Chapter 2: Grieving and Seeking
Yrael had carried Sabriel's body back to the house. The hardest moment for Lirael was saying what had happened. She reached the front door first, and opened it. Going inside she found the family sitting in the drawing room. Touchstone got up, looking very grim.
"Lirael, tell me she isn't dead." He said simply. When Lirael looked at him, tears briming in her eyes, he simply let out a stangled howl and ran upstairs. She wondered how he had known. Then she realized that surly two who loved each other as much as Sabriel and Touchstone would share some bond.
Sameth and Ellimere looked at her in shock, Lirael could guess what was going through their minds, Sabriel couldn't just...die...she was the Abhorsen, who walked in Death only of her own accord! But every ones thoughts were finalized by Yrael carrying Sabriel's limp body up to her bedroom. Touchstone came down later, his eyes wet and red rimmed. He turned to face Lirael.
"You can bring her back though, right?" He looked at Lirael, pleadingly, when she didn't respond, he cried, "Lirael, tell me you can bring her back! Tell me that she's not gone forever! You're the Abhorsen, you can do things like that, Lirael, Tell me that you can bring Sabriel back to me!" Lirael couldn't meet his gaze. She stared at her feet. And shruged. There had to be a way, She had to hurry though.
"All I can do is try." Lirael said, her voice wavering. With that, she turned and went up the stairs to Sabriel's bedroom.
Yrael stood by the side of the bed. Like a silent sentnal, guarding the body of the former Abhorsen. Lirael crossed the room slowly, and looked upon the body of her sister. Sabriel's skin was paler than it had ever been. Her lips had a faint bluish tint to them. Yrael had layed her out, crossing her arms over her breast, and bandoleir. Lirael sat on the bed and layed her head on Sabriel. She closed her eyes and tried to think of what to do.
The creature grabbed Sabriel by the hair and threw her into the cold water of the sixth precinct.
"I said bow, Abhorsen." His voice was unfamiliar to Sabriel, as was his type. He seemed to be a dead/ Free-magic creature. But his appearance was odd, that of a centaur, with a lions body rather than a horse's. "I am Eloa Va-Daath, and all bow to me!" Sabriel scowled. She wouldn't bow to anyone.
"I will not bow!" She snarled. "To you or anyone, except Touchstone!" She threw a punch at the creature, but he simply caught her wrist in his hand. She pulled away. Suddenly something hit her leg. She bent down to pick it up.
It was a small paper boat. With a tiny blot of blood on the tip. Sabriel knew somehow what this ment. Someone needed help, and she had to go answer their questions. Ignoring Eloa's shouting, she turned and, clutching the boat to her, began to walk back to the first precinct.
Lirael watched the paper boat leave. Sabriel had said to use it if she ever needed a question answered. Lirael waited. She didn't really know what was supposed to happen... Suddenly the roar of the first gate lessened. Lirael could see something coming through. She heald her breath.
As the figure approached Lirael, she could see it was Sabriel! A very shadowy Sabriel, yes, but her all the same. She stood infront of Lirael, and smiled.
"Lirael." She said simply. Lirael then knew what to do. Sadly, Sabriel could only answer direct questions. So Lirael had to think carefully.
"Are you really dead?" She asked, just to be sure.
"Yes" "Have you passed the ninth gate? Is there anyway to get you back, alive?"
"My spirit has yet to pass through the sixth precinct. There is a way to return me to life, yes. Though it is a hard one." Sabriel didn't know how she knew this, somehow, being a guide made her know.
"How then?" Lirael asked. This was just the thing Sabriel had wanted her to ask.
"I am enslaved by a creature called Eloa Va-daath. He holds me prisoner in the sixth precinct. Though I fear he has worse plans for me. I am guarded closely, so do not come alone. You must travel to the Clayr library, and awaken the spirit Eladoni Tzabaoth. He will accompany you here to retrieve my spirit. Once you have me, I will exist in the living world as a ghost, I will then be able to instruct you further." Sabriel was silent. Staring at Lirael with a blank face. She reminded Lirael not of Sabriel, but a dead spirit. With no cares, no worries, no loves... Lirael was about to turn away when she was struck with a thought, not that this question would help her any, but.
"Sabriel, do you still love your family?" Lirael had no idea what the response would be. Sabriel stood there, looking at her. At first, Lirael thought she hadn't heard. But then Sabriel spoke, and a single, pearly tear rolled down her cheek, to drip into the river.
"Yes..."
Yrael had carried Sabriel's body back to the house. The hardest moment for Lirael was saying what had happened. She reached the front door first, and opened it. Going inside she found the family sitting in the drawing room. Touchstone got up, looking very grim.
"Lirael, tell me she isn't dead." He said simply. When Lirael looked at him, tears briming in her eyes, he simply let out a stangled howl and ran upstairs. She wondered how he had known. Then she realized that surly two who loved each other as much as Sabriel and Touchstone would share some bond.
Sameth and Ellimere looked at her in shock, Lirael could guess what was going through their minds, Sabriel couldn't just...die...she was the Abhorsen, who walked in Death only of her own accord! But every ones thoughts were finalized by Yrael carrying Sabriel's limp body up to her bedroom. Touchstone came down later, his eyes wet and red rimmed. He turned to face Lirael.
"You can bring her back though, right?" He looked at Lirael, pleadingly, when she didn't respond, he cried, "Lirael, tell me you can bring her back! Tell me that she's not gone forever! You're the Abhorsen, you can do things like that, Lirael, Tell me that you can bring Sabriel back to me!" Lirael couldn't meet his gaze. She stared at her feet. And shruged. There had to be a way, She had to hurry though.
"All I can do is try." Lirael said, her voice wavering. With that, she turned and went up the stairs to Sabriel's bedroom.
Yrael stood by the side of the bed. Like a silent sentnal, guarding the body of the former Abhorsen. Lirael crossed the room slowly, and looked upon the body of her sister. Sabriel's skin was paler than it had ever been. Her lips had a faint bluish tint to them. Yrael had layed her out, crossing her arms over her breast, and bandoleir. Lirael sat on the bed and layed her head on Sabriel. She closed her eyes and tried to think of what to do.
The creature grabbed Sabriel by the hair and threw her into the cold water of the sixth precinct.
"I said bow, Abhorsen." His voice was unfamiliar to Sabriel, as was his type. He seemed to be a dead/ Free-magic creature. But his appearance was odd, that of a centaur, with a lions body rather than a horse's. "I am Eloa Va-Daath, and all bow to me!" Sabriel scowled. She wouldn't bow to anyone.
"I will not bow!" She snarled. "To you or anyone, except Touchstone!" She threw a punch at the creature, but he simply caught her wrist in his hand. She pulled away. Suddenly something hit her leg. She bent down to pick it up.
It was a small paper boat. With a tiny blot of blood on the tip. Sabriel knew somehow what this ment. Someone needed help, and she had to go answer their questions. Ignoring Eloa's shouting, she turned and, clutching the boat to her, began to walk back to the first precinct.
Lirael watched the paper boat leave. Sabriel had said to use it if she ever needed a question answered. Lirael waited. She didn't really know what was supposed to happen... Suddenly the roar of the first gate lessened. Lirael could see something coming through. She heald her breath.
As the figure approached Lirael, she could see it was Sabriel! A very shadowy Sabriel, yes, but her all the same. She stood infront of Lirael, and smiled.
"Lirael." She said simply. Lirael then knew what to do. Sadly, Sabriel could only answer direct questions. So Lirael had to think carefully.
"Are you really dead?" She asked, just to be sure.
"Yes" "Have you passed the ninth gate? Is there anyway to get you back, alive?"
"My spirit has yet to pass through the sixth precinct. There is a way to return me to life, yes. Though it is a hard one." Sabriel didn't know how she knew this, somehow, being a guide made her know.
"How then?" Lirael asked. This was just the thing Sabriel had wanted her to ask.
"I am enslaved by a creature called Eloa Va-daath. He holds me prisoner in the sixth precinct. Though I fear he has worse plans for me. I am guarded closely, so do not come alone. You must travel to the Clayr library, and awaken the spirit Eladoni Tzabaoth. He will accompany you here to retrieve my spirit. Once you have me, I will exist in the living world as a ghost, I will then be able to instruct you further." Sabriel was silent. Staring at Lirael with a blank face. She reminded Lirael not of Sabriel, but a dead spirit. With no cares, no worries, no loves... Lirael was about to turn away when she was struck with a thought, not that this question would help her any, but.
"Sabriel, do you still love your family?" Lirael had no idea what the response would be. Sabriel stood there, looking at her. At first, Lirael thought she hadn't heard. But then Sabriel spoke, and a single, pearly tear rolled down her cheek, to drip into the river.
"Yes..."