Wedding crashers (for amonfire

[bindsthedead]

Belisaere in summer was a beautiful place. It would take years before the city was returned to its former glory, but the Great Stones had been repaired, almost all the Dead had been banished or driven out, and repairs and expansion of the aqueducts were underway.

There was also a wedding. The Royal Palace had been partially refurbished, with particular attention payed to the Great Hall, where the ceremony was being held. Broken glass had been replaced, ash washed away and burnt wood replaced with polished oak.

Sabriel herself was more occupied with her duties as Abhorsen than with arranging the wedding- particularly with her new guest to look after. She wasn't entirely sure why she'd done it, but at least Amon was alive- and though she knew no way to return him to his own world, she could help him start a new life in this one.

Comments

[amonfire]

Touchstone lives up to his name, Noatak didn't say it, but the visible frown that marred his handsome brown face was clear as the day above them when Sabriel said his name. It wasn't as if he hated the man or even wished him ill, but there was always that tense air that choked whatever room that happened to occupy at the same time or when one was mentioned to the other. Sabriel either willfully or not failed to notice any of this.

"Training is fine," He said shortly, "Until you see your first Dead thing."

[bindsthedead]

It hadn't escaped Sabriel's notice, though she'd avoided saying anything. Better to let them work it out between themselves, she had thought. Unfortunately it did not seem to be working. She frowned, but her friend's tension around her husband was not a subject she needed to bring up now.

"Most of the people interested have already seen the Dead- or their handiwork," Sabriel told him. And some of those had lost loved ones.

"Even if they lack an Abhorsen's power, most Charter Mayes can learn ways to fight Lesser Dead, like the Crossing Point Scouts do."

[amonfire]

"Because that's a position with a high survival rate," Noatak snapped over his shoulder, "You're too busy salting the earth to concern yourself with rebuilding these peoples lives" the coolness in his voices carried over even though the strong wind riding a horse at almost a dead run. He steamed in silence for the next hour with Noatak ignoring anything close to a noise from Sabriel.

When their horses began to show signs of exhaustion, Noatak directed them towards the bend of a small river that cut through an open field. They didn't need to argue whether or not it would be safe to rest the horses with twilight fast at the their heels when there was a source of running water close at hand. Noatak practically stomped his way around his gelding in a huff as he lead the animal by the reigns to drink.

[bindsthedead]

"They can't rebuild if the Dead and their allies tear it all down again," Sabriel felt a headache coming on, "Besides, I thought you wanted people to have the skills to defend themselves. And even if they don't fight the Dead directs, the Old Kingdom needs mages to maintain bindings and wards, as well as be healers and soldiers. My primary duty is to fight and bind the Dead, and deal with mages who abuse Free Magic and necromancy- I help with rebuilding when I can, but- Well, you've spent most of your time here by my side."

Sabriel kept her eyes open, paying attention to her death sense as she led her own horse to the water. Nothing close by, but she thought she sensed something, some distance away. Something powerful.

"We ought to set up camp soon. I'll raise a diamond of protection."

wow late w o w

[amonfire]

"Damn your diamond! They can't rebuild if you're sending them all of to die," Noatak's voice boomed across the glade; his horse kicked up the soft earth at the bank of the river in protest. "You're already spreading yourself too thin trying to be the queen and the Abhorsen. What are you basing this all on? The word of a boy who lived a fulfilling career as a shipmast for the last several centuries and your word as someone who hasn't lived here their whole life?"

It was how the operated: Noatak and Sabriel had wildly different opinions and butt heads over what felt like every little thing, but it served a purpose. Canceling each other out they more often than not were lead to a solution better than the one they would have reached alone. After his explosion, Noatak seemed to deflate.

"Approach this as you would in wartime. Speak with the Wall guard, or allow me. Maybe we can reach out to them and have your volunteers learn proper, up to date military protocol. You want soldiers, not a party of guardsman playing at Abhorsen."

[bindsthedead]

"And before one of my ancestors preserved his body and spirit for the sake of the Old Kingdom, the Royal Guard were an elite group, tasked with the defense of the Royal Family and Belisaere," Sabriel reminded him. "Touchstone's a better battle-mage than I am- although I agree that the Crossing Point scouts probably have knowledge that we ought to learn."

[amonfire]

"And they've deteriorated in the interim," He sniped only to relent before starting yet another argument when Sabriel agreed with him. "The Crossing Point understand best the farther back the Kingdom's own people can keep the Dead from the Wall the safer Ancelstierre will be."

Sun dipping behind the treeline the sky started to bleed orange and purple. Noatak could smell the air around him dropping in temperature, becoming crisper in the early autumn eventide. The seasons of the Old Kingdom were strange; he was sure it was only spring on the other side of the Wall.

"Sabriel," Noatak's voice intoned with a sudden, quiet seriousness. The flapping of wings was a distant sound, but he heard it all the same coming over the treeline to the east, "Put up that diamond. Now."

Sorry for the delay

[bindsthedead]

He didn't need to tell her twice. Symbols were quickly drawn up, and lines of golden fire ran between the four cardinal marks a few seconds before the first Gore Crow dived. Sabriel watched it writhe on the grass, Charter Magic eating through the body to leave only a little dot of writhing shadow.

Splitting a spirit into many fragments generally did its intelligence no favors- at least half the flock had dived after the first one, and golden flames arced above Sabriel's head.

"I suppose it's too much to hope that one of them will fall into the river," Sabrel muttered as she tried to calm the horses down and soothe her own rattled nerves.

extra sorry

[amonfire]

Metallic and burning taste infected the back of his tongue once the gore crows broke through the treeline; the charter mark branded on his forehead a constant reminder of the constant as it was constant tang of Free Magic.

"You will never touch her!" Noatak bellowed in pain, barbaric as he drew the symbols for rest as he drew a wave from the water with his bending in unison to the magic inflicted upon him. A wall of water was thrown up and cascaded against the formation of gore crows that made a bee line for Sabriel.

Exploding in a burst of silver fire they never reached the shoreline as Noatak demonstrated the full fury of waterbending and the Charter in one fell swoop. Shouting like a madman he threw almost the entire current of the river over them. Nothing would come close to Sabriel so long as he drew breath; his mark a brazen light in the coming darkness.