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sabriel woke once in the night。 without getting up； she saw that the fire had been rekindled and touchstone sat beside it； staring into the flames； his eyes reflecting the capering； gold…red light。 his face looked drawn； almost ill。
鈥渁re you all right？鈥潯abriel asked quietly； propping herself up on one elbow。
touchstone started； rocked back on his heels； and almost fell over。 for once； he didn鈥檛 sound like a sulky servant。
鈥渘ot really。 i remember what i would not； and forget what i should not。 forgive me。鈥�
sabriel didn鈥檛 answer。 he had spoken the last two words to the fire； not to her。
鈥減lease； go back to sleep； milady；鈥潯ouchstone continued； slipping back to his servile role。 鈥渋 will wake you in the morning。鈥�
sabriel opened her mouth to say something scathing about the arrogance of pretended humility； then shut it； and subsided back under her blanket。 just concentrate on rescuing father； she told herself。 that is the one important thing。
rescue abhorsen。 don鈥檛 worry about touchstone鈥檚 problems； or mogget鈥檚 curious nature。
rescue abhorsen。 rescue abhorsen。 rescue abhors 。 。 。 rescue 。 。 。
鈥渨ake up！鈥潯ogget said； right in her ear。 she rolled over； ignoring him； but he leapt across her head and repeated it in her other ear。 鈥渨ake up！鈥�
鈥渋鈥檓 awake；鈥潯rumbled sabriel。 she sat up with the blanket wrapped around her； feeling the pre…dawn chill on her face and hands。 it was still extremely dark； save for the uneven light of the fire and the faintest brushings of dawn light above the sinkhole。 touchstone was already making the porridge。 he鈥檇 also washed； and shaved鈥攗sing a dagger from the look of the nicks and cuts on his chin and neck。
鈥済ood morning；鈥潯e said。 鈥渢his will be ready in five minutes； milady。鈥�
sabriel groaned at that word again。 feeling like a shambling； blanket…shrouded excuse for a human being； she picked up her shirt and trousers and staggered off to find a suitable bush en route to the spring。
the icy water of the spring pleted the waking up process without kindness； sabriel exposing herself to it and the marginally warmer air for no more than the ten seconds it took to shed undershirt； wash and get dressed again。
clean； awake and clothed； she returned to the campfire and ate her share of the porridge。 then touchstone ate； while sabriel buckled on armor； sword and bells。 mogget lay near the fire； warming his white…furred belly。 not for the first time； sabriel wondered if he needed to eat at all。 he obviously liked food； but he seemed to eat for amusement； rather than sustenance。
touchstone continued being a servant after breakfast； cleaning pot and spoon； quenching the fire and putting everything away。 but when he was about to swing the pack on his back； sabriel stopped him。
鈥渘o； touchstone。 it鈥檚 my pack。 i鈥檒l carry it； thank you。鈥�
he hesitated； then passed it to her and would have helped her put it on； but she had her arms through the straps and the pack swung on before he could take the weight。
half an hour later； perhaps a third of the way up the narrow； stone…carved stair； sabriel regretted her decision to take the pack。 she still wasn鈥檛 totally recovered from the paperwing crash and the stair was very steep； and so narrow that she had difficulty negotiating the spiraling turns。 the pack always seemed to jam against the outside or inside wall； no matter which way she turned。
鈥減erhaps we should take it in turns to carry the pack；鈥潯he said reluctantly； when they stopped at a sort of alcove to catch their breath。
touchstone； who had been leading； nodded and came back down a few steps to take the pack。
鈥渋鈥檒l lead； then；鈥潯abriel added； flexing her back and shoulders； shuddering slightly at the packinduced layer of sweat on her back； greasy under armor； tunic； shirt and undershirt。 she picked up her candle from the bench and stepped up。
鈥渘o；鈥潯aid touchstone； stepping in her way。
鈥渢here are guards鈥攁nd guardians鈥攐n this stair。 i know the words and signs to pass them。
you are the abhorsen； so they might let you past； but i am not sure。鈥�
鈥測our memory must be ing back；鈥潯abriel mented； slightly peeved at being thwarted。
鈥渢ell me； is this stair the one you mentioned when you said the queen was ambushed？鈥�
鈥渘o；鈥潯ouchstone replied flatly。 he hesitated； then added； 鈥渢hat stair was in belisaere。鈥�
with that； he turned； and continued up the stairs。 sabriel followed； mogget at her heels。 now that she wasn鈥檛 lumbered by her pack； she felt more alert。 watching touchstone； she saw him pause occasionally and mutter some words under his breath。 each time； there was the faint； featherlight touch of charter magic。 subtle magic； much cleverer than in the tunnel below。 harder to detect and probably much more deadly； sabriel thought。
now she knew it was there； she also picked up the faint sensation of death。 this stair had seen killings； a long； long； time ago。
finally； they came to a large chamber； with a set of double doors to one side。 light leaked in from a large number of small； circular holes in the roof； or as sabriel soon saw； through an overgrown lattice that had once been open to air and sky。
鈥渢hat鈥檚 the outside door；鈥潯ouchstone said； unnecessarily。 he snuffed out his candle； took sabriel鈥檚； now little more than a stub of wax； and put both in a pocket stitched to the front of his kilt。 sabriel thought of joking about the hot wax and the potential for damage； but thought better of it。 touchstone was not the lighthearted type。
鈥渉ow does it open？鈥潯sked sabriel； indicating the door。 she couldn鈥檛 see any handle； lock or key。 or any hinges； for that matter。
touchstone was silent； eyes unfocused and staring； then he laughed； a bitter little chuckle。
鈥渋 don鈥檛 remember！ all the way up the stair； all the words and signals 。 。 。 and now useless！ useless！鈥�
鈥渁t least you got us up the steps；鈥潯abriel pointed out； alarmed by the violence of his selfloathing。
鈥渋鈥檇 still be sitting by the spring； watching it bubble； if you hadn鈥檛 e along。鈥�
鈥測ou would have found the way out；鈥�
touchstone muttered。 鈥渙r mogget would。
wood！ yes； that鈥檚 what i deserve to be鈥斺��
鈥渢ouchstone；鈥潯ogget interrupted； hissing。
鈥渟hut up。 you鈥檙e to be useful； remember？鈥�
鈥測es；鈥潯eplied touchstone； visibly calming his breathing； posing his face。 鈥渋鈥檓 sorry； mogget。 milady。鈥�
鈥減lease； please； just sabriel；鈥潯he said tiredly。
鈥渋鈥檝e only just left school鈥攊鈥檓 only eighteen！ calling me milady seems ridiculous。鈥�
鈥渟abriel；鈥潯ouchstone said tentatively。 鈥渋 will try to remember。 鈥榤ilady鈥櫋s a habit 。 。 。 it reminds me of my place in the world。 it鈥檚 easier for me鈥斺��
鈥渋 don鈥檛 care what鈥檚 easier for you！鈥潯abriel snapped。 鈥渄on鈥檛 call me milady and stop acting like a halfwit！ just be yourself。 behave normally。 i don鈥檛 need a valet； i need a useful 。 。 。 friend！鈥�
鈥渧ery well； sabriel；鈥潯ouchstone said； with careful emphasis。 he was angry now； but at least that was an improvement over servile； sabriel thought。
鈥渘ow；鈥潯he said to the smir