Stones of the Norn Part II
Chloe awoke a few hours later, only to find herself back at her house in her bed. She got up and walked down the creaky stairs and came upon her father talking to a strangely well-dressed man. Chloe’s father heartily greeted her, “My dear! You’re awake!”
“What happened?” Chloe asked in a half-daze.
“You rolled your ankle when you were out in the field looking for the sheep. You must’ve hit your head as well if you can’t remember.”
“How’d I get in bed if I rolled my ankle out in the field?”
“This kind man found you. He brought you back home and put you in bed.” Stated her father as he pointed to the strangely well-dressed man.
“Ello.” The stranger said as he smiled and waved.
“Aren’t you a little too well dressed to be out in the fields?” Chloe wondered.
“I personally don’t think you can be ‘too’ well dressed. I think I’m quite casual. I mean jeans aren’t dressy, are they?”
“But you’re wearing a green dress shirt, tie, and suit vest.”
“So? I believe it’s the jeans that make it non-dressy.”
“Whatever. Its just that we don’t get people like you out here.”
“What do you mean by “people like you?” Are you racist against your own. Gah, I somehow always find the self haters.”
“ No! I mean… Well you know… Um…”
“Honestly I have no idea.”
“Stop being so stubborn!”
“What! Me?”
“You know good looking people.” Mumbled Chloe.
“Good looking? Me?” Said the stranger as he pointed to himself confused.
“Yes you! How can you act like you don’t know what you look like?”
“Because I don’t really know what I look like. I haven’t looked in a mirror recently.”
“ So? It’s not like you change your face daily.”
“ Well, actually… Never mind. It’s a story for another time. But thanks for the complement. And while on the topic, can I see a mirror?”
Chloe handed the strange man a mirror. He held it up to his face and as he looked he started to feel his face. “Good nose.” Said the man as he pulled on his nose. “Oh man gorgeous eyes. But thick brows. I can live with it. Such giant ears. I haven’t had large ears since close to 700 years ago.” The man started to tug on his hair. “What’s this? Long brown hair again? Really? Oh well still not a ging…” As the man said this he looked closely at his hair. “A red tint to my hair?!?! No. No no no. Nonononono… How could I let this happen?!”
“Wow!” Interrupted Chloe. “You’re weird.”
“Good. At least that hasn’t changed.”
Chloe’s father wheeled over to the strange man, looking at him very curiously. “Are you the new herder?” Chloe’s father asked.
“Of sorts.” The stranger replied. “Yes you could say that I am. Well, I find things and put them to where they belong. So therefore, yes I am a herder… Of sorts. I am definitely here to herd your sheep though.”
“That’s good to hear because our sheep having missing out in this fog for quite some time. I sent my daughter out today to find them, but she clearly didn’t find anything and if she can’t find them, then I don’t know what to do.”
“That’s why I’m here!” The stranger smiled and gave a thumbs up.
“So, who are you then?” Chloe asked.
“I’m the Doctor.”
“Wait you’re a doctor? I thought you just said you were a herder.”
“No, I’m the Doctor.”
“Doctor of what?”
“Everything! I help people’s problems and make them better. And it sounds to me like you have a problem that needs bettering.” The Doctor smiled and gave a thumbs up again.
“Stop that.” Demanded Chloe.
“Sorry, just trying out a new thing.”
“Well its not very suiting for you.”
Chloe’s father rolled over to the window and looked outside and noticed a large, blue box out in the middle of the field. ‘Why the hell is there a police box in my field?” Shouted Chloe’s father.
“Oh sorry bout that. That would be mine. The TARDIS seems a bit shaken up, so she’s grounded for a while.”
“Of course it’s grounded, it’s a box. Though it seems like birds like it.”
“It’s not what it seems to be. Wait. Birds? There are birds on my baby? Gah!”
“Yeah there’re two ravens on it. Which is odd. Ravens aren’t common around here.”
The Doctor perked up from his slouched position in his chair. The Doctor looked as if he was processing data as fast as computer. He suddenly jerked out of it and asked, “How many ravens did you say there are on my box?”
“It looks like only two.” Replied Chloe’s father. “Ah, looks like that damn fog is coming back around.”
The Doctor dashed towards the window and looked out. Surely enough the thick, dense, fog was rolling towards the TARDIS. “THE FOG!” The Doctor shouted, startling everyone in the room. “How could I be so stupid? Gah.”
“What about the fog?” Chloe asked, now highly interested.
“For me to tell you what’s going on you’re going to have to open your mind to the impossible. There is no turning back. Once you know what really goes on in the world your craving for adventure will know no bound, unless…” The doctor paused.
“Unless what, Doctor?”
“Unless you go with me.”
“Where?”
"Anywhere. Everywhere. Space? Time? It’s all your choice, but for now I need your help.”
“But I only just met you. I mean you can’t just take a girl and… Wait a minute did you say space and time? I mean you can’t really. I mean with the, and the… Wow.”
“Yeah, so are you gonna help or not? I mean you’re already partly involved. You did find your sheep after all.”
“I thought I did. They kinda looked like the sheep. One even had a scar like one of the sheep, but they were monsters with tar black snouts and razor teeth, and they could stand! Sheep don’t stand!”
The Doctor paced back and forth as if he was in a hurry. “Well yeah sheep don’t stand, but your sheep, well, how do I put this? Your sheep were never really sheep. They’re sheep like, but not actually sheep.”
“Then Doctor, what the hell are they?” Chloe was now scared to wits end, but she had never been more intrigued in her life.
“Well do you know what a Minotaur is? You know the mythological bull creature that can walk like a man but looks like a bull. Well, your sheep are pretty much Minotaur-ish sheep. They are called Caoirigh. And they are very fierce, but incredibly stupid.”
The sound of shattering glass filled the house. Chloe and the Doctor looked over at Chloe’s father. His eyes quivered with fear and shock. He took a deep gasp of air and asked, “Our sheep are monsters?”
“Monsters? Nah.” The Doctor quickly replied. “Well not of sorts. They’re aliens!” The Doctor gave a big smile and started to raise his arm for a thumbs up, when Chloe grabbed his arm. “Don’t you dare Doctor.”
The Doctor took the arm that Chloe was holding onto him with and pulled her to the door and whips open the door. “Lets go herd some sheep”
