Seska finally understood what his mother meant about the running as he tried to keep up with him.
His hearts were pounding and his lungs were burning, but the adrenaline rush was wonderful.
He was trying to keep up with his mother but he was Time Lord in his prime and he was just a child and Seska knew his mother was holding back; so he pushed himself to draw level with his mother.
The tree line loomed and was a welcome respite as his mother slowed to a fast walk and he had a chance to catch his breath.
"They will come after us," he said.
"I know," his mother answered and then stopped suddenly and sniffed the air.
He turned to Seska and said. "Just over that ridge is an old hiker's trail. It's not far but the slope is steep. Take it at speed and you'll be fine."
Seska frowned. "But we can walk it."
His mother took hold of his jaw and looked into his eyes.
"Take it a speed...follow the path."
"Mother?"
But he was looking beyond him, at something behind. He tried to turn but his mother's grip was like a vice.
"Don't stop, follow the path. Your father will find you."
"But you'll be with me."
His mother looked at him and he saw intense sadness in his eyes and when he spoke again it was with a tone of voice Seska had never heard before; one that he couldn't disobey.
"Whatever you hear, don't stop or look back...keep going...now go."
It was as he took the first stride up the steep incline that he heard it...the howls of wild dogs.
The Doctor had kept up the punishing pace, even though he knew it was too fast for Seska. But he was acutely aware that they would be pursued and he wanted to get as much distance between them and any possible pursuers.
He only slowed when they reached the tree line and then he kept up a fast walk; he'd felt decidedly uneasy for some miles now and he couldn't quite say why...well he didn't until a breeze carried a unwanted scent to his nose.
If he had hackles they would have rose...the smell of wild dogs...not wolves; they went after bigger prey...but wild dogs, they would make easy work of himself and Seska.
So he made a choice...he would lead the pack away and if he ended up a lunch, then so be it but at least his son would survive.
He hated using that voice on his own son but he had to; he needed him to obey him without question.
"Whatever you hear, don't stop or look back...keep going...now go."
He looked into his son's eyes and saw obedience and he then looked beyond his son and saw the shapes winding their way through the trees.
He waited until he heard Seska take his first step up the slope and then the howls of the pack had his undivided attention.
He didn't move a muscle, waiting...waiting for the pack to appear, and when they did he scanned the pack, looking for the Alpha dog...the one that would start the hunt.
His eyes rested not on the largest dog but the one that the other dogs kept looking at.
It looked like a cross between a collie and some other breed and it stared right back at him...unafraid of the human before it.
It growled when the Doctor didn't look away, those few seconds before it all changed as they sized each other up.
Then he felt the moment shift and with a quick glance at the distant form of Seska, he turned and ran.
With a collective snarl, the pack followed...the hunt was on.
By the time the gates were opened Jack and the others were mounted and armed and raced out of the gates.
There was no way Jack was going to let them get back to the Master, even though the Master was no doubt coming. The military part of his mind knew he needed as much leverage as he could and the Doctor and Seska were like striking oil.
But the part of him that wasn't a soldier wanted the Doctor back; the old Doctorand he would find a way of bringing it back, kicking and screaming from whatever dark recess of the Doctor's mind it had retreated to and the longer he kept him from the Master's influence the better the odds were of that happening.
If not, there was always Seska.
"There's only one place they're heading," Ianto said as the rode into the edge of the forest.
"The hiker's trail, it goes straight to the capital and it's the road the Master will use," Jack replied.
Gwen turned in her saddle. "You know you've sent those men on a suicide mission, they'll be no match for the Master's men."
"I know, but it might give us enough time to find them both. He might think twice about attacking if we have his husband and child."
Ianto snorted. "You sure about that?"
"I'm counting on it...I'm hoping to have something he wants."
Jack reined in and dismounted, a frown on his face.
They had been following two sets of footprints and it had been obvious where they were leading.
"Dammit, dog tracks...a pack."
He walked a few metres and stopped. "There's only one set of footprints, adult. The pack is following them. They must have split up, look for another set of prints."
The others dismounted and began scanning the snow.
"Over here!" Ianto called and they both ran over.
A set of smaller prints were going toward the rising ground and they followed them until they started going up the steep slope.
"He must have told Seska to go for the trail whilst..." Gwen trailed off and looked at Jack and saw he had the same look on his face as she did. "He's drawn them away from Seska, made himself the bait."
Jack thought quickly. "Gwen, you go after Seska. Ianto with me, he can't outrun those dogs forever."
Seska found it hard going as he scrambled up the slope; it wasn't helped by the fact that he'd heard the howls of the dogs and every instinct was telling him to turn back and help his mother.
But he couldn't disobey his mother. So he kept on going, even as he heard the howls of the dogs.
He went to take another step and his foot slipped on the compacted snow and he overbalanced and slid down the slope.
He let out a cry as his arm snagged on a tree stump and ripped his jacket and tore into his arm.
He eventually stopped sliding and he lay still for a few moments. He finally pushed himself up and let out another cry...not of pain but one of fear.
Blood was seeping from the tear in his jacket and the breeze was blowing downhill...straight towards the direction of the pack and his mother.
The Doctor could hear the dogs behind him but he didn't increase his pace; he needed to lead them as far from Seska as he could.
He had a plan in mind...the forest was getting thicker and he had a particular spot in mind and it was only a few hundred metres ahead.
He almost stumbled when he felt something graze his calf...the Alpha dog!
He righted himself and could see his target up a head and very much like a scared cat he leapt for his target and out of reach of the snapping jaws of the Alpha dog.
Hauling himself up the large tree he knew he was safe and that Seska had gotten away.
The pack were snarling and snapping at each other in frustration and he looked down and laughed.
The pack suddenly fell silent as a gust of wind rustled the leaves of the tree and then something happened that made his hearts go cold and his stomach lurch.
They sniffed the air and all but two dogs turned away.
The Doctor knew exactly where they were heading...he could smell what they could smell...blood, Time Lord Blood.
They were heading for Seska and there was nothing he could do.