- Our story opens in the Old Kingdom, near a place called the Wall. The Wall divides Ancelstierre and the Old Kingdom. How divided is this place? It's sunny in Ancelstierre and raining in the Old Kingdom, and not only that, it's noon in Ancelstierre, and sunset in the Old Kingdom. Must be a pain to get dressed in the morning.
- A midwife delivers a child in an Old Kingdom forest camp in this rainy, ominous weather. The mother has just passed away, and it seems the child has died as well.
- A mysterious hooded figure with deathly white skin appears, introducing himself as Abhorsen; he announces that "the child is not yet dead" (P.11).
- Abhorsen instructs a Charter Mage from the group to draw a magical sign, called a Charter mark, on the newborn's forehead—in this world, drawing a Charter Mark on a baby's forehead is basically baptism.
- Even though the baby seems dead, the Charter Mage is able to draw the mark, which shouldn't be possible. Abhorsen speaks aloud to name the newborn girl Sabriel. Adding to the impossible, Abhorsen goes into some sort of trance as "a chill mist" (P.24) rises from his body.
- Cut to Abhorsen's point of view. Abhorsen is in some sort of alternate reality, except it's no Wonderland—this is actually the way to Death itself. Abhorsen describes it as wading through an icy river that leeches color from his skin—hence the goth-pale complexion.
- He hears the baby crying and wades to the First Gate, one of a series of landmarks in death's final countdown; there he finds the baby in the arms of a stinky, shadowy black creature. (The stink is literal—the creature reeks like carrion.)
- Abhorsen attempts to ring a bell he carries, but the creature threatens him. Abhorsen calls the creature Kerrigor, and mentions having once chained Kerrigor "beyond the Seventh Gate" (P.36).
- Kerrigor tries to throw the baby into the stream, but the baby grabs at him, and her touch hurts Kerrigor, who drops her in the river. Abhorsen quickly reaches out to rescue her.
- Abhorsen rings one of his silver bells, and Kerrigor vanishes beyond the First Gate, threatening to return.
- Abhorsen carries the baby, who looks remarkably like him, back to the living world. Here's one for the baby book: First trip back from Death.
- Back at the forest camp, Abhorsen comes out of his frosty trance. Sabriel is very much alive and just as pale as Abhorsen himself.
- Abhorsen asks the midwife to stay with him to help with the baby, revealing himself as Sabriel's father and a necromancer. He asks to stay with the travelling group of Charter Mages to raise his child.