Turlough held his aching, blood-soaked arm as he shuffled closer to the hut. With every step that drew him closer, Turlough felt an extra seed of doubt lodge itself firmly in his chest.

Idiot!

He cursed, for perhaps the fiftieth time.

I should be helping my friends, not every little creature I happen to come across!

Only Chieka knew what kept him moving forward. Although he doubted that any of the Gods were responsible for this annoying selflessness. The influence of a certain dual-hearted alien was the prime suspect on that front.

Yet, despite his many misgivings, he found himself standing at the opening of the hut. No time like the present, Turlough reasoned and stepped quickly inside. The Trion did not waste time taking in his surroundings and instead squinted through the gloom for the subject of his interest. Sure enough, crouched in the corner, by two corpses he noticed grimly, was the girl, shaking with uncontained terror. Other than the obvious signs of starvation and suffering, the first thing Turlough noticed about the child, was the look in her eye.

"What did you do with Ni'sa!" she squeaked. Her eyes betrayed her fear as she attempted to appear angry.

Turlough felt an absurd urge to laugh. The child's accent was soft and lilting. It somehow managed to smooth out any harsh sounds or consonants that would have succeeded in making her sound even a tiny bit threatening. "Nyssa?" he corrected, trying his best to sound nice. "Were you with her?" He took a hurried step towards the child.

She shrank into the wall. "S-Stay away!" she screamed. "Leave us alone!"

Turlough flinched violently at her outburst of noise. "Shut up!" he snapped desperately. His mind flashed to images of the thugs finding them.

The girl blinked at him, stunned by his sudden harshness. Turlough fought to keep his own fear off his face.

Oh Gods, I'm not good at this!

"I'm-I'm not here to hurt you." He took a slower, more tentative step towards her. "I'm Nyssa's friend."

She looked at him. Her surprise overrode her fear for a second. "No you're not." she stated.

"Yes I am!" Turlough insisted indignantly.

The girl scowled. "You are not the Doc'tiurr".

Turlough felt that absurd urge again. "Well, I'm her other friend", he explained, struggling to stifle a smile. "I'm Turlough".

"Tirr'low."

This time, he really did laugh. "Yeah", he managed to splutter out, "more or less". For a second, Turlough could have sworn the kid smiled at him… or maybe it was just a trick of the light. "Do you have a name?"

Her expression closed again. "Yes", she said curtly.

"Oh", Turlough responded lamely. "Well um… Why don't you come with me and you can, uh, help me find Ni'sa and the Doc'tiurr. You can tell me your name on the way too." He held out his hand expectantly, waiting for her eager agreement.

She stared at him. "No", she said. Turlough stared back in surprise. That was not the response he had expected. "I don't want to go with you. I want to stay here!", she demanded, clutching the corpse before her. "I-I can't leave my Mom and Dad." Her voice cracked and he could see the beginnings of tears forming.

He sighed. A big, sad, gentle sigh. "Look kid…", he started and then stopped. What in Hellkva's name was he supposed to tell her? "You're parents aren't… around anymore", he finished clumsily.

The child looked at him blankly. She didn't understand, he realised. Or at least… didn't want to understand. "They just need help. They're sleeping". The tears spilled over onto her little cheek. "They'll wake up soon. If I leave they'll be worried". Hot, thick drops raced down her face as she gulped for breath. The tears were coming faster and faster.

"Listen to me", he insisted hurriedly, becoming increasingly uncomfortable as her hysterics intensified. "They're…", he swallowed thickly. "They're not going to wake up. I'm sorry."

Her reaction was instantaneous. She screwed up her eyes and covered her ears with a terrible wail. "You're lying!" she sobbed uncontrollably. "LIAR! Get away from me! Get away!" Her eyes were filled with rage and grief and confusion, emotions too strong for any child to endure.

Turlough shook his head in dismay. Why couldn't she just understand! "You don't want that", he snapped rather harshly, " just come with me." He made a grab for her arm. Maybe if he could just get her away from her parent's corpses, she would calm down.

As soon as his hand wrapped itself around her wrist, something clicked in the child's head. She was no longer there. She screamed in utter terror. Using the only weapon at her disposal, she bit him. As soon as her teeth found flesh, she clamped down, tearing into him with her every last shred of strength.

Turlough howled, yanking his hand away from the child-turned-feral-beast. "Fine!" he shouted in blind anger. "You can just stay here and starve then!" He turned on his heel and stormed towards the exit. "Not my responsibility!" he growled.

Stupid! Stupid! I should just mind my own damn business!

"Where are you going?" The pitiful whine rose from between sobs and stopped the Trion dead in his tracks.

Turlough hover by the doorway, still turned away. "To find my friends". He turned to her. "I need to help them."

"Don't go."

He stared at her. The beast was gone, and in it's place cowered a scared, grief-stricken child. "I have to", he sighed. He stepped forward and crouched down beside her. "But you can come. I can help you." He smiled gently, or at least he hoped it looked gentle. "We can find food, and drink, and rest." A spark of interest lit up in her.

"I won't hurt you." Turlough promised, reaching out his hand again. This time he offered it slowly. Opening his palm up to her, imploring her to take his hand. The child stared at it for what felt like an eternity. Emotion after conflicting emotion battled for dominance. Her hand twitched back and forth. Turlough waited. The girl looked up at him in uncertainty as she slowly, slowly lifted her hand from her mother. He smiled as she tentatively rested her hand in his. "There. Now that isn't to bad is it?" She gave him a weak little smile. "Can you tell me your name now?"

"Lu'saqi. She whispered her name, almost like she didn't believe it."My name is Lu'saqi."

()

It was hot. Burning hot. Trickles of sweat dripped lazily over the Doctor's eyes. He shook his head in a useless attempt to clear his vision. It was quite amazing, he mused, how hot it truly had to be for a Gallifreyan to feel it so intensely. His chains rattled with considerable discomfort against his wrists. He took care after the first few "lessons", which consisted mostly of his keeper trying to yank him off his feet, to keep up with the riders. It was more difficult than it seemed, he had discovered. Although the horses stayed at a steady pace, the terrain was much less reliable. Every few steps, his foot would sink inches into the loose sand, and without the free use of his arms, it would take considerable floundering to recover. The sun sat low and orange in the sky. The Doctor had tracked the sun's position since before midday, when their journey had begun. Now it was close to setting.

The thug jerked the chain forward again as the Doctor struggled to climb the latest dune. He grunted in frustration and pain as the metal bit into his wrists and pitched him forward.

He recover as swiftly as he could and glanced over to his companion. Nyssa was struggling far more, fighting the sand for any kind of purchase as she rounded the top of the hill. She earned the same treatment from Akesh as she failed to keep up. With a gasp, the Trakenite fell to her knees as the chain urged her forward.

She didn't get up.

The Doctor was at her side in an instant, falling back as far as his binds would allow. He dropped down beside her and slid his arms gently under hers as best as he could. She smiled weakly, her eyes half closed from exhaustion.

"Nyssa?", he said, concern adding urgency to his words. "Nyssa, can you hear me?" No reply. She simply closed her eyes and sagged into his weight. "Nyssa!" Panic edged his voice.

"Hurry up!" his keeper snarled, pulling at the chain mightily. The Doctor hissed in pain as his hands were jerked away from Nyssa and she wilted to the ground. He snatched a length of the binds and pulled back with all his strength. The chain ripped from the other man's hand and landed with a dull thud in the sand. The thug screeched in anger. The Doctor turned his attention back to his friend, taking full advantage of the short reprieve. He placed a hand on her cheek. She was burning hot, her skin a frighteningly ruddy shade of red. He rested two fingers against her neck to discover a heartbeat that was far too fast and far too weak.

Nyssa stirred beneath his touch, mumbling incoherently. "Nyssa? Nyssa, can you hear me?" The Doctor took her head softly into his lap. A horrible retching noise burst from her throat as her eyes flashed open. She instinctively turned to the side as an attack of dry heaves wracked her entire body. The Doctor held her, swaying slowly back and forth, wishing desperately that he could do more. Finally, shaking with exhaustion, the bout of nausea left her, and she fell back into the Doctor's lap.

The thug dismounted his horse and stormed over to the Doctor, pulling out his long, black blade. "You filthy animal!" he spat, "Get up!" He delivered a swift kick to the Timelord's side who simply curled around his new bruise and stayed exactly where he was.

"She's hurt!" the Doctor pleaded with the man. "Please! I-I think she may have severe heat stroke." But the thug wasn't listening.

He grabbed the short length of chain between the Doctor's manacles and wrenched him upward. He fought against the thug in a useless struggle as he was hauled to his feet. The Doctor froze as he felt the cool touch of the blade against his throat. The thug brought his face offensively close, his eyes bulging with rage. "I should slit you right now and leave your disgusting blood to paint the sand!" Spittle flew from his gnashing teeth.

The Doctor shrank away, turning his gaze desperately to Akesh. "But that's not what you want, is it!" he shouted, grasping for any protection against the madman. "I doubt you'd get any of your precious money for two corpses", he all but snarled.

Akesh looked down at him, with a look that could only be described as vaguely amused. "I would get precious little for two disobedient beasts as well, Doc'tiurr" he said mildly.

The Doctor felt the jaws snap closed around him. No way out. He could not let Nyssa die for his pride. "Please", he begged, lowering his voice to a respectful murmer, "Help her. She-she won't make it without your help".

Akesh smiled, and the Doctor forced himself not to shudder. The leader waved his hand and the thug lowered his blade with a grumble of disappointment. The Doctor worked to remain still and calm as Akesh slid down from his mount and over to Nyssa, who was no longer conscious at all.

The Timelord's hand twitched as the man picked her up and carried her back over to the horse, but he stayed where he was. With a gentleness the Doctor was surprised to find the leader capable of, he rested Nyssa in the saddle in front of him.

"Thank you", the Doctor breathed. With a wicked grin, Akesh turned his back and nudged his horse back into a walk.

Having retrieved his prisoner's chain, the Doctor's keeper scrambled back to his horse and did the same. And the march continued.