GAH. I haven't updated in forever! I've actually written three more chapters since my last update on this site. Sorry...
Chapter 4
For the next few days, Wren spent so much time learning she thought her head might explode from it. Not that that was very likely, considering if it were going to explode it probably would have already when she absorbed the entire consciousness of a Time Lord. In any case, she learned rapidly, and when she was not learning she was tending the garden with Davon or speaking with the others in the village. For the first time in her entire life, Wren was thoroughly enjoying herself. In all outward appearances, the Doctor was too, but Wren knew better. Ever since she had absorbed his mind, she realized that she could feel what he felt always, at the edge of her mind but there nonetheless. And she felt deep sadness. And longing.
On her fifth day in Alazranda, Wren approached the Doctor as he was once again sitting on the cliff and watching the sun set. Even if she weren’t able to feel his emotions, she would have been able to tell by merely looking into his eyes that he was unhappy. He was completely still sitting there, not even moving to breathe, and he seemed to be staring at something in the distance, but there was nothing there. Wren sat beside him, looking up at him worriedly, but the moment he noticed her there he pulled his face into a smile.
“This place is great, isn’t it?” he said. “Absolutely fantastic. So quaint, such nice locals. I never thought for a moment I’d find someplace like this on your planet. Last time I was here they tried to burn me at the stake for being hornless, hardly fun at all. But of course, you already knew all about that…”
There’s something bothering you. What is it? Wren asked, not believing the cheerful act for a moment. The Doctor’s smile faltered and he sighed deeply.
“I could say something along the lines of ‘you wouldn’t understand’ here, but I won’t,” he said. “You do understand, because you feel every emotion that goes through my head like your own.”
You know about that? Wren asked, and the Doctor smiled sadly.
“Of course I do. I can always feel your mind there, and let me tell you now I know how Eragon felt.”
Erag—? she began, but the Doctor cut her off.
“Never mind that. Earth story.” The Doctor sighed again, shaking his head. Then he turned to face the Alazarin, and as he looked into her eyes Wren could feel the heaviness of what he was about to say. He took in a breath.
“Wren, I need to go back to the Academy. I need the TARDIS. I need to leave.”
But you’ll come back right? She asked slightly desperately. You’re leaving for now, but you’ll come back.
“No, I don’t think so.” Wren could tell as he said that, the Doctor was absolutely serious. She thought about it for a moment, and then decided.
I’m coming with you.
“No,” said the Doctor. “I can’t let you.”
Fabian told me that Alazarin live for hundreds and hundreds of years! You wouldn’t have to worry about me leaving you alone like a human companion; I could theoretically live the rest of your li—
The Doctor took hold of Wren by the shoulders. Wren felt the frustration well up inside of him.
“Wren, listen to me. You can’t come with me. You’re young, and you have your entire very long life to live out, and trust me you’ll have plenty of time for adventure in that life. But you need to stay here, and you need to spend time with your own people. You need to learn Wren. You don’t need to be spending your time hurtling through time and space with someone like me.”
Wren looked at the Doctor, biting her lip to keep from crying again. She was sick of crying and everything that had to do with it.
I understand, she said sadly, and that’s when she felt a new feeling coming from the Doctor: pity.
“You don’t understand,” he said. “But I didn’t expect you to.”
“If I might be allowed to voice my opinion?”
Both the Doctor and Wren turned. It was Fabian, and behind him Davon dressed in traveling clothes and with a pack on his back. The Doctor gave the elder a quizzical look, but waited for him to continue before saying anything.
“Doctor, I have known you intention to leave from the moment you came here. You don’t belong here… you belong up there.” He indicated the stars, and the Doctor nodded. However, Fabian was not finished. “But there is a matter of business that must be attended to before you leave,” he continued. “And for that you will need Wren’s help, as well as Davon’s. The children you and Wren saw in the basement of the Academy must be rescued.”
Oh, Wren said, frowning. She had almost forgotten about them.
“Wren, why don’t you come and gather your things? The boys will be waiting for you at the edge of the village.”
Wren nervously looked up at the Doctor, who merely smiled back at her.
“Looks like you’ll be having one last adventure with me after all,” he said kindly. Wren frowned as she made her way to the hut where she was staying. This wasn’t her idea of an adventure.
But it won’t be the same as last time, she reminded herself mentally, collecting what few things she had that might be useful. You don’t have to feel their pain, and you can save them.
Wren sighed to herself as she tied on the cloak Davon had given her. She didn’t want to go back, but she knew she had to. Somebody had to rescue those children, because if she knew one thing for sure it was that no one in the world should ever be made to suffer like they had to. At last Wren took one last moment of mental preparation and then left the hut and headed for the edge of the village. As Fabian had said they would be, Davon and the Doctor stood there waiting for her. The first thing Wren noticed was that the Doctor was smiling, and she could tell that this time it was a genuine one.
“Are we all ready then?” he asked Wren, and when she nodded he beamed. “Good! Then off we go, allons-y!”
“I take it you like to travel then?” Davon inquired of the Time Lord. He too was smiling, all too happy to actually be on a journey for a change instead of weeding a garden.
“I love it. Nothing better,” the Doctor replied, grinning like a fool. He then turned, and the Alazarin followed. They were on their way, for better or for worse.
*Oh god, for some reason this chapter was reallly hard to write, so I guess that's why it took so long. And it's short too! Who would think that something so short could take so much out of me?
I realize I haven't been leaving nice little notes at the beginning of each chapter like I usually do for my other stories, so in order to make up for it here's a nice little bit of background for you:
Wren's character is based on a combination of Elva from Eragon and No 1 from Artemis Fowl, as well a few other things thrown in here and there. She is 13 years old. Davon is 14. Their race on the whole is a violent and malevolent people known as the Acamarin and their planet is called Antares Beta. I'm sure that's some real planet somewhere in the universe that isn't even habitable, but let's not sweat the small stuff, all right?
Alazarin in general are slightly based on the Mystics from the Dark Crystal. In the world of SciFi it's hard not to borrow things, because I swear EVERYTHING has been done. Although I guess since this is a FanFiction I'm borrowing to begin with. XD
Acamarin horns are sort of like cat whiskers, used for balance and sensing their surroundings. To call one "hornless" is not necessarily an insult, but it does imply that the person is either somewhat odd or they have a poor sense of balance. However, the violent Acamarin have a phobia of "those without horns" (humans), hence the Doctor's story about nearly being burned at the stake the first time he arrived on the planet. I'm sure the fact that he appeared out of seemingly no where in a blue Police Box didn't help him either. Acamarin, despite being technologically advanced, fear magic. That is probably the reason the Alazarin live apart from them in the first place.
Anyways, that's all. Hope you are enjoying it thus far and will continue reading!
