The Path (a Sabriel fanfiction) Chapter 5
Summary: Sabriel's father is a young Abhorsen-in-Waiting. His aunt, the Abhorsen, brings him along on a strange mission. Who is the girl they are protecting? What does this mean for the future of the Kingdom? Terciel x Sabriel's Mother.
Chapter 4 is here: blackat16.livejournal.com/1073.html
Start from the beginning here: blackat16.livejournal.com/302.html
Or go to the master list: blackat16.livejournal.com/3611.html
As they rode, Terciel tried to recite the same lessons that Abhorsen had taught him as a boy, only in condensed form. “The Charter,” he said, “Is a unifying language that describes the world and everything in it. Like any language, it can be spoken or written, but it can also be represented with music and movement. Each mark represents something, and some of the distinctions can be very subtle. For instance, the Charter mark for the north point of a diamond of protection is related to, but distinct from, the mark for magnetic north. The more marks you know, the more they can be used in conjunction with others, and the stronger your spells will become. Charter magic can range from single marks, which are like words or simple phrases, to strings of marks, like a sentence. The strongest spells are made up of countless marks, held together by Master marks, and they can be as complicated as a book or a poem. They are functional while also telling a story.”
“I know all that,” said Andrael, waving her hand dismissively. She was more comfortable with horseback riding after a day of practice, and she no longer had to hold on to Abhorsen’s waist to stay upright. “Get to the part about the spell you used to wound that thing from last night.”
“Impatience does not lend itself to the study of Charter Magic,” Abhorsen snapped, “Understanding the whole is as important as understanding the parts. Someone your age with no prior training is lucky to find a willing teacher, so don’t take anything Terciel tells you for granted.”
Chastised, Andrael fell silent. Terciel stammered as he began again, “A-all right. Well, what I used last night was a set of three marks. You’d usually start with something easier, like single marks for light or heat, but this one is pretty simple for a combination. I’m sure you’ll pick it up quickly. We’ll start with just one mark: Anet.” He held up a scrap of cloth with a Charter mark scribbled on it in charcoal.
“Anet is stronger when you use her with her sister marks, Calew and Ferhan, but you should practice with her alone at first,” he said, “Memorize the mark. Don’t worry about doing anything with it; just hold the image of it and what it means in your mind. Try to block out everything else. When we make camp tonight, you can try to cast it.”
“Anet,” muttered Andrael, taking the cloth gingerly to keep from smearing the ash. She studied the shape intensely, and during the rest of Terciel’s lecture she continued to murmur its name under her breath, never letting it stray far from the forefront of her mind.
The road was flat and easy, and though it was cold it was no longer wet. The little band made good time, and Abhorsen allowed them to make camp early enough to have a fire and a decent meal. As they ate, they huddled close to the fire. The sun took what little warmth there was with it, and eddies of snow were beginning to swirl in the breeze. Terciel didn’t miss how the dark circles under Andrael’s eyes had disappeared, and how she ate normally instead of choking in her haste to fill her belly.
“Ready to try?” said Terciel suddenly. Andrael obviously knew what he meant, because she excitedly stood and pointed a finger at the nearest tree.
“Anet!” she shouted. Nothing happened. She stared at her finger as if it had betrayed her. “But I remembered the mark!” she wailed.
“It’s not that simple,” said Terciel, laughing a bit at her consternation, “You’re just thinking of the shape and saying the word. You have to learn to tap into the power behind it. Remember, it’s not just a word; it’s part of the Charter, and it stands for something.”
Andrael frowned in concentration, mulling over Terciel’s words. She took a deep breath. This time, instead of pointing, her hands began to spontaneously trace the symbol Terciel had drawn for her, and the power of the Charter welled up around her in response to her effort. “Anet,” she said, and this time a chip of bark flew off the tree with a hollow noise, leaving a small dent.
“I did it!” she gasped, her voice becoming high-pitched with surprise and joy.
“Very good!” Terciel cheered, “Keep practicing.”
Andrael beamed at Abhorsen, who said nothing and looked wholly unimpressed. Under her humorless glare, Andrael quailed and Terciel saw her retreat back a little into the apathetic, despairing emotionlessness in which they had found her. He found himself resenting his aunt. He knew from experience that getting praise from her was like trying to draw blood from a stone, and it had long since ceased to bother him. But Andrael was taking it personally, and it made it harder to draw her out of her shell. He didn’t like to see her unhappy.
He nudged Abhorsen with his foot, and when she looked at him he met her eyes with such aggression that she had to look away. “Not bad,” she finally said to Andrael
A hesitant smile returned to the girl’s face. “Let me stand guard tonight,” she said, “Since I didn’t take a turn last night. And that way I can stay up and practice.”
Terciel saw the wheels turning in Abhorsen’s head. Andrael wouldn’t be a match for any Dead that might attack, but at least she could raise the alarm if something were to intrude so Abhorsen could fight it off. And she knew that both she and Terciel could use the extra rest. She relented with a curt nod and went to her bedroll.
Terciel followed suit, but it was a long time before he was able to get to sleep. Every few seconds, like clockwork, came the dull thud of metal on wood, like a hatchet taking a wedge out of a log, and Andrael’s whispered, “Anet! Anet!”
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Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment.
Chapter 6 is here: blackat16.livejournal.com/1576.html
Chapter 4 is here: blackat16.livejournal.com/1073.html
Start from the beginning here: blackat16.livejournal.com/302.html
Or go to the master list: blackat16.livejournal.com/3611.html
As they rode, Terciel tried to recite the same lessons that Abhorsen had taught him as a boy, only in condensed form. “The Charter,” he said, “Is a unifying language that describes the world and everything in it. Like any language, it can be spoken or written, but it can also be represented with music and movement. Each mark represents something, and some of the distinctions can be very subtle. For instance, the Charter mark for the north point of a diamond of protection is related to, but distinct from, the mark for magnetic north. The more marks you know, the more they can be used in conjunction with others, and the stronger your spells will become. Charter magic can range from single marks, which are like words or simple phrases, to strings of marks, like a sentence. The strongest spells are made up of countless marks, held together by Master marks, and they can be as complicated as a book or a poem. They are functional while also telling a story.”
“I know all that,” said Andrael, waving her hand dismissively. She was more comfortable with horseback riding after a day of practice, and she no longer had to hold on to Abhorsen’s waist to stay upright. “Get to the part about the spell you used to wound that thing from last night.”
“Impatience does not lend itself to the study of Charter Magic,” Abhorsen snapped, “Understanding the whole is as important as understanding the parts. Someone your age with no prior training is lucky to find a willing teacher, so don’t take anything Terciel tells you for granted.”
Chastised, Andrael fell silent. Terciel stammered as he began again, “A-all right. Well, what I used last night was a set of three marks. You’d usually start with something easier, like single marks for light or heat, but this one is pretty simple for a combination. I’m sure you’ll pick it up quickly. We’ll start with just one mark: Anet.” He held up a scrap of cloth with a Charter mark scribbled on it in charcoal.
“Anet is stronger when you use her with her sister marks, Calew and Ferhan, but you should practice with her alone at first,” he said, “Memorize the mark. Don’t worry about doing anything with it; just hold the image of it and what it means in your mind. Try to block out everything else. When we make camp tonight, you can try to cast it.”
“Anet,” muttered Andrael, taking the cloth gingerly to keep from smearing the ash. She studied the shape intensely, and during the rest of Terciel’s lecture she continued to murmur its name under her breath, never letting it stray far from the forefront of her mind.
The road was flat and easy, and though it was cold it was no longer wet. The little band made good time, and Abhorsen allowed them to make camp early enough to have a fire and a decent meal. As they ate, they huddled close to the fire. The sun took what little warmth there was with it, and eddies of snow were beginning to swirl in the breeze. Terciel didn’t miss how the dark circles under Andrael’s eyes had disappeared, and how she ate normally instead of choking in her haste to fill her belly.
“Ready to try?” said Terciel suddenly. Andrael obviously knew what he meant, because she excitedly stood and pointed a finger at the nearest tree.
“Anet!” she shouted. Nothing happened. She stared at her finger as if it had betrayed her. “But I remembered the mark!” she wailed.
“It’s not that simple,” said Terciel, laughing a bit at her consternation, “You’re just thinking of the shape and saying the word. You have to learn to tap into the power behind it. Remember, it’s not just a word; it’s part of the Charter, and it stands for something.”
Andrael frowned in concentration, mulling over Terciel’s words. She took a deep breath. This time, instead of pointing, her hands began to spontaneously trace the symbol Terciel had drawn for her, and the power of the Charter welled up around her in response to her effort. “Anet,” she said, and this time a chip of bark flew off the tree with a hollow noise, leaving a small dent.
“I did it!” she gasped, her voice becoming high-pitched with surprise and joy.
“Very good!” Terciel cheered, “Keep practicing.”
Andrael beamed at Abhorsen, who said nothing and looked wholly unimpressed. Under her humorless glare, Andrael quailed and Terciel saw her retreat back a little into the apathetic, despairing emotionlessness in which they had found her. He found himself resenting his aunt. He knew from experience that getting praise from her was like trying to draw blood from a stone, and it had long since ceased to bother him. But Andrael was taking it personally, and it made it harder to draw her out of her shell. He didn’t like to see her unhappy.
He nudged Abhorsen with his foot, and when she looked at him he met her eyes with such aggression that she had to look away. “Not bad,” she finally said to Andrael
A hesitant smile returned to the girl’s face. “Let me stand guard tonight,” she said, “Since I didn’t take a turn last night. And that way I can stay up and practice.”
Terciel saw the wheels turning in Abhorsen’s head. Andrael wouldn’t be a match for any Dead that might attack, but at least she could raise the alarm if something were to intrude so Abhorsen could fight it off. And she knew that both she and Terciel could use the extra rest. She relented with a curt nod and went to her bedroll.
Terciel followed suit, but it was a long time before he was able to get to sleep. Every few seconds, like clockwork, came the dull thud of metal on wood, like a hatchet taking a wedge out of a log, and Andrael’s whispered, “Anet! Anet!”
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Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment.
Chapter 6 is here: blackat16.livejournal.com/1576.html