"Tegan!" The Doctor's voice cut through the dust and haze. Tegan realized that the rumbling had ceased; the rocks were no long falling. She felt a touch at her shoulder, flinching back until she recognized the feel of a firm yet comforting hand.
She opened her eyes, but she seemed enveloped in a dusky, dry cloud. She coughed, trying to inhale but finding that only dirt seemed to enter her nose and mouth. She felt herself guided sideways, then felt the Doctor wrap his arm around her waist and swing her up off of the ground. She blinked through the dissipating dust to see that he had lifted her over the small pile of rock that lay directly before the area where she had sought shelter. She coughed again.
"Adric," she heard the Doctor say, "give me the handkerchief."
The Doctor wiped the damp cloth over her nose and mouth, and Tegan took a tentative breath, grateful when she inhaled only clean, fresh air. He moved the kerchief over her eyes, and when she opened them fully she saw that he was standing before her, gazing at her with concern. His left hand rested gently on her shoulder.
"Are you all right?" he asked her.
She nodded. "I think so."
He brushed some dust from her hair and shoulders then ran his hands over her arms, commenting after a moment, "No broken bones," before granting her a brief, relieved smile.
She rubbed her palm over her forehead to remove some scratchy dirt, and he frowned, taking her hand to study if for a moment. She looked down to see several small cuts across her knuckle and wrist. Her other hand bore similar evidence of the rocky shower.
Tegan looked back at the rubble, then glanced up again at the area from which the whine had come. "I thought I heard a noise," she said. "I was afraid that one of the children was hurt or scared."
The Doctor was wiping her hand with the cloth, but he glanced up at her. "Really? I didn't hear anything. Did you, Adric?"
The Alzarian shook his head. "No, but I'll go and have a look." He walked toward the rockslide.
Tegan watched him for a moment, then lifted her eyes to the Doctor's face. "Cripes, what happened?"
"A rockslide," the Doctor replied.
"I know that. But what caused it?"
The Doctor shrugged. "Possibly a slight temblor."
Adric was calling Rannal's and Morra's names, but there was no reply. After a few minutes he returned to his companions. "I didn't hear anything. Maybe you heard an animal or the wind," he suggested.
"Gerran did mention that this area bordered the wild boars' territory," the Doctor said. "You may have heard one of them."
Tegan shook her head. "It sounded human, like a wail."
"Animals' cries often seem almost human," the Doctor reminded her. "A peacock's cry has been mistaken for a woman's scream many times. I believe it has even resulted in police calls on more than one occasion."
"It wasn't a peacock, that's for sure," Tegan said.
"Well, whatever it was, it may still be out here. Let's get back to Gerran's house and get you cleaned up." The Doctor touched her elbow to encourage her to begin walking.
They reached the house within fifteen minutes, relieved to hear no animal or human noises as they walked along. Indeed, the village was quiet; the residents, they surmised, must still be at their worship. When they entered the house they found Nyssa sitting at the table with several pages spread before her.
"Oh, I'm glad you're back," she began, then stood immediately and hurried toward Tegan. "What happened?"
"There was a rockslide," Adric replied.
Nyssa touched Tegan's arm. "Are you all right?"
"Just a bit dusty is all," Tegan answered. "I wouldn't mind a hot bath."
"Doctor," Nyssa said, "would you heat some water for her?"
"Of course. See that the wounds on her hands are cleaned."
Nyssa began leading Tegan toward the bathroom but changed her mind and steered her to the bedroom instead. "Let's give the Doctor a few minutes to fill the tub," she said.
Tegan's legs began to feel wobbly as she recalled the rock showering down upon her. She sank down gratefully on the bed. Nyssa lifted her hands to examine the cuts then smiled reassuringly. "They aren't very deep. Vuir showed me an antiseptic that she makes from several plant sources. It should have excellent antibacterial properties. She told me that everyone has a bottle or two. I'll see if I can find Ellea's."
Nyssa went to the bathroom and looked in the small cabinet mounted upon the wall, but all she found there were several clean rags used as towels and two bars of home-made, fragrant soap. She quickly walked to the kitchen. The Doctor was heating a large kettle of water.
"How is she?" he asked.
"I think she's a little shaken," Nyssa replied, already opening the cupboard and searching inside. She removed several bottles and uncorked them to give their contents a sniff. None had the smell she remembered from the antiseptic Vuir had shown her. She reached back for a bottle that she glimpsed behind a basket. She could see that the basket held several items, and, not wishing to dislodge them, she took the basket from the shelf, setting it aside without looking at the contents. The bottle that she found behind it contained the antiseptic.
Nyssa lifted the basket to return it to its place. "Oh!" she said, her eyes falling upon its contents.
"What is it?" asked the Doctor.
Nyssa touched the knit booties and small, soft blanket folded neatly at the bottom of the basket. "It has some baby items in it." She lifted the booties; beneath them she saw embroidery at the edge of the blanket. "There's a name on this," she said softly.
The Doctor came to her side to look at the blanket. "Lara," he read.
"How very sad." Nyssa rested her fingers upon the name.
"Sad?" The Doctor appeared momentarily confused by her comment.
"Yes, Doctor. This must have belonged to a child who died."
"Why do you say that? Perhaps they're thinking ahead."
"But they wouldn't have a name put on the blanket. They wouldn't know if the child was a boy or a girl. And these booties have been used. Do you see that the laces are frayed?"
"Yes. But these may have belonged to another family."
"Perhaps." Nyssa carefully returned the basket to its place on the shelf. "But I have a very strong feeling that this belonged to Ellea's and Gerran's child."
------
After he had filled the bathtub with hot water, the Doctor took Adric outside to investigate the irrigation system. They walked toward the gardens, through the quiet village.
"They must still be in worship," the Doctor commented as they strolled along.
"I wonder what sort of religion they have?"
"Their ancestors were from an Earth colony, and from their coloring I'd guess that they were originally of European descent, so most likely their religion is some form of Judeo-Christianity."
"Which means what?"
"They believe in a supreme being who oversees their lives and their world."
Adric smiled. "That sounds like most religions I've heard about."
"Yes, such a belief is quite common throughout the universe, though less than one thousand years ago the people on Earth practiced polytheism… Ah, here we are." The Doctor stopped at the edge of the gardens.
"See if you can find any pipes or channels."
Adric began to explore among the leaves, wandering toward the far side of the cultivated area. He found a deep but narrow trench that he could see led into the center of the garden. He followed it in the opposite direction, back toward the houses. It paralleled one of the footpaths for a few meters then seemed to disappear beneath the paved walkway. Adric listened carefully to try to hear any sounds of water running. A low murmur met his ears, and he realized after a moment that it came from a building to his left.
A glance told him immediately that this structure was not a home. It was a nearly-perfect square with only one small window on the two sides visible to him. He could not see a chimney, either. Curious about the noise and the use of this edifice, Adric moved closer. The window, like the others in the village, was made from pieces of glass held together by metal strips. He noted a larger shard in the bottom corner and rested his head against the window to peer through this small portal.
Inside the building he saw the villagers sitting on simple wooden benches. He realized immediately that this was their house of worship. He could see Cira standing before one of the benches, resting her hand on an older man's head. Her eyes were closed, and she was smiling. After a few seconds she beckoned to her children, who came to her side. She dropped her hand, and Morra's small hands replaced it on the man's forehead. The little girl closed her eyes, frowning at first, then her expression gradually softened. Adric saw that Cira now stood before another villager, touching her head in the same manner.
"Adric!" The Doctor's voice summoned the Alzarian back to the garden.
"Did you find the pipe?" asked the Time Lord when Adric came into view.
"No, there's just a channel that seems to lead out that way." He pointed. "But I did find out where they worship, and I watched a minute of their service."
"They invited you in?"
"No. I watched through a window."
The Doctor shook his head. "Adric, spying isn't polite—"
"But you do it all the time!"
Raising an eyebrow, the Doctor replied, "Well, yes, but only when it's necessary. Clandestinely observing a religious service borders on violating privacy."
"I just wanted to see what they were doing."
Unable to quash his own curiosity, the Doctor asked, "And what did you see?"
"Not much, really. Cira was touching people's heads—Morra was, too."
"Hmm, probably offering some sort of a blessing." He returned his attention to the garden. "I'm going to check over there."
Adric watched the Doctor lifting leaves and peering beneath plants for a few moments then bent down to examine the ripening pumpkins near his feet. A small trench irrigated this plant. He stood, intending to move on to the next bush, but an unexpected wave of dizziness assaulted him. He fought to keep his balance for several seconds before the vertigo left him. He blinked in the sunshine, his eyes stinging with tears.
"I've found it!" the Doctor announced happily. "Over here, Adric."
Adric took a few deep breaths and wiped a hand over his eyes before joining the Doctor near a bed of turnips. The Doctor glanced up at the young man briefly, attention clearly focused on the pipe he'd discovered. "Everything all right?" he asked, only half-noticing Adric squinting in the sunlight.
"Fine, Doctor," Adric replied. "What have you found?"
------
Tegan was just sitting down with some tea when the Doctor and Adric returned to the house.
"Are you feeling better?" the Doctor asked her.
She nodded. "Washing off that layer of dirt helped a lot."
"How are your hands?"
"They'll be all right."
Nyssa emerged from the kitchen. "Does everyone like sweet potatoes?" she asked.
Adric's expression changed to one of surprise. "Are you cooking?"
"Yes. I thought I'd begin getting lunch ready. As a matter of fact, you can help me."
Thus enlisted, Adric joined her in the kitchen. The Doctor sat across the table from Tegan, watching her for a moment.
"Where did you and Adric go?" she inquired as she sipped at the tea.
"To have a look at the irrigation system. Just as we thought, the pipe leads to the gardens, where the water is then directed into a series of small channels—a fairly traditional method of irrigation."
"Except for the pipe."
"Yes. I suppose the material is rather advanced compared with the rest of the technology we've seen here."
The Doctor's eyes had wandered to the papers that lay neatly stacked upon the table. He recalled that Nyssa had been studying them when they had returned after the rockslide. He gently thumbed through some of the yellowed sheets.
"What are those?" Tegan could not read them from across the table, but she saw some faded anatomical drawings.
"I believe Nyssa borrowed these from Vuir. This appears to be a copy of a textbook—more specifically a medical school text."
"Vuir's the healer. It makes sense that she'd have it."
"It seems a fortunate coincidence that these people's ancestors had this on their ship when they crashed here."
"Maybe one of them was a doctor."
The Time Lord considered this. "You're probably right. I'll have to ask Gerran for some more information about the first residents here."
"No time like the present." Tegan tilted her head toward the door, which opened to admit Gerran and Ellea.
"Good afternoon," their host greeted them. "Did you have a pleasant walk?"
The Doctor stood. "Initially, yes. I've found a good source of sand that you should be able to use for glass-making. It will need to be sifted and purified, but I think it will work well."
"I'm glad," Gerran responded. "We're eager to begin as soon as possible."
"Excellent. I'll need a heat source—preferably something large that can produce a high-temperature flame."
"I'll take you to the workshop."
Ellea passed Tegan on her way to the kitchen but paused when she noticed the cuts on her hands.
"What happened?" Ellea asked. "Did you fall on the hill?"
"Actually, the hill fell on me."
"Yes," the Doctor said. "You should avoid the area just to the south of here. The rock on the hill appears unstable. Tegan was caught in a rockslide."
"To the south?" Ellea repeated. She paled noticeably.
Gerran took put his arm around her. "Doctor, that is precisely the area we told you to avoid."
"The wild boars—yes," the Time Lord replied. "But surely they wouldn't be out during the day."
Gerran shook his head. "If they feel at all threatened they may be."
"Did you," began Ellea, "did you hear anything?"
Tegan said, "Yes, I did. I thought it was a child crying—"
Gerran nodded. "The boars have an odd cry. It sounds almost like a wail."
"The boars?" Tegan scowled. "I've never heard of boars sounding like that."
"They do here." Gerran released Ellea, and she went into the kitchen. "And they can climb the rock fairly easily. It was probably them that caused the rockslide. You really mustn't go near that area again. It's fortunate that you weren't hurt badly."
"Is the rock unstable?" asked the Doctor.
"Only when it's disturbed. Please, Doctor," he looked pointedly at the Time Lord, "promise me that you won't return to that area."
"We won't," replied Tegan.
------
The Doctor had been in the small foundry for several hours, losing track of the time as he inspected the equipment and made adjustments to it. The villagers had developed some skill with metal working, and he was pleased to find that, with some minor modifications, he would be able to use their facilities to produce glass.
He did not even realize that the daylight was fading until Gerran stepped through the doorway carrying a lantern. "Doctor, Ellea has supper prepared."
The Doctor looked up from his work. "Oh, thank you, but I'm not hungry. I'm going to keep working on this. I should be able to finish it in a few hours, then tomorrow we can begin preparing the sand—"
"No, you can't stay out here after dark."
"Oh, I don't mind. If you leave the lantern I'll have plenty of light in which to work."
"No, Doctor, it's not safe. The boars often enter the village during the night."
"It's only a short walk back to your house. I'll be fine."
Gerran frowned deeply. "I really don't think it's a good idea."
The Doctor, however, was clearly resolute in his decision, and Gerran was unable to sway him. Finally, the villager left the lantern with strict instructions to keep it well-lit and carry it with him when he returned to the house. Gerran hurried away as the last of the gray twilight faded to darkness.
The Doctor did not know what time it was when he finished his task. He was pleased, however, with his success, and he swung the lantern high into the air as he walked back to Gerran's house. The village was quiet; it must be quite late, he thought. He noticed that each house had a lit lantern hung by its front door. He wondered for a moment if Gerran had arranged this for him.
When he reached Gerran's house he extinguished the flame in the lantern next to the door before stepping inside. He paused for a few seconds to set the lantern he carried on the floor. A low moan met his ears, and he straightened, listening. He thought at first that the sound had come from outside, but another moan and then a third were clearly coming from the hallway. He walked quickly toward the source of the sound, realizing after a moment that it came from the room he and Adric shared.
He opened the door to find Adric lying on his back, the quilt tangled around his legs. The boy's eyes were closed tightly but moved rapidly beneath his lids. His forehead was covered with perspiration, and his hands jerked at his sides. He groaned again, his words almost discernible. The Doctor stood listening as the utterances became clearer.
"No," he was murmuring, "you can't—I won't know—don't—" He seemed unable to finish the thought, most likely caught in some nightmarish loop.
The Doctor shut the door and walked to the bed. He bent over the young man, resting a hand upon his shoulder. "Adric," he said gently, "it's all right."
Adric pushed the hand away rather forcefully, moaning and murmuring his protestations again. The Doctor took both of his shoulders more firmly. "Adric, wake up!"
Adric's eyes shot open, wide with fear. "No!" he cried, "don't!"
"It's all right. You were having a dream." The Doctor moved his hand to brush the hair away from Adric's damp forehead, but the boy's eyes followed his hand, the pupils growing even larger. His breath came in gasps, and he knocked the Doctor's hand away.
The Alzarian was still half-asleep, the Doctor realized. He sat on the bed and lifted Adric by the shoulders. "Wake up now, Adric. Come on, you're all right. Wake up." He kept his voice reassuring yet firm.
Adric slumped downward, his eyes rolling back for an instant then moving to focus on the Doctor's face.
"Doctor?" he panted.
"Sshh. You've had a bad dream. It's over now." He settled Adric back against the pillow. He was still breathing harshly, his eyes darting back and forth in confusion. When the door opened half-way and the soft glow of candlelight illuminated the room, Adric gasped and wrenched an arm up over his eyes.
"Doctor?" Tegan's voice was low and frightened. "What's going on?"
The Doctor turned his head to see Tegan and Nyssa standing in the doorway. Tegan held a candle.
"Adric's just had a bad dream—nothing to worry about. Go back to bed."
The young women exchanged glances, then each murmured a few comforting words to Adric. When the door closed, Adric lowered his arm to peek out at the Doctor. He was still breathing rapidly and raggedly. The Doctor rested his hand on Adric's chest, feeling the racing heartbeat beneath the boy's damp nightshirt.
"Try to take deep breaths," the Time Lord advised, rubbing rather awkwardly at Adric's shoulder.
Adric complied, finally steadying his breathing somewhat. The Doctor felt his heart rate slow and the rhythm become more even.
"What was the dream about?" the Doctor asked, moving his hand away.
Adric swallowed. "I don't know."
"Can you remember any of it?"
The Alzarian shook his head. "No."
"Well, if any part of it does come back to you, let me know. It often helps to talk about a nightmare—"
Adric gave a small grunt of acknowledgement as he tried to disentangle his legs from the quilt. The Doctor pulled the offending cover back then lifted it to spread over Adric again.
"No, don't," Adric said, holding out a restraining hand. "I'm too warm already."
The Doctor stood. "I'll get you some water."
As he walked down the hall, he noticed that Tegan and Nyssa's room was dark; however, he heard low voices and realized that they were still awake and talking. He went into the kitchen and filled a small clay cup with water from a bucket on the counter. Passing through the sitting room once more, a noise made him pause.
He listened for a moment. He heard moaning. Surely Adric could not have fallen asleep again so quickly and been immersed in another nightmare? He began moving back toward the hallway, but his acute sense of hearing stopped him after a few steps. The cry was coming from outside, and it was growing louder. He hurried toward the door.
"No, Doctor! Don't!"
Gerran's command froze him momentarily. The Doctor spun around. Gerran and Ellea hastened across the room toward him. Their expressions showed alarm, and, he thought, fear.
"There's someone out there," the Time Lord began.
"It's the wild boars," Gerran quickly explained. "They've come into the village again. I have to chase them away." He swept up the lantern that the Doctor had left by the door earlier and lit it. Another moan, much closer now, seemed to waver in the crisp night air.
Gerran opened the door a few centimeters. "I'll be back soon," he said, slipping outside. "Stay in here."
Ellea cringed visibly when she heard Gerran shouting. "I have to go to him," she murmured, brushing past the Doctor on her way to the door.
"I'll come with you," he immediately offered, but she whipped her head around to stare at him.
"No!"
She left the house before he could say anything else. The Doctor opened the door to peer outside. He heard the moaning again—almost a whine—and Gerran's angry cries. Ellea's higher voice joined in, and the Doctor could just make out a few of her words: "Don't hurt him." She repeated the phrase several times.
"Doctor?"
He turned back to the room to find Tegan and Nyssa standing near the hallway. "What's going on?" asked Tegan.
"Apparently the wild boars have come into the village. Gerran is trying to chase them away."
"They're what's making that moaning noise?" Tegan frowned in confusion.
"Yes." The Doctor returned his attention to the partially open door. There was a clatter from some small distance away, and then the noises ceased. The night was still and dark save for the bobbing light of Gerran's lantern as he and Ellea returned to the house.
When they entered Ellea was pale, and Gerran's expression reflected ire. He had his arm around her waist; she seemed to sag against him, resting her head on his chest.
"Did you extinguish the lantern outside?" he asked the Doctor angrily.
"Oh—yes, when I returned."
"Why? Why did you do that?"
"I didn't need it any more to light the way—"
"That lantern was not there for you!" Gerran snapped. "The light keeps the boars away from the house. We're on the edge of the village. If they don't see the light here they enter—"
"He didn't know," interjected Ellea quietly but firmly, lifting her head and placing her hand on her husband's arm. Her face was still pasty, and a red welt was beginning to form on her cheek.
"Oh, you've been hurt!" Nyssa exclaimed.
Ellea touched the abrasion. "I—I fell."
"You were pushed!" Gerran spat. "I told you to remain here! You have to stay safe!" His tone softened with his final comment.
She nodded and rested her hand on his cheek for a moment. "I'm all right."
"Why don't you get some cool water and a cloth for her?" Nyssa suggested gently.
Gerran went to the kitchen. As soon as he left her side, Ellea reached for a chair for support. The Doctor quickly took her elbow and guided her to the seat. Nyssa and Tegan approached her with concern.
"Are you all right?" asked Nyssa, touching the woman's cheek lightly.
"Yes, just… just a little shaken."
Nyssa glanced up at the Doctor, who was watching Ellea's hand as she moved it over her belly. "Perhaps you should lie down," he suggested, already helping her to stand.
"No, I'm fine—"
"Come." He led her toward her room. "Some warm milk might be nice," he said over his shoulder.
She sat heavily upon the bed, clearly tired; her color had not returned entirely, either.
"You need your sleep," the Doctor said matter-of-factly. "Several extra hours per day, really, at least during your first trimester. You haven't passed that yet, have you?"
Ellea stared at him for an instant then regained some of her composure. "No, I still have almost seven months to go."
"Well, I think you might try to remain close to home for a while, particularly at night. Let Gerran deal with the wild boars." With a small smile he turned to leave.
"Doctor," she said softly, "how did you know? I'm not showing yet."
He turned back to her. "There are certain signs among human females—the nausea and dizziness, and the way you touch your stomach."
"You've known since yesterday, haven't you?"
He nodded. "Yes."
"Have you told the others?"
"No."
"Please don't, at least not yet."
"But Gerran knows, doesn't he?"
She smiled wanly. "I can't keep secrets from my husband."
"I won't tell anyone. It's your news to share as you wish."
She lifted her hand to him. He stepped forward to take it.
"Thank you, Doctor." She grasped his hand in hers, holding it for several seconds as she looked into his eyes. Her other hand rose to touch his temple.
Nyssa stepped through the door, saying, "Gerran went outside to be sure the boars have gone." She stopped for an instant when she saw Ellea's fingers brush her friend's temple.
The Doctor straightened and withdrew his hand from hers. "Have a good rest," he said with a brief nod.
Nyssa held a small bowl of water and a cloth. "Tegan's just finishing warming the milk," she said as the Doctor passed her. She spared him a quick, curious glance then smiled at Ellea. "This should help your cheek to feel better."
The Doctor returned to the sitting room, noticing the cup of water he had left on the table. For a moment he wondered that Adric had not heard the commotion and gotten up to investigate as the young women did. He took the cup and walked down the hall. When he opened the bedroom door, he found Adric deeply asleep, one arm hanging limply off of the bed and the quilt still slightly bunched around his ankles.
The Doctor set the cup on the night table and pulled the quilt up over Adric, pausing for a moment to tuck the wayward arm back up against the boy's side. Recalling that Adric had complained of feeling warm earlier, he rested his palm against the youth's forehead; if anything, his skin felt cool. He watched his companion's face for a few seconds, glad to see a tranquil expression now. He padded back toward the door and whispered, "Sweet dreams, Adric," before he slipped back out into the hall.