The Doctor returned to the bush where he had left Tegan with a bunch of wild grapes in his hand.
As he parted the flowers and leaves, he said, "This should tide you over until we can find something else. I saw a small homestead not far from here. We can go there and—"
He stopped speaking. To his surprise, Tegan was not behind the bush. He looked around and called her name, but she was nowhere in sight. He bent to examine the ground. He could see broken blades of grass left in the wake of his step, and in the other direction he noted similar evidence of Tegan's footsteps. He followed the small disturbance for several minutes, growing more irritated as he walked. He had told her to remain hidden and that he would return soon. Why had she left? He saw signs of only one person's moving through the grass, so he felt fairly sure that she had not been taken away by soldiers. A frown had deepened to a scowl by the time he saw the sparkling lake spread before him.
"Tegan!" he called softly, not wishing to be heard by any patrols in the area. Perhaps she had come here for water; she must have been terribly thirsty. He called her again, but there was no reply. He turned to search the area near the lake.
A flash of white amid the silver of the water caught his eye. Squinting, he peered across the lake. About half-way between the shore and the center something lay just beneath the surface. The top of a branch bobbed up for a moment, and he started to turn away. However, another bit of brightness drew his eyes once more. Beside the branch was something pale. As he watched, a few auburn tendrils seemed to fan out on the top of the water, then a hand appeared.
"Tegan!" he cried, throwing off his coat and plowing into the lake. Swiftly he swam toward the branch. He saw the back of Tegan's head pop up; her arms drifted out to the sides. When he reached her, he immediately wrapped his arms around her chest, pulling her shoulders and head from the water.
"Tegan!" he gasped again. Her head lolled back; her eyes were closed. Keeping one arm firmly around her, he turned to swim back to the shore. However, she seemed to resist the movement. Feeling about beneath the surface, the Doctor realized that her arm and legs were caught in the branch. He draped her free arm over the portion of the limb that floated above the water then reached for her sleeve. He quickly tugged it from the twig on which it was caught, then he dove beneath the surface to extricate her legs. Her stockings had gotten snagged on the branch. She had obviously tried to pull them free but had somehow become more desperately entangled. He grasped her ankles and yanked them from the rough twigs.
The Doctor shot to the surface and wrapped an arm about Tegan's torso once more then used his other arm and legs to paddle and kick toward the shore. Tegan's head had fallen back against his shoulder, and the pallor of her skin alarmed him considerably. Still kicking his legs, he pressed his fingers to her throat. He felt no pulse. He wondered how long she had been immersed in the water, then he forced himself to think only of the task at hand.
When he reached the shore, he stumbled up onto the bank, dragging Tegan's limp form to the soft grass. He lay her on her back and dropped to his knees beside her. Again he checked for a pulse, then he bent his head to her chest. He frowned deeply.
Straightening quickly, he pulled her up to rest against his chest then wrapped his arms around her. He thrust his fist up and into her abdomen, just beneath her ribcage. She jerked slightly, and a small amount of water gushed from her mouth.
"That's it, Tegan," the Doctor encouraged, pressing a hand to her chest. "Now you just need to breathe."
He waited a moment, then, with a shake of his head lay her on the grass again. He tilted her chin back and clamped his mouth over hers as he pinched her nose closed. He expelled several small breaths into her mouth, then he lifted his head to check her breathing once more. With considerable relief he found that she inhaled and exhaled shallowly on her own.
"Good, Tegan," he said, "very good. Don't stop."
She continued to breathe, but the breaths were not deep. Her skin was still frightfully pale and cold, and she had not given any indication of regaining consciousness. He recalled how frigid the lake water had been. He lifted Tegan into his arms, tucking his coat around her, and began to walk, water dripping in his wake.
After perhaps five minutes a small cabin came into view. A thin wisp of smoke curled up from the chimney. The Doctor strode quickly to the door and called, "Hello?"
He could hear a woman's voice speaking softly yet urgently inside, but no one responded to his greeting. After a few moments he said, "Please, I need help. I have an injured woman with me."
The door opened a crack, and a young woman peered out at him. He could tell that she was scrutinizing him, trying to determine what danger he might pose.
He said, "My companion fell into the lake. She needs to be warmed immediately. Please, may I bring her inside?"
"Are you a Kingsman?" the woman asked in a quavering voice.
The Doctor shook his head. "I am a traveler."
"Then you are not a Briar, either?"
"No."
The woman's eyes rested on Tegan. "She is your wife?"
"No," the Doctor replied, "she is a friend."
"She doesn't look well."
"No, she was in the water a long time."
The woman opened the door and stepped back, permitting the Doctor to enter. She shut the door quickly and barred it, then she beckoned her guest toward a doorway at the back of the small dwelling. "Bring her in here," she said.
The Doctor carried Tegan into a cramped but tidy bedroom and lay her on the bed. The woman touched Tegan's cheek then looked up at the Doctor. "Go and warm yourself by the fire. I'll remove her wet clothing."
He hesitated to leave his companion, but the woman reached into the drawer of a stout dresser and withdrew several garments that she handed to him, saying, "Put these on,and leave your clothes by the fire. I'll attend to her. Go."
He took the clothing and left, quickly changing into a loose tunic and pants as he stood by the fireplace. He draped his own clothes over two chairs. He had an odd feeling of eyes upon him, but he did not see anyone else in the room.
The woman came out of the bedroom soon holding Tegan's clothing. She had a curious expression on her face.
"These are very strange garments," she said.
The Doctor replied, "We have traveled a great distance from a faraway place."
She nodded and settled the clothes over another chair.
"How is she?" asked the Doctor.
"She's still very cold." The woman had gone to a bucket near the wood stove and dipped some water into a small basin. "She's cut her arm deeply, too."
The Doctor took the basin from her. "I'll take care of it," he said.
"As you wish," she acquiesced, although she gave him a look that conveyed some surprise. She removed a few strips of linen from a basket and handed them to him with a small container of salve, warning, "This will sting for a short time, but it will help the wound to heal. I'll prepare a warm drink for you and her."
"Thank you," the Doctor acknowledged.
He found Tegan wrapped in a thick, soft quilt. Her eyes were still closed, but he noted that she was breathing more evenly, and when he touched her cheek he found her skin somewhat warmer than it had been. She was still chilled, though, and he was disturbed by her continued unconsciousness. She had been in the water, deprived of oxygen, for some time…
He recalled that her right arm had been snagged in the branch, and he pulled back the quilt to view the injury. He discovered that Tegan had been dressed in a warm nightgown. The sleeve was rolled back to expose a ragged, deep gash on her forearm.
Gently the Time Lord wiped the wound with a wet cloth. Her skin was still cool. He leaned forward and said softly, "Brave heart, Tegan. You must find the strength to wake."
He saw that her eyes moved beneath her lids; surely she was responding to his words. "Come, Tegan," he encouraged, "I've found you a nice, warm bed and perhaps even a cup of tea. But you must wake up if you are to have it."
She seemed to sigh, but her eyes did not open. He took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze.
Her eyelids fluttered, and slowly they opened. She blinked at him. "Doctor?" she whispered.
He smiled. "Were you expecting someone else?" he asked lightly.
His small joke appeared to confuse her momentarily. She looked around then returned her gaze to his face. "Where are we?" she asked.
"A kind woman has permitted us into her home."
Tegan nodded. "Mmm," she murmured, closing her eyes again, "it feels good."
"Tegan," the Doctor said a bit more sharply than he intended, "I want you to stay awake now. Come on." He patted at her hand.
She opened one eye. "Rabbits," she muttered. "Just when I get comfortable—"
"Are you?"
"Am I what?"
"Comfortable. Do you feel all right?"
Tegan thought for a moment before responding. "I'm a little cold, and my arm hurts." She looked down then lifted her hand to view the cut. "Cripes. How did I do that?"
The Doctor took her arm and rubbed some salve over the wound. Tegan winced at the sting and tried to pull her arm back, but the he held it firmly to wrap a strip of linen around it, saying, "You seem to have caught it on a rather nasty branch in the lake."
"The lake?" She appeared to consider this for some time.
The Doctor watched her with concern. Finally he said, "Yes, Tegan. You were at the lake. Do you remember?"
She nodded slowly, then she sat up quickly with alarm. "The child! Doctor, did you get the child?"
"What child?"
"There was a child in the lake, calling for help. That's why I went in—he was drowning, he had gone beneath the surface—"
"Tegan, I didn't see a child. I saw only you in the water."
"He was in the middle of the lake, just below the surface."
The Doctor stood. "Are you certain about this?"
Tegan nodded emphatically. "Yes! Why else would I go out into a freezing lake? I was trying to save him. Oh God, it's too late now, isn't it? He can't have survived all this time."
"No," replied the Doctor slowly, "he can't have."
"The poor thing. He was calling for his mother… I got there as fast as I could."
"Did you see him clearly?" the Time Lord asked carefully.
"No. He had gone down before I got there. But I could see something just below the surface. I'm sure it was him. That poor little child drowned, and I couldn't save him." She blinked back tears.
"You tried, Tegan. That is the most important thing." The Doctor's voice was very calm. "Now I want you to rest some more. Our hostess is going to bring you a hot drink, and perhaps she'll have something for you to eat, too. I'll be back soon."
"Where are you going?"
"To the lake." He walked out of the room.
The mistress of the house was pouring steaming liquid into two mugs when he stepped into the kitchen.
"Has she awakened?" she asked.
The Doctor nodded. "Yes."
"I'll take this to her." She lifted a cup in one hand and held the second out toward the Doctor.
He took a small sip. The liquid had a pleasant, herbaceous quality to it, and a slight hint of fruit.
"Thank you," he said. She had begun to walk away, but he added, "Wait one moment, please. Are there any small children in this area?"
She turned to stare at him with large eyes. "Why do you ask?"
"My companion, Tegan, thought there was a child in the lake."
"A child in the lake?"
He nodded. "Yes. That is why she went into the water. She was trying to save him."
The woman set the mug on the stove and stepped toward a small alcove over which a curtain hung. She pulled back the curtain and reached inside. After a moment, a small boy, perhaps four years old, emerged, guided by her hand on his shoulder.
"My son is the only child near here. There are no other homes in the area."
The Doctor smiled briefly at the child, who was ogling him with some alarm.
"Has he been near the lake today?" asked the Doctor.
The woman shook her head. "No. He has been in here with me all day. He doesn't leave the house unless I'm with him, and then only to attend to our cow or chickens."
"I see. I need to leave for a short time. Would you be so kind as to watch Tegan while I'm gone?"
The woman nodded. "Of course."
"And I wonder," he added, "if I might trouble you for something to eat? It's been nearly a full day since she's had any food."
"I'll prepare something."
"Thank you. I'll be back soon." The Doctor hurried away from the homestead and back toward the lake.
He stood at the shore, gazing at the water with his full attention. He saw the branch that had ensnared Tegan, and several other similar types of debris floated on the surface, but he saw no sign of another human being. A large tree with spreading branches grew near the edge of the lake. Carefully the Doctor climbed up to a sturdy limb. This location permitted him to view the entire lake. The water was very clear, and he could see the lake bottom in most areas. Again the large branch was visible, as were its smaller kin, and a few fish flitted along. There were some branches stuck at the bottom of the lake, and the Doctor spied several large rocks as well, but there was no child.
He descended the trunk of the tree with relief; he had dreaded finding a drowning victim, especially a child, in the water. Yet the absence of a victim meant that Tegan had imagined the incident. She had nearly lost her life to some sort of hallucination. With mounting concern, the Doctor walked back to the homestead.
-----
Turlough stumbled along with the injured soldier, supporting Gramond more with each step. The bandage he had wrapped around the wound was suffused with blood, and it was clear that the soldier was growing weaker. He and Turlough had fallen behind the others.
Rundly turned around and shouted, "Come on! We don't have time to spare, and he's slowing us down."
"I'm doing the best I can," Turlough returned hotly. "Let us rest for a minute; I'm sure that will help him."
Rundly scowled. "I told you before that you'd have to leave him if he hindered our progress."
"Just give me one minute!" Turlough stopped walking and bent to permit his charge to slip to the ground. "Let me have some more bandages," he said.
"I'm not wasting any more on him. We need what we have left for those who can walk away from the next battle."
Turlough frowned up at Rundly. "Fine," he said tersely, "I'll find something else." He tore at the bottom of the soldier's tunic to remove a long strip of fabric which he began wrapping tightly around the man's chest.
"Thank you," murmured the soldier weakly.
"It's all right," replied Turlough mildly.
"What's… your name?"
The erstwhile schoolboy looked up. "Turlough. And you're Gramond, aren't you?"
"Yes."
Turlough tied the fabric behind Gramond's back.
"Why are… you helping me?" asked Gramond.
"Why shouldn't I?"
"Because," he gulped, "we forced you… to join us." He coughed.
"Yes, you did. But you're still a human being, and you deserve to be treated like one."
Gramond took a breath and moved his eyes toward Rundly. "Watch out… for him. He's lost in this war."
"What do you mean?" asked Turlough.
"The power—the need to win. He's lost his humanity."
Turlough glanced at the other soldiers. "That seems to be a common occurrence out here."
With a wheeze, Gramond whispered, "For some… but Rundly is the worst. They're just… following him."
Gramond coughed again. Turlough hoisted him up, then asked Rundly, "How much further to the Briars' camp?"
"A day's walk. We'll be there by morning."
"And are there any other camps on the way?"
"A few. We'll stop at one tonight, but he won't last until then. Hell, I doubt he'll make it another half-hour."
"He's your colleague!" Turlough said indignantly. "Don't you care at all about what happens to him?"
"In a war," replied Rundly, "soldiers are expendable. The only thing that matters is the final victory for our king. Now keep up—with or without him."
Turlough trudged ahead as Gramont shuddered and wheezed beside him.
---
When the Doctor returned to the house, the door was barred. He knocked softly until the woman permitted him entry.
"How is she?" he asked immediately, already walking toward the bedroom.
"She's had some tea, and I'm preparing a soup for her."
"Thank you. We appreciate your hospitality and kindness."
The woman bowed her head slightly and returned to the stove. Her son, the Doctor noticed, stood just behind her, peering out from around her skirt. He was a sorrel-haired child with large, gray eyes and pale skin. His thin, wan hand gripped his mother's skirt.
The Doctor went to Tegan. She sat against the pillow holding a mug in her hand. When she saw him, she said immediately, "Did you find him?"
The Doctor shook his head. "No, Tegan," he said gently. "There was no one in the lake."
"But there must have been—I heard him crying for help, and I saw a shadow—"
"There were several branches in the water. Perhaps those are what you saw."
"No, he was moving, and he was calling out."
He placed his hand over hers and looked directly into her eyes. "There was no one in the lake."
"Could he have gotten out? Maybe he was able to swim—"
"Tegan, the woman told me that, aside from her son, there are no children near here. This is the only homestead in the area."
Tegan frowned in confusion. "But I heard him! I saw—"
"A shadow. I know. And I know that you saw a shadow earlier in the day, while we were in the woods, didn't you?"
"Yes."
"And there was no one there either, remember?" He spoke benignly as he continued to watch her intently.
"What are you saying?" Her voice had grown defensive, and she set the mug roughly on the nighttable with a small thud.
"I believe that you imagined the child, just as you imagined the person in the woods."
"Why? Why would I do that?" She turned her head to stare at the wall to her left as she crossed her arms tightly over her chest.
"I am not entirely sure. However, I do know that the last few weeks have been stressful for you, and the dream you had last night was a clear indicator that something is troubling you—"
"Troubling me?" Tegan repeated with some vehemence. Her voice had grown rough. "You really want to know what's troubling me? I'll tell you, but you'd better be prepared to spend some time in here. Where should I start? With Adric perhaps? You bet that troubled me, and still does. Then there was the Mara wriggling into my mind again as if I were some sort of giant puppet. Do you have any idea what that feels like, knowing you had this… this horrid thing trampling through your brain and making you do as it wished without any will of your own—"
The Doctor sighed. "I'm sure it was a horrible experience."
"It was! And then I thought you were going to die, that you'd been scrambled so badly that you'd been put back wrong, all burned and nearly dead from Mawdryn's ship's transport pod, and he almost made you give up your lives for all of us… then Nyssa left, and—" Tegan gulped a breath.
The Doctor nodded. "That is a tremendous amount of stress for a human to experience in such a short period of time."
"And you think it's made me lose it?"
"Lose it?"
"Yes, lose it." Tegan lifted her hands and jerked her fingers toward her temples.
"Ah, I see. Perhaps to a small extent."
"Well, you're wrong." Her tone was firm now. "I know what I saw and what I heard. I was not imagining things."
While she spoke steadily, the Doctor saw that she had begun to shake. He pulled the quilt up over her shoulders, saying, "Try to rest for a while longer. You'll have something to eat soon, and that will make you feel better."
Tegan leaned back into the pillow. "I'm not crazy," she said.
"Just rest, Tegan.." He turned and walked out of the room.
Their hostess was adding a handful of flour to a large pot on the stove when the Doctor joined her in the kitchen. The child stood next to her, but he immediately vanished behind her skirt when the guest stepped into view.
"Is she all right?" asked the woman. "She sounded upset."
The Doctor sat wearily in a chair. "We have had a rather difficult journey recently."
"Yes?"
He nodded. "She has seen things…"
"I understand." The woman's voice was quiet, and the Doctor noticed that she had rested her hand on the child's head. He moved away from her skirt slightly, his innate curiosity overriding his fear of this stranger.
"Yes, of course. I'm sure this war has not been easy for you. Is your husband away fighting?"
She nodded. "I haven't seen him in three months. I don't know when he will return." Her hands moved gently down to cover her son's ears, "Or if he will at all."
"I'm sorry. And I apologize if I frightened you when we arrived here."
"It's of no matter. I'm glad to help, and… it's been a long time since I've had the company of another adult."
The child, sensing the trust his mother had placed with the stranger, stepped away from her skirt and moved cautiously toward the Doctor.
The Time Lord smiled at him. "What's your name?" he asked.
The boy's eyes widened, but he did not answer. His mother said, "His name is Erran. I'm Amna."
The Doctor extended his hand toward the child. "Erran, I am very pleased to meet you."
A small, pale hand tentatively slipped forward. The Doctor grasped it lightly, his eyes studying the child for a moment. He ruffled the boy's hair with another smile.
"Erran, please bring me some carrots," Amna said. The little boy turned and went into the alcove.
"Forgive me if I am intruding," said the Doctor, "but he does not look well."
Amna lowered her head for a moment. "He is not."
"Perhaps I may be able to help in some way. Can Erran speak?"
She shook her head sadly. "Yes, he could. He spoke all the time until a few weeks ago. Now he only speaks when he's dreaming."
"Has he been ill?"
"In a manner of speaking." Erran returned with several carrots, which he handed to her. She patted his head, then said, "It's time to finish your nap, dearheart."
"Might I have a moment with him?" asked the Doctor. Amna guided her son toward him.
The boy stood before the Time Lord passively, but his gray eyes watched the man intently. The Doctor took Erran's cheeks gently in his hands and bent to scrutinize his eyes. There was a depth to the child's gaze that surprised the Doctor. The child's eyes were ringed with dark circles, and his pale skin was cool. The Doctor moved his hand to rest it against the boy's chest.
He looked up at Amna. "Thank you."
"To bed now," she said to Erran.
The child obediently walked to a small bed that lay in a second alcove and crawled beneath the covers.
The Doctor stood and pulled out a chair for Amna, gesturing for her to sit. "Tell me what happened to him," he said.
"Soldiers came," she said simply. "He was very frightened by them, by the whole experience, and he has not spoken since then."
"Was he harmed by them in any way?"
"No. He was hidden."
The Doctor watched her carefully, then asked quietly, "And were you harmed?"
She seemed to shiver briefly, but she replied, "No. I hid as well."
"Erran has slept poorly since then, hasn't he?"
She nodded. "He has dreams—over and over again during the night, and sometimes during the day while he naps."
"What sort of dreams are they?"
"Terrible ones for him. He wakes screaming, crying out—I can hardly comfort him, they have grown so bad."
The Doctor shook his head regretfully. "Often the most serious casualties of war are not the soldiers."
"I heard Tegan call you Doctor," Amna said softly. "Do you think that you can help him?"
"Perhaps. I will certainly try."
"What will you need? I have some herbs here, and I've tried to use them, but I'm not an apothecary—I don't know all of the combinations—"
"No herbs will be necessary. When he wakes I will simply need to speak with him again."
Amna appeared skeptical for a moment, but then she stood to return to her soup. "This will be ready soon. I'll take a bowl to Tegan."
"Thank you," said the Doctor, "she will appreciate it, I'm sure."
"She'll be all right?"
The Doctor drew a breath. "I hope so."
---
Tegan had begun to doze in the warmth and comfort of Amna's bed. She heard the Doctor and Amna speaking in the other room, but their words were just a soft buzz. She felt herself drifting toward sleep, and she did not resist.
The murmur from the kitchen still filtered through her foggy senses, but a second sound crept past the words, edging them out of her mind. It seemed impossible to Tegan, for she knew that she was inside, but suddenly she was quite certain that she could hear the rustling and whispering of the leaves. Did they never stop moving in that infernal wind?
She turned her head into the pillow and pulled the quilt up to cover her ear in hopes of blocking out the noise.
---
As Amna stirred the soup, the Doctor asked her about the war. "I know that two groups are fighting," he was saying, "but I am unclear about the cause of this conflict."
"The king, Caramond the Second, has ruled the northern lands for four years. He took power with the help of his ministers. He convinced the people of his lands that he would help them, that he would make their land stronger, and most believed him. I've heard that he is an intense man who can pursuade people to follow his ideas with almost frightening ease. His people had struggled for some time; the north is harsher than here, and they have fewer resources than we do, so they were becoming desperate. Maybe that is why they agreed to follow him…
"Our lands, the lands of the Briars, are made up of four regions. We have always had a shared rule, with a minister appointed from each region to represent our common interests and share our resources. We were quite willing to have Caramond join us. We would have worked out a way to share what we had and use what he had to offer, as well. But Caramond doesn't wish to share; he wants all of our resources for himself. He wants to take control of all of the lands and rule them himself. The Briars want to keep our shared lands and government. We don't fight by choice, but Caramond has forced us to defend our homes and lands."
"And how do the Briars fare now?"
"I don't know. Before he left to fight, my husband would travel to the village—a half a day's walk from here—to meet with other men from the area and learn the news. But since he left I've heard nothing. All I know is that the Kingsmen came here three weeks ago. I think—" she paused. "I think that must mean that they have taken this area."
"Keep hope, Amna," said the Doctor, resting his hand on his jacket, which still hung over a chair. Beneath his fingers lay the parchment. "I have a strong feeling that things will improve soon."
A whimper drew their attention to Erran's bed, where he lay upon his back. His small, pale brow was furrowed, and his hands moved at his sides.
"He's dreaming again," said Amna tiredly.
Tegan could not block out the whispers with her hands or with the quilt. They grew louder, and after a time she began to hear words.
She sat upright with a gasp. Again she had heard a child calling for help. The Doctor had been wrong; the child was still in the lake. He was crying out as before: "Help! I'm in the water! Mama! Help me!"
Tegan pushed the quilt to the floor and stood listening. "I'm coming!" she called as she stumbled out of the room.
The Doctor caught her by the shoulders as she headed for the front door.
"Tegan! What are you doing?" he asked.
"I have to go!" she said frantically. "He's still in the lake! Can't you hear him calling?" She twisted away and reached for the bar on the door.
The Doctor grasped her arm. "I don't hear anything," he said. "Come back to bed. You're still half-asleep."
She had a dazed look in her eyes that indicated stupor. He pulled her away from the door.
"No!" she cried. "He's calling for help! I can't just leave him!"
"Tegan," the Doctor said firmly, placing a hand on her shoulder, "there is no one calling you." He snapped his fingers in front of her face. "Come on, wake up! Listen. There's nothing to hear."
As if to disprove his words, Erran whimpered from his bed.
Tegan's eyes shot fully open, and her head jerked up. "What…" she began, obviously confused.
"It's all right," said the Doctor, "you've just had a dream." He lead her back to the bedroom and settled her among the quilts. "Go back to sleep. I'll wake you when it's time to eat."
"But I thought I heard him," she said softly. "It seemed so real…"
The Doctor touched her forehead with a melancholy smile. "Sometimes I imagine that it does. Sleep, Tegan, just sleep."
When he returned to the kitchen, he found Amna sitting in a chair with Erran on her lap. His eyes were half-closed, and he was drowsy.
"Tegan was dreaming too?" she asked.
"Yes." The Doctor sat heavily.
Erran lifted a hand half-way, murmuring, "… waher… mama… waher."
The Doctor watched the child for a moment. "What are his dreams about?" he asked.
"I'm not sure, but he often calls out for help."
"He said 'waher'—is that water?" asked the Doctor.
She nodded. "Yes. That was part of his fright when the soldiers came."
"It involved water?" he repeated, sitting up straighter.
"Yes."
"Amna, I want you to tell me exactly what happened."
"I already told you—"
"No, I need every detail. Please. If I am to help him, I must know."
She carried Erran to his bed and tucked the covers around him then returned to the table.
"Soldiers came," she began, her voice shaking slightly. "I saw them coming. I was just returning from the barn, and I could see them over the small rise. They were Kingsmen; I could tell from the blue they wore. Kingsmen are not kind to Briars, and women and children aren't spared their wrath. My husband warned me about them. They follow the king blindly. And Erran is all I have—my husband may be dead." She paused to blink back tears.
"So I ran back into the house. I threw some things about to make it appear that other soldiers had already been here and that we had gone, then I took Erran out behind the house. I knew that we had to hide, to find some place where we would be safe. My husband dug a well in front of the house three years ago, but there is an old well shaft back there." She gestured toward the back of the building. "I lowered the bucket into the well with Erran in it. The well had dried up; there shouldn't have been any water in it. I hid in the woods nearby, and I waited. I heard the soldiers in the house, looking through things, taking what they wanted. They went to the barn and killed most of my chickens—my poor hens, who laid such good eggs for Erran and me—" She swallowed.
"And what happened to Erran?" asked the Doctor.
"The bucket slipped, and… there was water in the well. It must have collected there during the rainy season. I had told Erran not to make a sound, not to speak until I came for him. And he stayed quiet, he stayed in the cold water, in the dark, for such a long time." She brushed a tear from her cheek. "And he never made a sound, even when he was going under, when his legs got too tired, and he started to slip under the water."
"But you got him out."
She nodded, tears now flowing freely. "As soon as I heard the soldiers leave, I went to the well. I didn't know… I had no idea that he was in the water… and when I brought the bucket up and it was empty… oh lord, I thought he was dead." She stopped to take a deep breath. "But I called to him, and I lowered the bucket again, and somehow he was able to catch hold of it. I pulled him up, but he was so cold, so frightened, and he thought I had forgotten him, as if I could forget him—"
"And he has not spoken to you since then?"
She shook her head. "And he has had the dreams."
"Was he dreaming shortly before Tegan and I arrived here?"
She nodded.
He continued, "His dreams are about being in the water, about wanting to call for help, crying out in his mind—"
The Doctor's confirmation of Amna's own thoughts caused her to weep openly; she bent her head into her hands. After a moment, the Doctor rested a hand on her back. "It's all right, Amna," he said, standing. "I can help him."
She looked up at him. "Truly?"
He nodded as he stood. "But I need to speak with Tegan first."
Tegan's eyes were closed, but she was fully awake. The child's voice, which she had heard so clearly, still echoed through her mind. It had been so distinct; how could she have imagined it? Yet when she recalled the past twenty-four hours—the shadows, the whispers of the leaves—she began to wonder…
"Tegan." The Doctor's voice made her start slightly.
She opened her eyes to acknowledge him.
"Come with me," he said.
"Where?"
"There is someone I want you to meet."
Tegan got out of bed and followed him into the kitchen. Amna had returned to the stove, but she turned to her guests with a small smile. The Doctor steered Tegan toward the alcove and gestured to Erran.
"This is Amna's son, Erran," he said softly.
Tegan looked at the child blankly for a moment then she pressed a hand over her mouth. "Oh!"
"He is familiar to you, isn't he?"
She nodded. "That's him. He's the one who was crying for help."
"But you never saw him."
She shook her head. "No, not directly. But it's him, Doctor, I know it is. Is he all right? How did he get out of the lake?"
The Doctor led her back to the table. Amna had ladled soup into a bowl and set it before her, but Tegan did not touch it. She placed her shaking hands on the table and looked back at the child.
The Doctor followed her gaze and said, "He was never in the lake."
"What?" Tegan was clearly confused.
"He was dreaming about being trapped in the water, however."
"I don't understand."
"I believe, Tegan," said the Time Lord, "that what you thought you heard was Erran's dream."
The young Australian blinked. "You mean like reading his mind?"
"Rather, yes."
"But how? And why? Why him?"
"I'll explain in a moment. But first you must tell me if you've heard other voices since we arrived on this planet. I know that you thought you saw someone in the woods—"
Tegan lowered her eyes. The Doctor's recent doubts about her mental stability still resonated; she hesitated to tell him the truth.
Sensing her reticence, he said, "I believe that you really did hear and possibly see things, but if I am to understand this fully you must be honest with me."
Tegan sighed. "All right. Since we arrived here, I felt like I heard the leaves rustling in the wind, and when I listened it sometimes sounded like voices. And I thought I saw shadows, just out of the corner of my eye, but when I would turn my head to look, they were gone."
"Tell me exactly when the voices were most prominent."
"The first time was when the soldiers came and took Turlough. I thought there was a second group—I could hear them, and I was sure I saw a glimpse through the trees… Then when I told you I'd seen someone in the woods earlier today. And I heard the little boy crying and calling out when I went to the lake and again just now."
The Doctor considered this information. Amna had quietly taken a seat across the room. She watched her guests raptly. After nearly a minute, the Doctor spoke.
"Close your eyes," he told Tegan.
"Why?" she asked skeptically.
"There is one small experiment I need to try before I can understand definitively what is happening."
Tegan complied as he rose and went to Amna. He whispered in her ear. She shook her head immediately, but he whispered again then glanced at Erran. Finally, with a pained expression on her face, she nodded and shut her eyes. The Doctor returned to Tegan.
Tegan heard the faint rustling again, then, quite suddenly, it grew louder and coalesced into whispers. The Doctor watched her face; her brow had wrinkled, and she shook her head slightly.
"What do you hear?" he asked very softly.
"A voice—it's a woman," she answered. "She's saying… she's sorry, she's sorry that she left him in the water, she didn't know—" Her eyes shot open and she stared at Amna. "It's you!"
Amna opened her eyes. They were wet with tears.
"Can you still hear her?" the Doctor asked Tegan.
"No," she replied.
He looked at Amna, saying, "You stopped remembering when you opened your eyes, didn't you?"
She nodded.
"Thank you," said the Doctor to her. "I'm sorry that I had to ask you to recall the event so vividly, but it was necessary for me to understand Tegan's ability."
Amna stood and went to Erran's bed, where she knelt next to her son to stroke his face.
"Doctor," said Tegan, "what's going on? Why was I able to hear her thoughts?"
The Time Lord fixed his eyes upon hers, studying her intently for a moment. She nearly cringed at the depth of his gaze.
"Hmm," he offered noncommittally when she wrenched her eyes away from his.
"Just tell me what you know," she said with mounting alarm and niggling irritation.
"The human mind, Tegan," he began, "is highly complex. Different theorists have formulated a number of analogies to explain its structure. Some view it much like a computer, with the capacity for long-term and short-term storage and access to information, while others visualize it as a series of layers to which a person has varying degrees of access. Of course these theorists are humans, too, so their conceptions are only partially accurate. In fact, the human mind consists of many strata and a tremendous number of potential connections, most of which the average person is not aware—"
"Look, Doctor," Tegan interjected, "I didn't ask for a lecture on psychology. Just explain what's happening to me."
"If you wish. I will try to phrase it in the simplest terms possible. In order to enter you mind, the Mara had to delve into some of the deepest recesses of your consciousness."
Tegan had paled slightly at the mention of the pernicious serpent, and now she opened her mouth to speak, but the Doctor stopped her.
"I told you that the Mara had left your mind; that is true. It is gone and cannot return. However, I'm afraid that it left a channel through your mind that has not closed entirely. This pathway is permitting you to access a very deep ability to perceive others' thoughts, which to you appear as shadows and words."
"But I didn't hear your thoughts or Turlough's—" she began.
The Doctor smiled thinly. "No, you wouldn't perceive my thoughts under these circumstances, but in fact you may have sensed some of Turlough's. I believe that only those thoughts accompanied by significant emotion have reached you. You told me that you heard voices when the soldiers came for Turlough. A part of that may have been him."
"But I never heard specific words until I went to the lake."
"Yes, that is rather curious. However, I imagine that the ability is, for some reason, growing stronger. It may have to do with the environment of this planet, which may stimulate your neurons, or it may be that once you were able to hear Erran's thoughts your abilities naturally expanded, much as learning to control a single, rarely used muscle can quickly lead to control of others around it."
Tegan shook her head. "I don't want it."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't want this ability or skill or curse, or whatever you choose to call it. How do I get rid of it?"
"I can work with you under deep hypnosis to close the pathway—"
"Then let's do it." Tegan stood.
"No, Tegan," the Doctor said, "I will require some assistance from the TARDIS to accomplish this fully."
"But you can close it part way now?"
"Perhaps, but it will not be complete."
"I don't care. As long as it will make things quieter."
The Doctor thought for a moment. "I think it would be in the best interest of the Briars if we waited a while."
"What? What are you talking about?"
"Tegan, this new ability that you possess may allow us to find the Briars' camp more easily. If you can sense the king's soldiers in the area, we will be able to avoid any confrontations. Indeed, you may be able to obtain information from them that will help the Briars—"
"No." Tegan's voice was firm.
"But this may turn the tide for the Briars—"
"Or it may turn the tide for my mind. Doctor, I feel like I'm going crazy. I just want this to stop."
"And I promise you that I will fix it, but Tegan, you may the best hope for Erran, for Amna, for all of the people here who seek peace. And remember that Turlough is out there somewhere, too."
Amna had listened to their conversation quietly, and now she was watching Tegan hopefully. "My husband," she said, "if only I knew where he was—"
"Tegan," said the Doctor, leaning in toward her, "if you do this it will be for them, and for all the others like them who have sacrificed so much during this war."
"I don't know," she began, "I don't know if I can. What if all the voices come in at once? I can barely handle one—"
The Doctor touched her arm. "I will be with you to help and guide you. I will see to it that you are not harmed by this."
Amna had stood and come forward. Now she knelt next to Tegan and said, "Please, Tegan, please."
Tegan drew a deep breath. She seemed to hear Amna's words echoing through her mind, and the name Kirn was spoken quite clearly.
"Kirn?" she repeated.
Amna gasped in surprise.
"That's your husband, right?" asked Tegan.
Amna nodded. "Yes."
Tegan felt a third set of eyes upon her. Erran sat up in his bed, watching her earnestly and sadly.
Tegan sighed heavily. "Fine," she said somewhat defeatedtly, "I'll do it, but you have to promise me, Doctor, that the minute this is over you'll close the pathway forever."
"Agreed."
The Doctor stood. "Now we should go. We still have some distance to travel and limited time in which to do so."
"Where are you going?" asked Amna.
The Doctor began to respond, but he hesitated. "I think it would be best if you didn't know, just in case you should be questioned."
Amna nodded. "I understand."
Tegan reached for her clothes, but Amna said, "I'll give you something to wear so that you won't stand out as you do in your garments. Come."
She led Tegan back to the bedroom as the Doctor withdrew the map from his pocket. He glanced at the bedroom door once with a slight creasing of his forehead then folded the parchment and returned it to his coat.