#Libby Lancaster

[sporadically-writing]

Northern Navigators

To say that Lyra was excited for the Gyptian’s arrival in Trollesund would be the understatement of the century. They were getting closer and closer to the north with each passing day! And also getting closer to finding Rodger! Lyra was overjoyed! The town beyond Maggie’s boat held any number of surprises and she and Pan were bursting to find it out.

                                                                ~

“You’ve already looked at it from that direction.” the daemon said, attempting to move the paper in his human’s hands a different direction.

“Alright! Hey!” the woman said, moving the large piece out of the way.

The two of them made a strange pair, sort of. The woman had a large backpack strapped to her back, seemingly loaded down with all manners of previsions. She might as well have worn a sign that said, ‘I am not from here.’ That, and the fact that her daemon was probably one of the largest most of the people in Trollesund were used to seeing. A reindeer, regardless of proximity to the north, was going to stand out. Neither of them really seemed to mind though, focused more on the map in the woman’s hands. 

“I’m not deliberately taking a long time, you know that right?” the woman asked, “I’m trying to get my bearings here.”

“And you’ve been doing that for about ten minutes.”

“It would be a lot easier if the map was labeled.”

“Sure” the reindeer chuckled.

“Hush you” the woman chuckled back. Then she went back to cross referencing.

It was then, that a little girl walked near them. “What are you doing?” she asked.

The woman with curly brown hair pulled the map down away from her face. She had a brown coat wrapped around her waist, no doubt to be worn when it got colder (not that it was really warm at all now). She had sensible brown trousers and sturdy looking boots along with an evergreen button shirt with the sleeves rolled up past her elbows and a pair of brown suspenders. She looked every inch an adventurer. 

“Well,” the woman said, answer the short haired blonde girl, “I’m supposed to be reading this map.”

The reindeer beside her made a snorting sound, she looked over and smirked at him momentarily.

“But,” she said back to the girl, “It doesn’t have any words on it.”

“That’s silly” the girl responded.

“A little, but it just takes a bit of time. You just have to know what you’re looking for.”

The reindeer daemon nudged her shoulder with his snout, carefully avoiding her with his antlers. Fine, the gesture said, I’ll concede, you win. 

“If you don’t mind me asking, darling. What are you doing all the way out here by yourself?” the woman asked.

“I’m not alone,” she said, pointing to two men talking quietly to themselves beyond her, “I’m traveling with some Gyptians. We’re searching for their missing children.”

“Well,” the woman said, frowning, “I sure hope you find them... what’s your name?”

“Lyra, and this is Pan.” Lyra gestured down to wear a small white ermine wiggling his nose at her. 

“Pleasure to meet you Lyra. Pan.”

“What’s your name?” Lyra asked.

“Libby. Libby Lancaster. And this is Elliot.”

The reindeer smiled as best as he could, bowing his head to Lyra and Pan. 

“He’s the biggest daemon I’ve ever seen. I didn’t know they settled as animals that big” Lyra said.

“He always liked animals about this size growing up,” Libby mused, “I suppose that says something about me, doesn’t it?”

Libby folded up the map and crouched a little, getting eye level with Lyra. “You know,” she whispered, “My mum always told me that it was because I have a bigger personality. I’ve come to believe that’s true. If Pan settles like Elliot here did, Lyra, people are going to have some things to say about you. I’m telling you, don’t listen to word any of them say. You should never feel ashamed for you who you are. If they want you to be less, that’s their problem.”

The two ladies shared a smile before Lyra’s name was called. The men she was with motioned for her to join them and Lyra nodded, quickly turning to Libby.

“Good luck with your map, maybe we’ll see you on our journey!” she said.

“Maybe! Good luck finding your friends, hopefully we do see you around. You could introduce us.”

With that, Lyra ran off to join her adults, leaving Libby and Elliot smiling after her. Libby leaned back, resting herself on Elliot as she looked up at his face.

“What a nice little girl” she said.

“I hope we do see her again, she seems like fun” Elliot agreed. Libby smiled with a laugh, before unfolding the map again.

“Now where were we?”

Little did the two navigators know, they would be seeing Lyra again very soon.