Disclaimer: If I owned these characters, I'd be a lot older, male, and live
in Australia. But I'm not, so I don't. Got it? Good.
Lirael strode along the corridors, right hand in her pocket. She had refused the offers to stay at Abhorsen's House or Belisaere, but taken up Sanar and Ryelle on their offer to bring her back to the Glacier. It had been almost a year since the binding and breaking of Orannis; she had had visits from Sameth, who brought her a golden hand and placed it on her wrist; Sabriel and Touchstone, when they could spare time; and Ellimere, who wanted to get to know her half-aunt better. Kibeth, she had to remind herself constantly, was gone. Mogget—Yrael—was gone as well, unbound. Probably off in some stream catching fish. Lirael allowed herself a small smile at that.
The Clayr ignored her, for the most part; they had paid attention to her to tell her that she might have her old job back, if she pleased, and have a separate room. She accepted both, and had, over the course of the year, banished many Free Magic creatures from the Great Library. And catalogued many books, of course.
Now she had been given a message from Sanar and Ryelle to meet them in a study off of the Library. Lirael frowned at that, but shrugged and continued on her way.
She pushed the door open slowly and peered inside. Sanar and Ryelle, looking no older than when she first met them, smiled at her.
"Greetings," said Sanar (unless it was Ryelle)
"We have much to tell you," Ryelle said (or Sanar). One of them closed the door behind her and sealed it with Charter marks; the other gestured at another chair. Lirael sat, nervously.
"Why did you send the message--?" asked Lirael, when it became clear that explanations were not forthcoming.
"We have Seen something that concerns you," said the twins together, their voices blending.
"What? I thought that you had never seen me..."
"It was not you, Lirael," one of the two said. "Ryelle will tell you."
Ryelle smiled comfortingly at Lirael, but she was not to be comforted. "A young man rides North, to our Glacier. His name we do not know, and we cannot show you the vision, but we do know that he is the one who you met over a year ago, on the Red Lake."
Lirael thought back. "Nick!" she exclaimed, when she recalled the particular incident. "Nicholas Sayre. What about him?"
"We have Seen his path," said Sanar, taking up the thread of the story from where her twin left off. "Free Magic creatures lay in wait for him, and the Life he brings. The Free Magic that still lies in his bones and his blood calls to them; the Life seduces them. None here have the talent to send them away," Sanar said, and Ryelle finished for her, "save you."
Lirael strode along the corridors, right hand in her pocket. She had refused the offers to stay at Abhorsen's House or Belisaere, but taken up Sanar and Ryelle on their offer to bring her back to the Glacier. It had been almost a year since the binding and breaking of Orannis; she had had visits from Sameth, who brought her a golden hand and placed it on her wrist; Sabriel and Touchstone, when they could spare time; and Ellimere, who wanted to get to know her half-aunt better. Kibeth, she had to remind herself constantly, was gone. Mogget—Yrael—was gone as well, unbound. Probably off in some stream catching fish. Lirael allowed herself a small smile at that.
The Clayr ignored her, for the most part; they had paid attention to her to tell her that she might have her old job back, if she pleased, and have a separate room. She accepted both, and had, over the course of the year, banished many Free Magic creatures from the Great Library. And catalogued many books, of course.
Now she had been given a message from Sanar and Ryelle to meet them in a study off of the Library. Lirael frowned at that, but shrugged and continued on her way.
She pushed the door open slowly and peered inside. Sanar and Ryelle, looking no older than when she first met them, smiled at her.
"Greetings," said Sanar (unless it was Ryelle)
"We have much to tell you," Ryelle said (or Sanar). One of them closed the door behind her and sealed it with Charter marks; the other gestured at another chair. Lirael sat, nervously.
"Why did you send the message--?" asked Lirael, when it became clear that explanations were not forthcoming.
"We have Seen something that concerns you," said the twins together, their voices blending.
"What? I thought that you had never seen me..."
"It was not you, Lirael," one of the two said. "Ryelle will tell you."
Ryelle smiled comfortingly at Lirael, but she was not to be comforted. "A young man rides North, to our Glacier. His name we do not know, and we cannot show you the vision, but we do know that he is the one who you met over a year ago, on the Red Lake."
Lirael thought back. "Nick!" she exclaimed, when she recalled the particular incident. "Nicholas Sayre. What about him?"
"We have Seen his path," said Sanar, taking up the thread of the story from where her twin left off. "Free Magic creatures lay in wait for him, and the Life he brings. The Free Magic that still lies in his bones and his blood calls to them; the Life seduces them. None here have the talent to send them away," Sanar said, and Ryelle finished for her, "save you."