The Cure - His Dark Materials

CHAPTER FOUR

"Among thousands of universes, of countless worlds, there is found a cure that will bring salvation to all worlds."

|WAYS

ELLA

After walking practically the whole night without speaking, just looking at each other from time to time, the only dialogue they had was when Ella asked what the boy's name was, and he, even though he sounded arrogant, replied saying that his name was Jason, so Ella introduced herself as well, only to receive yet another smug look in return.

They continued walking for a long time, until Ella was finally convinced that they were well away and safe.

“We'll stop here, rest today, and continue tomorrow." she says.  Jason turns to her in bewilderment.

"Continue?  Where to?" 

Ella looks at him tiredly.

“We're going east."

"What?  What do you mean, we?" Jason asks irritably, and that makes Ella look at him in a bit of surprise.

"You're coming with me, aren't you?"

“Only because you stole my book, that's all.  I'm not going to follow you around, you brat."

Ella ignores him and walks over to a cluster of rocks that cast a small shadow against the moonlight on the ground in the middle of all that desert.  It wasn't much, but it was enough to rest.

She sits down, taking off her shoes to massage them, but she was in a lot of pain.  Makario jumps to the boulder above Ella's head looking around, while Katára stared at Jason, who was talking to his spider daemon.

“I don't trust him.  Why did we bring him?"  Katara questions.

"I think we're going to need him."  the girl answers softly.

"What?  Why?"

“Remember what the book said to Margot and Lin?  That there is a prophecy of the witches, that it is related to me and that a blacksmith will help me."

“You can't believe that's true." Makario says making a face, returning to the ground to face Ella next to Katára.

“The book has never lied until now."  she reasons.

"Okay, but him?!"  Makario asks indignantly.

“This time I have to agree with Makario, Ella.  He doesn't seem trustworthy at all."  Katara says, somewhat begrudgingly and looking sideways at the other daemon.

“And besides, he's on the side of the Metics."  continues Makario, ignoring Katára's gaze.

Ella frowns at the two of them.

“You might not trust him, but you have to believe in the book because it's helping us." the girl scolds.

"Ask it then."  Makario suggests, and Katára perks up.

"Yes!  Ask if it's him."

Ella looks at Jason, away from them and talking to his daemon, and then at the daemons again.  Then she sighed in defeat and opened the book.  Asking, her voice comes out in a whisper:

"Who is he?"

Instantly the answer came.

"He is the blacksmith sent to protect the cure."

"The cure, this again..."

"Ask it what this cure is."

Before Ella could ask the question, Jason was walking towards her with a very unpleasant expression.  So she left it for later and closed the book.