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鈥渟araneth。鈥潯he deepest； lowest bell。 the sound of strength。 saraneth was the binder； the bell that shackled the dead to the wielder鈥檚 will。
and last； the largest bell； the one sabriel鈥檚 cold fingers found colder still； even in the leather case that kept it silent。
鈥渁starael； the sorrowful；鈥潯hispered sabriel。
astarael was the banisher； the final bell。 properly rung； it cast everyone who heard it far into death。 everyone； including the ringer。
sabriel鈥檚 hand hovered； touched on ranna； and then settled on saraneth。 carefully； she undid the strap and withdrew the bell。 its clapper； freed of the mask； rang slightly； like the growl of a waking bear。
sabriel stilled it； holding the clapper with her palm inside the bell； ignoring the handle。 with her right hand； she drew her sword and raised it to the guard position。 charter marks along the blade caught the moonlight and flickered into life。 sabriel watched them for a moment； as portents could sometimes be seen in such things。
strange marks raced across the blade； before transmuting into the more usual inscription； one that sabriel knew well。 she bowed her head； and prepared to enter into death。
unseen by sabriel； the inscription began again； but parts of it were not the same。 鈥渋 was made for abhorsen； to slay those already dead；鈥潯as what it usually said。 now it continued； 鈥渢he clayr saw me； the wallmaker made me； the king quenched me； abhorsen wields me。鈥�
sabriel； eyes closed now； felt the boundary between life and death appear。 on her back； she felt the wind； now curiously warm； and the moonlight； bright and hot like sunshine。 on her face； she felt the ultimate cold and； opening her eyes； saw the grey light of death。
with an effort of will； her spirit stepped through； sword and bell prepared。 inside the diamond her body stiffened； and fog blew up in eddies around her feet； twining up her legs。 frost rimed her face and hands and the charter marks flared at each apex of the diamond。 three steadied again； but the north mark blazed brighter still鈥攁nd went out。
the river ran swiftly； but sabriel set her feet against the current and ignored both it and the cold； concentrating on looking around； alert for a trap or ambush。 it was quiet at this particular entry point to death。 she could hear the water tumbling through the second gate； but nothing else。 no splashing； or gurgling； or strange mewlings。
no dark； formless shapes or grim silhouettes； shadowy in this grey light。
carefully holding her position； sabriel looked all around her again； before sheathing her sword and reaching into one of the thigh pockets in her woollen knickerbockers。 the bell； saraneth； stayed ready in her left hand。 with her right； she drew out a paper boat and； still one…handed； opened it out to its proper shape。 beautifully white； almost luminous in this light； it had one small； perfectly round stain at its bow； where sabriel had carefully blotted a drop of blood from her finger。
sabriel laid it flat on her hand； lifted it to her lips； and blew on it as if she were launching a feather。 like a glider； it flew from her hand into the river。 sabriel held that launching breath as the boat was almost swamped； only to breathe in with relief as it breasted a ripple； righted itself and surged away with the current。 in a few seconds it was out of sight； heading for the second gate。
it was the second time in her life that sabriel had launched just such a paper boat。 her father had shown her how to make them； but had impressed on her to use them sparingly。 no more than thrice every seven years； he had said； or a price would have to be paid； a price much greater than a drop of blood。
as events should follow as they had the first time； sabriel knew what to expect。 still； when the noise of the second gate stilled for a moment some ten or twenty； or forty； minutes later鈥攖ime being slippery in death鈥攕he drew her sword and saraneth hung down in her hand； its clapper free； waiting to be heard。 the gate had stilled because someone 。 。 。 something 。 。 。 was ing back from the deeper realms of death。
sabriel hoped it was the one she had invited with the paper boat。
chapter vi
灏彙ｈ銆倀/x/t澶ｅ爞
charter magic on cloven crest。
it was like a scent on the wind to the thing that lurked in the caves below the hill； some mile or more to the west of the broken charter stone。
it had been human once； or human…like at least； in the years it had lived under the sun。
that humanity had been lost in the centuries the thing spent in the chill waters of death； ferociously holding its own against the current； demonstrating an incredible will to live again。 a will it didn鈥檛 know it possessed before a badly cast hunting spear bounced from a rock and clipped its throat； just enough for a last few minutes of frantic life。
by sheer effort of will； it had held itself on the life side of the fourth gate for three hundred years； growing in power； learning the ways of death。 it preyed on lesser spirits； and served or avoided greater ones。 always； the thing held on to life。 its chance finally came when a mighty spirit erupted from beyond the seventh gate； smashing through each of the upper gates in turn； till it went ravening into life。 hundreds of the dead had followed； and this particular spirit had joined the throng。 there had been terrible confusion and a mighty enemy at the very border between life and death； but； in the melee； it had managed to sneak around the edges and squirm triumphantly into life。
there were plenty of recently vacated bodies where it emerged； so the thing occupied one； animated it and ran away。 soon after； it found the caves it now inhabited。 it even decided to give itself a name。 thralk。 a simple name； not too difficult for a partially deposed mouth to voice。 a male name。 thralk could not remember what its original sex had been； those centuries before； but its new body was male。
it was a name to instill fear in the few small settlements that still existed in this area of the borderlands； settlements thralk preyed upon； capturing and consuming the human life he needed to keep himself on the living side of death。
charter magic flared on cloven crest again； and thralk sensed that it was strong and pure鈥敗ut weakly cast。 the strength of the magic scared him； but the lack of skill behind it was reassuring and strong magic meant a strong life。 thralk needed that life； needed it to shore up the body he used； needed it to replenish the leakage of his spirit back into death。 greed won over fear。 the dead thing left the mouth of the cave and started climbing the hill； his lidless； rotting eyes fixed on the distant crest。
sabriel saw her guide； first as a tall； pale light drifting over the swirling water towards her； and then； as it stopped several yards away； as a blurred； glowing； human shape； its arms outstretched in wele。
鈥渟abriel。鈥�
the words were fuzzy and seemed to e from much farther away than where the shining figure stood； but sabriel smiled as she felt the warmth in the greeting。 abhorsen had never explained who or what this luminous person was； but sabriel thought she knew。 she鈥檇 summoned this advisor only once before鈥攚hen she鈥檇 first menstruated。
there was minimal sex education at wyverley college鈥攏one at all till you were fifteen。 the older girls鈥櫋tories about menstruation were many； varied and often meant to scare。 none of sabriel鈥檚 friends had reached puberty before her； so in fear and desperation she had entered death。 her father had told her that the one the paper boat summoned would answer any question and would protect her鈥攁nd so it had。 the glowing spirit answered all her questions and many more besides； till sabriel was forced to return to life。
鈥渉ello； mother；鈥潯aid sabriel； sheathing her sword and carefully muffling saraneth with her fingers inside the bell。
the shining shape didn鈥檛 answer； but that wasn鈥檛 unexpected。 apart from her one…word greeting； she could only answer questions。
sabriel wasn鈥檛 really sure if the manifestation was the very unusual dead spirit of her mother； which was unlikely； or some residual protective magic left by her。
鈥渋 don鈥�