The Aeronaut's Daughter

She Can't be Cut

(Lyra P.O.V) 

Lee had slept quite easily last night, and I had done all I could to give him consonance. He was incredibly grateful. I decided to walk alongside him hoping it could give him more strength for the fight up ahead. The fight to save (Y/N). 

Once again we were forced to take a rest after successfully heaving the sledges along the mountain sides. It was terrifying. But we managed. I was totally terrified...but Ma Costa kept me safe, compelling me to channel my fear into strength to get to Bolvanger...to save Roger and (Y/N). 

I sat down and fished out my Alethiometer to check on (Y/N) again. It had been quite a long while. I prayed that everything was alright. After setting the symbols, the main needle started rotating round and round. My head began to quiver. It settled on the final symbol, the hourglass with the skull. 

"Oh no," I gasped.

Pan asked me what was wrong but I had no time to talk. I sprinted through the camp looking for Lee. I found him with Iorek. 

"Mr. Scoresby! Mr. Scoresby!" I cried out. 

He turned to me. "What is it Lyra?"

"What is wrong child?" Iorek asked. 

"It's (Y/N)! I checked the Alethiometer and she's in danger!"

"What?!" Lee screamed. 

"My mother tried to cut Roger but (Y/N) prevented her. Now she's locked her up and she's going to cut her soon. And she's sent out a search warrant on you because of that man Mr. Sysselman,"

"What?!" he shrieked louder. 

"He told her about Trollesund and she thinks you know where I am," 

He turned around, her face becoming paler by the second. 

I turned to Iorek. "I should have let you finish him off Iorek. If there wasn't an excuse for him to live before, there definitely isn't one now," 

"Don't blame yourself child. You couldn't have known what was going to happen,"

"How are we going to get to her?!" Lee cried. "We're still two leagues from Bolvanger!"

I drifted off into thought. Then an idea popped into my head. "We could ride your balloon!" 

(Y/N P.O.V) 

I had never felt more scared in my life than I had now. 

"I'm so sorry Aster," I had not released my daemon from the warmth of my arms. "So sorry I got us into this,"

"You did what you had to do. You couldn't let that woman damage Roger. And you couldn't betray Lyra. You did good...and I'm proud of you for it," he nuzzled my face and I shed a few tears. 

Soft growling echoed in my ears. We twisted our heads and we saw the female bear staring at us from inside her cage. 

"You showed exceptional bravery young child. And I am very impressed that such a child like you 

"What's your name?" 

"My name is Iera Yoraher,"

"I'm...(Y/N) Scoresby," I said. "How did you end up here?"

"I was captured by these barbaric men when I wondered too far to this foul place. And then four days later, I'm told I'm about to shipped off to some human town to be a slave," 

"What are you doing here? Why aren't you in Svalbard?"

"The bear king Iofur Raknison tired to force me to mate with him. I refused to be mated to the bear I did not love. And so I fled. And I have been searching for days for my beloved Iorek Byrnison,"