Not too much here, just to move the plot along a little. Next couple of chapters is, as one of my reviewers said, where it gets 'hair-raising!' (literally).

The back of the Doctor's skull throbbed with every pulse of his hearts as he squinted through smoke and dim light. He could also feel semi-congealing blood matting on the nape of his neck and trickling round to his jaw. But his external condition (and internal, because there was some major bruising right by his ribs) didn't concern him at all. Even checking for Rose was pushed aside by what he felt.

Absolute fury. Fury in that this was no mere accident, and neither was it just a spontaneous trip. The TARDIS had actually blown one of her circuits in order to get his (or their) attention. The Doctor got to his knees gingerly and eyed the blackened strip of console, still sparking lightly.

"Poor little TARDIS. Has to blast off a circuit just to get her own way, all because no-one will listen to her." His lips curled and wrapped themselves around the words in a sneer. She replied with a low, grating rumble and then fell silent, evidently concentrating on fixing all her self-broken links.

Well, once less thing to worry about. The Doctor wafted the smoke away as he carefully trod through all the debris, seeking a familiar figure. And he found it, hunched over and eyeing him warily as he approached.

He knelt down next to Rose and tucked her into him with one arm. Despite his distancing from her he still needed to reassure himself there was something left for them. She didn't exactly push back into his half-embrace, but she didn't push away either.

"You okay?" She then met his eyes and mustered a weak smile.

"I think I'll live." Rose turned to look at the now grey console. "What happened?"

Not what's wrong. So she didn't hear his slightly demeaning conversation with his ship?

"Ohhh, just some technical hiccup. Nothing too bad."

They both knew he was lying through his teeth.

Rose's gaze flicked about somewhat uncomfortably as the Doctor thought of what to do. It eventually zeroed in on the stains on his neck that stood out in stark contrast to his pale dermis.

"Doctor, you're hurt..." He was stopped in his thought processes by her tone and didn't register Rose shifting towards him and reaching out to his wound. Her warm fingers just brushed the fine hairs and then he froze.

"Don't." He snapped at her, out of fear. The previous physical contact they shared was fine -because he started it. But this was Rose and he couldn't handle contact like that right now. But her eyes welled again -but not with tears- and his wounds throbbed with guilt as well as incessant pain.

"I mean...that hurts. But it's fine. Nothing a knock to the noggin' didn't do to me over these years." He was obviously playing on sarcasm and Rose felt her mouth quirk at the statement.

"So, where are we?"

All this while he'd been having palpitations over where they could possibly be. The TARDIS was obviously trying to shift things along, and what was most likely out there was some planet of the werewolves. But one question still lingered even as he answered his companion with an apologetic shrug and stood up.

Why was she doing this? What possible good was there in him finally completing the mutation and turning into some great bloody canine with an insatiable instinct to kill anything? and everyone.

"Not sure. But we should check it out." He hoped she didn't catch a waver in his voice because right now, he'd never been so scared.

A everyday, Earth-blue sky greeted them, streaked with red and orange, the remains of what was sunrise an hour ago. Further ahead fields flanked by hedges sprawled forever into the horizon.

If any other new traveller were with them, the first most likely thought would be that it looked no different to Earth. But he and Rose were now seasoned travellers. You couldn't just judge what a planet was by its appearance.

This time, however, the Doctor oh so had hoped it would have been. He didn't recognise it at all, which worried him. But he did know what planets similar to Earth often shared similar characteristics. Things like axis tilt and cycles. Solar and lunar cycles.

"Doctor?"

"Hm?"

Clearly he had been zoning out, judging by the expression on Rose's face.

"I was saying, I can see something over there." She shielded her face from the bright sun and pointed over to their far right. Nestled in between a tumbling river valley was what looked like cottage-like buildings. Looking in closer (and no, he wasn't looking for wolves) he could see figures milling about.

"Civilization! Let's go and meet the locals!"

Kylos brushed his hands free of the reddish dust and stood up to glance at the post-dawn sun. Although having the blood of ancestral shaman kin running through his veins he was like any other Freisan -which included chores. Skinny-legged chickens hopped out of his way as he walked toward the town square. He squinted ahead at the mass of figures not normally in the square at this time of day. Shula was there as well, dressed in a floaty green tunic.

"Sola. What's happening? Is the great Kirara upon us now?" This was a joke he and Shula frequently shared, a jibe at the fanatical reverents in their town, who believed the so-called Great Kirara, a fiery supernatural entity that shared its roots with all things canine, would one day wreak apocalypse on the unwary. It was all nonsense of course, and making fun of them often gave them much amusements. But Shula looked far from amused. He looked worried.

Shula turned to him, something odd in his expressive ebony eyes. "Travellers."

Kylos frowned and stood on the tip of his dusty, sandal-clad feet, trying to see closer. Whispers moved around them like smoke. And everybody looked worried. But some other Freisan in front of him shifted and finally he could see the figures. Far taller than even the eldest Freisan, and they had very pale skin. He could see one was most likely a woman; her hair was long and she wore a tunic-like garment of some sort. The male had a long robe and fabric on his legs.

He could sense their auras exceptionally clear among the dim mass of everybody elses' -because they were so bright. The male's writhed and shook and he couldn't place it. It was unlike anything he'd seen. As for the female's, hers was not too different from their own. There were some kinks that were a result of her being another species- like the genetic signature.

Wait! There was something else! Kylos almost squinted again as he tried to place it. It was like...she had two auras. Which was most strange. And the latter screamed something at him. Whispers, murmurs.

Something that cried wolf.

"Well, it seems someone is happy to see us," the Doctor quipped as they strolled toward the mass. Beside him Rose muttered "Yeah, or maybe we're unwelcome guests here."

"Unwelcome-schmelcome. I believe I have the psychic paper?"

Rose sighed. Sometimes the Doctor was just too prepared, and it often got them into trouble.

The crowd actually seemed to shrink back as they neared it, and she could hear the word '"travellers" repeatedly being bandied among them. It suddenly occurred to them that perhaps this was a civilization under oppression. Her thoughts were quelled when an elderly-looking member of the species braved forth. It was then she worried for the Doctor's infamous gob when she saw the alien -native, she corrected, they were the aliens here- fixing them with an iron stare.

"Hello there!"

"Doctor." She mumbled this under her breath, eyes downcast.

"Me and my friend here just happened to stumble here. May I enquire as to the owner of this fine establishment?"

Rose glanced around at the slightly shoddy cottages and the scrawny chickens running hither and thither in the background and looked in utter disbelief at the Doctor. What was he playing at?

"Nah, I'm joking. I'm the Doctor and this is Rose. And you are?"

The elder didn't reply, and the crowd were emotionless. Rose felt her heart sink to her gut.

"Who are you, and how did you get here?"

"I just said, I'm the Doc-

"No-one has come to Yavos in all eternity. It is impossible for you to be here."

"Well, I like a bit of impossible-" His attitude was really starting to grate her nerves now, what with the happenings between them of late.

"Doctor."

"What?"

Rose inclined her head to the crowd who now looked as stony as the elder.

"This celestial body is surrounded by a dark nebula that is impossible to navigate. Most explorers would perish immediately. No-one can make through it."

The Doctor was silent as he processed this, and frowned.

"Nevertheless, you and your...friend," he let the word flow with distaste, "should be detained until we decide what to do." Rose blinked at his words as more bulky natives appeared from nowhere and seized them both. She felt that this bloke's expression of 'we' in how they would be treated meant him alone.

"Well, at least that explains why our ride here was so bumpy." The Doctor was hunched against the wall of his small dingy cell that smelt of animal odour. She could see his eyes flicking a mile a minute and could practically hear the cogs in his big ol' Time Lord brain going as he thought of a plan to get them out and, preferably, off this planet.

Rose didn't say anything, just mulled over the events of the past few days.

"Rose?"

She let a few moments pass before turning to face him through the organic bars. "Yes?" She didn't bother to conceal the terseness of her tone.

"I will get us out of here, you know. It's not the first time. And this is certainly one of the nicer cells we've been in."

Her mind was adrift as she replied, the words automatic.

"I know, Doctor. I know."

Goodness knew how much time later, Rose opened her eyes full and her ears pricked up at the sound of footsteps. The Doctor must have heard it too, as he finally ceased the various mumblings to himself, that had been going on, well, for however long they'd been in this stupid cell.

Oh. It was one of the natives (obviously) but this one was visibly younger and his expression was actually apologetic and offering as he approached.

"Hello?"

The Doctor calmly turned to regard him. "Well, I suppose it's hello. Not too sure with the evident lack of hospitality here, though."

The youth ducked his head in what was probably shame at his species or something. "I'm sorry for Tulor's is a great shaman here, and since we have no leader at the moment, his word is, well..." He shrugged, trying to search for right words.

"Law?" The Doctor got on his knees near behind the bars, completing the boy's sentence.

The youth nodded. Then some emotion flickered across his blueish face and he looked eager to speak. "I have...taken it upon myself to speak to him. I have, that is to say, advantages above the others. I believe he is rethinking it.

Rose frowned but kept quiet.

"I just had to come and see you too. I mean, as you heard, we don't get visitors."

"But that's not why you came, is it...?"

The youth puzzled over this mystical man's words before realizing what he was wanting.

"Oh. Kylos."

"So, Kylos, " the man rolled his name about his mouth in an odd way, "what brings you here?"

"Well, I-" Kylos faltered, looking down at his dusty tunic. He was not exactly social, had never been and now was suddenly shrinking back. But from the depths of him he found a thread of courage and grasped hold of it firmly.

"It is, well, your auras. Yours," he turned to face the Doctor, "is so strange. It's like you have many auras but they all are one at the same time. And none are ever still. Even the air moves about you." Kylos held the Doctor's eyes with his soulful black ones before turning to Rose. "And you, at first yours seem normal, but once I look again...you have two. One still, one shimmering. Most odd."

Kylos' eyes sparkled with wonder and excitement as he regaled these words to them. Rose mouthed 'auras?' to the Doctor, seeking conformation.

"You're a telepath." It was a statement, not a question, and she detected a lilt of something in his voice.

Kylos nodded. "Yes. I come from a family of shamans. It is said that each has his own ability. Apparently mine is this gift -very rare. And the only other one who has this is Tulor..." His nose wrinkled. "Sometimes I don't think it's a gift."

"Mmm, I can relate to that." The Doctor was looking at Kylos, and yet he wasn't. His mind seemed faraway and for a shining moment Rose didn't want to be human, she wanted to be like him, so she could truly understand him. None of this walking-on-eggshells crap they were currently doing.

Rose went to speak but her question evaporated in her mouth as Kylos was scrutinising her with his expressive gaze again. Then his eyes rolled and he was in a deep state of thinking, looking at them but not.

"Wha-"

The Doctor put a finger to his lips, motioning for her to be quiet. They waited (and tried not to watch) for a few moments until Kylos came out of his trance,or whatever, and smiled at them.

"Good news. Tulor has reconciled and is letting you free."

Rose let the breath she'd been unconsciously holding go free, relief flooding her chest. The Doctor made a pleased sound next to her.

"On one condition." Kylos winced a little as the joy and relief they'd both been seeping went dry. The girl looked stumped whilst the man looked mildly annoyed.

"You must join us at our ceremony tonight."

The Doctor groaned. "What?" He drew the syllable out in expressing his indignant displeasure.

"It only happens annually! Come on, it will be great!"

Kylos slid a hand into a pouch hanging off his shoulder and produced a key. He unlocked the doors, brimming with positive energy and began to stride down the dim corridor.

"Meet us in the square again!"

And with that he set off in a jog, leaving the Doctor and Rose still sitting, feeling a little overwhelmed. The Doctor seemed even more so than she. Rose took the initiative and tugged him up from the floor.

"Well, I'm not about to miss a party, Doctor. You heard him. Shift!"

The Doctor groaned again and got to his feet. What a day this was turning out to be. And it wasn't even 10 o'clock yet.