The Master drove his blade home and pushed his dead opponent away, not even giving him a second glance. He looked round for more opponents and saw Seska struggling in the grip of two men.
With a snarl he threw his knife and one of the men went down with a blade in his gut.
The other man let go of Seska and drew his gun and aimed it at the Master.
But instead of a smile of triumph a grimace of pain crossed his face and he fell forward, a knife sticking out of his neck.
Behind was Seska, his face set in a mask of anger.
The Master smiled...so the boy had spine after all. His smile faded when Seska said. "One of them took Ashena...I think he's going to..."
The Master didn't need Seska to say it he knew and whipped round to see the others finishing off their opponents.
"Harkness!" he called and set off at a run.
He could hear someone behind him but he didn't look back.
"Ashena!" he called as he ran outside.
"Ashena!" he heard Jack call his daughter's name.
"Ashena!" he called again and his hearts leapt when he heard her voice...it was faint and she sounded like she was in pain.
Like a Cera Cat after its prey he locked onto her voice and found her within minutes.
She was naked and shaking and he quickly removed his coat and wrapped her in it. "Little flower...did he?"
She shook her head. "M-m-mother s-s-aved m-me."
The Master shook his head, she was delirious. He went to lift her up but she flinched.
"Let me," Gwen said as she appeared at their side. "Let's get you inside, cariad," she said and Ashena let her help her to her feet.
The Master went to follow but Jack stopped him.
"The last thing she wants in men around her. We should look for the bastard that tried to rape her."
The Master looked at the two women as they walked away...she needed her mother and he was dead.
Gwen gently sat Ashena down and swapped the Master's coat for several blankets.
"Let's see if we can find some clothes," she said and moved over to the supplies and eventually returned with some trousers and a t-shirt. "It's not the latest fashion but who cares."
She winced when Ashena moved one of the blankets and she saw the bite mark. She went back to the supplies and gathered cotton pads and what looked like iodine.
"This will hurt," she said.
Ashena never made a noise whilst she cleaned and dressed the wound.
"You were very brave, fighting him off...he won't get far."
Ashena did speak then. "But he's dead."
Gwen frowned. "There wasn't a body."
"Mother killed him, he must have moved it."
Gwen smiled sadly...poor girl, the shock was making her delusional. But she couldn't let her continue...it would make it worse.
"No sweetheart...your mother is dead."
"No, I saw it...mother killed him."
Gwen shook her head. "There's no body love, he ran away."
Ashena glared at her. "No...it was mother!"
Gwen said nothing, not wanting to upset the girl further, but she had to admit, even though Ashena was a strong girl, she would have still been overpowered, the bruises and the bite mark the evidence that he had...could it be?
She chided herself...the Doctor was dead. She shivered and hoped the others would come back soon.
"He's long gone," Jack said as the snow started to fall again.
"The mountain will kill him," the Master snarled.
"Come on, let's get back before this gets any worse," Jack said.
"You go...I want some time alone," the Master said.
Jack nodded. "Not too long...your daughter's lost one parent already."
Jack moved away and gestured for Ianto and Seska to follow him.
He waited until they were out of earshot before speaking. "I don't know if you made it past the Gates...not that I believe in that stuff. I hope you did, but I think we'll meet again the Dark Realms, for our sins."
He shivered and turned to go back to the cave, but as he was walking he got the distinct feeling he was not alone. He whipped round and peered into the snow but there was nothing.
He continued walking but couldn't shake the feeling and he walked faster...it must have been what Ashen had said.
He shook himself mentally...no such things as ghosts.
He was farther from the cave than he thought and the snow was coming down faster. He stopped again...this time he heard something...the shuffle of a foot in the snow behind him.
He turned and called out. "You might as well show yourself."
Nothing...perhaps it was the wind.
He turned around again and began walking. He could see the cave entrance and actually felt relieved when he entered the passageway.
He stopped again when this time he definitely heard a footstep and it wasn't the wind this time.
He didn't turn round, he kept on walking and when Jack looked up at his entrance he put a finger to his lips and with the slightest movement of his head alerted Jack to a problem.
Jack nodded slightly and moved to the side of the cave entrance whilst the Master pretended to stop and examine his shoes.
The footsteps rang round the cave and everyone stopped, except Ashena who was in a world of her own.
Suddenly the silence was broken by a snarl from the passageway and a blur of colour shot from the dark and went straight for the Master.
The Master, reacting out of instinct went with the attacker and the crack of the attacker's head hitting the icy floor made everyone jump.
The attacker landed face down and didn't move.
With a snarl the Master hauled the inert figure over onto its back and then dropped it in shock.
"It can't be..." he breathed.
Jack and the others all stared at the figure in confusion and then Ashena's voice broke the silence.
"I told you it was mother."