A/N: Hey everyone! This is my least favorite of my chapters, though I think the characters sound more like themselves. This is the most depressing of the chapters, I promise. The one part with Paul was my least favorite to write, but I felt it needed to be written. Thanks again for the reviews, and I'll update again soon.

Disclaimer: I do not His Dark Materials at all. I only own my own characters who are: Mari Drake, Klitus, Paul and his daemon.

Lyra laughed at the students reactions. "No need to be frightened! They"re friends of mine!"

Mari looked closer and gasped. "Is that Serafina Pekkala and Iorek Byrnison?"

"Yes, I don't know why they are coming to meet us though. It's quite odd..."

"Lyra," Serafina said as she landed, and Iorek stood looking at the group.

Most of the students just slowly back away, but Mari curtsied. "Queen Serafina and King Iorek! It is an honor to meet you your highnesses."

"What is this?" Serafina asked Lyra.

Lyra laughed at the different reactions. "These are my students. They've come to learn more about the north, and Mari here is helping me out. We can talk more about that later."

"Who is this Mari?"

Mari stood up straight. "I-I-I am your highness,"

"Just call me Serafina, please." She turned back to Lyra. "Is she the student-?"

"Yes, but we can speak of that later. Not all know about that past. What brings you two here?"

Iorek shifted on his paws. "I cannot stay long. I must get back to my kingdom, but it seems an old enemy has returned."

Lyra looked at him confused, and worried. "What do you mean Iorek?"

"Iofur,"

The color drained from Lyra's face, and Mari thought about that name. It's familiar... Then she gasped. "You mean... he can't possibly be alive!"

"He's not exactly," Serafina sighed.

Lyra looked back at her students. "Let's not discuss this here. We're near where we are to stay next, we can discuss it there."

Serafina nodded. "We'll fly- or run- ahead and meet you there. Iorek may have to leave, but I can explain everything and deliver the news to him."

"We'll hurry, don't you worry,"

"It all started about a month ago," Iorek began, "everything was as normal as it is for my kingdom. Remnants of Iofur have long been destroyed or lost to the ice, and my kind's traditions were are strong as ever. Then one night as I walked out into the moonlight something caught my eye. I ducked down, behind a pile of snow to see what was happening, and couldn't believe what I saw; a single panserbjorne stood looking at where my kind was settling down for sleep. A single glowing panserbjorne that is; and he was glaring."

"So you think this is a ghost of Iofur?" Mari asked.

Iorek nodded. "I think he's waiting for the daemon he was promised,"

Lyra nodded slowly. "The question is, how do we get one for him so he'll leave."

"That's not all," Iorek sighed. "He's been attacking my kingdom. Every night he attacks, with creatures I have never seen. I think they are creatures who wished to be daemons while they were alive, or they wanted a daemon for themselves."

"Any ideas?" Serafina asked Mari and Lyra.

"I have no idea," Lyra said with a shrug.

Mari thought a moment, staring at the floor, then looked up at Iorek. "Does he only attack at night?"

"Yes,"

Marianne closed her eyes, deep in thought. "Light must affect them in some way. How we can get enough light equivalent to the sun I'll never know..."

Iorek nodded. "I must go. Dusk approaches and he'll begin his attacks soon."

"We will discuss this further Iorek. We will find a way to help," Lyra assured him.

"Thank you Lyra Silvertongue. Maybe your Silvertongue can help in this fight with him as well."

She nodded and said a quick farewell as he turned and ran, the best he could, away.

"Light, that is a good idea young Mari. What battles have you been in?" Serafina asked.

Mari chuckled. "None actually. I just read a lot and talk to my teachers."

"Well, you may be in a battle sooner than you think," Serafina sighed. "I regret to say that, but I think that that is the truth."

"Will would know what to do," Lyra sighed as she petted Pan's fur.

Mari closed her eyes and thought about the calculations she had made. "Well if we could communicate with him somehow he could be of help..."

"Do you know how?" Lyra asked hopefully.

Mari sighed and nodded slowly. "I have a few guesses, but I'm not sure what will happen or if any of them will work."

"You may have a way to communicate between worlds?" Serafina asked, amazed.

She nodded. "I was able to help professor- I mean, Lyra- see Will, but there was a type of... glass, blocking the two worlds. We could see him, and he could see us, but we couldn't hear each other."

Serafina nodded. "That is a very good leap though. Few have tried what you have figured out in a short time. That is quite amazing Ms. Drake. You are no ordinary human, if you didn't already know that because of the shape Klitus chose to take. You obviously have a purpose here, just as Lyra had a purpose in the past. You are here to help, and to be helped."

Mari nodded. "Yes, Lyra has already helped me though. She's taught me more than any of my teachers of the past have and she is a good friend."

Lyra smiled. "I'm always happy to hear a student say that, but there is more I can teach you."

Suddenly a knock came from the door.

Lyra got up and opened the door. "Yes?"

"Is Marianne Drake here?" A man asked.

"It's pronounced Marianna and yes, I am her."

"This arrived for you a few days ago." He handed a letter to Lyra.

"Thank you,"

He nodded, turned and left.

"How did that letter beat us here?" Mari asked as Lyra handed her the letter.

"Dunno," Lyra said, "it looks important though."

Mari nodded and opened the letter only to gasp, drop it, cover her mouth and back away slowly.

"Mari?" Lyra asked suddenly, "What's wrong?"

"M-m-my-" She couldn't say it. Tears stung her eyes and her throat tightened.

Lyra lead her to the table they had been sitting at then picked up the letter and read it. "Oh... Mari,"

She shook her head as Klitus leaped into her lap and began licking her face.

"What happened? What is it?" Serafina asked.

Lyra looked down at the letter. "
'Dear Ms. Drake, we regret to inform you that your parents were recently involved in an accident. We were unable to contact you before you left for your expedition north, we arrived to inform you just a few minutes after you had left.
Signed,
Oxford Police Department.'

Mari-"

"I'm fine," She lied, wiping her face.

Lyra looked across the table. "You read the journals that I wrote, correct?"

"Yes,"

"So you know what happens to them, correct?"

"Yes, what does that have to do anything though?"

"Now they are a part of the things around you! They are more of a part of you now!"

Mari sniffled.

"Mari, you're more than welcome to go-"

"I'm staying. The date was the day we left and that was a month ago. I'm sure someone has taken care of everything that needed to be taken care of. I'll send letters to my aunts and uncles to let them know that I know and that I am staying here."

"Mari you should-"

"I'm staying." She said firmly.

Klitus looked up at her, his eyes filling with tears as well. "Mari,"

"We'll get through this. I just need... I just need to go outside and be by myself for a bit."

Lyra began to argue, but Serafina touched her arm, and nodded.

Mari stood and left the room, walking out onto a small balcony that was there. "Why now?" She asked more to herself than to Klitus.

"The world works in mysterious ways," He sighed.

"Come here Kli," She said as she picked him up. The stared out over the snowy landscape not saying anything.

He snuggled closer to her, to comfort himself or to comfort her Mari didn't know.

"What's up?"

"I don't want to talk right now Paul," Mari said wiping her tears away.

"I'm sure I could be of some help,"

"No one can be of help Paul, just leave me alone."

"I can help with anything,"

Mari whipped around to find he was standing right behind her. She glared up at him. "You can't help me at all! Just leave me alone!"

Klitus growled at him, but Paul ignored him. "Oh come on Mari-"

"That's Ms. Drake to you! Now go away!"

He came forward and kissed her, but she pushed him away.

"Stay away from me!" Mari ran inside and down the hallway toward Lyra's room, but Paul followed.

Klitus leaped out of her arms as Paul caught her and tried to kiss her again, but Klitus jumped us and locked his teeth around Paul's daemons neck. "Let her go," He growled through the feathers.

Paul jumped backwards clutching his neck.

"Now go!" Klitus barked as he spat the eagle out and watch the two run away. He crawled over to Mari who was sitting on the floor and began to lick her face.

"What happened?!" Lyra asked as she saw Mari crying still and the feathers all over the floor.

"Paul attacked her," Klitus answered, glancing over his shoulder. "He wouldn't leave her alone,"

"Well, he's going home then." Lyra turned to go down the hall and find Paul.

"Wait!" Mari's sudden call surprised Lyra and caused her to freeze. "Before you send him off, let's get Will here into this world."