HOWLING HALLOW

Chapter Nineteen

"So now we wait," the Doctor said as Shen left him and Rose alone in the cave.

"At least they took it well," Rose said. "They're not gonna execute you for wearing David's skin.

"Well, to be honest, it would be a bit extreme for them to kill me since I had no idea the pelt belonged to a real lycan. I've seen so-called magical items before and that pelt could have been one."

"Do you think they'll let us leave now that we've found out where they live?"

"They better let us leave," the Doctor said. "I have no intention of staying here. I have planets to see and people to meet. If Max and his friends want to stay, that's fine, but don't come me in."

He sighed and stretched out on the floor. Putting his hands behind his head, he stared up at the ceiling while Rose went over to the bed and sat down on it. A half hour passed and then Rachel appeared at the cave entrance. The Doctor sat up and gave her a warm smile.

"Did you speak to the elders then?" he asked.

"Yeah. They said we could stay if we wanted to," Rachel said, coming inside the room.

"Good. I'm glad you lot can find a home here away from hunters," the Doctor said.

"They're still wondering about you though," Rachel said, sitting down beside him.

"Me and Rose?" the Doctor said.

"No, not Rose. Just you. They said that you told them you have no desire to be a full time lycan and they thought it strange that we adopted you when you aren't even gonna become one of us. I said that you helped us and in return we made you our litter mate. They want to speak to you again though. They asked me to come and get you."

"Rose as well?" the Doctor said, gesturing to her.

"No, just you."

"Ought-oh," Rose said.

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about," the Doctor said, getting up from the floor. "They probably want to know more about the funfair and what we found. I'll be back before you can chase your tails."

He left the room and walked back to the meeting room. When he got there, the elders were still sitting in their places but Max and the others were gone.

"You wanted to see me?" the Doctor said as he entered the room.

"Yes," Nicodemus said. "We wanted to ask a favor of you."

"Yes?"

"We wish you to go to the humans and act as our representative," Sylvia said. "We don't want to hurt the colonists but at the same time we want to live on the surface again. We have just as much right to the planet as they do."

"I'd be happy to do that," the Doctor said. "I'm glad to hear that you're trying diplomacy rather than wolfing out and slaughtering them."

"We are not the threat here," a male elder said, "we never have been. We're interested in peace and we'd be willing to share the land with the colonists if they'll let us live in peace."

"Then perhaps I can bring my friend, Rose, with me?" the Doctor said. "She can help me."

"Granted," Nicodemus said.

"And perhaps you can come as well?" the Doctor said to Nicodemus. "I can negotiate but it'd look better if someone from Howling Hallow came with me. You're the ones who want this peace, not me. I'm just helping."

"Very well, I will go with you," Nicodemus said. "But are you sure you don't want to become lycan? We have welcomed your friends into our society and you and Rose are welcome as well."

"I appreciate that but I'm a Time Lord. My job is to travel time and space and Rose travels with me. As long as you welcome my friends into your midst, we'll be happy just traveling on."

"Very well," Nicodemus said, rising. "With the council's permission, I will go and prepare myself for this diplomatic mission and we will leave for the surface."

Everyone else nodded their agreement and Nicodemus walked towards the Doctor.

"Come, my friend. We will get Rose and then you can wait while I change my clothes and prepare myself," he said.

The Doctor nodded and followed him out of the room. They walked back to the room and the Doctor told Rose to follow him. Rose bid Rachel goodbye and followed him. While they walked, the Doctor filled her in on what was happening.

"I'm glad they're trying to talk some sense into the villagers," Rose said while they walked. "D'ya think it'll work though?"

"One way to find out," the Doctor said with a shrug. "I just hope they don't shoot us on sight."

"Yes, that is my hope as well," Nicodemus said. "Especially since they hunted David down and slaughtered him."

"We don't know that," the Doctor said. "I bought that pelt at the fair so it may have been Brat and others who work for the fair who did that. The villagers may have had nothing to do with that."

"I hope you're right. It'd make things easier if we know they aren't trying to hunt us down. Wait here."

They stopped outside one of the rooms and the Doctor leaned against the wall beside the doorway. They waited while Nicodemus changed into a plain brown robe with a black sash around his waist and leather sandals for his feet. He then riffled through a large chest and pulled out several sheets of paper. Once he was finished with that, he went back outside and announced he was ready. The Doctor nodded and he and Rose followed Nicodemus back up to the surface.

They reached the surface and walked through the woods back to the dirt path. The sun was coming up and the air was crisp and cold. It took some time to walk back to the village and by the time they reached it, the air had warmed up and the sun was on its way into the sky. There were a few people outside the homes, going about their business. The Doctor glanced at his friends and the three of them stepped out of the forest and headed for a large, muscular man who was pulling a cart filled with milk jugs. The Doctor called to him to stop and he halted and smiled warmly at them.

"Good morning, need some milk?" he said, pointing to the milk jugs.

"No, actually, we need to see the person or persons who run this town," the Doctor said.

"That would be Mayor Tartar. What business do you have with him?"

"We are from Howling Hallow and we want to negotiate for peace and for the lycan's right to live peacefully on the surface without being hunted or tormented by the humans," the Doctor said.

The man's eyes bulged at the mention of Howling Hallow and he backed up several paces in fear.

"We're not gonna hurt ya," Rose said. "We just want to talk to the mayor. Please can you tell us where he's at? We only want peace."

The man gave them a wary look and stood there for a moment. Finally, he nodded and motioned for them to follow him.

"I hope you know that this peace talk of yours might not be successful," he said as they walked to the end of town. "Not many people want the werewolves living beside them."

"Not many people know the true nature of the werewolves," the Doctor said. "That's why they fear them but we hope to dispel that fear and show the townspeople that we won't hurt them."

"That's honorable but I'm just giving you fair warning," the man said. "But follow me, the mayor's house is this way."

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