Authors note: Well I wrote some fan fic stuff when Lirael came out, but
never published it I then wrote some more stuff after Abhorsen came out, so
I kind of continued where I left off, but it was quite difficult to make
ends meet. Anyway, I've kind of done it in flash backs thats what the
means, kinda entering someone's memory. I am trying out different things at
the moment; I know my previous layout was bad so hopefully I have made this
better. As for the next chapter it is coming, but the past few evenings
I've had masses of work to do, but hopefully it'll be up on the weekend.
There he stood the boy she had met when she was just a girl in the glacier. He stood tall, breathing deeply, the vapour rising like silver from his mouth to dissipate into the dark night. His hair still the same length and colour, his eyes still dark and his face clean-shaven. The gold and red Royal bloodline surcoat emblazoned with the hammer and anvil of a forger stood proudly on his chest, but apart from that he wore no bright colours. He still had his mail shirt, but it fit him now, the mail sleeves resting at his elbows and a jumper beneath. The scabbard now at his waist rather than across his back, the sword he held by his side point facing down, but his grip was still strong on the hilt. He would never release his grip on that blade.
"Lirael?" He spoke uncertainly.
"The boy." she whispered, she was only just remembering her memory desperately searching to remember who he was.
"Was that your Mordicant then." She said loud, but not loud enough for the people by the Tavern to hear as she walked towards him.
"Yes, and that was your Stilken. We were planning to do the same thing." He said with a half smile and lifted the magical steel from his side and rested it into the scabbard. The villagers now watching the pair were completely shocked. Lirael tilted her head to one side slightly.
"Why?" she asked.
"That is a question that I cannot answer here. You should talk to your audience now you have their attention; I was never very good at speeches. If you want to talk we could meet at your house Abhorsen." He said and disappeared off into the darkness from whence he appeared.
It was true she only just realised her audience was there, but she no longer wanted to talk with them as she had wanted before the attack, her mind was elsewhere. She gave her speech to them, but she knew it lacked her conviction. But after what they had just seen the party were too troubled to notice. Free magic in their village didn't seem possible. To Lirael free magic was and would always be everywhere. She now longed to get back to the house. So much in fact that she used her owl charter skin to get to the house that very night. As she flew through the cool night air she remembered who he really was.
Lirael rounded a corner in the lower levels of the old library to suddenly see a boy, he was just about to round the corner, but in the other direction. The Dog beside her had smelt him, but hadn't said anything to Lirael. He was about the same age as her around 14, average height, quite slim, but with broad shoulders. His hair was long, black and straggly falling over his shoulders, but stopping quite soon. His eyes were dark and the pupils large. He didn't wear the kind of clothes a son of a merchant might wear. Neither did he look like one of the many guards or guards in training; they had short-cropped hair and stayed in the refectory. He had a sword, not strapped to his waist, but diagonally across his back, the hilt sticking up over his right shoulder. He was wearing a padded leather jerkin with short sleeves so Lirael could see longer chain mail sleeves coming down past his elbows. He had the long sleeves of a woollen jumper covering from his elbow to his wrist. He had long baggy pantaloons though his chain mail shirt fell halfway down his thigh and walking boots along with a large travelling cloak swung over his shoulders.
"A kindred spirit I see." The Dog said after a small pause and in that knowing way.
"It talks!" The boy started and took a step back.
"Who are you?" Lirael commanded suddenly afraid that he might tell someone about the Dog.
"I was lost. That's all." He quickly recited.
"You got this far without seeing anyone to ask, that was fortunate." The Dog disbelieved.
"It's not a real dog." He whispered a strange awe in his voice. He walked slowly over to the dog and put his hand out to touch it, but Lirael stepped in front of the Dog.
"Where are you trying to go?" Lirael quickly asked.
"The...er...um library." He stammered.
"Visitors aren't allowed in the library without permission." Lirael said importantly suddenly very aware of her yellow waistcoat.
"I just got lost." He said quickly and quietly. Lirael was getting uncomfortable.
"It's like a charter sending or something, a strange creation." He continued trying to look past Lirael.
"Don't worry Lirael he arrived this morning, he comes from far away and no one would believe him about a talking dog." The Dog spoke again, looking up at Lirael. The truth in the Dogs words brought the boys head down and took some of the confidence out of him.
"You'd better go, if you know the way back that is." Lirael said looking back at the dog.
"What's behind these doors there full of charter magic, and I can't feel what's beyond." The boy asked suddenly looking at he nearest wooden door he was not daunted by Lirael.
"Nothing. More books." Lirael said coldly. Her plans for going through another door that afternoon were not going well. The Dog began to sniff the air.
"Someones coming." It said quietly.
"You had better get back to the refectory." She whispered hastily at this remark the boy started to make his way back down the passageway. Lirael jogged over to a door she knew as being safe and waved her bracelet with the emeralds glowing to unlock it."
That was the last she had seen of him for about 6 years, yet he was unmistakably the same boy, but now a man.
There he stood the boy she had met when she was just a girl in the glacier. He stood tall, breathing deeply, the vapour rising like silver from his mouth to dissipate into the dark night. His hair still the same length and colour, his eyes still dark and his face clean-shaven. The gold and red Royal bloodline surcoat emblazoned with the hammer and anvil of a forger stood proudly on his chest, but apart from that he wore no bright colours. He still had his mail shirt, but it fit him now, the mail sleeves resting at his elbows and a jumper beneath. The scabbard now at his waist rather than across his back, the sword he held by his side point facing down, but his grip was still strong on the hilt. He would never release his grip on that blade.
"Lirael?" He spoke uncertainly.
"The boy." she whispered, she was only just remembering her memory desperately searching to remember who he was.
"Was that your Mordicant then." She said loud, but not loud enough for the people by the Tavern to hear as she walked towards him.
"Yes, and that was your Stilken. We were planning to do the same thing." He said with a half smile and lifted the magical steel from his side and rested it into the scabbard. The villagers now watching the pair were completely shocked. Lirael tilted her head to one side slightly.
"Why?" she asked.
"That is a question that I cannot answer here. You should talk to your audience now you have their attention; I was never very good at speeches. If you want to talk we could meet at your house Abhorsen." He said and disappeared off into the darkness from whence he appeared.
It was true she only just realised her audience was there, but she no longer wanted to talk with them as she had wanted before the attack, her mind was elsewhere. She gave her speech to them, but she knew it lacked her conviction. But after what they had just seen the party were too troubled to notice. Free magic in their village didn't seem possible. To Lirael free magic was and would always be everywhere. She now longed to get back to the house. So much in fact that she used her owl charter skin to get to the house that very night. As she flew through the cool night air she remembered who he really was.
Lirael rounded a corner in the lower levels of the old library to suddenly see a boy, he was just about to round the corner, but in the other direction. The Dog beside her had smelt him, but hadn't said anything to Lirael. He was about the same age as her around 14, average height, quite slim, but with broad shoulders. His hair was long, black and straggly falling over his shoulders, but stopping quite soon. His eyes were dark and the pupils large. He didn't wear the kind of clothes a son of a merchant might wear. Neither did he look like one of the many guards or guards in training; they had short-cropped hair and stayed in the refectory. He had a sword, not strapped to his waist, but diagonally across his back, the hilt sticking up over his right shoulder. He was wearing a padded leather jerkin with short sleeves so Lirael could see longer chain mail sleeves coming down past his elbows. He had the long sleeves of a woollen jumper covering from his elbow to his wrist. He had long baggy pantaloons though his chain mail shirt fell halfway down his thigh and walking boots along with a large travelling cloak swung over his shoulders.
"A kindred spirit I see." The Dog said after a small pause and in that knowing way.
"It talks!" The boy started and took a step back.
"Who are you?" Lirael commanded suddenly afraid that he might tell someone about the Dog.
"I was lost. That's all." He quickly recited.
"You got this far without seeing anyone to ask, that was fortunate." The Dog disbelieved.
"It's not a real dog." He whispered a strange awe in his voice. He walked slowly over to the dog and put his hand out to touch it, but Lirael stepped in front of the Dog.
"Where are you trying to go?" Lirael quickly asked.
"The...er...um library." He stammered.
"Visitors aren't allowed in the library without permission." Lirael said importantly suddenly very aware of her yellow waistcoat.
"I just got lost." He said quickly and quietly. Lirael was getting uncomfortable.
"It's like a charter sending or something, a strange creation." He continued trying to look past Lirael.
"Don't worry Lirael he arrived this morning, he comes from far away and no one would believe him about a talking dog." The Dog spoke again, looking up at Lirael. The truth in the Dogs words brought the boys head down and took some of the confidence out of him.
"You'd better go, if you know the way back that is." Lirael said looking back at the dog.
"What's behind these doors there full of charter magic, and I can't feel what's beyond." The boy asked suddenly looking at he nearest wooden door he was not daunted by Lirael.
"Nothing. More books." Lirael said coldly. Her plans for going through another door that afternoon were not going well. The Dog began to sniff the air.
"Someones coming." It said quietly.
"You had better get back to the refectory." She whispered hastily at this remark the boy started to make his way back down the passageway. Lirael jogged over to a door she knew as being safe and waved her bracelet with the emeralds glowing to unlock it."
That was the last she had seen of him for about 6 years, yet he was unmistakably the same boy, but now a man.