The Doctor sat silently on the top of a hill looking down at the small
cluster of timber buildings surrounded by a deep circular ditch. Most of
the buildings were fairly small but a few were larger and there was one was
a very big stone building. This biggest building was the great hall where
the Brigadier was still curled up on the floor near the hearth, sleeping
off the previous night's excesses. The great grey hunting hound that had
been following him all day was probably still resting his head on the old
man's legs.
When the Doctor had first told the Brigadier that he was going to visit an old friend at the Palace of King Offa the old soldier had expected something very grand. But palaces in eighth century England were very different. This collection of huts was the Palace and capitol of the greatest ruler on the island of Britain. This was the Palace of Offa, King of Mercia and Overlord of all the other English Kings. Beothric, the King of Wessex, had just married Offa's daughter and departed for his own Palace in Chedar a few days ago after coming to pay homage to his overlord and new father in law. It was in this post celebration atmosphere that the Doctor and the Brigadier had arrived.
However, the Doctor had not been visiting the King but a young monk by the name of Leoffric. Leoffric was only in his early twenties but he was already a renowned scholar and Offa had taken him from his sheltered monastic home and made him one of his senior officials. Offa was always quick to spot a man of value. This was not what the Doctor had planed for his young protege but the cards had now been dealt and he was determined to make sure things did not go any further astray.
The Doctor could not quite remember why he had thought this was a good time to leave Leoffric. It was 783 Ad and a very strange time in England's history. The Viking raids would not seriously start for another 10 years, King Alfred would not create a single English state for over 100 years and the Norman Conquest was still nearly 300 years in the future. But it was also a time when England was one of the richest and most peaceful places in Europe.
Offa was the powerful master of all England south of the Humber and could stand shoulder to shoulder with Charlemagne, king of Franks and Irene, Empress of Constantinople. This modest collection of huts was one of the three most important places in Europe and Leoffric was at the very heart of it and that made the Doctor very uncomfortable. The whole idea had been to hide the boy away where he could not affect the history of the world around him.
The Doctor stood up and began to make his way down the Hill towards the enclosure. He would wake the Brigadier and then he would demand to see Leoffric. They had been waiting for three days and even though he had been welcomed and made very comfortable he had found the excuse that the King's clerk was still too busy to see him unsettling.
********************* The Brigadier woke with a stinking hangover. He was not entirely sure what it was he had been drinking last night but he could still taste it on the inside of his eyeballs.
The Brigadier could feel a warm and wet sensation against his face. When he opened his eyes he found the large hunting hound licking away at him. The Brigadier tried to push the hound away from his face but in his aged and hazy state he was not fining it easy.
"Ruff, leave him alone" said a young voice.
The licking stopped and the Brigadier looked up for the first time. He saw the large grey hound plodding across the hall towards a young man who was standing by the grand main doors.
The young man was not wearing the usual decorated tunics or long hair that most of the young men of the King's court wore. Neither did he sport the bushy beard that was the fashion amongst the elders. His hair was short, his face was clean-shaven and he was wearing a plain white monk's habit.
"You must be the Doctor's companion," said the young monk.
The Brigadier struggled to his feet and faced the other man. He squinted through the sleepy haze in front of his eyes to get a closer look of the monk's face.
"Yes I am, you can call me Sir, most of my acquaintances do" said the Brigadier.
"And what do you friends call you?" asked the monk.
"Well that's for them to know and for you to earn, but I answer to Brig on a good day" replied the Brigadier.
The monk nodded as the hound circled around his feet while occasionally looking up at his face for reassurance.
"Well then Brig, my friends call me Leo," said the monk.
The Brigadier nodded.
"Have you seen the Doctor this morning" asked Leo.
"Well not really, I have only just woken up. The last time I saw him he was wagging an agitated finger at the King during the feasting last night" replied the Brigadier.
"Yes, that sounds like him" replied the monk.
The Brigadier could not disagree with that statement.
"Let me properly introduce myself. I am Brother Leoffric and I have been waiting for the Doctor for a very, very long time" said the monk.
"Alistair, Leo." Exclaimed the Doctor as he entered through the huge doorway.
"Ah Doctor there you are, I take it this is the young man you are looking for" said the Brigadier.
The Doctor nodded.
"You certainly kept me waiting long enough," said Leo.
The Doctor began to shift guiltily.
"I'm sorry," he said.
"It's OK. I know the sort of life you lead, Father," said Leo.
****************************************
When the Doctor had first told the Brigadier that he was going to visit an old friend at the Palace of King Offa the old soldier had expected something very grand. But palaces in eighth century England were very different. This collection of huts was the Palace and capitol of the greatest ruler on the island of Britain. This was the Palace of Offa, King of Mercia and Overlord of all the other English Kings. Beothric, the King of Wessex, had just married Offa's daughter and departed for his own Palace in Chedar a few days ago after coming to pay homage to his overlord and new father in law. It was in this post celebration atmosphere that the Doctor and the Brigadier had arrived.
However, the Doctor had not been visiting the King but a young monk by the name of Leoffric. Leoffric was only in his early twenties but he was already a renowned scholar and Offa had taken him from his sheltered monastic home and made him one of his senior officials. Offa was always quick to spot a man of value. This was not what the Doctor had planed for his young protege but the cards had now been dealt and he was determined to make sure things did not go any further astray.
The Doctor could not quite remember why he had thought this was a good time to leave Leoffric. It was 783 Ad and a very strange time in England's history. The Viking raids would not seriously start for another 10 years, King Alfred would not create a single English state for over 100 years and the Norman Conquest was still nearly 300 years in the future. But it was also a time when England was one of the richest and most peaceful places in Europe.
Offa was the powerful master of all England south of the Humber and could stand shoulder to shoulder with Charlemagne, king of Franks and Irene, Empress of Constantinople. This modest collection of huts was one of the three most important places in Europe and Leoffric was at the very heart of it and that made the Doctor very uncomfortable. The whole idea had been to hide the boy away where he could not affect the history of the world around him.
The Doctor stood up and began to make his way down the Hill towards the enclosure. He would wake the Brigadier and then he would demand to see Leoffric. They had been waiting for three days and even though he had been welcomed and made very comfortable he had found the excuse that the King's clerk was still too busy to see him unsettling.
********************* The Brigadier woke with a stinking hangover. He was not entirely sure what it was he had been drinking last night but he could still taste it on the inside of his eyeballs.
The Brigadier could feel a warm and wet sensation against his face. When he opened his eyes he found the large hunting hound licking away at him. The Brigadier tried to push the hound away from his face but in his aged and hazy state he was not fining it easy.
"Ruff, leave him alone" said a young voice.
The licking stopped and the Brigadier looked up for the first time. He saw the large grey hound plodding across the hall towards a young man who was standing by the grand main doors.
The young man was not wearing the usual decorated tunics or long hair that most of the young men of the King's court wore. Neither did he sport the bushy beard that was the fashion amongst the elders. His hair was short, his face was clean-shaven and he was wearing a plain white monk's habit.
"You must be the Doctor's companion," said the young monk.
The Brigadier struggled to his feet and faced the other man. He squinted through the sleepy haze in front of his eyes to get a closer look of the monk's face.
"Yes I am, you can call me Sir, most of my acquaintances do" said the Brigadier.
"And what do you friends call you?" asked the monk.
"Well that's for them to know and for you to earn, but I answer to Brig on a good day" replied the Brigadier.
The monk nodded as the hound circled around his feet while occasionally looking up at his face for reassurance.
"Well then Brig, my friends call me Leo," said the monk.
The Brigadier nodded.
"Have you seen the Doctor this morning" asked Leo.
"Well not really, I have only just woken up. The last time I saw him he was wagging an agitated finger at the King during the feasting last night" replied the Brigadier.
"Yes, that sounds like him" replied the monk.
The Brigadier could not disagree with that statement.
"Let me properly introduce myself. I am Brother Leoffric and I have been waiting for the Doctor for a very, very long time" said the monk.
"Alistair, Leo." Exclaimed the Doctor as he entered through the huge doorway.
"Ah Doctor there you are, I take it this is the young man you are looking for" said the Brigadier.
The Doctor nodded.
"You certainly kept me waiting long enough," said Leo.
The Doctor began to shift guiltily.
"I'm sorry," he said.
"It's OK. I know the sort of life you lead, Father," said Leo.
****************************************