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鈥渉olehallow；鈥潯e muttered to himself； frowning。
he remembered it now。 but what was he doing here？ pletely naked under a rough camping blanket？ he sat up； and shook his head。 it was sore and his temples were throbbing； seemingly from the battering…ram effect of a severe hangover。 but he felt certain he hadn鈥檛 been drinking。 the last thing he remembered was going down the steps。
rogir had asked him 。 。 。 no 。 。 。 the last thing was the fleeting image of a pale； concerned face； bloodied and bruised； black hair hanging out in a fringe under her helmet。 a deep blue surcoat； with the blazon of silver keys。 the abhorsen。
鈥渟he鈥檚 washing at the spring；鈥潯aid a soft voice； interrupting his faltering recollection。 鈥渟he got up before the sun。 cleanliness is a wonderful thing。鈥�
the voice did not seem to belong to anything visible； till the man looked up at the nearby ship。
there was a large； irregular hole in the bow； where the figurehead should have been and a white cat was curled up in the hole； watching him with an unnaturally sharp； green…eyed gaze。
鈥渨hat are you？鈥潯aid the man； his eyes cautiously flickering from side to side； looking for a weapon。 a pile of clothes was the only thing nearby； containing a shirt； trousers and some underwear； but it was weighted down with a largish rock。 his hand sidled out towards the rock。
鈥渄on鈥檛 be alarmed；鈥潯aid the cat。 鈥渋鈥檓 but a faithful retainer of the abhorsen。 name of mogget。 for the moment。鈥�
the man鈥檚 hand closed on the rock； but he didn鈥檛 lift it。 memories were slowly sidling back to his benumbed mind； drawn like grains of iron to a magnet。 there were memories of various abhorsens among them鈥攎emories that gave him an inkling of what this cat…creature was。
鈥測ou were bigger when we last met；鈥潯e hazarded； testing his guess。
鈥渉ave we met？鈥潯eplied mogget； yawning。
鈥渄ear me。 i can鈥檛 recall it。 what was the name？鈥�
a good question； thought the man。 he couldn鈥檛 remember。 he knew who he was； in general terms； but his name eluded him。 other names came easily though； and some flashes of memory concerning what he thought of as his immediate past。 he growled； and grimaced as they came to him； and clenched his fists in pain and anger。
鈥渦nusual name；鈥潯ented mogget。 鈥渕ore of a bear鈥檚 name； that growl。 do you mind if i call you touchstone？鈥�
鈥渨hat！鈥潯he man exclaimed； affronted。 鈥渢hat鈥檚 a fool鈥檚 name！ how dare鈥斺��
鈥渋s it unfitting？鈥潯nterrupted mogget； coolly。
鈥測ou do remember what you鈥檝e done？鈥�
the man was silent then； for he suddenly did remember； though he didn鈥檛 know why he鈥檇 done it； or what the consequences had been。 he also remembered that since this was the case； there was no point trying to remember his name。
he was no longer fit to bear it。
鈥測es； i remember；鈥潯e whispered。 鈥測ou may call me touchstone。 but i shall call you鈥斺��
he choked； looked surprised； then tried again。
鈥測ou can鈥檛 say it；鈥潯ogget said。 鈥渁 spell tied to the corruption of鈥攂ut i can鈥檛 say it； nor tell anyone the nature of it； or how to fix it。 you won鈥檛 be able to talk about it either and there may be other effects。 certainly； it has affected me。鈥�
鈥渋 see；鈥潯eplied touchstone； somberly。 he didn鈥檛 try the name again。 鈥渢ell me； who rules the kingdom？鈥�
鈥渘o one；鈥潯aid mogget。
鈥渁 regency； then。 that is perhaps鈥斺��
鈥渘o。 no regency。 no one reigns。 no one rules。
there was a regency at first； but it declined 。 。 。
with help。鈥�
鈥渨hat do you mean； 鈥榓t first鈥櫍库�潯sked touchstone。 鈥渨hat exactly has happened？ where have i been？鈥�
鈥渢he regency lasted for one hundred and eighty years；鈥潯ogget announced callously。
鈥渁narchy has held sway for the last twenty； tempered by what a few remaining loyalists could do。 and you； my boy； have been adorning the front of this ship as a lump of wood for the last two hundred years。鈥�
鈥渢he family？鈥�
鈥渁ll dead and past the final gate； save one； who should be。 you know who i mean。鈥�
for a moment； this news seemed to return touchstone to his wooden state。 he sat frozen； only the slight movement of his chest showing continued life。 then tears started in his eyes； and his head slowly fell to meet his upturned hands。
mogget watched without sympathy； till the young man鈥檚 back ceased its heaving and the harsh in…drawn gasps between sobs became calmer。
鈥渢here鈥檚 no point crying over it；鈥潯he cat said harshly。 鈥減lenty of people have died trying to put the matter to rights。 four abhorsens have fallen in this century alone； trying to deal with the dead； the broken stones and the鈥攖he original problem。 my current abhorsen certainly isn鈥檛 lying around crying her eyes out。 make yourself useful and help her。鈥�
鈥渃an i？鈥潯sked touchstone bleakly； wiping his face with the blanket。
鈥渨hy not？鈥潯norted mogget。 鈥済et dressed； for a start。 there are some things aboard here for you as well。 swords and suchlike。鈥�
鈥渂ut i鈥檓 not fit to wield royal鈥斺��
鈥渏ust do as you鈥檙e told；鈥潯ogget said firmly。
鈥渢hink of yourself as abhorsen鈥檚 sworn swordhand； if it makes you feel better； though in this present era； you鈥檒l find mon sense is more important than honor。鈥�
鈥渧ery well；鈥潯ouchstone muttered； humbly。
he stood up and put on the underclothes and shirt； but couldn鈥檛 get the trousers past his heavily muscled thighs。
鈥渢here鈥檚 a kilt and leggings in one of the chests back here；鈥潯ogget said； after watching touchstone hopping around on one leg； the other trapped in too…tight leather。
touchstone nodded； divested himself of the trousers； and clambered up through the hole； taking care to keep as far away from mogget as possible。 halfway up； he paused； arms braced on either side of the gap。
鈥測ou won鈥檛 tell her？鈥潯e asked。
鈥渢ell who？ tell what？鈥�
鈥渁bhorsen。 please； i鈥檒l do all i can to help。 but it wasn鈥檛 intentional。 my part； i mean。 please； don鈥檛 tell her鈥斺��
鈥渟pare me the pleadings；鈥潯aid mogget； in a disgusted tone。 鈥渋 can鈥檛 tell her。 you can鈥檛 tell her。
the corruption is wide and the spell rather indiscriminatory。
hurry up鈥攕he鈥檒l be back soon。 i鈥檒l tell you the rest of our current saga while you dress。鈥�
sabriel returned from the spring feeling healthier； cleaner and happier。 she鈥檇 slept well and the morning鈥檚 ablutions had cleared off the blood。
the bruises； swellings and sunburn had all responded well to her herbal treatments。 all in all； she felt about eighty percent normal； rather than ten percent functional； and she was looking forward to having some pany at breakfast other than the sardonic mogget。 not that he didn鈥檛 have his uses； such as guarding unconscious or sleeping humans。 he鈥檇 also assured her that he had tested the charter mark on the figurehead…man； finding him to be unsullied by free magic； or necromancy。
she鈥檇 expected the man to still be asleep； so she felt a faint frisson of surprise and suspense when she saw a figure standing by the ship鈥檚 bow； facing the other way。 for a second； her hand twitched to her sword； then she s