Chapter 10

She hated this place; she couldent explain it but whenever she was near it, she felt a heavy oppressive feeling like a violent storm was about to break. She'd never been inside and hadent ever wanted to be either. Yet here she was, crouched down behind one of the many wooden benches watching the strange Doctor man and her father.

She hadn't intended to end up here but after running from the crowds at the eastern warren entrance she'd been separated from Taran. She knew the winding streets of the village well, more so than most of the Lir children and avoiding coming anywhere near the temple if she could help it. Although today her feet seemed to have carried her here of their own free will despite her desire to stay away.

She hoped the strange adult girl was alright too, if the other adults of the village caught her they would not be gentle.

She shuddered suddenly; the building was cold as though the very stones exuded the freezing air. The voices of the Doctor and Tori suddenly stopped, and she glanced up to find the tall skinny man staring at her...

Xxx

Martha listened quietly as the stranger introduced himself as Kevv. She didn't know what another human was doing here, but at the moment that knowledge wasn't exactly high on her list of things to know.

"So Kevv, you ready to go back out there?"

They were still sitting in the tunnel underneath the rush mats, above the sounds of the mob that had been chasing him had died away.

"What are you serious? Back out there to crazy town?"

Martha nodded without conviction, she may have been a little afraid of what might happen, of those people and even of the place itself but she wouldn't leave the Doctor no matter what.

"I need to find the Doctor."

Kevv raised an eyebrow.

"The Doctor? Tall skinny bloke, brown suit, spiky hair?"

Martha's eyes widened. "You've seen him?"

Kevv nodded. "He was thrown into the same cell I was in, but some of those people took him to the temple whatever that is."

Martha felt some of the tension leave her at these words, but she knew it would never leave her completely until she knew he was safe. Standing slowly she listened at the hole for a moment but heard nothing save a soft pattering. After a moment she pushed the heavy mats aside and lifted herself out, followed somewhat hesitantly by Kevv.

Cold raindrops landed on her head as she moved to the doorway, the door itself was long since gone along with most of the roof. The water didn't bother her too much though she'd been in worse situations since being with the Doctor and she'd learnt just to get on with it.

Across from them around the corner of another decrepit hut a shaped moved into view, a figure with white hair.

"Taran!" She called out.

He may have helped to capture the Doctor but the girl Kikari seemed to trust him and so Martha was willing to follow the child's example for now. He spotted them and gestured for them to join him quickly, and as Martha and Kevv moved towards him the Lir slid back around the corner and stopped under the hanging eves of the building.

"Where's Kikari?"

He was staring unhappily at the ground she noticed as though urging it to swallow him.

"Taran?" Martha softened her voice.

She could tell he was upset, it was like those times back at the Royal Hope where she'd seen people who'd just been told a loved one had passed away. Her breath seemed to catch in her throat as she waited for him to speak, to pass on the bad news that someone was lost.

"She went into the temple..."

The world seemed to start moving again at these words and Martha let out the breath she hadn't realised she been holding.

"Well that's ok the Doctor's there isn't he?"

He nodded slowly, hesitantly. "She shouldn't have gone inside she'll die..."

Xxx

The realisation of what the entity in the prison vessel had meant by pure blood hit the Doctor as he stared at Kikari and by then it was too late. Tori turned to follow his gaze and as his eyes alighted on her his mouth twisted into a cruel grin.

"Ahh there you are Kikari, I was beginning to worry..."

The Doctor could hear the small girls growl but if anything it only seemed to encourage the chief.

"Nanaii!"

Behind him the female Lir from the gate appeared and made towards the girl her eyes narrowed in hate. The Doctor immediately reached for his sonic screwdriver, realised it wasn't there, cursed in several different languages and then hared off. Leaping onto one of the benches he jumped for the next then the next never missing a beat. He overtook Nanaii and then he was beside the girl.

He grabbed her hand flashed her a wild grin like he was enjoying himself immensely and then darted off pulling her with him. "ALLONS-Y!"

They ran; darting into the echoing hallway and within seconds burst out into a storm, wind and rain lashed at them as they tore down the steps and into the village. The girl took the lead now dragging the Doctor after her; the pervasive dust had turned to a thick mud with the heavy rain that threatened to drag them down with every pounding step.

They were in the market clearing now, the same one where he and Martha had talked to the sweaty Lir. They stopped the girl panting heavily; she was shuddering soaked to the skin by the cold water. Taking off his coat the Doctor made to wrap it around her when something heavy slammed into him with a fierce screech.

The wind knocked out of him he slammed hard into the ground kicking up gouts of mud. Rolling to his knee's he looked up in time to see a large black dragon standing over the girl, it hissed at him daring him to move closer. A teenage boy moved into view, grabbed the senseless kid roughly by the arm and lifted her; throwing her over the back of the dragon. Then without a backwards glance at the Doctor he mounted the black himself and then with a huge gust of wind, that nearly knocked the Time Lord back into the mud they were gone.

That was how Martha, Kevv and Taran found him seconds later staring into the sky with a look that Martha knew too well, his I'm going to stop this no matter what look...

Xxx

A small shaped moved through the rain enjoying the feel of it on his face, in his arms he carried a small pile of fruits and a loaf of bread. He stopped suddenly seeing something glinting in the mud. With a curious look on his face he bent down and reaching out picked it up, it was a small silver stick thing and though he didn't know what on Luna it was he decided it might be worth trading...

To be continued.