Like Adam was our father, so Eve was our mother. Does this not mean that everyone is our sister? You look around you and you see many people. Believe it or not, though I doubt you will, we are all related, no matter our colour. Don't we both have the same two legs? The same two eyes? The same hands, fingers and toes?
"Lyra darlin', is that really you? And after all these years of their being no change in you, haven't you after growing into a fine big lassie."
"I'm glad to see you too, Farder Coram, it feels like it's been so long since I visited the Gyptian families in and around the Dahl. It feels strange to be returning after so many years."
"Aye, it's been a long time Lyra, too long." Another voice spoke; this one deep and strong. Lyra looked up from her place beside Farder Coram, and then jumped to her feet and into the arms of the man standing by the door.
"John Faa, I've missed you so much." she said, as the man who was no longer young hugged her back.
"You've grown Lyra, I see what Farder was saying now. You're a right fine young lady. If I didn't know you so well I'd swear that you weren't our own little Lyra anymore."
"Times chance even the strongest figures, you yourself have been worn beyond imagine. I must be honest, its' a shock to see you so changed in such a short few years, if you don't mind me saying, Mr Faa. I've missed this place so much." the man smiled at the child he had known for the last six years.
"Lyra darling, do you think all the travelling we did together meant nothing? My name is John, it's no good for two old friends like ourselves to be using sir names." He grinned, and gestured at her to be seated. "We've a few old friends a visiting us from the north, I'm sure they'll be mighty happy to see you." he turned and walked back out the door he had entered by, and Lyra sat down on the couch, nervously fiddling with Pan's fur. She noticed that Farder Coram was talking to her and answered him politely enough, making small talk, but her mind was on more pressing matters, i.e. was Will really coming or did he end up staying at home, and what would the visitors say to her.
"Lyra Silvertongue, still as beautiful as ever." A voice grunted behind her. It was several hours later and John Faa had still not returned so her and Farder Coram were sitting together enjoying a light meal.
"Iorick!" Lyra screamed in delight! "Iorick Briorson, it's been so long, how are you." the armoured bear grunted in reply.
"Good. The bears are doing well. We live in the ice like bears were meant to, and the 'university' built by my predecessor are no more. We tore it to the ground and all that the former king stood for."
"That's good. I was worried about how the bears were going to take you being the new king and getting rid of all that they had grown to love. I guess bears aren't supposed to be educated in the way of humans."
"True, but it would not have been if you had said bears were not meant to be educated at all. Bears are to be educated, but in the ways of the world and the bears, not in the ways of humans."
"I understand." Lyra replied, and then, loosing all pretence, she flung herself to the bear and hugged him tight.
"I missed you Iorick, I missed you loads."
"And I you, Lyra Silvertongue, and I you." she pulled away and looked up as she sensed another presence entering the room, but she did not leave go of the fur of the armoured bear.
"Lyra Belaqua, you've grown like the wind. You would easily pass as a witch were you to come north with us." the witch queen from the northern lands smiled sadly down on the young child whose destiny was so densely woven and hard to follow. "My clan sends their greetings."
"Serifina Peccala, its Silvertongue and you know it. I'm not Belaqua anymore, and I have no wish to go back to the name given to be by my mother and father."
"Well said." The lady who was both old and young at the same time smiled. "I'm glad to see you've lost non of your pride."
"And non of your beauty." Lyra finished, and smiled at the other of her good friends. "It's good to see you again Serifina, it feels like an age."
"Yes sister, it's been a long time, and it is good to see you once more. We have lots to catch up on, and I have a message for you from my people and the other clans in the north. We wish you luck in the next chapter of your life and give you the message that no matter what happens, the witches of the north lands are there to help you in your quest." She turned to John Faa then. "John, bring out Gonséither, the sooner Lyra gets the knife the sooner she can get on with what she has to do and then return to us here in our world."
"Serifina." Lyra interrupted. "I'm not sure if I will be returning. I want to show Will this world with all my heart but if this isn't where we were meant to be together then that's the end of it. I'm not going to force something on him if it won't work. He won't get sick because of my heartlessness, and that's the end of it!"
"Well said Lyra, of course I understand what you're saying, but I think you should come travelling before you finally settle down. This trip will take a lot from your health, and if you don't return while travelling I'm afraid there will be little hope of us meeting again before the final trip."
John Faa entered the room again, carrying a parcel wrapped in brown paper that he handed to Serifina Peccala.
"Most esteemed of the witch queens, will you do the honours of handing over the power to the fine young woman we now see standing before us." he said, in a voice that was nothing like his own. "Lyra darling, I think it's time we returned this too its rightful owner." Lyra blushed red, and Pantalaimon started to get excited but Serifina's daemon calmed him with a nod of her head.
"Lyra." Serifina spoke in a firm and strong voice; one that Lyra had never heard her use before but what she assumed was the voice she used when addressing her clan. "Take what is rightfully yours child, but use it well, for although it will not harm like its brother did, it is still a tool of much power and magic." She handed Lyra the brown parcel carefully, and then continued to speak.
"Since the time of your birth when your destiny became apparent we witches have known that you were to wield Gonséither. We bided our time, waiting for the ideal time to give to you the knife that has been in our care since Eve left it with us at the beginning of time, and now that time has come." John Faa looked at her closely, and then spoke to Lyra.
"Sit down Lyra, for it's high time you learned of the history of the world that is known by the Witches and the Gyptians." Lyra took a seat on the edge of an armchair against one wall, and Serifina and John took the couch opposite her.
"The history of your destiny started many years ago, at the true forging of the knifes known as the Dust Maker and the Subtle knife. Although the story was changed when the subtle knife was left in Cita-Gazzé the true origins of them are still known by the ancient people who now live in our world.
Of course you know the stories of Adam and Eve, the two first humans, but not many people know of the gift given to them by the angels, for the almighty, who was at that time young and healthy. He believed that each animal created on earth should be given something special to help them on their way. To the bears he gave the power to make armour, and the power to be solitary, to the Mulfea he gave the power to control the other animals of their world, and to ride on wheels, and to the humans he gave daemons and the two knifes. These two knifes were to give the humans a power to move between worlds, and so populate everywhere, but there was a 'mistake' during the forging of the second of the knifes, the brother called the subtle knife. The almighty made it so that every time the knife was used to cut through worlds it created a dark creature to destroy the human race. This creature wouldn't kill, for at that time the almighty was completely against killing, but it would take the soul of adults and so leave them helpless with nothing to do to them.
He gave the Subtle Knife to Adam, and Gonséither to Eve, and over the years both used their knifes to do good in the world, for what bad the Subtle Knife did the Dust Maker corrected, for the Dust Maker was capable of no evil.
There came a time, many years after the creation of the knifes, when Eve came to the witches in the north. She could tell she was near death, and asked us to keep her knife safe until the time when her own soul would walk the earth again. That was the prophecy that forced your life into what it was, and now we are returning your mother's knife to you." John Faa's story drew to a close and Lyra looked up nervously.
"What do you mean 'my mother?' Eve wasn't my mother, that was miss Coulter."
"Miss Coulter was your mother on earth, but Adam and Eve are your true parents and always will be. After all, we are all sisters and brothers, so we all have the same parents in our souls." Serifina Peccala explained. "Go now, Lyra. Go and face your destiny."
When I wrote this chapter I was sitting in school because I had a day without exams and I thought I'd come in, do an after-school club I was involved in and write with the change of scenery. Then the after-school club was cancelled so I hit the lads who went dosing and got it cancelled. But that's neither here nor there so as always please review this chapter. Love and peace, Stargazing Maiden.