Old Memories
Old Memories
Sanar and Ryelle parted with the two women later on, called by their duties as part of the Nine-Day Watch. The Watch was the group of Clayr that was regularly assembled to see the future, in this focused group they could concentrate their Sight and hopefully divine visions to guide the Old Kingdom away from trouble. Lirael then took the lead, walking through the halls carved throughout the glacier.
“What was it like, living in the glacier?” asked Ellimere. Lirael paused, unhappy childhood memories surfacing. Memories like standing in her oversized children’s robes, towering over all the other Unsighted children and constantly waiting for the Sight. A gift denied to her all her life and finally barred from her when she discovered her heritage. She hadn’t wanted to come back to this glacier, the recollections were mostly unhappy, but she had many personal items she wanted to retrieve. Then she could leave and never come back.
“Lirael?” spoke a shocked voice. Lirael turned to face a tall Clayr woman and couldn’t place the identity of the speaker for a moment, but recognition dawned.
“Aunt Kirrith,” said Lirael woodenly, resisting the temptation to back away. As Kirrith took a step forward, Ellimere took a step back as she examined this curious exchange.
“You’ve grown... so much! Oh my... your hand!” gasped Kirrith as she held onto Lirael’s golden prosthetic, swirling with charter marks.
“I’m fine Aunt Kirrith,” replied Lirael, a hint of resentment showing in her tone. Kirrith either didn’t notice it or ignored it as she fussed over the young woman.
“Have you been eating well? You look so pale! Oh why did you leave the glacier when you were so young? You could have stayed safe and-,” something snapped within Lirael and in a swift motion, she pried Kirrith’s hands from her.
“My skin is pale because I am my father’s daughter. I left because it was my duty to seal The Destroyer and to assume my destiny. My hand was given to bind and break Orannis. I walk a different path Aunt Kirrith, not one of your choosing, whether you understand that or not. I am, Abhorsen-in-Waiting, the one who will keep the dead down and Remembrancer, the one who sees in the past,” said Lirael coldly. The look of horror that appeared on Kirrith’s face was the same as the day Lirael had first left the Glacier, when Sanar and Ryelle had shut her down. The look faded as the Clayr finally regarded Lirael’s surcoat, a pink field, with the golden stars of the Clayr quartered by the keys of the Abhorsen.
“I understand...Abhorsen-in-waiting,” said Kirrith, bowing. Lirael nodded and left, leaving Ellimere to catch up with her. The two walked, not talking, Lirael moving at a furious pace until they reached a small office close to The Great Library.
The room was actually tiny. Windowless, carved into the rock under the glacier, the small desk tucked into the corner took up most of the space. Several books with titles such as Basic Bibliography and Book Keeping lay on the deak. What was left was so narrow, that Ellimere had to stand at the doorframe in order to give Lirael enough space.
“You were a librarian?” asked Ellimere, finally breaking the stillness between the two.
“2nd Assistant Librarian of the Great Library,” replied Lirael, setting aside a red waistcoat that once signified her rank.
“Are there any interesting books that were in the library?” inquired the princess innocently. Lirael smiled briefly and chuckled, surprising Ellimere.
“The Library doesn’t merely contain books, when I and The Disreputable Dog... Kibeth, still lived in the Glacier, we had far more adventures than merely shelving books.” From the drawer in her minute desk, Lirael hefted a familiar armband. Seven polished green gems adorned it, each with unlocking spells woven into them,
“I activated almost all of them myself and opened many of the doors. Not without risk, but we had fun,” explained Lirael as she set down the band and shoved another book into her duffel bag. She didn’t know why she had told her niece that she had broken the rules, but at that moment, she had felt like an old campaigner regaling the tales of his service.
“So what sort of things are in the library?” asked Ellimere. Lirael wryly glanced at the armband as she recalled her first ‘adventure’.
“The first time I entered a restricted door... I released a Stilken and had to redo the binding myself. It was also when I found the dog,” said Lirael sadly. She still felt the soapstone statue’s weight in her breast pocket. The Disreputable Dog could never be summoned again from that statue. Lirael had tried many times after sealing Orannis and had not succeeded once. Still, Lirael kept the statue as a reminder of her trustworthy companion and maybe out of forlorn hope.
Ellimere’s reaction was a little more surprised.
“A Stilken? A free magic being and you bound it?” gasped the younger girl.
“The Dog helped and I ‘borrowed’ the Chief Librarian’s Sword,” elaborated Lirael as she stowed away the last of her belongings into the duffel bag she had brought along. Slinging the sack over her shoulder, the half-Clayr woman examined the barren room one last time. Once her refuge, this small haven had been one of her most frequented locations. Now it was merely a step in a long path.
“Come on, let us get going,” said Lirael softly and the two left.
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Goddamn, I miss Kibeth...
1934162 I know right?
This review is brought to you on behalf of the group: Authors Helping Authors
The Seven Bells and Six Bearers
Grammar score: 9/10 (A few typos and misplaced commas.)
Pros: First, you capture the world of the Abhorsen series very well. It's been a few years since I read those books, but your story brings it all back. Next, you craft an interesting mystery. I'm interested in what the Nightmare is going to do with the Dead. Finally, your characters are well written, from their descriptions to their dialogue. I think this is especially true of Lirael.
Cons: There is only one con I can think of, and that is that the story does not feel very accessible to those who have not read the Old Kingdom books. (This is a pitfall of all crossover stories, but Garth Nix's wonderful series is not as popular as something like Harry Potter or the Percy Jackson books, so you are really limiting your readership.)
Notes: As a fan of the Abhorsen books, I loved this, but I think you could explain a bit more of that world for the sake of readers who are not familiar with it. I realize this could be really tedious, but even a few lines here and there would help. Like, you could explain a little (without giving away the whole story) about Orannis, and what the Bright Shiners are, and even the Disreputable Dog. It would help new readers to feel welcome, or maybe interested in the world you are crossing over with their ponies. And I don't think readers who are familiar with the Abhorsen books would mind it. (Kind of like how, at the start of every Harry Potter novel, J.K. Rowling reviewed the events of the previous one to some degree.)
This is a great idea for a crossover and you're really capturing both worlds. I'm excited to see where you take this.
Enjoy your review! (Hope it's helpful.) Please help me out by looking at my story... drat. None of my other ones are in the group, so it looks like I have to break the review chain. But thank you for your previous reviews. They mean a lot.
Keep up the good work.
1979597 I agree, i believe that major con was what got me my random dislikes... the problem is I don't know how to introduce the world more... without boring it out because they have to go to Equestria ASAP...
1980387
Well, you could have Lirael explain some of it to Twilight on the other end, who is a giant knowledge sponge anyway.
2071446 I will... but the initial chapters must have put some people off.
2071452
You need to see the story I just published.... Hah
We should join FORCES!
2087854 Yours looks interesting, though I can't tell much from the first chapter. I do prefer to follow Garth Nix's style when writing the crossover though because death isn't the same way if you write it in first person.
2089107
Oh I very much agree with you there, it was a risky endeavor that I undertook I admit, but it was for the death actually. Namely hers
or was it!? Yah it was, but that's not the point. It was just for the drama of the first chapter. The rest will be very much mirroring Garth Nix's style rather than my own butcherings.
Good criticism!
2089508 2089473
Water was still, as in the surface was still, but the current is still moving very quickly.
Okay, I was listening to the audiobook of the first chapter of Sabriel while writing that, the dead have flesh-like forms, depending on the state of the dead, kerrigor was made of shadow-flesh, that really young Sabriel managed to grab (which caused him to throw her into the river) and I've read the books, the people do have forms even in death. I'm not sure where you got that information.
Still, I appreciate the comments, so have a new chapter.