It was a cool autumn evening and Merlin's work was complete. Arthur's chambers had been fully cleaned, his clothes washed, his boots polished, his dinner cooked and his stables mucked out. It was the only time of the day when Merlin knew that Arthur's long list of chores would finish for the day because he was asleep. Even Arthur couldn't order him around when he wasn't awake. Merlin, as usual, went down to the woods just after dusk. As he walked, he listened to the sounds around him. There were birds chirping in the orange-red trees, hushed voices in nearby houses and the distant sound of the wind whistling through the surrounding valleys. It was peaceful.
When he arrived at the woods, Merlin placed his satchel, which was half filled with a few slices of bread and some wine, on the ground by a towering oak tree and settled himself in front of it. He felt himself beginning to doze off after a few minutes, but shook himself awake so that he didn't end up in the woods all night. After he had sat there for an hour and finished off half the bottle of wine, he heard a muffled voice coming from a dense patch of trees to his right. "Wasn't supposed to end up here-" was all that he could make out from the whispering that was coming increasingly closer. Standing up, Merlin gathered his thoughts in case he would have to use magic without any notice. But when the person emerged from the mist of the trees, Merlin saw someone that he didn't expect.
The man was of average height and had dark brown scruffy hair that had probably never seen a brush. He wore a confused face, which had sharp cheekbones and striking blue eyes that looked youthful but aged at the same time. His brown jacket was patched up in several places, and his light blue shirt buttoned to the top. Around his collar could be seen a scarlet bow tie placed slightly wonky, whether intentional or not, Merlin didn't know. His clothes were like nothing he had ever seen before, people in Camelot dressed entirely differently. Something about the way the man stood showed that he hadn't noticed that Merlin was there. He was looking at something that Merlin couldn't see behind a tree.
"Why did you bring me here?" The man said, seemingly to no one. Merlin grew more confused and curious by the minute. In the end, he decided to confront him.
"Hello?" The man turned round so quickly he almost knocked Merlin over.
"Hello!" He said. He seemed ecstatic to see him. "I didn't think maintenance would be here so quickly, the new model is a nightmare for navigation." Merlin didn't have a clue what he was talking about.
"I don't have a clue what you're talking about." Might as well say it as it is.
"The TARDIS is playing up again; she keeps landing me in the middle of fields and woods. I just want to get to the tea party." Merlin was completely clueless as to what was happening. He didn't want to be rude, however, and persevered.
"Why are you in the woods at midnight?" he asked. The strange man looked at him again.
"I told you! The TARDIS landed here and now I can't get out!" he exclaimed.
"I don't have a clue what a TARDIS is."
"Time And Relative Dimension In Space. She's a ship. Travels in time. Space. The lot." Unlike anyone the man had spoken to before, Merlin didn't laugh. Or say that it was impossible. Magic existed, why not time travel?
"Show me." He said, impatient now.
"Might do when I fix her. I guess that means you're not from maintenance." This time, Merlin did laugh. He was useless at fixing things.
"At least tell me your name then."
"My name? My name is The Doctor."
