Disclaimer: Doctor Who and its respective creations belong to the BBC and their respective creations. I own nothing just using them for this fanfic. Some characters are original creations invented for the purpose of the story.

Author Note: I intend this to be one part of a series of stories staring the Doctor, Amy, Rory and one of the Doctor's former companions, however, it may take a while to upload the whole series as I am due to start university in a month and may not have the time available to write. I will update this story with a new chapter each evening as it is already written.

The Highlander and the Sea Monster

"Never shall I forget the days I spent with you. Continue to be my friend, as you will always find me yours."

Ludwig van Beethoven

Chapter 1

The wind whistled and howled its way through the Highlands as a lone figure crossed the desolate moors. The man was in his early 30s with ginger hair and a rough beard. He carried a caber and a dirk and wore the traditional dress of the Scottish clans. His tartan was red and green with black and red, thus identifying the man as belonging to the clan MacLean of Deart, on the Isle of Mull. The man's name was Donald MacLean; several years ago he and his cousin had come to work on the crofts near Inverness, where Donald had met and married a local girl, Muirgen McDowell.

Donald had been lucky. After the Jacobite defeat at Culloden the English Army, often known as the Redcoats, had been searching the Highlands for any Highlanders involved in the failed Rebellion whom they not already been caught and arrested. Two days ago Donald had been caught by the army at Culloden Moor and had been forced to march the three miles to Inverness where the Duke of Cumberland had emptied the gaols of all previous prisoners and filled them full of the captured Jacobites instead.

Fortunately, Donald had managed to escape from the young and, therefore, inexperienced soldiers who had been tasked with escorting him to Inverness and was now making his way back to Culloden to warn the others who were still out there that the Duke of Cumberland and his man were coming to find them and rid the Highlands of the "Jacobite menace" once and for all.

Unfortunately, as often is the way in the Scottish Highlands, a mist soon began to descend on poor Donald MacLean. Like all Highlanders Donald was accustomed to the dense mists that often settled in Scotland but it was difficult to see and, being from Mull, he did not know the area well and he soon became lost.

Eventually, the mist cleared slightly and Donald found himself on a remote beach. Weary and completely lost he decided to have a rest on the soft, grassy dunes beneath his feet. Before long he had drifted off to sleep completely unaware that he was being watched!

When Donald awoke, several hours later, it was dusk and the sun was beginning to set. The Highlander began to panic. He needed to get back to Culloden and warn the others that the Duke of Cumberland was on his way to find and arrest them but he knew he would never get there on time. Oh if only he hadn't slept for so long!

Suddenly, he heard a rustling sound nearby. Instinctively, he grabbed his dirk with the full intention of using it if he needed to. A lone figure stepped out of the bushes, followed by another and another until there is soon a sizeable group of women surrounding him. If Donald had been an observant man he would have noticed an unusual feature about all these women. They all layer of skin between their fingers and toes; giving a webbed appearance.

'Don't come any closer!' Donald says, pointing his dirk at them, 'I ken how tae us this an' I will if I have tae.'

'We mean ye nay harm, Donald MacLean, we are on your side,' a women with blonde hair answers.

On hearing the Scottish drawl in the woman's voice Donald relaxes his hand. 'Who are ye, how dae ye ken my name?' he asks.

'We are friends of ye wife, Muirgen,' the woman answers. 'What are ye doing out here without the rest of ye clan. Should ye no' be hiding in case the Redcoats find ye?'

Donald explained that he had already escaped from the Redcoats and that he was on his way back to Culloden to tell his clansmen that the Redcoats were on their way but he got lost in the mist and fallen asleep.

'An' now I'll no' get back tae the moor afore the Redcoats dae. It's all lost.'

'Disna' worry!' the woman exclaimed. 'We ken a short cut that will get ye back there afore the Redcoats arrive.'

'Please, show me the way!'

For several minutes they made their way over the dunes. When it seemed to Donald they were heading the wrong way he piped up:

'Are ye sure this is a shortcut?'

His companions turned to face him, an evil smile upon their faces.

'Nay,' their leader spoke, 'this is nae shortcut. This is where ye die, Donald MacLean!'

'What? I thought ye were Scots, loyal tae the Prince.'

'That we are,' the woman replied, 'but we are no' loyal to people who hurt our sister!'

'Sister, what sister?'

'Muirgen,' the woman stated. 'We know how you have beaten and abused her and now it is time to make ye pay!'

Before Donald could react several of the group had pinned him to ground. He desperately tried to reach his dirk but Muirgen's sister was too quick for him and got to it first. She stabbed Donald thrice through the heart. When she was sure the man was dead she ordered her sisters to strip the body of its skin. When the task was done she spat at the body and hissed:

'Now ye'll ne'er hurt our sister again!'

Then she and her sisters made their way towards the sea, leaving the skinned body to rot upon the beach.