Tales, Ch. 9
As the Doctor set off in his borrowed balloon and sailed high above Jack’s castle, his new companions pointed out at the horizon and chatted excitedly.
“There’s the Lady’s Lake!” Rory cried. “That’s where my friend Arthur found his sword.”
Amy glanced upwards and laughed hysterically.
“And there’s the floating island of Laputa!” she cheered. “I’ve never seen it so close. I wish we could go!”
“No time I’m afraid,” the Doctor lamented as he stared up at the floating city. “Tell me, are we far from the next town? I want to find a shepherd boy who may know something about a missing friend of mine.”
Amy squinted and shook her head. “Please tell me you’re not talking about Peter Pan.”
Rory groaned and rolled his eyes while the Doctor blinked in confusion.
“Peter Pan is a shepherd?” he asked.
“And he’s lousy at it too,” Rory replied. “Make up stories all day to stave off the boredom and scares the villagers out of their wits in the process. He’s a certifiable pathological liar.”
“I’ve heard he’s not the most reliable source,” the Doctor admitted, “but I have to be sure. If he’s seen my friend, I have to know. Do you know where he lives?”
“Unfortunately, yes,” Rory replied. “We’re flying over the Celadon River now. His family’s farm is just beyond the vale.”
Amy slumped down in the basket and rested her head against one propped up hand.
“Wake me up when we get there,” she yawned. “I haven’t slept at all tonight. Too much excitement…”
As she drifted off, Rory sank down beside her and gently wrapped one arm around her before shifting so that her head fell on his shoulder.
“You two…aren’t related are you?” the Doctor ventured.
“Gretel’s my best mate,” Rory answered obviously. “Wait a minute. What are you implying?”
“Nothing!” the Doctor answered quickly. “Next vale you said, right?”
He turned his attention astutely toward the sky. When he looked back again, Rory had already fallen asleep. Fortunately, Time Lords didn’t need as much rest, and the Doctor was able to steer the balloon with little trouble. His only regret was that there weren’t enough levers and buttons to play with, and that being such a simplistic flying machine, his balloon didn’t offer any mechanics to tinker with. The Doctor was forced to stare out at the passing world instead for several hours, and was left with his own thoughts until he caught sight of a shadowy village on the horizon, lit dramatically by the rising sun.
Jumping in excitement, the Doctor woke his companions and confirmed that their destination was near.
“Veer toward the eastern side,” Rory instructed. “That’s Pan’s farmhouse in the distance.”
The balloon finally landed near the broken down edifice, outside of a large field covered with grazing sheep. A figure was prostrate not far away, halfway in and out of a tall haystack.
“Sleeping on the job,” Rory grumbled as he climbed out the basket. “Why am I not surprised?”
Amy bounded over and kicked the figure’s protruding foot, causing a sharp yelp and an explosion of hay as Peter Pan sat up from the bale.
“What’s the bother?” he cried, his hat slipping off the side of his head as he glanced around.
The Doctor nearly died on the spot when Mickey Smith’s eyes landed on him.
“Now there’s a surprise!” the Doctor shouted as he kneeled down beside his old friend and clapped him on the back. “Mr. Mickety-Mick Mickster. Never thought I’d get to say that again…”
Mickey blinked in confusion before glaring up at Rory.
“What do YOU want?” he demanded. “I was havin’ a nod! Bloody sheep keep me up all hours, you know.”
“I’ll bet,” Rory retorted. “Saving them from all the lurking wolves, right?”
“There ARE wolves!” Mickey said fiercely. “And ogres. And a ghost pirate. And a serpent the size of a house. I’ve fought them all off to protect my flock, and I don’t care if you believe me or not!”
“Uh, Peter,” the Doctor broke in uncertainly. “Did any of that really happen? I need to know because you said you saw a friend of mine named Rose Red. She’s very important to me, and I need your help here. Please tell the truth.”
Mickey frowned in a hard line before sagging forward.
“All right,” he admitted. “None of that happened. Except Rose, I swear! I saw her three nights ago, when I was tending the flock over on the northern field. She was dressed all in white. At first, I thought I was imagining things, but she ran up to me completely hysterical, and she spoke to me.”
“What did she say?” the Doctor asked intensely.
“She said the Huntsman was closing in on her and she couldn’t keep running. She said she was giving up. I wasn’t sure what she was talking about, but before I could help her, a dark horseman appeared at the crest of the hill. He bore down in such a fury that I was forced to leap aside, and he stole Rose Red from the spot. I screamed after him, but was powerless to stop it. He disappeared before I could even move. She was just…gone.”
The Doctor listened soberly, but his hands clenched tightly so that they grew completely white by the end of Mickey’s tale.
Amy came near and rested a comforting hand on his shoulder.
“He must have taken her to his cabin,” she suggested.
“No,” the Doctor answered. “He knows I’m on to him now. He’d take her somewhere unexpected…”
“It was three days ago,” Rory pondered. “Is there a chance she might still be alive?”
“She is,” the Doctor said fervently as he stood to his full height and towered over Rory aggressively. “She has to be. And I’m going to find her.”
He sighed into his hand before brushing his wild hair back from his face and staring angrily at the rolling hills before him.
Mickey cleared his throat and took off his hat respectfully.
“I didn’t tell you the whole story,” he confessed. “Before I lost sight of them I jumped on my horse and followed them. I saw where they went…”
“Oh come on!” Rory protested. “Doctor, you’re not going to listen to this are you?”
The Doctor rounded on Mickey and grabbed him roughly by the shoulders, leveling his eyes with an intense stare.
“You’ll not lie to me, Pan,” he ordered. “Tell me truthfully, or I swear to you…”
“It’s the truth!” Mickey proclaimed. “The Huntsman took Rose Red to the oldest tree in the forest just west of here. When they approached, the depths of the earth opened up to reveal a secret passageway, and they went below. Doctor, I think he took her to the underworld.”
“Like Hades abduction of Persephone,” the Doctor muttered to himself. “But does that make the Huntsman the Devil himself? We’ve got to get to Rose quickly!”
“Doctor,” Amy interrupted, “We’ll never be able to pass beyond that gateway by mortal means.”
“What means are you suggesting, then?” the Doctor demanded. "I'm not giving up so easily!"
Amy dug into her stolen bag of goods and extracted the golden lamp, shining dully under the glaring sun.
“Three wishes,” she replied. “I suggest we get started.”
“Wicked!” Mickey started as he stared in awe at the lamp. “Where’d you nick that?”
“Who says we nicked it?” Rory said defensively. “And nowhere! Mind your flock, Pan!”
Mickey jerked around and saw that his sheep we’re scattering off in all directions, and barely had time to grab his shepherd’s crook before running after them. But he’d only gone a few paces before turning around and bounding back toward the Doctor.
“You’re going to need more than luck,” he said breathlessly. “Take this, and don’t forget to think happy thoughts!”
The Doctor stared in confusion as Mickey ripped a leather pouch from around his neck and tossed it at him before scurrying back to his wayward sheep. The Doctor caught the pouch and eyed it curiously before turning back to his companions.
“Well?” he announced. “Shall we summon a genie?”
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