His first act of consciousness was to groan, as so often was the case. Groan at the thudding ache in his head, at the piercing cold stinging his face & body, at the unwelcome intrusion of reality to the sweet oblivion of unconsciousness. Wearily, the Doctor stood up, helped by the stalwart immovability of what, after several seconds of straining his eyes, appeared to be the Tardis. Absentmindedly, the Doctor picked up his snow covered hat, doffed it to the blue sentinel & stumbled a few feet away. Replacing his Panama hat on his head, snow still lodged in the brim, the Doctor picked up his umbrella & dusted off snow from it & his grey jacket as he wandered a few feet among stone protrusions.
"Where...am I?" he stammered, lifting up the collar & lapels of his coat.
Looking around, the Doctor realised what the stone protuberance's really were; he was in a graveyard. The varying tombstones were all in a state of crumbling disrepair, though some were slightly better than others. All around was a thin layer of snow, though the sky was currently empty, save for the stars & a large, silvery Hunter's Moon. Though there was no wind, the air was thick with a savage cold that cut right through him. Looking back upon the Tardis, the warm, white glow of the interior lights, shining through the panelled windows, was a welcome sight & the Doctor felt a warm glow spread in his chest as he looked at it. However, it did not help his current memory issues.
"How on earth did I get here?" he asked himself."...No, nothing's coming to me, except... the tangy taste of marmalade."
The Doctor wracked his brain, but nothing recent would come to his befuddled mind. He was sure he had been alone, Ace had long left his company, but what had he been doing?
The Doctor stopped by a large, crumbling tombstone & examined his surroundings further. Trees blocked his vision south as far as he could see &, turning around & looking beyond the Tardis, the Doctor saw a small church standing some thirty metres away. The dim glow of candle light shone through the various stained-glass windows which lined the wall facing the graveyard. Turning back to the woods, the Doctor stared into the dark for a few moments. There was a feeling of discomfort, something that grew with each shadow he looked into. Though the light of the moon, along with the pleasing light of the Tardis, illuminated much of his surroundings, the Doctor was perturbed by the inky blackness of the forest. The more he strained his eyes into it's foreboding interior, the stronger his feeling of being scrutinised became & the less he seemed able to see.
"Something's here." he thought.
Taking out his pocket-watch from his breast pocket, the Doctor examined the small screen. He had long ago modified it to take scientific readings in the field, but it also worked as a makeshift sensor & a chronometer for telling which year he had landed in. A small flake of snow landed on the screen as he pressed the little button on the top.
"1820?" he muttered to himself. Occasionally, he looked out the corner of his eyes or held his breath. The dark feeling he was getting grew with each passing moment & he found a strong urge to flee gaining strength with each passing moment.
"The choice is very simple, Doctor." he said, replacing the watch in his breast pocket & hanging his umbrella on the crook of his elbow. "Jump back into the Tardis or wander round, see what I can find. Maybe my memory, maybe rice pudding..."
Deciding then & there, the Doctor made way towards the church, occasionally glancing over his shoulder as he trudged through churned up mud & slushy snow.
It emerged as if out of the trees themselves & stomped towards the spot the Doctor had lain. It was nine feet tall, it's body a conglomeration of roots, vine & what seemed like muddy, charred flesh. It's head was akin to the skull of a stag, accompanied by a sprouting of large antlers. It's eyes were dark, bottomless voids of black. The being crouched, a guttural, ragged breathing disturbing the silence of the frozen graveyard, & touched the compacted snow where the Doctor had lain with it's large, taloned hands. Raising it's hand back to it's skeletal face, the creature sniffed & scented at it's wiggling talons.
A short gurgling snort echoed forth from the creature's Cervinae skull, to any present it would have sounded like a snort of disgust. Rising, It placed it's over-large hand on the Tardis door, the creature bowed it's head as if listening to the muffled hum of the Tardis interior. Another short gurgling invaded the graveyard, but this time, akin to laughter. Stepping back, the creature scratched into the blue of the Tardis door. The symbol left was of an eye, half encircled by a set of double wings. Above it sat a reversed pentagram. The symbol glowed for a moment, before settling into a dull white standing out from the dark blue of the Tardis wood.
With a long, meaningful glance at the Doctor's footprints, leading toward the church, the last & greatest of the Sanguis Plestia let loose a gurgling chuckle before melting back into the darkness of the forest.
As it did, orbs began to glow a sickly yellow colour from various points between the trees...
Despite the lack of wind, the flurry that now fell all around the Doctor, as he hopped over the crumbling stone wall & marched up the cobbled path, still managed to blind him at times. Twice he nearly slipped & at least once an errant branch, reaching out onto the path like a spindly hand, nearly swiped his panama hat from his head.
So thick was the falling snow now, the Doctor had to squint as hard as he could to make sure he was still heading in the right direction. The flickering flames of the candlelight beckoned & guided him through the snow.
To keep his mind off the oppressive feeling at his back, and in a small way to stop the worrying feeling from engulfing him, the Doctor wracked his mind for recent memory.
"Ace had definitely left." he muttered. "But what was I doing? Where was I? Had I found someone else to travel with me or was I alone? This is infuriating!"
Stopping, the Doctor brought his hands up to his face & patted it briskly. Even for a Gallifreyan, more used to cold than the average humanoid, this was intolerable. The one consolation was that the cold kept his frustration at his memory loss at bay. Cupping his hands over his mouth, the Doctor blew on them several times & peered about him as the brief warmth spread through his fingers.
As he did, a movement in his peripheral vision, some fifty feet away among the tombstones, caught his eyes. No more than a glimpse of a shadow through the white curtain of snow, but it was enough to set the Doctor moving again.
"Wonderful." he said, his tone anything but happy. "A brisker pace will do me the world of good."
As he walked on up the path, the Doctor was able to discern the chapel. A large spire projected upwards from the main door area &, only just able to determine the shape through the flurry of snow, the Doctor saw a large bell hung in the tower. Occasionally the wind gave it a heavy push & the weak toll of the bell faintly resounded in the churchyard. This did nothing to lessen the Doctor's growing anxiety.
Reaching the entrance, he pounded heavily on the oak door.
"Hello!? Is anyone in there?" he shouted. "Let me in!"
Another faint toll of the bell sounded somewhere above, as the Doctor peered around the corner of the vestibule entrance & squinted at the ordinary glass pane windows that sat either side of the door. Looking for any sign of life, the Doctor returned to pounding at the door. It was as he finished his second round with the door that a large gust of wind howled above, giving the bell a hefty shove & causing the toll to echo out across the immediate area. A faint scent of carrion hit the Doctor & caused him to wheel around.
Standing some twenty feet from him, though discerning finer detail was difficult due to the heavy snow, was a creature. Tall & antlered, the Doctor could distinguish nothing else but the shadow that cloaked it. The carrion smell became much stronger, causing the Doctor to wince as he peered through the falling snow. Bringing his red paisley handkerchief from his pocket to his mouth the Doctor suppressed a strong desire to retch.
"Who are you?" he said, his voice slightly muffled by his handkerchief. "What is it that you want."
The Doctor waited a moment but the shadow enshrouded creature's only response was to silently raise a long, taloned hand & point in his direction. Through the thick falling snow, the Doctor was able to perceive the creatures skeletal head. There was something deeply disturbing about the black voids where it's eyes should have been.
Slowly, the shadow began to recede back into the curtain of snow that descended. In it's place, various sickly yellow orbs pierced the white veil of snow & the Doctor became aware of various snarls & eerie wailing. More & more unearthly voices joined the chorus & the Doctor saw the orbs begin to move slowly forward. Turning, he began to pound on the door frantically.
"Father! Vicar! Padre! Friar Tuck! Verger Yeatman! Will you open this door!"
With a fearful glance over his shoulder, the Doctor could see shapes moving in the whiteout beyond him, shadows slowly forming in the shape of men & beasts. The sickly yellow orbs now became clearer, revealing themselves to be the shapes eyes. The wailing & howling became deafeningly loud & the Doctor could see scabby, clawed hands reaching for him.
"Open the door! Sanctuary!" he called again as the door swung open & fell onto the cold, stony ground. Looking up, he had a glimpse of a malformed shape & a smell of rot the oak door swung backwards with a crash. A shape garbed in a black cassock slammed a restraining bolt into place.
"Sanctuary! Of course, the magic word!" said the Doctor, his head lolling back in exhaustion.
Wandering up the main aisle, the Doctor took in his surroundings. After helping the priest to barricade the Vestibule door, he had scurried into the office before the Doctor had a chance to question him. Reasoning that he would return, the Doctor had stood up & wandered from the foyer into the nave. A faded red carpet lined the aisle to the chancel. The few pews which, standing either side of the carpet, had not been used as impromptu barricades sat in their rightful positions. At the far end stood a lectern, nestled between two large pillars. The various stained-glass windows depicted the usual fare for such places, though one seemed to intrigue the Doctor. Before he had a chance to examine it, the priest returned.
"You're not one of the villagers." he stated, warily. "And you've got an odd way of dressing yourself, so I can only assume you're some travelling vagrant."
Turning, the Doctor examined the man. Not old nor young, the Timelord reasoned him to be in his thirties or on the cusp of his forties. Clean shaving, he had a shock of dark black hair & deep brow eyes sitting under a heavy brow. His skin was visibly pockmarked, leading the Doctor to believe he had suffered some kind of skin ailment in the past.
"A rather judgemental summation, but I prefer cosmic hobo. I'm the Doctor, how do you do?" he replied, doffing his hat & extending his hand out.
The priest looked at the Doctor's hand suspiciously, as if expecting it to detach, before stepping forward & taking it.
"My apologies, Father Florin, I've been a little tested of late." he said, rubbing the side of his temple.
"I can imagine." replied the Doctor. "There are some mysterious & nasty things lurking about your churchyard."
To this, Father Florin gave the Doctor a startled look, his eyes widening like a wild animals, before striding past him & gesticulating wildly.
"You've no idea the pressure I've been under in this god forsaken place! A flock who babble of myths & legends, lord knows what lurking about in the woods & to cap it all off, that blasphemous Baron Rau!"
Finishing, the priest turned & planted himself on the steps leading up the chancel & placed his head firmly in his hands. The Doctor, a little perturbed by the Father's histrionics, followed him up the aisle & stopped in front of him.
"Baron Rau?" he asked.
"The local gentry." replied Florin. "His families been up there at Castle Adanc for centuries."
As he spoke, Florin gestured over his shoulder.
"All sorts of disturbing tales to come out of that place."
"Such as?" inquired the Doctor.
The priest looked up at him sharply, a look of reproof on his pockmarked face.
"I don't concern myself with the local superstition. It's hardly my business. Whatever it is, It's some devilry courtesy of that bloody Baron."
"But what exactly is wrong with this baron?" asked the Doctor.
"He never comes out of that castle!" answered Florin. "The only thing anyone ever see's of him is that bandaged servant of his, creeping about the woods & village at night. Though, he's not the only one out & about by nightfall as you yourself have seen."
With that, Florin returned to his crestfallen repose & the Doctor, deciding that further conversation was pointless, went to inspect the stained glass window that had attracted his attention.
Meandering over, the Doctor scrutinised the coloured glass closely & saw what appeared to be a knight atop a horse. The knight was charging at what seemed like a horned snake or lizard. It had been the horns which grabbed his attention. Above it, an odd symbol stood out.
"Seems strangely familiar." muttered the Doctor.
The symbol consisted of a circle within a square & the square within a triangle. Overlaying this was what appeared to be a coat of arms, two swords crossed.
"What can you tell me about this stained-glass window." the Doctor called over to the forlorn priest.
Hearing a groan of exasperation, the Doctor listened as the Father shuffled through the pews & made his way over. Stopping at his side, Florin cast a disinterested look over the imagery.
"A local legend about some Knight. As I said, I've no time for faerie stories."
"You really should, you know." replied the Doctor. "Like travel, it broadens the mind."
"I'm a little more concerned with not being killed by whatever unholy spawn marauds in my churchyard!" said the priest, his voice rising shrilly.
"We'll just have to hold out till nightfall." replied the Doctor with a sigh. "Anyway, whatever's out there doesn't seem to want to get in."
Reaching in to his inside pocket, the Doctor pulled out a normal gold pocket watch & began to reset the time.
"You don't happen to know the time by any chance?" he asked. "And you couldn't tell me where I am?"
The priest stared at the Doctor for a moment, a mixture of weariness & annoyance vying for supremacy on his face. Scurrying off to his office, he was gone for only a few moments.
"It's half-past two in the morning & you're in the Carpathian Mountains of Romania. On the other side of that forest is a village called Singur & to the north is Castle Adanc. How could you not know this?"
"As you pointed out, I'm a traveller. I've gone for many days without seeing another soul until those creatures came at me." said the Doctor, deciding a half-truth was better than a whole one or an outright lie.
Frolin did not seem convinced by this but, with a shrug of his shoulders, moved off & sat on a pew, staring dejectedly toward the lectern.
"How long has this been going on?" inquired the Doctor. "You having to barricade yourself in your own church, that is?"
Without looking round, Florin spoke without inflection or emotion.
"A few nights now. I've only been here a few months but I've heard strange sounds in the wood & graveyard since my first night. The week before they started to try to get in, they started to speak. ""Father Florin, won't you give us a decent burial?", "Father, come join us." being some of what they've had to say. Then they just tapped on the windows & doors, but they've since tried to get in. They like to toy with me."
"Why haven't you try to get away?" asked the Doctor.
"Travelling those mountains or woods is certain death, even in the daytime. There's wolves & bears out there to think of, let alone whatever devilry lurks in the shadows." answered Florin. "No-one really comes to Singur, the few that do pass through very quickly."
Silence descended upon the two men, both lost in their own thoughts. It was some ten minutes later when the sounds of banging & crashing sounded from the vestibule. Rushing over, the Doctor flung the foyer doors open & listened to the commotion coming from outside. For the most part, the sounds were nothing more than bestial snarling & forlorn wailing. Eventually, however, intelligible words could be discerned through the nightmarish babble, spoken in a mocking tone.
"Come Father Florin, give yourself & your uninvited guest to us. We shan't harm you."
To the Doctor, the voice sounded oddly high pitched, like a young girl or boy.
"We have no business with you, ghoul." said the Doctor, sternly. "Leave us in peace."
Suddenly, the sound of laughter echoed through the door & filled the foyer & nave. The laughter was full of malice & deep in timbre.
"Oh, but we have business with you, Lord of Time. Old business that will be settled soon..."
The Doctor stood frozen in place, his eyes wide in horror. These creatures knew him as a Timelord? Were they responsible for his amnesia?
"Who or what are you?" he demanded. "And why torture this man?"
More sinister laughter resounded as a legion of voices now spoke as one.
"For fun. To while away the time. There are many reasons & none. But the priest has reached the end of his time. We come for you tonight, Father Florin!"
With that said, the banging & crashing resumed with renewed force. Bestial snarls & shrieks resounded along the length of either side of the church & somewhere, something or someone was laughing, a guttural, gurgling laugh. Florin, hearing the pronouncement of the voices, began to panic. Charging from the nave into the foyer, he fled into his office & slammed the door shut. Racing over to the door, the Doctor heard the clink of a key being turned as the smash of glass sounded from the nave.
"Florin!" he shouted, pounding on the door. "You can't hide in there, we've got to get out of here!"
Inside the room, the Doctor could hear the tinkle of shattering glass & a panicked whimper. The sound of ravenous snarls & evil laughter became less muffled as a result.
"No! For Christ's sake, get away, get away! Nooooo..."
Slamming into the door as had as he could, the Doctor soon found his strength was wanting for the task. Pounding on the door, he called the priests name a few more times before he realised that the commotion outside had come to an end. In the silence that followed, the Doctor waited. For several minutes the only sound he heard was his breathing & the double-thump of his hearts. Then, a cold dread washing over him as he listened, he heard the slow turning of the key. A quick thunk sounded as the door was unlocked & then silence reigned once again. Swallowing hard, his eyes wide, the Doctor reached for the door with the point of his umbrella & slowly pushed it to.
Inside, the office was in tatters. The wooden desk which had sat centre of the room was snapped in two, various books from the nearby shelves lay on floor, pages torn out & flitting about the floor. A breeze now emanated from the smashed window at the back of the room, several large snow flakes gliding in with the wind. The most arresting of all was a long, dark red smear of blood that created a trail from the door, across several now bloodied pages, up the wall & out the window. From his position by the door, the Doctor could see drops of blood & scraps of black cloth attached to the sharp jags of glass.
Father Florin was gone & the Doctor was now alone.
Somewhere out in the darkness of the night, a bloodcurdling, echoing scream resounded as the Doctor's blood turned to ice.
