Cliff Ghasts and a Bad Landing

Lee made the balloon glide carefully over the plains of white and across the nearby ocean of ice. The children and the bears were fast asleep.

Serafina Pekala flew up from and sat on the ledge. She spoke up. "I warn you Mr. Scoresby...there may be more fighting ahead. But I'm sure you can handle it,"

"I'm sure I can. But I know that as the situation grows more complicated...my family's situation becomes more complicated,"

"Lyra is destined to be important. To create and resolve conflict. She matters more than she can ever know,"

"Well I had a contract with the Gyptians over what was accomplished back in Bolvanger. And I'm already repaying Lyra back for saving my child by taking her on this journey,"

"She needs you Lee,"

"I'm not ungrateful for what she's done. But I can't risk putting Mia in danger. You know, a man should have a choice whether to take up arms or not,"

"Mia is already a part of this. Lyra needs her. Just as much as she does. And you need her too. Both of them are part of a destiny that's to come. And they will not walk in it alone,"

"There are others?"

"Yes,"

Lee was intrigued. Was this foretold? "Do you know who they are?"

"No. What I do know, is that the fate of more than this world depends on all of them,"

"This isn't how I expected this conversation to go,"

"What were you expecting? Money?"

"No. I was expecting an excuse to keep Mia out of this,"

"You're been a good father to her Mr. Scoresby. But you've seen how much she has grown stronger. And that is because of Lyra. The polar star will guide you to Lord Asriel. The wind is strong. You're a capable navigator. The fate of everything is in your hands now,"

"So both Lyra and Mia are responsible for everything...and I'm responsible..." he paused. "For both of them,"

"Yes. The world is in your hands. And I'm glad it is," the witch smiled. "Good luck," she took off and disappeared into the sky.

"Wow," Hester said awkwardly. "Quite something,"

Lee hung my head unsure what to do now.

"You know what this means Lee," Hester was beginning another conversation which I did not want to talk about. "You have to let Mia go,"

"But she's only a child,"

"Yet she was able to save Roger from being cut. And you don't have to rely on yourself. Look at what Lyra did. She saved her. You can count on her to keep Mia safe. Have you ever thought that since meeting Lyra...our lives have changed?"

Lee wondered what she was thinking about. Perhaps she was right. Somehow meeting Lyra had made his precious girl braver and stronger. Somehow letting down my protective guard has allowed her to do things that he thought she couldn't do. He had no seen what a incredible girl she was. Lyra was right. He just needed to let her show it, not hold her back. He remembered those slightly rude but necessary words that night we first camped.

Somehow she was right. It wasn't just Mia but Lyra. There was something about her. Somehow she seemed to change other people's lives, just like Mia's, just like his. He could not help but begin to realise that there was a sisterly connection between them. He was proud of her for it. He was now proud to keep her safe alongside his child.

It grew darker outside as it got late. Hester took a nap on Lee's lap and he fell asleep as well. He had just go to sleep dreaming about his wife...when a constant rhythm of clicking made my ear drums ring. The more intensified it became, the more he was woken up from my dream. He felt an abrupt feeling engulf my body when he thought he saw a shadow looming outside the curtains around the balloon. He noticed Mia was fidgeting. Lyra was too.

"Shh," he whispered. He pulled out his revolver and poked it outside. But there was nothing. It was probably just his imagination. But the clicking came again. Growing louder. Roger woke up too. Without warning, there was a shriek from outside. Iorek was woke up and he roared, scaring whatever it was away.

"What was that?" Mia asked.

On the spur of that moment another roar was heard and Iera poked out to roar.

"What are those things?" Roger screamed.

"Cliff Ghasts!" she growled.

"I hate cliff ghosts," he muttered, arming my revolver again. "Iorek, Iera you see anymore out there?"

"No. It's clear your shooting must have improved Lee!" he praised.

More of those ghastly things growled as they climbed over the railings. He shot and shot. The children pressed their ears together. He shot one just above the helium tanks. The balloon suddenly tilted. Lyra fell back again the door. It suddenly flopped back and she went rolling out. Before she plunge out the balloon, she grabbed the rail.

"Lyra!" Mia screamed, crawling forward to get her.

"Mia! Stay there! I'll get her!" Lee grabbed the rail from the centre and reached down to Lyra calling out to her to grab her hand. She tried to reach up but she was too scared of falling. She kept compelling her but just before she could try again, her grip slipped and she fell. She screamed as she disappeared into the mist.

"Lyra!" Lee screamed. But it was no use. Lyra was gone.

"No!" Mia leaned her head out, her eyes spilling out tears "No,"

But our moment of grief was cut short.

"Incoming!" Iera screamed. Suddenly a whole flock of cliff ghasts came out of nowhere and rammed their heads at the balloon, causing it to tilt. Some wires connecting the balloon to the carriage broke apart. It tilted. Lee grabbed a rail to hold on. He took Mia's hand. Another herd of banging hands rammed the carriage. More wires broke. The balloon tilted further and unable to react quick enough, Iorek fell out.

"Iorek!" Lee screamed again. He was gone too.

Iera roared in trauma. Roger screamed as he lost his grip and was about to fall out over the edge.

"Roger!" Mia let go of her father's hand, falling after him.

"Mia!" Lee screamed. He couldn't lose her again.

Mia managed to grab Roger's hand before he fell but they were both now hanging to a net attached outside. The ropes were braking and already after it was half-detached from the carriage. Some of our supplies plunged out, falling the great height below them. They were hanging off by quite a long distance.

"Mia!" he couldn't lose her again.

"Grab them Lee," Iera was using all paws to stretch her body the width of the carriage so that she wouldn't fall. "You have to get them!"

"Grab my foot," Lee ordered Iera. Using one paw, she gripped his foot tightly as he was able to grab a part of the net. Tugging with all his might, he heaved it up a bit, but their combined weight at the end was making it more difficult.

"I'm goanna lift up Roger up to you," Mia screamed as lee almost had them in my reach. "Roger, when I left high enough...grab my dad,"

"Mountain!" Hester bellowed.

Suddenly there was a tremendous bang as the balloon crashed into something much harder than a flock of hard headed cliff ghasts. That was all it took. Mia's fingers slipped from the net and she and Roger screamed as they fell and the fog below engulfed them.

"Noooooo!" Lee screamed. He had lost her again. He had lost his child. He had lost her, Lyra and Roger. His tears were spilling out. But Iera and he in his highly damaged balloon were carried far, far away by a strong current of winds, getting further and further away from Iorek and the children, unable to do anything. It was hopeless. He had failed them. He had failed both my child and Lyra.

Pain was soaring through Mia's body. Roger's voice echoed in her ears as her eye lids moved. She opened them slightly and saw Roger's face hovering over her. He looked concerned. "It's okay. It's okay," he repeatedly soothed her.

When she regained complete conscious...she suddenly felt a shock of pain from her leg. As Roger helped her sit up, she saw a horrible slash of blood cut right through her right trouser leg. Blood was rapidly leaking out. It was going to leave a horrible scar. Mia clenched my teeth together as rivers of pain streamed through her body, making it impossible for her to conceal it.

"You didn't have a good landing. During the fall, your leg scraped against some rocks,"

She recalled that before she lost conscious, my leg scrapped against something sharp, right after...

"Wait my dad? Where's my dad?" Mia pushed myself up, ignoring Roger's shouts at her to rest and not standing on her wounded leg but she didn't care. What about her dad? She rushed out of the cave, calling out her dad's name.

"Dad! Daddy!" she screamed. She heard her voice echo across the air. "Where are you?" she whispered that next bit. There was nothing. No balloon. No portable home. No dad. Aster slipped out of her pocket in the form of a ferret.

"He's gone Aster," she cried, giving into her limping leg and falling onto the snow. "I've lost him again. She was just reunited with him," her tears spilled. Being separated from him a second time was more painful than the first time.

Aster whimpered and jumped into her arms, nuzzling her neck.

She felt Roger's arms engulf her from behind. "Don't worry Mia. We'll find him,"

She looked at him and he gave her a face of hope. She sniffled and managed to swallow her sobs.

They heard a roar. They turned and saw Iorek prodding towards them. He was unarmed, thanks to his armour. It was a good thing Iera didn't fall out because she wouldn't have survived the fall. Roger and Mia were quite lucky ourselves.

"Iorek!" She rushed to him, limping on one leg. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay. Your leg,"

"It's just a scratch. I'm fine," she lied.

"Did you see where Lee and Iera were?" Roger asked.

"I saw them," he replied. "They were still airborne when I last saw them. But the powerful winds carried them far away. I'm sure your father will be alright Mia. We'll find him once we find Lyra. I hope Iera will be alright as well," Iorek prayed. "She'll keep your father safe,"

"I'm so sorry Iorek," Mia apologetically said. "You just got reunited with the love of your life and now you're separated from her again,"

"It is not your fault child. I promise you that we will find Lee," he said calmly. "Right now my concern is for your leg. You're losing a lot of blood,"

He was right. She could feel blood rapidly spilling down her leg and dampening my right boot.

"I will find blood moss. Wait here,"

He galloped off into the caverns to search for the herbs. Right after he left, Roger asked what blood moss was and Mia told him about its medicinal properties, particularly for blood wounds. She bent down and managed to sit down on the snow, cringing as she touched her leg wound.

"Is it bad? Does it hurt so much?" Roger asked sitting next to me.

"Not too bad," she struggled to hide the pain. "It's goanna turn into a scar I think,"

"I'm so sorry. You tried to save me but we both fell out. Now you're hurt and you're separated from your father again,"

"It's fine. I've already got scars so it's not that big of a deal. And it's not your fault,"

We waited patiently until Iorek was back with two bundles of that herbal plant in his mouth. She tried do it myself but it hurt so much. Roger offered to do it and Mia let him. It felt more easier to bear but it stung so much that she could hear Aster cringing as well.

"It should heal in no time," Iorek said. "When I found those herbs, I found footprints in the snow near a mountain pass not far from here," his face turned grim as her face turned pale. "Lyra has been taken by bears to the palace of Iofur Raknison,"

"Iofur Raknison?" Roger breathed. "Who's he?"

"The king of the bears," She answered, struggling to breathe. "Poor Lyra. Poor Pan. They must be terrified. We have to save them,"

"Now...I must go and save Lyra,"

"You can't just go charging in like that!" Mia protested. "They'll kill you on sight!"

"I have to. I am Lyra's only chance,"

Mia wanted to protest but Roger said that he was his only chance. From the look on his face, he could not stand for Lyra to be stuck in that fortress. And neither could Mia. She gently touched Iorek's face. "Be careful Iorek. Save Lyra,"

"I will,"

"Good luck," Roger wished.

Iorek gave us one final nod before he roared and galloped off into the white to save Lyra. The two of us sat together in the cave with our daemons twirling their fingers or throwing pebbles.

"Thank you," Roger said.

She looked up at him. "For what?"

"For coming all this way with Lyra. And with me. Even though you were put in danger...and you nearly got cut...after saving me,"

"It was nothing really. I wanted to repay you two for being so kind to me. And I didn't want to stand back and do nothing whilst the Magisterium did horrible things to you all. I'm sorry that we couldn't help Billy as well. But I bet he would be really proud that we did it,"

Roger remained sad and said nothing else after that. We chose to remained quiet. We waited...and waited...and waited...

Oh dear. Mia's been separated from her father again. How sad. Will they ever see each other again? And did you all hear what Serafina said? 'They will not walk alone' Who are the others? You'll have to wait until later on in the story to find out. What do you all think? Will you all let me know what you all think so far? Hope you all are enjoying this a lot.