Rachael was startled by the winged creature. It fell toward them silent as velvet. It circled then landed on the travelers shoulder. Its vicious yellow talons were digging into his shoulder. Rachael gazed at the huge white owl; the owl itself regarded her then turned to look at the traveler, Screech!

The traveler smiled then looked toward Rachael, “He says his name is Lars, and he is a good friend of Legion’s.  Apparently, he’s looking after us on our journey in the stead of the mighty black cat.”

Rachael stared at the beautiful white bird sitting on his shoulder. She had never seen an owl in real life, apart from the dead one that stared at her from the stairway window shelf.

He was magnificent; she had never realized how huge they were.  Lars had a sense of predatory superiority. It was the eyes that affected Rachel the most; those eyes, they were just huge and deep and she could see all knowledge in them.  

Then with a silent flap of his wings he was away. Rachael watched. It was as though he moved in different time and space. He seemed to move so slowly but the downdraft hit her face.

She watched the owl until it disappeared into the thick tree branches.

“Wow!” she exclaimed. The traveler was smiling at her.

They started walking again; Rachael occasionally looking up to see if the bird was really following them.

“He won’t let you see him. Stealth, that’s their thing,” said the traveler. “He says he is the incarnate of a knight that used to patrol here for an old king.”

It was a cute thing she thought, pretending he could understand creatures, probably used it in his street act.

“Yeah, okay Doctor Doolittle.” “Doctor Who?”

“No, not him.  Doctor Doolittle, you know, he could talk to the animals.”

The traveler stopped and looked at her intensely, “He could?”

Rachael started to sing, “If I could talk to the animals, walk with the animals….”

The traveler interrupted, “They made songs about him?”

“Well, yes, but he wasn’t. . .”

“And this other Doctor you speak of?”

“What?”

“The Doctor Who?”

“Well he travels through time and space, and…”

“He does?” interrupted the dark man once again. “Do these Doctors live here in the valley?”

Rachael grabbed his arm and pulled him into a walk again. “Let’s just get to the pub.”

“Yes, of course, but I would like to know more about these Doctor friends of yours.”

“Okay.”

Way above the moon was glad he had walked with these two.