'Lee, I am glad to see you well,' said Serafina. Lee smiled at her and holstered his revolver. She turned and sketched a bow in Iorek's direction. 'Iorek Byrnison.'

'Lady of the skies and northern winds,' Iorek said respectfully. 'You are far from home.'

'As are you,' she responded lightly. 'It seems we are all strangers in a strange land.'

The was a rustling from the tunnel, and Lee recalled Lyra.

'Lyra, you can come out, it's safe,' he called, and Lyra scrabbled out and ran to his side. 'Lyra, this is Queen Serafina Pekkala, the witch I told you about. Serafina Pekkala, this is Lyra.'

'Hello,' greeted Lyra. Pantalaimon was in mouse form on her shoulder, and his whiskers quivered.

'Should you curtsey?' Pan squeaked. Lyra looked uncertain. Lee stifled a chuckle.

'No need for that,' Serafina said, stepping over to them as gracefully as any dragonfly. 'You may call me Serafina, Lyra. I am glad to meet you.'

Lyra's face lit up in awe. Lee took a moment to enjoy her wonder, and then began to question the witch-queen.

'Ma'am, what are you doing here?' he asked, puzzled. Serafina stared at him, also bemused.

'I came because you called, Mr Scoresby,' she answered.

'But I never called,' Lee said, quirking a quizzical eyebrow. 'I'm in trouble as usual, but not that much – hang on,' he muttered, as something occurred to him. He glanced down at his daemon. 'Hester? Something you'd like to share with me?'

Hester looked abashed.

'I called for help that morning – the first morning after… well, you know.'

'Ah, hell,' Lee muttered, remembering Hester curled up in his coat, the little red flower tucked safely in an inside pocket. 'That was underhand, Hester. Not like you at all.'

'I was worried sick, all right?' Hester blurted out. 'Serafina Pekkala was the only one I could think of who might be able to… help.'

'There's nothing to help!' Lyra said angrily.

'Simmer down, everyone,' Lee interrupted. 'Ma'am, Hester called you without my knowledge. It's been an… interesting couple of days, and – well –'

'I see magic surrounding you, Mr Scoresby, a magic Lyra shares,' Serafina said, her inscrutable eyes roving over both of them. 'A magic I am unfamiliar with… an old, powerful magic. A wild magic.'

'Not a cruel or wicked magic,' added her daemon. 'One you are struggling with, however.'

Lyra stepped closer to Lee and gripped his arm.

'We'd better tell you the whole story,' Lee sighed. 'Care for some coffee?'

#

Serafina declined coffee, though she willingly followed Lee and Lyra into the wolves' den after being introduced to the pack. Although still wary of Iorek, the wolves were infatuated with Serafina, milling round her and taking it in turns to nuzzle her and receive her caresses. Iorek didn't seem to mind being left alone, however. He lay down outside the tunnel entrance, so as to hear what went on inside, and waited patiently.

Serafina seemed in no hurry to learn what was troubling Hester sufficiently to have called for aid. She surveyed the den, made the acquaintance of all the wolves, and after receiving Lyra's permission, went into Asriel's chamber to examine the slumbering man she somehow knew was there. She sat for a while by his side, not speaking, only looking, before emerging to hold a quick conversation with Kasia, her daemon.

And she answered innumerable questions from an unusually respectful Lyra, her witch's eyes taking in how close Lyra stayed to the aeronaut, how he kept glancing over to make sure she was all right, how their daemons occupied the same discarded burlap sack, waiting as their people went about their business.

Night had fallen by the time Serafina Pekkala seated herself on an upturned crate and suggested Lee tell her the tale of what had happened over the last few days and the magic of the wolfwalkers. Yet again, Lee and Lyra told their story, preparing their dinner as they did so. Serafina asked no questions, instead whetting the blade of the knife she carried and waxing the string of her bow, occasionally exchanging a glance with Kasia. When they had finished, she stood and asked to see the healed bite on Lee's arm.

Lee rolled up his sleeve and proffered his left arm. There were only a couple of faint indentations left, mended marks from Lyra's teeth. Serafina laid a palm atop them and closed her eyes. Her daemon watched, his gaze searing.

Then, as everyone watched, the same golden glow conjured by Lyra's healing magic began to shine from beneath Serafina's hand. Tendrils of golden light unfurled like wild ferns, delicate and beautiful, and curled around his arm, reaching towards his shoulder. Lyra crept closer, fascinated, and Hester watched, her expression a curious mix of wonder and anxiety.

Then the light winked out, and the only illumination was that from the naptha lanterns scattered around the den. Serafina let go of Lee's arm.

'It was the bite you received that has done this, Mr Scoresby,' said Serafina. 'It passed the wolfwalker's magic to you. I am not sure how, but your injury was where the magic found a way in.'

'Cripes,' Lee sighed, not surprised by this. He expected Hester to say 'told you' or something similar, but she only shuffled resignedly. Lyra, by contrast, was astounded. Pantalaimon turned into a robin and hopped around, cheeping in protest, while Lyra came to stand next to Lee, her fingers gripping at his sleeve.

'That can't be,' she protested. 'I've bitten people before when I was a wolf. I wasn't meant to, my father said not to, but I did. One was a bully and he – well, the thing is, I've bitten them and no-one else has become a wolfwalker. I would've found out if they had.'

'I am sure that is true,' said Serafina Pekkala. 'As I mentioned, this is a magic I am unfamiliar with, so I can only surmise what has happened. But I believe becoming a wolfwalker depends more on who is bitten rather than bite itself.'

'I don't understand,' murmured Lyra. Lee was feeling a little confused himself and was glad when Serafina spoke again.

'Lyra, Mr Scoresby has a wild spirit, one that has been set free by your magic,' the witch explained. 'Most people do not. They live their lives by the rule of fear. Those other people you bit were not sufficiently brave or determined enough to become a wolfwalker. They never turned because they didn't have the strength to embrace it.'

'So, you're saying this whole thing was my fault?' Lee asked wryly.

'I should've known,' muttered Hester.

Serafina smiled, having become familiar with Lee's humour during their previous adventure.

'That was why your father always told us not to bite people!' Pantalaimon cheeped, hopping onto Lyra's shoulder and pecking at her ear. Lyra ignored him and looked Serafina Pekkala in the eye.

'So… Mr Scoresby was meant to become a wolfwalker?' Lyra asked. Lee felt a forceful sensation around his heart that was not pain but something akin to it.

'Not exactly,' clarified Serafina. 'He is unusual in having the potential to become one, and in having the strength to realise it. Most people are intensely afraid of anything unfamiliar, as I am sure you are both aware. Many also fear freedom. It is too great a burden.'

Lyra looked bemused – as well she might, Lee thought. She'd never known anything but freedom, for all the restrictions placed upon her by her father. Her nature had rebelled against being made to do anything against her will or made to keep her head down or made to be silent for the sake of peace. She would never comprehend why someone would wish to surrender the power of self-determination, give up the chance to be wild and fierce and free.

And him? Did he wish to surrender it?

His first instinctive thought was no. Being a wolfwalker was glorious. The strength, the wildness, the speed, the camaraderie of the pack, going forth at night in search of adventure and the excitement of the hunt…how could he possibly renounce that?

Then he glanced down at Hester, recalled how ill-at-ease his daemon was with his being a wolfwalker, their alienation from one another, and felt himself falter as if he were walking on ice that was cracking beneath his steps.

'Can you…remove it?' he forced himself to ask. Hester sat bolt upright. Lyra blanched, her fingers digging painfully into his arm. A harrumph of disapproval echoed down the tunnel entrance, indicating Iorek's opinion of this.

Serafina looked at him for a long moment, expression inscrutable.

'I could,' she said at last. 'I can quiet the wolf and let you live as a man, Mr Scoresby. But only with your consent.'

'No, no, you can't!' Lyra almost howled. 'You belong with us now!'

'Kid – Lyra, I…' Lee began – and faltered as he realised, he had no idea how to put into words all he was feeling.

'You're not a human any longer,' Lyra blurted, speaking so fast it was hard to follow what she was saying, life-or-death urgency in her voice. 'You were never meant to be one! You're so good at being a wolfwalker, you're a natural hunter –'

'It's not who you are, Lee,' said Hester, her voice so small only a wolfwalker's ears could have caught the sound.

'But it is!' Lyra protested, glaring at Hester. 'The pack loves you! Are you just going to turn your back?'

'No – I'll help rescue your father, no matter what,' Lee said firmly.

'This isn't about that!' Lyra said recklessly, eyes shimmering in the soft light of the lanterns. Lee turned towards her and placed a hand against her face, his thumb stroking her cheek. Her hands came up to clutch at his work-roughened digits, and Lee felt anew all the love – for it was love, and not just honour – that had led him to promise to protect and help Lyra.

'Lee?' said Hester. Lee looked down at her.

'Hester? Can you learn to live with this?' he asked. He had expected her to pause, consider, but her words came out in a rush.

'I don't know you anymore, Lee, and I don't know that I can live with that,' she said, ears flat against her back where she crouched.

Lee felt his chest ripped open as if he had suffered some mortal wound.

'Serafina…' he said. It was all he needed to say.

'I will perform the ritual tomorrow,' she said. 'I need time to prepare.'

Lyra gave a choked little sob and pulled Lee's hand away from her face. She ran to her sleeping place and vanished behind the curtain. Lee began to go after her, hating the heartbreak on her features, but Serafina's hand on his shoulder restrained him.

'Give her some time,' the witch-queen advised softly.

Lee reflected that it was probably the wiser course of action. He turned around and strode over to the stone bench, staring morbidly into the flickering fire where some marrowbone stew was boiling.

'Lee, I –' began Hester.

'I've said I'll give it up, Hester, isn't that enough for now?' he asked harshly.

Hester made no response.

Author's Notes: Mental casting again:

Serafina Pekkala - Ruta Gedmintas

I did promise angst! Hang on in there, anyone who's reading this, I'll update again very soon.

So, it was Lyra's bite that turned Lee. Truthfully, I agonised over his 'wild spirit' being the reason he turned when so many other people hadn't. It seemed a bit sentimental and cliched (and Philip Pullman is NEVER sentimental or cliched, or only very rarely) but the fact that not all humans have the potential to become wolfwalkers will be important later in the story... But that's in the future.

Till next time, dear readers...