A/N: I am very sorry for not updating recently. But there
were holidays and writer's block and friend's birthdays that
all happened to be occurring at the same time... so that left
me no time, or inspiration, to write with. But I'm working
again, so hopefully I can keep rolling.
Ah, reviews, reviews, reviews! Thank you all so much for not
flaming me, considering that I'm still a novice at this.
Sure, I've been reading fan fics ever since I was introduced
to them almost a year ago.... But we all know that isn't the
same. But!
Ok- Cali Vianya: I absolutely forgot about Kerrigor! He he- oops! Thanks for reminding me, and I included a bit about that damnable creature in here just for you. ;-) I guess I'm gonna have to fly solo on the bells, but it will be included- just because that's kind of vital to the story- if you ask me. And I am the author...so whatever I say goes. Whooo! I love this kind of power!!!! Squay! Really now, I ought to start writing, because by the time I get around to posting this it may be late, unless I type as fast as my little fingers and brain can go......(which, let me warn you, is fast on the former but slow on the latter).
The two humans had been so joyous to return to a place they knew, something of familiarity, some place free of the Dead. So exuberant, in fact, that their baggage had been dropped at the door without any thought what-so-ever. The sendings were quick to place the gear in the proper bedrooms, unpacking it, as was their purpose. A small, metal cage-like box, Charter marks scuttling across its surface and Free Magic reeking out of the air holes, was brought into the workshop. There, a few sendings used some tools to tear it open, thus releasing a little black cat, black with the most evil, flame red eyes one would ever see. The critter leapt from its ruined hold and strode from the room, sniffing the air experimentally and laughing crudely under its breath. The laugh came out sounding more like a hiss than had been intended, and it wailed, scenting the air once more and taking off to seek revenge on the creator of those smells.
Laughter floated down the main stair from Abhorsen's bedroom. Sweet female tones, soft and musical, and deep, booming male ones, mixing together to produce a most harmonized sound. Sabriel lay on her bed, face flushed, while Touchstone sat on a bench beneath the window, head thrown back in the abandon that comes with true amusement. She smiled over at him, and he felt his heart jump to his throat. She's beautiful, he thought. He looked at her entire body, drinking in the radiance that emitted from her.
She sensed his eyes on her and blushed an embarrassed pink. For all of their worldly involvement, all of the adult responsibilities, they were still childlike in their quest for the love they both wanted. She knew that he loved her; he had said so before they faced Kerrigor, but she was afraid to show her affection for him. What if he didn't feel the same way she did? What if his feelings didn't run as deep and as pure as her own? She didn't want to lose the only companion she had left in her life, not now when she needed someone by her side the most. After everything she'd just been through, she couldn't bear to be alone with just the sendings and Mogget. Alone with just her thoughts, her misgivings, her guilt. It would be too much, it was already too much, but having Touchstone here eased the burden on her shoulders, made her feel more human and free. Smiling softly, she broke the silence that had settled between them.
"I think that we should take our baths now. Dinner should be ready shortly."
"Is there, a, um, room I can use?" he asked, slightly uncomfortable with the whole situation now.
"Oh, I have two bathrooms in here. You can use the one over near the garden stairs," she replied, pointing in the direction he was to go. "You'll find everything you need, and probably more, in the cupboards. Just ring the bell if you want a sending to help you. Does your leg feel much better now?"
"Yes, a great deal improved. Thank you. What about clean clothes?"
"There will be some there, courtesy of the sendings. They seem to have a sense for these sorts of things. If you need me just holler, I'll be in the other bath, hopefully soaking away the dirt and grime from Ancelstierre." She hopped up and started to yank off her boots on the way to the washroom.
"Hopefully?" he asked, but she was already gone. Groaning, he rose and began disrobing as he walked. He soon learned what she meant.
Sabriel grinned when she heard his yelp of surprise. The sendings had surely dumped the water over his head and were scrubbing him down even as she thought of it. She giggled, remembering her own first experience here. At least, the first that she clearly remembered. No use worrying herself over the past now, it couldn't be changed no matter how greatly she wished it or tried. Sighing, she leaned back in her tub and slid beneath the water, scrubbing at her hair with the soap. I'll never be clean again, I swear, she thought, washing herself vigorously. When the water grew tepid, she climbed out and wrapped herself in a soft towel, patting her body dry. Peeking out, she checked to make certain her room was man and cat free. Satisfied, she ran lightly in and leapt onto the bed, where a clean surcoat was set out for her. A dark black background, silver keys covering it. She ran her fingers over the fabric, smiling gently. Pulling it on over her soft undergarments, she slipped into soft cottony breeches. After all, she needed to be modest; there was a man in the house. She stepped into a pair of supple leather boots and headed towards the door and stairs. The gong for dinner sounded just as she walked into the hall, where she was met by a grumbling Touchstone. Nodding to the sendings, she took her seat across from him and cleared her throat. "Sabriel. I didn't hear you come in," he startled. "It's quite alright, really. Let's just eat now. I'm famished!" He smiled weakly as the first course was brought in. Back to those damn subservient ways again, I see, she thought to herself. "Don't do that. Just be normal, for Pete's sake! I'm not some great person to bow down to and serve meekly. You're a king, dammit! Stop acting like a court jester or my 'sworn swordsman'. I'm sick of it. Act like a man again, take charge, don't play the lackey!" "I, what?" he said, flabbergasted. "Just be yourself Touchstone. Be the king that you are." With that, she turned her attention to the fish on her plate. She heard Mogget snicker from his stool at her right and shot him a glare. "Don't you start too, or you'll regret it." Most of the meal passed in silence. Touchstone didn't know what he'd done to offend her, but he was going to make amends, fix everything. He reached over and took her hand in his. Startled, she looked up at him. "Sabriel, I want to apologize," he started, pausing to take a deep breath. In the moment he took to breathe, there was a great commotion outside of the hall. The doors burst open and a small black figure stood in the entrance. Mogget's fur bristled and the hair on Sabriel and Touchstone's necks stood at attention. The shape, which oddly resembled a cat, began to cackle, a maniacal laugh that sounded half growl, half hiss. Sabriel stiffened as she saw a red strip across the neck of the creature. "Kerrigor," she whispered, eyes wide with a new fear. It laughed again, and seemed to grow larger, or was that a trick her eyes played on her? "How observant. I wondered when you would remember me," it called, sounding arrogant and almost human. "Hello little brother. Surprised to see me? I thought as much." "What is that doing out of its cage?" Touchstone muttered, the paranoia creeping into his voice. "I did not carry that thing across the Wall and the river in that metal box just to have it set free again." "I, I don't know," she whispered, her hand trembling beneath his. She didn't have all of the bells, Saraneth was missing, Saraneth the Binder. "Charter help me, what am I going to do?" "Nothing, Abhorsen," it spat. "Nothing at all. Now it's my turn. Time to play." It roared with laughter, the sounds echoing through the space. "Oh no. No, not again." Sabriel looked at Touchstone, and their eyes locked. What are we going to do? she asked him with her eyes. I don't know darling, I don't know. Trembling, they looked back at the being. It was waiting for them.
A/N: Ok, so that took a really long time to update, but even longer to write! Want to know what happens next? Send me reviews and I'll let you know!
Ok- Cali Vianya: I absolutely forgot about Kerrigor! He he- oops! Thanks for reminding me, and I included a bit about that damnable creature in here just for you. ;-) I guess I'm gonna have to fly solo on the bells, but it will be included- just because that's kind of vital to the story- if you ask me. And I am the author...so whatever I say goes. Whooo! I love this kind of power!!!! Squay! Really now, I ought to start writing, because by the time I get around to posting this it may be late, unless I type as fast as my little fingers and brain can go......(which, let me warn you, is fast on the former but slow on the latter).
The two humans had been so joyous to return to a place they knew, something of familiarity, some place free of the Dead. So exuberant, in fact, that their baggage had been dropped at the door without any thought what-so-ever. The sendings were quick to place the gear in the proper bedrooms, unpacking it, as was their purpose. A small, metal cage-like box, Charter marks scuttling across its surface and Free Magic reeking out of the air holes, was brought into the workshop. There, a few sendings used some tools to tear it open, thus releasing a little black cat, black with the most evil, flame red eyes one would ever see. The critter leapt from its ruined hold and strode from the room, sniffing the air experimentally and laughing crudely under its breath. The laugh came out sounding more like a hiss than had been intended, and it wailed, scenting the air once more and taking off to seek revenge on the creator of those smells.
Laughter floated down the main stair from Abhorsen's bedroom. Sweet female tones, soft and musical, and deep, booming male ones, mixing together to produce a most harmonized sound. Sabriel lay on her bed, face flushed, while Touchstone sat on a bench beneath the window, head thrown back in the abandon that comes with true amusement. She smiled over at him, and he felt his heart jump to his throat. She's beautiful, he thought. He looked at her entire body, drinking in the radiance that emitted from her.
She sensed his eyes on her and blushed an embarrassed pink. For all of their worldly involvement, all of the adult responsibilities, they were still childlike in their quest for the love they both wanted. She knew that he loved her; he had said so before they faced Kerrigor, but she was afraid to show her affection for him. What if he didn't feel the same way she did? What if his feelings didn't run as deep and as pure as her own? She didn't want to lose the only companion she had left in her life, not now when she needed someone by her side the most. After everything she'd just been through, she couldn't bear to be alone with just the sendings and Mogget. Alone with just her thoughts, her misgivings, her guilt. It would be too much, it was already too much, but having Touchstone here eased the burden on her shoulders, made her feel more human and free. Smiling softly, she broke the silence that had settled between them.
"I think that we should take our baths now. Dinner should be ready shortly."
"Is there, a, um, room I can use?" he asked, slightly uncomfortable with the whole situation now.
"Oh, I have two bathrooms in here. You can use the one over near the garden stairs," she replied, pointing in the direction he was to go. "You'll find everything you need, and probably more, in the cupboards. Just ring the bell if you want a sending to help you. Does your leg feel much better now?"
"Yes, a great deal improved. Thank you. What about clean clothes?"
"There will be some there, courtesy of the sendings. They seem to have a sense for these sorts of things. If you need me just holler, I'll be in the other bath, hopefully soaking away the dirt and grime from Ancelstierre." She hopped up and started to yank off her boots on the way to the washroom.
"Hopefully?" he asked, but she was already gone. Groaning, he rose and began disrobing as he walked. He soon learned what she meant.
Sabriel grinned when she heard his yelp of surprise. The sendings had surely dumped the water over his head and were scrubbing him down even as she thought of it. She giggled, remembering her own first experience here. At least, the first that she clearly remembered. No use worrying herself over the past now, it couldn't be changed no matter how greatly she wished it or tried. Sighing, she leaned back in her tub and slid beneath the water, scrubbing at her hair with the soap. I'll never be clean again, I swear, she thought, washing herself vigorously. When the water grew tepid, she climbed out and wrapped herself in a soft towel, patting her body dry. Peeking out, she checked to make certain her room was man and cat free. Satisfied, she ran lightly in and leapt onto the bed, where a clean surcoat was set out for her. A dark black background, silver keys covering it. She ran her fingers over the fabric, smiling gently. Pulling it on over her soft undergarments, she slipped into soft cottony breeches. After all, she needed to be modest; there was a man in the house. She stepped into a pair of supple leather boots and headed towards the door and stairs. The gong for dinner sounded just as she walked into the hall, where she was met by a grumbling Touchstone. Nodding to the sendings, she took her seat across from him and cleared her throat. "Sabriel. I didn't hear you come in," he startled. "It's quite alright, really. Let's just eat now. I'm famished!" He smiled weakly as the first course was brought in. Back to those damn subservient ways again, I see, she thought to herself. "Don't do that. Just be normal, for Pete's sake! I'm not some great person to bow down to and serve meekly. You're a king, dammit! Stop acting like a court jester or my 'sworn swordsman'. I'm sick of it. Act like a man again, take charge, don't play the lackey!" "I, what?" he said, flabbergasted. "Just be yourself Touchstone. Be the king that you are." With that, she turned her attention to the fish on her plate. She heard Mogget snicker from his stool at her right and shot him a glare. "Don't you start too, or you'll regret it." Most of the meal passed in silence. Touchstone didn't know what he'd done to offend her, but he was going to make amends, fix everything. He reached over and took her hand in his. Startled, she looked up at him. "Sabriel, I want to apologize," he started, pausing to take a deep breath. In the moment he took to breathe, there was a great commotion outside of the hall. The doors burst open and a small black figure stood in the entrance. Mogget's fur bristled and the hair on Sabriel and Touchstone's necks stood at attention. The shape, which oddly resembled a cat, began to cackle, a maniacal laugh that sounded half growl, half hiss. Sabriel stiffened as she saw a red strip across the neck of the creature. "Kerrigor," she whispered, eyes wide with a new fear. It laughed again, and seemed to grow larger, or was that a trick her eyes played on her? "How observant. I wondered when you would remember me," it called, sounding arrogant and almost human. "Hello little brother. Surprised to see me? I thought as much." "What is that doing out of its cage?" Touchstone muttered, the paranoia creeping into his voice. "I did not carry that thing across the Wall and the river in that metal box just to have it set free again." "I, I don't know," she whispered, her hand trembling beneath his. She didn't have all of the bells, Saraneth was missing, Saraneth the Binder. "Charter help me, what am I going to do?" "Nothing, Abhorsen," it spat. "Nothing at all. Now it's my turn. Time to play." It roared with laughter, the sounds echoing through the space. "Oh no. No, not again." Sabriel looked at Touchstone, and their eyes locked. What are we going to do? she asked him with her eyes. I don't know darling, I don't know. Trembling, they looked back at the being. It was waiting for them.
A/N: Ok, so that took a really long time to update, but even longer to write! Want to know what happens next? Send me reviews and I'll let you know!
