Chapter One

"Once upon a time, there was a kingdom that was ruled by a mighty king. As kings go, he was probably better than most, but he was neither an especially good or wise king. His kingdom was not large, but it had the usual: a castle, a few little towns, farms, forests and snow-covered mountains, although everyone only spoke in hushed voices when it came to them, since legend said that a powerful sorcerer had chosen those mountains as his realm.

"One day the king's daughter fell ill and grew weaker every day. Winter came, and the king was about to give up hope when suddenly three strangers appeared at his door. One of them said he was a physician, and the king pleaded with him to examine his daughter. The man did his bidding and soon discovered that the only cure was a rare flower that grew high up in the mountains, above the snowline.

"The king despaired. None of his knights would be willing to go there, despite how much they might boast about their braveness otherwise. The physician said that he didn't fear a random sorcerer, since he had probably encountered worse in his long life, and offered to go.

"When the two other strangers, a girl and a young man, said that they would accompany him on his quest the king's daughter pleaded with her father. She had taken a liking to the girl and wanted her to keep her company while they waited for the physician's return. The girl, kind at heart as she was, complied, and the young man decided to stay as well, since he had taken a liking to a chamber maid."

"That was not very nice of him, wasn't it? He should have gone with his friend," a tiny voice commented.

"Maybe. But he also didn't want to leave the girl alone, 'cos she was too jeopardy-friendly for her own good."

"Oh. But she would have been with the princess, wouldn't she? The knights would have protected her if something happened."

"Not if she did what she always did and wandered off on her own," the narrator said amusedly and continued, "So the physician bid them farewell and left the castle in search of the cure."

~o~o~o~

Rose stood on top of the highest tower of the castle, wrapped in a warm cape one of the maids had found for her, and stared into the white landscape.

"Something is wrong," she said, barely keeping her voice from shaking.

"You can't know that, Rose," Jack gave back reasonably. "It's only been twelve hours."

With blazing eyes she turned around, her cheeks reddened from the cold. "That's exactly the point, Jack. It's been twelve hours. He said he would take the TARDIS and park her in the courtyard when he got back. Two hours to get to the ship, a couple of minutes for the trip, one or two hours to get the flower, less than two hours to get back. Six hours at the most, Jack, not twelve. Something is wrong."

"Maybe it just took him longer to find the flower."

She gave him a look as if he had just dribbled on his coat. "He's not exactly searching the mountains without a clue where to look. Sentient time ship, remember? Do you honestly think she couldn't scan for it?"

"Well, if you put it that way..."

Rose took a step towards the door that led into the interior of the tower. When he didn't move she asked impatiently, "Are you coming?"

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Searching for him, of course." She opened the door.

"No, you're not," he said. "Do you see that?" She turned around, and Jack pointed at a wall of dark clouds that covered the entire western sky.

Rose nodded.

"In less than two hours we will have a full-fledged blizzard. You really don't want to be caught outside then. Let alone that we need transport and supplies."

"Okay," she acknowledged. "But as soon as it's safe we're going."

Nobody would be able to talk her out of this.

~o~o~o~

"See? It was good that Jack stayed behind. Otherwise Rose might have left the castle and got caught in the snowstorm."

"But what happened to the physician?"

The narrator grinned. "Impatient, you are. I wonder where you got that from. Just listen a bit more."

He adjusted his position on the bed and continued his tale. "As Jack had predicted, two hours later the blizzard began. While Rose hunted down warm clothes and supplies, Jack approached the king and asked if he would lend them two horses. Although the king didn't like the idea of them following their friend into danger he didn't deny their wish, 'cos the physician was the only person who knew how to cure his daughter.

"When the snowstorm finally subsided it was already getting dark, and even Rose had to admit that it would be better to wait until morning. She paced the hallways of the castle until Jack told her to save her strength and go to bed.

"Rose didn't sleep much that night. In the first light of the morning they left the castle on two huge brown horses and followed the street that would eventually lead them to the foot of the mountain."

~o~o~o~

Rose carefully steadied her mare. She had mounted it with a lot of respect, but the stable master had assured her that it was very patient. In the first two hours they had gone slowly, and Jack had explained how she should shift her weight and hold the reins.

She turned around and took in her surroundings. The landscape was breathtaking. The blizzard had covered everything with a thick layer of snow, and now the sun had finally broken through the clouds. Icicles sparkled like diamonds, and the brightness of the snow made her squint. She could barely make out the small farms they had seen on their way to the castle.

"How long till we get to the mountains?" she asked.

"Two days, at this rate."

"Can't we go faster?" She bit her lower lip, for the first time voicing her worries. "What if he is injured? Even he can't survive in the cold that long."

Jack gave her a long, considering glance. "Rose, you don't feel it right now, but riding is much more exhausting than you think. When we rest this evening you won't be able to move a limb, believe me." He grinned. "I'd offer you a massage, but then he would probably kill me."

The grin she gave him in return was forced, and it vanished quickly. "Still, I think we should go faster. I know something is wrong."

~o~o~o~

"Jack was right. When they finally reached the huge forest that separated them from the foot of the mountains and decided to rest there for the night Rose was barely able to walk, let alone help Jack putting up the small tent the king had given them.

"After a while she recovered enough to unload the horses. She found a few warm blankets and while Jack was searching for firewood she made two beds in the tent and cleared a part of the forest floor of snow. They had brought enough tinder and dry kindling to get a small fire going. It took a bit of work, but eventually the fire crackled merrily and after a while it was large enough to make tea, so they could warm up a bit. After a quiet dinner they crawled into the tent and cuddled together to share their warmth.

"The next morning, after a hurried breakfast, they packed the tent, mounted their horses and entered the forest. Every step got them closer to the realm of the mysterious sorcerer."

"Was there really a sorcerer?"

"You know, Rose was asking herself the same question."

~o~o~o~

"Do you think there really is a sorcerer, Jack?" Rose asked, her mare following his on a narrow path through the forest. They didn't even know if it actually led somewhere or if it just was something like a deer crossing. If there were deer on this planet.

"I don't know."

The answer was not what Rose had expected. She had thought he would just dismiss the thought, call her stupid and tell her that there was no such thing as a sorcerer.

"There are sorcerers?" she asked incredulously.

"I've encountered one on Hispaniola. The planet, of course, not the island. He had a gorgeous assistant. Very nice bum." He smirked. "Not as nice as yours, though."

"There's a time and a place, Jack," Rose chided, but her eyes sparkled. Then she became serious again. "But still, do you think he's a sorcerer?"

"As I said, I don't know. He might be a sorcerer, or an alien, or just an ordinary megalomaniac who wants everybody to live in fear..."

Jack never finished his sentence. Out of a sudden a wildcat the size of a puma appeared on the path directly in front of Rose's horse and hissed at her. Her mare snorted nervously. Rose winced and desperately tried to remember what Jack had told her about reining in a horse. Then the cat hissed again, and her mare reared up in fear. She lost the stirrups and her hands loosened their grip on the reins.

She had always laughed when people told her that something had happened in slow-motion. Now she saw the wildcat retreating into the covert and she could make out every scratch in the bark of the nearest tree before she landed on the snow-covered forest floor. Her horse vanished around the corner at a breakneck pace, and she could vaguely make out that Jack followed. Then darkness descended upon her.

When she regained consciousness Jack was nowhere in sight. With great effort she got up, steadied herself against a tree and took stock. Fortunately nothing was broken or sprained, although she could feel every single bone in her body and had a rather large bump at the back of her head. Then she turned her attention to the content of her pockets and discovered a chocolate bar, two biscuits and her TARDIS key. All in all, nothing that could help her in her current situation.

Rose leaned against the tree and tried to make a decision. After a few minutes of contemplating her alternatives she picked up a stick that was large enough to be used either as a club or a cane and followed the path in their previous direction.

~o~o~o~

"She wandered off?" the tiny voice asked. "Without knowing where Jack was? What if she got lost in the woods?"

"You know, this time she did have a reason," the narrator explained. "It was cold and she had to move if she didn't want to freeze to death. And she left directions for Jack before she went."

"Did she strew breadcrumbs? Like in Hansel and Gretel?"

"Nah. You know what happened in Hansel and Gretel. That would have been a really bad idea, and Rose wasn't stupid. She thought that an arrow made of pebbles and twigs would do nicely, and she knew she might need the bit of food she had."

"But why did Jack leave Rose?"

"He didn't have much of a choice. Rose's horse carried the supplies and the blankets, and he knew they wouldn't survive the night, let alone another snowstorm, if they didn't get them back."

He adjusted his long legs and leaned back against the headboard once again.

"As soon as he realised that Rose's mare had bolted, Jack spurred his own horse into a gallop. Unfortunately the horse had left the path and he couldn't keep up the speed, or he might have an accident himself. Eventually he lost sight of the panicked mare and slowed down to a fast walk, so he could read the marks from horseback.

"It took him almost an hour, but eventually Jack found Rose's horse meandering along the rim of the forest, occasionally nibbling at the moss that was growing on the trees. Although the horse made a bit of a fuss, mostly because it had decided that it liked its freedom, but also just out of principle, he finally caught it. Then he attached its reins to his saddle and slowly made his way back to the place where he had left Rose.

"It took him almost another hour to get there, and then he discovered that Rose was gone. At first he was worried, but few minutes later he found the arrows she had made and realised that she had wandered off." He grinned. "He really should have anticipated that."

~o~o~o~

Rose wandered slowly deeper into the forest. Sometimes she wasn't even sure if she was still following the path. It had been much easier to discern from horseback, and it certainly didn't help that the trees stood closer in this part of the forest. Although it was only two hours after noon it was almost dark beneath the trees, because the snow-covered spruce branches shut the light out.

Every once in a while she stopped for a brief rest. She hurt all over and she suspected in the evening her entire body would be covered in bruises, but she had to keep going. The temperature had dropped considerably in the last thirty minutes, or maybe it just seemed colder because she was so tired. She leant against a tree and closed her eyes for a minute.

She still worried about the Doctor. If he was injured he wouldn't survive in this cold long, despite the superior Time Lord physiology he kept mentioning. Or maybe the evil sorcerer had captured him, something that seemed to happen to them with surprising regularity. If there was an evil sorcerer. She wondered if he would wear a pointy hat or if that was just something out of a fairy tale. But maybe he had a black cat? And maybe it would hunt smurfs?

A rustling sound startled her. She realised that she had been about to fall asleep. She was just so tired, and the snow began to look really comfy. She desperately wanted to lie down for a proper rest, but she knew it would be her death. With sheer force of will she straightened herself and made the first step. She had to keep going. She was not going to give up. Nor was she going to abandon the Doctor.

The rustle repeated itself and Rose turned around, but she couldn't detect anything. Then she heard muffled thuds that seemed to come nearer and nearer. Eventually she could make out a dark form that moved in her direction, but it took her a few more seconds to realise what exactly she was seeing.

"Jack!" A smile lit up her face.

He jumped off his horse and smirked. "Rose! Next time we go anywhere you get to wear a collar and a leash."

She shoved him playfully. "You wish! Next time we go anywhere I get to wear a bikini, even if I have to bribe the TARDIS."

"I can live with that." He grinned at her.

"I bet." She grinned back. "Besides, becoming an ice block doesn't become me." She shivered involuntarily, and once she had begun she didn't seem to be able to stop.

He looked at her carefully. "Oh, Rose, I'm sorry. I didn't think it would take me so long." He searched the load on her horse.

"What are you looking for?" Her teeth chattered.

"Rose, you're close to being hypothermic. We've got to get something warm into you." He pulled out a warm blanket and wrapped her in it. Then he found the rest of the kindling and the tinder and set about to start a fire. "Keep walking," he advised her.

"But it's so cold," she whined. "I want to sit down."

"Rose, you have to keep your blood pressure up. Now walk!"

She had never heard such a commanding tone from him, but she complied, cursing him loudly. "Fine," he said. "Curse me. But walk."

During the next ten minutes she stomped through the snow like a petulant child and cursed him with increasing ferocity, interrupted by begging him to let her sit down. Eventually he handed her a mug of tea. She took it and sipped gratefully.

The hot tea did wonders for her. She felt how she slowly came to life again. Her fingers and feet began to prickle and the rest of her body began to hurt again. The cold had numbed it, and she hadn't even noticed. Maybe it had been a closer call than she had thought. "Thanks, Jack. I'm sorry for being such a bitch."

"Honey, there's nothing to be sorry for. Besides, you cursing me is definitely better than the Doctor killing me for letting you go into hypothermia." He hugged her and pressed a kiss on her forehead. Then he considered her appearance, and this time he looked satisfied. "Apart from putting you into a sauna this is the best we can achieve here. I think the worst is over."

Immediately her thoughts returned to the Doctor. "Do you think we can still make it to the foot of the mountain today? We lost so much time."

"Rose, are you sure?" He didn't sound entirely convinced that she could make it.

"Jack, I'm okay. Really." Seeing disbelief in his eyes she amended, "Well, maybe not okay, but definitely better than I was. My back is going to hurt no matter what. I'll just have to live with it." She would not let herself be talked out of this.

Jack took whatever he saw in her face as a cue not to be ignored and began to pack.