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Prologue

It was little doh Noonday sunshine could be seen on the other side of the Wall in Ancelstierre, and not a cloud in sight Here, there was a clouded sunset, and a steady rain had just begun to fall, co faster than the tents could be raised

The ainst her neck and bent over the wo from her nose onto the upturned face below The midwife’s breath blew out in a cloud of white, but there was no answering billow of air frohtened up, that singlethey needed to know The woered into their forest cah to pass it on to the baby at her side But even as the midwife picked up the pathetically small fors, and was still

"The child, too?" asked one of the watchers, a man ore the mark of the Charter fresh-drawn in wood ash upon his brow "Then there shall be no need for baptism"

His hand went up to brush the mark froripped his and forced it down in a single, swift motion

"Peace!" said a calrip and the speaker stepped into the ring of firelight The others watched him without welcoone to bowstrings and hilts, did not relax

The man strode towards the bodies and looked upon the his hood back to reveal the face of soht, for his skin was a deathly white

"I ah the people about hihty stone into a pool of stagnant water "And there will be a baptise looked down on the bundle in the midwife’s hands, and said: "The child is dead, Abhorsen We are travelers, our life lived under the sky, and it is often harsh We know death, lord"

"Not as I do," replied Abhorsen, s so his paper-white face crinkled at the corners and drew back from his equally white teeth "And I say the child is not yet dead"

The aze, but faltered and looked away at his fellows None n, till a won the child, Arrenil We will make a new camp at Leovi’s Ford Join us when you are finished here"

The Charter Mage inclined his head in assent, and the others drifted away to pack up their half- to reater reluctance to remain near Abhorsen, for his name was one of secrets, and unspoken fears

When the mident to lay the child down and leave, Abhorsen spoke: "Wait You will be needed"

The irl child and, save for its stillness, could be irl could livewarily she picked up the child again and held her out to the Charter Mage

"If the Charter does not--" began the man, but Abhorsen held up a pallid hand and interrupted

"Let us see what the Charter wills"

The hed Then he took a s out a chant that was the beginning of a Charter; one that listed all things that lived or grew, or once lived, or would live again, and the bonds that held theht ca with the rhythm of the chant Then the chanter was silent He touched the bottle to the earth, then to the sign of wood ash on his forehead, and then upended it over the child

A great flash lit the surrounding woods as the glowing liquid splashed over the child’s head, and the priest cried: "By the Charter that binds all things, we name thee--"

Normally, the parents of the child would then speak the name Here, only Abhorsen spoke, and he said:

"Sabriel"

As he uttered the word, the wood ash disappeared from the priest’s forehead, and slowly formed on the child’s The Charter had accepted the baptise, gingerly touching his forehead to ot no answer, for theacross the fire at Abhorsen, and Abhorsen was staring at--nothing His eyes reflected the dancing flaan to rise fro towards the man andto get away, but now too afraid to run

He could hear the child crying, which was good If she had gone beyond the first gateway he could not bring her back without ent preparations, and a subsequent dilution of her spirit

The current was strong, but he knew this branch of the river and waded past pools and eddies that hoped to drag hi his spirit, but his as strong, so they took only the color, not the substance

He paused to listen, and hearing the crying diateway, and about to pass

The First Gate was a veil of , where the river poured into the silence beyond Abhorsen hurried towards it, and then stopped The baby had not yet passed through, but only because so there, loo up out of the black waters, was a shadow darker than the gate

It was several feet higher than Abhorsen, and there were palewhere you would expect to see eyes, and the fetid stench of carrion rolled off it--a warm stench that relieved the chill of the river

Abhorsen advanced on the thing sloatching the child it held loosely in the crook of a shadowed arm The baby was asleep, but restless, and it squir a mother’s breast, but it only held her away from itself, as if the child were hot, or caustic