"Saatur, get behind me," Lyra commanded with a lower voice.  As she was saying so, she started off with a brisk walk.  Step by urgent step, her pace was always increasing ever so slightly; her heels now scarcely touched the ground, and her feet were tense to spring forward.

Where the hell did that beast come from?  While the mountains weren't awfully far away, certainly the town would've scared it off, wouldn't it?

"Now, Saatur!"

Lyra was running now.  Old muscles and reserves were being tapped, and she could feel her lungs get heavy again.  Hopefully, her running closer would just scare it off, but if the worst came about...

...death beams.  Right...