Rose and the Doctor waited for nearly an hour, both trying to ignore the sounds from the room next door. Much as he wanted to charge in and remove the woman from her attacker, the Doctor understood that such an action would accomplish nothing. It was best to bide their time with the knowledge that soon they would remedy the unconscionable situation.

When the noise changed to deep snoring, the Doctor decided it was time to move. With luck, the other men would be finished, too, and perhaps the common room would be less crowded. He hardly dared hope that the bastards might have slipped into alcohol-induced stupors, but that was the ideal outcome.

Rose was feeling a little better. She wasn't as cold, and her lip had stopped throbbing. Her ribs ached, but the Doctor assured her that nothing was broken. Even so, when she sat up she had to suppress a groan.

"All right?" the Doctor asked simply.

"Yeah." She got to her feet. The wood floor was cold, and she knew the frozen ground outside would be even colder. "Still got my tights?" she asked.

With a murmur of apology, he pulled them from his pocket. She inspected the damage. She wouldn't be able to keep them up around her waist; he'd torn the top portion in two. However, she could separate the legs and wear them as socks. At least that would offer her feet some scant protection.

"Where're your shoes?" he asked as she ripped the fabric then began to bend down. "Ow," she muttered.

"Here," he said immediately, kneeling before her, "let me."

"I think Kuroq took them. They were gone when I woke up. So was my cloak. Miara—she's the dark-haired, tall one—said none of 'em get shoes; prevents 'em from runnin' off."

He shook his head as he rolled the stretchy material over her left foot. "Right. Clever lot, them," he said acerbically.

He covered her right foot then tore the remaining fabric to make two strips that he wrapped around her calves to hold the new stockings up. Then he toed off his boots and pulled off his socks.

"What're you doin?" Rose asked.

"You'd never be able to walk in my boots, but these socks are wool, and they'll help prevent frostbite."

He slipped the socks over her feet then quickly donned his boots again.

"Thanks," she said as he helped her to stand.

He removed his jacket and put it over her shoulders. She offered him a grateful smile.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Yeah."

He took her hand and led her to the door.


They paused for a few moments to assess the hallway. It was quiet, and the other doors were closed. They could see dull candlelight seeping beneath two doorways. The other was dark. Ahead a soft light glowed in the kitchen.

They crept down the hall. As they neared the common room, the Doctor lifted a finger to his lips then motioned for Rose to remain where she was. Stealthily he peeked into the large room. Most of the women were gone, but a dozen men remained. Three were stretched out on benches near the door, apparently asleep. Two more sat directly in front of the exit, clutching mugs in their hands. They appeared somewhat sluggish, but even in a lethargic state their bulk and ready access to weapons would make them difficult to get past.

When he turned back to the hallway, the Doctor was surprised to find it empty. "Rose!" he whispered urgently.

She stepped from the shadowed kitchen doorway, beckoning him. He joined her, and she pointed at the far wall. He grinned and mouthed, "Fantastic!"

A small doorway had been cut into the wall. It was about a meter high and a meter wide. A heavy wooden door covered it, but he could see rusted hinges and a metal handle. The little portal had probably once served as a primitive garbage chute, or perhaps the wood used to fuel the fire had been delivered here. Either way, they had found a method of escape.

Friya stood at the fire with her back toward them. He hated to do it, but the Doctor could think of no better option, he stole up behind her and clapped his hand over her mouth. She stiffened but did not attempt to fight him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, "but you can't make any noise. All right?"

She nodded, and he dropped his hand. She turned around slowly, gesturing toward herself. She thought he had come for her.

He shook his head. "No," he said softly, "that's not why I'm here. We need to leave. We need to get through there." He tilted his head toward the small door.

Her eyes moved between him and Rose. For a moment she was fixated on his jacket, and then some sort of understanding seemed to wash over her.

"You… want her?" she asked him very quietly.

"Yes. She's my friend, and I want to keep her safe. So we need to get out of here."

"You can come with us," Rose said.

Friya's eyes widened in wonder. "Me?"

"Yeah. We'll help you get away—"

"No. My place is here."

"But—" Rose began to protest.

"Not now," the Doctor admonished mildly. Then he knelt before the door and examined the hinges. "How long since this has been opened?" he asked Friya.

"I don't know," she whispered. "Many years. I've never seen it open."

"Right, then we're gonna need something to remove some of this rust."

He stood and began prowling about the kitchen, opening various jars and sniffing at jugs. His nose wrinkled as he lifted a large container. Rose heard sloshing from inside.

"Perfect!" he proclaimed quietly. "Bad wine to begin with, nothin' more than vinegar now."

He crouched beside the door and poured a generous amount of the wine over the hinges. "Need a clean rag," he requested.

Rose stood closer to the Time Lord, so she took the cloth from Friya and handed it to him. Their fingers brushed.

"Thanks," he acknowledged.

Friya watched them with abject fascination. Her gaze moved back and forth between him and Rose, who could tell that she was trying to grasp their relationship. No man here would ever give a woman his coat; she felt certain of that. And a tender touch was unheard of.

"It doesn't have to be like this," Rose told her gently. "Men an' women can be friends, lovers, even spouses—means they're married, committed to each other, to help an' support an' love each other."

The older woman's eyes were huge. "Is that… is that how it is for you?" she asked very hesitantly.

"We care about each other. He would never hurt me. A man should never hurt a woman."

"But that is the way of things."

"Doesn't have to be. An' we're gonna show you. We're gonna come back for you, all right?"

"I… I don't know."

Rose gave her hand a warm squeeze. "Things're gonna get better. You'll see."

"Aha!" the Doctor proclaimed, although his voice was subdued by necessity.

He'd grasped the handle and was gradually prising open the door. It made a few creaks, but he worked very slowly to avoid causing any loud noises. When the door was fully open, he poked his head outside then beckoned to Rose.

"We'll be back," she reassured Friya.

The Doctor stood again to address Friya. "There's something we need before we can leave your village."

"The trade?" she said softly, then she pressed a hand over her mouth, clearly frightened that he'd punish her for eavesdropping.

He nodded. "Smart girl. You pay attention," he complimented. "I need a couple of those little pebbles that glow in the dark. They're about this big," he demonstrated with his thumb and index finger, "an' sort of greenish-gray."

"There are very few in the village. Sagar traded them for an animal. I don't know if he has any left."

The Time Lord frowned. "We'll check. Where's he live?"

She hesitated, but Rose's warm smile encouraged her to whisper and gesture to her left, "It's the fourth house. His is the largest."

"Who'd he trade with?" the Doctor asked.

"The men from the North. They traveled for many days to get here."

"Where do you get the pebbles?" Rose inquired. "Maybe we can just go there."

"The men talk about the caves near the mountains. I think that's where they find them."

"How far's that?" Rose asked.

"They leave after sunrise and return before the midday meal."

"So not that far," the Doctor confirmed. "And the mountains're between here and the TARDIS, just a little to the west."

He gave Friya a brief but sincere thank you, then he climbed through the small portal and out into the cold night. Rose crouched gingerly, wincing but remaining quiet. He extended his hand back inside to help her out.

As she was crawling through the little space, Friya handed her a tatty shawl then backed away.

"Be sure an' close the door after us," Rose said. "You don't want 'em to know you helped us."

Friya nodded then stepped away as the sympathetic young blonde and strange yet kind man disappeared into the darkness.

"Woman!" The gruff voice from the common room summoned her, and she hurried off to do his bidding.


To be continued…