"Lyra?" Mrs Coulter whispered, seeing Lyra lying in the snow. "Lyra!" She shouted running to her daughter. She fell to her knees beside Lyra. Lyra was cold and there was blood dripping down from her head. Mrs Coulter's daemon moved Pan carefully in an effort to see if he would wake up. "Lyra? Talk to me sweetheart," Mrs Coulter pleaded, brushing her hand through her daughters hair. "Come on Lyra. Asriel!" Mrs Coulter screamed. "Asriel!" Asriel heard her and came down the mountain to where he could see her.
"What is it?" Asriel asked and Mrs Coulter turned to look at him. He looked past his kneeling lover to see his daughter, unconscious on the mountain-side. "Lyra," He whispered before looking at Pan lying lifeless on the ground. "What happened Marisa?" He asked, striding over to her.
"I found her like this. She's cold and bleeding from her head," Mrs Coulter said as Lord Asriel knelt down beside her and examined Lyra.
"Let me," He said, checking Lyra's pulse by burying a hand deep into her coat. Mrs Coulter watched Lord Asriel as he felt Lyra's pulse. His face was stern and serious, like it always was. "Her pulse is very weak," He concluded.
"How did she end up like this?" Mrs Coulter asked.
"I don't know," Lord Asriel replied placing a hand on Lyra's side.
"It's ok," Mrs Coulter whispered. "Mother's here," Lord Asriel watched the love of his life care for his daughter in the way that he both deeply desired to and avoided for the reason of what he saw before him. It was a distraction. It made you weak. It made you vulnerable. He looked at the snow and then up at the cage where Roger lay dead. He frowned. "What is it?" Mrs Coulter asked, watching Asriel's gaze. Lord Asriel didn't move for a few moments. "Asriel?"
"She didn't," Asriel whispered softly.
"What is it?" Mrs Coulter asked.
"The energy release would have thrown her back," He whispered, turning to Lyra and his voice stern once more. Mrs Coulter looked at the cage and it dawned on her what had happened as Lord Asriel inspected Lyra's head. "It's doesn't look deep, she might just have a concussion," Lord Asriel began as Mrs Coulter turned to look at him.
"She was in contact with the cage during the intercision?" Mrs Coulter asked him and Lord Asriel knew that voice. He turned to Marisa carefully.
"I didn't know."
"The energy could have killed her," Mrs Coulter said threateningly.
"I tried to keep her as far away from the cage as possible. It's not my fault that she keeps disobeying my rules."
"You could have killed our daughter!" Mrs Coulter screamed at Lord Asriel, her daemon appeared on her shoulder and Stelmaria came to Asriel's aid. Asriel looked frightened as Mrs Coulter closed in on him as a predator does to its prey. She was halted as she heard Lyra's voice.
"Mother?" Lyra whispered. Mrs Coulter and Asriel immediately turned to their daughter. They both came close to her, their faces turning from fear and rage to worry and love.
"Lyra?" Lord Asriel asked.
"Shhhh, it's ok," Mrs Coulter whispered softly as she stroke her hair. "I'm here."
"Mother?" Lyra whispered again, confused. Lord Asriel's gaze softened, even he knew that Lyra was badly injured.
"I'm here here Lyra. Asriel is here as well, your father," Lyra's gaze moved slowly to her father. Asriel could feel tears pricking at the edge of his eyes. Lyra looked so weak.
"Fath. Father," She whispered almost silently. Lord Asriel let a tear roll down his face.
"I'm here Lyra," He said, resting a hand on his daughter's body. "You've taken a bad fall and hurt your head but you'll be ok," He told her.
"It doesn't hurt," Lyra whispered slowly.
"You're concussed sweetheart," Mrs Coulter said.
"I don't feel," Lyra began. "I'm not," Lyra looked up at Mrs Coulter and became frightened. She began to pull away from Mrs Coulter. "No, no," She gasped, trying to shake her head.
"Lyra?" Mrs Coulter asked but stopped herself from grabbing Lyra.
"No, no, no, Lyra it's ok," Asriel pleaded with his daughter, putting his hands on her back to stop her moving backwards.
"Pan," Lyra gasped, beginning to shiver. Mrs Coulter knelt, staring at her frightened daughter. Her daughter who was frightened of her own mother.
"Stelmaria!" Lord Asriel called and Lyra stared up at her father in fear. A moment passed as Stelmaria picked Pan up by the scruff of his neck and came towards Lyra.
"Ah!" Lyra cried out weakly.
"Careful Stelmaria," Asriel said and Lyra relaxed as Pan was dropped carefully beside her. Her gaze focused on Pan as he looked up at her.
"Pan," Lyra whispered, trying to move her hands. Mrs Coulter couldn't stop herself any longer and she carefully reached for Pan. Lord Asriel watched her as she carefully picked Pan up and placed him into Lyra's grip. Pan was shivering and he curled in on himself in an attempt to keep warm.
"We'll. We'll be ok. Pan," Lyra whispered.
"Let me help," Mrs Coulter begged her daughter but Lyra relaxed and her eyes began to close.
"No, Lyra, you have to stay awake. Open your eyes Lyra," Lord Asriel strained his voice as he shook Lyra's body.
"Lyra?" Mrs Coulter asked, a sudden fear flooding within her. She leant forwards and felt Lyra's face. She was becoming incredibly cold and she was becoming more pale by the second. "She's getting worse Asriel," Mrs Coulter begged.
"You're stronger than this Lyra, come on," Lord Asriel said. "Come on Lyra," He repeated, reaching over and touching his daughter's face. "Just stay with us Lyra," Asriel begged but it was too late.
"She's, she's barely breathing," Mrs Coulter whispered in horror. "She's hardly breathing."
"I know, I know," Asriel said as both their hands were on their daughter's face.
"Can't you do something?!" Mrs Coulter shouted, becoming angry.
"I am a scientist, not a doctor!" Lord Asriel cried back.
"Lyra. Come back to me."
"Lyra. We, oh," Lord Asriel said, bowing his head and Mrs Coulter turned sternly to him.
"Say it Asriel," She continued and he looked at her. She had tears in her eyes.
"We love you," He said and within that moment Pan vanished in a cloud of dust. Asriel gasped softly with both, love and loss.
"Lyra?" Mrs Coulter gasped, unable to believe what just happened while Lord Asriel bowed his head. "Lyra?" Mrs Coulter asked again, shaking her while Lord Asriel looked away. "Lyra?" Mrs Coulter begged.
"She dead," Asriel said in a sombre yet factual tone.
"Lyra," Mrs Coulter whispered, lifting Lyra up.
"She's dead Marisa," Lord Asriel said again but Marisa wasn't listening. She was cradling her only child, who was now dead because of her parents, in her arms.
"Lyra," Marisa continued to say, tears streaming down her face. Lord Asriel wiped his tears away and stood up. Marisa finally noticed. "Where are you going?" She asked.
"Lyra is dead. Our daughter is no longer in this world but if you want to stay that is fine," Lord Asriel walked towards the rift between worlds as Mrs Coulter cradled Lyra in her arms as she watched him go.