The Forest of Adanc
Leaving the priests office, the Doctor retrieved the key from the other side of the lock &, pulling the door to, locked it from the other side. Retreating to the main hall, the Doctor made a thorough, if anxious, search of the main hall, his umbrella wielded like a sword as he checked around pillars & under pews. The room proved to have little in the way of hiding places, however. Of greater note was the victim of the smash the Doctor had heard whilst trying to persuade Florin to leave his study. The creatures had destroyed only one of the stained-glass windows & it had been the one the Doctor had taken interest in concerning the knight & the creature. A harshly cold wind carried large flakes of snow in & over the ragged shards of glass, settling onto the sill & the stone floor below.
Peering out into the darkness, the Doctor could see nothing except white. Returning to the steps leading to the altar, the Doctor sat near to where Florin had situated himself & laid his umbrella across his lap. His ears pricked & his eyes peel for movement of any kind, the Doctor settled himself for a long, tense wait until dawn.
The three and a half hours until dawn passed slowly, but peacefully. Still paranoid, the Doctor took some comfort as he watched rays of light bleed into the room, casting many different colours onto the hall floor. Slowly, the silence was broken by the twittering of birds & the Doctor began to feel the tension drain away. Whatever had besieged the chapel at night, it had no desire or ability to do so during the hours of daylight.
Passing over to the broken window, the Doctor was surprised to see a Red Deer picking it's way through the snow & tombstones. At the sight of the Doctor's head poking through, the ungulate took off into the now visible forest to the south. Craning his head carefully out the window, the Doctor saw that a forest stretched out to the north, but no sign of a castle could he see.
A sudden commotion from the vestibule switched the Doctor back onto the defensive, but quickly fizzled out when he heard the sound of normal voices.
"Father?" came a voice. "Father Florin, are you alright? Are you in there?"
Moving quickly over to the doors, the Doctor spoke through the barricades.
"Just a few minutes, I'll need to move the barricades!" he called.
Having cleared away the pews & chairs, the Doctor pulled back the restraining bolt & opened the door. At first slightly, once he saw the conglomeration of people outside, he threw both oak doors wide.
Outside stood a large group of people. For the most part, they had the dress of farmers and peasants, but the man at the head of the group stood out most. The man was old, but tall & lean. His face was careworn & stern & he looked upon the Doctor with suspicious eyes. Passing an eye over the other members of the group, the Doctor realised they were all holding some kind of farming implement. Pitchforks, axes, one man held a rusted sword even. Despite the now bright, wintery light, more than a few carried a lit torch.
"Who be you then?" said the old man. "Where's Father Florin?"
"I'm the Doctor." he replied, doffing his hat. "I took refuge with Father Florin last night after I was set upon by strange creatures in the night."
The old man continued to eye the Doctor suspiciously before passing the threshold & entering the Chapel. All else joined him & filed into the place of worship, spreading out into the different rooms as they did.
"I'm sorry to say Father Florin didn't last the night." said the Doctor, watching from the door as the old man made his way over to the office. "He tried to hide &...whatever was out there got him."
A tense silence unfolded as the milling about & movement in the other rooms ceased. The old man backed out of the office, his face still stern but now a mask of white. The Doctor was beginning to have a bad feeling. The old man looked at him accusingly & the Doctor was aware of a large, burly man wielding a pickaxe emerging from the main hall.
"Now, don't get the wrong idea." stammered the Doctor, backing up into the vestibule & eyeing the empty doorway. "I didn't do anything to Florin."
More of the villagers now emerged & the foyer was soon full to the brim with angry, accusing looks.
"I'll...just be going..." said the Doctor, a faltering smile on his face.
About turning, the Doctor fled along the frozen path, doing his best to mind that he didn't slip & curtail his escape. Looking up, he saw more villagers emerging from the trees &, without thinking, turned & hopped the stone wall that lined the path & made a beeline for the Tardis, his left hand holding firm his panama hat atop his head & the right, holding the umbrella raised skyward. He was within 10 feet of the ship when he discovered two more villagers, staring ashen faced at a point near the door handle. Realising someone was approaching, they looked up & held their makeshift weapons aggressively. Turning right again, the Doctor negotiated the various tombs & tombstones as more & more villagers flooded the graveyard. Following the wall of the church, the Doctor soon came to the northern end & a stone wall. Looking over the edge, he saw that it was a steep, snow-covered, grassy hill leading to a small field. Beyond that stretched more forest out & upwards as far as he could see.
Before he could examine his surroundings more, a bellow of anger sounded from behind the Doctor. The signal for further flight, the Doctor jumped the wall without looking behind him & tumbled his way to the bottom of the slope. Picking himself up, he saw the burly man & two others sliding down the hillside &, picking up his hat & umbrella, fled across the field. As he hopped over raised mounds of grass poking out through the fresh snow, the Doctor looked up & saw the outline of gothic towers hovering above the forest some many miles away. With a quick glance over his shoulder, and seeing the burly man closing in, the Doctor picked up speed & disappeared into the dark confines of the forest.
The villagers stopped at the edge of the wood, the strange man soon becoming lost among the towering bulks of the trees. No amount of money in the world would force them to enter those woods, even in daylight. Still, the burly man was steeling himself & beginning to enter when a hoarse voice echoed from the top of the hill.
"Andrei! Leave him be, he be going back to his Master, the Baron." shouted the old man.
Peering up the hill, Andrei grimaced & clenched his pickaxe in one hand.
"We can't just let him get away Albert." he called back. "We must discover what he did with the Father."
"No living soul has gone into Adanc Forest & come out again, not for a long time, as well you know. You go in there, if you do come out again it won't be under your own will, that I say. We'll find the Father, there's a trail into the Singur Woods. Let the stranger fly back to his lord & master. We'll be ready should he return."
Nodding, Andrei cast a look into Adanc Forest & failed to suppress a shiver. It wasn't from the cold.
At the top of the hill, Albert turned & walked back into the graveyard, briefly stopping by the smashed stained glass window. Making the sign of the cross, he strode over to the odd blue box, where the two brothers, Alexei & Henry stood.
"Bad sign is that, Bedwagyr's glass being broken." he said stopping by the side of the Tardis. "What's this thing then."
"No idea." replied Henry. "But you should see this with your own eyes, sir. Tis the Evil Eye."
Craning his head around the box, Albert flinched at the sign burned into the blue wood & crossed himself again.
"Necromancy." he whispered, the colour draining from his face.
The Doctor hurtled on through bush & tree for ten minutes before he could flee no more. Halting, he doubled over, his hands on his knees, & sucked in lungfuls of cold air.
"Not..the most...friendly villagers...I've ever come across." he said between breaths.
Standing upright, the Doctor hung his question mark handled umbrella on the lip of his breast pocket & leaned against a nearby tree.
"Not cut out for long distance running this incarnation." he muttered.
A long, harmonic sound cut through the forest air. It was the howl of a wolf. Though somewhere much further into the woods, the sound still gave the Doctor pause for thought. The long wailing call was joined by a chorus of others from the opposite direction. Given it was likely winter, the wolves would likely be on the lookout for food. The Doctor was not keen on being the Big Bad Wolf's lunchtime snack.
"Could wait for the villagers to move on, but what are the chances that they've left a guard on the Tardis or the Church?" he pondered aloud. "Anyway, still haven't figured out this amnesia business, is it connected to the goings on here or not?"
During his tense vigil, the Doctor had given little thought to his other predicament. Now alone in the woods, save distant wolves, he was tempted to find a rock, perch himself atop & have a good think. Another distant howl, this time a little closer sounding, put paid to this idea.
"Only one choice left open then, Castle Adanc." he muttered.
The little he saw peeking above the tree line suggested great size, but he wouldn't know until he reached the place. Taking hold of his umbrella, the Doctor began his long trek through the woods.
Clambering over a fallen tree, the Doctor stopped to catch his breath, taking a seat as he did. He had been hiking for an hour, according to his pocket watch, & had yet to see his way clear. The endless expanse of trees & bushes, the occasional craggy rock jutting out of the forest floor & sprinklings of snow were the most of what the Doctor sighted in his wandering. The treetops were so close knit that little natural light bled into the confines. Sometimes, a golden ray of light would break through the trees & filter it's way to the forest floor but the oppressive, gloomy pall over the surroundings was the order of the day.
Slowly, the Doctor rested his chin atop his hands, both curled around the handle of his umbrella. Staring off into the undergrowth, no thoughts passed through his mind. He felt his eyelids began to droop & was about to let them shut when the omni-present wolves made their presence known once more. The howl that sounded was dangerously close & shook the Doctor awake. Shooting straight up, the Doctor shuffled off quickly, reaching into his pocket & pulling out a cracked plastic compass.
"North...north...that way." he said pointing ahead of him. "Can't stop, they're getting closer."
The Doctor had been walking for five minutes when it happened. He was passing through a small grouping of trees when he cast an idle glance over his shoulder. Leering out of the bushes behind him were a pair of yellow eyes. For one nerve-jangling moment, he thought that the mysterious creatures from the previous night had found him, but the truth was just as bad. It was a pair of wolves eyes.
Wheeling around, the Doctor watched as a wolf, it's whitish-grey fur rippling in the wind, emerged from the bush. A low, menacing growl emanated from it's direction as it bowed low, readying itself to attack. From behind it emerged more wolfish features, spreading out around the Doctor as he held out his umbrella in defence.
"Now come on gentlemen, I'm sure we can come to some agreement." he stammered.
Just as the Doctor resigned himself to the oncoming attack, something hit the forest floor with a heavy thud. Whatever had landed was aflame & the Doctor soon realised it was an arrow. Another landed near to the lead wolf, who recoiled from the assault. The pack began to bark loudly all around them before a third & fourth flaming arrow hit near to them. Turning tail from the flames, the wolf pack fled back into the forest.
Looking all around for the origin of the arrows, the Doctor's gaze alighted upon a figure stood some thirty feet to his right. The figure wore a wide brimmed hat with a white plume issuing from the top, his features being obscured by the wide brim, & a long brown cloak over a simple waistcoat & trousers. A pair of riding boots completed the ensemble. In his right hand was a torch & the left a bow. The figure gestured for him to come over with the hand holding the bow & the Doctor needed no second telling.
Following along behind his would-be rescuer, the Doctor tried to engage him in conversation.
"Thanks for that timely rescue, I'm the Doctor." he said, only just able to keep up with the figure.
"We can talk when we get to my camp, it'll do us no good being out & about, even in daylight." said the figure, the voice evidently a mans.
And so the Doctor followed on in silence for some half an hour before he & the cloaked figure arrived at a simple campsite. A small campfire was still burning & a large rug lay sprawled out near it. The man cast his hat to the ground & sat near the fire. The man was young, dark eyed & haggard looking. His short dirty black hair stood out messily in places as he watched the Doctor with keen, green eyes, enhanced by the dark, unkempt beard covering the lower half of his face. The Doctor took a seat on a nearby rock & stuck his umbrella out in front of him.
"You're a very lucky man, Doctor." said the stranger. "I changed my mind at the last minute to venture out today, if not you'd be sport for the wolves."
"I'm still not sure I wasn't." replied the Doctor, smiling weakly.
"My name is Martin, I'm a hunter that lives in the mountains to the west. You've taken your life in your hands wandering these woods without a weapon."
"My sojourn in the woods was a little...precipitated. There's something strange going on in these parts." said the Doctor, warily.
"There's been something strange going on in this part of the world for centuries." answered Martin, reclining backwards. "The legends & myths that permeate this place are numerous, and not all of them are just myths." he added, a dark look coming over his features.
"What can you tell me?" asked the Doctor, noticing this expression.
"It's not fit talk for these woods." said Martin guardedly. "What are you doing out here?"
"There was bad happenings over at the local church. The local priest was taken into the woods by creatures & the villagers chased me into the woods when they assumed that I had done something to the unfortunate priest."
"Bah!" scoffed Martin. "They aren't a bad sort, them from Singur, but they can be strange at times, extremely wary of strangers at others. They've lived in the shadow of Castle Adanc for as long as it's been standing. What were you doing at the church?"
"Taking refuge from the weather, at first, then sanctuary from the creatures...You don't seem all that surprised to here me mention creatures." said the Doctor, narrowing his eyes as he spoke.
"As I said, not fit talk for these woods. We can head for my cabin, then I'll take you to a road that'll get you to the nearest city."
"I'm afraid I cant, you see I'm going to Castle Adanc."
At this, Martin sat upright & stared at the Doctor like he had grown an extra head.
"You can't! Are you mad or plain stupid?" he exclaimed. "You'll never come out again."
"I have little choice." answered the Doctor, a faraway look in his eyes. "You see, I've lost my memory & I have to find out if the strangeness happening here is the reason for it or not. Even if it turns out not to be, my own insatiable curiosity won't allow me to just leave, not while there something evil going on here."
"You're a little under-dressed to be a knight-errant, aren't you?" said Martin, the incredulous look still upon his features.
To this, the Doctor merely smiled softly as he warmed his hands by the fire.
"Can you lead me to Castle Adanc?" he asked, eventually.
"I'll not lead someone to their death." said Martin obstinately. "No matter how desperately they seek it."
"Then I shall just have to find my own way." replied the Doctor, a tad disappointed.
Standing up, the Doctor tipped his hat in Martin's direction & began to make his way north.
"Hold on." shouted Martin. "If you're so determined to go to Castle Adanc, I better lead you. You'll probably end up in a bear's den if not."
The Doctor watched as Martin kicked dirt onto the campfire & packed away his various items. Once ready, he walked ahead of the Doctor.
"Very kind of you." said the Doctor as he walked by.
"Don't thank me." replied Martin without turning. "Any amount of time spent enjoying Baron Rau's hospitality & you'll probably wish you stumbled into the bear's den instead."
The journey north took a further hour of walking, but in all that time the only thing that weighed on the Doctor was the oppressive gloom of the woods. Not once did they see a wolf or a bear. As such, it gave him time to think.
"Going up to this Castle that everyone's scared of. I hope I know what I'm doing." he thought.
For most of the time, Martin remained silent, only speaking to halt their journey if they came across something like tracks or scat. All the while, however, the Doctor realised he was on edge. What he couldn't work out was whether it was from their closing in on the infamous castle or something else.
"You're worried about something more than just bears or wolves in these woods." said the Doctor as they walked in silence.
So unexpected was the Doctor's remark that Martin halted in his tracks & glanced quickly in the other man's direction. Beginning to walk again, he spoke guardedly & quietly.
"One of those many myths I deigned not to talk of concern the Finder. It's said a large creature, taller than most men haunts these woods & anyone who comes across him is taken, no-one knows where."
"But you've an idea?" said the Doctor, a serious expression spreading over his face.
"Only an idea, nothing more." replied Martin, his gaze falling in the general direction of Adanc. "The villagers of Sigurn have been speaking about something roaming the village at night. Perhaps it's gotten tired of these woods."
"Perhaps." said the Doctor, enigmatically
After a brisk rise in the terrain, they soon found a well worn dirt path that led up to the cobbled road of Castle Adanc. Stopping, the Doctor took in the sight of the ominous fortification. Rising out of the forest were three large, rounded towers positioned in a triangular fashion. Various small spires within jutted upwards & surrounded the large structure that made up the main part of the building. Various windows looked out upon the forest, but the Doctor could see no movement or sign of life. The snow had reduced to small & infrequent flurries, but the heavy showers from before had covered the castle. Despite the faerie tale veneer, there was something inherently sinister about Castle Adanc. Not helping this were the dark clouds that hung behind it on the horizon & the carrion birds circling the various towers & cawing loudly
"This is as far as I'll willingly lead you. I fear that I'm sending you to your death, Doctor. Very few enter the Forest of Adanc & live to talk about it, but no man, woman, child or beast who has entered the castle has ever left it's confines."
"You needn't fear Martin, I've entered darker territory than this before, and I'll likely enter darker still. I hope to see you soon."
And with that, Martin watched, his expression unreadable, as the funny little man marched up the road & up to the dark doors of Adanc.