Death was cold. Much colder than Sabriel remembered. Slowly, she opened her eyes, and found that she was lying down, being carried along by the river. There were other beings in the river, only they were flying past her so quickly and swiftly that she barely had a chance to register what they were. The Dead she had just vanquished, sent to the Ninth Gate. Only, they were clawing at her, trying to grab hold of her spirit as it was pulled by the current of the river. Trying to take her with them.

This sudden realization made Sabriel struggle against the current, fighting to get up and regain her balance. She didn't want to die; she had life inside of her veins, somewhere. Somehow she forced herself up, standing and fighting the flow of the icy cold waters of Death. Instinct made her draw the sword sheathed at her hip, and she brought it up in a fighter's stance, defending herself as she looked around her. Death, always grey, surrounded her. She still seemed to be in the First Precinct, but the gate was very close. Grappling with the river and the various, misshapen hands that reached for her, Sabriel began to fight her way back towards Life.

At the border, when she could feel the warmth leaking through from the other side, she turned and looked back. And she would have simply stepped back into Life, back into her body, if she hadn't seen it. A light, down by the First Gate, moving steadily upwards, closer to her. Curiosity overtook caution, and Sabriel stepped back, the heat of Life fading away again. As she watched, she realized it must be a sending of some sort, not Charter made, but Light made. A woman, perhaps, carrying something. But what?

"Abhorsen," it said when it reached her, bowing low.

"Yes, that's me. What is it you need?"

"Give this to Torrigan. He will need it, if he is to rule efficiently. He needs you as well. Love him, the way I loved his father. Reign as I did, as I would have had I been fated to go on. Go my Queen, for your King needs you." The sending handed Sabriel a small bundle, bowed low once again, and drifted back down the river. Shocked, and slightly stunned by what she had just been told to do, Sabriel clutched the package and stepped back into Life.

When she opened her eyes, she was greeted by the stares of more than a dozen people and the green eyes of one white cat. Still holding what she had been given in Death, Sabriel sat up, her head light and the faces around her spinning slightly.

"That was stupid Abhorsen. Very stupid indeed, if you ask me."

"Well no one asked you did they?" she snapped at the feline, standing up and smiling at those gathered around her. She motioned to her ears, and then pointed to their ears, nodding when one of the girls pulled the beeswax out of her ear. "Yes, exactly. Can you get the rest of them to do it?"

The girl nodded, and soon all of the beeswax that had filled the ears of those assembled was back in the bag it had come from, and the barges were rowed back to the marble edge of the Reservoir. The group dismounted, rather warily, and Sabriel, sword out, led the way up the stairs and out into the night. She looked around her, but, finding nothing unusual or Dead, escorted her 'bait' back down to the wharf. Instead of sending the lot straight home, she brought them into the Sign of Three Lemons, sat them down, and bought everyone a drink. While they were thus occupied, she slipped upstairs and into Touchstone's room.

Snoring softly despite the fact that he had promised himself he would stay awake, Touchstone sat in the armchair next to the window awaiting Sabriel's return. His head down, chin against his steadily rising and falling chest, he looked so cute, so vulnerable sitting there asleep. Sabriel entered the room cautiously, dropping her load onto his bed and sliding over to his chair as quietly as possible. She eased herself into his lap and wrapped her arms around him, pulling his slumber heavy head onto her shoulder and kissing it lightly. He stirred, and unconsciously wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer.

"Sabriel?" he muttered groggily.

"Aye, it's me. I'm home love. I've come back for you, and I'm alive."

"Oh, good. I won't have to take the bar maid as my queen."