Being Recruited

The next day Lee took Mia to the office of the man who we first encountered yesterday. It was freezing so much that she had to wear an extra oilskin coat. As they were waiting patiently, Lee was shuffling his feet up and off the ground.

"Do you seriously think you can bribe your way into making that man giving Iorek back his armour?" his daughter asked him.

"I have to. Iorek doesn't deserve to be trapped in this town like this,"

"Well can we come back later? I'm freezing," she pleaded.

"Come on. It won't be much longer,"

"That's what you said the last ten minutes ago,"

Right after she groaned the door opened and before the man could welcome them inside, or most likely tell them to leave, Lee pulled Mia inside out of the cold. The officer closed his door and gave a sneer at them.

"It's not often we get customers waiting for us," he said. "Do you want tea?"

"Two if you please," Lee did his best to sound grateful.

The man poured them some tea and he handed it over. He sat down at his desk and crossed his arms.

"What do you want? It had better be quick,"

"I'm here to represent the bear," dad said. Mia felt offended when he didn't use 'we'.

"The bear's case is closed,"

"Technically, i am representing myself via the bear. The trouble is, you confiscated my property instead of his,"

"I doubt that Mr. Scoresby," This man Mr. Sysselman clearly wasn't falling for his lies.

"That's why I've been seeking him," Lee reached into his pocket. "Now this is a bill of sale stating I, not Iorek Byrnison, own his armour. He lost it to more in a game of cards, you see. I've come back to reclaim it,"

Mr. Sysselman was still not moved. He stood up and pulled open a draw full of papers. "The bear's armour belongs to the Magisterium," he began flipping through the pages. "He is paying off a blood debt," he found his page. "Ha ha," he cackled mockingly.

Lee picked it up. Mia leaned a little close to look at it. The man could not get away with it. she thought to herself.

"Yes, this document is correct as far as the Crime and Debt Act, chapter three, paragraph 4.5 is concerned," Dad seemed to give the impression he wanted to play it cool.

"The trouble is the Crime and Debt Act is superseded by the Possession of Goods Acts," Mia stepped up, "Part three subsection four "miscellaneous provisions,"

The man sneered at her. He did not like to be outwitted by a twelve year old girl who was only months away from reaching puberty, months away from her daemon settling in his final form.

"It clearly states and I quote 'the possession of valuables belongs...'

"I will not have my intelligence doubted by a some kid," he sneered.

"How much would it cost to rewrite it?" she dared. Lee looked at skeptically, he did not like her being so reckless with her words.

"He's a bear! A bear who doesn't deserve to be a slave! Not to you! Not this town! Not the Magisterium! Not to anyone!"

"You still don't know when to pick your fights kid,"

"And you don't the true meaning of power,"

He riled up, glaring at her coldly. "I know my place kid. And you still don't yours,"

Mia wanted to remain strong but already her courage was fading away. She had never spoken like that to a man and already her fear was fading.

"Seems you're not as strong as you thought you were kid,"

"Shame on you Mr. Sysselman," Her dad stepped in. "Shame on you for insulting my daughter," his hand gasped my shoulder. "Shame on you for treating Iorek like he's your slave. Now that we've seen how cold you are, we'll be on our way. And if I ever see you threaten my daughter like that again, you will have what's coming,"

The man didn't flinch but he somewhat blinked. The aeronaut pulled his daughter away and we went out the door, heading back to the pub. His arm was still protectively wrapped around her shoulders.

"Mia..." he looked at her with a disappointed look. "The way you spoke to him, he could have hit you. Or killed you. I saw him with a gun ready. Can you imagine how I would feel if I lost you?"

"I would rather have been hit rather than not let him hear what he deserved to know," Although Mia had felt brave saying what she said, she somewhat felt a cold shiver. "It didn't matter anyway. He saw I wasn't actually brave, and he put me down in my place. I'm never goanna be brave, like you,"

"Let me tell you something," He stopped walking and turned her around to face him. "It's alright to be scared. My mother once told me that there can be no courage without fear. You're braver than you think Mia,"

"Really? You saw how quickly my courage wittered when he glared so hard at me. I literally turned pale,"

He gave her a smile. "You know the way you spoke to me showed great courage. You tried to stand up for dear Iorek...and that showed compassion. Come on, let's get some food,"

They re-entered the pub and went to a table avoiding the glares of some of the men. Mia felt nervous so her dad kept her close.

Two women placed two plates and two cups down. "Thank you," Dad said.

"Remind again while we're here," Aster whispered in Mia's ear in the form of a mouse.

"Because it's the only place in town to stay,"

She noticed Hester hopping on a chair next to dad's.

"Lee, it's time to leave," she ushered.

"We're not leaving without Iorek,"

"They know you stole from them Lee. Every minute we spend here, longer than we should..."

"That bear saved my life Hester," he reminded her stubbornly.

"And we came here to repay him and he told us he didn't need our help," Hester snapped.

"Who didn't need your help?" Lyra's voice echoed in Mia's ears. She turned around and saw her new friend approaching. As she rotated around to sit on my right, she gave Mia a wink, which she winked back at.

"Look kid as much we like, now is not the time," Lee was not in the mood for talking.

"Mr. Scoresby, I represent John Faa, ruler of the western Gyptians..." Lyra began her ruse of 'hiring him' as she slipped off her gloves. "And we would like to hire you,"

"You can't afford me," he refused. "And don't think of telling me what you guys want us for. Mia told me what you're all up to. You're rescuing children. And I hate to tell you but I'm not interested. And I will not put Mia's life at risk,"

"I can handle myself," Mia interjected.

"Please stay out of this,' he implored.

She backed down.

"But it has occurred to us that the help of an aeronaut might be of some use. We would pay you in gold,"

"Look kid..."

"It's Lyra,"

"Look Lyra. This is a fight you cannot win. You're gonna lose,"

Lyra looked glum. This wasn't working well.

For a moment, Lee was losing his focus as he was devouring his beans and bacon. Lyra cast a glance at Mia.

She pulled out a few cards and blinked before gesturing to her dad with her eyes. She pointed her fork to a piece of bacon, nodding her chin down. She didn't like bacon much.

Lyra seemed to get the advice she was giving her as she blinked back and took a piece. "Do you play cards?"

Dad glanced at her with surprise. He had not figured out their ruse. "What do you know about cards?"

"I used to play them with the scholars where I lived. They usually won, but sometimes I won. You know I've learnt that sometimes a bad hand can be your greatest weapon,"

"She has a point dad," Mia supported her. "Do you remember that big card game we played and I won despite have a bad hand?"

"Yep. And I bet you'd win again Miss Lyra here if you betted your life on it,"

"If she did, than it would allow her to bluff magnificently," Lyra said, munching on another piece of bacon.

"Well then, remind me never to play cards with you,"

"We need you and the bear,"

"Yeah. Mia told me that she found out you guys were hiring him, but you won't be able to get him away. Not while he is obliged to this town,"

"But's he an armoured bear," Lyra argued taking another piece. "Why would he..." she paused. "They got his armour,"

"See you got there without needing our help," he teased.

Lyra aims her next question at Mia. "Why is his armour so important?"

Time to repay her back properly. "War is the sea he swims in and the air he breaths. Without his armour...His armour is his soul. Just as our daemons are. It means as much to him as Aster here does to me,"

In the form of an Arctic Fox, Aster purred against her fingers.

"His armour like his daemon?" Lyra asked.

"Yep. His soul is in those little pieces of metal,"

"But the point is Miss Lyra...the magisterium will have it well hidden," Lee informed. He turned his back to watch some men hoping we weren't being eavesdropped. "Now, I've been thinking that maybe I'm outgunned in this town..."

Suddenly Lyra grabbed Mia's hand and before she could react, she was pulled out through the side door and a long way from the inn. She tried to urge her to stop but she kept a tight grip. And she was running too fast that she couldn't stop either.

She pulled her into a side street, out of sight.

"Lyra, what the...? You're going to get me into trouble with my dad. I'm already in enough trouble with him for running off yesterday to search for Iorek before I met you again,"

"Mia, I could really use some help in talking to the bear. I need you to help me convince him to come with us without causing any trouble, once I tell him where to find his armour,"

Mia stared at her as if she had gone mad. "Look Lyra...how are you going to tell him where his armour is when you don't even know where it is? Like my dad said the Magisterium will have it well hidden,"

Lyra peered her head around. Mia copied her actions. It seemed as if she wanted to make sure no one was watching.

"Mia, I'm about to show you something. You must promise not to tell anyone about it,"

"I won't,"

She reached into the vest pocket under her oil skin coat and pulled out a strange square-shaped item. She opened it revealing some sort of clockwork device.

"I can find out where his armour is...using this,"

The aeronaut's daughter stared at it with wonder.

"What is that?"

"An alethiometer,"

Mia stared at her. "I thought they were owned only by the Magisterium. How did you come into possession of one?"

"It was given to me by the Master of Jordan College before I left. He said I had arrived into his care with it and so it was mine for have,"

"Even if you do have one, it would take years of study. And you don't even have the books,"

"I can read it without them," she said. "I'll prove it. Ask me something only you know and I will ask it,"

Mia still felt skeptical. But the look in Lyra's eyes implored her to say something.

"How did I get this?" she unraveled her scarf and pulled her hair back. She revealed a red scar just under the fold of her vest.

Lyra stared at it with shock. She hung her head back down and started making three needles in the centre turn to different pictures around the rim. Then the longer thinner gold needle started rotating pointing at more symbols. After five ticks, it stopped. Lyra looked up at her with some strange stort of shock.

"You got it from a drunk man in New Denmark two years ago. You heard him making fun of your dad so you played a trick on him to get back at you. He tried to attack you but he ending up getting himself killed. You ran away and you never told your dad what happen, because you didn't want him to worry about you or be disappointed at you for being reckless. And a part of you felt guilty as well,"

Mia felt her stomach tie itself into a tight knot. She wasn't expecting her to figure it out. She was expecting fear to be in Lyra's eyes, but instead she saw pity.

"You didn't mean to do it Mia," Lyra consoled kindly. "And l would have done the same thing as you if someone made fun of someone I loved,"

Mia still felt twisted like a tight knot made of a rope of guilt. But the look in Lyra's sweet eyes made me realise that she was right. Mia took a deep breath and relaxed her tense shoulders. "I'll take you to where he is now. He's not behind Einasson's bar anymore. He's in the junkyard," I led her out.

"How do you know?"

"I snuck out of the pub when my dad was sleeping to try and see him again but I saw him walking into the junkyard instead,"

She lead her over to a giant junkyard surrounded by walls of rusty metal panels and rails.

"Lyra...assuming this will work, we still have to convinced Lord Faa,"

She looked at her with a questioned expression. "Does the king of the Gyptians know you're here?"

"Nope. But he's refused to hire Iorek but we really need him,"

"Not much of a follower for rules are you," Mia said amusingly.

"You got that right. And you're not one yourself. Do you disobeyed everything your dead tells you?"

"Only when it's worth while,"

We came to the gate. It was locked.

"Locked," she cursed.

"Look over there," Aster led his daemon and their friends over to massive metal panel that wasn't in place. We snuck through. They walked over piles and piles of metal until they saw Iorek bending some large pieces with his strong paws.

"I know where your armour is Iorek!" Lyra called out, alerting the poor drunk bear of our presence. "Or at least I know how to find it,"

"How could you know where it is?" Iorek demanded. He didn't turn his back to speak to us.

"Why not just make some new armour out of this metal here?"

Iorek slashed the metal, breaking it to bits like paper. "It's worthless...my armour is made of sky iron. It was made for me by me," he turned around.

"And you can't find sky iron because its a meteoric metal," Mia figured out.

"Yes. I have spent months looking for it. How have you found it Miss..." he drifted off looking at Lyra.

"Lyra. Lyra Belaqua.

Lyra reached into her pocket and pulled out her alethiometer, opening it and showing the dial to the bear. "It tells me the truth,"

Iorek looked skeptical.

"It's true Iorek. I've seen it myself with my own eyes," she supported her.

"I will use it if you come with us," Lyra looked at Iorek with a glance that made it hard for him to look away.

"I will come with you," he declared. "But I have a right to take vengeance..."

Mia could see the desire to kill, clear in his dark eyes. "Iorek..." she stepped forward. "I know these people deserve revenge, but if you kill them, you're just what they say you are," I calmly said.

He glared at her. But she glared softly back.

"Fine. But if they fight, they did," he decided boldly.

"That seems fair," Lyra accepted his conditions.

"But only if they try and hurt you," I added in seriously.

"Good. Tell me where to find my armour is Lyra,"

Lyra pulled out her alethiometer and made the arrows point to the different pictures again. Mia watched her again with curiosity as she made the arrows point to the different pictures before the longer needs rotated round and pointed to more symbols to give an answer.

"It's hidden. The magisterium have it hidden. It's the cellar of the oratory,"

Instantly Iorek roared and he charged.

"Iorek stop!" Mia shouted. But it was too late. He had already charged through the gate, knocking it down like paper.

The two girls and the two daemons rushed after him. Already he was causing havoc everywhere. He was desperate to be reunited with his armour.

"This is not good!" Pan screamed, running behind us as an Arctic fox.

"He's goanna tear everything apart," Aster squeaked in the form of a hawk flying beside me.

We trailed after Iorek towards the olfactory, dodging metal fences coming apart and dozens of boxes and baskets at open stalls being scattered.

"Iorek!" Lyra screamed after him but he would not stop.

We watched as he charged headfirst into the wooden olfactory in the town centre.

"Clear the square! Move!"

Mia turned around and saw Mr. Sysselman and a dozen men arriving with guns. Quickly she pulled Lyra to the side.

Suddenly a man was thrown out of the glass window, landing on the wooden bridge with a thud.

They heard roaring and thudding from inside. Then out came a period of pounding. And then he was coming out into the open. Iorek Byrnison in his armour. It was brown and slightly cracked, but it looked remarkable. This was the importance of a bear's armour to its owner.

"Level hem!" Mr. Sysselman shouted. "Fire!"

The girls covered covered ears as the men shot at Iorek but the bullets deflected of his gun.

As they reloaded, Iorek let out a thunder-booming roar, standing on his rear feet. Then he slashed one man, head-butted another into the lake under the wooden bridge, and pinned Mr. Sysselman to the sandy ground, roaring in his face.

"Stop! Let go of him!" Lyra shouted.

"I told you. If they fight...they die!" he squashed a paw on Mr. Sysselman's face.

"You owe me a debt! Now you can repay! Do as I ask! Don't fight these men!"

"Iorek please?" Mia implored.

"You owe her a debt too. Damn Iorek you ranking up debts faster than me," Mia heard her dad's voice. She turned and saw him coming forward with Hester. "Heard there was some action occurring, thought I might come and check it out. Hello again Mr. Sysselman. Having fun?" he smirked at seeing the officer suffer under the compression of Iorek's paw against his face. He looked...scared.

"Don't give us that look," Mia crossed her arms. "You probably deserve to die for treating Iorek so coldly," it felt easier standing up to a man when he couldn't do anything to make you back down.

He cast an eye that was wide in fear in her direction.

"But you're not worth it. Iorek please..." she implored. "She's talking sense. This isn't who you are,"

"Come on Iorek. Listen to them. These people need our help and so let's give it," Dad's choice made me look at him with wonder.

"You're agreeing to join them?" she asked him.

"If it's our worth in gold than it's wroth it. Just as long as you stay with me at all times,"

She nodded. I didn't like the fact he was doing it for money...but at least he was joining the fight.

Iorek cast one more dark glare at the man he was pinning down. Then...he let him go. We all followed Lyra towards the ports.

"You are so much trouble young lady," Lee whispered.

"In all honesty, Lyra needed my help to try and convince him not to attack. I had to help,"

"But not unless I say you can,"

Mia huffed. "Do you have to know everything I do?"

"Yes. Because..."

"I know. It's your job to protect me. But I have to make decisions of my own," she kept on walking, not wanting to start an argument with him. When we arrived, we saw sledges and small tanks packed with weapons and giant packs.

"We're packed up," Lyra noted. "We're really going?"

"Lyra, trust me when I tell you, it's within us to beat these people," the Gyptian king told us.

"Course it is, but would you mind if we brought along a little extra help?" she asked awkwardly. She turned and showed them Iorek.

Faa was flabbergasted. "How did you...?"

"He's been mistreated and tricked, just like the Gyptians have been, always mistreated and tricked. HE's practically Gyptian. Just like I am,"

"Lyra. You cannot constantly be disobeying me," he scolded.

"I agree," Dad piped up. "Who wants a disobedient kid? But she's right. He's a good bear. You won't have any trouble. Just so as long as you pay him. And us," he gestured to his daughter and their daemons.

Faa casted a glance at Mia. "You're that kid Lyra was talking to the other day,"

"Yep. The name's Mia Scoresby. And this is my dad Lee,"

"What are you two ding here?"

Oh dear. Dad was going to figure out me and Lyra's ruse.

"You told us he asked for us,"

"No. I said that he would be grateful for you,"

"I was already working on him already being grateful. You've entirely messed the sales pitch for us,"

"What did I tell you about how I play cards?" she smirked as she blinked.

Mia giggled. "She's a lot more clever than you give her credit for dad. I should know. I've see her do it before,"

Lee looked at her a little aghast. "Were you in on this?"

"It was her idea, but I approved. They need us dad. It's time we put the balloon up for some good use,"

"I can't believe you went behind my back like that?"

"Come on dad! Let's do something good for once. For all we know, you never know what awaits out there. Think of this as an opportunity to go North, actually north,"

"You know I can't do that,"

She saw pain in his eyes. She couldn't say anything but she gave him a look to at least reconsider.

"Very well. Just as long as you stay with me at all times. Okay?"

She nodded.

"As my daughter has told you, my name's Lee. I can fight and I can fly. We don't come cheap and neither should we,"

Lord Faa was not swayed.

"You're going to need all the help you can King John Faa," Mia remembered to be polite, even giving him a bow "We have our own balloon. You know eyes in the sky as well as on the land might be useful,"

"Well then...welcome aboard Lee and Miss Mia Scoresby. We have a long and dangerous journey ahead,"

"Well then, now that's sorted. We'd better get our balloon," she said.

"Don't take too long," Faa said calmly.

Lee and Mia turned around to go and get our equipment. Behind her back, Mia cast a smirking glance at Lyra, giving her the thumbs up.

What did you all think again? Hope you all are enjoying it. Please send over some ideas if there's anything you'd like there to be in the story or the future sequels to this. Hope you all are doing well during these hard times. It'll all be over before you know it.