In the expectant quiet, there were only the usual sounds of the night. Wind in the big trees out past the school wall, starting to rise as the sky darkened, Crickets beginning to chirp. Then Sabriel heard it--the massed grinding of Dead joints, no longer joined by gristle; the padding of Dead feet, bones like hobnails clicking through necrotic flesh.
In the stillness of the night, only familiar sounds such as wind rustling through trees and chirping crickets could be heard, creating a quiet atmosphere. As darkness deepened, the atmosphere shifted with an unsettling sense of anticipation.
"Sabriel heard it--the massed grinding of Dead joints, no longer joined by gristle; the padding of Dead feet, bones like hobnails clicking through necrotic flesh." This chilling description reveals her awareness of a disturbing presence of the Dead, emphasizing the eerie and supernatural tension in the scene.