Sorry for the long wait. Ok, so it's been over a year. Disclaimer: I don't
own any of the characters, etc. And for that matter, I don't really own the
first part of the plot since it's just a continuation of a story told in
Lirael. They all belong to Garth Nix.
And so for the rest of the night, the King and Queen interrogated the one known as Christopher Walkins. He was very reluctant to talk, and it was hard to get anything out of him. Sabriel stared at his ugly face and scruffy body as he sat, Charter Spelled to the chair. "Mr. Walkins, you have committed a heinous crime against the Kingdom. Tell us, who are you working for?"
"I'll never tell," Walkins managed to squeak out, terrified. "My master... she will kill me. I can not speak." Touchstone reached across the table and smacked the man across the face. Tears started rolling down his face. "I can not tell!" he cried out once more.
"And who is she?" asked Touchstone, becoming frustrated. "Please, just tell us! We will not harm you. This woman cannot harm you here. She cannot get to you here," Touchstone pleaded. Still the man would not comply. Sabriel sighed. This same ordeal had been going on for at least three hours. They would not be able to get through to him.
"I am sorry then," she said after some thought. "But I shall have to force you." With that Sabriel reached to her pouch of bells, where she pulled out Dyrim, the speaker. It was not common for a wielder of bells to use them on the living, but it could be done. As Sabriel stood to ring it, Walkins screamed out, telling her not to. She hesitated and let him speak.
"Please, please do not ring that," he begged. "I shall tell you, and it shall cause my life. I am working for.. working for her. The lady necromancer. She promised me gold and silver."
"Who is she?" asked Sabriel again. "Who is this woman necromancer you speak of?"
"Her name is Chlorr. She wears a mask of bronze. She is very powerful," he sobbed. "She is going to infiltrate. Soon, soon, as she continues to break Charter Stones and gather a legion of Dead."
"Ah, Chlorr! I should have known. She escaped me in our last confrontation about 10 months ago, but not unscathed. I slashed her face with my sword. As she turned to retreat, I saw it. There was a large cut all the way down her face, with burn marks covering the areas around it," Sabriel reminisced. Before she could continue talking, her Death sense went on end. However, she and Touchstone were not quick enough to react. A shadow as black as night struck like lightning over Walkins, covering him and entering him through his mouth and nose. Kibeth rang, and the Dead thing was banished. But Christopher Walkins was dead, as he had predicted...
The next morning, Sabriel and Touchstone arose. Today Sabriel planned on taking a Paperwing south to the last town Chlorr had terrorized, Callibe. Touchstone, however, would be going to the Sindle area to fix a broken Charter Stone. They were both now dressed. They gave each other a hug and kiss before they headed out of their bedroom. "I do not need your help, Touchstone," Sabriel reassured him again. "I can handle Chlorr on my own. Besides, I will be taking our two best Charter Mages on the Guard." She kissed him again and smiled. The two walked hand-in-hand out of the castle and through the courtyard, to where a Paperwing and many of the Guard were waiting. Also waiting were their two children.
"Goodbye mother!" Exclaimed Ellimere. "Good luck mother!" Shouted Sam. And they both ran to hug their mother. After embracing, Sabriel put on her flying goggles and hopped into the Paperwing. Her two companions, Jarnel and Sarai, stepped into the back of the Paperwing, which was accommodated for two passengers. Sabriel had made this one a few years ago, and its name was Eagle's Eye, named in honor of the first Paperwing she had ever flown. The crowd waiting watched as Sabriel whistled two loud notes, followed in chorus by the two in the back. The Paperwing jumped into the air, and sped southward.
Touchstone smiled and silently wished his wife luck, and then he knelt to hug his two children. "I too will be leaving, but only for a bit," he assured them. "Be good for Jall Oren and the rest of the adults," Touchstone said with a laughing glance towards the men around him. Ellimere and Sameth were in their second month of vacation from their Anclestirrian schools, and would be going back in one month. The three shared one last hug, and then the whole group turned and headed across to the Eastern courtyard, where a fleet of Guard would be waiting to escort Touchstone.
(Sorry this one is kind of short. Please don't nag me saying he couldn't have worked for Chlorr, or that Sabriel didn't put Chlorr in that mask, cause it's my story hah. What will happen next? Find out in chapter 4, whenever that may be! Please read and review.)
And so for the rest of the night, the King and Queen interrogated the one known as Christopher Walkins. He was very reluctant to talk, and it was hard to get anything out of him. Sabriel stared at his ugly face and scruffy body as he sat, Charter Spelled to the chair. "Mr. Walkins, you have committed a heinous crime against the Kingdom. Tell us, who are you working for?"
"I'll never tell," Walkins managed to squeak out, terrified. "My master... she will kill me. I can not speak." Touchstone reached across the table and smacked the man across the face. Tears started rolling down his face. "I can not tell!" he cried out once more.
"And who is she?" asked Touchstone, becoming frustrated. "Please, just tell us! We will not harm you. This woman cannot harm you here. She cannot get to you here," Touchstone pleaded. Still the man would not comply. Sabriel sighed. This same ordeal had been going on for at least three hours. They would not be able to get through to him.
"I am sorry then," she said after some thought. "But I shall have to force you." With that Sabriel reached to her pouch of bells, where she pulled out Dyrim, the speaker. It was not common for a wielder of bells to use them on the living, but it could be done. As Sabriel stood to ring it, Walkins screamed out, telling her not to. She hesitated and let him speak.
"Please, please do not ring that," he begged. "I shall tell you, and it shall cause my life. I am working for.. working for her. The lady necromancer. She promised me gold and silver."
"Who is she?" asked Sabriel again. "Who is this woman necromancer you speak of?"
"Her name is Chlorr. She wears a mask of bronze. She is very powerful," he sobbed. "She is going to infiltrate. Soon, soon, as she continues to break Charter Stones and gather a legion of Dead."
"Ah, Chlorr! I should have known. She escaped me in our last confrontation about 10 months ago, but not unscathed. I slashed her face with my sword. As she turned to retreat, I saw it. There was a large cut all the way down her face, with burn marks covering the areas around it," Sabriel reminisced. Before she could continue talking, her Death sense went on end. However, she and Touchstone were not quick enough to react. A shadow as black as night struck like lightning over Walkins, covering him and entering him through his mouth and nose. Kibeth rang, and the Dead thing was banished. But Christopher Walkins was dead, as he had predicted...
The next morning, Sabriel and Touchstone arose. Today Sabriel planned on taking a Paperwing south to the last town Chlorr had terrorized, Callibe. Touchstone, however, would be going to the Sindle area to fix a broken Charter Stone. They were both now dressed. They gave each other a hug and kiss before they headed out of their bedroom. "I do not need your help, Touchstone," Sabriel reassured him again. "I can handle Chlorr on my own. Besides, I will be taking our two best Charter Mages on the Guard." She kissed him again and smiled. The two walked hand-in-hand out of the castle and through the courtyard, to where a Paperwing and many of the Guard were waiting. Also waiting were their two children.
"Goodbye mother!" Exclaimed Ellimere. "Good luck mother!" Shouted Sam. And they both ran to hug their mother. After embracing, Sabriel put on her flying goggles and hopped into the Paperwing. Her two companions, Jarnel and Sarai, stepped into the back of the Paperwing, which was accommodated for two passengers. Sabriel had made this one a few years ago, and its name was Eagle's Eye, named in honor of the first Paperwing she had ever flown. The crowd waiting watched as Sabriel whistled two loud notes, followed in chorus by the two in the back. The Paperwing jumped into the air, and sped southward.
Touchstone smiled and silently wished his wife luck, and then he knelt to hug his two children. "I too will be leaving, but only for a bit," he assured them. "Be good for Jall Oren and the rest of the adults," Touchstone said with a laughing glance towards the men around him. Ellimere and Sameth were in their second month of vacation from their Anclestirrian schools, and would be going back in one month. The three shared one last hug, and then the whole group turned and headed across to the Eastern courtyard, where a fleet of Guard would be waiting to escort Touchstone.
(Sorry this one is kind of short. Please don't nag me saying he couldn't have worked for Chlorr, or that Sabriel didn't put Chlorr in that mask, cause it's my story hah. What will happen next? Find out in chapter 4, whenever that may be! Please read and review.)