pleased to find the charter mage’s spirit wandering and a broken diamond of protection。 the sword had worried him a little； but it was frosted over and his shriveled eyes couldn’t see the charter marks that danced beneath the rime。 similarly； the bell in sabriel’s left hand looked like a lump of ice or snow； as if she’d caught a snowball。 all in all； thralk felt very fortunate； particularly as the life that blazed within this still victim was particularly young and strong。 thralk sidled closer still and his double…jointed arms reached to embrace sabriel’s neck。
just as his slimy； corrupted fingers stretched forward； sabriel opened her eyes and executed the stop…thrust that had earned her second place in fighting arts and； later； lost her the first。 her arm and sword straightened like one limb to their full extent and the sword…point ripped through thralk’s neck； and into eight inches of air beyond。
thralk screamed； his reaching fingers gripping the sword to push himself free—only to scream again as charter marks flared on the blade。 white…hot sparks plumed between his knuckles and thralk suddenly knew what he’d encountered。
“abhorsen！” he croaked； falling backwards as sabriel twisted the blade free with one explosive jerk。
already； the sword was affecting the dead flesh thralk inhabited； charter magic burning through reanimated nerves； freezing those alltoo… fluid joints。 fire rose in thralk’s throat； but he spoke； to distract this terrible opponent while his spirit tried to shuck the body； like a snake its skin； and retreat into the night。
“abhorsen！ i will serve you； praise you； be your hand 。 。 。 i know things； alive and dead 。 。 。
i will help lure others to you 。 。 。”
the clear； deep sound of saraneth cut through the whining； broken voice like a foghorn booming above the shriek of seagulls。
the chime vibrated on and on； echoing into the night； and thralk felt it bind him even as his spirit leaked out of the body and made for flight。 the bell bound him to paralyzed flesh； bound him to the will of the bell…ringer。
fury seethed in him； anger and fear fueling his struggle； but the sound was everywhere； all around him； all through him。 he would never be free of it。
sabriel watched the misshapen shadow writhing； half out of the corpse； half in it； the body bleeding a pool of darkness。 it was still trying to use the corpse’s mouth； but without success。 she considered going with it into death； where it would have a shape and she could make it answer with dyrim。 but the broken charter stone loomed nearby and she felt it as an everpresent fear； like a cold jewel upon her breast。
in her mind； she heard her mother…sending’s words； “do not tarry； do not stop； no matter what happens。”
sabriel thrust her sword point…first into the snow； put saraneth away and drew kibeth from the bandolier； using both hands。 thralk sensed it and his fury gave way to pure； unadulterated fear。 after all the centuries of struggle； he knew true death had e for him at last。
sabriel took up a careful stance； with the bell held in a curious two…handed grip。 kibeth seemed almost to twitch in her hands； but she controlled it； swinging it backwards； forwards； and then in a sort of odd figure eight。 the sounds； all from the one bell； were very different to each other； but they made a little marching tune； a dancing song； a parade。
thralk heard them and felt forces grip him。
strange； inexorable powers that made him find the border； made him return to death。 vainly； almost pathetically； he struggled against them； knowing he couldn’t break free。 he knew that he would walk through every gate； to fall at last through the ninth。 he gave up the struggle and used the last of his strength to form a semblance of a mouth in the middle of his shadow…stuff； a mouth with a writhing tongue of darkness。
“curse you！” he gurgled。 “i will tell the servants of kerrigor！ i will be revenged 。 。 。”
his grotesque； gulping voice was chopped off in mid…sentence； as thralk lost free will。
saraneth had bound him； but kibeth gripped him and kibeth walked him； walked him so thralk would be no more。 the twisting shadow simply disappeared and there was only snow under a long…dead corpse。
even though the revenant was gone； his last words troubled sabriel。 the name kerrigor； while not exactly familiar； touched some basic fear in her； some memory。 perhaps abhorsen had spoken this name； which undoubtedly belonged to one of the greater dead。 the name scared her in the same way the broken stone did； as if they were tangible symbols of a world gone wrong； a world where her father was lost； where she herself was terribly threatened。
sabriel coughed； feeling the cold in her lungs； and very carefully replaced kibeth in the bandolier。
her sword seemed to have burned itself clean； but she ran a cloth over the blade before returning it to the scabbard。 she felt very tired as she swung her pack back on； but there was no doubt in her mind that she must move on immediately。 her mother…spirit’s words kept echoing in her mind； and her own senses told her something was happening in death； something powerful was moving towards life； moving towards emergence at t