Fenris caught the contempt in her eyes, and his expression darkened further. The three of them stood frozen at the doorway, no one speaking.
Before long, Fenris's communication stone pulsed urgently. Something pressing at the Central Den demanded his attention. He left first, but not before instructing Selene to make sure Lyra returned to the Ashenvale estate safely.
The carriage was silent with just the two of them inside. The atmosphere pressed down, suffocating. They were halfway through the forest road when it happened—
CRASH!
The impact came without warning. The carriage lurched violently, spinning out of control as the horses screamed. The sickening sensation of weightlessness sent Lyra's head reeling. She grabbed for the carriage rail instinctively, but her body was thrown sideways, her forehead slamming into the wooden frame. Pain exploded through her skull. Before she could process what was happening, a runaway supply wagon barreled into them. A wave of splintering wood and the shriek of metal fastenings washed over her.
Her body—still fragile from her recent injuries—couldn't take the trauma. Her vision went black, and she lost consciousness.