Lirael turned quickly in her seat in the paperwing. Her thick black hair was caught up by the wind and whipped about into her face, and she pushed it away firmly, squinting behind her so she could see the tail of her craft.

'What is it?' Ellimere looked concerned. 'Something dead?'

'No,' Lirael lied, not wanting to panic her niece. At least, it wasn't entirely a lie. She wasn't sure if she had seen a gore crow circling behind them, and felt sick just thinking about the foul little creature.

            A gore crow alone was no real threat to her but many were a danger Lirael was not prepared to face, especially as, at the present time it seemed most urgent to return to the palace and presumably her sister's aid. She squinted through her hair and frowned. There was nothing there now. Perhaps she had imagined it only, or else the sun's dying rays and the hard, charter-mark driven wind had stripped it's scrawny body of feathers and flesh.

She hoped she had imagined it, but Abhorsens were not ones to take chances. Drawing Kibeth, she handed the bell to her niece and requested that she ring it.

'I can't!' protested Ellimere, 'I'm not an Abhorsen!'

Lirael laughed, 'You're a charter-mage, Ellie,' she replied, 'and half Abhorsen – like me! Trust me, Kibeth will respond to you.'

Ellimere looked doubtful. She was holding the pendulum inside the bell, silencing it. 'I don't like it!' she argued, 'Its shivering in my hand. It doesn't trust me.'

'It just doesn't know you,' Lirael pointed out, exasperatedly, 'Please, Ellie, just ring it.'

Don't do this now, Dog, she thought silently, Give her a chance: she's not Abhorsen but she can do it.

Instantly the bell stilled in Ellimere's hand, and hesitantly, Ellimere lifted it and swung it above her head enthusiastically: quite a chore with the sleeping Nick on her shoulder. She managed it, however, and, as Lirael had suspected, there was a loud harsh squawk behind them, before the Gore Crow's flimsy spirit was frogmarched firmly back to where it belonged.

Ellimere held the bell in her lap silently, and watched her aunt pilot the jet with apparent ease. Ellie knew better. Lirael was no fan of heights, but as Abhorsen she needed the Paperwing to get around easily. While she was in Ancelstierre she enjoyed the cars easy trundle, knowing the safety of ground was close. Here, where technology was banished in place of magic, things were quite different. Ellimere was very fond of her aunt, and loved her dearly, but she could not get over how impractical she was sometimes.

            Last she had suggested this to Sam, he had become quite offended and reminded her that it was Lirael who bound Orannis, not to mention the bravery Lirael was charged with. She had already become Sabriel's equal in banishing the dead, but was still in awe of her sister's wide-spread knowledge. As Ellimere mused upon this, Lirael suddenly shouted, 'Look! There! The palace.'

Ellimere craned over the side of the paperwing and saw that her aunt was quite right, and she leaned over the seat and kissed her on the cheek.

'Well done, Lirael,' she smiled, hugging her tightly around the neck.

'Thank you,' Lirael replied warmly but a little awkwardly, still unused to such charged affection, after years of reclusive behaviour back when she had believed herself a Clayr.

She was still a 'daughter of the clayr', but Ellimere wasn't really sure this was sufficient enough affection toward her courageous aunt. Still, she was pleased to be home.

            Lirael looked over the side of the paperwing too, and was suspicious as to why there was heavy silence upon the palace. She gave a low, steady whistle to bring the aircraft steadily lower and they circled above the palace, finally landing on the square lawn around the far back.

            She clambered out gratefully, glad to be back on the ground, but did not forget to pat the paperwing fondly as she did. Ellimere climbed out after her, and, after handing her back Kibeth, they worked together to support Nick back up to the gate.

'There's something wrong,' Ellimere said slowly, and they heaved Nick up the lawn, voicing what Lirael had suspected, but wasn't sure whether to voice.

'You're right,' Lirael agreed, 'I fear that perhaps something dreadful has happened here.' Her mind swiftly thought of the Dog, but she banished this quickly form her mind, reminding herself that, again, this was not the time.

'I wonder if Yrael is about.' She wondered.

'Mogget?' Ellimere said disdainfully, not masking her less than friendly feelings towards the white cat. 'I should think he's back at Abhorsen's house… I…. Oh Lirael… look!'

HhHAhahaah, yes I know its very cruel of me to leave you like that. Ah well. Readers can't choosers and I promise I will update… this could get very exciting.

Wild Blood Rose XX