Disclaimer: I don't own Sabriel, Touchstone, Mogget, Kerrigor, Sulyn, the Clayr, or the places mentioned in this story. None of the characters or concepts (for the most part) belong to me. They all belong to the creative genius of Garth Nix. I am simply continuing the story of "Sabriel" where he left off. I wish I owned these places, but anyone and everyone who has read his books knows that I don't. But don't let that stop you from reading!
And another Note: Anyone who has any inkling as to how the bells are remade, or made in general, can you send me an email or put that in a review for me? The information would be greatly appreciated!
Now- on to the story!
Distant shouting pulled Sabriel out of the deepest sleep she'd had in weeks. Groaning, she tried to roll over, but found that she couldn't move. The gauze bandages wrapped about her torso were thick and tight, making it quite difficult to shift her position. Perhaps that was to keep her stomach held together and her innards inside, as the sword had pierced straight through her body and pinned her to the floor of the school.
The school. Oh, so many people had died to help her. There were too many deaths for her to count, but she had felt them all. Death was here too, in the hospital. Human death in Ancelstierre, faint enough but noticeable to her attuned senses. To guess, she'd say they were in Bain, or even the infirmary at the Perimeter. The noise that had awakened her wasn't distant any longer; it seemed to be right outside of her door. A deep male voice, two soft feminine ones, and a high, scratchy male tone.
"I'm not leaving her here. I don't care what you say; I don't trust you people. I'd rather take her home to the Old Kingdom; let our Healers take care of her. But noooo, that isn't allowed here. At least let me in to see her!" That was Touchstone, always trying to protect her. Sabriel smiled, thinking about him.
"You're not allowed in her room. She's still in critical condition, and she hasn't awoken yet. When Miss Sabriel is stable you will be permitted to see her. Until then, you need to go back to your room sir," a woman said with authority.
"Tell her who I am!" Touchstone bellowed, his insane anger beginning to take hold.
"This is King Touchstone of the Old Kingdom, and the young lady in that room is the Abhorsen Sabriel. I think that you should let us in to see her, unless of course you'd like to feel his wrath. Which, let me tell you, is not something you wish to mess with." Sulyn's voice was very calm, her tone strong and determined.
"But the doctor's orders were to-"
"Let them in to see her Mary," the doctor interrupted. Sabriel closed her eyes as the metal door to her room swung open and shut, the voices moving down the hallway and out of earshot. Popping open one eye, she looked across the room and saw her two friends standing there watching her. Sulyn was holding a rather large sack. The pair walked across the sterile white tile floor, he hobbling on crutches and she limping slightly, favoring her right ankle. Yawning, she opened both eyes and stifled a giggle at the stupidity of the entire situation. He looked over at her, forcing himself to complete the last meter to her bed. Grunting he collapsed on the side of her mattress and grabbed her hand.
"Sabriel," he gasped.
"Touchstone," she murmured. "Oh, my crazed, foolish Touchstone." She cradled his curly head in her hands, a smile spreading across her face. "How's your leg?"
"My leg? Fine, fine. It's in some odd sort of mud or plaster. I can't really feel it, now that you mention it. But how are you?" he asked, looking at her face with concern.
"I can hardly move I'm wrapped up so tight. A strong healing spell would do the trick for the both of us, if we could only leave. I want to go home. I'll be fine once I can feel the Charter again," she said. Turning her attention to her old schoolmate, she added, "What did you bring in that misshapen bag of yours Sulyn?"
"Just a few necessary things of yours, and one not so essential," she said, placing the bundle on the chair next to the bed and opening it. A white blur hopped out and curled into a tiny ball of fur on the pillow.
"Mogget," she said, reaching up to stroke his fur. Sulyn opened the bag further, showing the bandolier of bells and Abhorsen's sword. "Oh, Su, thank you so much. Really, that means a lot to me. Where is Ker-, er, the black one?" she asked, nodding towards the sleeping cat.
"Sleeping in the basement of the school, in a small cage locked with Charter spells."
"Good. I'll be back to retrieve him as soon as I'm able to leave. I, I'm so sorry about Ellimere, the Magistrix, all of the girls. I never meant for them to die."
"It wasn't your fault Sabriel. We did what we had to," she responded, both of their eyes welling up with tears.
"I'm still sorry. My first daughter will bear her name, I swear." Sulyn nodded, a grim smile on her lips. She glanced down at her wristwatch.
"I hate to come and go so quickly, but those girls cannot be left to the clean-up and repairs for long without a supervisor. It's good to see you awake though," she said, touching Sabriel's arm softly and turning to leave. As the door swung shut after her exit, Touchstone propped himself up on an elbow and looked up at Sabriel's pale face.
"What?" she asked, jarred by the look in his eyes.
"You're just so beautiful, even with those cuts and bruises. I could kiss you right now, only I don't want to hurt you."
"Oh, I think we could manage something," she whispered, reaching down to pull his body further up the bed. When he was as close as the bandages and tiny bed would allow, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her softly, fully, with all of the emotion he was feeling. And she kissed him back, grinning and laughing against his mouth. A little white paw interrupted their next kiss, leaving each with a small scratch on their cheeks.
"What was that for?" Touchstone asked, glaring at the cat.
"No kissing in front of me. You don't have permission to do that, and until we get out of this Charter-forsaken place, you two are going to remain civil, if I have any say in the matter," Mogget remarked smugly, settling himself back on the pillow.
"You don't!" they both said, glaring at him. But he was already sleeping again, lured into slumber by Ranna that bound him. Touchstone yawned and got comfortable next to Sabriel on the bed.
"You don't intend to sleep here, do you?" she asked him, yawning herself.
"Why not? Sounds like a good idea to me," he muttered, already drifting off. Groaning, she let her head find a spot on his chest and gave herself over to the power of the bell.
And another Note: Anyone who has any inkling as to how the bells are remade, or made in general, can you send me an email or put that in a review for me? The information would be greatly appreciated!
Now- on to the story!
Distant shouting pulled Sabriel out of the deepest sleep she'd had in weeks. Groaning, she tried to roll over, but found that she couldn't move. The gauze bandages wrapped about her torso were thick and tight, making it quite difficult to shift her position. Perhaps that was to keep her stomach held together and her innards inside, as the sword had pierced straight through her body and pinned her to the floor of the school.
The school. Oh, so many people had died to help her. There were too many deaths for her to count, but she had felt them all. Death was here too, in the hospital. Human death in Ancelstierre, faint enough but noticeable to her attuned senses. To guess, she'd say they were in Bain, or even the infirmary at the Perimeter. The noise that had awakened her wasn't distant any longer; it seemed to be right outside of her door. A deep male voice, two soft feminine ones, and a high, scratchy male tone.
"I'm not leaving her here. I don't care what you say; I don't trust you people. I'd rather take her home to the Old Kingdom; let our Healers take care of her. But noooo, that isn't allowed here. At least let me in to see her!" That was Touchstone, always trying to protect her. Sabriel smiled, thinking about him.
"You're not allowed in her room. She's still in critical condition, and she hasn't awoken yet. When Miss Sabriel is stable you will be permitted to see her. Until then, you need to go back to your room sir," a woman said with authority.
"Tell her who I am!" Touchstone bellowed, his insane anger beginning to take hold.
"This is King Touchstone of the Old Kingdom, and the young lady in that room is the Abhorsen Sabriel. I think that you should let us in to see her, unless of course you'd like to feel his wrath. Which, let me tell you, is not something you wish to mess with." Sulyn's voice was very calm, her tone strong and determined.
"But the doctor's orders were to-"
"Let them in to see her Mary," the doctor interrupted. Sabriel closed her eyes as the metal door to her room swung open and shut, the voices moving down the hallway and out of earshot. Popping open one eye, she looked across the room and saw her two friends standing there watching her. Sulyn was holding a rather large sack. The pair walked across the sterile white tile floor, he hobbling on crutches and she limping slightly, favoring her right ankle. Yawning, she opened both eyes and stifled a giggle at the stupidity of the entire situation. He looked over at her, forcing himself to complete the last meter to her bed. Grunting he collapsed on the side of her mattress and grabbed her hand.
"Sabriel," he gasped.
"Touchstone," she murmured. "Oh, my crazed, foolish Touchstone." She cradled his curly head in her hands, a smile spreading across her face. "How's your leg?"
"My leg? Fine, fine. It's in some odd sort of mud or plaster. I can't really feel it, now that you mention it. But how are you?" he asked, looking at her face with concern.
"I can hardly move I'm wrapped up so tight. A strong healing spell would do the trick for the both of us, if we could only leave. I want to go home. I'll be fine once I can feel the Charter again," she said. Turning her attention to her old schoolmate, she added, "What did you bring in that misshapen bag of yours Sulyn?"
"Just a few necessary things of yours, and one not so essential," she said, placing the bundle on the chair next to the bed and opening it. A white blur hopped out and curled into a tiny ball of fur on the pillow.
"Mogget," she said, reaching up to stroke his fur. Sulyn opened the bag further, showing the bandolier of bells and Abhorsen's sword. "Oh, Su, thank you so much. Really, that means a lot to me. Where is Ker-, er, the black one?" she asked, nodding towards the sleeping cat.
"Sleeping in the basement of the school, in a small cage locked with Charter spells."
"Good. I'll be back to retrieve him as soon as I'm able to leave. I, I'm so sorry about Ellimere, the Magistrix, all of the girls. I never meant for them to die."
"It wasn't your fault Sabriel. We did what we had to," she responded, both of their eyes welling up with tears.
"I'm still sorry. My first daughter will bear her name, I swear." Sulyn nodded, a grim smile on her lips. She glanced down at her wristwatch.
"I hate to come and go so quickly, but those girls cannot be left to the clean-up and repairs for long without a supervisor. It's good to see you awake though," she said, touching Sabriel's arm softly and turning to leave. As the door swung shut after her exit, Touchstone propped himself up on an elbow and looked up at Sabriel's pale face.
"What?" she asked, jarred by the look in his eyes.
"You're just so beautiful, even with those cuts and bruises. I could kiss you right now, only I don't want to hurt you."
"Oh, I think we could manage something," she whispered, reaching down to pull his body further up the bed. When he was as close as the bandages and tiny bed would allow, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her softly, fully, with all of the emotion he was feeling. And she kissed him back, grinning and laughing against his mouth. A little white paw interrupted their next kiss, leaving each with a small scratch on their cheeks.
"What was that for?" Touchstone asked, glaring at the cat.
"No kissing in front of me. You don't have permission to do that, and until we get out of this Charter-forsaken place, you two are going to remain civil, if I have any say in the matter," Mogget remarked smugly, settling himself back on the pillow.
"You don't!" they both said, glaring at him. But he was already sleeping again, lured into slumber by Ranna that bound him. Touchstone yawned and got comfortable next to Sabriel on the bed.
"You don't intend to sleep here, do you?" she asked him, yawning herself.
"Why not? Sounds like a good idea to me," he muttered, already drifting off. Groaning, she let her head find a spot on his chest and gave herself over to the power of the bell.
