Forward

Will Parry had met Sylvia in his freshman year of high school. Although he had been attracted – as a friend – to her from the beginning they hadn't begun to date until their senior year. Her vibrant nature and steadfast determination had reminded him of Lyra, though she was definitely a lesser version. However, on the night of their graduation, something happened. Consumed by their own successful completion of high school as well as the fact that they were both free, they shared a bottle of wine and the result was that they became drunk. What happened from that point was no one's fault but the fact was that Sylvia, although she was just eighteen, was pregnant with Will's baby. Because neither of them wanted to have an abortion, they decided to marry and attempt to raise the baby themselves. And so, only five months after they were married, their daughter was born. They named her Saffron and Will secretly named her daemon Ramidion. It had been Kirijava's suggestion although and Will had liked the sound of it although he had no real idea of its meaning. However, only a few months after Saffi had been born, Sylvia was killed in a car crash and Will was left to raise their baby alone with the help of his old patron and friend, Mary Malone.

Chapter One: Birthday Revelations

Saffi sat up straight in bed and rubbed her eyes. It was her twelfth birthday today! She immediately smiled and swung her feet out of bed. Listening into the silence of the apartment she shared with her father. No, he isn't up yet, she decided. That made her smile widen. She had time to search the house for what ever he had gotten her for her birthday! This had been a game for her and her father since she could remember. He would hide whatever he was giving her and she would always try to find it. She hadn't been successful yet but this year she was sure that she would be. She was, after all, a year older now, wasn't she? What was to stop her from turning the whole apartment upside down before her father woke up? Nothing.

Saffi smiled wider and turned towards her dresser. She hurriedly pulled out a pair of jeans and a plain black t-shirt. In many ways, Saffi was like Will. She had straight dark hair and brows just the same as him. She also had his quiet, unnoticed, personality as well as his instincts for self defense. In the second grade there had been an incident in which an older boy had thought she would make a good victim for tormenting. Since this boy had been tormenting some of her friends as well, Saffi had decided to teach him a lesson instead of just making him forget her. The result was that the boy had had to be taken to the emergency room because of a broken nose and a bruised jaw. Although no real harm had been done in Saffi's opinion, she was suspended for three weeks. Will had tried to appear disapproving but only succeeded in being amused. And although he kept up his disapproving attitude in front of Saffi, she knew that it was only a façade and didn't worry about it. In other ways, Saffi was like her mother. She had her thin, delicate, figure for example as well as her dark chocolate brown eyes and pale skin. Saffi didn't remember her mother and the photographs that Will had shown her didn't bring back any memories. Although Saffi did wonder what it would be like to have a mother, she didn't feel that much loss over the fact that she didn't. She did, after all, had a father who loved her very much and there was her Aunt Mary Malone and her Grandmother. Saffi knew that Aunt Mary wasn't her real aunt but she seemed so much like family that that was the only thing she could really call her.

After she had dressed, Saffi picked up the brush from her bedside table and ran it though her hair a couple of times. Although Saffi herself didn't really care much what it looked like, she knew that her father would disapprove if she didn't keep it tidy. It was better just to get it done. Saffi quietly slipped out of her bedroom door and into the hallway. Then, nearing the kitchen, she discovered that she had been mistaken; he father was already up and he was talking to someone, although Saffi didn't recognize the voice.

"You should tell her, she's ready," said the stranger. She sounded faintly female, although her voice was like no voice that Saffi had ever heard. Senescing that she has being talked about, Saffi bent her head closer to the door to listen.

Her father, Will Parry, answered in a voice that was both tired and exasperated. "And how can you be sure of that, Kirijava? You've never even spoken to you herself."

After a pause, the other voice spoke again. But this time, it sounded angry. "But I've still been around her since she was born, even though she doesn't know it. Would you like be to explain your real reason for not wanting to explain everything to her Will? Its because you don't want to explain about everything to her. You don't want to explain about Lyra. Well guess what Will, I miss them too!"

Peering through the crack in the door, Saffi could see that her father had put his head in his hands. However, she couldn't see the person that he was speaking to. What was going on? Then, hearing voices again, Saffi quit thinking about it and pressed her ear back against the crack in the door.

"I know," her father said in defeated voice. "I'll tell her then. But how should I bring the subject up?"

The other voice was amused. "I don't think that that will be a problem, Will."

Saffi took her ear away and flattened herself against the wall.

"Why is that?" asked her father.

"Because she's standing right outside the door," replied the voice. Saffi was surprised to hear the laughter in it.

Will groaned. "I should have know," he said. "Com one in, Saffron."

As she came in, Will regarded his only child. She had no idea of the adventures he had gone on when he was younger. She had never heard of Lyra. Never heard of the Subtle Knife. Never known about the other worlds. And Now Kirijava though it was time she knew. Will wasn't sure that that was a good idea. How could he prove it to her, anyways? But then Kirijava had subtlety reminded him of daemons by mention herself and Pan. He could show Saffi her daemon! It was a very neat plan.

Saffi was on her guard as she entered the room. Who was this other speaker, this Kirijava. Whatever Saffi was expecting, she didn't see it. In fact, she couldn't see anyone at all.

"Dad…" Saffi said. "Who were you talking to?"

Will was at a loss for what to say. Of course she couldn't see Kirijava and for a moment how Saffi had been able to hear her but he dismissed the thought. It was something to think about it later. However, Kirijava decided to take things into her own hands.

"I know you can't see me at the moment," she said and Saffi started. "But I can show you how to."

Saffi's glance was darting from wall to wall, looking for the invisible speaker. Not seeing anyone she replied "Um okay."

Will could feel Kirijava's purr of amusement and he nearly chuckled himself. The girl was completely spooked. "I want you to clear your mind and just look at the table. Looking at it out of the corner of your eye might help."

Saffi, feeling very foolish, tried it. For a few minutes she stood there, staring. Then, suddenly, she got it. With a nearly silent "ah!" of surprise, the dark colored cat she had seen on her table vanished. Then her mind felt a new problem. Even if there was a cat, how on earth could it talk? Shaking her head at the craziness of this situation, Saffi tried again. She was eager to see the cat again and besides, she could think about talking cats later.

It took Saffi around an hour to really get the hang of seeing the cat all the time. Will wasn't fussed at her taking so long; he was still thinking about how he could tell Saffi about everything as gently as possible.

Saffi took a deep breath and addressed the cat. "Are you the one I was hearing talking?" she asked. She was still feeling very foolish for talking to a nearly invisible cat.

The cat purred and stood up. Saffi's eye's widened to see it move. "I am Kirijava," she said. "Now look at your feet."

Now that was a crazy request but Saffi did it anyway and let out a small gasp of surprise. At her feet, a small ferret shaped animal stood. On an impulse, Saffi knelt down and picked the creature up and place him on her shoulder. Once there, he clung to her hair. The nails of his little feet dug into her shoulder. Saffi turned to face her father. "What are these things?" she asked him. She liked them, make no mistake, but they were so strange!

"They're daemons," Will said bluntly. "I learned about them when I was about your age… I'll tell you the story when Aunt Mary arrives, which, by the way, should be any minute. You're ready?" she nodded "good. Then you can go ahead and eat breakfast." Saffi turned away. Her head was still ringing with the strangeness of the situation. "By the way, you daemon will probably change shape."

At that point, Will left the room. He couldn't bear any questions at the moment.

"I'm not sure that that was the best way to do it," Kirijava said. She leapt into his arms.

"What other way is there?"

Kirijava shook her head, realizing the truth in what he said. "It would have been a shock for her any way we told her."

"I think she took it pretty well," Will said. "She only seemed astonished."

Just then, the door bell rang. "That should be Mary," Kirijava said. "Was our mother coming as well?"

"No," said Will. "She was going to come over around seven this evening. Apparently she joined a golf club and now she's in a tournament."

Kirijava nodded. She hadn't been there when Will had made the arrangements for Saffron's birthday.

As suspected, it was Mary who was at the door. "Hello Will," she said. She had a smile on her face as she took his had and shook it. She hadn't visibly aged much since Lyra and Will had parted. But there was still some grey in her hair now and she acted a little older. Her daemon, whom she had named Gemini after the constellation Mary had been born under, rested on her shoulder.

Will smiled to see her there, just the same as ever. She, at least, was still there from the old days. He held out his hand. "Hello Mary," he said.

"Hi Will," she said in her open, friendly, manner. "So. Are you going to tell Saffi about… everything today?"

Will grimaced. "I've already started," he said. "I showed her her daemon."

Mary looked at him inquisitively. "What happened?"

"She took to it pretty well," said Will. "But I've no idea how to even start telling her the rest of the story."

Mary sighed. "I'll help, if you'll let me," she said. "I'd be happy to give it a try."

Will smiled. "I was hoping you'd offer," he said.

"Well, it's settled then," Mary said. "I'll start by tell my part. Then you can tell about yourself and… Lyra."

Will nodded and motioned for her to follow him into the apartment. When they entered the kitchen, they saw that Saffi was already sitting there with her hands folded neatly in her lap. The adults, used to seeing the daemons of others, saw that her daemon was in the shape of a tiger at her feet. He growled softly as they entered the room. Saffi's eyes narrowed.

"I think you owe me an explanation," Saffi said. "What are these… daemons?"

Will sighed and seated himself across from his daughter. Mary took the seat to his left.

Marry looked at Will and he nodded. "I didn't know about them for years either," Mary said.

"You know about them too?" asked Saffi. "How did you find out about them?"

"Yes, I do." Mary said. "Can you see him?"

Saffi squinted. "Yes," she said after a moment. "He's a funny bird thing."

Gemini laughed softly and Saffi stared at him. "Yes," said Mary. "I'll tell you the story." Mary began to tell the story of the little girl Saffi's age who turned up in her office one day with a priceless golden instrument claiming to be from another world.

"She knew all about my research," Mary explained. And when I hooked her up to the Cave – that's what we called our computer – she produced the most amazing results. She could make the screen show pictures and they told her things!"

"What was her name?" asked Saffi.

Mary glanced at Will.

"Her name was Lyra Silvertongue," Will said. His voice was a little thick, as though he was holding back come suppressing emotion.

Saffi looked at her father in surprise. "Did you know her as well, then?" she asked.

"Yes," Will said. "But listen to what Mary has to say before I start telling my part of the story."

Saffi nodded and turned back to Mary expectantly. "Was she really from another world?" she asked.

Mary nodded. "Yes, she was," she said. "But I wasn't sure whether to believe her back then. And another thing; in her world, everyone knows their daemons because they're physical."

"Like, you can touch them?" asked Saffi. "And does everyone have their own daemon? Do some people have more than one?"

"Everyone has their own daemon, just one, unless they get separated unnaturally," said Will.

"Yes, you can touch them," Mary said. "So her daemon was there with her. I didn't know that at the time though. And she did such amazing things with that instrument! She could tell me the answer to any question I cared to ask! Anyway, we were in the middle of a funding crisis back then and so I requested that she come back the next day to show my partner, Dr. Oliver Pane. So she left and when she turned up the next day. But the trouble was," and she continued to tell the story of how Lyra had let slip Will's name. Saffi was shocked to hear that her father had actually killed a man but she listened in awe as Mary spun out the rest of the tail. The flight from her own world through that mysterious window in the air. Her meeting with the Mulefa. The making of the Amber Spyglass. How Will and Lyra came there.

At that point, she stopped.

"What happened next?" Saffi asked eagerly.

"I'm going to let your Father tell his story now," Mary smiled. Saffron had been hanging onto every word she said.

And so Will began to tell his story from the night when he had killed the man who was terrorizing his mother. By the time he was finished, Saffi was gazing at him with wide eyes.

"And do you still love her?" she asked.

"Who?" asked Will.

"Lyra," Saffi said imperiously.

Will was silent for a moment. "Yes," he said. "I love Lyra."

a/n: so how'd you like my first serious fic? I should be updating soon so don't forget about me! starts working on the next chapter :)