Disclaimer: Fudge buckets! (^^ Kasey!!) The characters from Sabriel still belong to Garth Nix. Any odd ones are mine!!
A/N: Yes, I know. I shouldn't start ANOTHER Garth Nix fic, but I just couldn't wait to start this one!! It's the story behind Sabriel's parents. So, read on! (And review too!)
Kitya leaned back against the railing of her ship, resting her elbows on the smoothed oak wood, laden with Charter marks. She loved to sail, to travel and be out in the open. She was a tomboy by standards, but she held the potential to be a beautiful woman.
The wind was blowing through the long, brown hair that had escaped from the ribbon that tied it behind her neck. Her pale skin was tanned once again, from weeks on sea and under sun. She was wearing both male pant and shirt, borrowed from one of the sailors on her ship. She felt comfortable in then, free from the confines of a proper lady's dress, though she had tailored them to fit her better. She despised being a woman, and longed to have the freedom the men had. At home, she would be expected to dress her part, a lady, so she sailed slowly to allow her freedom to last longer.
At home, she'd feel the absence of her mother all too well, and the presence of her step mother even more. Kitya's mother had passed away lass than two years ago, leaving her with her father and his well-hidden mistress. No one knew about the mistress, though Kita felt her mother knew, somehow, someway. At her mother's dead, Kitya had suspected foul play, for her mother's skin was covered in bruises and numerous cuts, but doctors believed that false. To them, Maelyn had died of natural causes, and even the most advanced medicine in the Old Kingdom could not save her. She felt like she was living the Ancelstierrian fairy tale Cinderella, complete with two evil step sisters. She despised home as well, for there she was not in charge. On her ship she was, and had complete control over everything.
Her mother had died in her arms, leaving behind all her wisdom to her daughter. She'd slipped a silver necklace from her neck and had hooked it around Kitya's with her dying breath. Remembering, Kitya fingered the necklace. It was a marble Charter mark that hung from the long, pure silver linked chain. The marble mark was for faith, and her mother always claimed each link symbolized several thousand sweet and happy memories. Etched in the marble of the mark of faith were the words "To Thine Own Self Be True." The wise woman never let anyone change her, and she had died that way as well. Kitya vowed to stay that way too, but with her step mother, she was finding it to be harder and harder with every visit back home.
Her step mother was controlling and had to have everything going perfectly her way. Teyrl, she was called, despised tom boys and couldn't live with her husband's daughter. To her, Kitya was dressed as a homeless person who lived in the streets of Belisaere. She tried to supply the girl with dresses for the proper, but without prevail.
Kitya had burned many of the dresses her step mother had given her. She knew they weren't gifts, just Teryl trying to cover up the fact that her step daughter wasn't a lady. Kitya preferred the ship her father had bought her over the gowns, and the materials served well as fuel when she and her sailors had set camp along shore.
Kitya at first at thought the gift of the ship was out of pure love, but with the passing years, she'd realized that he'd bought it so she'd be away, sailing. Maelyn loved the sea as well, so she often went along with her daughter. Despite the memories of her mother and the reasons for purchase, she loved her ship, called STAR DANCER.
She turned in her place at the tip of ship so she could lean over and watch the Chartered boat cut through the sea's waves. She did this often, for the sea captivated her, and to see the sea creatures as well. Kitya could stand for hours watching the deep blue sea flow by, soaking up the sun's rays through her threadbare clothes. Afterwards, she'd let her sea-misted hair dry in the sun while talking with the sailors, her friends.
Behind her, she could hear the laughter of the sailors, their songs and happiness. All were her friends, whom she held dear, and they loved the sea as much as she did. Those were added to Teyrl's list of the things she hated about Kitya - her only friends were men, and her love for the sea, though it kept her step daughter away. Knowing this made Kitya love the sea and her friends all the more. She was determined not to let Teyrl take her happiness away, so she spent more and more time out to see, only returning home for a day or two.
Up in the crow's nest was Shan. He loved heights as much as the sea, and was always picked to watch the sea from above. He was shy, but only around Kitya. Though they were friends, he was beginning to fall in love with her. Try as he might, he kept falling, faster and faster, deeper into the darkness, towards a tiny sliver of light. Less than a league down the sea, he could see something floating, though he couldn't make it out, even with his telescope.
"Hey Kitya!" one of the sailors shouted on deck, walking towards Kitya. He was called Larkin, and tall, dark, and handsome fit him well. He had dark brown hair which he wore always unruly. He looked years younger with it, along with the baby brown eyes he had, the ones that always seemed to be laughing. He had the face of a child as well, but he held the wisdom of an elder. Behind him, were several other sailors, the rest waiting farther back.
Kitya turned, facing Larkin with a smile. "Yes?" she asked with a hint of mischief in her voice.
"How about a game of tag? Old time's sake, huh? What do you say?" The sailors behind him began to smile. Tag was a game they'd often played when Kitya had first acquired the ship. It had been at least six years since they'd played, and eight since she'd first sailed. But, none the less, Kitya hadn't forgotten how to play.
She nodded with a grin spreading across her face. "Who's it?"
"You are!" Larkin shouted, and the men took off running. Kitya giggled and took off running. At twenty-one, she still hadn't lost her childish grace, and leapt way quickly. She was always the quickest of them all, even in a dress, so she caught up in an instant.
Their laughter rang out across the ship and sea, bringing the thing floating to attention. It looked up towards the sound and saw the STAR DANCER swimming towards him. The ship was coming straight for him, and would hit him unless it slowed. He could see figures running around the ship, and he wondered for a second if anyone was sailing. Suddenly, he heard someone yell from high above, and the figures stopped.
Shan watched the figure in the sea turn into a man, floating on a study piece of wood. He shouted down to Kitya and the crew, and soon the game of tag was postponed. Kitya ran to the head of the ship and looked over, squinting through sun and mist to see the man. Larkin and his crew slowed the ship down quickly.
The figure in the sea watched the ship slow and he sighed, a sigh of joy and relaxation, and he slumped back down on the wood. Finally, the ship stopped beside him, casting a shadow over his little craft.
Larkin looked down over the rails of the STAR DANCER to the man looking up at him. He was sitting up now, his small pack pulled into his lap. Fatigue was plastered over his smooth features, and he hand some trouble simply sitting.
"Who are you? Why do you float out in the sea?"
"My name is Terciel, though I am also called Abhorsen. My boat has become only this strip of wood." His voice also carried the sign of fatigue. He watched those aboard the ship converse, though their words were not carried down to his ears.
"I come to test your Charter mark, sir, not to harm you in any way," Larkin called cautiously.
He unrolled the rope ladder down the side of the ship, till it touched the sea's waves, and he climbed down. He jumped into the water where a raft, thrown down, was waiting for him and he swam swiftly to the man, with bold, graceful strokes. The floating man watched as he swam smoothly, absorbing his technique.
He and the man said nothing as Larkin reached his raft. Instead, Larkin reached out to the man's forehead. The mark did not crumble away, and he felt the man's power run through his fingers. He felt both Charter and Free Magic, the sign of an Abhorsen.
Larkin nodded up to the crew, who now were all strung across the railing. He could see their smiles from down below as he swam back to the ship, half dragging the weak Abhorsen. They climbed the ladder slowly, cautiously, for the rope was old, and finally they reached the top. Both were soaking wet, and towels were brought for them to dry.
After drying and removing most of their clothes, the man turned to woman and the group of sailors. His trouble standing was obvious, and he looked as if he would collapse at any second. "I am Abhorsen, but call me Terciel. Thank you for rescuing me."
With that, his eyes rolled back inside his head and he fell forward, straight into Kitya's arms. She staggered back, the man's limp weight too much for her to bear so suddenly. She fell into Larkin, and a chain reaction occurred. Shan watched from above, chuckling, and he climbed down the pole to the deck.
He helped Abhorsen from Kitya's arms, and then helped her up. His arms lingered around her waist for a second, but then he turned away, hiding a blush. Larkin stood, as did the rest of the men, and they witnessed the event, though Kitya was blind to it.
Kitya began speaking, directing the sailors in different places. "Larkin, you and Shan take the Abhorsen to my bedroom. It is the only available room, so do not argue. Delied, you and Liaed anchor the ship. We shall take the Abhorsen where he needs when he awakes. Until then, we shall stay here. Galed, you follow Larkin and Shan and try your best to heal the man."
Kitya stood back and watched the sailors work. They refused her help, save for sailing. She watched the piece of wood that was once the Abhorsen's boat float by, only to watch it crash into the jagged rocks along the shore side. Time now, would tell where she would sail, and time would have to wait until the Abhorsen awoke.
A/N: Well, what did you think? (It's a little short for me, I know.) Please, tell me! Review! Save what's left of my sanity!
And, thank you to Saraneth for providing the Abhorsen's name! (I couldn't remember!)
A/N: Yes, I know. I shouldn't start ANOTHER Garth Nix fic, but I just couldn't wait to start this one!! It's the story behind Sabriel's parents. So, read on! (And review too!)
Kitya leaned back against the railing of her ship, resting her elbows on the smoothed oak wood, laden with Charter marks. She loved to sail, to travel and be out in the open. She was a tomboy by standards, but she held the potential to be a beautiful woman.
The wind was blowing through the long, brown hair that had escaped from the ribbon that tied it behind her neck. Her pale skin was tanned once again, from weeks on sea and under sun. She was wearing both male pant and shirt, borrowed from one of the sailors on her ship. She felt comfortable in then, free from the confines of a proper lady's dress, though she had tailored them to fit her better. She despised being a woman, and longed to have the freedom the men had. At home, she would be expected to dress her part, a lady, so she sailed slowly to allow her freedom to last longer.
At home, she'd feel the absence of her mother all too well, and the presence of her step mother even more. Kitya's mother had passed away lass than two years ago, leaving her with her father and his well-hidden mistress. No one knew about the mistress, though Kita felt her mother knew, somehow, someway. At her mother's dead, Kitya had suspected foul play, for her mother's skin was covered in bruises and numerous cuts, but doctors believed that false. To them, Maelyn had died of natural causes, and even the most advanced medicine in the Old Kingdom could not save her. She felt like she was living the Ancelstierrian fairy tale Cinderella, complete with two evil step sisters. She despised home as well, for there she was not in charge. On her ship she was, and had complete control over everything.
Her mother had died in her arms, leaving behind all her wisdom to her daughter. She'd slipped a silver necklace from her neck and had hooked it around Kitya's with her dying breath. Remembering, Kitya fingered the necklace. It was a marble Charter mark that hung from the long, pure silver linked chain. The marble mark was for faith, and her mother always claimed each link symbolized several thousand sweet and happy memories. Etched in the marble of the mark of faith were the words "To Thine Own Self Be True." The wise woman never let anyone change her, and she had died that way as well. Kitya vowed to stay that way too, but with her step mother, she was finding it to be harder and harder with every visit back home.
Her step mother was controlling and had to have everything going perfectly her way. Teyrl, she was called, despised tom boys and couldn't live with her husband's daughter. To her, Kitya was dressed as a homeless person who lived in the streets of Belisaere. She tried to supply the girl with dresses for the proper, but without prevail.
Kitya had burned many of the dresses her step mother had given her. She knew they weren't gifts, just Teryl trying to cover up the fact that her step daughter wasn't a lady. Kitya preferred the ship her father had bought her over the gowns, and the materials served well as fuel when she and her sailors had set camp along shore.
Kitya at first at thought the gift of the ship was out of pure love, but with the passing years, she'd realized that he'd bought it so she'd be away, sailing. Maelyn loved the sea as well, so she often went along with her daughter. Despite the memories of her mother and the reasons for purchase, she loved her ship, called STAR DANCER.
She turned in her place at the tip of ship so she could lean over and watch the Chartered boat cut through the sea's waves. She did this often, for the sea captivated her, and to see the sea creatures as well. Kitya could stand for hours watching the deep blue sea flow by, soaking up the sun's rays through her threadbare clothes. Afterwards, she'd let her sea-misted hair dry in the sun while talking with the sailors, her friends.
Behind her, she could hear the laughter of the sailors, their songs and happiness. All were her friends, whom she held dear, and they loved the sea as much as she did. Those were added to Teyrl's list of the things she hated about Kitya - her only friends were men, and her love for the sea, though it kept her step daughter away. Knowing this made Kitya love the sea and her friends all the more. She was determined not to let Teyrl take her happiness away, so she spent more and more time out to see, only returning home for a day or two.
Up in the crow's nest was Shan. He loved heights as much as the sea, and was always picked to watch the sea from above. He was shy, but only around Kitya. Though they were friends, he was beginning to fall in love with her. Try as he might, he kept falling, faster and faster, deeper into the darkness, towards a tiny sliver of light. Less than a league down the sea, he could see something floating, though he couldn't make it out, even with his telescope.
"Hey Kitya!" one of the sailors shouted on deck, walking towards Kitya. He was called Larkin, and tall, dark, and handsome fit him well. He had dark brown hair which he wore always unruly. He looked years younger with it, along with the baby brown eyes he had, the ones that always seemed to be laughing. He had the face of a child as well, but he held the wisdom of an elder. Behind him, were several other sailors, the rest waiting farther back.
Kitya turned, facing Larkin with a smile. "Yes?" she asked with a hint of mischief in her voice.
"How about a game of tag? Old time's sake, huh? What do you say?" The sailors behind him began to smile. Tag was a game they'd often played when Kitya had first acquired the ship. It had been at least six years since they'd played, and eight since she'd first sailed. But, none the less, Kitya hadn't forgotten how to play.
She nodded with a grin spreading across her face. "Who's it?"
"You are!" Larkin shouted, and the men took off running. Kitya giggled and took off running. At twenty-one, she still hadn't lost her childish grace, and leapt way quickly. She was always the quickest of them all, even in a dress, so she caught up in an instant.
Their laughter rang out across the ship and sea, bringing the thing floating to attention. It looked up towards the sound and saw the STAR DANCER swimming towards him. The ship was coming straight for him, and would hit him unless it slowed. He could see figures running around the ship, and he wondered for a second if anyone was sailing. Suddenly, he heard someone yell from high above, and the figures stopped.
Shan watched the figure in the sea turn into a man, floating on a study piece of wood. He shouted down to Kitya and the crew, and soon the game of tag was postponed. Kitya ran to the head of the ship and looked over, squinting through sun and mist to see the man. Larkin and his crew slowed the ship down quickly.
The figure in the sea watched the ship slow and he sighed, a sigh of joy and relaxation, and he slumped back down on the wood. Finally, the ship stopped beside him, casting a shadow over his little craft.
Larkin looked down over the rails of the STAR DANCER to the man looking up at him. He was sitting up now, his small pack pulled into his lap. Fatigue was plastered over his smooth features, and he hand some trouble simply sitting.
"Who are you? Why do you float out in the sea?"
"My name is Terciel, though I am also called Abhorsen. My boat has become only this strip of wood." His voice also carried the sign of fatigue. He watched those aboard the ship converse, though their words were not carried down to his ears.
"I come to test your Charter mark, sir, not to harm you in any way," Larkin called cautiously.
He unrolled the rope ladder down the side of the ship, till it touched the sea's waves, and he climbed down. He jumped into the water where a raft, thrown down, was waiting for him and he swam swiftly to the man, with bold, graceful strokes. The floating man watched as he swam smoothly, absorbing his technique.
He and the man said nothing as Larkin reached his raft. Instead, Larkin reached out to the man's forehead. The mark did not crumble away, and he felt the man's power run through his fingers. He felt both Charter and Free Magic, the sign of an Abhorsen.
Larkin nodded up to the crew, who now were all strung across the railing. He could see their smiles from down below as he swam back to the ship, half dragging the weak Abhorsen. They climbed the ladder slowly, cautiously, for the rope was old, and finally they reached the top. Both were soaking wet, and towels were brought for them to dry.
After drying and removing most of their clothes, the man turned to woman and the group of sailors. His trouble standing was obvious, and he looked as if he would collapse at any second. "I am Abhorsen, but call me Terciel. Thank you for rescuing me."
With that, his eyes rolled back inside his head and he fell forward, straight into Kitya's arms. She staggered back, the man's limp weight too much for her to bear so suddenly. She fell into Larkin, and a chain reaction occurred. Shan watched from above, chuckling, and he climbed down the pole to the deck.
He helped Abhorsen from Kitya's arms, and then helped her up. His arms lingered around her waist for a second, but then he turned away, hiding a blush. Larkin stood, as did the rest of the men, and they witnessed the event, though Kitya was blind to it.
Kitya began speaking, directing the sailors in different places. "Larkin, you and Shan take the Abhorsen to my bedroom. It is the only available room, so do not argue. Delied, you and Liaed anchor the ship. We shall take the Abhorsen where he needs when he awakes. Until then, we shall stay here. Galed, you follow Larkin and Shan and try your best to heal the man."
Kitya stood back and watched the sailors work. They refused her help, save for sailing. She watched the piece of wood that was once the Abhorsen's boat float by, only to watch it crash into the jagged rocks along the shore side. Time now, would tell where she would sail, and time would have to wait until the Abhorsen awoke.
A/N: Well, what did you think? (It's a little short for me, I know.) Please, tell me! Review! Save what's left of my sanity!
And, thank you to Saraneth for providing the Abhorsen's name! (I couldn't remember!)