Turlough returned after fifteen minutes, saying, "It's all just trees and forest. I can't find any caves or even rocks out here."
Tegan sighed. "All right," she said after a moment, "here's what we have to do. We need to build a shelter out of branches. We'll find a tree with low-hanging limbs and place branches around them. That way we'll be sort of camouflaged, at least to a passing glance. And once it gets dark, we should be well hidden."
"So we need full branches," Turlough finished, already reaching for the one that the Doctor's fall had broken off. He extended his hand for another from the same tree, but Tegan stopped him.
"No," she said, "don't use more than one from a single tree. We don't want it to look obvious that we've taken them."
Turlough gave her a curious look but quickly returned to his task. Tegan stood and surveyed the area. About five yards away she saw a relatively short, lush tree with limbs that grew only a few feet up the trunk. She pointed, saying, "That one."
Turlough took the branches to the tree and began arranging them to form a three-sided shelter. To a casual glimpse, the added branches simply appeared to be an extension of the lower limbs. When Turlough had finished, he returned to Tegan. Together the young man and woman lifted the Doctor and moved him to the shelter. He still did not stir, even as they lay him on the bed of leaves beneath the dense limbs.
Once the Doctor was settled, Tegan and Turlough sat beside him and placed branches on the fourth side of the simple structure to enclose it completely. Tegan looked down at the Time Lord. He was so still. She rested her hand against his chest again to feel the slow but steady beating of both hearts.
"So what now?" asked Turlough.
Tegan shrugged. "We wait. There's nothing else we can do."
Tegan and Turlough spoke infrequently as they sat beside their companion. Neither wanted to create any unnecessary noises that could be heard by passing soldiers. Both became immersed in their own thoughts as darkness descended over the woods.
Very little light reached the inside of the shelter. A nearly full moon overhead bathed the trees in silver, but beneath the cover of branches neither Turlough nor Tegan could see more than a vague outline of the other.
Leaning against the sturdy, lichen-covered trunk of the tree, Tegan's eyelids grew heavy. She intended to remain awake and vigilant throughout the night, but eventually she began to doze. The movement of the branches seemed to whisper a subtle lullaby to her. She could almost make out the words if she just concentrated a bit more…
"Tegan!"
The young Australian jerked to alertness. "What?" she asked, suppressing a yawn.
"He's waking up, I think."
Tegan's eyes had adjusted somewhat to the dimness, and she could just discern the Doctor's fuzzy form near her right hand. She reached out to rest her fingers on his shoulder, leaning in toward him as she did.
"Doctor?" she asked cautiously.
"Tegan?" came the drowsy reply.
"Am I glad to hear your voice!" she said with a smile.
"I don't know. Are you?" the Doctor asked in some confusion.
"It's been hours—of course I am!"
"Hours?" The Doctor sat upright.
"Yes, Doctor," she told him. "You've been unconscious for a long time."
"Unconscious? I don't remember that."
"Of course not! You were unconscious! You fell from the tree and hit your head."
The Doctor was silent for a moment. His hand moved up to touch his temple. "So I did."
"Are you all right?" asked Turlough. "Tegan didn't think you'd broken anything."
The Doctor moved his arms and legs and rotated his head. After a moment, he replied, "Tegan was right. Nothing appears out of place."
"How is your head?" asked Tegan. "You must have hit it pretty hard."
"Hmm, yes," he said, running his fingers more carefully over the small lump that had formed above his ear. "Fortunately there's no permanent damage. Gallifreyans have rather thick craniums."
"You don't say," Tegan commented archly.
The Doctor looked around him then reached out to touch one of the branches. "Exactly where are we?"
"We're still in the woods," Turlough answered. "I built a shelter beneath one of the trees with low-hanging branches."
"Excellent thinking, Turlough," complimented the Doctor.
"Actually, it was Tegan's idea," he admitted.
"Really?"
"You don't have to sound so surprised!" Tegan huffed.
The Doctor parted two of the branches with his hands and peered outside. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"
"It's been dark for several hours," said Turlough.
The Doctor nodded. "We should remain here until morning. It's not safe to travel in the dark, particularly without knowing in which direction we're going. As long as we reach the Briars' camp tomorrow, the message should reach them in time."
Tegan yawned again.
"You may as well sleep," the Doctor said. "Tomorrow may be a long day. Try to get some rest while you can, both of you."
Tegan nodded and leaned back against the tree. She heard Turlough settling back on the other side of the trunk. The leaves continued to stir overhead, and soon their soft sounds turned to whispered lullabies once more. Tegan's eyes closed, and she slept.
Tegan sat alone in the midst of towering trees. Sunlight filled the forest, washing warmth and cheer over her. She did not mind that she was by herself; the sunshine was bright, and she felt free to think her own thoughts. She breathed deeply and lifted her face to the light. She was warm, caressed by the sun, surrounded by twittering birds in the trees.
She had her eyes closed against the brightness of the sunshine, but the light still seemed to fill her. Her mind seemed to open, to expand outward beyond the forest, undulating toward the far reaches of the land. She was ecstatic; she was free.
In an instant the light faded, and shadows fell over her face. She opened her eyes. The woods had grown dark, veiled in obscurity as a cloud passed overhead. Tegan looked up at the sky. It was still blue and bright, but a heavy cloud had concealed the sun. For a moment, she felt cold, but she knew that the cloud would soon drift away and allow the light to return.
Tegan waited. The air grew cooler, then cold; she began to shiver. The cloud remained in the sky. She felt the wind begin overhead, and she heard it rushing through the high branches. They rustled and shifted, whispering harshly, growing louder until she had to cover her ears with her hands.
Shadows bled out from behind the trees, creeping closer to her as she watched. She wanted to rise, to run from this dark place, but her legs refused to move. She was rooted to the ground, as solidly as the trees that surrounded her. Their shadows reached out, drawing nearer until one fell across her foot. It was ice against her skin. Quickly it spread over her entire body. She shivered violently now, pressing her hands over her ears to block out the frantic, panting, pleading whispers.
The shadow had engulfed her, sending cold, probing fingers into her mind, stealing all the warmth, all the contentment and light that she had known. She fought against the dark, her mouth twisting as a moan struggled to escape her throat. She groaned, then, from deep within her being. She drew a breath against the cold, moaning again, bereft and irrevocably alone.
"No," she moaned, "no, no, no." The word was her mantra. It was her only defense against the shadows that plundered the sun. She spoke it over and over again, her voice growing louder in an attempt to drown out the ceaseless whispers.
When she felt fingers grip at her shoulders, she recoiled, slashing at them with her hands until she could fight no more. With a final moan, she allowed herself to slip to the ground and melt into the darkness.
"Tegan!" The Doctor's firm voice reached through the depths of her dream to rouse her.
Tegan opened her eyes. She lay flat on the ground. The Doctor knelt next to her, his hands clasping her shoulders. Wan, early morning light filled the shelter, and she could see his face dimly. His expression showed deep concern.
"That's it," he was saying, his voice softer and gentler now. "Come on, Tegan, wake up."
She shook her head and blinked at him. "Doctor?" she rasped. A shiver ran through her; she was terribly cold.
He lifted her to a sitting position and leaned in to look closely at her face. Over his shoulder, she could see Turlough. He appeared worried, too. She shivered again.
The Doctor removed his coat and wrapped it around her then rested his hand on her shoulder again. His searching gaze made her uncomfortable, and she looked away.
"What happened?" she asked.
"You seem to have had a rather bad dream," the Doctor replied sympathetically.
"A dream?" she repeated, struggling to recall its details. She shivered once more.
"A nightmare's more like it," said Turlough. "You were moaning and crying out, and shaking—"
The Doctor glanced at the young man and shook his head. "It seemed to have a profound effect on you," he said to Tegan. "You are still quite chilled." His fingers brushed her cheek then moved down to rest against the pulse point at her throat. "And your heart was racing—it has not entirely returned to normal even now. What were you dreaming about?"
Tegan thought for a moment, her forehead creasing in concentration. "I can't remember."
"No? Not anything?" the Doctor pressed. He still watched her closely.
"Not really, just feeling cold and—some shadows. That's all." She looked away, moving her eyes to the branches so that she would not have to see her companions' expressions.
"What else?" the Time Lord inquired.
"That's it," she said. "Really, it was just a dream. I'm sorry I disturbed you—"
"Tegan," said the Doctor, turning her face back toward him with a hand on her cheek, "you had very frightening dreams once before—"
"The Mara," she said flatly, then with a small gasp, added, "You told me it was gone!"
"Yes," he reassured her, "it is. It is absolutely gone. I am not suggesting that this dream had any connection to it. But I wonder if there is something else that is troubling you…"
"Something else? Like what?"
He shook his head with a frown. "I don't know. Perhaps you can tell me."
Tegan glanced at Turlough. She would certainly not confide in the Doctor with this red-haired schoolboy listening; she still did not trust him entirely. She supposed, however, that it was a moot point. She did not recall the content of her dream, so could not share it even if she wished to.
"I'm fine, Doctor. Thanks for your concern, but it was just a bad dream. Humans have them sometimes, you know."
She shifted so that she sat upon her knees. She parted the branches and looked out into the woods. Gray light and fog made the area murky. "So," she said, forcing another shiver to subside, "where do we go from here?"
The Doctor removed one of the sides of the shelter and looked about. "We should head for the mountains." He moved forward then stood. "This fog will provide good cover for us for a while."
"What are we waiting for?" Tegan said a bit too eagerly.
The Doctor glanced back at her solicitously as they began to walk through the thick mist. When a shadow seemed to brush past the corner of Tegan's eye a minute later, she took a deep, steadying breath and focused her gaze straight ahead.
After a time, the fog began to dissipate and sunlight filtered through the trees. Small animals resembling squirrels scampered across the leafy ground and up the trunks of the evergreens. Birds chirruped and warbled in the morning sun. The woods were cheerful and bright, a stark contrast to the gloom of war that hovered somewhere in the distance.
The three companions walked quietly, listening for signs of soldiers or evidence of nearby fighting. Tegan was glad that the Doctor's occasional glances at her had ceased. Somehow his concern felt belittling to her. As she thought about this, it occurred to her that their whole experience over the last twelve hours had stemmed from his concern. He had told her that they were going to see a magnificent rose bush on Rudaria; he had implied that the stop was just for her. Did he find her that needy and pitiable? After the time she had spent traveling with him, she had hoped that he might see some strength in her.
There had been occasions, though, when she had wished for his compassion and care. After Adric had died, she had longed for an assuaging word from the Time Lord, but he had carried on as usual. After he had banished the Mara from her mind, he had quickly assumed that she was fine, never stopping to ask whether she bore any ill emotional effects. At least Nyssa had shown some concern… Then Nyssa's departure had left her feeling solitary and isolated; the Doctor and Turlough, while providing some company, did not encourage her to share her thoughts or feelings.
Walking slightly behind him now, watching him move steadfastly ahead, she wondered what she wanted from him. She knew that she would like for him to see her as competent—she always felt so uneducated and mentally dull next to him and Nyssa. Even Turlough possessed considerable knowledge about science that was beyond her comprehension. Yet she also wished at times for a direct indication of some emotion from him. She knew that at some level he cared about her; he had certainly been concerned about her nightmare. But a part of her wondered if that concern resulted more from his sense of responsibility toward his companions than from some specific emotional attachment to her. She understood that he was a Time Lord and that he had been trained to be detached, but still, after the time she had spent with him she would like to know that he cared about her as a person, not simply as his charge.
Preoccupied with her thoughts, Tegan did not notice that the Doctor and Turlough had stopped walking. She nearly collided with Turlough, wheeling around to keep her place.
"There," the Doctor was pointing, "do you see it?"
Turlough peered at the distance. "It does look like smoke," he replied.
"Yes," said the Doctor, "but is it from a soldiers' camp or from a home?"
"Does it really matter?" asked Tegan.
"Of course it does," replied the Doctor. "That is the direction in which we need to go. If the king's soldiers are camped there, we'll want to avoid it and find an alternate route. If, on the other hand, it is a Briars' camp, they may be able to deliver this message for us." He patted his coat pocket.
"Do you think they'd spare some food?" asked Tegan. Her stomach was rumbling uncomfortably.
The Doctor glanced back at her. "You haven't eaten since yesterday, have you?"
She shook her head. He eyed her critically for a moment then said, "Why don't you and Turlough wait here. I'll just run ahead and have a look. I'll be right back."
"Wait, Doctor—" Tegan began to protest, but he had hustled away.
"Great," she muttered, "he's gone off again."
"I'm sure he won't be long," Turlough offered, leaning back against a tree. "We may as well take a rest while we have the chance."
Tegan sat on a fallen log, allowing her feet to sink deeply into the bed of leaves on the ground. They seemed to envelop her to the ankles. "I've never seen so many leaves," she said idly.
The wind above brushed over the high limbs; they rustled and rubbed. Tegan looked upward. "And this wind," she said, "doesn't it ever stop?"
Turlough glanced up as well. "There's no wind, Tegan," he said. "I would hardly even call this a breeze."
Tegan watched the branches above her head. They moved very little. Yet she clearly heard the murmur of shifting leaves. She listened more intently. Actually the noise was more like a faint hissing or a harsh whisper. She blinked suddenly as a movement caught her eye. She turned her head in the direction of the movement.
"Turlough!" she said. "Over there! I saw someone—"
The young man pushed away from the tree and turned to scrutinize the dense foliage. "Where?" he asked.
"Over there." She stood and pointed.
"Can you hear anything?" he asked, listening.
Tegan remained very still. The whispers were clearly audible to her. "Yes."
Another motion among the trees made her start. Turlough took several steps forward, then turned his head back to her to say, "Get down, Tegan!"
Quickly she fell to her knees behind the log on which she had sat, then she crouched down to peer over it. Turlough had turned toward her and taken several steps when a small group of men emerged from amid the trees.
"Stop!" they commanded.
Tegan watched as half a dozen soldiers surrounded Turlough. Each carried a spear or sword, and most had daggers hanging at their belts. Like the soldiers she had seen before, the men had auburn hair and short, clipped beards. They wore deep blue tunics with some sort of grey emblem embroidered on the chest. Tegan could not make out the image clearly from her position.
Turlough froze and turned back to the men. "Look," he said, "I'm just a visitor here—"
"You are a Kingsman, but you don't wear the soldier's tunic," stated one of the men with some contempt.
"No," replied Turlough honestly.
"You do not support the Briars." His interlocutor's statement was firm.
Turlough shook his head. "Like I said, I'm only visiting here."
"He's from the house of Romsor or Carnaron," said another man. "He has their coloring."
Turlough lifted his hands, saying, "Romsor? I've never heard of them—"
"You are from the Kings' lands, though?" the man who had first spoken asked with some distrust.
"No," replied Turlough, backing away slightly.
"It's of no matter. You are clearly from one of the King's clans. All able-bodied young men are needed in our ranks. If you don't support the Briars, you will come with us and help our fight."
"No, I can't. I'm not a solider—" Turlough began, but several of the men reached for him. He began to step away, but their hands clasped his arms and shoulders.
"If you don't join us, you will be considered the enemy, and you will be treated as such," stated the lead soldier firmly yet dispassionately.
"We're going to launch an assault tomorrow on the Briars' main encampment," blurted out a young soldier.
The lead soldier glared at the youthful speaker. "That's not for him to know!" he snapped, jerking his head toward Turlough. "Watch your tongue, Gramond."
Gramond colored slightly but lifted his chin. "Well, we've taken all the Briars we've met so far."
Several of the men snorted in satisfaction as they glanced back toward the smoke rising above the treeline.
Tegan lowered her body so that she was completely hidden behind the log. She wondered if she should try to intervene. Perhaps she could tell the soldiers that Turlough was really just a tourist and wanted no part in the war. She lifted her shoulders, but a noise behind her caused her to turn her head. A shadow flitted by behind a nearby tree. Was it more soldiers? She craned her neck to see.
Suddenly she heard indistinct voices from behind her. There must be a second group of soldiers approaching. Tegan tried to listen, but she could not make out any words. All that met her ears was a frenzied whispering. It grew louder, yet it remained a mere breath on the wind. It seemed to press in on her, inexplicably frantic yet ethereal. Tegan bent her head to the ground and clapped her palms over her ears.
After some time the noise ceased. She cautiously uncovered her ears and peeked out over the log. She expected to see soldiers all around her, but instead all she saw were trees. She stood and ran toward the area where Turlough had been. He and the other men were gone. She listened but heard no voices. Even the breeze seemed quiet now.
She considered trying to go after Turlough, but she knew that the Doctor would return to the spot where he had left them. There were soldiers in the woods, too; she felt certain of that. The second group must have changed their minds and gone the other way. Tegan's eyes searched the forest on all sides. There were so many trees, and so many dark places among them… She felt cold, and fear began to creep into her.
She wanted the sunlight; she did not wish to be in these shadows any longer. And she was utterly alone. She hunched down on the fallen log, wrapping her arms around herself as her heart began to pound.
"Tegan! Turlough!" The Doctor's voice echoed slightly through the woods.
Tegan stood quickly. "Doctor!"
The Time Lord hurried through the trees. "Ah, there you are. Where's Turlough?"
"He's gone," Tegan said hopelessly.
"Gone? Where has he gotten off to?"
She shook her head. "They took him."
"Who?"
"A group of soldiers— the king's men, I think. They said something about needing all able-bodied young men to help them fight—"
"How long ago was this?"
"I—" Tegan realized that she had no idea. How long had she been crouched behind the log with her hands over her ears? "I'm not sure. I was hiding, and I—I lost track of the time. I think it was shortly after you left."
The Doctor was already searching the area. "I see that the leaves have been disturbed here," he was pointing at the ground.
"Yes, that's where the first group entered."
"The first group? There was another?"
Tegan nodded and gestured behind the fallen log. "They were over there."
The Doctor quickly walked to the area and looked around. "There's no sign of any disturbance here."
Tegan frowned. "Maybe they didn't come this far."
"You didn't see them?"
"No, not directly."
"What did you see?"
"A group of seven or eight soldiers came from there," she nodded to indicate direction. "They asked Turlough if he was a Kingsman. I think it was because of his coloring—they all had red hair similar to his. They thought he was from some family that one of them knew of. He said he was just a visitor, but they told him that all able-bodied men had to help with the fight."
"Yes? Then what happened?"
Tegan shrugged somewhat helplessly. "I… I saw someone else back there, hiding in the trees. I ducked down behind this log to hide, and when I looked up again Turlough and the soldiers were gone."
"Which direction did they take him?"
"I'm not sure. They came from that way." She looked past the Doctor's shoulder.
He frowned as his eyes scanned the dense woods.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"The smoke that we saw," he began. "It was from a camp that had been attacked."
"Attacked? By whom?"
"I'm not sure."
"Was anyone hurt?"
"I'm afraid that several Briars lost their lives." The Doctor seemed to sigh as he added regretfully, "There was nothing that I could do for them."
Tegan wrapped her arms around her waist; she felt chilled again. "I think the soldiers who were here were involved in that. And they're definitely involved in the attack on the Briars' main camp planned for tomorrow."
"They mentioned it?"
Tegan nodded. "They're going to force Turlough to go with them, to help with the attack."
The Doctor scowled deeply then took her arm. "Come on."
"Are we going after Turlough?"
"No. If we happen across him, we'll try to get him away from the soldiers. However, our first priority must be to alert the Briars of the planned attack. If we can stop it, Turlough may not have to be involved."
"But there may be other battles in the mean time."
The Doctor nodded somberly. "Yes. But I'm afraid that in this case our responsibility must lie with the larger group."
"But Doctor, we can't just leave Turlough with them—"
He turned to her. "We must. The king's soldiers cannot be permitted to launch their attack."
Tegan studied his face for a moment. She could tell that he was withholding information from her. "What is it that you know? Tell me."
He hesitated. "The king's soldiers are ruthless. The camp I found was actually a small home where the Briars had apparently stopped for food or water. An elderly couple lived there." He paused. "The king's soldiers did not kill only the Briars."
"They killed the old couple?" Tegan asked, appalled.
The Doctor nodded. "While I despise war, casualties among the soldiers are to be expected. But when civilians who have done nothing, who often have no involvement or desire for the conflict whatsoever, are senselessly slaughtered—" He clenched his hands into fists.
"It's awful," Tegan finished simply.
The Doctor took a deep breath. For a few seconds his eyes seemed unfocused, as though he were staring inwardly. He blinked and exhaled. "If they would kill an innocent old man and woman indiscriminately, you can only imagine what they would do if permitted to take over this planet. They are acting without conscience. I'm afraid that their king has exerted a very powerful influence over them."
"How can that be?"
The Doctor frowned. "Throughout history, both on Earth and on other planets, there have been leaders with extreme charisma who can induce nearly blind obedience in their followers. "
Tegan felt clammy and vaguely ill; her stomach churned and rolled uncomfortably, and she swallowed hard. "I understand," she whispered.
"So you see why we must do everything in our power to stop the king's soldiers." The Doctor took a step forward, saying, "This way. And keep a sharp eye out for any sign of the king's men."
Tegan followed him as the leaves began to stir once again over her head.
The soldiers had led Turlough through interminable trees and then a huge, soggy meadow of sorts for over an hour. When he paused for breath, they prodded him forward with a spear tip between his shoulder blades. Now, finally, they stopped. The lead soldier, whose name Turlough had discovered was Rundly, rummaged in a cloth bag slung over his shoulder. He pulled a tunic from it and handed this to Turlough.
"Put this on," he ordered.
Turlough held the garment up to inspect it. It was identical to those worn by the other men, with an emblem across the chest. Upon closer scrutiny, he saw that the emblem was a serpent entwined in a crown. Something about the image was chilling to him. Perhaps it was the snake's cold gaze, created by the addition of two small gems where the eyes would be, or perhaps it was the splatters of blood that flecked the crown.
"Now!" commanded Rundly, striking Turlough's thigh with the handle of his spear.
The Trion youth stumbled then righted himself. "There's blood on this one."
Rundly snorted. "So there is. Do you think we brought this along as a spare? Just hope you fare better than the last man who wore it."
Turlough donned the tunic with considerable distaste. The other men passed a flask among them, but they did not offer it to him. One of the men clambered to the top of a tree at the edge of the meadow to survey the area. When he returned to Rundly, he said, "There's a group of Briars just crossing the ridge over there."
Rundly grinned and gripped the handle of his sword. "Are they coming this way?"
The other man nodded.
"Then we'll have a surprise for them," Rundly responded. Gesturing to the other men, he said, "Fan out; form a line all across the meadow then get down. We'll attack as soon as they cross our path."
The men began moving away and into position. Turlough looked around, wondering if he could dash away before the other soldiers arrived. He took several steps toward the edge of the meadow before Rundly caught him by the collar, pulling the fabric so that it pressed against his throat. Turlough gasped.
"You fight next to me," Rundly said. He released Turlough and shoved him forward.
"But I don't have a weapon," Turlough protested, "and I told you, I'm not a soldier. I don't know anything about fighting—"
Rundly eyed the young man somewhat distastefully. "You'll learn quickly or die," he said with a shrug.
"Look," Turlough said, forcing his voice to remain calm, "why don't you just let me go. I'll run as far away from here as I can—"
"And right to the Briars to tell them about our plan," finished Rundly.
"No," Turlough protested, "I won't—"
Rundy shook his head obdurately. "We can't risk it. You'll stay here and fight with us."
"But without a weapon I have no chance at all!"
"No, you don't." Rundly reached into his boot and withdrew a dagger. The blade was seven or eight inches long; the handle was somewhat shorter.
Turlough reached for the knife, but Rundly swept his arm upward swiftly to press the tip of the weapon against the schoolboy's throat. "You get this when we start to fight. And if you think for one moment about using it against me or any of my men, you'll find it used against you in the most unpleasant way possible." He scraped the tip across Turlough's jaw then rested it on his jugular vein. "Understand?"
Turlough nodded. Rundly pushed him away, then ordered, "Down!"
All of the soldiers and Turlough ducked to wait for the Briars to enter the meadow. Turlough's face was damp with perspiration as he searched frantically for a way to escape these brutal men.