Chapter Thirty Six : Leaving

The Doctor looked at Korrok and shook his head dismissively. "Vhella's long gone," he said, sounding as though he'd resigned himself to the fact long ago. "There's no way of knowing where she is, and we'd we wasting our time looking. Scrying doesn't work and short of a transporter beam, that was our best hope at finding her." He stopped suddenly. Somehow, giving a voice to how desperate the situation had become was worse than the pains he had suffered while keeping the truth silent within him. He glanced away and began again, his voice a little quieter this time. "If I thought we could find Vhella I'd be out there right now, looking. But we don't have the time to waste chasing shadows." He looked back to Korrok. "Rose is dying right in front of my eyes and there's nothing I can do to stop it."

"I wasn't talking about Vhella," Korrok said. "I agree with you, we can't waste time looking for her."

The Doctor frowned. "If you didn't mean Vhella, then what did you mean?"

"Father," Enissa stepped forward, her hand taking her father's arm as she stared at Korrok, concern bright in her eyes. "Please..."

Korrok looked at his daughter, seeing her fears. "He has the right to know, Enissa," he said, his voice softening. "It's a dangerous path, but we at least have to give him the choice."

"What choice?" The Doctor's attention sharpened. "What aren't you telling me?"

There was a second of silence, and then Enissa let go of her father's arm and looked into the Doctor's eyes. "There is someone else," she explained quietly. "Someone who can help you. Someone who can help Rose."

The Doctor at once turned on Korrok. "And you've known this all along?" he asked, incredulously. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It's not as simple as that," Korrok said. "This is a final option Doctor, something you have to be sure of before you take even one step toward it."

"I'm sure," the Doctor said, with conviction.

"Doctor, we are talking about calling upon the powers of an occultess. Her name is Ahkethia; she is the most powerful of her kind."

The Doctor took a step toward Korrok, his eyes bright and fierce. "Do you really think that there's anything I wouldn't do to save Rose?"

"No," Korrok said, after a moment. "No, I don't."

"Then we understand each other."

Korrok nodded slightly. "You must first know that there is no guarantee that she'll even be willing to help. She does nothing through kindness. She is not benevolent. She is a creature of whim. She could cut out your tongue simply because it pleases her, and you would be defenceless against her."

The Doctor's gaze did not flicker, instead it turned to steel. "Tell me where to find her."

"She lives just west of here, in the Torn Sky Mountains. It is at least a day's journey, and the terrain is treacherous at best."

The Doctor reached inside his jacket pocket and withdrew a folded sheet of paper and a pencil. Heading across the room he unfolded the paper, set it down on the table and glanced up at Korrok and Enissa, who had followed him.

"I'll need a map." He looked at Korrok expectantly.

Korrok rolled his one eye. "This from a man who couldn't find his way out of an enticement spell," he said dryly.

Irritated, the Doctor straightened up and faced him. "Your point being?"

"My point being, that you have learnt nothing."

"I've learnt that you talk in riddles," the Doctor replied. "Now, are you going to help me with this map, or not?"

Korrok sighed heavily. "You are forgetting where you are, Doctor. Magicks are everywhere, and Ahkethia protects herself with them, conceals herself with them. She will be aware of your approach long before you are close to her. If you are lucky she will amuse herself by sending you left when you need to go right. If you are unlucky she will make you see meadows where there is quicksand." He placed his hand onto of the sheet of paper on the table. "You don't need a map, Doctor, you need a guide; someone who knows the way, and is stupid enough to go with you."

The Doctor held Korrok's gaze. "Any idea where I might find a person like that?"

A slow smile tugged at the corner of Korrok's mouth. "I just might." He offered his hand to the Doctor, and the Doctor took it gladly.

"Fantastic."

oOo

The Doctor stood in the door way, leaning against the door frame, his eyes watching Rose with such an intensity that it was easy to believe he was locking her into his memory for fear he might never see her face again. Quietly, he walked toward the bed where she lay, and sat on the edge. His movements were those of someone who was attempting not to disturb her sleep — for that was what he was trying to convince himself of — that Rose was merely sleeping. The truth was too painful for him to live with and he needed to be strong for her, so he deluded himself, or at least he tried to.

Tentatively he reached out and took her hand in his, his thumb softly brushing the back of it. "You just... sleep," he said quietly. "The witches will take good care of you while I'm gone. Enissa will make sure that there will always be someone here with you, in case..." He stopped and began again. "Not that anything..." He sighed and his hold on Rose's hand tightened slightly. "Everything's going to be okay. I promise."

Hearing a noise from behind him he turned his head and looked back to the doorway, seeing Enissa standing there. He released Rose's hand from his and got to his feet, walking over to Enissa.

"Is everything ready?" he asked.

Enissa nodded and looked at Rose. "We will take good care of her, Doctor. You need not worry."

"I know that, but…" He glanced to Rose. "I told her a story once, a fairytale to help her fall asleep. Only now… now it's almost like she's part of one. It's as if she's a fairytale princess trapped by a spell; cursed to sleep for a hundred years." He sighed and turned his attention back to Enissa. "And the thing is, I know how those stories end."

Enissa looked up at the Doctor, curiosity in her eyes. "And how do they end?"

The Doctor pushed his hands deep into the pockets of his leather jacket. "According to the stories there's only one thing that can break a spell like that." His gaze returned to Rose. "A kiss," he said quietly.

"A kiss?" Enissa repeated in surprise. "That's all?"

The Doctor looked at Enissa and shook his head. "Not just any kiss. That would be too easy. There are rules you see — fine print, if you like. The kiss has to come from a handsome prince an' then… then they live happily ever after." He hung his head and turned to walk out of the room. "She needs a prince."

Silent, Enissa watched the Doctor walk away and then, closing the bedroom door, she followed him through to the main room where they joined Korrok and P'nel, who had returned from delivering Enissa's message to the witches at the pyres.

Enissa took a breath and glanced between her father and the Doctor. "There's nothing I can say that would make you at least wait until morning, is there?"

The Doctor shook his head, resolutely. "Nothing. We've wasted enough time already. The sooner we leave the better."

"The Doctor's right," Korrok said, taking his daughter's hand for a moment. "Try not to worry. We'll be fine."

Enissa nodded solemnly. "You know that if I could, I would come with you."

P'nel stepped forward and took a determined hold of Enissa's arm. "But her place is here. Mattor's pyre is to be lit tonight, and Enissa will inherit. Nothing must stop Enissa becoming Mother Witch," she said firmly. "I won't have her going off on wild adventures, with ruffians." She set Korrok with an especially stern glare. "Even if one of them is her father."

Enissa patted P'nels hand, reassuringly. "You shouldn't worry so," she said softly. "I know that my place is here at the coven." She looked back at her father. "I would not abandon Mattor's faith in me."

"Or my faith in you," Korrok said, a smile warming his features.

P'nel let out a sigh of relief and let go of Enissa's arm. "Well, I'm glad we have that settled."

"Right," the Doctor said briskly, and taking charge he stepped forward. "P'nel, did you bring Rose's bag with you from Hoffly's house?"

"That I did," P'nel assured him, and hurried over to the corner of the room. She was back in a moment with Rose's canvas bag clutched tight in her hands and handed it to the Doctor.

"I'm taking the black book with me," the Doctor said, picking it up and pushing it into Rose's bag.

"I'll be glad to see it gone," Enissa admitted quietly.

"Thought that you might." The Doctor looked up and offered a smile. "Taking the stuff we found at H'roh's shrine too," he added, picking up the objects and dropping them into the bag, then his hand moved across the table toward Vhella's bloodstained knife. He hesitated slightly, before picking it up, unable to prevent himself from remembering just how it had last been used, and the life it had taken.

He put the knife in Rose's bag and looked at Enissa, his eyes solemn. "We'll go with you to the pyre's before we leave. I want to show my respect to Mattor… and to Jexa."

Enissa nodded briefly. "We would be honoured to have you there, Doctor. And you need not worry about Rose while you are gone." She reached out toward the amethyst p'tar eye that still sat in front of them on the table. "She will be safe here."

The Doctor's hand closed over the p'tar eye before Enissa's. "Rose stays with me," he said firmly, no room for argument in his voice.

Enissa looked at him in surprise. "But, Doctor…"

"There's no use arguing with him, Enissa," Korrok interrupted. "I've had this conversation with him before." He looked at the Doctor and nodded in obvious agreement, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "She stays with you."

The Doctor looked at the p'tar eye in his hand, his thumb brushing across the cool glass. He hesitated for a second then made to put it in his jacket pocket, but was stopped by Enissa.

"Wait."

He looked up, one eyebrow raised in curiosity. "Something wrong?"

Enissa took a breath. "I can't stop you leaving with Rose, but I won't allow you to put her in danger by carrying her around in your pocket."

"They're bigger on the inside," the Doctor explained, but Enissa was determined.

"I don't care how big they are. It's... it's an undignified mode of transport."

Without waiting for argument, she turned and headed over to a small cupboard, returning a moment later carrying something that looked to the Doctor like a small, ornate, black-metal birdcage. It was only when Enissa set it down onto the table, and opened its hinged door to remove a candle stump, that the Doctor realised it was in fact a lantern.

Enissa held her hand out to the Doctor expectantly, and because it seemed the right thing to do, the Doctor handed her the p'tar eye. Carefully, Enissa placed it inside the lantern and closed the door.

"There," she said with no small degree of satisfaction. "That, is far more dignified."

Reluctantly, the Doctor had to agree. Glancing to Korrok's back-pack that was set on a chair next to the table, a disheartened look came into his face. He returned his attention to Korrok.

"Tents?" he inquired.

"Just the one. We're travelling light."

"Which reminds me," P'nel said, hurrying off to the kitchen and returning momentarily with a substantial amount of sandwiches and a large bottle of what appeared to be pondweed juice. "Supplies," she said brightly, wrapping the sandwiches up in a square of muslin then holding both them and the pondweed juice out to Korrok. "An army marches on its stomach," she told him with authority.

Still with her attention fixed on Korrok she gave what may or may not have been a wink, although Korrok rather hoped that he had imagined it — or that she had something in her eye.

"I... well... yes." He glanced to the Doctor, and then back to P'nel. "Thank you."

Enissa smiled and kissed P'nel's cheek. "Yes, thank you, P'nel. That's very thoughtful of you. And thank you for staying here with Rose too."

"Oh, it's the least I could do," P'nel said, looking a little flustered as her cheeks turned pink.

The Doctor picked up Rose's bag and the lantern, as Korrok put the supplies in his pack and slung it over his shoulder.

"Ready?" the Doctor asked Enissa.

She took a breath to steady her nerve. "As I'll ever be," she replied, taking her father's arm, as he offered her an encouraging smile.