Eventually the group of us neared a place where the land grew rocky with many shelves and drop-offs. One flat area bypassed the sheer drop-off. It was fenced. This was the border between two lands. People were crowded together on both sides. Dozens of voices rose and fell, muttering and crying.
As we drew near, someone tore away from the crowd. It was a child. He managed to get by the guards and hurled himself at me, clinging on tightly and sobbing.
“Stop that, get back!” said Rayin, grabbing him around the middle. As the child was hauled off me I caught sight of his face. It was Bug.
“Bug,” I said beginning to tear up. “Stop. Let him come to me,” I said. “Bug,” I said quietly, not knowing what else to do.
“Glad, they took Mama. I don’t know where she is.”
“Glad, you know this child?” one of the guards asked me. I’d heard her called Kenwa.
“I know his family. They aren’t violent. His mother is pregnant. She’s hardly a threat.”
Crest said, “She may have been taken for questioning. There’s a holding area over this way. If she is there, we’ll find her.”
Kenwa, Crest and I took Bug and moved away from the group. I looked into the crowd and saw Hav watching us. He nodded at me, but didn’t follow us. So he knew me and still trusted me as family. This was good. After a few minutes Crest noticed a large scrape on Bug’s knee and stopped to put a bandage over it, humming softly as he did so. A few steps ahead of them I spoke quietly to Kenwa. “Kenwa. I traveled with these people. They are escaping violence, not bringing it. Bug’s father was leading a large group seeking safety here. Is there nothing that can be done to help them?”
Kenwa said, “No offense, Glad, but leading a large group? It’s probably a gang. Those are the type we need to keep out. I have sympathy for this child. He can’t help the dangerous folk who raised him. Maybe he could stay. My husband has talked about wanting a child. See how he connects with the boy? We could adopt him.”
“He already has parents,” I said.
We came to a building with several more guards in front of it. Kenwa spoke to them. “Aru, we are looking for this child’s mother. We think she may be here.”
Aru shrugged.“There were two here earlier. One was a woman. We didn’t get any answers out of her. She took ill and has been moved to the medical house.”
The medical house was not far off. I prompted Kenwa and Crest to hurry, fearing for Chalynge. Inside we found both Chalynge and Dare. Chalynge was lying on a bed. Dare held her hand. “Mama!” said Bug. He rushed over to her. I followed behind.
“Chalynge?” I said. When I got close I could see her face was a little too pale. Her clothes were wrinkled and the hem of her skirt had become so muddy it was stained a dark ugly brown. After a second I realized it wasn’t mud. Crest joined me. He stared uncomprehending at the stains then sucked in his breath. He began to sing,
I will take my heart in my chest and put it next to-
Kenwa interrupted, “Crest! Why do you sing? They are Southfolk.”
“But, she’s injured. The healing song must help her,” said Crest.
“It isn’t for them,” Kenwa insisted.
“Why not?” I said.
“Well I, I- it just isn’t,” Kenwa stammered.
“But I sang it for the child. It is for everyone,” Crest said. Kenwa frowned but said no more. Chalynge opened her eyes and saw me.
“Glad? You’ve brought me Bug. Now I have my two children.”
“Two,” said Dare pointedly, looking at me. Chalynge closed her eyes again.
“Tell me this woman will recover,” I begged one of the attendants.
“She will, and no thanks to those guards; they have not dealt gently with her!” the attendant snapped at me.
Dare crossed the room and returned with a cup of water for Bug, having a little herself first. As Bug drank she turned to face me. Standing as tall as her stature would allow, she hissed at me through clenched teeth. “What do you want with us? It’s clear you possess great magic. It’s been weeks since we saw you fade away. Now you come to us, walking with the enemy. Don’t you know the evil they are? They have killed my sister this day. The ancestors will burn them alive for it. And how do you suppose they will deal with you?” As she spoke her words grew louder and louder so they filled the room with their intensity.
“Dare,” Chalynge breathed, “Enough.” Dare glared at me but was silent. Crest and Kenwa moved toward the door. As they stepped outside I followed.
“Kenwa, that woman lost her child. And her daughter was astute enough; we did that. We failed her. Have you never heard Aru bragging about the bruises he leaves? We should have addressed this long ago.”
“We’ve done our jobs Crest,” Kenwa said, hesitating.
“How long can you keep doing them, now you’ve seen what it really means?” I said.
“She’s right. This isn’t who we are. Maybe it never was. We must leave the guards and find something else,” said Crest.
“Close,” I said, “but you can do more. Now you see the problem. It’s time to fix it.”
“How can we?”
“First I’d say we need to get back to the border and stop any more violence between your guards and the Southfolk there,” I replied.
“Looks like you won’t have to,” came Dare’s voice. She’d followed us outside and stole up behind us. She pointed in the direction of a crowd of approaching Southfolk. As they grew nearer I could see that Hav was at the front of the pack.
“Hav!” I cried out, running to meet them. “How did you get through?”
“Fighting broke out. I tried to stop it, but I’m afraid one of the guards is dead. We came through in the confusion. Were you able to find Chalynge?”
“She’s inside with Bug.”
“Good! She and the children should stay put. We head to the castle. I must speak with the king’s man there, and quickly, before more lives are lost on either side.”
While Hav was still speaking a strong breeze kicked up out of nowhere. A familiar noise filled my ears. The creaking, gear sticking, groan was unmistakable. “Doctor?” I said, incredulous.
The TARDIS materialized in front of us and The Doctor opened the door and looked out, followed by the man I’d seen at the castle.