Yes, this is hopefully going to be the start of a full-length fic! It's going to be about Sabriel's school years at Wyverley, which the book only mentioned briefly. I will try to update regularly, though I'll be gone for most of July.
DISCLAIMER: Hey, I actually remembered! Nothing here belongs to me, and I'm not making money off it. This will go for the whole story.
Chapter One
The little girl tugged at her father's sleeve.
"Father...where are we going?"
He glanced down at her, hesitated, and swung her up high into the air. Sabriel giggled with all the delight of a five year old, laughing and flailing her tiny fists at him.
"Why did we leave the House? Father, are you going to travel with the troop again? I'm coming with you this time!" she cried eagerly, as her father lowered her back down. He looked intently at her. There was something in his eyes Sabriel couldn't grasp, a sort of sadness mixed with anxiety.
"Yes, my girl, we are going traveling. It's time for you to start school, and meet new friends."
"You'll be coming with me, right?"
"No, Sabriel," Father told her gently. It was now or never, and though his daughter was a tough one, he didn't want her to cry. "I have to go away for a while. You'll be with little girls your own age, and plenty of people to talk to."
As he had feared, she didn't understand. "Why?"
They had reached a tall, metal gate, encircling a large building with towers, turrets, and sturdy stonewalls, nestled among a forest of trees and green lawns. A large sign read, 'Wyverley College for Ladies of Quality."
"It's time for you to grow up, Sabriel, and I can't teach you when I'm always going from place to place. You won't cry, will you? Be a good girl, and be brave for me."
Her lower lip trembled. She was silent, but at last, smiling again, she looked up at her Father's face, memorizing the long, pale face and kindly dark eyes. "I'll be good for you, then. How long will I be here? And when are you coming back?"
He smiled in return but didn't reply, and opened the gate.
The Headmistress of Wyverley College looked enquiringly at the tall, black-haired man and his daughter.
"Term doesn't start until next week," she said. "Or are you here to register?"
"I have already registered, if you may recall, and I am here to drop my daughter off, Headmistress Umbrade," the man answered. "This school does teach magic?"
It was more of a statement then a question.
"Yes, it does, but not until we deem them capable, and then they learn to the fullest extent of their ability. We have a qualified Magistrix here." Mrs. Umbrade replied hastily, noticing the faint mark on both father and daughter's foreheads. She didn't know much about magic, and to admit the truth, she didn't want to: she was rather afraid of it.
"Very good," the man said, sitting down on a chair, the little girl perched on his knee. He gently pushed her off. "Are there any forms I have to fill out?"
"Yes," Mrs. Umbrade pushed some forms and notices over. "Here you go, and please sign your name there. When you're done, we can tour the school, and get your child settled in. Some students have already arrived and you can get to know their parents. It's a lovely day, so we can also look around the track fields and-"
He interrupted her firmly. "I'm sorry, Headmistress, but I am in a hurry, and though I would like to stay longer, I have not the time. I will accompany Sabriel to her rooms, but that is all the time I can spare. Will you please see to it that she is comfortable?"
All the while the girl had been silent. Now she spoke up. "Father, don't go again," she begged. "I'll be better than ever if you don't go."
He laughed, and took her hand in his as they left the office. Looking earnestly at his daughter, he said, "I am sorry, Sabriel, I can't stay. But I'll come and visit at Midwinter, all right? "
They stopped in front of a plain wooden door in the south tower. The man opened the door and surveyed the plain but tidy room with approval. Sabriel patted his hand solemnly, hugging him around the waist. "Fine. But you better come, or else...!"
Mrs. Umbrade, watching this affectionate display, was suddenly overwhelmed with sudden grief. Her own father had died only last year, and she had never really regretted his stern, unyielding presence until now.
As the father turned to leave, saying his goodbyes, the Headmistress took the little girl by the hand and led her away, back into the halls of Wyverley College. Sabriel never looked back.