Koschei said a silent goodbye to Theta as he plunged over the edge and stared into the darkness below. He'd been expecting to die. So when something arrested his fall and his shoulder felt like it was ripped from its socket, it was a miracle he wasn't expecting.

He looked up and saw the strained and pale features of Theta, whose hand was clamped firmly round his wrist.

"Kosch, hang on!" Theta yelled his own threat of death wiped out by that of his friend. "Can you reach the chain!"

Koschei looked down and saw the chain disappearing into the darkness. He looked up at Theta, whose features were lined with fear.

Without replying he began to swing aided by Theta. He knew he only had one chance and with a grimace of determination he grabbed the chain.

Theta let out a huge gasp of relief, catching Koschei had been a major stroke of luck in itself, but to see him grasp hold of the chains was a major miracle.

"You have to climb!" he called down to Koschei who nodded and began hauling himself up the chain until he was level with Theta.

"We really should stop meeting like this," he said and quirked a nervous smile.

Theta didn't have the strength or energy to roll his eyes in despair. "Climb Kosch, you have to get the others. I haven't the strength to pull myself up.

Koschei shook his head. "No, I'm not leaving you!"

Theta stared hard at Koschei. "You have to, there's no point in both of us dying."

Koschei was about to swear at him for being a stubborn son of a...when the whole chain shifted downwards.

"Climb Kosch, for the love of Rassilon, climb!"

Koschei nodded dumbly and hauled himself past Theta and was about to pull up again when the chain shifted again.

He looked up but could see no reason for it; he could just see the sword that it was attached to. It was still firmly wrapped round the huge blade.

It was the cry of panic that made him look down...Thete!

Climbing up the chain and out of the darkness was the slaver, and there was murder in his eyes.

"You will die with me!" he roared and reached for Theta, who kicked out at the massive hand that was reaching for him.

He let out a cry of alarm when the salvers massive hand clamped over his calf and felt his already precarious grip on the chain slipping.

"No!" Koschei screamed. With a snarl of not hot blooded rage, but cold hatred he began climbing down the chain again.

He passed the struggling Theta whose look of horror spurred him on even more. He kicked savagely at the arm of the slaver but to no effect.

"Valtaxan!" he heard Theta scream. "They don't have a central nervous system!"

Koschei stopped kicking and the slaver snarled at him.

"That's right, kick all you like. The whelp is going with me!"

Koschei saw the pure hatred in the slaver's eyes. He looked up at the terrified face of Theta and made a decision.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the gift Drax had given then all as first year graduation presents...the sonic.

The blue light gave his face a cold hue, but not as cold as his hearts were as he looked down at the slaver and placed the sonic against the slavers exposed flesh.

"That's the thing with Valtaxans!" he snarled. "No central nervous system means it's easy to remove a limb.

The drumbeat in his head beater louder and faster as the slavers look of hatred turned to one of fear as they both watch skin and flesh and muscle begin to separate.

"KOSCHEI, NO!" Theta screamed as the sound of bones cracking reached his ears.

Then the scream of the slaver filled the air as his forearm separated from his hand and the scream echoed around them as he faded into the darkness.

Theta looked down at the empty space and then at Koschei and he recoiled at the look of pure joy on his face.

Then the air was filled with the sound of a shuttle and he felt the chain moving again, but this time upwards.

The path was awash with enforcers and Theta was hurried away to a waiting shuttle. As the door was shutting he thought he saw a figure in the distance, fading into the snow.

Was that his rescuer...a Time Lord living amongst the savages. He thought he saw the figure raise a hand in farewell, and as the shuttle rose into the air a myriad questions began to form in his mind.

Two months had passed since that cold night on the mountain and Theta had refused to see or speak to Koschei.

He sat in the gardens of the infirmary, still recovering from the friction burns from the chains and the damage done to his arm.

He looked up when he heard some approaching.

"Go away Koschei," he said and went to get up.

However Koschei barred his way and grabbed his arms.

"Why won't you talk to me Thete?"

"Don't call me that!" Theta spat. "Only people I know well call me that and I don't know you anymore!"

"Thete, please!" Koschei cried as Theta wrenched his arms free.

Theta rounded on him. "You murdered that slaver and in cold blood!"

Koschei stepped back, away from the disgust in Theta's voice. "I did it to save you. Please Thete, forgive me!"

Theta looked at Koschei. He heard the anguish in his voice and the look of hurt on his face.

He stepped forward and embraced Koschei and whispered in his ear.

"I forgive you."

Koschei let out a sob and disentangled himself from Theta. "Oh thank Rassilon. I couldn't bear going through the rest of school without seeing or talking to you. At least they're not moving you to Vansell's class. Magnus gave him a beating he won't forget."

Theta said nothing, letting Koschei ramble on, but he knew deep in his hearts that things between them would never be the same again.

Finis