The Aeronaut's Daughter

We must help Will find his father

(M/C P.O.V) 

From afar, I watched Will and the girls walk over to some gardens. They sat on a bench on a slope a little far away from the crowd. I made sure not to draw attention to myself. Or to them. If they were caught, there goes my chance of find a safe route around Oxford. 

Looking through my binoculars again, I saw no sign of my target. He had to be around here somewhere. It was only just a few days ago. And even if he did leave this Oxford, he would still come back here to find the window. He was very desperate to find whatever it is he was looking for in that tower back home, so he would find other means to get it. 

Looking back at the Trio, I came forward very silently and hid behind a bush. I sneaked my head through the leaves. I watched Will gently pulled up Lyra's trousers. There was a small scratch. He tended to it. 

Just when I crawled a little forward, a twig snapped. My heart jumped. I ducked back in. 

"Is something watching us?" I heard Lyra's voice. 

"Stay here," Will ushered. 

I pulled myself out the bush and sat very still, praying that I wouldn't get caught and he would go away. Just then I heard a sudden meow out the other side. 

"It's okay," Will said. "It was just a cat," 

I sighed in relief. 

(Will Parry P.O.V) 

"It's nothing," Lyra said. 

"It's not nothing," (Y/N) argued. "You need it cleaned," 

"It'll be done in no time," I said. 

"One time, I fell off a tree, and the librarian thought I'd broken my leg. So he carried me all the way from the Botanic Gardens back to Jordan," Lyra said. 

"Remember the day you took me to them?" (Y/N) asked her. She smiled. "It wasn't that much of a distance away," 

"It wasn't," 

"I really love those gardens," 

"I have the Botanic Gardens," I spoke up. "My mum used to take me," I wiped off the last drop of blood from Lyra's knees. "There. Good as new," 

"Thanks Will," Lyra said. I sat down next to (Y/N) taking out my phone. I pressed the button. It didn't turn on. Curses. The power had run out. 

"What's that thing anyway?" (Y/N) asked, peering down at my device next to me. "Why do you keep looking at it?" 

"I just need to do something on it," I said. I fished into a shopping bag and pulled out another phone. 

"What do you do with it?" (Y/N) was very curious about it, too curious. She didn't have phones in her world. 

"You phone people on it and it tells you stuff. Like the news," 

"Like a radio?"

I turned to her, astounded by her estimations. "Yes," I couldn't help but notice that there was a strangeness in her eyes. "What?" 

"Will, I have something like that. But a bit better," Lyra spoke up. She stood in front of me. "I asked it about you because I had to know whether we could trust you," 

I felt nervous. My heart almost jumped. I turned to (Y/N) and saw she looked rather cautious with me. "It told us you were a murderer," she looked a little grim. 

This time I actually jumped. "What?" 

"But you're the good kind of murderer," Lyra spoke up.