Jack and Ianto rode in silence and as quickly as possible, knowing that the longer it took the less chance the Doctor had of staying ahead of the pack.
He had no weapon, not even his sonic, he was defenceless.
"Shouldn't we be hearing them by now?" Ianto said.
"Yeah...it's too quiet," Jack replied.
They continued riding, going deeper into the forest and it was becoming clear that the Doctor had led the pack away from Seska. They wondered how much farther they would have to go when they heard it, the sound of not a pack of dogs but two dogs.
They spurred their mounts into a gallop and into a clearing. Up ahead two large Rottweiler type dogs were snapping at the heels of someone trying to climb down from a tree...the Doctor.
With a snarl Jack drew his weapon and fired and one of the dogs slumped to the ground and the other let out a yelp and ran.
They dismounted and ran over to the tree.
Jack was expecting the Doctor to leap from the tree and run and was ready for it...but he wasn't ready for the Doctor to leap from the tree and sprint towards the horses.
Jack was the first to react and ran after him and with a tackle that wouldn't have been out of place on a rugby pitch he floored the Doctor.
He found himself trying to hold down a cursing Time Lord.
"Let me go!" the Doctor cried.
"Not until you calm down," Jack grunted as the Doctor tried to throw him off.
No...Seska!"
"He'll be fine...you led them away."
"No, you don't understand...the pack smelt blood...Seska's blood!"
Jack released him immediately and the Doctor was on his feet and running.
Jack and Ianto remounted and went after the Doctor, who was running at full tilt now.
They were concerned for Seska but they were also concerned for Gwen.
Gwen pushed her horse up the slope but eventually had to leave it behind and carried on up the slope on foot.
She followed the footprints but stopped when she saw blood and it was mingled with the footprints...Seska must have injured himself.
She increased her pace and eventually reached the hiker's trail and the footprints as she suspected headed in the direction of the capital. She jogged along the trail and as she came to a bend she heard what sounded like dogs and then someone screaming in pain.
"Oh no, no," she breathed and began running.
She rounded the corner and skidded to a halt and anger overtook her and before she came to her senses five dogs lay dead and two were limping away.
But she didn't care about the dogs, only the figure lying in the snow.
"No, please," she groaned and knelt down beside the still form. "Please be alive...Seska?"
She gently turned the stricken boy onto his back...his clothes were torn and he'd been bitten, more than once and several of them were very deep and there was one bite that she had the awful feeling was fatal.
"Oh you poor kid," she said...there was so much blood.
Seska let out a groan and murmured. "Mother?
Gwen placed a hand on his shoulder. "No cariad, it's Gwen. Oh, your poor mum...he wanted you safe."
"It hurts mother," Seska whimpered.
Gwen forced tears back, unable to treat his wounds or comfort him.
The sound of running feet made her look up and she paled when she saw who it was.
The figure pulled up sharply and the person's cry ripped Gwen's heart apart.
The Doctor had tried to get out of the tree but the two large dogs kept snapping at his feet when he tried. He was starting to panic as he knew Seska would never outrun the pack and he couldn't see a way of escaping the two dogs.
He was about to try again when a shot rang out and one of the dogs dropped to the floor. He looked up and saw two riders...Harkness and Jones...saviours of sorts.
But he wasn't about to stop and thank them; he had his son to save.
He waited until they had dismounted and were under the tree and he leapt and landed running. His intention was to steal a horse but that plan was ruined by Harkness tackling him.
"Let me go!" he cried and fought against Jack's grip.
"Not until you calm down," Harkness said.
No...Seska!"
"He'll be fine...you led them away."
"No, you don't understand...the pack smelt blood...Seska's blood!"
That made Harkness let go of him and he scrambled up and forgot the horse and ran.
He could hear the others behind him but he had a slight advantage and he intended to keep it and he pushed himself and eventually came to the slope and knew his advantage would increase.
As he was climbing the smell of blood, dogs, fear and another human filled his nostrils and he pushed himself to climb faster.
As he breasted the ridge he heard sounds that tore into his hearts...the screams of his son and the sound of gunfire.
With a sense of rising terror he pushed his already exhausted body beyond its limits and he slipped and skidded round a bend in the road and slewed to a halt at the scene in front of him.
"No, no, no!" he cried and ran, ignoring the person he recognised as Gwen and fell to his knees beside his son.
Blood, there was blood everywhere, it covered him as he took Seska in his arms.
Seska let out a groan. "Siah?"
"Irlia resh eias...you'll be okay...I'll get you home."
Seska stiffened in his arms and he felt a surge of power go through him and he began to...no!
"No...you can't...please."
He didn't notice Gwen next to him.
"Doctor, is he regenerating?"
He glared at her. "You don't understand...he' too young...he won't be able to control the energy...it could kill him!"
Sia- Mother
Irlia resh eias- I am here
Cariad- sweetheart