The Aeronaut's Daughter

A Funeral / Taken away

(Y/N Point of View)

Lyra was still fast asleep in my arms. I pulled a blanket over her to keep her warm and I stroked her locks. It felt like cradling a baby sister. 

Aster was making sure that Pan was comfortable too. He was fast asleep on a pillow and he looked like he was he was having a sweet dream. 

I heard the crunching of snow and the tent doors were pulled back. Dad entered. His eyes were wet and so were Hester's. Something bad had happened. I felt I knew who it was. 

"Is he..." I drifted off. 

He sighed. "I'm afraid so," 

A tear leaked from my eye. He reached forward and wiped it away. 

"Do we have to tell her?" 

He sighed. "Yes. It's best we do it now than later. Do you want me to do it?"

I snuffled and nodded. "Lyra..." I whispered, shaking her shoulders a little. "Lyra..."

Lyra twisted her head and looked up at me. She quivered seeing my sad eyes. 

"I'm sorry Lyra,"  Lee said. 

"He's died?" her voice turned broken. 

"I'm afraid so," he said sadly. "He must have wondering alone in the cold for days,"

"Can I see him?" 

"Of course," 

Lyra lifted her head of my lap and I helped her up. We walked out of tent towards a makeshift pyre at the far end of the camp. Billy's body laid underneath a blanket of blue. Maggie allowed Lyra to take one last look at Billy's lifeless face. It broke my heart seeing the two of them along with Tony so heartbroken. 

I couldn't bear to imagine my father like this if he lost me. As Maggie and Lyra embraced one another and Maggie swore that she would avenge her boy, I walked over to the weeping Tony, placing my hand on his quivering shoulder. He turned to me and I said 'sorry' to him for his loss. He sniffled and I offered him a a little hug, which he accepted. I then let him go so he could to his ma. 

Lyra let go of Maggie and she walked over to me and my dad. I embraced her tightly, apologising a number of times for saying that everything would be alright before. Lee embraced us both and I promised Lyra that we were here for her no matter what. 

We let go of one another and I clutched onto Lyra's hand tightly. Maggie used flint and steel to light the pyre up and Billy's body under the blanket was engulfed in flames. 

A wave of humming engulfed the atmosphere. John Faa began to enchant some melodic words. 

Dear son 

Your soul never leaves you 

Everyone started joining in. 

Dear son 

God does never leave you 

Dear son 

You are God's son 

Your soul never leaves you 

My son

Their voices echoed into the night. We stood there for several hours until Billy's body was no nothing more than a pile of ash. Maggie and Tony's faces were wet with tears. No more words were said after that. 

Lyra was still crying once the funeral was over. I invited her once again into our tent and to spend the night with us. She accepted again, too broken to even hesitate. I let her sleep next to me and shared my sleeping bag, hoping that my closeness would help her recover from her loss.