FIC: Mirage
TITLE: Mirage
AUTHOR: Talepiece
RATING: 12 cert.
PAIRING: Leela/Rodan
DISCLAIMER: Characters not mine.
CONTINUITY: Ties in with The Lost Children story.
It had always amazed Leela that people thought she remained on Gallifrey to be with Andred. He was a good man, a kind man, but he wasn't the Time Lord who had kept her on their planet. She turned to consider the woman who had kept her there. Rodan's face was set in a stoney expression. It had been for some time.
They had left Gallifrey because the high-and-mighty Time Lords were unable to accept the savage in their midst. Leela had borne their muttered insults and their open hostility for as long as she could but only Andred's timely intervention had saved her from a murder trial and at least one Time Lord from the loss of a number of his due regenerations. A truly good man to step back from the woman he so obviously admired and offer her and her lover a way out. So they had taken an old Tardis, though not quite so old as the Doctor's battered blue box, and escaped the confines of Gallifrey society to travel together amongst the stars.
At least that had been the plan. Leela's face had split in a wide, wild grin as the Tardis took them away from Gallifrey and on to adventure. Rodan had stood very still, very quiet, and waited for the Tardis to put down. Their relationship had become more strained as time went on. No planet was good enough for Rodan, no danger too great for Leela. She needed only her knife and her wits. Rodan needed comfort and safety. She needed to return to Gallifrey. Leela had realised it soon enough, though she had hoped that the excitement of their new life might grow on Rodan. It had not.
'I have given my word to these people, I will not let them down.' Rodan nodded vaguely, her eyes barely lifting to Leela's face. 'But, when that is done, we will return to Gallifrey.' Rodan's eyes finally met hers, a look of hope brightening them. Leela reached out for her, running a shy hand down Rodan's arm, 'We will be better then.' She didn't really believe it but at least there was hope in those eyes again, not the cold, dead look that had haunted them for so long.
The word Leela had given was to a small village on a planet with too few resources and very little hope. Somehow the place seemed to suit Rodan's mood. After a bumpy landing, Rodan had needed time to repair the Tardis and Leela had ventured out to find half a dozen spears aimed at her chest. She had grinned the feral grin that troubled Rodan even more than it had the Doctor. In a very short time the six spears lay in pieces around her, the villagers prostrating themselves at her feet. The elder had begged her mercy and Leela had laughed, 'Fear not, Old One, I mean you no harm.' Harsh wine, piles of meat and many tales that the Doctor would have described as being like an unkempt canine followed. Leela revelled in it, thrilled to be with people who reminded her of her old life. Rodan had drunk and eaten little, scurrying back to the Tardis as soon as was polite.
That had been her mistake. Had she remained, stayed as Leela expected her consort to do, partaken of the little that these people offered so freely, then Leela would have had no chance to give her word. Instead the wine flowed, sloshing around in Leela's belly. She laughed hard, roaring at the increasingly ribald tales the villagers told. But one tale had left them suddenly quiet. Leela felt the change in energy as they sank in to their fears and worries.
'What? What, Old One? Tell me what ails your village and perhaps I can be of service.'
She would never have made the offer if Rodan had been by her side, knowing that the woman would be angry with her. Rodan would never have let her drink so much anyway. Too late now and Leela enjoyed the buzzing energy that filled her. It had been some time since she took on a quest like this and she thrilled to it.
'There is a place. A place filled with bounty,' the Old One had said, 'some little way from here.'
'And what of it, Old One?'
'Water,' a woman hissed and there was a reverent muttering from the others.
A young man spoke up, 'And weapons.'
'And the food of the gods,' the Old One added.
Leela considered them. There were such legends on all planets, in all villages; tales of the perfect life close by, tales of gold, of wine and women, of everlasting life. Most were a nonsense, tales told to children to make them behave or told to the young to trick them in to remaining in the village. Some were true, though. Leela knew as much.
'Tell me more, Old One,' she said, settling back on the cushions that supported her lounging body.
A temple, little more than a day's walk from the village. Great things within. Many brave young souls lost, never returning from their expeditions. Eventually the village elders had decreed that no-one would follow their path. The tales had shifted and warped in to the vague legends they had told her in hushed whispers. Leela considered them carefully. They could survive as they were, eking out their meagre lives in the scrubby land. Survive, yes, but barely. And if this temple were real? If these tales were true?
'I will go.' A buzz of excitement and Leela couldn't disguise the joy on her face. She held up a hand to stem their chatter, 'I can offer you no guarantees. Hear me,' she said as the chatter rose again, 'I will go. I will find this temple if it exists and I will return with the truth. If it is real and there is no great danger, you may choose to send your warriors there. If I return with warning that you are not to do so, you will not do so,' her voice hardened in warning, 'Do you understand me, Old One?'
The old man nodded. He tried to remain expressionless but the burning hope in his eyes gave him away. Leela shook her head but allowed her own excitement to show in her face. The old man began to chuckle and the rest of the villagers joined in. They were roaring in mirth when Rodan stepped out of the Tardis and returned to Leela's side. Her own expression only grew harder the more the savages laughed. Leela faltered. She slapped the Old One's shoulder as she rose from the cushions. On unsteady legs she guided Rodan away from the throng, a casual arm around the Time Lord's shoulder.
'We will be better then,' Leela repeated as if saying the words again would make them true. 'I will leave at first light, camp outside the temple and enter early the next day. I will spend no more than one day there and return on the following. Three days at most. And then only if the place exists. You can remain in the Tardis during that time,' Leela added, hoping it would ease Rodan's hard stare.
'Or we could use the Tardis to get us there and return immediately.'
Leela sighed, 'You now that old thing cannot be used for such short journeys.'
'I have been working on "that old thing" for the past months.'
Leela winced at the outraged tone and nodded sagely, 'And I have every faith in your work, my love, but I would rather these people see me acting as they expect. They will believe my words if I do so; using this machine that they do not understand will make them think of magic and only leave them doubting me.'
Rodan grunted but accepted her words. She glanced around at the little village, the laughing, drunken villagers, the animals that ran wild around them. 'I will go with you. Yes,' Rodan held up a hand to halt Leela's protests, 'I will go with you and experience this life that you enjoy so much. It will be an adventure,' her lips fluttered in to a sad smile on the word, 'and it will help me to understand what it is you love so much about all this,' her hand moved to take in their surroundings.
'I would be honoured to have my woman by my side,' Leela said and leaned forward to kiss her.
Rodan's hand was between them again, pressing back on Leela's chest, 'Your woman takes exception to the stench of wine and undercooked meat.'
They rose early the next morning. Rodan had hoped that all the wine of the night before might delay them but it had not. Though Leela did have a pounding headache. If this temple contained decent wine, it would be worth the trek. The land was barren, scrubby fields that barely grew enough for the gaunt animals to graze on, much less to feed the villagers. The scratchy green gave way to dusty plains, the grey sand shifting beneath their feet. It swirled up in to their faces and caught at the back of their throats. Leela could sense Rodan's discomfort, though she said nothing. Her skirts hitched up above her ankles, back as straight as she could keep it, Rodan drudged on. Leela loved her again then; loved her for accepting that this was what they must do; loved her for supporting Leela's need to do it. Perhaps they could make this work after all?
It was late afternoon when they first spotted the temple. The burning sun was finally dropping low in the sky. Sweat ran free down Leela's back, Rodan's gown was stained dark. Leela stopped, offering Rodan the waterskin as her eyes studied the horizon.
'There,' she said, excitement colouring her tone, 'There, do you see?'
Rodan lifted her head, following Leela's outstretched hand, 'Are you sure?'
'Certain,' Leela turned to her, 'We will be there by nightfall.'
And they were or only a little after. It had cooled considerably and Leela lit a fire, pressing Rodan to the ground beside it while she bustled around their newly-formed camp. She disappeared for some time and returned to find Rodan looking around with rising panic. Leela raised her hand and proudly displayed the little creatures she had caught. Already skinned and blooded, of course; Rodan hated to see such work. The fire had banked and Leela threw on more kindling before setting the meat to cook. She sat down beside Rodan, grateful for the waterskin that was pressed in to her hands. She drank deeply and shook the skin in the hope of finding more water inside.
'That's all we have,' Rodan said.
Leela stared at her, 'All? But there were another two skins at least.' She paused, seeing guilt and fear flash across Rodan's face. 'Well,' she said in an deliberately calm voice, 'let us hope that the tales of this place are correct. We shall drink fresh water and fine wine tomorrow.'
Rodan's head fell to Leela's shoulder. Leela shifted to take the woman in to her arms. She dropped her head to Rodan's hair and tried to remember what it had been like for those first few months on Gallifrey. Happy and carefree, giddy to be getting to know this woman...falling in love with her. And tried to forget the rest of their time on Gallifrey. Leela allowed her eyes to drift shut for a moment, waking again to the smell of burning flesh. She reached out and used the tips of her fingers to lift the charcoaled stick that held the meat above the fire. Her movements had Rodan slipping from her side and Leela grabbed for her. The stick fell from her fingers and toppled in to the fire. The meat flared and burned at its centre. Leela gave a heavy sigh and pulled Rodan closer to her. She manoeuvred them until they were lying on the rough sleeping mat that the villagers had provided. Lying back, feeling Rodan's weight against her chest, she stared up at the stars and wondered which of the gods up there had so taken against her.
The sun rose rapidly on this planet and there was barely a pause between night and the blinding light of morning. Leela winced as she opened her eyes. She looked around, checking that her instincts had not failed her; that their camp had not seen any visitors in the night. Everything was as it should be, including Rodan's hand laying on her breast, Rodan's breathing tickling at her neck. Leela turned her head and studied the temple. They were a dozen yards from it, camped on the smooth ground that surrounded the large, square building. It was stepped up in to a high point that was capped with a large gem. The gem sparkled in the morning sun. The stone of the temple was a different colour from the ground beneath her and she wondered how far it had been bought. There were no peaks as far as her sharp eyes could see and stones that size would take some considerable work to move even short distances. So this place was important -- or it had been. But did it contain what the legends claimed?
Time to find out. She woke Rodan with a gentle shake. As the woman came to Leela dropped a delicate kiss to her lips. They shaped in to a smile but then Rodan opened her eyes and the smile gave way to a scowl. Leela helped her sit up and eased herself away from the woman. She got to her feet in one easy motion and stretched. Her short skirt rode up on her thighs and Leela looked down to find Rodan eyeing the display appreciatively. It would be so easy to delay their mission.
'Come on,' Leela said, 'let us see if the legends ring true.'
Rodan got to her feet with slow, aching movements before dusting herself and then her hands off. She looked around. 'How do we get in?'
Leela studied the temple for a moment. 'There is a large entrance on that side,' she said, 'I found it last night as I hunted. I found no other entrance.'
'That will have to do then.'
They were heavy doors cut from a dark wood that Leela hadn't seen even close to the village. Both doors had huge, bronze handles. Leela took one, Rodan the other. At a nod from Leela they heaved on the handles, pressing them down with all their might. With drawn out, protesting sounds the handles gave and the doors began to open. Leela left her side and joined Rodan, together forcing one door open. The floor on beyond was thick with dust and debris making it hard to push the door through its arc. Leela and Rodan threw their shoulders against the wood and worked their legs until the door cleared its own path and they could step inside.
Light from the sun flooded the room through the prism of the gem atop the temple. The large, open room was bathed in a purple glow that made Leela's skin tingle. Or was that something else? She looked around, studying the room carefully. What was that? That feeling, that strange, dangerous air to the place?
Rodan gave a squeal of delight and ran forward. At the centre of the room was a well. It was large, built from small stones that matched the temple itself. The water was clear and sparkled in the light. 'Rodan, no!' Leela called out but it was too late. Rodan had launched herself at the well, throwing herself over the low wall and dipping her hands in to the water. She splashed it on to her face, drinking the water from her hands before ducking down and washing the water over her exposed skin.
The transformation took seconds. From harmless well welcoming visitors to this place, in to a tower of water that rose up above Rodan and loomed down upon her. Leela raced forward, ducking low under the thundering water that threatened to crash down on them at any moment. She caught Rodan's cowering body in one arm and bundled them across the temple floor. Leela pushed Rodan to the ground and turned back, her body shielding Rodan from the menace above them. It had formed a body of sorts, bulbous and shifting, rippling in the air as it considered them. Leela drew her knife, though she didn't know what good it would do her against such a creature. At least this explained why no-one had returned from the place. Some sort of trick; a mirage to lure the unwary in. Clean, clear water was the one thing anyone visiting this place would be sure to want. Leela only hoped they would find some way to get the news back to the village.
Her thoughts were quickly cast aside as the creature flared out in a burst of water aimed directly for them. She ducked low over Rodan's body and waited. But the anticipated blow didn't come. Leela dared a look from behind her raised hand and saw the creature still a few yards above them. It hung in the air, wavering there as what passed for its head jerked from one side to the other. It seemed to be looking for something, something that held it back from them.
'Leela!' Rodan said on a gasp.
Leela followed the direction of Rodan's widening eyes to the corner of the temple. Gushing from the angle of the wall was a dense blue smoke. It shifted and swirled above the floor, rushing forward as it too formed a body. This time long and snake-like. Leela's eyes darted from one creature to the other. She didn't know what was happening and she didn't need to. All that mattered was the chance they had to get clear of the temple. Leela turned back to Rodan, lifting her up from the dirty floor. Leela huddled Rodan in to her side and hurried them towards the door.
Both creatures stopped, their barely-formed heads turning to stare at the women. There was a bubbling howl from the water creature and gibbering voices inside Leela's head that she knew were from the blue creature. She ignored it all, inching Rodan with her. The water creature howled again and its head darted down, dropping low in front of them to block their way. But the blue creature moved too, leaping up at the water creature, mouth wide, wispy fangs bared.
Leela threw herself across the floor dragging Rodan down with her. They skidded in the thick dirt and came to a stop in a deep cloud of dust. Leela covered Rodan with her body, pressing the woman in to the dirt, ignoring her hacking coughs. She pressed her own face in to Rodan's hair and waited for the lash of water or the strike of blue fangs. She waited...waited. The howls and hisses died out above them and still she waited. Only when Leela was certain that the room around them was calm did she lift her head. She held her hand firm on Rodan's shoulder, hoping that she would stay down. To her amazement she did so.
Leela stood slowly, eyes darting around the temple. Still bathed in purple light, still covered in dirt. But there was a strange green-blue slime in a large puddle close to the well. Leela stepped forward, neck straining to look in to the well without getting too close. The well was full of the same; the water fouled. She sniffed the air, her nose wrinkling at the smell. A few more steps and she was close to the oozing mess. Behind her, Rodan finally rose. She gasped, though Leela wasn't sure if the sight or smell had caused it. Leela turned as Rodan approached her and held out a hand, her other hand still brandishing her knife.
'What happened?'
'I have no idea,' Leela said.
A sudden grinding of stone on stone made them both jump, Rodan yelped and pushed herself in to Leela's side. They moved as one, following the sounds. A waft of stale air greeted them as they turned to the back of the temple. A single stone in the far wall had shifted, pulled back and moved to one side. It exposed a hole just big enough for one person to duck through. Rodan glanced up at Leela. Leela couldn't help the wild grin that twitched at her lips.
'Of course you want to go in there,' Rodan said.
'Of course I do, my love,' Leela pulled the protesting woman with her, 'We came here to find out what this place is and now we shall.'
'There could be more of these things,' Rodan tilted her head towards the well as they rounded it, 'Perhaps worse things.'
'No. No, there are not.'
'How can you be so sure?'
Leela sighed, 'This is what I am good at, Rodan; this is what I can do. You must accept that, my love.'
Rodan said nothing more and Leela was glad of it. She was glad too that the woman remained at her side; for all her bravado, she did not wish to enter this new space alone. She pushed Rodan behind her, thrusting her neck in to the gap between the stones and peering inside. As she did so light flooded the place. Leela drew her head back in shock, knife raised as she waited for something else to happen. Nothing did. She leaned forward again and considered the room beyond. It was bigger than the other room. Bigger by far. Leela drew her head back again and looked around them.
'Leela?'
Leela smiled at Rodan. She guided her knife back in to its sheath and stepped in to the room, dragging her trailing leg in before helping Rodan to follow. They stood just inside the new room and stared around them in wonder. It was full. Full of the treasures that all of the villager's tales had foretold. Gold and other precious metals glittered in the light; gems sparkled and winked at them; line upon line of flagons; chests stacked three deep. Off in the impossible distance there was the gentle bubbling sound of a stream. Rodan gasped, her eyes wide as she took it all in.
'Treasure, my love,' Leela said, 'Just as the legends foretold.'
'And all you had to do was wait for the blue thingy to kill the water thingy.'
Leela opened her mouth to speak, ready to explain that she did not think the altercation was for their benefit. She felt sure that the appearance of the blue creature had been incidental and, if the strange words that still floated at the edge of her mind were real, nothing to do with this place at all. "Doctor", those gibbering voices had said, definitely something about the Doctor. Had that creature been there for her? For them? And would there be another one? At least that made her decision easier. She had to return Rodan to Gallifrey now; she would be safer there with all of her people to protect her. With Andred to protect her. And without Leela to put her in harms way.
'Leela?' Rodan's hand was gentle on her shoulder. Leela forced her thoughts aside and smiled. Rodan leaned forward to drop a kiss to Leela's lips, 'Are you all right? Were you hurt?' she asked with rising panic.
Leela batted away Rodan's searching hands, 'No, not hurt at all. Just...amazed.'
'It is quite remarkable. Fancy all those tales being true.'
'They sometimes are,' Leela laughed at Rodan's surprise, 'There is wisdom even amongst savages, my love.'
Wisdom and a great deal of joy. The journey back to the village had been arduous, though sips of the fine wine and crystal clear water had helped them along. The villagers gathered around them in amazement, eager to hear their story. Rodan had been surprised that Leela had omitted so much of the truth but Leela had simply told them what they needed to know and no more. A day of rest, another of travelling and they were back at the temple with the Old One and most of his people in tow. More jubilation, barely tempered by Leela's insistence that they should not take what they did not need. Of course they had. There might be wisdom amongst savages but there was greed amongst all men. Yet another day's walk under the harsh sun and they were finally back at the Tardis.
Leela stood at the door and looked out at the village. Had Rodan been so inclined she might have suggested they remain for a while. To keep an eye on the villager's excesses, if nothing else. But, no, Rodan wanted to leave and Leela was pleased of that in a way. She would take Rodan back to Gallifrey...hand her over to Andred...make some excuse to return to the Tardis...and weep as she worked the controls. She loved the woman, loved her with all her heart, but Rodan's heart was of Gallifrey and too burdened by their ways. And now there was this new threat -- this blue smoke that whispered of the Doctor while it lurked in your mind. This serpentine beast that gushed from the walls to loom down upon you. No, she would leave Rodan in Andred's care and find some way to deal with these blue demons that attacked from the corners.
AUTHOR: Talepiece
RATING: 12 cert.
PAIRING: Leela/Rodan
DISCLAIMER: Characters not mine.
CONTINUITY: Ties in with The Lost Children story.
It had always amazed Leela that people thought she remained on Gallifrey to be with Andred. He was a good man, a kind man, but he wasn't the Time Lord who had kept her on their planet. She turned to consider the woman who had kept her there. Rodan's face was set in a stoney expression. It had been for some time.
They had left Gallifrey because the high-and-mighty Time Lords were unable to accept the savage in their midst. Leela had borne their muttered insults and their open hostility for as long as she could but only Andred's timely intervention had saved her from a murder trial and at least one Time Lord from the loss of a number of his due regenerations. A truly good man to step back from the woman he so obviously admired and offer her and her lover a way out. So they had taken an old Tardis, though not quite so old as the Doctor's battered blue box, and escaped the confines of Gallifrey society to travel together amongst the stars.
At least that had been the plan. Leela's face had split in a wide, wild grin as the Tardis took them away from Gallifrey and on to adventure. Rodan had stood very still, very quiet, and waited for the Tardis to put down. Their relationship had become more strained as time went on. No planet was good enough for Rodan, no danger too great for Leela. She needed only her knife and her wits. Rodan needed comfort and safety. She needed to return to Gallifrey. Leela had realised it soon enough, though she had hoped that the excitement of their new life might grow on Rodan. It had not.
'I have given my word to these people, I will not let them down.' Rodan nodded vaguely, her eyes barely lifting to Leela's face. 'But, when that is done, we will return to Gallifrey.' Rodan's eyes finally met hers, a look of hope brightening them. Leela reached out for her, running a shy hand down Rodan's arm, 'We will be better then.' She didn't really believe it but at least there was hope in those eyes again, not the cold, dead look that had haunted them for so long.
The word Leela had given was to a small village on a planet with too few resources and very little hope. Somehow the place seemed to suit Rodan's mood. After a bumpy landing, Rodan had needed time to repair the Tardis and Leela had ventured out to find half a dozen spears aimed at her chest. She had grinned the feral grin that troubled Rodan even more than it had the Doctor. In a very short time the six spears lay in pieces around her, the villagers prostrating themselves at her feet. The elder had begged her mercy and Leela had laughed, 'Fear not, Old One, I mean you no harm.' Harsh wine, piles of meat and many tales that the Doctor would have described as being like an unkempt canine followed. Leela revelled in it, thrilled to be with people who reminded her of her old life. Rodan had drunk and eaten little, scurrying back to the Tardis as soon as was polite.
That had been her mistake. Had she remained, stayed as Leela expected her consort to do, partaken of the little that these people offered so freely, then Leela would have had no chance to give her word. Instead the wine flowed, sloshing around in Leela's belly. She laughed hard, roaring at the increasingly ribald tales the villagers told. But one tale had left them suddenly quiet. Leela felt the change in energy as they sank in to their fears and worries.
'What? What, Old One? Tell me what ails your village and perhaps I can be of service.'
She would never have made the offer if Rodan had been by her side, knowing that the woman would be angry with her. Rodan would never have let her drink so much anyway. Too late now and Leela enjoyed the buzzing energy that filled her. It had been some time since she took on a quest like this and she thrilled to it.
'There is a place. A place filled with bounty,' the Old One had said, 'some little way from here.'
'And what of it, Old One?'
'Water,' a woman hissed and there was a reverent muttering from the others.
A young man spoke up, 'And weapons.'
'And the food of the gods,' the Old One added.
Leela considered them. There were such legends on all planets, in all villages; tales of the perfect life close by, tales of gold, of wine and women, of everlasting life. Most were a nonsense, tales told to children to make them behave or told to the young to trick them in to remaining in the village. Some were true, though. Leela knew as much.
'Tell me more, Old One,' she said, settling back on the cushions that supported her lounging body.
A temple, little more than a day's walk from the village. Great things within. Many brave young souls lost, never returning from their expeditions. Eventually the village elders had decreed that no-one would follow their path. The tales had shifted and warped in to the vague legends they had told her in hushed whispers. Leela considered them carefully. They could survive as they were, eking out their meagre lives in the scrubby land. Survive, yes, but barely. And if this temple were real? If these tales were true?
'I will go.' A buzz of excitement and Leela couldn't disguise the joy on her face. She held up a hand to stem their chatter, 'I can offer you no guarantees. Hear me,' she said as the chatter rose again, 'I will go. I will find this temple if it exists and I will return with the truth. If it is real and there is no great danger, you may choose to send your warriors there. If I return with warning that you are not to do so, you will not do so,' her voice hardened in warning, 'Do you understand me, Old One?'
The old man nodded. He tried to remain expressionless but the burning hope in his eyes gave him away. Leela shook her head but allowed her own excitement to show in her face. The old man began to chuckle and the rest of the villagers joined in. They were roaring in mirth when Rodan stepped out of the Tardis and returned to Leela's side. Her own expression only grew harder the more the savages laughed. Leela faltered. She slapped the Old One's shoulder as she rose from the cushions. On unsteady legs she guided Rodan away from the throng, a casual arm around the Time Lord's shoulder.
'We will be better then,' Leela repeated as if saying the words again would make them true. 'I will leave at first light, camp outside the temple and enter early the next day. I will spend no more than one day there and return on the following. Three days at most. And then only if the place exists. You can remain in the Tardis during that time,' Leela added, hoping it would ease Rodan's hard stare.
'Or we could use the Tardis to get us there and return immediately.'
Leela sighed, 'You now that old thing cannot be used for such short journeys.'
'I have been working on "that old thing" for the past months.'
Leela winced at the outraged tone and nodded sagely, 'And I have every faith in your work, my love, but I would rather these people see me acting as they expect. They will believe my words if I do so; using this machine that they do not understand will make them think of magic and only leave them doubting me.'
Rodan grunted but accepted her words. She glanced around at the little village, the laughing, drunken villagers, the animals that ran wild around them. 'I will go with you. Yes,' Rodan held up a hand to halt Leela's protests, 'I will go with you and experience this life that you enjoy so much. It will be an adventure,' her lips fluttered in to a sad smile on the word, 'and it will help me to understand what it is you love so much about all this,' her hand moved to take in their surroundings.
'I would be honoured to have my woman by my side,' Leela said and leaned forward to kiss her.
Rodan's hand was between them again, pressing back on Leela's chest, 'Your woman takes exception to the stench of wine and undercooked meat.'
They rose early the next morning. Rodan had hoped that all the wine of the night before might delay them but it had not. Though Leela did have a pounding headache. If this temple contained decent wine, it would be worth the trek. The land was barren, scrubby fields that barely grew enough for the gaunt animals to graze on, much less to feed the villagers. The scratchy green gave way to dusty plains, the grey sand shifting beneath their feet. It swirled up in to their faces and caught at the back of their throats. Leela could sense Rodan's discomfort, though she said nothing. Her skirts hitched up above her ankles, back as straight as she could keep it, Rodan drudged on. Leela loved her again then; loved her for accepting that this was what they must do; loved her for supporting Leela's need to do it. Perhaps they could make this work after all?
It was late afternoon when they first spotted the temple. The burning sun was finally dropping low in the sky. Sweat ran free down Leela's back, Rodan's gown was stained dark. Leela stopped, offering Rodan the waterskin as her eyes studied the horizon.
'There,' she said, excitement colouring her tone, 'There, do you see?'
Rodan lifted her head, following Leela's outstretched hand, 'Are you sure?'
'Certain,' Leela turned to her, 'We will be there by nightfall.'
And they were or only a little after. It had cooled considerably and Leela lit a fire, pressing Rodan to the ground beside it while she bustled around their newly-formed camp. She disappeared for some time and returned to find Rodan looking around with rising panic. Leela raised her hand and proudly displayed the little creatures she had caught. Already skinned and blooded, of course; Rodan hated to see such work. The fire had banked and Leela threw on more kindling before setting the meat to cook. She sat down beside Rodan, grateful for the waterskin that was pressed in to her hands. She drank deeply and shook the skin in the hope of finding more water inside.
'That's all we have,' Rodan said.
Leela stared at her, 'All? But there were another two skins at least.' She paused, seeing guilt and fear flash across Rodan's face. 'Well,' she said in an deliberately calm voice, 'let us hope that the tales of this place are correct. We shall drink fresh water and fine wine tomorrow.'
Rodan's head fell to Leela's shoulder. Leela shifted to take the woman in to her arms. She dropped her head to Rodan's hair and tried to remember what it had been like for those first few months on Gallifrey. Happy and carefree, giddy to be getting to know this woman...falling in love with her. And tried to forget the rest of their time on Gallifrey. Leela allowed her eyes to drift shut for a moment, waking again to the smell of burning flesh. She reached out and used the tips of her fingers to lift the charcoaled stick that held the meat above the fire. Her movements had Rodan slipping from her side and Leela grabbed for her. The stick fell from her fingers and toppled in to the fire. The meat flared and burned at its centre. Leela gave a heavy sigh and pulled Rodan closer to her. She manoeuvred them until they were lying on the rough sleeping mat that the villagers had provided. Lying back, feeling Rodan's weight against her chest, she stared up at the stars and wondered which of the gods up there had so taken against her.
The sun rose rapidly on this planet and there was barely a pause between night and the blinding light of morning. Leela winced as she opened her eyes. She looked around, checking that her instincts had not failed her; that their camp had not seen any visitors in the night. Everything was as it should be, including Rodan's hand laying on her breast, Rodan's breathing tickling at her neck. Leela turned her head and studied the temple. They were a dozen yards from it, camped on the smooth ground that surrounded the large, square building. It was stepped up in to a high point that was capped with a large gem. The gem sparkled in the morning sun. The stone of the temple was a different colour from the ground beneath her and she wondered how far it had been bought. There were no peaks as far as her sharp eyes could see and stones that size would take some considerable work to move even short distances. So this place was important -- or it had been. But did it contain what the legends claimed?
Time to find out. She woke Rodan with a gentle shake. As the woman came to Leela dropped a delicate kiss to her lips. They shaped in to a smile but then Rodan opened her eyes and the smile gave way to a scowl. Leela helped her sit up and eased herself away from the woman. She got to her feet in one easy motion and stretched. Her short skirt rode up on her thighs and Leela looked down to find Rodan eyeing the display appreciatively. It would be so easy to delay their mission.
'Come on,' Leela said, 'let us see if the legends ring true.'
Rodan got to her feet with slow, aching movements before dusting herself and then her hands off. She looked around. 'How do we get in?'
Leela studied the temple for a moment. 'There is a large entrance on that side,' she said, 'I found it last night as I hunted. I found no other entrance.'
'That will have to do then.'
They were heavy doors cut from a dark wood that Leela hadn't seen even close to the village. Both doors had huge, bronze handles. Leela took one, Rodan the other. At a nod from Leela they heaved on the handles, pressing them down with all their might. With drawn out, protesting sounds the handles gave and the doors began to open. Leela left her side and joined Rodan, together forcing one door open. The floor on beyond was thick with dust and debris making it hard to push the door through its arc. Leela and Rodan threw their shoulders against the wood and worked their legs until the door cleared its own path and they could step inside.
Light from the sun flooded the room through the prism of the gem atop the temple. The large, open room was bathed in a purple glow that made Leela's skin tingle. Or was that something else? She looked around, studying the room carefully. What was that? That feeling, that strange, dangerous air to the place?
Rodan gave a squeal of delight and ran forward. At the centre of the room was a well. It was large, built from small stones that matched the temple itself. The water was clear and sparkled in the light. 'Rodan, no!' Leela called out but it was too late. Rodan had launched herself at the well, throwing herself over the low wall and dipping her hands in to the water. She splashed it on to her face, drinking the water from her hands before ducking down and washing the water over her exposed skin.
The transformation took seconds. From harmless well welcoming visitors to this place, in to a tower of water that rose up above Rodan and loomed down upon her. Leela raced forward, ducking low under the thundering water that threatened to crash down on them at any moment. She caught Rodan's cowering body in one arm and bundled them across the temple floor. Leela pushed Rodan to the ground and turned back, her body shielding Rodan from the menace above them. It had formed a body of sorts, bulbous and shifting, rippling in the air as it considered them. Leela drew her knife, though she didn't know what good it would do her against such a creature. At least this explained why no-one had returned from the place. Some sort of trick; a mirage to lure the unwary in. Clean, clear water was the one thing anyone visiting this place would be sure to want. Leela only hoped they would find some way to get the news back to the village.
Her thoughts were quickly cast aside as the creature flared out in a burst of water aimed directly for them. She ducked low over Rodan's body and waited. But the anticipated blow didn't come. Leela dared a look from behind her raised hand and saw the creature still a few yards above them. It hung in the air, wavering there as what passed for its head jerked from one side to the other. It seemed to be looking for something, something that held it back from them.
'Leela!' Rodan said on a gasp.
Leela followed the direction of Rodan's widening eyes to the corner of the temple. Gushing from the angle of the wall was a dense blue smoke. It shifted and swirled above the floor, rushing forward as it too formed a body. This time long and snake-like. Leela's eyes darted from one creature to the other. She didn't know what was happening and she didn't need to. All that mattered was the chance they had to get clear of the temple. Leela turned back to Rodan, lifting her up from the dirty floor. Leela huddled Rodan in to her side and hurried them towards the door.
Both creatures stopped, their barely-formed heads turning to stare at the women. There was a bubbling howl from the water creature and gibbering voices inside Leela's head that she knew were from the blue creature. She ignored it all, inching Rodan with her. The water creature howled again and its head darted down, dropping low in front of them to block their way. But the blue creature moved too, leaping up at the water creature, mouth wide, wispy fangs bared.
Leela threw herself across the floor dragging Rodan down with her. They skidded in the thick dirt and came to a stop in a deep cloud of dust. Leela covered Rodan with her body, pressing the woman in to the dirt, ignoring her hacking coughs. She pressed her own face in to Rodan's hair and waited for the lash of water or the strike of blue fangs. She waited...waited. The howls and hisses died out above them and still she waited. Only when Leela was certain that the room around them was calm did she lift her head. She held her hand firm on Rodan's shoulder, hoping that she would stay down. To her amazement she did so.
Leela stood slowly, eyes darting around the temple. Still bathed in purple light, still covered in dirt. But there was a strange green-blue slime in a large puddle close to the well. Leela stepped forward, neck straining to look in to the well without getting too close. The well was full of the same; the water fouled. She sniffed the air, her nose wrinkling at the smell. A few more steps and she was close to the oozing mess. Behind her, Rodan finally rose. She gasped, though Leela wasn't sure if the sight or smell had caused it. Leela turned as Rodan approached her and held out a hand, her other hand still brandishing her knife.
'What happened?'
'I have no idea,' Leela said.
A sudden grinding of stone on stone made them both jump, Rodan yelped and pushed herself in to Leela's side. They moved as one, following the sounds. A waft of stale air greeted them as they turned to the back of the temple. A single stone in the far wall had shifted, pulled back and moved to one side. It exposed a hole just big enough for one person to duck through. Rodan glanced up at Leela. Leela couldn't help the wild grin that twitched at her lips.
'Of course you want to go in there,' Rodan said.
'Of course I do, my love,' Leela pulled the protesting woman with her, 'We came here to find out what this place is and now we shall.'
'There could be more of these things,' Rodan tilted her head towards the well as they rounded it, 'Perhaps worse things.'
'No. No, there are not.'
'How can you be so sure?'
Leela sighed, 'This is what I am good at, Rodan; this is what I can do. You must accept that, my love.'
Rodan said nothing more and Leela was glad of it. She was glad too that the woman remained at her side; for all her bravado, she did not wish to enter this new space alone. She pushed Rodan behind her, thrusting her neck in to the gap between the stones and peering inside. As she did so light flooded the place. Leela drew her head back in shock, knife raised as she waited for something else to happen. Nothing did. She leaned forward again and considered the room beyond. It was bigger than the other room. Bigger by far. Leela drew her head back again and looked around them.
'Leela?'
Leela smiled at Rodan. She guided her knife back in to its sheath and stepped in to the room, dragging her trailing leg in before helping Rodan to follow. They stood just inside the new room and stared around them in wonder. It was full. Full of the treasures that all of the villager's tales had foretold. Gold and other precious metals glittered in the light; gems sparkled and winked at them; line upon line of flagons; chests stacked three deep. Off in the impossible distance there was the gentle bubbling sound of a stream. Rodan gasped, her eyes wide as she took it all in.
'Treasure, my love,' Leela said, 'Just as the legends foretold.'
'And all you had to do was wait for the blue thingy to kill the water thingy.'
Leela opened her mouth to speak, ready to explain that she did not think the altercation was for their benefit. She felt sure that the appearance of the blue creature had been incidental and, if the strange words that still floated at the edge of her mind were real, nothing to do with this place at all. "Doctor", those gibbering voices had said, definitely something about the Doctor. Had that creature been there for her? For them? And would there be another one? At least that made her decision easier. She had to return Rodan to Gallifrey now; she would be safer there with all of her people to protect her. With Andred to protect her. And without Leela to put her in harms way.
'Leela?' Rodan's hand was gentle on her shoulder. Leela forced her thoughts aside and smiled. Rodan leaned forward to drop a kiss to Leela's lips, 'Are you all right? Were you hurt?' she asked with rising panic.
Leela batted away Rodan's searching hands, 'No, not hurt at all. Just...amazed.'
'It is quite remarkable. Fancy all those tales being true.'
'They sometimes are,' Leela laughed at Rodan's surprise, 'There is wisdom even amongst savages, my love.'
Wisdom and a great deal of joy. The journey back to the village had been arduous, though sips of the fine wine and crystal clear water had helped them along. The villagers gathered around them in amazement, eager to hear their story. Rodan had been surprised that Leela had omitted so much of the truth but Leela had simply told them what they needed to know and no more. A day of rest, another of travelling and they were back at the temple with the Old One and most of his people in tow. More jubilation, barely tempered by Leela's insistence that they should not take what they did not need. Of course they had. There might be wisdom amongst savages but there was greed amongst all men. Yet another day's walk under the harsh sun and they were finally back at the Tardis.
Leela stood at the door and looked out at the village. Had Rodan been so inclined she might have suggested they remain for a while. To keep an eye on the villager's excesses, if nothing else. But, no, Rodan wanted to leave and Leela was pleased of that in a way. She would take Rodan back to Gallifrey...hand her over to Andred...make some excuse to return to the Tardis...and weep as she worked the controls. She loved the woman, loved her with all her heart, but Rodan's heart was of Gallifrey and too burdened by their ways. And now there was this new threat -- this blue smoke that whispered of the Doctor while it lurked in your mind. This serpentine beast that gushed from the walls to loom down upon you. No, she would leave Rodan in Andred's care and find some way to deal with these blue demons that attacked from the corners.