His Dark Materials

Chapter 4

the first to wake was mrs coulter’s golden daemon, who was lying in the alley, 5 feel away from the woman. ozymandias didn’t even notice asriel and stelmaria before his black eyes, his instinct was to get closer to his human as soon as possible. marisa felt as if she’s been covered in snow this whole time, but she didn’t feel cold, she very well knew somebody was trying to wake her up, so lyra’s mother fluttered her eyes open to find asriel leaning towards her. her eyes winded by sudden shock. “asriel?” the woman let out a quiet murmur before she began to think she must be dreaming, asriel was way up north by now, on one of his expeditions, was he not? she kept staring very closely into his soulless eyes, almost entirely convinced that it was all just a dream, but as for the monkey, he was hiding behind marisa’s unsteady back like a coward. she hoped she was dreaming, that this was just a dream, that she’ll soon wake up to find lyra in her bedroom, all dressed up and ready for breakfast. marisa tried to slowly move further away from asriel, not accepting the truth of the current situation, but in that exact moment, reality hit her. mrs coulter realized that her daughter was gone, taken away from her mother, sleeping somewhere in the cold, lost and scared. she felt too tired to get up on her feet, but how could she be so tired if this was just a dream? lyra’s mother looked up in fear as the light of a lone street lamp swiftly went out, fading into darkness and the whimpering monkey clutched her arm to warn her of danger. marisa might not realize asriel’s true nature, but the monkey knew, he always knew and marisa, being marisa, never listened to her daemon.

Asriel eyes narrowed at the daemon, if it was possible, he hated it more than Mrs Coulter did. "Marisa" he whispered again, what the hell had happened. He cupped her cheek, she was freezing, non responsive. He shrugged off his coat and placed it around her shoulders. "hey.... What happened?" he asked, lifting the distraught mother into his arms, bridal style. With a grunt he stood up, and soon he'd managed to take her to the place where he was staying, he layed her on the sofa, stelmaria, his daemon, shutting the door for him. He frowned." Marisa" he said sternly, he would not have his work out off by this woman. Certainly not her.

and so very quietly marisa let out a gentle gasp when he reached for her, but her emotions towards asriel were hidden behind her closed eyes, she was doing her best to hide her true emotions, for she could not forget that this man is nothing but trouble and harm, he nearly ruined her entire life. of course she was to blame but any kind of pain would provide more comfort than to face him, while being too exposed and vulnerable. once, when she was younger, marisa feared gravely the day he sees her at this state. when asriel took her light body in his arms, she tried to avoid his rough yet careful touch and get away but she was too tired to move. mrs coulter’s mind was way too numb, so she couldn’t even process the meaning of asriel’s question. her somber daemon was clinging to her frame the entire time, his eyes landing on asriel from to time too on their way to the place he was taking them. marisa’s eyes opened for a moment once again as she felt the wool fabric of asriel’s sofa against her back. she remembered lyra’s smile, filled with excitement when they were on the brown, cosy sofa back at jordan college. her daemon took the blanket asriel just laid over her body to weakly put it over marisa’s head too, for protection. as if only one warm duvet could save them and make this heavy discomfort disappear.

Asriel sighed, exchanging a look with his daemon. "Marisa..." he stood up quickly, ripped the blanket off the two and handed her a bottle of whisky, prying the monkey away, this wasn't a time to get sentimental. "Marisa. Grow up and drink this. Then. We're getting our daughter back" he cupped her cheek roughly, staring into her eyes with such hate and anger. He nodded, waiting for her to respond. "she needs us"

the golden monkey stumbled even closer and smacked the glass of whiskey he just offered marisa from asriel’s hands. it fell down on the floor as the alcohol splashed on the white carpet beneath the man’s feet. marisa opened her eyes as fast as she could to witness the scene. “i am sorry, he didn’t mean to” she quietly whispered meanwhile the monkey was sat on her lap, hissing at asriel. the room was dark, but there was one candle on the table beside asriel. darkness.. emptiness.. lyra! her mind was occasionally blocking the memory of lyra for some reason. but as soon as asriel mentioned the girl, she remembered her again- her daughter’s deep brown eyes, her short, dirty hair and a small daemon in her arms. she frowned, trying so badly not to cry in front of asriel. “i am searching for her on my own, i won’t go anywhere with you” mrs coulter decided to stand up for herself, she wanted that man as far away from lyra as realistically possible. she won’t let him do anymore harm.

"stupid monkey!" he roared, he grabbed Marisa by the hair. "it's with me, or not at all!" he snapped, worrying his own daemon slightly. He didn't care if Mrs Coulter was hurt, if Marisa was hurt. "in other circumstances... This would be fun to play out..." he grabbed her hip and squeezed it. "but i don't have time, amd neither do you. If you want lyra to be cut! It'll be your fault! You don't deserve her" he growled, moving around the house to grab his gear for the north. "if my sources are correct, an airship is landing in the north soon. Will you join me?" he spoke with no passion or hint of past love with the woman in his house, he had a job to do and that was it. He offered her his hand and simply waited.

marisa shook her body in complete agony when asriel took her by her brown curls, he wasn’t the kind of man she knew before she got pregnant with lyra, not anymore anyway. she knew she deserved it, she had disappointed lyra several times.., and it was only fair that she was hated by the child’s father, even if she never truly hated him in return. but there was no time for sentiment and asriel wanted to help her save lyra, why else would he be doing this? the golden monkey was uneasy and restless on her lap, he kept messaging marisa that they should not trust asriel again, but this was her only chance to get lyra. and if she doesn’t go along, asriel will take her daughter away and this time forever. “you’re right, i am sorry, i’ll come with you” the woman’s daemon jumped off of her and settled on the floor, refusing to go to the north with asriel, but marisa, with no care for the monkey’s concern, took asriel’s rough hand and let him drag her out of the room, ready to leave her daemon behind. but she knew he won’t ever bear the pain of separation the same way, he’ll follow them soon enough..

Asriel gripped marias hand tightly. "i do care for her" he said coldly, it was a rather good job he wasn't trying to convince anyone. He tugged her outside, to where they got in a car, to then meet at a place where, with some transport, could get to the small village where the magestirium would most likely be taking lyra. "now..." he got out, his daemon, stelmaria, stretching in the faint snow. "in front of me or behind? I wouldn't want you to fall off" he grinned looked at the snow bike.

on their way to the black, old fashioned car that was waiting outside for them, marisa’s daemon reached out and gently touched her palm, the one asriel wasn’t harshly gripping but she shewed him away as usual. she believed that asriel cares for lyra, lyra was his only daughter after all.

marisa was silently crying all the way to the poor, barbaric village, hoping asriel won’t hear any of her sobs. she has never in her whole life felt this broken before, not even at the time of her lonely, sabotaged childhood. “asriel, i am scared for her” it was best he knew the truth, that she cared dearly for lyra and wanted nothing more than to care for her and keep her safe. her golden monkey jumped onto her back and hid under the fur coat asriel gave her when the man pushed her out of the car, it seemed he was as eager to save lyra as she was and that was precisely why the monkey was so worried, asriel was indeed acting weird, and she began to sense it just now. “i’ll sit behind you” he looked angry and distraught so she answered instantly, as fast as she could before jumping on asriel’s large snow bike just as quickly.

Asriel nodded, he could see the airship, thankfully the village was on the outskirts of the north. "i am too... And that is not a lie!" he replied, he drove faster, quickly looking at his daemon. "Marisa!" he said loudly and pointed ahead, where he swore he could see a young girl shaking, even if she couldn't see the blood on her face. "let's go get her"
.