If you're going to take a journey into the North, having an armored bear, a symbol reader and a Texan aeronaut with you seems like a pretty good starting point.
Part II opens with the Gyptians heading North to Trollesund, the main port of Lapland, where the witches have a consulate. Farder Coram has a history with the witches and knows that they must gain the witches’ favor if they are to successfully rescue the children. Once docked, Lyra and Farder Coram visit the consul, a man named Dr. Martin Lanselius. Farder Coram asks Lanselius for help locating a witch named Serafina Pekkala and explains why they are there. Dr. Lanselius shares that there is an organization in town called the Northern Progress Exploration Company, which pretends to be mining for minerals but is really importing children, and suggests obtaining the services of an armored bear named Iorek Byrnison. Dr. Lanselius is interested in Lyra and the alethiometer and he tests her to see if she can find something belonging to Serafina Pekkala. While she is preoccupied outside, Lanselius tells Farder Coram that Lyra has a major part to play in the destiny of their world, but that she must remain ignorant of the task in order to fulfil it. Farder Coram and Lyra leave the consul’s house and find John Faa, who tells them that he has hired an aeronaut from Texas named Lee Scoresby, who owns a balloon. Later, Lyra and Farder Coram go to enlist the help of Iorek Byrnison, who’s price for service is recovering the armor that was stolen from him by the townspeople. Back on the ship, as the Gyptians discuss their plans, Lyra wakes from a dreamy sleep and gazes at the Aurora in the northern sky. To her surprise, the image of a city begins to form but the vision is interrupted by the arrival of Serafina Pekkala’s goose daemon, Kaisa. Kaisa tells them that the children are being taken to Bolvangar, a secret compound guarded by a company of Northern Tartars. While John Faa and Farder Coram talk to the town governor about securing Iorek’s armor, Lee Scoresby provides the distraction Lyra needs to steal away and tell Iorek Byrnison where to find it. With his armor fully restored, Iorek Byrnison joins the expedition North to Bolvangar and a sleepy Pantalaimon decides to wait until morning to tell Lyra about the monkey-like shadow following them in the pine trees.