Chapter Eleven

The Doctor walked down the path while softly whistling and had his hands in his pockets. He was angry that he lost his sonic screwdriver but this wasn't the first time he had to be without it.

"Saved the world with no TARDIS and no sonic screwdriver, so finding Amy isn't going to be that hard," he said as he walked long and the sunlight shimmered off the leaves. Suddenly the bushes wiggled as he stopped and frowned. "What is that?"

The bushes shook when a small ball of blue fur rolled onto the path and he knelt down on his haunches, placed his wrists on his knees. The large black eyes blinked as the ball of fur sneezed and the fur shook around it.

"Bless you," the Doctor said with a smile when the bushes moved and several balls of different colored fur rolled onto the path and he stood up. "Right, this doesn't look good."

"If I were you, I'd climb up here," a voice said as the Doctor spun around in a circle and frowned.

"Who said that?" he asked when the tree to his left opened its black eyes and blinked. "Was that you?"

"Yes, now climb up or you will regret it," the tree said and the Doctor gently leaned against the bark of the tree and looked at the balls of fur.

"How can little balls of fur harm me?"

"The veejees are not as harmless as you think."

"But they are so cute," the Doctor said when a low growling sound filled the air and he looked at the bushes. The bushes shook again when a large, orange fur veejee appeared and the smaller veejees jumped up and down. The larger veejee was as tall as the Doctor and had large, yellow eyes and four rows of sharp teeth. "Let me guess. That's their mother?"

"Yes, now climb!" the tree shouted as the Doctor nodded and started climbing. The large veejee moved closer and closer as the little veejees squeaked and the Doctor climbed higher, looking down at the large veejee. It jumped up as it nipped at his feet and the Doctor climbed faster. He came to the top most branches as he sat in the nook of two branches and looked down at it.

"Now what do I do?" he asked.

"You'll just have to wait until they get bored," the tree said, watching the veejees encircling the tree and jumped up and down.

"How long will that take?"

"Oh, I'd say a week or two," the tree said and the Doctor's eyes went wide.

"I don't have that amount of time!"

"Well then, the only two options you have are you learn how to fly or jump down and run, hoping they don't catch up with you. I saw a bloke do that once but he only made it to that rock over there," the tree said and the Doctor looked at the rock only three feet from the tree.

"Great," the Doctor sighed when he heard a shrill whistle and the veejees turned, looking down the path. Suddenly a large pack of wolves ran down the path while the largest of the wolves tackled the large veejee and the large veejee screamed a high pitched scream. The wolves chomped down on the smaller veejees as they screamed and blue blood dribbled to the ground. The large veejee hopped away as the surviving smaller veejees followed it and the Doctor felt like he was going to be sick.

"You are far from home," someone said as he looked down and saw someone standing near the trunk of the tree. The figure was a tall female with a thin, flawless body and had long white hair and blue eyes. She wore tan fur boots, tight tan pants, a bronze bra covering her breasts and a white fur cape was draped over her shoulders.

"Who are you?" the Doctor asked and she smiled up at him.

"My name is Yanna," Yanna said with a nod of her head and he could just see the tips of her ears sticking out from under her hair.

"You're an elf?"

"Yes, I am. Now, who are you?"

"I am the Doctor," he said and Yanna smiled, leaning against the trunk of the tree.

"Tell me, Doctor, how is it that you don't know that it's unwise to travel alone through Jareth's forest?"

"You know Jareth?"

"There isn't a creature here that doesn't know the Goblin King."

"Then you know how to get to his castle?" he asked and she snorted a laugh, patting the large wolf sitting at her feet.

"And why would I want to do that?"

"Well, I need to get there," he said when he noticed that he could barely see the castle from his vantage point in the tree and swung his feet back and forth.

"What is there that makes you risk your life in order to get there?"

"My friend is there and I need to rescue her before Jareth makes her his bride."

"Oh, Great Huntress, is he doing that again?" Yanna asked as she tossed her hands into the air and he looked down at her.

"What are you on about?"

"You aren't from around here, are you?"

"Ah, no, I'm not. Care to fill me in?"

"Not sure how long ago it was, but there was this young human girl, Sarah, I think her name was, and his Goblinship fell in love with her. Now, as the story goes, she had wished that he'd take her sibling so she didn't have to care for it anymore and Jareth, being an idiot, took the brat. Now, being in love and only thinking with his pants, he challenges her to solve his labyrinth…"

"Before time is up or the baby becomes his?" the Doctor asked and she smiled.

"Yep, but Sarah proves to be smarter than he was. She gets some help and solves the labyrinth. She takes the brat and leaves. Now losing someone like that turned Jareth into a right bastard. Oh, true, he was in love with her and, according to the stories, was going to marry her but being scorned was something he would NOT tolerate! So, being pissed off, he takes it out on the rest of us. He set fire to most of the forests and his goblins hunted down my tribe, killing them," she said with a low growl in her voice and he felt his hearts aching.

"Then you'll help me?" the Doctor asked and Yanna sighed, thinking for a few seconds. Nodding, she watched him climb down the tree when he patted the bark and the tree smiled. "Now, which way do we go?"

"You and the elf will come with us!" a voice said as they turned around and the wolves gathered in front of them, growling at the two figures standing near the trees. Both of them were tall with long black hair and violet eyes. Their bodies were lean and flawless and their faces were perfect. The male wore a black tunic that was opened enough to show off his tightly muscles chest, tight grey pants with a black leather belt and black leather boots and a scabbard was strapped to his back by a strap made of gold chain. The female wore a white tunic that was opened enough to show the tops of her breasts, tight black pants with a black leather belt and black leather boots. The female held onto the reins of two white horses and two gold hoop ear rings dangled from the male's earlobes. The male roared as the wolves ran off and the Doctor growled, feeling his hearts slamming in his chest.

"Who are you?" the Doctor asked, gently pulling Yanna behind him.

"I am Nol and this is my twin sister, Cycy," Nol said as Cycy nodded with a small smile and the Doctor felt a cold shiver go through him after she smiled.

"I am the Doctor," he said and Cycy walked toward him while her hips gently swayed side to side. She walked in a circle around him as she looked him over then walked back to her brother and tapped a finger on his shoulder.

"I like him. He smells like time and stars," she said and Nol gave her a look that was cold and angry.

"I don't care if he smells like wine and sweet cheese. They are coming with us," Nol said and Cycy sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, Wart, you are such a stick," she said and Nol glared at her, his nostrils flaring.

"DO NOT CALL ME WART!" he shouted and the Doctor looked at Yanna.

"Sounds to me like someone doesn't like it when big sister teases him," the Doctor said and Yanna softly laughed.

"I will have you know that I am the oldest," Nol said as he walked to the Doctor and poked a finger in his chest.

"And I will have you know that I do not like being poked!" the Doctor said as he gently slapped Nol's hand away. In one swift motion, Nol removed a sword from the scabbard as a low humming sound filled the air and he held the hilt of the sword tightly in his hands.

"How are you touch me?" he growled and Cycy sighed, walking toward him.

"Put that away, Wart," she said as he growled and pointed the sword at her, pressing the tip of the blade against her throat.

"I warn you, Sister, do not tempt me!" he growled while the Doctor arched his head toward the trees and Yanna nodded. They slowly headed for the trees but stopped when Cycy suddenly appeared in front of them and the Doctor turned around, looking at Nol standing right behind him.

"Right, mind telling me how you're doing that?" he asked and Nol frowmed, placing the sword back in the scabbard.

"They're fey," Yanna said as the Doctor made an O with his mouth and nodded.

"Now, Doctor, if you don't mind?" Cycy asked as she pointed to the horses and the Doctor sighed, nodding his head. They walked to the horses when he noticed the white feather wings and blinked. Nol and Cycy climbed onto the saddles when Cycy held her hand out and the Doctor climbed onto the back of the horse, sliding a little closer to the saddle. Yanna sat behind Nol as she wrapped her arms around his waist and the Doctor slid his arms around Cycy's waist, making her smile. He was shocked when she lifted his hands up until they were just under her breasts and leaned back against him.

"Sister, behave yourself!" Nol said as she stuck her tongue out at him and sat up. Sighing, the Doctor lowered his hands when the horses headed down the path then flew into the air and he smiled. The landscape spread out around them as the horses flew toward the mountains and the Doctor looked behind him. The labyrinth grew smaller and smaller in the distance as he sighed and felt his hearts aching.

"Amy," he whispered as the horses flew onward and the cold wind blew his hair around his head.