ta Skadi,quot; she said.

    t still, tilting to training to hear.

    And t t, all tco t t is,  trings, guarding ill and Lyra.

    Someaking place. And only seconds later, it seemed, t, t and scream of voices raised in pain or anger or command.

    And time to jump, a creature fell from t t —a beast of leatted fur t Lyra recognized as a cliff-g, or something similar.

    It ruded from its side, but still it lurc Lyra. tc s, because s ill ; and ures  its lungs  fell dead.

    turned t  glaring up s-ruscurns and s and fors, let alone aim and s, anding.

    Anot and tream or on tark dead; and t fled, skirling and cluttering into toh.

    A fes later Serafina Pekkala landed ciful cement.

    tc and spat.

    quot;Not from our ; s;nor from tions. t;

    Lyra returned olidly, t a quickening of , for Ruta Skadi lived so brilliantly in  s up a responding the nerves of anyone close by.

    tcurned to ill, and  tingle of intensity, but like Lyra rolled ill   and smiled.

    it into to clean it of t in tream.

    Ruta Skadi ;Serafina Pekkala, I am learning so mucy. Im ;

    Se like an animal, tearing at ted birds and cramming o  doream. e, some of tc a t up a ch.

    t came to sit near Ruta Skadi to  sell told  to Lord Asriels fortress.

    quot;Sisters, it is test castle you can imagine: ramparts of basalt, rearing to tion, and on te.  ime, for eons. ers, even t  be? I dont kno understand. I time,  run fast or sloo his will.

    qu