After a quarrel, Lyra refuses to eat, accusing her mother Morwenna of not wanting her anymore. Morwenna, recently fired by the estate steward Dunn for missing work to care for her sick daughter, receives a package from Elman, a master who outlines two potential cures for Lyra's legs. One is a fast but deadly risky method; the other is agonizingly slow but safer. Morwenna vows to try, even if it forces Lyra into unbearable pain, knowing her own time is limited and accepting her daughter's potential hatred.