Owler carefully stirred the mix of black tree bark and water in a clay dish he had brought with him, then set it back onto the small fire he had made. The unpleasant mixture was now a thick lumpy black treacle with a strong and bitter aroma. Rose couldn't help but be grateful that all she had to do was breath it in, as she doubted that even Mary Poppins reccomendation of a spoon full of sugar would be of any help to the taste of this medicine. She moved a little closer to the fire and peered dubiously into the dish, watching the thickening liquid begin to bubble and pop. She glanced at Owler, as he came to sit next to her at the fire side. "So what's the next ingredient.?" She asked. "Eye of newt.?"
"Newt.?" Owler repeated with a frown. "What is newt.?"
"It's... not important." Rose smiled. "Anyway, wing of bat would probably work better."
Owler looked into the clay dish. "It is almost ready. I think."
"Great." Rose said, not sure if she meant it.
"It should ease your head soon after you have breathed in the vapour."
"Ease it.?" Rose said. "What happened to cure it.?"
"This is a strong medicine, but its making must be carefully balanced. I am not a true healer like my father. So it may not fully remove your... hangover." He gave a smile, proud of his use of this new word.
"But you said it would cure it. I distinctly remember the word cure coming up in the conversation." She sighed, suddenly willing to risk any taste, with or without sugar, just as long as it got rid of the man with the hammer who had taken up squatters rites in her head.
"I can make it stronger." He said, a note of reluctance in his voice.
"There's a but isn't there.?" Rose said. "There's always a but."
"But..."
"Knew it."
"You are not Harkun... it may not work at all." Owler looked to the ground.
As Rose watched him, she realised that he had not wanted to tell her this, because he had wanted her to believe in him. He had wanted to impress her, not with a flash car, or expensive trainers, or the latest mobile phone, but simply with his ability to take away her pain. He had wanted to do that for her, but perhaps more than that he had wanted her to believe that he could. Rose suddenly saw Owler as he saw himself, the son of a Sage, forever in shadow, always a step behind, and heavy with burden on young shoulders. He had wanted only to succeed in making this healing potion for her, and in doing so perhaps please his father.
"I trust you." Rose said softly. "Ok maybe it won't work. But at least you're trying. I bet that one day you'll make a great Sage."
Owler looked up, a smile lighting his face. "You honour me with your words." He got to his feet and withdrew a knife from his belt. "I will make it stronger - for you." He set off toward the sapling tree which he had taken bark from, and upon reaching it he pushed the tip of his knife blade under the wounded bark into the soft woody flesh of the tree. As Rose watched she saw a clear sticky liquid trickle out from the wood and run the length of Owlers blade. When Owler returned to the fire side he held the blade out to her.
"The Jahtra trees sap is a powerful form of medicine." He scraped the blade across the rim of the clay pot that was still on the fire. "My father says it is the most precious gift the Goddess Harku ever bestowed to her people." He said with respect.
Hearing a loud hissing sound, Rose looked to the mixture in the clay pot. It had suddenly begun to fizz wildly, like something from her school chemistry lessons. She couldn't prevent a small smile, as she wondered what Mr Jackson would think of this experiment - safety glasses no where in sight. As she watched, a swirling cloud of grey steam began to lift into the air from the black mixture, along with the most revolting smell Rose had ever come across. Instinctively she covered her nose and mouth with her hand, already half choaking on what she had briefly inhaled. Owler quickly pulled her hand away. "No.!" He insisted. "You must breath it in if it is to heal you."
For a second Rose stared at him, horrified. But she knew she had to do it, perhaps more so for him than even herself. She had said that she trusted him and she had meant it. She pushed back her hair and closing her eyes she leant over the fizzing mixture, taking slow heavy breaths of its swirling putrid steam.
The more the Doctor thought about it the less it made sense. The less it made sense the more he realised he had to do it. Sooner or later he was going to have to tell Rose he loved her. Probably later, because sooner was... too soon. He needed time. He had to get something this important right. There was no room for mistakes. He couldn't just blurt it out, if he did she was more than likely to run home to Jackie, or worse still to Mickey.
He suddenly stopped walking as he re-played that last thought. He shook his head, a confident grin taking up residence at his mouth for a second. No, he thought, she wouldn't do that. His grin faded away. Would she.? He started walking again.
All the more reason to get it right he determind. Telling someone you love them was a serious business. Love... how had that happened he wondered. He'd breezed through his life having adventures, risking life and limb, in and out of deadly peril at the drop of a hat. He'd bumped into countless species along the way. He'd liked them, grown fond of them, even missed them a little when they were gone. But not love. He'd never loved. Not till Rose.
Then of course there was the flip side of this particular romantic coin to consider. The part he didn't want to think about, but knew he had to. What if Rose didn't feel the same.? What if he made a complete prat of himself on epic proportion, professing his steadfast, enduring, utter devotion and love to her only to have her say the words that have slain many a man... 'can't we just be friends'?. He shuddered.
It was a risk he had to take. He could do it. He was a risk taker. It wasn't like he was a stranger to risks. He'd taken plenty. Red wire or blue wire - that was always a good one. Not that Rose had any wires. It would be easy if she had - he'd cut the red one of course. Or the blue one. Damn, which one was it.? He stopped walking again, and lifted his hands to his head, growning. Wires.? What was he thinking about wires for.? His hands dropped to his sides. This was insane, he thought. He'd become a gibbering idiot.
Rose lifted her head out of the stench steam, sure that she was going to throw up. She'd maybe taken a dozen or so big breaths, and figured she'd reached her limit, any more and - well it wouldn't be pretty. She put a hand over her mouth as the clean fresh air hit, and she almost lost the contents of her stomach there and then. She closed her eyes for a second, and sank backwards onto the soft green grassy earth. The scent of wildflowers drifted around her head as she opened her eyes slowly and blinked, gazing up into a perfect cloudless jade sky. A bird with violet and yellow feathers flew across her field of vision, and she let her hand slip down into the grass above her head as she lay breathing in the softly perfumed air. A slow smile grew at her mouth, until it became a wide and wanton grin.
The jade sky disappeared from sight, replaced by Owlers concerned face looking down at her. "Rose.?" His voice was tinged with concern.
Rose moved a little so that she was lying propped up by her forearms. She sighed, contented. "You're... fantastic." She laughed softly as she saw a warm blush creep into Owlers cheeks. "Honestly you're brilliant." Impulsivley she leant forward and brushed his surprised mouth with her lips in a sudden and fleeting kiss. She moved back, realising a second too late that she really shouldn't have done it. Owler stared wide eyed into her face, but before Rose could do or say anything, he moved to repeat the kiss. His lips took possession of hers, gently teasing a response. Then growing more sure his hand came to rest at her shoulder, pushing her down into the soft grass as his kiss intensified.
Rose knew nothing of the cold harsh eyes that watched her from across the river. She knew nothing of the pain that tore through the body of the man who saw her wrapped in anothers arms. She knew nothing of his suffering as he witnessed Owler take his kiss. She did not see him turn his face away, unable to bare the pain and grief of his wounded hearts a moment longer. She did not see him leave. She knew nothing of him.
It was like waking up from a dream. She wasn't sure if it was real or if she was still asleep. Then sunlight hit her eyes and she moved slightly, a small stone pressing into her shoulder. She felt a hand trail a lazy path up her back. Owler was kissing her.! Her mind wirred and reeled as she pushed her hands against his chest, forcing him back, breaking the kiss. She sat up, and looked at him accusingly.
"What the Hell was that about.?"
Owler looked confused."You kissed me."
"No I didn't.!" She protested, outraged. She frowned and put her hand to her head suddenly feeling dizzy. She looked at Owler as the feeling passed as quickly as it had begun. "Yes I did." She corrected herself quietly, as if she had only just remembered. "Sorry, I shouldn't have done that."
Owler moved forward. "I liked it." He said softly.
"Well you shouldn't have.!" Rose snapped. "I can't be kissing you.!"
He looked hurt, and his tail thumped the ground. "I thought you... liked me."
"I...I do." Rose said, feeling awful. "But I love the Doctor.!"
The instant she spoke the words Rose slapped both her hands over her mouth, and wide eyed she stared horrified at Owler. It was the first time she'd ever actually said the words out loud. But what worried her was why she had said them. She was sure she hadn't meant to. Slowly she lowered her hands from her mouth and looked intently at Owler.
"Ask me a question." She said reluctantly.
Owler frowned a little. "What kind of question.?"
"Anything." She said. "Just do it."
He frowned a little more."What is your name.?"
Rose thought about it. "Rose." She said sadly. "Another." She prompted.
"Where do you come from.?"
Rose hesitated. "Earth." She said unhappily. "Another"
"How did you get here.?"
"In the TARDIS." Rose said miserably.
Owler didn't wait for another prompt. "What do you feel for the Doctor.?"
Roses eyes filled with threatening tears. "I love him." She said in utter despair.
Owler looked worried. "Rose, what is it.?"
"It's the potion." She explained. "Turns out it has a slight side effect on humans. It makes you tell the truth. I can't lie... I tried, I really tried." Her tears welled in her eyes. "Owler what am I gonna do.?"
The Doctor found Ibroc exactly where he had left him, at the river side, catching yet another fish. For a while both men stood together in silence, their concentration fixed on the waters. Ibroc was the first to speak, but he did not yet look at the Doctor.
"You are troubled my friend."
"I thought about what you said."
"You thought about your feelings for Rose." Ibroc corrected him, almost as if he knew his thoughts.
"Yes." The Doctor nodded slightly. "Rose." He stopped suddenly, as even her name at his lips stung him.
"Have you reached a conclusion.?"
"Yes." He said, his head lifting, his shoulders pulling back, his eyes turning to a shade of steel.
"Doctor.?" Ibroc turned to face his friend now.
"Bad idea." He said simply."Very bad idea."