A/N: Sorry for the long update. It's getting harder to write chapters these days, what with all the distractions. By-the-by, I'm going away this Sunday, August 8th, and I won't return until next Friday, the 13th. Whoo. It'll be Friday the 13th! Which means, that this is probably the last update until then. Sorry!

Chapter 11 :: Encounter

"So. The Abhorsen-in-Waiting has come to the Glacier."

Elixiol closed her eyes and nodded. A Gore Crow spy had informed her of that fact only moments before. Of course, Chlorr of the Mask had to know. Elixiol had hesitated, if only briefly, before coming to Chlorr; still, it had been a hesitation.

Chlorr began to pace, her bronze mask glinting in the scant moonlight. It was nighttime, and the Clayr were sleeping while the Dead planned. Finally she looked up at her partner. Behind the mask, Elixiol could see a sinister smile, and shuddered. Chlorr had something particularly vile in mind.

"I believe we can use this turn of events to our advantage," Chlorr remarked.

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Once Nick was well acquainted with the hospital, Lirael was free to do as she liked. She automatically began walking towards the Library, but stopped. If the Library was just like the rest of the Glacier…Lirael wouldn't want to see her old home ruined by sickened Clayr, or the shelves and shelves of books uncared for in the past weeks. She shuddered, and decided to leave her fond memories of the Library just that, fond, and not spoiled by the effects of Free Magic.

What to do? She wondered. The Free Magic was too much. She couldn't remain in the Glacier long before she ended up on one of those makeshift beds, awaiting treatment from Clayr that were only a little more healthy than she was. So she wandered outside, where the waves of Free Magic were still strong, but fainter and took less of a toll on her. She sighed, and sat back, trying to recover from the brief time spent under the Glacier.

This was even worse than she had imagined! Not only was the Glacier melting, but the people inside were dying, too. Sanar and Ryelle had already informed her that they had lost many Clayr since it began. At first it was gradual, one or two Clayr dying in a month, while the healers were almost helpless as they mysteriously wasted away to nothing. But now, everyone was infected, even the stronger Clayr, and there was little hope left…unless the source of Free Magic was taken away.

And where was Mogget? Lirael had seen none of an albino dwarf or a little white cat in all the time she had been here. She trusted Mogget to look after himself, of course, but it worried her…what mischief was he planning?

Lirael shivered and hugged her knees to her body. Her thoughts turned to Nick. Poor Nicholas Sayre, being the one hope left for healing the sick Clayr. He would have to stretch his power to prevent many from dying, and would probably not be able to fully heal anyone. He would be weak, too. Lirael hoped that Sam's praise for Nick's healing abilities were not exaggerated; even if they were not, Nick would have trouble. Lirael wished she could be of more use to him. She had found that she had really grown to care for him in their journey here, and didn't want anything bad to happen to him.

Since Lirael allowed such thoughts to bear her away from reality gently, she did not immediately notice when her Death sense tingled warningly. After a while, though, she leaped up, completely startled. What would any kind of Dead be doing so close to the Glacier? Almost instantly she knew the answer: Chlorr of the Mask was behind this again. Even though the Clayr were so near…they were weakened. Lirael sent a thousand curses on that Greater Dead creature, nearly losing her temper. Lirael rarely let her anger carry her that far, but she was pressured with the sickness the Free Magic caused, the kidnap of the Abhorsen and her daughter…and not to mention, there was no Disreputable Dog to support and help her.

In her fury Lirael strode forward, not thinking about what she would do if she encountered yet another army of the Dead. Her Death sense was tingling madly now, but she ignored it and the danger she was walking into. A cry reached her ears, in a familiar voice. Lirael, startled, stopped.

Climbing up the side of the hill was a ragged figure, a girl her own age. Lirael recognized her instantly, though she was no longer garbed in the rich garments of a princess. Ellimere! Lirael realized, elated. She escaped!

Lireal broke into a run, preparing to meet her friend, her smile widening. A new hope sprung within her: if Ellimere had been able to escape, then maybe Sabriel did too…

Almost the instant she thought it, she saw the Queen following her daughter up the hill. Lirael waved, ecstatic, forgetting entirely about the sense of the Dead nearby…her friends had returned, had escaped evil Chlorr's wrath.

Ellimere looked up, saw Lirael, and tiredly smiled. "Lir…" she began, but collapsed in a faint. Her mother caught her, but looked about ready to fall herself. She nodded wearily to Lirael as the Abhorsen-in-Waiting approached. Apparently, their escape effort had been trying.

Lirael had almost reached then when a sudden stench met her nose. She paused, and immediately a wave of Dead creatures came between her and her escaped friends. Sabriel, Lirael just noticed, did not have her bells. She was nearly powerless without them…

Unhesitantly, Lirael took out Saraneth, and rang it out. She was still slightly weak from exposure to that great source of Free Magic, but she was able to put her will into the binding peals. The Dead between her and her friends shuddered, then were bound, as she sent them back to Death. No sooner had they departed then another wave took their place…and another…and yet even another…

Lirael thought she would kill herself continuing to ring the heavy bell. Her will was still hardened, but her strength was dimming. She had lost sight of Sabriel and Ellimere, and in fact didn't even think about them. She was far too busy ringing the Binder, sending the Dead back to where they belonged, and beginning all over again…

Strong hands—not belonging to a Dead creature—went around her waist and pulled back forcefully. She gasped, and almost rang Saraneth in defiance, until she realized who gripped her. Nicholas Sayre had come to her rescue, pulling her out of the fray and into the Glacier before she used up all her life-force. Although in the back of her mind, she knew this was best, she protested.

"Let me go!" she cried. "Sabriel and Ellimere are back there…we've got to…save them…Nick…!"

"No, Lirael," he said gruffly. "It was a trap. You'd kill yourself. Sabriel and Ellimere…they were never really free…Chlorr just allowed them to be the bait for the trap…"

"No," she gasped, out of breath and exhausted for her efforts. She couldn't believe she had been fooled: of course Chlorr would have been more careful with her captives…but Lirael had been so close…

She took a deep breath, allowed her lungs to fill, before rounding on Nick. "But you came here to save them! Not run away from them on the first try!" she accused. She knew she wasn't being fair, but for the moment didn't really care. She had been so close to Sabriel and Ellimere…just another moment and they would have been free…"Why did you come with me anyway, if you weren't going to help rescue them?"

"Of course I'm here to help them," he snapped. "Now listen, Lirael, calm down." She had never heard his voice so final, had never been aware that he could be so commanding. She quieted.

He began to pace in the entrance of the Glacier. Lirael watched him, calming, but still steaming. She wasn't sure if she was angry at Nick for bringing her out, or at herself, for falling for such a cheap trick.

"Look, we're going to save them." His blue eyes caught her dark ones and held them. "But when we are, we will make the surprise attack…not them. We'll plan out a strategy, and take them by surprise…not them. We'll catch them off guard."

Lirael looked away, ashamed of both her anger at him and of her foolishness for running headlong into a trap. Nick was right. They had to be in control of the situation.

A sudden, cold liquid drop fell on her head. Lirael, alarmed, looked up. Another icy drop nearly hit her eye. She scooted away, and discovered that the entire entrance of the Glacier was melting like an icicle in the sun. Cold fright swept through Lirael. The Glacier was melting right before her eyes!

Nick noticed it too, and grimaced. "It's getting faster," he muttered, mostly to himself, but Lirael heard him. "Free Magic is either getting stronger…or the Glacier weaker. Either way…" He stood and waved his hand at the mountain of ice. "Within a year, this whole thing'll be gone," he calculated.

Lirael leaped to her feet. She was deathly afraid, when she heard Nick's words, but that fear ignited some determination in her. "We won't let it," she said lowly. "We'll stop this."

Nick looked up and met her gaze again, but this time his eyes were friendly. "Yes," he agreed softly. "We will."

The moment was ruined when a large drop splashed on his head. Nick blinked, and wiped his hand on his hair, and it came away wet. He sighed. "In any other situation, I'd find this embarrassing, even amusing. Curse this Free Magic, it's ruining my sense of humor." Smiling wryly, he went in.

Lirael stared after him, mixed emotions stirring within her. Finally she sighed, and followed him, trying to ignore the dripping sound as the Glacier continued to melt.