She felt as though she'd been walking forever, following an endless trail of footprints through the freshly fallen snow. At first it had been great fun, stomping along in her new boots, watching the powder fly up around her feet with each step. It had been snowing lightly and the sunlight filtering through the evergreens had sparkled on the icy flakes, filling the air with hundreds of glittering diamonds.

The snow had stopped a long time ago, though, which was probably a good thing or she'd have lost her path through the woods, but it did make the trip far more dull. And she was starting to tire from having to pick her feet up high enough to trudge through the deep snow drifts. And even with her new mittens, her fingers were starting to feel the bite of the bitterly cold air.

All in all, her journey had long lost its enchantment by the time the trail of footprints disappeared into a stony gap in the side of a hill. This must be the 'lair' the nutcracker Doctor had been looking for. Grateful to be finally getting out of the snow and the cold, she didn't hesitate a moment before plunging through the crack into the darkness beyond.

Within the stone, it wasn't actually as dark as she'd thought it would be. A strange phosphorescent something was smeared along the sides of the cave, casting the underground passageway in an eerie green glow. Starting forward, she headed inward and downward, into the heart of the hill.

After several minutes, she heard voices up ahead. She slowed down, moving as quietly as she could and trying to keep to the darkest parts of the passageway to avoid detection.

"Where are you taking her?" The Doctor's voice was unmistakeable even echoing up the stone corridor.

"Do not worry. She will come to no harm. You requested to speak to our leader, did you not?" The voice that answered the Doctor was strangely muffled and slightly slurred, and as the child reached the end of the stone passageway and could see into the cavern beyond, she saw that it belonged to one of the giant rat creatures they'd encountered earlier. Three of the rats were standing over the Doctor and Peter, who sat chained to the far wall.

"Yes. But I wanted to speak to him. Or her. Do you even have... Never mind. Why did you take her?"

"Do not worry," the creature repeated. "Your turn will come." Then, without another word, the giant rat turned and left the chamber through an exit across from the little girl, the two other rats close at its heels.

"Oh. Very cheerful and helpful and not menacing at all," the Doctor mumbled under his breath as he watched them leave. Then, once they had disappeared around a bend, he looked toward the passageway in which the child was hiding, he continued, "It's alright. They're gone. You can come out, now."

She hesitated for a moment, not sure if he was talking to her. Uncertain how he could possibly even know she was there.

"Yes. I'm speaking to you, Melody."

She stepped forward, then. Slowly and carefully. Ready to dart back into the shadows behind her at the first hint of trouble. "Melody?" she asked.

"Yes, Melo –" he broke off, looking at her curiously. "Don't you remember?"

She shook her head.

"Oh..." He grinned suddenly at her. It was like sunrise, and she couldn't help but smile back. "Never mind that, then. It was clever of you to follow us, by the way. Very clever and very brave."

"But... How did you even know I was here?"

"I always know, little one. Now that I know what to look for, that is."

She examined him closely. He wasn't making a lot of sense; in fact, she was starting to worry that he might actually be a bit mad.

The Doctor laughed. "Oh. I certainly am that. But you won't let that stop you, will you?" The way he asked, though, it didn't seem to really be a question.

She answered anyway. "I guess not."

"Good." Then, lowering his voice so that she had to step closer to hear him, he continued, "Because, little one, as you're here, I'm going to ask you to do something even more clever and brave for me. Do you think you can?"

She nodded without even thinking about it. "Yes." For some reason, standing next to him, she suddenly felt like she could do anything.

He smiled proudly at her. "I thought so. Okay. So, listen closely. This is what I need you to do..."