A/N: I can't believe how long it's been since I last updated. But I'm still here, never fear! It'll be a miracle if people are still reading this.

Well, the MCAT was the medieval-grade torture that I expected it to be, and med school applications are driving me inexorably to insanity. But other than that, I'm doing quite fine! Thanks so much for all of your amazing reviews. They really cheered me up and persuaded me to get back to working on this story as soon as I could. Anyway, I finally got around to writing this chapter, so I do hope that you enjoy it.

Looking Through Ice

Cassiel Abhorsen gazed about in wonder as he was led through an endless series of halls and caverns. The jagged arcs of blue ice which curved above his head were dusted with glittering snow. He was deep within the Glacier, in a frozen world beyond the polished wooden floors and panelled corridors.

"I suppose you are wondering why we summoned you here," said Neryl over her shoulder, leading him through an arched corridor carved directly through the blue ice.

The Abhorsen stopped gaping at his reflection in an enormous icicle and gathered his wits. "Wha– oh. Yes," he managed to reply, stumbling slightly over the uneven floor as he followed her. Mogget gave an amused snort at his clumsiness, which Cassiel pretended not to hear. "Your message was very brief, Neryl. I thought there might be a vision you wanted to tell me about personally, although why you couldn't use the silver mirrors–"

"It's not quite that," the older woman interrupted before he could make an even greater fool of himself by babbling. "But it does have to do with recent visions, Abhorsen – visions that concern you."

Despite his close relations with the Clayr over the years, Cassiel still felt disturbed whenever these women Saw things about him. The fact that other people knew more about his future than he did left the Abhorsen feeling strangely powerless. Odd feelings of rebellion rose up from a hidden wellspring deep inside him whenever he heard one of the Clayr making a prophecy, an event that happened with disturbing frequency in the Kingdom. It was not that he had no faith in their powers of Sight, but the hard thing was resisting the urge to defy their predictions, and to claim that people had control over their own futures. It was an urge that had taken hold of him ever since he had found himself writing those ambiguous words at the end of the Book of the Dead.

Cassiel fancied that Neryl, at least, was aware of his feelings. That helped him restrain himself whenever the Clayr made their visions known with such blatant certainty. That, and the fact that he kept reminding himself that these strange ladies were on his side, and would never do anything against him.

The hairs on the back of Cassiel's neck prickled, and he was awakened from his thoughts as effectively as if he had been dunked in a river. Before he knew quite what he was doing, his body had reflexively jumped to the side, landing in a protective crouch. The Abhorsen stared at a wicked-looking battleaxe. It had come whistling towards him out of nowhere, and agitatedly he wondered when his heart would start beating again. The curved metal edge was frozen a hair's-breadth from where his head had been a split second ago.

"Halt!" a shrill voice rang out.

Cassiel slowly straightened up to find himself face-to-face with one of the twins, but he could waste an age wondering whether it was Cimeri or Berithi.

"Berithi!" exclaimed Neryl in exasperation, answering Cassiel's unspoken question. "The Abhorsen is a welcome guest here. There was no need to do that."

"He is still a guest," said the other twin, Cimeri. "This way is closed to him, Neryl." She stood beside a doorway in the blue ice holding a sword that dazzled Cassiel with its brightness. He hoped that she was less eager to use it than her bloodthirsty sister. "Nobody can know the secrets of the Clayr. If our enemies learned the location of the Observatory–""

"But surely the Abhorsen is trustworthy?" interrupted Neryl, frowning. Cassiel chafed at being talked about as if he wasn't standing right beside the women, but he wasn't about to say anything. He had a feeling that the weapons wouldn't be held back if he did. Mogget, for his part, was looking between the three women with an air of supreme boredom, as if the conversation was beneath him. Cassiel supposed it was easy for him, seeing as he hadn't been nearly savaged with a battleaxe.

"We could blindfold him," Berithi suggested, leaning casually on her weapon. Looking at her, the Abhorsen thought, one wouldn't know that she was a dangerous psychopath. "That way if he's ever captured and tortured, he won't be able to give the location of the Observatory." Berithi gave a wide grin, apparently savouring that thought.

"Er – is there a chance of that happening?" Cassiel asked, trying not to sound too timid, but the Clayr simply ignored him.

Neryl was tapping her slippered foot on the ice as she thought. "Very well," she agreed at last. "Do you object, Abhorsen?"

"Not at all." He obediently untied a blue sash from his waist. As he lifted it to his eyes, Cimeri pointed her glittering sword at a point between Mogget's green eyes. "But that one cannot pass."

The albino dwarf crossed his arms in the face of the unwavering blade and glared balefully up at the twins, who met his gaze with identical stony expressions. "All right," the dwarf huffed. "I suppose I'll be left here with these two lunatics. Only a lowly servant, always happy to stay in his place. No trouble at all."

Out of long practice Cassiel tuned out Mogget's grumbling and tied the sash over his eyes. He felt Neryl take him by the hand and soon they were walking along a winding path. Cassiel started to feel very cold, as if they were nearing the heart of the Glacier.

After many twists and turns the Abhorsen sensed something change in the air around him, as though he had stepped out onto the shore of an immense ocean. Neryl stopped him with a gentle hand and removed his blindfold, and Cassiel blinked at the sudden radiance that assailed his eyes. The walls of a vast chamber carved out of the surrounding ice enclosed him on all sides. At least thirty doors edged the room, no doubt leading to tunnels that snaked through the Glacier to anonymous locations. Soft Charter lights hovered in every corner, reflecting off a myriad of facets to chase the shadows away. And at the far end of the chamber stood two young women in armour, one holding a spear and the other a bow. Their faces resembled those of the twins, and Cassiel felt a sudden irrational urge to duck for cover.

"Yes, this is the Observatory," said the Voice of the Clayr, coming up beside him. "You are one of the few – ah – guests to see it." She led him to the very middle of the chamber where a small group of women had gathered. They all wore white gowns and moonstone coronets. Cassiel recognized the official garb of the Clayr back when the title had belonged to the King's personal Seer, and his mind flitted over vague childhood memories of Tirelle wearing similar clothing. Now it seemed to have achieved ceremonial significance among her descendents.

The Abhorsen spotted Neryl's sisters Gressa and Saranim in the group. Between them stood Princess Sitri, who had foregone her black Librarian's waistcoat for the occasion. The four other Clayr were much younger, no more than children to Cassiel's eyes. They could be only a couple of years older than Vichael. "These girls have the Sight?" he asked with open scepticism.

"The youngest are fourteen," answered Neryl placidly, while the four teenagers glared at Cassiel from behind her back. "We have found that our daughters usually gain the Sight by that age. They are all perfectly apt."

Neryl indicated the slanted ceiling which the Wallmakers had polished to glassy smoothness some eight years ago. "Whenever one of the Clayr had an important vision she would project it onto that surface, and other Clayr could See what she had Seen. Those without the Sight must look through a spelled ice-pane. Perhaps the King told you, but we have recently worked out how to combine the fragments of one vision shared among us. It seems that the visions are clearest when seven Clayr focus their Sight together."

With a snap of her fingers, the Voice of the Clayr gathered the women around them in a close white circle. Cassiel stood nervously beside the Voice of the Clayr, and watched as the older woman withdrew a long ivory wand and a green glass bottle from one of her voluminous sleeves. She struggled a bit with the bottle before managing to uncork it with a sharp pop.

As if on cue, the circle of Clayr joined hands. Something changed inside the vast chamber, and Cassiel could feel the air hum as if in the advent of a lightning storm. A flood of Charter marks surged up from the icy floor and twisted around the women, so that their bodies and linked hands shimmered with gold. The Abhorsen was amazed at the enormous power he could feel welling up around the Clayr, and just when he thought they wouldn't be able to contain it all they broke their handclasps and held up their arms.

The fountain of Charter marks blazed up to the slanted ceiling and flowed over the ice until the entire surface was a surging lake of fiery gold. Through squinting eyes Cassiel could make no sense of the swirling marks, and his attempts only made him feel slightly dizzy. But he could see that the Clayr were gazing at them as they would an illuminated manuscript, enraptured, eyes moving as they watched something imperceptible to the Abhorsen unfold on the enormous ceiling.

Neryl tossed the contents of the bottle into the air, freezing it with her wand so that a pane of blue ice hung suspended above Cassiel. Peering through it, he saw not a shower of unfamiliar Charter marks, but a forest. He realized that he could now see what the Clayr were Seeing, although slightly distorted – the vision of the forest was made up of seven separate pictures that constantly flickered and interchanged.

Leaning forward, the Abhorsen was suddenly falling upwards. A glaring blue light blinded his eyes and for a split second he felt bitterly cold. Then he was standing in the forest. He was inside the vision!

Through the trees he could see the Wall, and telling by the position of the sun he was on the Ancelstierran side. Nearby a crowd of people were milling around some painted Anti-Wall signs stuck into the ground. For a moment Cassiel thought that the Clayr had made a mistake and were showing him something that had occurred in the past, because the issue of the Wall was already resolved. Then it hit him.

Every one of those people was Dead.

He could still see traces of grave dirt clinging to ragged clothing, and spotted the odd flash of bone in a rotting hand or disintegrated face. The Dead Hands were moving listlessly, which meant that they had probably been raised to guard something. Cassiel crept closer, relieved when none of the Dead noticed him. He wrinkled his nose when he caught a very faint whiff of metallic scent. Watching carefully, in the very middle of the crowd he spotted a flash of fire, confirming his suspicions that a necromancer was among them. The next question would be what a necromancer was doing inside a Free Magic circle of protection, with a group of Dead Hands as an added defence. If only he could see the necromancer…

Looking around, Cassiel spotted a sturdy oak tree. He pulled himself up the gnarled trunk and inched along one of the branches until he found himself above the mass of Dead Hands. He leaned over while keeping a tight hold on the rough bark, gazing at the spot where he had seen the flames.

What he saw made his breath catch in his chest. There was not one necromancer, but three. And all stood within the fiery circle of protection. Frost rimed their features, but he could clearly make out their long auburn hair and bell-bandoliers. They were in Death, and the only purpose that a necromancer would have in Death was to summon something. If that something required three necromancers to control its will, then the Kingdom could be in for a lot of trouble.

Cassiel leaned forward for a closer look, and accidentally snapped off a few twigs. They plummeted onto the heads of the Dead Hands, who sluggishly turned their rotting eyes up to his perch. The man froze instinctively. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt hands on his shoulders, pulling him back.

There was the sound of smashing ice, and Cassiel found himself back in the Observatory with pieces of the broken pane around his feet and down his tunic. Shaking ice from his hair, Cassiel turned to Neryl. His eyes were wide and his breathing was rapid. "I need to cross the Wall," were the first words out of his mouth.

The Voice of the Clayr nodded at his cryptic statement. "We know."

The Abhorsen made an effort to calm himself, forcing his mind to recall what he had seen. "There were three necromancers trying to raise something," he muttered, thinking aloud. "With so many of them, whatever it was must have been imprisoned long ago…"

"It is a Free Magic creature," said Princess Sitri. The rest of the Clayr had broken the circle, and the four teenagers had already disappeared through one of the many doors. "I tried looking it up in the books we have," explained the Librarian, "but I couldn't find any descriptions that fit."

"The body of this creature has been found – will be found – by the necromancers, and your path lies with it," Neryl told him. "I Saw you fighting the creature yesterday."

Cassiel paused as he tried to work out what she had said. "Well, I guess that didn't come to pass then." He felt oddly proud that he had somehow managed to circumvent one of the Clayr's dire predictions. That pride was abruptly snuffed out by the Ranger Gressa:

"No. She means that she had the vision yesterday."

"Really?" The Abhorsen crossed his arms, looking around the circle. "Then why won't you show me that particular vision? If I'm to fight this creature, it just might help." He was aware of the biting sarcasm in his voice, but it was better than letting them know how nervous he was.

The four women exchanged glances. Some looked guilty, others resigned. It was Saranim, Guardian of the Young, who answered him. "There is something that we have agreed never to do," she explained. "We will not show people visions of themselves. We See many possible futures, Abhorsen, and do not wish to influence decisions and inadvertently shift the future from its proper path. Do you understand?"

"I suppose I do," admitted Cassiel. Saranim's reasonable words had altered his opinion that the Clayr foisted whatever they Saw on the shoulders of the rest of the Kingdom. And it did make sense. However, he couldn't shake dark suspicions that the vision showed him being ripped to shreds by the mysterious creature, and they just didn't want to show him. "Could you at least tell me what it looks like?"

"A long, snake-like body," Neryl answered promptly. "It was covered in gleaming scales, and had feet like talons. Its eyes were yellow and slitted like a cat's."

Cassiel did not recognize the description, and continued to puzzle over it as he was led blindfolded out of the Observatory. He kept puzzling over it as he wandered absently to the kitchens, trailed by a grouchy Mogget. Food helped him think, and the dilemma the Clayr had landed him in required a five-course meal at least to resolve. It was mid-afternoon, and so the kitchens were deserted upon his arrival – except for a large black and tan dog.

He stopped short at the sight, watching in fascination as the dog stood on its hind legs and nosed through the cupboards for a tasty snack. The dog gave a satisfied growl and emerged with a side of bacon clutched in its jaws.

"I don't think the Clayr would be very happy with you," remarked Cassiel lightly as he set about finding ingredients for a sandwich.

The dog looked up from the bacon. "Then the Clayr could do a better job locking away their food. Wouldn't make much difference to me, though."

In his surprise Cassiel dropped a butter knife, wincing at the clanging sound it made. He squinted at the dog who was looking at him with a very toothy grin, her tail swaying from side to side. She was definitely a Free Magic creature of some sort, but there was something very different about her. And the collar she wore looked to be of Ghidreth's make. It was crawling with Charter Marks, many of which were familiar to the Abhorsen – spells for keeping something from a complete death – but these were not the crude bindings of a necromancer. They contained extremely complex magic that would cause the wearer to fall into some sort of stasis. It just didn't add up.

"While you stand and stare, Abhorsen, would you mind handing me that salmon?"

Cassiel absentmindedly passed the platter of fish to Mogget without looking away. The dog, for her part, grinned even wider. "I never really met one of the Abhorsen's line," she said pleasantly, pink tongue lolling. "I visited the Wallmaker for a while, but now I'm staying at the Glacier. Better food. Anyway," – the dog stuck out a foreleg and sank into what was unmistakeably a courteous bow – "Kibeth at your service, but the Clayr just call me Dog."

Cassiel was sure that if his mouth opened any wider his jaw would hit the ground. He was flabbergasted that one of the Bright Shiners would choose the shape of a regular dog and rummage through the Clayr's kitchen cupboards. His astonishment must have shown, because Mogget remarked, "I wouldn't believe it either, the way she carries on."

Kibeth stared at the dwarf and growled low in her throat, hackles raised. Mogget, for his part, showed his teeth and let out a soft hiss. Not wanting to witness a fight between two such strange and powerful creatures in the Clayr's kitchen of all places, Cassiel unthinkingly snapped, "Mogget, stop it!"

The dwarf glared at him and Kibeth let out a barking laugh. "Mogget! I liked your other names better. And I forgot that you serve him now."

"Lucky you," said the dwarf under his breath, and he sulkily perched on the counter to eat his salmon.

"You must have just arrived," said the dog, turning back to Cassiel. She cocked her head to the side and her ears pricked forward in eager curiosity. "The Clayr wanted to show you a vision?"

Cassiel nodded, and was struck by a sudden idea. "Perhaps you could help me," he said, slicing bread for his sandwich. "The Clayr Saw me fighting a Free Magic creature, but none of us know what it is."

"You could have asked me, you know," said Mogget in a loud voice, picking fish bones daintily out of his teeth. "What's the use of binding me to eternal servitude if you're going to ignore me all of the time? Not that I care, but it's insulting that the mad mutt's opinion is considered more valuable than mine."

"Hey!" Kibeth yelped. "I've been hanging around the Great Library for a while, Mogget, so I've probably done more reading than you anyway."

"But you are somewhat lacking in experience," the dwarf answered silkily. "Holed up in the Glacier all safe and sound. Far be it from me to dictate how you should live your life, but I've been accompanying this idiot and his foolish sire for nearly forty years now."

The dog let out an angry bark. "Well I'm older than you!" she snapped as if that settled the argument. They exchanged glares that would have caused anyone in their right mind to fall into a twitching heap.

Cassiel looked between the two of them, wondering if there was going to be yet another heated outburst. When it became clear that they had finished arguing – for now – Cassiel decided to ask the question: "The Clayr described the creature as snake-like, but with large shiny scales, taloned feet, and yellow cat-eyes. Do either of you recognize it?"

Mogget frowned in bewilderment, but Kibeth's eyes had gone very large and very round. All of a sudden she looked like a puppy that had been kicked. "I know what it is," she admitted, sounding subdued for the first time. "He was bound many years ago, just south of the Ratterlin Delta where the Wall is now. He was Walked past the Seventh Gate, but the banisher was sorely tired and could not make him go further."

Mogget's white head shot up at that, and he put aside the fish bone he had been playing with. "Why was the banisher tired?" he asked, his eyes glittering strangely.

"Because the banisher had just defeated the creature's mate and brood. The females are the fiercest, and this male was the last of his kind. He wasn't considered an immediate threat."

The dwarf tilted his head to the side and his gaze narrowed. "Then why didn't the banisher go back after recovering her strength?" he asked slyly.

Kibeth ducked her head and grumbled, "Because I forgot. Happy now?"

The smug grin on Mogget's face made even Cassiel want to clout him, let alone Kibeth. She showed remarkable restraint by letting out only a few booming barks before calming down. "But why is it being summoned after so long?" she wondered.

Cassiel scratched his head. "I think some necromancers have found its remains."

"That is an elementary mistake. You should have destroyed it when you could."

"I didn't think it would matter!" snapped Kibeth in response to Mogget's criticism. "Okay, I've made some mistakes in my time. But at least I didn't accidentally eat the Wallmaker's wind-up birdie!"

Cassiel did not even try to understand what she was talking about. But Mogget was looking murderous, so in a fit of desperation he decided to interject and change the subject. "Well, I'll be leaving for the Wall then. The Clayr Saw me fighting the creature after all, so it's important that I go as soon as I can."

"He mustn't be allowed back into Life," warned Kibeth, her brown eyes uncharacteristically solemn. "In his Death-form the creature is weaker and manageable. Sort of."

Feeling quite worried, Cassiel wondered how he could manage to fight the creature if not even Kibeth had been able to defeat it. He took a bite out of his sandwich, but tasted nothing. Chewing silently, he planned his course of action. It was late fall, so he could catch a merchant's boat to Nestowe and then travel the rest of the distance to the Wall using his fisher hawk Charterskin. The Royal Guards would let him through to Ancelstierre, and then all he had to worry about was not getting caught by any officials while over there.

"Mogget?" he said after a particularly difficult swallow. "Are you coming along for this one?"

"Oh, I think you can handle this yourself," said the dwarf airily, flicking crumbs from the countertop. "Besides, the Clayr didn't See me going with you, did they?"

"And you insulted me for staying at the Glacier," said Kibeth disapprovingly. "Coward," she muttered and Mogget glared.

"It's all right," said Cassiel hastily to avert yet another argument. "He can go back to the House and oversee Vichael's lessons."

"Oh joy."

"Why, would you rather come with me? No? I didn't think so." Cassiel pushed away his half-eaten sandwich, unable to take another bite, and covered his eyes with one hand. "Charter help me," he whispered to himself. For some reason he couldn't stop thinking about Lessandra and the children.

Something cold touched the back of his other hand, and he jumped before realizing that it was Kibeth's wet nose. Concern shone in her brown eyes, and for a moment Cassiel could almost believe that she was a regular dog. He even scratched her ears, but drew back when his hand brushed her collar. He turned away, stomach churning as his thoughts turned to the inescapable encounter that lay before him. The Bright Shiner must have sensed his disquiet, because she cheerfully woofed, "Don't worry. Things have a way of turning out all right."

Cassiel forced a shaky smile, and Kibeth trotted to the kitchen door, tail wagging as if she hadn't a care in the world. Strange as it was, at that moment the man envied her. She abruptly stopped with one paw in the air, and looked over her shoulder. "For what it's worth, Abhorsen, my Binder and Weeper sisters were always much stronger than me." And with a final grin she was gone.

A/N: And that's that. We've got five more chapters to go now. As of yet they are all in the outline stage, but I'll work on them whenever I have a spare moment. Midterms are coming up soon, so it might be a bit delayed – but I guarantee that you won't have to wait as long as you did for this chapter! Reviews, as always, are appreciated. –Sanar.