His Dark Materials
Disclaimer
His Dark Materials and all related characters belong to Bantam and Knopf books, and I am sure Philip Pullman is involved.
Lyra woke from her sleep, sweat rolling down her cheeks. She tossed aside the covers, her body clearly outlined in the moonlight. She had come there, to Dame Hannah's boarding school, to learn more about the alethiometer. She had learned a lot, but not how to cope with the recurring nightmares.
The nightmares she was having came two, sometimes three, times a night. It was the one where she is lying next to Will, and she wakes up to a violent fight. A dark figure is holding Will in his hands, and he simply walks off, leaving Lyra all alone. And when she tries to figure out what happened, she grabs for the alethiometer and...
And she can't figure out what to do. Her one true love, and she has no idea how to help him. That's when she wakes up. In the middle of her panic.
Lyra sighed, walking out of the dorm. She passed the bunk beds, each holding a girl who attended the school. They were breathing happily. Lyra stared at them momentarily, jealousy pulsing through her veins. She shook off the feeling, however, and strode to the bathroom. She turned on the shower, pulled off her underwear, and hopped in.
Soon, Lyra felt truly refreshed. Unfortunately, this meant she did not feel tired. She pulled out her alethiometer, hoping she could further her studies. After all, there was nothing else to do. She went to her small locker, pulled out her backpack, and looked at the little velvet sac. She opened it, and inside lay her precious golden compass.
She shut her locker and walked back to the bed, making herself comfortable. She started to twist the little knob, but something made her freeze in her tracks. Someone coughed. She glanced around, and heard it again. It didn't some from any of the girls, and the Lyra backed up.
Hiding in the shadows, Lyra lapsed into her sub-conscious mode, preparing to use the alethiometer. In the three years she had been at the school, she had learned to go back into the trance. She twisted the knobs, and then watched the needle swing back and forth, her eyes watching every movement.
Where is Dame Hannah? Lyra asked. This was an easy one, she already knew the answer. But it would help get her started.
The boarding house, watching over her newborn.
Lyra was surprised by the ease it came at. She understood why each symbol had been pointed at almost immediately. Who stole my homework today?
The Lady Monroe. Beware of her, she is out to get you. Lyra was shocked. She had gotten into trouble for not having her homework earlier that day, and her teacher had taken it. Lyra would have to talk to Lady Monroe later. She worried about the second part, however. Sometimes, the alethiometer told you more than you wanted. And it wasn't always wanted information.
What shocked Lyra even more was that the answer, a harder one to decipher, had come to her so quickly. She grinned, deciding to try a question she had long wanted to know but had never been able to decipher. How is Will?
He is in a horrible situation, captured.
By who? Lyra asked.
A sound interrupted her. She looked up, breaking out of her trance. "Who is it?" she shouted. Some girls moaned and got to their feet, but hurriedly went back to bed when they saw it was still dark out.
"Shh..." a voice said. Lyra didn't recognize it as any of the girls voices. "Its me."
"Who?" Lyra hissed. And then she saw a slight outline in the night. It was an angel. "Xaphania!" Lyra shouted in glee, awakening yet more girls.
Lyra was a sixteen year old girl, with hair she liked to describe as 'burnt sienna.' She had a tall, slender figure, and was currently dressed in only black lingerie, for she was in her nightclothes. Xaphania was a tall angel, with long hair and a perfect form. Lyra envied her, though most boys wouldn't understand why.
"I have given you your gift back," Xaphania said. "You will need it, for the long journey ahead."
"What journey?" Lyra asked. She was starting to get impatient, for she wanted to figure out who had taken Will. It was probably those stupid men who were always after him.
"In my journeys, I have found many of the windows of these worlds. I have been able to close most of them, but the one I found most recently... I couldn't bring myself to close it just yet."
"Why?" Lyra asked, beginning to get intrigued.
"It leads from this world to Will's."
Lyra gasped.
"I'll take you there," Xaphania continued.
Lyra hurriedly nodded in agreement. "Oh, wait! No!" she cried. "I can't just leave! This is all I have left. I must say goodbyes, get permission to leave, and so on."
"I understand," said Xaphania. "Well, good bye then."
"Wait! I still must go! Jut give me a few days."
Xaphania sighed, then said, "Agreed. I will be back in three days. You must be ready by then." Lyra nodded, gripping the pine marten in her hands.
~*~
"You understand, don't you, Dame Hannah?" Lyra said. "I must do this."
Dame Hannah grinned and walked over to Lyra. She sat down next to her, smiling kindly. "I understand. Most girls would not get this special opportunity, this, this, time. But you, Lyra, you are a special girl. And I understand your feelings for Will. But promise me one thing."
"What is it?" Lyra asked.
"You'll come back in one piece."
Lyra nodded. "Yes," she said, grinning. "I promise. I'll come back, and I'll be whole when I do."
Dame Hannah smiled, and said, "Okay, go say goodbye to your friends. I'm sure they want to say goodbye, and maybe even listen to another one of your tales. Boy, after this adventure, you are definitely getting out of the World of the Dead!" Dame Hannah laughed, and then Lyra departed from her office.
~*~
As Xaphania had promised, Lyra was taken from the school three nights later. She walked among the grounds, Pantalaimon running by her, happy at his chance to once again see Kirjava. His sleek reddish-brown body was beautiful in the night.
"Well," Xaphania said. "This may feel a bit odd at first, and you may get a headache, but... You will see it is worth it. It is a wondrous experience. Come now." And before Lyra could respond, she felt herself hoisted into the air, lifted by dozens of angels.
Lyra felt her breath taken away, and watched in awe as the ground became further and further away. She felt the chill of the night air, the feel of the clouds, and the headaches of the altitude. But it was worth it all.
And then it was over, all to quickly. Lyra was back on the ground, but it was much colder. She looked around, gazing at the snowy surroundings. She was back in the arctic. She thought about Iorek, and how nice it would be to see him again. She wondered what had happened to the king of the bears after the fight. She thought of consulting the alethiometer, but then saw the window.
She walked up to it, ignoring the chill biting at her. She felt around, and looked it over again and again. It was magnificent. She reached her hand inside, feeling around. She thought she would never see another window like this for as long as she lived.
Xaphania nodded in approval, and Lyra stepped through, into Will's world.
Disclaimer
His Dark Materials and all related characters belong to Bantam and Knopf books, and I am sure Philip Pullman is involved.
Lyra woke from her sleep, sweat rolling down her cheeks. She tossed aside the covers, her body clearly outlined in the moonlight. She had come there, to Dame Hannah's boarding school, to learn more about the alethiometer. She had learned a lot, but not how to cope with the recurring nightmares.
The nightmares she was having came two, sometimes three, times a night. It was the one where she is lying next to Will, and she wakes up to a violent fight. A dark figure is holding Will in his hands, and he simply walks off, leaving Lyra all alone. And when she tries to figure out what happened, she grabs for the alethiometer and...
And she can't figure out what to do. Her one true love, and she has no idea how to help him. That's when she wakes up. In the middle of her panic.
Lyra sighed, walking out of the dorm. She passed the bunk beds, each holding a girl who attended the school. They were breathing happily. Lyra stared at them momentarily, jealousy pulsing through her veins. She shook off the feeling, however, and strode to the bathroom. She turned on the shower, pulled off her underwear, and hopped in.
Soon, Lyra felt truly refreshed. Unfortunately, this meant she did not feel tired. She pulled out her alethiometer, hoping she could further her studies. After all, there was nothing else to do. She went to her small locker, pulled out her backpack, and looked at the little velvet sac. She opened it, and inside lay her precious golden compass.
She shut her locker and walked back to the bed, making herself comfortable. She started to twist the little knob, but something made her freeze in her tracks. Someone coughed. She glanced around, and heard it again. It didn't some from any of the girls, and the Lyra backed up.
Hiding in the shadows, Lyra lapsed into her sub-conscious mode, preparing to use the alethiometer. In the three years she had been at the school, she had learned to go back into the trance. She twisted the knobs, and then watched the needle swing back and forth, her eyes watching every movement.
Where is Dame Hannah? Lyra asked. This was an easy one, she already knew the answer. But it would help get her started.
The boarding house, watching over her newborn.
Lyra was surprised by the ease it came at. She understood why each symbol had been pointed at almost immediately. Who stole my homework today?
The Lady Monroe. Beware of her, she is out to get you. Lyra was shocked. She had gotten into trouble for not having her homework earlier that day, and her teacher had taken it. Lyra would have to talk to Lady Monroe later. She worried about the second part, however. Sometimes, the alethiometer told you more than you wanted. And it wasn't always wanted information.
What shocked Lyra even more was that the answer, a harder one to decipher, had come to her so quickly. She grinned, deciding to try a question she had long wanted to know but had never been able to decipher. How is Will?
He is in a horrible situation, captured.
By who? Lyra asked.
A sound interrupted her. She looked up, breaking out of her trance. "Who is it?" she shouted. Some girls moaned and got to their feet, but hurriedly went back to bed when they saw it was still dark out.
"Shh..." a voice said. Lyra didn't recognize it as any of the girls voices. "Its me."
"Who?" Lyra hissed. And then she saw a slight outline in the night. It was an angel. "Xaphania!" Lyra shouted in glee, awakening yet more girls.
Lyra was a sixteen year old girl, with hair she liked to describe as 'burnt sienna.' She had a tall, slender figure, and was currently dressed in only black lingerie, for she was in her nightclothes. Xaphania was a tall angel, with long hair and a perfect form. Lyra envied her, though most boys wouldn't understand why.
"I have given you your gift back," Xaphania said. "You will need it, for the long journey ahead."
"What journey?" Lyra asked. She was starting to get impatient, for she wanted to figure out who had taken Will. It was probably those stupid men who were always after him.
"In my journeys, I have found many of the windows of these worlds. I have been able to close most of them, but the one I found most recently... I couldn't bring myself to close it just yet."
"Why?" Lyra asked, beginning to get intrigued.
"It leads from this world to Will's."
Lyra gasped.
"I'll take you there," Xaphania continued.
Lyra hurriedly nodded in agreement. "Oh, wait! No!" she cried. "I can't just leave! This is all I have left. I must say goodbyes, get permission to leave, and so on."
"I understand," said Xaphania. "Well, good bye then."
"Wait! I still must go! Jut give me a few days."
Xaphania sighed, then said, "Agreed. I will be back in three days. You must be ready by then." Lyra nodded, gripping the pine marten in her hands.
~*~
"You understand, don't you, Dame Hannah?" Lyra said. "I must do this."
Dame Hannah grinned and walked over to Lyra. She sat down next to her, smiling kindly. "I understand. Most girls would not get this special opportunity, this, this, time. But you, Lyra, you are a special girl. And I understand your feelings for Will. But promise me one thing."
"What is it?" Lyra asked.
"You'll come back in one piece."
Lyra nodded. "Yes," she said, grinning. "I promise. I'll come back, and I'll be whole when I do."
Dame Hannah smiled, and said, "Okay, go say goodbye to your friends. I'm sure they want to say goodbye, and maybe even listen to another one of your tales. Boy, after this adventure, you are definitely getting out of the World of the Dead!" Dame Hannah laughed, and then Lyra departed from her office.
~*~
As Xaphania had promised, Lyra was taken from the school three nights later. She walked among the grounds, Pantalaimon running by her, happy at his chance to once again see Kirjava. His sleek reddish-brown body was beautiful in the night.
"Well," Xaphania said. "This may feel a bit odd at first, and you may get a headache, but... You will see it is worth it. It is a wondrous experience. Come now." And before Lyra could respond, she felt herself hoisted into the air, lifted by dozens of angels.
Lyra felt her breath taken away, and watched in awe as the ground became further and further away. She felt the chill of the night air, the feel of the clouds, and the headaches of the altitude. But it was worth it all.
And then it was over, all to quickly. Lyra was back on the ground, but it was much colder. She looked around, gazing at the snowy surroundings. She was back in the arctic. She thought about Iorek, and how nice it would be to see him again. She wondered what had happened to the king of the bears after the fight. She thought of consulting the alethiometer, but then saw the window.
She walked up to it, ignoring the chill biting at her. She felt around, and looked it over again and again. It was magnificent. She reached her hand inside, feeling around. She thought she would never see another window like this for as long as she lived.
Xaphania nodded in approval, and Lyra stepped through, into Will's world.