The Monster in the Cold (Clara, PM to join)

A few more moments passed until Clara had finished her tea to the point where one of the younger staff members of the Inn, a boy, came over and asked "Want a refill, ma'am?" After she gave her answer he looked around at everyone before leaning down and whispering "You're looking for the monster, right? Will was taking about it." He looked back to make sure no one was looking before saying "Maybe it's none of my business to say, mainly because everyone thinks I'm batty whenever I says it. But a while ago, before the monster showed up, I saw a ghost." He let her take it in before saying "I know it sounds funny, but it WAS a ghost. I know it. A ghost of a knight, I think. It was around the old ruins across the lake. I bet it was guarding the place even in death. Or whatever ghosts do. No one else ever saw it, but maybe it's connected. If not...well maybe you could at least catch it if you don't find the monster."

He answered the location with "The old highland castle McFarless. Across the Loch from here. Can't miss it."

Afterwards he hurried off back to work before bringing back her tea to go. When she left Will watched as she did, a worried look on his face as he saw her make for the Loch. He turned back to the boy and gave him a disagreeing look at what he'd done.

As Clara investigated there came a point where she would hear something in the bushes in front of her. They rustled loudly to the point where something was certain to jump out. However it turned out to be a pair of deer who'd been spooked by the light and the sound of her approaching before scampering off.

While Clara was looking away from the water something had been watching from beneath the surface. It could hear her calling out from underneath but did not react, not until she was looking away with the light not shining anywhere near it. After that it slowly swam up to the surface and burst from the water to create a giant splash that would distract her.

One clawed hand reached out and smacked the flashlight away while the other grabbed her ankle and tripped her to her back. It was too dark for her to see what it was, only that the two red eyes she'd been told about were looking at her as the thing growled and pulled. It pulled her close enough to the water that her feet were in the freezing Loch.

Surprisingly it did not pull any further afterwards, instead letting her go. It had snagged one of her shoes as it swam off, the outline of it swimming against the surface of the water. It was heading off across to the otherwise, twoards the castle ruins the boy had mentioned before.

Hamish had been sitting by the fireplace when he heard the sound of screaming. His wife was already asleep upstairs but he knew that whoever it was needed his help fast. He grabbed his coat and flashlight before running out and eventually finding Clara standing by the shore.

"Ms. Oswald?" he asked before seeing it was her. "What the hell happened to you?" He ran down to her and examined her, seeing she was wet and shivering and missing a shoe. "Why are you all wet? Where's you shoe? Did.....did you go for a swim or something?" He then shined his flashlight toward the water before asking "What was it? The monster? Did you see it? Say something, girl?"

When Clara said she'd tripped he looked oddly at her. Given the way she screamed and all that couldn't have just been from tripping, could it? And then she lost her shoe in the mud? He looked around not even seeing it and wondered if maybe she was just playing with him. But then she was even more strange for asking to go out towards the other side of the Loch where the old ruins of McFarless castle.

"You want to go out there, lass?" he asked, pointing out to it. "That old place is nothing but a ruin? Think you'll find your shoe there or something?" After she gave his reasons he sighed and said "Fine, fine. There's a fishing wharf over in the village. You can rent out a boat. But I warn you, Ms Oswald, don't go looking for trouble or anything out there."

After that he lead her to the wharf, helped her get a boat, and then stood out on the dock and watched as she made her way over to the ruins. The whole time he watched he shook his head with regret. Regret for not stopping her and regret that his fear of what was out there made him stay behind.

The creature had watched as Clara approached from the boat, but not from the water. It was looking through one of the windows of the ruins. Seeing her is hissed loud enough for her to hear before scuttling off somewhere inside.

As Clara would investigate further into the ruins she would find her shoe laying on the ground next to a wall where the words "Leave Now" were crudely carved. Near that was a small opening which lead into a dank looking cave. A small breeze could be felt from inside, one that was as cold as the air around her. The echoing sounds of dripping indicated water as well.

This would have had to have been the monster's hiding place. So out of view and away from prying eyes. And any who would dare come near were doomed or scared enough to run after seeing or hearing signs of some beast nearby.

From the cave the Martian heard what she said before calling "Go away, human!" with a hiss that followed.

To anyone else it would seem like talking to a ghost or some undead creature in the cave. At least for Clara she'd heard the Martian's speak before. Compared to Saldak, however, this one sounded sightly younger. The best comparison would be a 40 year old man's voice against a 20 year old one.

When she spoke of knowing his kind the Martian said "If you truly know my people, then you know not to come any closer if you value your life." Then she asked about why he was on Earth, to which he hissed "That is none of your concern. Now leave, before I see you dead by my hands!" But then she said how she was unarmed an an angered hissed followed before he said "Just leave me alone!"

The warrior still watched her from his spot in the cave, all the time giving small hisses as she spoke. He was considering her words, how she warned that the humans around the area would come to harm him just because they were afraid. If he could he would laugh at the idea.

"I do not fear the humans." he hissed. "You are correct. I am a warrior. And if they attack one of us, they...." he trailed off as he remembered his situation. Instead of explaining to her he simply hissed more to the human "I will not fear the humans if they come for me. They will see what a real fighter is if they try to come for me. They already lost one of their war beasts when it attacked me. It proved weak against me, even without my armor. Imagine what I can do when I stomp through that tiny village fulled armed and ready for battle?"

But then she mentioned her friend who helped one of his people again. He remembered her saying it before, not really paying attention. Humans had never heard of Ice Warriors in this time, let alone actually making it to Mars and meeting it's people. How did she know? But then he began to remember some of the stories passed through his people.

"This friend of yours?" he asked. "Is he known as 'the Doctor'?"

There was silence from the cave at the mention of the Doctor and then later the mention of Grand Marshal Skaldak. The Martian inside had stopped hissing and was silent as the grave for a moment. He was thinking to himself, yet for Clara it could've meant anything from pondering to attack or trying to figure who she was.

In a moment two red eyes opened up from the darkness of the cave, looking right into Clara's. The Martian looked at her, seeing her face and examining it. He was trying to see if she was lying or not. Given enough time he could tell she wasn't. She'd seen Skaldak and knew of the Doctor. She encountered his kind before, and one of the greatest heroes of his people.

A scaly claw hand beckoned her forward and his voice hissed "Come inside."

When she would, Clara would find a cavern smoothed out by age hidden right under the ruins. It was spacious enough for her to walk around and see the roof was far above like one in a palace. There was a small rock formation in the center and a pool nearby that obviously lead to the Loch's waters. And in the corner of the room, standing upright against a rock formation, was the Martian's Ice Warrior armor. It was empty of course but there were remains of vegetables and other things scarrted near it.

But there was no sigh as of yet where the Martian itself was.

Hiding in the darker parts of the cave, always moving and scuttling about, the Martian watched as Clara entered before she spoke, asking questions. He was hesitant to answer at first before finally given a decent answer.

"Skaldak spoke of the Doctor before." he hissed as his voiced echoed in the cave. "He told of how he saved not only his life, but his honor. We'd thought him lost forever before he was returned to us." And then when she asked how he was he said "He returned to his home before the ages finally caught up with his body. He died as honorable as he was a hero to our people. He became an inspiration of the longevity of the Martian's prowess throughout the universe."

As he spoke his voice was hard to pin-point where he was, given the echoing. And he was always moving from one spot to another, even when Clara would flash her light towards where she thought he was. Clearly this Martian knew the advantages of being out of the armor as much as being in one. But for Clara this should've been confusing since he WAS out of the armor, being that this was a dishonorable thing for Martians.

"I answer your questions." he hissed. "Now you will answer mine. Where is the Doctor now?"

Asking his name the Martian said "I am Zalatar. Ice Warrior of Clan......"

He stopped and was quite for a long time. Obviously something was wrong with this Martian. He didn't speak with pride like Skaldak and seemed less enthusiastic about being in the armor, otherwise he'd have been inside by now.

When he spoke again he said "If you do not know where the Doctor is....then there is no point in speaking anymore. There is nothing you can do for me."

The more she tried to speak with him the more resentment he was feeling towards her. Talking? What good would talking do a warrior? There was nothing in speech with a human that would help. He was ready to strike her if it meant getting rid of her....and yet he couldn't. A part of him was holding back. He felt that there may, just may, be something she could do to help him. Whatever it was she could do he only hoped it was what he needed.

A heavy sigh and hiss came before he said "I was not lost here like Skaldak. I am....in exile. I dishonored myself and my rank as a soldier. My people would never look kindly upon such a disgrace as myself....so I came to this planet. I found this place. The place of cold waters. I hoped that somewhere here I could regain my honor....but what honor is there among the humans?"