sabriel (the abhorsen trilogy)_加斯·尼克斯-第9章

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the　kite　dropped　like　a　cast　stone；　and　a　few　seconds　later；　sabriel　felt　some　small　life　snuffed　out。　at　the　same　time；　she　also　felt　the　tug　of　human　death。　somewhere　ahead；　near　where　the　kite　dined；　more　people　lay　dead。

sabriel　shivered；　and　looked　at　the　hill　again。

according　to　horyse鈥檚　map；　the　path　to　cloven　crest　lay　in　a　narrow　gully　between　two　bluffs。

she　could　see　quite　clearly　where　it　must　be；　but　the　dead　lay　in　that　direction。　whatever　had　killed　them　might　also　still　be　there。

there　was　sunlight　on　the　bluffs；　but　the　wind　was　driving　snow　clouds　across　the　sun　and　sabriel　guessed　it　was　only　an　hour　or　so　till　dusk。　she鈥檇　lost　time　freeing　the　soldier鈥檚　spirit；　and　now　had　no　choice　but　to　hurry　on　if　she　wished　to　reach　cloven　crest　before　nightfall。

she　thought　about　what　lay　ahead　for　a　moment；　then　chose　a　promise　between　speed　and　caution。　stabbing　her　poles　into　the　snow；　she　released　her　bindings；　stepped　out　of　　her　skis　and　then　quickly　fastened　skis　and　poles　together　to　be　strapped　diagonally　across　her　backpack。　she　tied　them　on　carefully；　remembering　how　they鈥檇　fallen　and　broken　her　charterspell　on　the　parade　ground鈥攐nly　that　morning；　but　it　seemed　like　weeks　ago　and　a　world　away。

that　done；　she　started　to　pick　her　way　down　the　center　of　the　road；　keeping　away　from　the　gutter　drifts。　she鈥檇　have　to　leave　the　road　fairly　soon；　but　it　looked　like　there　was　little　snow　on　the　steep；　rocky　slopes　of　cloven　crest。

as　a　final　precaution；　she　drew　abhorsen鈥檚　sword；　then　resheathed　it；　so　an　inch　of　blade　was　free　of　the　scabbard。　it　would　draw　fast　and　easily　when　she　needed　it。

sabriel　expected　to　find　the　bodies　on　the　road；　or　near　it；　but　they　lay　further　on。　there　were　many　footprints；　and　churned…up　snow；　leading　from　the　road　towards　the　path　to　cloven　crest。

that　path　ran　between　the　bluffs；　following　a　route　gouged　out　by　a　stream　falling　from　some　deep　spring　higher　up　the　hill。　the　path　crossed　the　stream　several　times；　with　stepping…stones　or　tree　trunks　across　the　water　to　save　walkers　from　wet　feet。　halfway　up；　where　the　bluffs　almost　ground　together；　the　stream　had　dug　itself　a　short　　gorge；　about　twelve　feet　wide；　thirty　feet　long　and　deep。　here；　the　pathmakers　had　been　forced　to　build　a　bridge　along　the　stream；　rather　than　across　it。

sabriel　found　the　rest　of　the　ancelstierran　patrol　here；　tumbled　on　the　dark　olive…black　wood　of　the　bridge；　with　the　water　murmuring　beneath　and　the　red　stone　arching　overhead。

there　were　seven　of　them　along　the　bridge鈥檚　length。　unlike　the　first　soldier；　it　was　quite　clear　what　had　killed　them。　they　had　been　hacked　apart　and；　as　sabriel　edged　closer；　she　realized　they　had　been　beheaded。　worse　than　that；　whoever　。　。　。　whatever　。　。　。　had　killed　them　had　taken　their　heads　away鈥攁lmost　a　guarantee　that　their　spirits　would　return。

her　sword　did　draw　easily。　gingerly；　her　right　hand　almost　glued　to　the　sword　hilt；　sabriel　stepped　around　the　first　of　the　splayed…out　bodies　and　onto　the　bridge。　the　water　beneath　was　partly　iced　over；　shallow　and　sluggish；　but　it　was　clear　the　soldiers　had　sought　refuge　over　it。

running　water　was　a　good　protection　from　dead　creatures　or　things　of　free　magic；　but　this　torpid　stream　would　not　have　dismayed　even　one　of　the　lesser　dead。　in　spring；　fed　with　melted　snow；　　the　stream　would　burst　between　the　bluffs；　and　the　bridge　would　be　knee…deep　in　clear；　swift　water。　the　soldiers　would　probably　have　survived　at　that　time　of　year。

sabriel　sighed　quietly；　thinking　of　how　easily　seven　people　could　be　alive　in　one　instant；　and　then；　despite　everything　they　could　do；　despite　their　last　hope；　they　could　be　dead　in　just　another。

once　again；　she　felt　the　temptation　of　the　necromancer；　to　take　the　cards　nature　had　dealt；　to　reshuffle　them　and　deal　again。　she　had　the　power　to　make　these　men　live　again；　laugh　again；　love　again　。　。　。

but　without　their　heads　she　could　only　bring　them　back　as　鈥渉ands；鈥潯�a　derogatory　term　that　free　magic　necromancers　used　for　their　lackluster　revenants；　who　retained　little　of　their　original　intelligence　and　none　of　their　initiative。　they　made　useful　servants；　though；　either　as　reanimated　corpses　or　the　more　difficult　shadow　hands；　where　only　the　spirit　was　brought　back。

sabriel　grimaced　as　she　thought　of　shadow　hands。　a　skilled　necromancer　could　easily　raise　shadow　hands　from　the　heads　of　the　newly　dead。　similarly；　without　the　heads；　she　couldn鈥檛　give　them　the　final　rites　and　free　their　spirits。

all　she　could　do　was　treat　the　bodies　with　some　respect　and；　in　the　process；　clear　the　bridge。

it　was　near　to　dusk；　and　dark　already　in　the　shadow　of　the　gorge；　but　she　ignored　the　little　voice　inside　her　that　was　urging　her　to　leave　the　bodies　and　run　for　the　open　space　of　the　hilltop。

by　the　time　she　finished　dragging　the　bodies　back　down　the　path　a　way；　laying　them　out　with　their　swords　plunged　in　the　earth　next　to　their　headless　bodies；　it　was　dark　outside　the　gorge　too。　so　dark；　she　had　to　risk　a　faint；　charterconjured　light；　that　hung　like　a　pale　star　above　her　head；　showing　the　path　before　dying　out。

a　slight　magic；　but　one　with　unexpected　consequences；　for；　as　she　left　the　bodies　behind；　an　answering　light　burned　into　brilliance　on　the　upper　post　of　the　bridge。　it　faded　into　red　embers　almost　immediately；　but　left　three　glowing　charter　marks。　one　was　strange　to　sabriel；　but；　from　the　other　two；　she　guessed　its　meaning。

together；　they　held　a　message。

three　of　the　dead　soldiers　had　the　feel　of　charter　magic　about　them；　and　sabriel　guessed　that　they　were　charter　mages。　they　would　have　had　the　charter　mark　on　their　foreheads。　the　very　last　body　on　the　bridge　had　been　one　of　　these　men　and　sabriel　remembered　that　he　had　been　the　only　one　not　holding　a　weapon鈥攈is　hands　had　been　clasped　around　the　bridge　post。

these　marks　would　certainly　hold　his　message。

sabriel　touched　her　own　forehead　charter　mark　and　then　the　bridge　post。　the　marks　flared　again；　then　went　dark。　a　voice　came　from　nowhere；　close　to　sabriel鈥檚　ear。　a　man鈥檚　voice；　husky　with　fear；　backed　by　the　sound　of　clashing　weapons；　screaming　and　total　panic。

鈥渙ne　of　the　greater　dead！　it　came　behind　us；　almost　from　the　wall。　we　couldn鈥檛　turn　back。　it　has　servants；　hands；　a　mordicant！　this　is　sergeant　gerren。　tell　colonel　。　。　。鈥�

whatever　he　wanted　to　tell　colonel　horyse　was　lost　in　the　moment　of　his　own　death。　sabriel　stood　still；　listening；　as　if　there　might　be　more。

she　felt　ill；　nauseous；　and　took　several　deep　breaths。　she　had　forgotten　that　for　all　her　familiarity　with　death　and　the　dead；　she　had　never　seen　or　heard　anyone　actually　die。　the　aftermath　she　had　learnt　to　deal　with　。　。　。　but　not　the　event。

she　touched　the　bridge　post　again；　just　with　one　finger；　and　felt　the　charter　marks　twisting　through　the　grain　of　the　wood。　sergeant　gerren鈥檚　message　would　be　there　forever　for　any　charter　　　mage　to　hear；　till　time　did　its　work；　and　bridge　post　and　bridge　rotted　or　were　swept　away　by　flood。

sabriel　took　a　few　more　breaths；　stilled　her　stomach；　and　forced　herself　to　listen　once　more。

one　of　the　greater　dead　was　back　in　life；　and　that　was　something　her　father　was　sworn　to　stop。　it　was　almost　certain　that　this　emergence　and　abhorsen鈥檚　disappearance　were　connected。

once　again；　the　message　came；　and　sabriel　listened。

then；　brushing　back　her　starting　tears；　she　walked　on；　up　the　path；　away　from　the　bridge　and　the　dead；　up　towards　cloven　crest　and　the　broken　charter　stone。

the　bluffs　parted　and；　in　the　sky　above；　stars　started　to　twinkle；　as　the　wind　grew　braver　and　swept　the　snow　clouds　before　it　into　the　west。

the　new　moon　unveiled　itself　and　swelled　in　brightness；　till　it　cast　shadows　on　the　snowflecked　ground。

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chapter　v

锝炲皬锛滆�磘　xt锛嬶紜澶╋紴鍫�
it　was　no　more　than　a　halfhour鈥檚　steady　climb　to　the　flat　top　of　cloven　crest；　though　the　path　grew　steeper　and　more　difficult。　the　wind　was　strong　now　and　had　cleared　the　sky；　the　moonlight　giving　form　to　the　landscape。　but　without　the　clouds；　it　had　grown　much　colder。

sabriel　considered　a　charter…spell　for　warmth；　but　she　was　tired；　and　the　effort　of　the　spell　might　cost　more　than　the　gain　in　warmth。　she　stopped　instead　and　shrugged　on　a　fleece…lined　oilskin　that　had　been　handed　down　from　her　father。　it　was　a　bit　worn　and　too　large；　needing　severe　buckling…in　with　her　sword…belt　and　the　baldric　that　held　the　bells；　but　it　was　certainly　windproof。

feeling　relatively　warmer；　sabriel　resumed　climbing　up　the　last；　winding　portion　of　the　path；　where　the　incline　was　so　steep　the　pathmakers　had　resorted　to　cutting　steps　out　of　the　granite鈥攕teps　now　worn　and　crumbling；　prone　to　sliding　away　underfoot。

so　prone　to　sliding；　that　sabriel　reached　the　top　without　realizing　it；　head　down；　her　eyes　searching　in　the　moonlight　for　the　solid　part　of　the　next　step。　her　foot　was　actually　halfway　up　in　the　air　before　she　realized　that　there　wasn鈥檛　a　next　step。

cloven　crest　lay　before　her。　a　narrow　ridge　where　several　slopes　of　the　hill　met　to　form　a　miniature　plateau；　with　a　slight　depression　in　the　middle。　snow　lay　in　this　depression；　a　fat；　cigarshaped　drift；　brigh