His icy blue eyes watching every known corner of the surrounding area he's able to see from his spot on the large branch, Theodore didn't see the hunter, hear him or his rifle, no movement suggesting that the hunter hadn't stuck around waiting for them to climb down from the tree.

Seemed like if he did, he wouldn't shot them right then and there, he would've saw them on the scope, no, it'd appear this hunter had an unusual take on hunting.

It's no fun shooting them at the treetop, no fun doing anything to draw them to the bottom, either, this hunter wanted them on his terms, and his terms only.

Regarding the use of traps, neither pair came across any while attempting to return to the TARDIS, dense as the forest is, the hunter saw the optics against putting them down, though the more Theodore tried thinking about it, he believed there's no traps, at all.

Maybe towards the base of operation, that's the thin line, but otherwise, the hunter didn't see the need for them, maybe he saw it more exciting without the use of traps.

The same reason they're not dealing with a pack of trained dogs at their heels, the dense forest's more than enough to throw them off, and it wouldn't be fun having them do the legwork.

Considering he's hunting people; he wanted an unadulterated experience.

Not comforting, but it did allow Theodore insight on what they're dealing with.

A morbidly principled hunter.

He'll wait however long it'll take for them to climb down the tree and resume hunting, knowing that they'll have no other choice, and disturbingly he's right in his assumptions.

Once Lila's rested, they'll have to climb back down, try to find their way back to the TARDIS, if not where the hunter set up his base of operation.

Figuring out their plan, Theodore tried to think like the hunter.

If the hunter didn't want to make the hunt easy, he's likely unprotected, he didn't appear wearing some form of body armor when he briefly emerged from the thickets, but that'd mean he's aware the pair didn't have any firearms or projectiles to use against him.

Though, even if he isn't protected, the hunter still wouldn't make it easier to reach him. He likely has knives on his person for hand-to-hand combat, anything to give him an advantage over his quarry.

Given how confident the hunter showed himself, he hunted enough people to gain an understanding on their capabilities, but that didn't explain how he got into his head drawing Theodore and Lila into his wild hunt.

Then it hit Theodore, that to some, he is a dangerous game.

Even if they didn't know he's only part-Time Lord, enemies knew how dangerous he can be when he wants to be, that of course a hunter such as this one would want nothing more than an opportunity to hunt him.

Clever.

"Mhm," he heard Lila stir from her slumber, her chestnut eyes looking up at him as she slowly moved her hand, reaching up to rub them, before reaching further up to touch his nose.

A gentle smile on his face, Theodore rubbed her back as he softly asked her how she's feeling, and she tells him that it felt like she slept for years, before asking her own question, if the hunter had come for them, yet.

Shaking his head, Theodore informed her of what he been silently thinking about, and that the hunter's waiting for them to climb down the tree.

He's likely giving them a few minutes to get their bearings the moment they touch the ground, after that, the hunt resumes.

"And after that, we'll listen to the Cure!" Lila muttered as she slowly pulled herself away from the warmth of Theodore's chest, getting her bearings before Theodore helped her climb down the ancient tree.

Once they reached the bottom, Theodore picked a direction, and off they went, as they walked, they covered up their footprints, obbsccurficating them whenever possible, doing everything to get an opportunity to throw off the hunter, trying to think ahead like he's doing.

With their telepathic link, conversing without the hunter hearing worked wonders for them.

"Okay, I'm a hunter who's definitely made it to FBI's Most Wanted page, where would I make my base?" Lila tried coming up with an answer to her question as she stayed close to Theodore while they're working to get a grasp of the layout.

Theodore tells her that if he's willing to bet, that it's possible that the hunter has his base in the heart of the forest.

Her chestnut eyes focused, Lila spotted similar boot prints to what she and Theodore found at the camp, Theodore seeing this, the hunter made no attempts obbsccurficating his tracks, a blatant oversight Lila ever saw, but for Theodore, it made sense.

Having moved from hunting animals, gotten bored of normal quarry, the hunter wanted nothing more than a challenge, and not doing anything to coverup his footprints made sense.

It adds to the challenge of his quarry attempting to track him.

And.

His quarry seeing the footprints would act erratically knowing that the hunter's after them, making mistakes.

Following the footsteps, Theodore and Lila crept along the forest floor, listening for sudden movements, mindful of the scope, as Theodore kept them near the thickets, his icy blue eyes watchful of movements.

Going over some large mossy rocks, Theodore used them to gauge the direction they're in, as he helped Lila down from the rocks.

Landing on the soft ground, Lila started hearing a rush of water, Theodore hearing it, too, and they followed the sound towards a crashing waterfall with rapid waters crashing into the rocks below.

The mist dropped the temperature considerably, but the pair rejoiced as they hurried towards it.

Deafening sounds of the water rushing from the mouth of the waterfall above, the pair relied on their telepathy as they gone up to the waterfall from the side, where Theodore spotted a cave hidden behind the violent waterfall.

It was difficult, but he managed to get them through the cascading waters, into the safety of the cave behind.

"It's not stopping," Theodore frowns as he checked Lila's wound, it hadn't stopped bleeding despite the Medix cloth working overdrive to clean and heal it, even with a light touch, blood oozed from the dime-sized hole.

With the bloodied used Medix cloth cast aside, he attempted to replace it with a different Medix he carried with him, a stronger one, denoted by the colour yellow.

Wrapped it around Lila's shoulder, despite her having trouble raising her arm from the pain, and within moments, she nearly bit her lip bloody from the pain caused by the reaction.

Theodore comforted her, holing her close to him as the pain intensified while the stronger Medix cloth activated at the sign of blood.

Felt worse than a flu shot in school!

Stroking her back gently, Theodore cooed in her ear as she struggled from the pain, audibly he heard the fizzing coming from the cloth.

The pain subsided enough for Lila to utter, "This sucks on so many levels!"

And, if it didn't work, there's an even stronger Medix cloth that Theodore has on hand for her to use, that'll hurt worse than being kicked by a horse.

"It'll be fine, my dear Watson," she heard Theodore coo in her ear as he gingerly rubbed her back.

Tenderly, he took her in his arms, carrying her bridal style, careful of the Medix cloth, as he made his way deeper into the cave. The cave was dark, the only source of light came from the entrance, and Theodore couldn't help but wonder if the hunter knew about it, though seeing the cave as he walked, there's no indication anyone's been inside.

Once he reached a part where he felt fresh air coming from a direction, Theodore stopped, resting Lila on the dry ground, checking her as he did, before noticing that she's become pale.

Checking her Medix, Theodore's shocked as he sees it's bloodied, too.

"Mhm?" Lila tried to look as Theodore lightly touched the cloth, seeing the blood seeping through it, turning it vivid red, despite this being stronger than the previous version.

Seeing the distraught look in his face, Lila tried reaching out to him as he quickly reached into his pocket once again, bringing out two of the strongest Medix cloths, denoted by the colour blue.

It wasn't recommended in the papers included with the cloths, but desperation called for desperate acts, and Theodore's at that stage attempting to control the blood loss as Lila started becoming affected by it.

Carefully, Theodore pulled off the spent Medix, soaked in blood, as Lila watched on.

An attempt to smile at her, Theodore apologized for what he's about to do, but it's what he must, though Lila disagreed, Theodore wouldn't stand the thought of her wound progressively getting worse on his watch.

Calming her as she struggled at the sight of two Lv. 3 Medix cloths, the strongest versions on the market, enough that it came with different warnings, one expressing concerns over using two at the same time.

The previous version hurt, but two stacked Lv. 3's bound to give Lila a worse shot of pain.

She tried pleading with Theodore, but seeing the fear in his icy blue eyes, she relented, in the illuminated cave with the aid of the Sonic Screwdriver, she silently watched as Theodore proceeded to tie both in quick succession over her wound.

There's a thirty-second delay, enough time for Lila to brace herself, her hand around Theodore's as she needed something to take her mind off the pain.

"What… what'll happen… if…?" Lila looked up at him as she broached the topic of the latest Medix failing to stop the bleeding, but Theodore wouldn't let her worry, assuring her with a kiss on her forehead.

At the thirty-second mark, the pain caused by the activated cloths resulted in Lila suppressing her pain through squeezing Theodore's hand and burying her face into his chest, muffling her howl as the cloths worked to sanitize and heal her persistent wound.

To describe the pain, it made her feel like being sawed in half, her nerves struggling as the pain sharply went through her body.

Made her lightheaded at the end, an out of body experience, as she rested her head against Theodore's chest, an audible groan as she calmed down, Theodore tending to her, cooing in her ear, as he comforted her.

Slowly, her mind came back to her, her vision no longer wobbly, hearing the comforting heartbeats, as Theodore held her close.

"Worst. Day. Ever!" Lila mumbled while Theodore rubbed her back, resting his chin on the top of her head.

Chewing on his lips, Theodore knew that Lila wouldn't be able to walk for a couple of hours, one of the side effects of using both Medix cloths resulted in dizziness.

Seeing him fretting, Lila wrapped her arms around him, holding him close to her as she reminded him, "You're my Teddi, if there are no solutions to a math question, you'd just make up a new one."

A smile on his face, Theodore appreciated Lila's point, wrapping his arms around her as the pair embraced.

Releasing her, though she greedily kept her arms around him, Theodore made a choice.

He'll leave Lila in the cave, keep the hunter trained on him, work everything out as he went, but the priority's keeping the hunter interested in him.

"What if you're wrong?" Lila asks him as he took off his stitched long coat, wrapping it around her.

Adjusting the coat as it flowed over her, Theodore pondered this question in silence, only when he finished, did he hear Lila ask him, again.

Pulling out his silver cuffs, rolling up his sleeves, Theodore finally tells her, "No other choice. You have your knife. I have my wits."

With the used Medix still fresh with Lila's blood, unable to dispose them without the hunter finding them, Theodore planned on using the blood against him.

It won't be pretty, it's certainly questionable, that if someone saw this, they'd think he's crazy, but Theodore hoped to lure the hunter into a trap.

He can't be everywhere in the forest, he wants a challenge that he won't use trackers and cameras, and he wanted Theodore above all else, that he'll be too focused on a "wounded" Theodore to try and find where he hid Lila.

"I will be back for you," Theodore held Lila's hands in his, gently clasping them together as he tells her that he'll return to their hiding spot once he deals with the hunter.

Slowly nodding, Lila felt his forehead against hers, nuzzling his large nose against her small button nose, a gentle squeeze from his hands, and a kiss.

"Be strong," Theodore said softly to her, his tone full of worry.

"Promise me," Lila replied just as softly.

"If only you know how much I wish I could, my love," Theodore gave her a soft kiss on her cheek.

With that, Theodore departed the hidden cave, with two of the spent Medix and a plan.