The Aeronaut's Daughter

Reunion with Lyra

(Y/N) Point of View: 

Dad landed the balloon and we boarded off. He wrapped me in a brown oil-skin coat and I put on a red scarf and a woolly hat. He slung his brown leather hat and slipped his revolver into his hoister strapped to his waist. 

Before we walked, he said, "Remember (Y/N), stay close to me at all times. Got it?"

I nodded. 

We walked through the streets. The odour of oil flew up my nose like swarms of stinky gas. I pulled my scarf over my face. "It stinks here,"

"It's an oil platform, what did you expect?" Dad said. 

He pulled out a cigar. 

"Dad, you really shouldn't smoke,"

"What harm could one cigarette do?" he said. 

"You should listen to the girl," a new voice said. 

We turned and saw there was a man in a black suit approaching us. He didn't look friend. Aster turned into a mouse and hid in the folds of my scarf. 

"No smoking on this port," he said. 

"Ahh my mistake. Lee Scoresby, aeronaut for hire..." he offered a hand. He wouldn't take it. "Who are all these people?"

"New rivals arouse suspicion," he proceeded to walk away. 

"Have you seen a bear anywhere?" I suddenly asked. The man turned to me. I felt a cold shiver up my spine.  

"We heard rumours," I felt my dad's hands on my shoulders. "Of a bear in this town. Any truth to that,"

"Yes. You know I heard a rumour too. Of an aeronaut of creates bedlam where ever he goes," the unfriendly man sneered. "Any truth to that?" 

"My dad is not a trouble maker!" I snapped. Nobody insults my father like that. 

The man glared back at me. He approached a step closer with a sinister manner. "You should learn to pick you words more carefully," he sneered. 

A gun cocked. "And you should learn to stay away from my daughter," Dad warned. 

The man glared at him than back at me before stalking away. 

"You really shouldn't rouse him up like that," Dad said. 

"I was sticking up for you,"

"Thanks. But there are other ways of giving people payback," he held up watch. 

"Tell me you didn't steal that," I begged.

"It was just a prank. He won't notice," 

"Yes he will," Hester hissed. "Now can we please just stay out of trouble?" she begged. 

I peered around and I saw giant corpses of giant sea animals. The odour of blood and rotting flesh made the smell of the atmosphere all the worse. I suddenly noticed that there were Gyptians walking admits the crowd. 

"I wonder what Gyptians are doing so far north Aster," I heard dad say.   "Come on (Y/N), time to find that bear," he pulled me along and we walked into the streets. 

We found ourselves in a town made out of wooden huts and there were Magisterium guards walking everywhere. I felt a little unsettled. I didn't like it here. 

"Are you sure we're not goanna cause trouble here Dad? I'd hate for us to get into trouble,"

"We'll be fine (Y/N)," he assured.