Look at that, cooperating plotbunnies! It is almost tragic how well I understand my own muses...
No copyright infringement is intended. Copyright laws allow creativity for authors and artists, and I am all for it. This alternative story, however, is so utterly harmless - I am only being creative in turn, and mean no offense whatsoever.
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Saying her goodbyes to Mr Scoresby, and nodding respectfully to the Ice Bear Iorik, Serafina Pekkala left the airship, flying for herself with her bow, joined in the air eventually by Kaysa, her daemon.
The goose brought her tidings of other places, of the struggle to reunite Billy Costa and other injured children with their daemons. News of the renewed but considerably slowed efforts of the Gobblers, and of the Gyptians' effective efforts at thwarting them. He brought her both hope and despair in turn. Their treatments for the at this point dying children did not show much promise, even if child and soul were reunited physically. While bringing both parts comfort, it did little to restore their bond or the child's health. They could reunite the two parts, but they remained parts. Were they too broken to ever be whole again? Soon, it would not matter as they quickly ran out of time.
Being a witch, and a clan leader, Serafina was often separated from her daemon, the two of them usually covering the distance by splitting up, but being back with her daemon brought comfort to her, too, even if the news he brought were of little real comfort.
She wondered if this Asriel Lyra had taken to calling her father had considered what he might risk as he crossed the barrier between worlds. If, and to her, even if not to the child, that was an if, he intended on crossing them himself. Lord Asriel seemed capable of love, at least Serafina hoped so from what little she had seen of the man -the rings he left in the air instead of the man in his flesh- but he must have also had his ruthless sides. She feared exposing Lyra to them, at least without inquiries. What had the rough noble planned? She promised herself to find out, before the good-hearted children payed a price too heavy for any child to pay for their noble but innocent intentions.
Different from the magisterium, the witches did not fear Dust, but it held power, and if this man was willing to play with it, who knew what he might unleash, or -perhaps worse- unintentionally throw under lock and key, locking the world up instead of unlocking it. No, Serafina Pekkala, clan leader and witch of the sky, held no fear of Dust, but she feared dim intentions and plain ignorance. And she was about to investigate both.