Please forgive me

I saved you

A knock at the door startled Marisa

"GO AWAY" she shouted thinking it was one of the scientists. Silence hung in the air. Another knock at the door, this time Marisa ignored it and continued doing what she was doing.

"Ah ma'am? Just a friendly reminder the zeppelin will be leaving in five minutes. I assume you are ready"

"Almost" she yellowed out. The last thing she had to do was put her daughter in the trunk she had requested as she couldn't be seen carrying out her child.

Once she was done and made sure Lyra was covered enough that she could still breath but if someone was to open the chest, they won't be startled by seeing her child's body.

The golden monkey rushes to open the door, then came Marisa struggling with three bags.

"I can take one of them ma'am if you like?"
"No, no I've got them. You can get the trunk though. Do be careful please there are valuables in it"

The man nodded and headed for the trunk, expecting it to be heavy but as soon as he went to lift it, he let out a big grunt. It was heavier than he thought and thought "I can't do this on my own" he then got a good grip on the other handle and waddled his way behind the woman to the zeppelin.

Once settled Marisa poured herself a small amount of the fanciest bourbon that money could buy. An announcement went over the sound system to say they were taking off and that they may experience some bad weather on the way back to London.

Feeling tired Marisa retreated to her room but first she had to check on her child. Making sure it was clear she carefully opened the lid and moved some blankets. There she laid a little sweaty from being covered with blankets but still fast asleep.

"Soon we will be home Lyra. Soon we can be a family again" she then places a kiss on the child's forehead and then closes the lid.

Taking her shoes off placing them in a shoe box then grabs her silk purple pyjamas. The golden monkey starts to make chatter noise like he was expressing his concerns of the child.

"If you know what's best for you, YOU will keep quiet" the woman finishes her verbal threat with a glare. The golden monkey backed off and sat on the chair in the corner of the room.

Marisa had only been asleep for a few hours when some muffled screams and cries awoke her.

"What was that?" looking around the room thinking it was her daemon and he was just sitting there.

"Lyra"

Marisa quickly got out of bed, didn't even bother to grab her dressing gown despite it being cold. Lyra wasn't kept far from her mother; she was only on the other side of the wall that one would pass going to a walk-in closet that was always requested by the rich and fancy. The lid swung back to find the child staring back at her. All confused as Lyra's last memory was sitting on a bed in her mothers sleeping quarters at Bolvanger.

"H H How did I get here?" Lyra asked her voice a little squeaky

"I sav......" Marisa had to stop herself as she didn't know what to say. She couldn't say she saved her, but did she think Lyra needed saving.

"That place wasn't safe for you, so I removed you from that place"

Lyra tried to get out of the trunk, her body felt like a heavy bag of bricks. With all her mite she just couldn't lift her body. Marisa was glad to see her child couldn't escape from her clutches again.

"Here darling, this will help you feel better" a small vile was hidden in Marisa's hand so it didn't scare Lyra. With a swift hand the liquid was on the girl's lips, and she slowly went back to sleep.

Despite now being tired, Marisa couldn't sleep now knowing her child could wake up again. So, she gently got Lyra out of the chest and sat on a chair and just held her child. This was a weird but natural feeling Marisa felt as she held her child for the first time since she was born.

Brushing her thumb across her child's cheek she couldn't help but smile. Admiring how delicate her skin was and some freckles you could only see up close. A quick shift in the chair accidently knocked Pan off Lyra's neck. The golden monkey ran quickly to Pan who was in his mouse form, he was letting out little squeaks like he was calling for his human. Looking his human for permission to pick up the small daemon Marisa gives him a small nod and the golden monkey gently picks up Pan. The monkey admired the daemon, he really loved Lyra and Pan, but he couldn't show his feelings as he knew his human would lash out at him.

Hours passed, Marisa still in the small chair by her room with Lyra in her arms. Footsteps could be heard coming. Not wanting Lyra to be seen she quickly stuff Lyra back into the trunk.

A man comes out from behind the door "Ma'am we must make a quick stop in Trollesund"

Marisa just smiled and nodded as she leaned up against the trunk.

The zeppelin lands at the landing strip, the woman was urged to leave the air ship from the conductor. On the spot Marisa brought up she wasn't feeling the best and would find it better to stay in her room while they stopped. Not wanting to get on the woman's bad side, the conductor just smiled and said "Alright'

Marisa let out a big sigh and when it was clear she went straight to Lyra, instead of brining the girl out and risking the exposer of her child, gently pulled her arm out to hold it.

Roughly two hours passed, Marisa didn't realise she had fallen asleep. A loud noise startled the woman then yelling could be heard. She quickly got up straighten out her outfit, put Lyra's arm in the trunk and went towards the yelling. The golden monkey could sense something wasn't right, then a familiar voice was heard "Where is she? Where is the Coulter woman?" the man's voice rang though the hall towards her room. "Hugh" she muttered with disgust. Then with quick thinking Marisa hid, she had no want or desire to be around this buffoon of a man.

Just as Marisa was going to make herself known, another voice was heard "Sir, I need you to move of the field, we are about to take off"

A big sigh of relief came out and then the same voice said "Ma'am, I need you to be seated we are leaving for London"

It was roughly a eight hour flight left, till they are safely back in London. She was desperate to get back to her home with her daughter and making sure both her and Lyra are far away from Bolvanger.