"We are travellers. This is what we do".

"Are you God's people?"

The inhabitants of this Nordic village were wary of strangers. Usually the ones from the big world brought - or tried to bring - odd items or new laws which would break the natural laws, like a cart which could move without anybody pulling it or moving pictures, or anything else like this. However, this stranger was different from them all. From the very beginning, he was polite and wasn't talking about "making their lives better". And there were little children with him - a very, very rare feature for the newcomers.

"Let's assume we are. I wanted to ask you if there were odd things taking place here". The stranger gazed at the villagers surrounding him attentively, as if trying to guess if any of them was hiding memories. "Tell me about them".

"Witchcraft". Polyxene, one of the village's elders, crossed herself. "That is witchcraft. Someone comes for our children, and they are found frozen..."

"Comes for your children? How does it usually happen?"

"It leaves no footprints, nothing. In evenings, always in evenings or at night. The children are gone, and sooner we find them frozen to death..." Leena harsly kept herself from weeping - her only child had been gone not so long ago. The stranger frowned.

"Has it taken place before?"

"No. It started about two months ago", Polyxene replied.

The stranger turned around to see what was going . All the children were sitting behind them on the floor, listening to the adults' talk, and the little dark-haired boy in uncommon clothes was among them as well. But his friend was nowhere to be seen... As soon as the stranger spotted it, he darted to the exit and looked out:

"Anybody else missing?"

"My Erast is gone!"

A moment later the stranger was gone as well. Insane soul! There was such snowfall and storm outside that even the native villager wouldn't have found a way home, and no words about strangers! The next moment the dark-haired boy scampered to the exit with a cry of despair, but was caught by the closest adult. No, the villagers weren't going to sacrifice anybody, even the one from the big world. They didn't want to be sinners. And if it was about some hellish powers which the stranger was going to encounter, this was his choice.

The dark-haired boy was pushing the exit door till he grew tired, but this didn't give any result - it was too heavy and he was too small, Finally he sat down onto the floor next to it and dug his nose into his knees. Even better - he would not prevent anyone from watching from the window. Strange things were going on outside, though the snowfall covered almost everything - apart from fire column which appeared out of nowhere. Fire in the middle of snow-covered plain! And it was almost of a man's height!

Then the fire was gone as abruptly as it appeared, and in a short time the door opened again, letting a snow-clad figure in. A collective yelp of horror was heard, but a much calmer voice - though still touched by worry - covered it:

"It's just me".

The dark-haired boy bounced up with joy, because this was his guardian, judging by the voice and shabby clothing which was quickly shown from underneath the melting layer of snow. The stranger abruptly walked to the fire-place and put two little creatures he had been carrying next to it. Oh god. Those were his little charge and the missing boy Erast, both blue with cold.

"Hold it!" the stranger ordered, when Erast's mother rushed over to protect her child. "Don't touch him! If this process is broken, it can finish in the worst way. I will take care of them both, and promise you won't interfere". Pause. "Trust me. I'm the Doctor".

The collective mind existed. Now it was torn between two ideas - this man was insane, but he could help. He returned alive, and that was something... But when the action began, it was too late to get in. And the strangest thing was going on. The Doctor placed his palms onto the unconscious children's chests, closed his eyes, as if in deep thought, and all of a sudden fire began emerging from his fingers. No, that was not fire. That was mist - orange, sparkling and taking various shapes, and not charging up, but enveloping the children. An unearthly tune sounded in the air, so quietly, but it was heard, and the villagers repeatedly crossed themselves.

And suddenly Erast's lashes trembled, and his eyes were open. The same happened to the stranger's little charge. But the odd man continued performing his magic until all colors of life returned to the children.

And then it started.

The scared mother grabbed Erast as soon as the stranger's hand was removed. An explainable action, but also so infectious...

"He's a witcher!"

This yelp, like a gong, made all villagers go insane and afraid at the same time. At first they simply stepped face-to-face to the stranger, who walked away from them, his back to the front, clutching the little girl who clung to him as tightly as she could. The dark-haired boy appeared there as well - now he was in front of his guardian, holding a nicked poker like a sword. Something too mature was in this gesture.

"Run!"

The silence was broken, and the stranger was gone as well. No one wanted to walk outside in such snowstorm - again - but this time there was no fire, there were footsteps, and there was worry. Anxiety. No ore peaceful nights - at least for a week.

Jamie was running by the Doctor's side all the time, ready to whack anybody or anything with the poker. But this time nothing was in their way, apart from wind, cold and snow. The Doctor didn't mind this - of course, he could set his body temperature to feel comfortable, and this was nothing but a small frost, but he wasn't worried about himself, even though there had been damage. The creature that had been hiding in the snowy desert had been feeding itself on energy, and the best kind of it had been life force of children. This is why they had been found frozen. Victoria and that boy... what was his name, Erast?.. had been almost affected by it, but the Doctor had given some of his own life years up for them. This had been a worthy sacrifice.

"You were right, I was needed here", the Doctor muttered, having entered the console room and released Victoria - his legs were wobbling under him, and he didn't like the thought of regeneration deja vu. A nice sleep would be the best option... His condition muse been seen from the outside now, or was it about catching emotions? Because Jamie was staring at him from the bottom, his expression nothing else than that of an abandoned kitten.

"It's all fine, Jamie, now you won't need to protect us". The Doctor pulled the needed lever, and the double doors closed - only then Jamie cautiously leaned the poker against the wall. "Really, you won't... won't..."

Having stumbled into his room (the TARDIS was kind enough to shorten the way to it), he threw himself onto the bed and fell asleep in a moment. As it seemed to him, a second later he woke up - just to see the children sleeping on both sides. Jamie was cuddled up against his right sight, Victoria - against the left, and their hands were one in one over his chest.

Wish there were better conditions, the Doctor thought.