Travelling North

As they were packing our balloon, Lee's face was quite cold.

"I don't like that you disobeyed me like that," he said.

"Lyra needed my help to convince you. I had to repay her kindness by helping. And I wanted us to do a good cause for once,"

"But did you not think about how much danger it would put you in?"

"What danger could I possibly get in?"

"Stop treating life like it's a game Mia. We're about to enter a fight that we possibly can't win,"

"Dad!" she whined. "You don't know that. You know if mum was here, she wouldn't hesitate to join,"

"Don't bring her into this," his voice sounded broken and already his eyes were wet.

"I'm sorry," she apologised.

They said nothing more after that. After they tied their balloon parts to a massive sleigh. Iorek came by and he helped them pull it out and they joined Lyra and the Gyptians. They heaved it up the stone hill leading away from Trollesund and before them were a series of green plains which they would cross to get to Bolvanger. There would greater obstacles ahead once they crossed this first stage.

A tank took over from Iorek and started pulling their balloon.

Lee sat down. "Why don't you sit down?"

"Shouldn't we help out?"

"The Gyptians are doing fine. And besides a good girl like you who has expertise should look after this balloon,"

Mia sat down and relaxed next to him. She stared up at the sky and saw a grey-blue falcon flying high up in the clouds. "Is that a witch's daemon?" she asked.

"Yes,"

"Do all witch's daemons take the form of birds?"

"Obviously,"

"Do you wish Hester was sometimes a bird considering we fly a lot?"

"I love her just the way she is,"

"Thank you Lee," Hester nestled affectionately under his arm.

"And you should love what Aster settles as when you come of age,"

"Hey guys!" Lyra came up and walked beside us.

"See you guys aren't walking,"

"Three reasons. One I've struggle with bunions. Two Mia's got to protect this balloon,"

"I could help her protect the balloon,"

"That's very kind of you. You know dad...we should give her a ride in it,"

"She'd need expertise Mia,"

"She's got expertise," she defended.

"You got some Miss Lyra. I'll give you that," he said. "It seems my daughter sees you do,"

Lyra gave Mia a grateful smile.

"And three - why walk when you can fly?"

"You know we could fly in its dad," his daughter said. "And you could join us if you wanted to Lyra. The view from up there is such an everlasting experience,"

"We've saving it for when it's needed. And besides a witch's daemon will have a better eye in the sky than we would,"

"A witch's daemon?" Lyra asked.

"Look up there," Mia pointed to the falcon. "Already the witches are helping us,"

"We're going to win this right Mia?"

"I believe we will. We've got witches. We've got an armoured bear. We've got this magnificent balloon. The Magisterium does not know what's coming. Sooner or later, you'll see Roger again,"

"I think he'll be very excited to see I bumped into you again. Who would have thought we'd end up traveling north together,"

"Who knew right?" She twisted my head. "Do you think we'll win this fight dad?"

He looked at the two with an expressionless face. "You know I am a betting man girls. But I can tell you two want me to say 'yes',"

"We have to win this," Lyra said.

"You know mum once said, 'A leap of a faith is a leap to victory,'"

Lee seemed to take it in. Mia could see Lyra quite admired those words.

"What such wise words," she said. "Mr. Scoresby..."

"Call me Lee. And please don't ask what I know you're goanna ask,"

"I wasn't goanna ask anything. I was just goanna say 'thank you',"

"For what?"

"For agreeing to join us,"

"Well I wasn't goanna let my daughter walk off into danger like that. And I could tell from her face that she was desperate to help you. And that boy Rufus,"

"It's Roger," Mia corrected.

"Roger right,"

Mia cocked her head to gesture Lyra to lean in. She bent her head down and listened.

"He's not always good at remembering names. He's not easy to like either," she whispered in her ear. "He gets into trouble a lot,"

"I heard that," he mumbled.

"And he's got big ears,"

"I heard that too,"

Lyra and Mia chuckled. Lyra kept walking beside them for a majority of the journey. Mia took the pleasure of sharing with her new friend some of the adventures we had across the world including New Denmark. Lee joined in as well. Already he was beginning to like this girl just as much as his daughter was. Lyra joined up with some Gyptians ahead. They were Ma Costa and her elder son Tony Costa, the closest to her other than Farder Coram, that sweet old gentleman.

"You know dad...I think it's time we stretched our legs,"

"You're right we do. As a matter of fact, we're come to a slope,"

Mia looked ahead. He was right we had.

They hopped off our sleigh and they helped some Gyptians tie them to a harness which would be pulled by Iorek. Mia came to check on him.

"Will you be alright pulling this up?" she asked him.

"Bears are built to heave heavy objects," he said.

"Doesn't your armour make things a little trickier?"

"I'm used to wearing it as I heave or I go to war,"

"Do you want to walk with you up?"

"I wouldn't mind the company,"

She marched with him up the slope making sure that the harness didn't unclip or that anything called off.

"You're doing really good Iorek," she praised proudly. "That's it..." we were nearing the top. "Nearly there,"

They made it. "Well done,"

"That was only the first one. Just wait until we get some other ones ahead on ice and snow," he said.

She guided him along the flat gradient safely until it was safe to unclip him from the sleights and tanks.

Once she did, she walked over to a space to share a glimpse of the magnificent north. Aster settled on her shoulder as a squirrel. It was incredible. It was nothing like Texas or anywhere else they had been.

"It's magnificent Aster," Mia breathed.

"It is. It's nothing like we've ever seen before,"

"The north is a majestic place Miss Mia," Iorek said beside. "Have you ever witnessed the Aurora in the sky?"

"Not really. I would love to watch them tonight," Mia turned her head. "Iorek..I was wondering...once we've rescued the children...what will you do afterwards?"

"I don't know. I cannot go back to Trollesund, nor can I go to Svalbard. I trust your father told you I was an exile,"

"Yes. I said sadly. Is there honestly no other place in the world with armoured bears like Bekingland or East Siberia?"

"None. Svalbard always has and always will be the only place for bears,"

"Can you never go back?"

"Never. Now...I would like to have some alone time," he waddled off. Mia watched him sadly. As did her daemon.

"You okay there sweetheart?" her dad came over to me.

"I'm worried about what Iorek will do after this is over. Is there honestly no way he can go back to Svalbard?"

"None. One step there and he'll be killed by fire hurlers,"

"Couldn't he come with us?"

"He wouldn't want that. The North is the only place for him. It's the only place he'd ever fit in. Well, our balloon needs taking care of every step of this journey. Come on,"

They strapped our balloon in the sleigh back to a tank and they were back to sitting on it. Mia wanted to walk but he had her sitting down with him. She egan to get bored.

Mia saw Lyra up ahead with Tony Costa. "I'm goanna walk with Lyra," she hoped off and proceeded to jog off.

"Oh no," Lee's irritating voice stopped her. "You are not walking off like that out of my sight" he said.

She huffed. "You can't keep telling me what to do all the time!"

"This mission is going to be dangerous and it means I have to keep an eye on you all the time!"

"We're surrounded by Gyptians! What trouble could I get into?!"

"Mia, you have no idea how dangerous the North can be. For the last time, you are not..."

But she shut his words out and sped up ahead, ignoring his shouts. She joined Lyra and Tony further up ahead. Aster took the form of an artic fox and walked beside me.

"Hey are you okay?" Lyra asked.

"I'm fine," she lied. But she noticed Lyra and her friend looking at her, and huffed. "I just wish that my dad would stop to be so controlling. I don't like him telling me what to do all the time and being so overprotective,"

"I know how annoying it is to have an overprotective parent," Tony said.

"Yeah, how so?" she grumbled.

"My mum constantly watches over me all the time. And she always tried to keep me in her sight since my brother Billy's disappearance,"

"Can you blame her?" Lyra asked him. "She doesn't want to lose you. Not to mention you did sneak out to Mrs. Coulter's flat that night,"

"For a good reason and to try and find her papers,"

At least she has a good excuse to be overly concerned for you," she said.

"So does your dad," Tony said.

Mia sighed and steered her head back forward.

"He's just looking out for you," Lyra consoled. "At least your father never neglects you, pushes you away, takes you on his travels. He looks out for you and he openly shows his love,"

She looked at her, a pale colour engulfing her face. "Is your father..."

"Not dead? Yes. Turns out my father was actually my uncle all the time,"

Mia was flabbergasted. "Lord Asriel is your father?!"

"Yes. He lied to me my whole life,"

"Why would he do that?" I asked.

"I don't know. But I want to find out when we rescue him,"

"Rescue him?"

"He's being held at Svalbard,"

"He definitely won't escape from there. Bears as just as strong as ten men fighting together,"

"Which is another reason why we need Iorek,"

"It's going to take a lot more than Iorek. There's hundreds of bears in that place. Not to mention you have to cross other obstacles to get there,"

"Such as?"

"Such as cliff ghosts, a whole ocean of ice and severe winds,"

"Sounds like another job for you and your dad,"

"There's no way dad's goanna take his balloon that north. He's never travelled that far north for a long time. Last time he went there, he nearly died,"

"Could you convince him?"

Mia stared at her as if she was crazy. "I can't convince him. Just like he said before and what he always says to me, he doesn't want to put me at risk. He has some very bad memories of that place,"

"What kind of memories?"

"Ones that are best not to be said," she said solemnly. "In the meantime, what's been bothering you?"

Lyra eyed back a little strangely.

"I can tell when someone is bothered,"

"The Alethiometer told me that I have to go to a nearby valley. It says it's troubled my some sort of ghost. But Farder Coram won't allow me,"

"He's right. You shouldn't go off looking for ghosts. It wouldn't be good,"

"But the Alethiometer said that I had to. It said it's connected to what's happening to everyone at Bolvanger,"

"Well, that's one reason you should go there. You've got to convince Farder Coram and John Faa to let you go there. You could go with Iorek,"

"I doubt he'd do it without their permission,"

"Why don't you let me talk to them tonight? I can convince them that Iorek can protect you and that he's a fast bear on four paws,"

"You don't have to do that,"

"I do. It's the least I can do. Since my dad's gonna constantly keep an eye and he won't want me in on the fight up ahead, I'd like to be useful in any other way I can,"

"You're already being useful," Tony said. "You're helping us and you helped Lyra convince your dad to join our cause,"

"Thanks," Mia smiled. For the first time in her life, she had felt she was doing something very good for other people other than her dad for the first time in her life.

Another chapter done. What did you all think? How are you all finding it? Please send over some reviews and suggest some ideas. It would be most useful. Anyways hope you all are coping well during this lockdown. It's a hard time for all of us...but - we'll make it through till the end.