Mordred's Army

by Lancelotlaureate

Arriving back in Camelot, the team are horrified to discover that Mordred has kidnapped Queen Guinevere and cast a shadow over the kingdom. (Sequel to Carry on to Camelot)

"Surprised to be here are you, Sir Knight?" Mordred said as he circled the knight's body that was in a heap on the floor, refusing to look up, his clothes all torn and bloodied. He had been severely beaten and was now barely conscious.

"Did you hear me, Sir Lancelot?"

He looked down at his prisoner. The hatred for the knight was apparent in his intense and unforgiving stare. He crouched down and forced the knight into a seating position.

"I have a little surprise in store for you."

"And I for you," the knight let out in a whisper as he groaned in agony at his condition. He finally looked up, his handsome face now full of cuts and bruises, and his hair long and pasted to his face with sweat and blood. His eyes still portrayed a sense of optimism and within the blueness of them they glistened brightly and with pride.

As Mordred laughed manically beside him, relishing that he finally had Sir Lancelot at his mercy- the captured knight looked away from his captor and let out a smile.

...

The TARDIS materialised in the overgrown, dense woods of the kingdom of Camelot and as the travellers stepped outside of its magical doors it was obvious that they were indeed in a place quite familiar. The castle in the distance looked much the same as the place they had visited a while ago when Susan had been with them- the place of magic, knights and tournaments. It had been a long time since they'd been there but there was definitely something amiss about the picture that they couldn't quite ascertain.

"It's a castle!" Vicki squealed in delight at the sight before her, having never seen it before like her friends had done on a previous adventure.

"Doctor, it's Camelot again," Barbara let out in astonishment. "It's definitely the same place, I'd recognise it anywhere."

"Camelot?" Vicki spluttered. "Isn't that in books and things, you know with the round table and Arthur and all that? It's not real is it?"

"Ordinarily my dear, I'd say not," the Doctor told her. "But there's something more to this place than meets the eye. It's a very long story."

"How did we end up here again, Doctor?" Ian asked.

"Ah well, I suppose it means that the fast return switch is working again."

"Not exactly," Ian remarked. "First it took us back to the beginning of everything and now it's only taken us some of the way back."

The Doctor harrumphed. "Well it didn't kill us did it? It's clearly working in some way or another, just not enough to get you back to the 1960's."

Barbara folded her arms in protest and stood between the two men. She was not interested in another disagreement and was eager to get to the castle and see their old friends again. On their last trip they had gotten to know the residents of the castle very well and had even become friends with the king and queen. Finally, the Doctor and Ian backed down on their disagreement and the team began the short but leisurely walk towards the castle. Vicki was full of questions as they continued, and Barbara started to tell her all about what happened on their last trip including Ian competing in the tourneys and the Doctor being given a tail by magician Merlin.

"And now you really are a knight, Ian!" Vicki enthused as she recalled their days in Palestine during the Crusades.

"Yes, well, I'll be pleased to see the look on Lancelot's face when I tell him," Ian replied.

"I thought you were modest about that particular title," Barbara said, linking her arm through his.

"I am usually, but Lancelot is absolutely perfect and sometimes, just sometimes, it'd be nice to have a bit of a gloat."

They all laughed at the story and everyone regaled Vicki with more tales of their last visit as they continued on their way through the trees. They were surprised however to be greeted on the other side of the woods by Brian, Lancelot's squire, who was on horseback and looked as though he was there to greet them already like he knew they'd be coming. His cheeks were flushed and he was out of breath as he approached them as though something was troubling him. He looked a little older than when they had first met him but he still had the same head of striking blond hair and those wide eyes that made Barbara want to give him a hug. He was still so innocent and naive, but he was also a determined and hard working young man, and that had always been obvious.

"Oh thank goodness you're here!" he said as he dismounted the horse.

"Brian, what's the matter?" Barbara said, sensing the boy's anxiety immediately.

"You must come and speak to Merlin right away M'Lady. Camelot is in crisis and we need your help."

...

As Brian escorted the team into Merlin's cluttered and untidy quarters, it was obvious Camelot was in a state of disarray. From a distance, Camelot had seemed the same striking and idyllic place from the beautifully illustrated storybooks in Ian and Barbara's time, but at the heart of it all, at the castle entrance it was obvious there had been trouble. The rooms in the entrance were in a state of damage, ransacked and ruined, and the outer walls of the castle had clearly been burnt and scorched. There had been danger here, and it filled the time travellers with instant dread.

There were many more royal guards than normal posted at the doors and the team had to be checked over a lot more thoroughly then when they were present at the castle on their first adventure. Finally after some rather rigorous security checks that Vicki would have likened more to her own time than this one, they were able to get into the room and see that Merlin was seated at his desk scribbling onto some parchment. He looked a lot less jolly than usual but he perked up considerably at seeing that the travellers had arrived safe and well.

"My old friends, you made it." He greeted them and motioned for them to make themselves comfortable.

The team sat down. Vicki was looking around curiously at all the potions and instruments as the others settled into their chairs and tried to relax. The room looked even more untidy than usual and it was obvious that Merlin was working on something very important from all the papers and books covering his desk.

"What's happened here, Merlin? What's all the worry?" Ian asked.

"I'm afraid it's very grave news, Ian. Queen Guinevere has been kidnapped by Mordred and taken north to his castle. The king has been threatened too. Bandits came to ransack the castle and attempted to kill him. He is being protected, but so far every knight has failed at being able to rescue the queen. Mordred's armies are far too advanced for a few of our knights."

"What about Lancelot?" Barbara asked. "Didn't he go in search of her?"

"Why yes of course, he was ready to go, anxious and determined, but I stopped him for his own protection."

"Why?" Ian asked.

"Well... you see I heard word from my friend Leonedes that Lancelot was to be lured into a trap and forced by magic and spell to be converted to Mordred's cause. He was to be used and altered to become the greatest threat to Camelot. I cannot send him without a way to get him out first."

"They need Lancelot," the Doctor added. "Need his skill and strength hmmm?"

"They knew that Lancelot would pursue them, knew he'd do anything to rescue the queen."

"But what are we here for?" Vicki asked. "Bit of a strange coincidence I mean us just turning up now."

Merlin looked at her with surprise. "And who are you young lady?" he said, as if he'd only just noticed she was there.

"I'm Vicki."

"Enchanted of course," he said kissing her on the hand. "But what happened to Lady Susan?"

The Doctor bowed his head, reflective for a moment. "She's moved on my dear Merlin, new life."

Barbara attempted to put her arm around the Doctor's shoulder to comfort him but he shook her away.

"I see," Merlin began. "Ah well, things generally happen for the best reasons."

"So what can be done about your situation?" Ian asked, diverting the subject back to the matter at hand.

"Well that's why I brought you here. I think it would help our people a great deal if our good friends could aid us at such a dark time at Camelot."

The Doctor's eyes widened in surprise at what Merlin had said. "What do you mean brought us here?"

"I confess Doctor that it was I who summoned the power to bring your ship into the woods."

"But that's utterly impossible! This is not the same realm as mine, not the same at all!"

"Oh Doctor," Barbara said softly. "It's happened, hadn't we ought to just accept it and do what we can to help now we're here? Our friends are in trouble."

The Doctor nodded his head. She was right. He was of course unsure as to why Merlin had been able to summon the TARDIS to this location, but he wasn't going to argue about it all day when the queen was in danger.

"So where's Lancelot now?" Barbara asked.

"Sulking in the castle," Brian butted in. "He's trying desperately to shake off Merlin's ideas and to just go off and do what he can. He thinks he's a traitor for not going off sooner."

...

Merlin was adamant that the travellers should have some food inside them before they set about thinking of strategies to face the evil Mordred and get the queen back safely. Lancelot had been waiting for them in the banquet hall and he was pacing to and fro as he waited for them to arrive. When they joined him for some food, Barbara was reminded how strikingly like Ian he really was especially when he was pacing- pacing was a very Ian thing to do. He did seem more chipper however when Barbara approached him and he greeted them with his usual politeness and manner.

"I'm very sorry Lancelot," Barbara said. "I can't believe what's happened since we've been away."

Lancelot smiled at her and kissed her hand. "I just want to get out there and face whatever they've got in store for me. I'm not afraid of Mordred."

"I'm sure you're not, but these things need to be thought through. It's no use rushing in all gun's blazing."

"Yes and I'm hungry and when I'm hungry I cannot think to the highest standard," the Doctor said rather rudely interrupting Lancelot's conversation with Barbara. She shot him a look, but he had already sat down and begun eating some carved meat that was prepared on the side. He licked his fingers as he did so, clearly enjoying the meat. Vicki couldn't contain the laughter- sometimes the Doctor's manners were atrocious. He always liked to have his own way.

"Let our guests eat first, Lancelot, and then we'll discuss this business. No one must fight on an empty stomach," Merlin said.

Brian pulled up a chair for Vicki and then sat down next to her. "I'm Brian," he said with a twinkle in his eye.

"Hello, I'm Vicki," she said shaking his hand. "So, what do you do at the castle?"

"I'm a... knight..." he stammered. He caught Lancelot's eyes upon him and knew that he'd be in for a good telling off for such a lie. Lancelot coughed loudly to alert him.

"Well...that is to say...a knight's squire."

"My squire," Lancelot said chipping in. "And what a fine job he does of it too, you'll see that once you get to know him, young lady."

Vicki looked at Lancelot and smiled. "When they told me you looked like Ian, I thought they meant a small similarity. Are you sure you're not twins?"

Lancelot and Ian looked at one another in deep protest. "Certainly not Vicki," Ian replied.

Vicki smirked. "I think maybe Lancelot's more handsome."

Barbara could barely drink her wine through laughter as she caught the look on Ian's unimpressed face. The Doctor too was alight with a certain amusement at the teasing of the young school-master and decided to join in.

"Dear dear child, let's not all gang up on Chesterton, he may not be as charming, or good looking, or as strong as Lancelot, but he does have other uses."

Ian threw his goblet down hard onto the table. "Now just a minute!"

Barbara patted him softly on the arm. "Oh Ian, he's just teasing you, besides you've got an extra thing now to show off."

Ian looked down at himself. "Huh? Where?"

Barbara giggled. "No, I meant your knighthood."

"Knighthood?" Brian spluttered. "The last time you were here you swore you were never a knight."

"No but King Richard the Lionheart knighted him just a couple of weeks ago," Vicki screamed in delight. She would never admit it to her friend but she did feel very proud of him.

"I've never heard of him," Lancelot said. "Is he from one of the Scottish kingdoms?"

The Doctor stammered. "Perhaps he's a little out of your time."

"Out of my time, what does that mean?"

"Out of reality then, does it matter? What matters is that now young Chesterfield is a fully recognised and honoured knight and will be of great use."

Merlin rubbed his chin. "Well I think we have a quest for our new young knight here. His less than brilliant skills or lack of physical beauty will not be needed in this case." He let out a chuckle.

"Someone's going to get a thick ear in a minute!" Ian said.

"Master Merlin, what are you cooking up?" Lancelot asked, leaning in close to his old friend so their faces were almost touching.

"A rescue attempt," he said as he began to whisper the plan.

...

"Lancelot, why are you so quiet?" Mordred taunted. "Am I not treating you well? Why do you look so glum? Is it because your poor queen lies hungry and cold inside the dungeon and you can do nothing to get to her? Your king will be so angry...if he's still alive."

"The king is alive," he replied quietly and defiantly. "And the queen will be returned to him."

Mordred punched him in the stomach and laughed as the knight writhed in pain and fell to the floor.

"Get up!"

The knight clambered to his feet once more and stood the best he could, upright, and facing his enemy directly.

"You think you've won, Mordred, but the battle's just started."

Mordred laughed. "You and what army? Camelot is down. My knights marched into your kingdom and with any hope completely desecrated it. It's over Lancelot!"

The knight looked Mordred in the eye and shoved him away. "My name is not Lancelot."

"What does that mean?"

The knight smiled and looked boastfully at his captor. "I am not Sir Lancelot, I am Sir Ian Knight of Jaffa, and the real Sir Lancelot is going to defeat you once again. Now let me go!"

...

Vicki stood in the banquet hall, looking out of the window, sulking as she watched the others leave. She saw Lancelot, Brian, Ian, and Barbara, along with some knights ride off into the distance. She sighed and sat down.

"I never get to go!"

The Doctor was standing next to Merlin, the two of them looking over some parchment. He turned to face Vicki and chuckled in his usual endearing way.

"Don't worry my dear, the excitement remains here at the castle as much as it does on the journey. Besides, here you may look around and not spend the day having your bottom all bruised and sore from sitting on a wretched horse."

Vicki tried not to laugh- she remembered from earlier travels how much the Doctor hated to ride a horse. In fact he had taken to swearing at one the last time he rode one, saying that it was the horse's fault that he remained stationery and that the animal ought to be more advanced like his ship. He'd said that he was unsure why horses didn't come with instruction manuals.

"I suppose you're right, Doctor, but I wanted to get outside for a bit, this is like when Daddy made me wait indoors just because it was raining."

Merlin and the Doctor glanced at one another, a wave of compassion swept over them as they saw her reminisce about her father.

Merlin put his finger to his chin. "How about you meet the king?" he said finally, hoping it would cheer her up.

The Doctor was signalling the old magician to stop but Vicki was already excited at the prospect of meeting another king, and maybe one who wasn't as volatile as King Richard.

"Well in that case," she began. "Will you lead the way Master Merlin the magnificent?"

...

Lancelot, the other knights, Ian, Barbara, and Brian stopped at a crossroads at the other side of some woods. Lancelot, seated proudly on Caledon, looked around him for inspiration.

"Are we lost?" Brian asked him.

"No, but it's getting dark. We'll not see anything in this light- we should take a rest until sunrise. I think everyone's exhausted, we've been riding all day."

Lancelot dismounted and helped Barbara off of her horse. Ian and the other knights followed as Brian struggled with all their belongings.

"Once a squire, always a squire," he muttered as he carried Lancelot's belongings over to the camp that they had started to set up by the trees. As he approached the others, Brian dropped a few of the bags and they went crashing to the ground.

"Be careful, you stupid boy!" Lancelot shouted without thinking. Brian frowned sadly, a little dejected and hurt.

Barbara motioned for Brian to sit in between her and Ian, and not before long the whole group were comfortable by a warm fire and eating some of the supplies that Brian had carried.

It didn't take long for the darkness to engulf them, and the flames of the fire was their only source of light. Sir Kay, Sir Gawaine, and Sir Tristan sat further away from the party and were involved in a discussion about who of them had killed the most Danes in battle. Lancelot was keeping guard by the oak, and Brian peeled the remaining potatoes as Ian and Barbara chatted to him.

"I don't think he means it you know?" Ian said to the boy. "Lancelot's clearly distracted by the queen's kidnap. He's fond of you."

Brian smiled. "I know, but he's a knight and I'm nothing but a kitchen boy, I wash the pots and pans, I'm a nobody."

"Nonsense!" Barbara said. "One day you will find your strength and you'll be able to show it to the world."

"Don't give up eh?" Ian added. "You're a very brave boy, I mean, young man. I wish half of my students were as brave as you."

"Your students?" Brian asked. "Are you a teacher like Merlin?"

"Well I suppose you could say that. Barbara is too."

Brian laughed. "But she's a woman!"

"Where I come from, Brian, women are allowed to be teachers if they want to," Barbara said.

The young boy thought for a moment. "Well I suppose that seems fair, I mean, women know things too."

They were interrupted by Lancelot, who was calling at his squire from his place at the oak tree.

"Uh oh, looks like I'm in trouble again," Brian let out wearily.

Ian and Barbara couldn't help but laugh as they watched him leave.

When Brian arrived at the oak, Lancelot seemed tense and anxious.

"There you are Brian. I've been calling you for ten minutes."

"I was just talking to Sir Ian and Lady Barbara."

"Well alright but next time, don't leave it too long."

"What is it Lancelot, has something happened?"

Lancelot squirmed in his seated position. "Well, no, I just thought you might want to keep me company, that's all."

Brian's smile widened in delight.

...

Sir Ian was standing against a wall with a sword at his throat. Mordred was the man who held the sword. He was staring at him with a look of pure distaste and confusion.

"You play these games with me, Sir Lancelot. You claim to be a 'Sir Ian of Jaffa' yet you are clearly Lancelot. You do not have a brother, I am sure of that."

"The universe is a strange and powerful place, Mordred," Sir Ian said. "Many things that you thought made sense may be unexplainable."

Mordred looked carefully at Ian, dropped his sword for a moment, and examined his face. He ran his leather gloved hand over the side of Ian's cheek. "Your face shows the toil of battle and destruction. You have been a fighter. You are Lancelot."

"I am a knight."

Mordred laughed. "Oh you're a knight are you? You're a knight who dresses as Lancelot and sits at the round table. Now, tell me 'impostor'...if you're here then where is the real man I want?"

Ian hesitated. "I'm not going to tell you."

"Because you're lying, you fool!" he said as his hand slapped Ian's face. "What a great plan to get me to question your identity. Master Merlin has used trickery of some kind, planted this little game in your head."

"Believe what you will, Mordred. I am Sir Ian, and I'm telling the truth. Your idiocy will just help us to win."

Mordred was angry and pushed Ian to his knees. "Your shoulder, your right shoulder. I slashed it with a knife last year, you were scarred. Show me."

Ian made no attempt to show him his shoulder. Mordred shouted the command again, before ripping the fabric from Ian's tunic, to reveal no scar but instead perfectly smooth skin which was completely undamaged and healthy. Mordred gasped. He stumbled backwards in shock.

"I don't understand. Is this sorcery?"

"No. "

...

By the firelight, Ian and Barbara were talking quietly as the other knights tried to get some sleep. Lancelot had tried to be the one to keep watch but Ian and Barbara insisted that they wanted to also be involved and that Lancelot needed sleep at last.

"This has all happened rather fast, hasn't it Barbara?"

"I wouldn't say riding on horseback all day was fast, but I understand what you're saying."

He laughed. "I suppose we only just rode all day when we were on our last adventure. Do you remember how injured you were and you could barely sit on the horse?"

Barbara winced, even thinking about her time in the company of the evil El Akir made her shudder. "I'd prefer not to think about it."

"Yes, well this time, I'm not letting you out of my sight."

She laughed. "Well that kind of defeats the plan now doesn't it Ian?"

"Believe me, if I could stick with you I'd be a lot happier."

"I'm not too happy with the plan either, I mean I didn't want to say anything in front of Lancelot, not with the mood he's in but it seems so risky and men going in guns blazing. I was hoping for a more strategic plan."

"Well sometimes when all the other plans have failed, there's no choice but to go in guns blazing. Besides, I'm sure I'll be fine. Lancelot seems to know what he's doing. He's rescued a fair few maidens in his time, I bet."

"Yes, but has he ever rescued an Ian Chesterton?"

...

Vicki was sat in one of the chambers of the castle. King Arthur, Merlin, and the Doctor were seated opposite her as if almost a judging panel, however it seemed to be that the king was the one under interrogation by a teenage girl with pigtails.

"Have you ever fought a dragon?" Vicki asked.

King Arthur frowned. "No dragons I'm afraid."

"Trolls?"

Arthur's eyebrow rose. "I beg your pardon?"

"Trolls, those big hairy things that you find under bridges. I don't suppose this is recent enough for internet trolls."

Arthur looked at Merlin for support but Merlin only shrugged, completely bemused as to what she was talking about.

"No trolls either, Miss Vicki."

She frowned and sighed. "Well what was your greatest enemy then?"

"Oh well I suppose that would be the Vikings."

Vicki laughed. "Oh...that's not very interesting."

The Doctor chuckled. "Now, now, child, don't be rude."

"The Vikings are the most feared of men, they are not to be spoken of lightly. I hope you never have to encounter them," the king said.

"I'm sure we won't ever meet them," Vicki replied. "Well I hope not anyway."

Merlin sighed with sadness. "I suppose the greatest threat is the one we face now."

King Arthur too looked solemn. "Yes, if only I could find my wife and get to that wretched Mordred!"

"The king must be stationary," The Doctor said as he clutched his lapels, "never send the greatest man into the fray, well, unless that man is me of course. I always put myself right at the front line."

"Always the first to dive in," Vicki told Arthur. "Without a second thought."

...

When Barbara awoke the next morning, she found Ian had gone off on his own, to keep up with their agreement.

"Why didn't Ian say goodbye to me?" She said her concerns to Lancelot as he splashed his face at the water's edge. "He just left without telling me?"

Lancelot could see the anger in Barbara's face through her reflection in the water. He turned around to face her. "He didn't want to wake you M'lady."

Barbara folded her arms and sat down on the grass beside him. He smiled at her warmly, trying to ease her nerves. He understood now that she held no romantic feelings for him and although he hadn't thought of her much since her last visit, he still found himself drawn to her elegance and intellect.

"I know you're worried but I have every faith in him."

"As do I," Barbara replied, almost slightly put out that he had made it seem she didn't share the same faith in her friend, "but this is a dangerous place, Lancelot, he could be injured, and I don't think that Mordred will be fair with him."

"Mordred wishes to kill me, not Ian."

"I wouldn't put anything past that man."

"You care about Ian a great deal don't you?" Lancelot asked. Barbara felt something tickle her cheek, but she realised that she was blushing. She looked away from him in embarrassment. There was something about that question that always made her feel awkward.

"Well I'm sure the feelings are entirely mutual," Lancelot replied.

Barbara started to speak but she noticed Brian was now standing beside them raring to go.

"We must get going, Sir Lancelot," he said eagerly. "The other knights wish to get on with it."

Lancelot nodded his head and got to his feet. He pulled Barbara up and they made their way back to their horses. "Ian will be alright."

...

The day was harsh and cold with a bitter chill that made the wilderness seem even crueller. Whilst Barbara, Brian, and the knights made their way to Mordred's castle, Ian took the route that he was told. Ultimately he was going to the same place, but by very different means.

He crouched down and noticed the tracks of footsteps in the ground beneath him. He waited. That was all he could do, sit down and wait. He waited about an hour, and then, just as Lancelot had told him, the sounds of horses could be heard. Next he heard the men's voices. Then they were approaching him. Mordred's knights all dressed in black and yellow traipsed through the trees, their footsteps heavy were unforgiving to the wildlife. Ian fell onto his back and pretended to be asleep. When they captured him, he put up a struggle, pretended he was fighting them off.

"We have caught him!" one of the knights said proudly.

A man in all black, with a look of menace and danger, dismounted his horse and began to approach him. Ian knew immediately it was Mordred- the man Arthur feared, the man Lancelot claimed not to fear, and the man he now feared.

"Sir Lancelot," he said with a voice that was eerily calm and soft. "We meet again old friend."

Ian took a deep breath. "Mordred."

...

The Doctor, Merlin, King Arthur, and Vicki were in Merlin's quarters where Merlin and the Doctor were busy studying some important plans. The king was pacing, and Vicki was pacing with him, trying to get him to slow down and relax.

"There has been no word, not for a whole day," the King said. "Something must have gone wrong."

"Don't give up my dear King," the Doctor said. "No news is good news, so the saying goes."

"Perhaps they're just a bit delayed," Vicki told him as she noticed something at the window. "Hey, what's that?"

She ran over to the window ledge and scooped up an injured pigeon into her hands.

"It's one of your carrier pigeons, Merlin," the King let out with hope flooding into his voice.

"He's very cute," Vicki said as she stroked him gently. "He's injured though, look his leg's all bent, poor thing. I'm going to name him Sir Limps-a-lot."

"That's very nice, Vicki," Merlin said. "But before we help our feathered friend, hand me that note will you? The one tied to its foot?"

Vicki gasped and untied the little note. "Oh how cute. I can't believe this was an actual way of communication before the phone was invented," she went on.

"The what, my child?" the King asked.

Vicki saw the Doctor's eyes glaring at her. "Oh nothing your majesty," she said quickly.

She handed the Doctor the note and he read it quickly as if he had barely even looked at the words.

"It's from Lancelot, my lord," he said. "Something has gone awry; he and Brian are hiding in the woods waiting for a plan. The other knights have been thrown into a dungeon, Barbara has been captured and taken to be held with Guinevere, Ian is still imprisoned by Mordred and there is talk of Mordred's knights ready to ride into Camelot once more."

The four of them bowed their heads in worry.

"We have to do something," Vicki said, pacing around the room.

"We must defend ourselves," Merlin said. "We must stop that army from entering here."

"I will help you Merlin," the Doctor said.

"And me!" Vicki said. "Now, your majesty, where do you keep the armoury? We must all be armed and we must fight- we must gather anyone willing to keep the evil away from this beautiful castle."

As she finished her sentence, she turned around, her hands still on her hips in a manner of defiance and she noticed that the men were looking at her like she'd gone mad.

The Doctor chuckled and pulled Vicki down onto his lap. "The child does like to get involved in matters," he said with a big grin. "Yes, my dear, yes, we'll have a little think, eh?"

...

Mordred covered Ian's bare shoulder and pushed him down onto the floor in anger. "Why do you look alike, what are you?"

Ian tried not to yelp in pain and let Mordred see his fear. He wouldn't let the man have the satisfaction of seeing him suffer. "I am a man that shares a resemblance that's all."

"So you're a decoy are you, sent here to turn my head whilst the others rescue the queen? Shame the plan didn't work, isn't it impostor?"

"One plan is not all we have, Sir," Ian told him, his voice now a whisper.

"You will tell me of these plans. You will tell me where Lancelot is. I wish to dispose of that man once and for all. And then after that, I wish to dispose of the king."

"I am telling you nothing," Ian said angrily as he shuffled further away from his captor.

"I see."

Mordred snapped his fingers and summoned a guard to enter the room. He whispered into the man's ear, but his menacing eyes remained on Ian sitting helplessly in the corner of the room. The guard left on his orders and there was silence for a moment or two. Ian's heart pounded rapidly as his mind started to conjure up all sorts of horrific tortures he might endure. But the truth was even worse than he had imagined. A moment later, Barbara was dragged into the room, by the guard who held her by her hair. She was trying not to show Ian the tears that were forcing themselves from her eyes as the guard pulled so tightly against her.

"Barbara!"

"Ian, don't tell them anything!" she cried out.

"Quiet!" Mordred said as he circled her with power. "Yes, we found this little one, brave woman along with the strongest of knights, all in a bid to rescue the queen."

"We will succeed," Barbara said, trying to loosen the grip the guard had on her.

"A fighting spirit, you will need it for what I have in store."

Mordred ran his gloved hand down Barbara's face and then across her chest. Ian tensed with rage, a flame of fury boiling up inside of him, the most intense anger he'd ever felt wash over him. He just wished he could jump up and kill the man he saw before him.

"You dare touch her Mordred!"

Mordred laughed. "I see I found your weakness after all. Guard, take her away."

The guard obeyed and started to drag Barbara away into the corridor. Ian tried to break the chains that shackled him but it was no use, he was helpless.

"Barbara!" he called.

"Don't tell them Ian, don't tell them, I'll be alright," she called back as she was led away to her imprisonment and possible torture. Ian was shocked. He had not intended this outcome and all he could think about was what she might be subjected to. He remembered the guilt he had felt when he had left her with that man on Marinus, Vasor, the man in the snow. If he hadn't have got back to her as quick as he did, he hated to think what might have happened. He couldn't let that happen here either, he had to stop it. He hoped Lancelot was thinking of a plan because just about now, he was stuck. He had no plans and he needed a miracle.

"Tell me where Lancelot is? Tell me his plans- you know what I can do otherwise," Mordred said.

Ian remained silent, his lips sealed tight, sweat dripping from his forehead, and a single tear fell to his cheek.

...

Camelot was under attack and all that Vicki could see from the top of the castle was an army of Mordred's knights, in their black and yellow outfits, marching towards them. She gulped as she saw them in perfect unison carrying their weapons, and thought they looked like an army of Menoptra, though much more aggressive. She raced down the steps and back into the castle, into Merlin's quarters, where he and the Doctor were doing some sort of science experiment, bent over a desk looking at a test tube with purple liquid inside.

"What exactly are you doing?" Vicki shouted, losing her patience with both of the men. "They are coming, don't you hear me? We need to do something!"

The Doctor hushed her. "That is exactly what we are doing, Vicki, we are plotting ways to defeat that bumblebee army!"

Merlin put down the test tube which formed part of his back-up plan and then handed Vicki an arrow as part of his main idea. "This is one of the secret weapons."

"This?" she said, throwing her arms up in disbelief. "It's just an arrow! I hate to break it you, but they've all got arrows."

"My dear, this is slightly more than an arrow," Merlin said as he looked cunningly at the Doctor. The Doctor nodded back in agreement. Vicki wondered how the two of them had become friends, there seemed to be a bond between the old men but from the stories she'd heard from Barbara, she'd assumed they were enemies. Perhaps in times of crisis even the greatest rivals put down their troubles and worked together as one. 'One for all' Vicki mused but then realised she was thinking of the Musketeers rather than Arthurian knights, though she supposed they were the same thing in some ways.

"Vicki, my dear," the Doctor said handing her another arrow, "I have a very important task for you."

She smiled, finally she was going to do something to help, and not just sit around making tea.

"You will fire the first arrow, my dear," the Doctor said. "I want you to fire this right into the army of bumblebees and I want you to actually hit someone with it."

Vicki laughed. She couldn't believe the Doctor was alright with her using weapons. "Oh thank you, I'm good at target practice, Doctor. I won gold at the fire range tournament back in my time."

The Doctor scoffed, not impressed by her boasts. "This is for drastic measures only, I do not tolerate gun-play of any kind."

"Apart from when it suits you," she said, wandering over to where the arrows lay on the table. She didn't wait to be asked and picked one up, aiming it at the target on the wall. The Doctor tried to stop her but it was too late, she let go of the arrow, and it hit its target and immediately exploded with such force that they had to leave the smoke filled room.

Vicki's eyes widened in delight. "They really aren't any ordinary arrows, are they?"

...

Lancelot and Brian were sitting in a tree where they had a prime view of Mordred's castle. Lancelot handed a slice of apple to Brian.

"Here, eat this."

"I'm not hungry," Brian told him. "I feel defeated already, how can we possibly get in there Lancelot? It's guarded to every square inch."

Lancelot frowned and took a moment to think. It was very strange for him to see how much Brian had changed over the years in his charge. Where he was impetuous before and disobedient with command from certain authority figures, he was now dutiful and even careful. It was most obvious in situations of great danger where ordinarily Brian may have raced in without a plan or a worry. Now, however he was contemplative and in some ways much too anxious. He was trying to teach Brian to be calculated and clever but he had hoped this wouldn't prove to send Brian into the opposite direction until he was cautious at every turn. He supposed Brian still had a lot to learn about the life of a knight.

He scratched his chin with his studded gloved hand. "I have an idea."

"Oh no, what do I have to do?" Brian said. Lancelot couldn't tell from Brian's response whether he generally was concerned or was so used to being the one to be thrown in first that he was right to expect to draw out the short straw.

He patted the young man on the arm with friendship. "I'm afraid, Brian, your job is rather dangerous, but I honestly have every faith in your abilities."

Brian gulped. "I'd rather you didn't have faith in me and let me go back to being a coward!"

That particular response concerned the knight and he wondered whether the queen's kidnap had affected Brian more than he let on.

"Well time will tell of your bravery," Lancelot said. "I need you to be the bait, Brian; I need you to create a diversion. I'll admit it's a very crude plan, not very original, but to be frank I'm running out of ideas."

Brian frowned.

...

Barbara was thrown into the dungeon, pushed down onto the ground with a forceful shove. She whimpered as her body made contact with the hard stone cold floor. Lifting up, the first face she saw was the beautiful and friendly face of Queen Guinevere looking down on her with compassion and sympathy.

Guinevere approached and embraced Barbara immediately. "Lady Barbara? Is that really you after all this time?" She noticed the cuts on Barbara's face. "Oh come here and let me tend to you."

"No, really your highness, there's no need."

"We are friends and equals Barbara, in this dungeon there is no hierarchy between us."

Guinevere helped Barbara to sit down. "What is happening?"

Barbara frowned. "I'm afraid it's not good. The plans fell through. Ian is prisoner, Camelot is under attack, and our only hope is Lancelot and Brian."

The Queen stood up and looked out of the window, her eyes seemed sad, yet strangely optimistic. "I know my husband and Lancelot will do anything in their power to save us all."

Barbara smiled. "And the Doctor will too."

"You trust the man with your life?"

"Oh there were times when we had no trust, when I thought I could quite easily leave him behind, but over time, we all understood each other and he has become the man I will trust with my life time and time again."

The Queen smiled. "And Ian?"

"What about him?"

"Do you trust him?"

"Forever."

...

Ian lay on some straw, his head throbbing in pain and his stomach in knots at what might happen to Barbara if he didn't tell Mordred everything. Mordred was still in the room, watching him, observing him like he was prey.

"We really must get you a hobby," Ian said as he looked at his captor.

Mordred wasn't amused and snarled at him. "As if one Lancelot wasn't bad enough, I get two of them, and one who thinks he's funny."

"What do you want with Camelot anyway?"

"I want the kingdom for my own. I want absolute power."

Ian laughed, mockingly. "No man can have absolute power."

"I'm getting tired of your opinions, Sir Ian of Jaffa!" Mordred barked as he marched over to him and kicked him in the stomach twice. Ian yelped. "You seem to have forgotten that a many number of things could happen to your Lady Barbara if you don't talk soon."

"You touch a single hair on her head and I will kill you Mordred."

"Really, oh would you? I'm so very terrified that a false knight is going to try and kill me," he said sarcastically before laughing. "You couldn't kill a man in cold blood."

Ian looked away, "I could if I had to."

"We shall see."

...

Barbara was standing on the wooden bed in the cell. Guinevere looked on in surprise and asked if there was anything she needed. Barbara barely answered the woman and she certainly didn't act like she was talking to a queen when she addressed her.

"I really wish you'd sit down and rest, Barbara, you'll work yourself ragged."

"I'm sure you're right, M'lady," Barbara said as she wiped some sweat from her forehead. "It's just I feel as though I've got to get out of here. Ian's in danger."

"We're in a cell with no chance of escape."

Barbara gave the Queen one of her 'now we'll have none of that' looks and proceeded to look around the room for signs of weakness. "I've been in a prison before, and I didn't give up then so I'm not giving up now."

The Queen, surprised by Barbara's forwardness, joined her by the window and they both observed that the distance from their cell to the ground was jumpable, or at least climbable.

"Can we squeeze through this small opening?" the Queen asked.

"It looks unlikely, but we'll have to try. You're smaller than I am, perhaps you should see if you can fit."

The Queen nodded and squeezed into the window frame. It was obvious immediately that only a child could fit through the window.

Barbara sighed as she pulled Guinevere back into the cell.

"Well at least we tried," Guinevere reassured her.

"We'll just have to think of something else. Are you any good at distractions?"

They were interrupted when the door sprung open and a guard marched in. The women stepped back from the window and tried to act as though they weren't up to something.

"You," the man said as he grabbed Barbara's arm forcefully, "time for a little excursion."

Guinevere stepped forward. "Where are you taking her?"

"The false knight wouldn't talk- maybe she'll get him to say a few things."

Guinevere moved closer to the guard. "Honourable men and knights do not use a lady to get information. My husband will not accept these actions when he gets here."

"Well it's a good job Mordred isn't your husband, isn't it?"

The guard held Barbara tightly in his grasp and forced her out of the door. She put up a bit of a struggle and was trying to kick him as he pulled her along. Guinevere watched as the door was slammed in her face. She sighed and sat down on the bed looking utterly drained and defeated.

"Come on Lancelot, where are you?"

...

Brian approached the guard at the main entrance to the castle. The man was tall and broad but his face showed somewhat a rather dim expression. The guard looked at the blond boy in front of him and stretched his sword out. "What do you want boy?"

Brian glanced at Lancelot from the corner of his eyes and winked. He then turned to the guard and began to cry in full blown sobs. "I'll never be a knight, never, never!"

The man seemed uncomfortable with the boy's sulking and reached out his arm to pat on Brian's shoulder. "Now come on lad," he said. "You'll never be a strong man if you cry all the time."

"But I've been living at this castle all my life and no one recognises me!"

"Now, now, that can't be true."

"Do you recognise me?"

The man scratched his chin in thought. "Well...no..."

Brian started to cry more, his eyes streaming with tears. Lancelot watched from the castle wall and almost laughed at the brilliance of his squire's acting abilities. If they ever put on a production of something, Brian was getting a lead role that was for certain.

"Even you don't know me," Brian wailed in full volume and the guard peered around him, clearly embarrassed to be consoling a young man. He tried to hush him but that only made Brian sob louder like a child having a tantrum.

"What do you want from me?" the guard said finally, his face all flushed and tired.

"Well you might as well just let me in the castle and I can sulk in there instead."

The guard hesitated. "I'm not meant to let anyone inside."

"Not even the castle's own kitchen boy!"

The man stammered but couldn't form a coherent sentence.

Brian started to cry again. The guard winced in frustration and finally relented. He nodded in agreement and grabbed the key from the end of his chain. He unlocked the door and then he motioned for Brian to step inside.

Brian glanced cunningly at Lancelot and winked whilst Lancelot got ready. Next, Brian began to walk through the castle archway, but at the last minute he pretended to faint into the guard's waiting arms. Whilst the guard gasped and then struggled with Brian's seemingly lifeless body, Lancelot shuffled on behind the man and walked straight through the archway into the castle.

"Lad!" the guard said as he splashed his face with water.

Brian made sure Lancelot was safely inside before responding. "What happened?"

"You fainted," the guard replied as he helped Brian to his feet. "Now will you go inside then and kindly leave me with my duties?"

Brian wiped his wet face with his sleeve. "Go inside?"

"The castle? The place you live and where no one notices you."

Brian smiled. "Thank you kind guard, that's all I wanted."

The guard laughed nervously and ushered Brian through the door, and then with relief shut the door behind him. Inside, Lancelot was waiting for his squire. He cheered quietly.

"Good lad, Brian," Lancelot said as he whispered to him a moment later.

"Was I really good Lancelot?"

He shushed him. "We can talk about your award winning performance later. For now there are two guards we need to get past."

Lancelot looked at the two guards posted inside the castle, they were tall and gruff looking men with stern expressions, and they stood so regimented and formal. He approached one from behind and hit him over the head with the handle of his sword. With a groan the guard fell onto the floor and Lancelot dragged the body out of sight. The other guard came to investigate.

"Hey you!" the guard bellowed.

Lancelot gave no time for the man to ask any further questions and threw himself onto him, knocking him to the floor and punching him in the jaw as he did so. The guard fought back and kicked him in the shins but Lancelot barely even felt it and held his sword to the guard in a command of 'do as I say!' He motioned for the guard to stand up, but the guard was reluctant to obey.

"Who are you?"

"I am Sir Lancelot of the Lake, and you are in my way," he said, as he pushed him aside and grabbed Brian by the collar, and told him they were to search the rest of the castle. Lancelot saw the guard come for him again, but he was quick, and punched him clean on the jaw, this time knocking him out cold.

"Quick Brian," Lancelot said. "And be quiet, we don't want to run into any more guards."

They ran up the spiralling staircase, their heavy footsteps loud against the stone steps.

"How do we know the queen's up here?" Brian asked.

"We don't for certain."

Lancelot reached the top of the staircase first and peered around the side of the wall. He noticed a single guard posted at the door of a cell.

"Brian, I need you to rescue the queen."

"What, me?"

"It's only one guard, if you can get rid of him and rescue the queen, I can get to the dungeon and summon the other knights. Once they're free we stand a much better chance of making it outside. And hurry Brian, the alert will happen any moment now once those guards are discovered."

Lancelot raced back down the stairs leaving the young and inexperienced Brian on his own. Brian gulped. He wanted to be a knight but sometimes he wondered if a safer life would have been favourable.

...

When Barbara was pushed into Ian's cell with Mordred holding her arm, Ian sat up attentively. Mordred pushed Barbara onto the floor, and although she felt the pain as her body hit the stone, she also felt relief that she was closer to Ian.

"Barbara, are you alright?" Ian whispered.

"I've been better."

Ian smiled, looking her over to make sure no harm had come to her.

Mordred laughed. "Am I interrupting a lovers meeting?"

Ian glared angrily at his captor. "Why don't you just give up, you're not going to win anyway?"

"Oh really, and why is that? You're going to tell me where Lancelot is?"

"I am not," Ian said emphasising the words.

"Lancelot will be long gone by now," Barbara said.

Mordred crouched down beside her. "I didn't ask you. A woman's word is not adequate."

Barbara looked away from the menacing gaze of him and looked down at her own self. She was trying not to let on that she had been pushed about so much that she was feeling pain in every part of her body. She glanced at Ian and could tell that he had been beaten too. His eye was purple and he had a mass of cuts across his face and on his lips, but he was being his usual strong-willed self and refused to show any weakness.

"Tell me where Lancelot is!" Mordred suddenly shouted with an intense rage that quite startled the schoolteachers.

Ian remained silent. Mordred shouted it again, but he refused to make a comment.

"It seems my warnings were not enough," Mordred said and he called in the guard. "Take this woman to the dungeon again."

Ian watched in horror as she was dragged away from him a second time, and this time even more forcefully than before.

"Do with her what you will," Mordred said. "She is of little use to me."

Ian leapt to his feet, the chains still forcing him down. "Let go of her!"

Mordred ignored his pleas and the guard dragged Barbara away.

"I said let her go!"

"Or?"

Ian gulped, he looked defeated and torn. He licked his dry and thirsty lips and bowed his head. "Lancelot has a den in the Morleand forest, if you go there, you will find plans on how we're attempting to defeat you."

Mordred smiled and signalled for the guard to bring Barbara back into the dungeon. The guard pushed Barbara back onto the floor next to Ian.

"Now I have no use for either of you," he said to them. "Tomorrow I may kill you, depending on my mood."

He left the room with the guard and bolted the door behind him. Ian and Barbara were plunged into semi darkness- the only light streaming through a slit in the wall. Barbara looked at Ian's dejected face. He had not looked at her at all since he had revealed Lancelot's hideout.

"Ian?"

"Don't Barbara..."

...

Vicki stood on the top of the castle where she was now dressed in full knight's attire, swamping her completely, but she had insisted that she could play the part as much as anyone else. She watched in a slight fear as she saw the bumblebee army of yellow and black knights, edging the way into the grounds of the castle.

"They're breaking through, Doctor," she shouted to him.

"Leave this to me Miss Vicki," the King said, and he pushed Vicki from harm's way and stood on the edge of the castle and looked down at the advancing army.

The King looked at the army defiantly. The army of knights were chanting and shouting, and demanding that they surrender the castle to Mordred's cause.

"We have your queen!" one of the men shouted. "Why not give up?"

"Never!" Vicki shouted back.

The Doctor nudged her with his stick. "Quiet child!"

Vicki frowned and went back to watching the King as he addressed the army. He was so regal and authoritative, and was calm and angry at the same time. Vicki had to admit that she was a bit in awe of him at that moment.

"I will not surrender to you. I am here to talk of a peaceful solution to the problem."

He stopped and ducked from an arrow that flew past him. He didn't let that deter him and he carried on with his speech. "There shall be no bad blood between us, and I do not wish to fight you. But I must defend this castle and my people and kingdom. If you give me no choice, I will be forced to fight and kill you all. Do not make me do this. We are men and brothers, not enemies. You are hypnotised by Mordred's words and Mordred's hate. Does he speak for all of you?"

"We are faithful to Mordred," said the chants from the crowd.

Vicki gulped. "It's not working your majesty- we have to fight!"

Merlin frowned. "Where's the Doctor gone?"

Vicki turned around to see that Merlin was right and that the Doctor was indeed missing. "Funny time to go to the loo."

"He has an insatiable appetite for adventure," Merlin uttered and the three of them looked around for any signs of where he had suddenly disappeared to.

"Shall I look for him, Sire?" Merlin asked King Arthur.

"Leave him, Master Merlin, from what I know of that man, he may be old and lined, but he is far capable than many a man less than half his age."

Vicki smiled, thinking how true it was. She'd seen the Doctor do so much for a man of his age. She thought about him for a moment, but was broken out of her daydream by the sound of his booming voice.

"Where is he yelling from?" she asked.

She looked over the castle wall and gasped as she saw the Doctor standing right in the firing line, directly on the grounds of the castle facing the army. He only had a shield to cover his body and one hand was clutching his lapel with passion and defiance.

Merlin and Vicki glanced at one another in surprise.

"What on earth is he doing?" Merlin said.

Vicki didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Oh Doctor, you giant idiot!"

…

"The King is very honoured to have such passionate individuals at his home," the Doctor said calmly and strongly. "But if you would be so kind as to move along hmmm? You're really making rather a scene you know?"

He held up his shield as an arrow crashed into it. He looked at the shield and frowned at the marks now upon it. "How dare you! I liked this shield, it was my colour!"

He ducked as an array of arrows came in his direction. "Is that all you have?!" he said as he ducked and dived out of the way once more.

"Move aside old man!" a knight chanted. "Our quarrel is not with an old lunatic but with the king."

"An old lunatic?!" the Doctor spluttered with outrage. "I'm not a lunatic, I'm a genius, now don't be so rude."

Vicki was shouting from the top of the castle. "Doctor, stop it! You'll get yourself killed!"

"Well if I do die, I die my child, there's no use worrying about it is there?" he replied.

"Why's he so quick to sign his own death warrant?" the King raged. "Guard, go and get him right at once."

The Doctor continued to mock the crowd. One knight was so irritated by his behaviour that he began to approach him.

"If you don't move I will chop you in half!" the knight said.

"Very violent young man aren't you? And I'd prefer my body in one piece if you don't mind. I'm not a worm- I can't wriggle back to life!"

The knight raised his sword high into the air and the Doctor gasped as the sword started to come down onto him and for a brief moment he looked frightened. He heard Vicki's voice yelling something.

"Cowabunga!" her voice screamed as she threw a handful of exploding arrows into the knight's path. It knocked the man to the floor and he was suddenly aware that his armour was on fire. The knight raced away, stripping quickly to his underclothes as he tried to stamp out the flames with his heavy boots. Smoke filled the scene and the Doctor retreated as he shooed the smoke away and coughed harshly into his handkerchief.

"And you will all be scorched beyond repair if you come any closer!" the Doctor chanted as he made his escape inside the castle.

Vicki was waiting for him when he returned and she ran into his arms. "Doctor, what were you thinking?"

"I'm not sure I was my child, but sometimes, it's best to dive in and usually find a way!" He cuddled her warmly. "Well done, you saved my life I think. And we brought ourselves some more time. Let's just hope Ian and Barbara are having some success."

The Doctor chuckled as though the entire event had been a game. He chuckled louder as his ribs moved up and down with infectious laughter.

...

Brian snuck up on the guard outside the cell and wondered whether his nerves were going to get the better of him, but he didn't want to let his friends down. He crept quietly on his tiptoes, and stood behind the man he was about to attempt to defeat. He gulped and reached up to where on the wall, hung a decorative shield. He casually lifted it off, careful not to make a sound and he aimed the shield high, and brought it crashing down on the guard's head. The guard fell down in one heap, and Brian smiled joyfully at his victory, not that any of the other squires were around to witness his glory. He picked up the key from the man's belt and unlocked the cell quickly. Guinevere on the other side was more than happy to see him.

...

"Sir Lancelot!" Sir Lionel said as he was untied and helped to his feet. "What's going on?"

"Never mind that now, help me untie the others."

"What about the queen?"

"Brian's getting her, he should meet us soon. We haven't much time."

"You left a squire to do your work?!" Sir Kay bellowed. Lancelot hushed him.

"That squire is the reason I'm in here at all, it was he who tricked the guard, now come on."

Sir Lancelot and the other knights clambered out of the dark and cramped dungeon, over the bodies of the guards Lancelot had just slain, and they crept upstairs into the main courtyard. A few other guards approached them but Arthur's 'Knights of the Round Table' were too strong for the guards to have any chance.

"Sir Lancelot!" Guinevere called as she raced over to her champion. Brian was running beside her and looked utterly thrilled that the knights had been rescued and were in one piece.

"M' Lady, you are not hurt?" Lancelot said as he looked over the queen. For a moment or two their eyes gazed at each other intently and they looked as though they were about to share a passionate embrace. Brian coughed which interrupted their somewhat romantic reunion and Lancelot jumped back as though he had been caught in the act of something dishonest.

"No, I'm alright," she said finally. "I knew you'd come. But they took Lady Barbara. There was nothing I could do."

Lancelot's face turned red with rage. "Do you have any idea where?"

"I think she may be with Ian in the dungeons. Mordred has not been kind to them both. He means to torture them to find information about you."

Lancelot's eyes burned with fury. "Well he's got a shock in store. Sir Kay, you knights return to Camelot. There is far more danger there than here. Your fealty is to the King."

The knights tried to straighten themselves out, shaking all the old hay from their tunics and neatening their unruly hair. They got ready to set off, looking towards the entrance of the castle and surveying if there were any enemy at the door, it seemed to be clear, and Sir Tristram offered to be the leader and get them outside. Sir Kay's moustache twitched when he saw that Lancelot was not following them.

"You're not coming?"

"Don't be absurd Sir Kay! Sir Ian and Lady Barbara are captured. Take the Queen and Brian, and return to where you're needed!"

"You're going to risk your life for two strangers?!" Sir Kay said with surprise. "The King needs you at Camelot."

"Sir Ian and Lady Barbara saved all our lives. I could never abandon them."

Sir Kay nodded and motioned for the other knights and the Queen to get going before Mordred caught sight of them.

"Good luck, Sir Lancelot," Sir Gawaine told him.

Lancelot smiled a thank you and frowned when he saw that Brian was still by his side.

"Brian, you better get going before they leave without you."

"I'm not going back to Camelot without you Lancelot, I am your squire. I stay by your side through turmoil as well as laughter."

Lancelot smiled, ruffled Brian's hair, and told him to lead the way into the dungeons.

...

"Ian, you have to speak to me sometime," Barbara said as she shuffled closer to him in the cell.

"Let's just leave it eh?"

"I will not leave it, no. I know you feel as though you let us all down, but you haven't."

"A true knight would never go against an oath," Ian whispered. "I swore to Lancelot that I wouldn't reveal his plans."

"A true knight wouldn't let a lady be tortured either. You had no choice. Plans change- it's not the worst thing for him to know."

Ian finally looked up. He looked so defeated and beyond repair. Where there was once defiance and optimism against the wrath of Mordred, there now was just despair and loathing. He couldn't shake off the feeling that he had failed, that he had let everyone down and may be responsible for more deaths. Barbara thought he wasn't so different from Lancelot after all. For such a wonderful looking time full of heroic knights and beautiful castles, she was really learning how this place, wherever and whenever it was, was just as cruel and barbaric as any other period in history.

She reached out and touched Ian's face gently and lifted his chin up so he was looking right at her.

"Ian...I..."

She leaned in towards him but jumped back startled when the sound of a bell began ringing loudly from outside.

"What's that?" she gasped.

"Must be the alert," Ian said. "Someone's broken into the castle."

"Lancelot, do you think?"

"Yes it's me," Lancelot said in good cheer as the door swung open and he rushed in to unshackle them. Barbara had never been so glad to see him.

He helped Barbara up and stared at the cuts and bruises that adorned her body and face. "M'Lady I am deeply sorry, I should never have allowed you to be involved in this."

Barbara smiled. "Never mind that now, help Ian, he's badly injured."

Lancelot helped Ian to his feet and pulled him into the corridor. It was an amusing sight to see, as the men staggered into the courtyard, looking identical to one another, though it was obvious from the beatings which one of the men was Ian. Lancelot helped Ian along the stone floor as the bell continued to ring out around them. It was only matter of time until a whole group of people tried to stop them from escaping.

The courtyard wasn't empty like they had first thought and Brian gasped when he saw who was waiting for them. Mordred stood high above them, on the ledge looking down as they shuffled slowly through the room.

"It's Mordred!" Brian screamed.

Mordred laughed as they all looked up at him. His black cape was swaying in the light breeze, making him resemble the image of Dracula. Barbara shuddered. She'd always been scared of vampires, though she hated to admit it. She'd been to the pictures to see 'Dracula' with a boyfriend and had to spend the night with the landing light on. When she had told Ian about it at Coal Hill, he had teased her and turned up the next day to school wearing a cape and vampire teeth. She supposed thinking of that funny image of Ian calmed her down a bit. She didn't know why she had such a fear of vampires- she wasn't scared of ghosts, or goblins or any other supernatural creatures.

She shook the feelings from her mind and looked up at the menacing face of Sir Mordred. She didn't know much detail about the fictional stories of Arthurian legends she had perused over the years, but she had remembered that in many versions, Mordred killed Arthur in battle. She really hoped that this 'land' was not playing out in exactly the same way.

"Sir Lancelot, here at last," Mordred said as he jumped off the ledge and stood in their path.

Lancelot and Ian looked at Mordred with the same angered expression. Barbara almost laughed at the sight of the identical men doing the same thing at the exact same time.

"Two men so alike," Mordred said calmly. "I never thought I'd get the honour of killing two men who bare the face of my enemy."

Brian laughed. "You can't win against two knights!"

Lancelot shoved Brian out of the way and held his sword in the air towards his enemy. He then handed Ian a second sword that he kept with him.

"Ian, what are you doing?" Barbara asked as Ian accepted the weapon.

"I have to help, Barbara."

Lancelot swung his sword around as he noticed another man approach him to fight. The man was bigger and stronger than Mordred and started swinging his sword in the direction of Ian. Ian jumped back and dodged out of the way from a variety of swings towards his head. He knew he was no match for such a swordsman and darted about back and forth making any attempt to strike the man's body. Lancelot and Mordred were right in thick of battle too, both not backing down as their swords clattered together, the metal sound loud and harsh.

Barbara and Brian watched on as the two fights played out before them. They didn't know how to intervene without being sliced in half.

"We have to do something to help Ian," Barbara said.

Ian fell to the floor as the man tripped him. He lay sprawled out on the ground as he saw the man approaching him with a look of rage and determination. He saw the metal coming towards his head and he winced in terror as he waited for the final blow. There were so many things he'd wished he'd said to Barbara but had never had the courage, and now he wondered if he'd ever get the chance. He waited for the blow, but then he saw the man's eyes glaze over and the man fall down next to him, wounded and unconscious. Ian jumped up in surprise. He saw Brian standing there with a kitchen pan in his hand.

"I may not be a knight, but I am the Prince of pots and pans!"

Ian laughed as he embraced Barbara in a hug. He shook Brian's hand. "Thank you Brian, you really are the bravest boy I've ever met."

Barbara pointed to where the swordfight between Lancelot and Mordred was still raging. Ian went to assist, but this time, Lancelot shook his head. "It's my fight Ian, please."

Ian nodded graciously, as he, Barbara and Brian watched through gritted teeth.

Their swords clashed together so that sparks flew into the air like fireworks, and like a blur the men danced around them as they ducked and dived and parried and weaved. Lancelot got the upper hand and quickly kneed Mordred in the stomach. Mordred was winded and fell to his knees in pain and surprise. He gasped, barely able to breathe. Lancelot was then able to knock the sword from Mordred's hands which Brian then hastily picked up. Mordred was defenseless.

Lancelot held his sword at Mordred's throat. "I should kill you."

"Then do it."

"You kidnapped the Queen, subjected a lady to torture, and imprisoned knights."

"Don't forget the war he started between our castles," Brian said.

"Oh that, it was nothing?"

"What was it for?" Lancelot yelled, the veins in his head pulsating with anger.

"To see you this angry is always a reward, Sir Lancelot."

Lancelot held his sword even closer, nearly cutting Mordred's throat. "Surrender to me or die."

"I'd rather die."

Lancelot hesitated but Barbara put her hand on his arm. "Don't kill him Lancelot. Let the King decide his fate."

Lancelot relented at her request, and threw down his sword as Ian and Brian grabbed Mordred and tied him up.

"It's almost over," Lancelot said. "You will tell your men to withdraw from Camelot."

Mordred laughed. "There is still time for me to kill you Lancelot, you and your king. Sparing me does not mean I will ever spare you."

Ian forced Mordred forward to the horses. "Move!" he yelled at him.

...

King Arthur greeted his wife with a kiss as she and the knights arrived back at Camelot. Mordred's army had tried to intervene as they waited in the surrounding forest, but Sir Gawaine and the others fought their way through with a little help from Merlin and a new batch of exploding arrows. Of course, Merlin was getting considerably worried at his now rather lack of arrows, he was going to have to come up with another plan in case Mordred's knights attacked again.

"Oh I'm so glad to be by your side again," Guinevere said to her husband as Vicki watched them embracing.

"I was anxiously awaiting your return my Queen, but what news of Sir Lancelot, and Sir Ian, and Lady Barbara?"

"Don't forget Brian!" Vicki chipped in helpfully.

Arthur's eyebrow arched and he nodded. "Yes and Brian, how could I forget Brian?"

Guinevere held onto Arthur's hands tightly. "Lancelot went back to help Sir Ian and Lady Barbara. I'm sure he has been successful in helping them."

"And what of Sir Mordred?"

"Lancelot will surely take care of him," Merlin added.

Guinevere looked around and smiled at Vicki. "Where is the Doctor?"

Vicki almost laughed. "Ah well the King put him in the dungeon."

"For his own protection," Arthur said. "The old fool was being a nuisance and nearly got himself killed."

"It was a defiant move," Merlin added on the Doctor's behalf. "Perhaps rather foolish, but I admire his courage."

"You've changed your tune, Merlin," Arthur began. "For was it not you that summoned a tail for the Doctor the last time we met?"

Merlin chuckled as he hugged Vicki around the shoulders. "Indeed my lord, but in this adventure I have seen in him a courage that surpasses even the strongest of knights."

Guinevere and Vicki laughed.

...

As the team arrived in Camelot several hours later, they were all tired and hungry. Sir Lancelot had refused to stop for any breaks and was certain he needed to get Mordred properly restrained before anything bad happened. Lancelot dragged Mordred off the horse, and Barbara, who was sharing a horse with Ian, un-wrapped her arms from his waist and got ready to get her feet fully on the ground finally after hours of uncomfortable riding. Ian jumped down from the horse first and held his hands out for Barbara so that she could get down safely.

"Thank you sir," she said with a slight grin.

Ian's saddened and bruised face finally let out a smile. The days had taken their toll on him and even now he was still quiet and solemn. Barbara was fully aware of this change in Ian, she wanted to talk further about it, but this was not the place or the time, besides, her smile evaporated when she saw something move in the trees.

"What is that?" she asked as she, Ian and Brian followed Lancelot and Mordred through the stretch of trees.

She didn't need a reply, as when they came out the other side of the forest- they were greeted with the sight of Mordred's army standing in a big group before the castle.

"I see they haven't relented," Lancelot said angrily. "Mordred order your knights to retreat."

Mordred made no attempt to obey, so Lancelot kicked him hard in the ribs. "Obey or I will not spare you, or your knights."

Mordred looked into Lancelot's eyes and then smiled. "If you wish master," he mocked.

He turned to face his army as they eagerly awaited his words. "You must all retreat," he said quietly, not wanting them to hear.

Lancelot shoved him in the back. "Louder, so they can actually hear you."

"Retreat! Return to the castle! Be gone with you!" he shouted at his men.

The knights looked around confused as to why their lord and master had just given up. They slowly and reluctantly began to withdraw and made their way through the trees.

Just as Mordred saw they had exited from view, he suddenly lurched forward and stole the sword from Lancelot's grasp. Lancelot watched in horror as the sword, held high in Mordred's gloved hand, swiped through the air and went in the direction of Brian. Brian gasped and soon the metal of the sword drew upon him. He fell to the floor in pain.

"Brian!" Lancelot shouted.

He felt like he was in slow motion as he raced towards his squire and cradled him in his arms. Ian and Barbara grabbed Mordred and knocked the sword from his grasp. Ian held his sword at Mordred's throat.

Lancelot wiped away the strand of hair that was in Brian's eye. "Don't worry Brian, it'll be alright."

He looked at the blood soaked tunic of his friend and tried to hide his anxiety.

Brian sniffled and looked up at his friend. "Am I going to die, Lancelot?"

Lancelot tried to smile. "Then who would clean my armour?!"

Brian laughed slightly and held onto his side as the blood drenched his hands.

"We must get him to the court physician immediately!" Lancelot said as he scooped Brian into his arms and started to carry him in the direction of the castle. "Bring him! He must pay for his actions."

Ian dragged Mordred by the scruff of his collar and forced him onward.

...

The Doctor placed the cards down upon the floor, as Cedric, his cellmate basked in his winning glory. The card game had started well for the Doctor, but he had underestimated the skill of Cedric, the entertainer.

"What are you in for boy?" the Doctor said, as he grumpily accepted his loss.

"I threw an apple at Sir Kay."

"Is that it?"

"Well, I was juggling, and he heckled me. I was only meant to be in here a day, but then the battle started and they just left me down here until they finish whatever it is they're doing, how about you, old man?"

The Doctor ignored the comment. "I was imprisoned for bravery, most unjust. I shall be writing a severely worded letter to my representative when I get out. That King thinks he knows it all."

"What is that, Doctor?" King Arthur said from behind him at the cell door.

The Doctor jumped back in surprise. "Oh your majesty. This poor boy needs release."

"I'm well aware of that Doctor. Now the castle is safe, he may go."

"Sire..."

"Doctor, would you let me talk? I need your help."

The Doctor folded his arms in protest. "Oh now you need it hmmm?"

"Lancelot's squire Brian is gravely ill...he was stabbed by Mordred's hand."

"Oh dear, dear, that is awful," the Doctor said. "And Ian, and Barbara, are they safe?"

"Yes, they return with the enemy. Everyone else is fine, perhaps a little battered but fine."

The Doctor followed the king from the dungeon.

...

In the halls upstairs, Vicki and Barbara were sitting at Brian's bedside as Barbara dressed and cleaned his wounds.

"You'll be fine," Vicki was telling him. "It's just a flesh wound."

The Doctor rushed in with Merlin a moment later and Barbara's face lit up upon seeing him. "Doctor! Oh I'm so glad to see you."

The Doctor patted Barbara on the shoulder. "And I you, my dear." He approached Brian's bed and sat down on the cover.

"Am I going to die, Doctor?" Brian whispered.

The Doctor chuckled. "No, no my dear lad, I'm sure Merlin and I can work together to get this all sorted out. What do you say Mr. Magician?"

Merlin smiled. "It would be my pleasure, Mr. Scientist. When men's differing minds come as one, great miracles are born."

The Doctor smiled. "Ever thought about poetry my dear fellow?"

"Well actually I did..."

Barbara and Vicki smiled at each other, and realised it was time to leave and let the old men treat Brian, after they'd treated their egos of course!

"Let's go where we're wanted Vicki," Barbara joked and she hugged her young friend as they went to join Guinevere in the banquet hall.

...

"We should kill the traitor!" Lancelot yelled as he, Ian, and Arthur stood over the crouching body of Mordred. He was pleading on his knees, finally realising that he had lost the battle.

King Arthur pulled Lancelot back. "Lancelot, please, would you calm down?"

"He nearly killed Brian!"

Mordred was a shadow of his former self but managed to speak. "He was just a squire, he can be easily replaced."

Lancelot nearly swiped him. "He is not replaceable to me!"

Ian stepped forward. "And all he put Barbara through, he deserves a punishment fitting for an evil man, not death but at least long-term imprisonment."

Arthur nodded. "I do agree Sir Ian, and I have decided not to end this pitiful man's life. I expect once he has served a sentence, we may meet again a fair few more times, but I hope one day there will be peace between us and our homes." He looked at Mordred. "I will place you in the dungeons for eight seasons, but I will not execute you. Think of your wrong doings as you live out your sentence."

He motioned for the guards to take him away. Lancelot looked angrily at his king. "He will come back, and he will kill you! Is that what you want?"

Arthur patted Lancelot on the shoulder. "And why is that Lancelot? Will you not be here to protect me?"

Lancelot finally smiled, and with that the three of them went to join the ladies.

...

After everyone had got cleaned up and ready to make a proper and gracious appearance in the court, they all assembled as the Doctor attempted to say their goodbyes. Brian had made a good recovery and was now seated and bandaged, and very happy to be waited on hand and foot for once!

The King and Queen applauded the travellers as they stood before them in the court.

"Once again you have graced our lives with friendship and honour," Arthur said as he held his wife's hand. She looked at him fondly.

"You are always welcome to live here at Camelot," the Queen added.

"It's tempting," Barbara said. "I wouldn't mind wearing these dresses more frequently. But, no, Ian and I are eager to get back to our home."

Ian held Barbara's hand. "The Doctor's still trying to get us there, but he's having a few minor navigational problems."

The Doctor hissed.

"Maybe I can help with that," Merlin said, but the Doctor was pretending not to hear, moving his face away from the conversation.

"Oh well we must be off, places to see and people to help."

Vicki waved goodbye. "Oh I had a marvellous time and thanks for the souvenir Merlin," she said as she clutched a bow and arrow.

Merlin smiled and watched as the travellers left their lives once more. Lancelot followed them outside.

"I wanted to say a thank you to all of you," he said. "Four strange travellers with no home, and yet you force your way into other's lives and change them for the better. We may never have succeeded without you."

Barbara leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "We will always cherish our time spent in Camelot," she said.

He nodded and watched as they opened the TARDIS doors and went inside.

"And I will cherish you all," Lancelot said softly to himself as he turned away and walked back to his home.

…

It was with a deep sadness that Lancelot found himself saying goodbye once again to the four strangers who had become friends and allies during the last two times they had arrived.

When he arrived at his quarters, a still injured Brian was waiting for him inside, tidying the man's blanket and dusting down his bed.

"Brian!" Lancelot's voice rose higher. "What on earth are you doing?"

"The bed won't make itself."

Lancelot smiled and sat down on his chair. "You nearly died, Brian, you don't have to get back to work straight away."

"I know Lancelot, it's just I'm bored sitting around."

Lancelot chuckled and gestured for Brian to sit down beside him. "Here I was worried that you were getting tired of all the rushing around, and wanted to take it easy."

"Oh no Lancelot, I must have needed my head examined to think I wanted to take it easy."

"I only bring this up, Brian, because over the last few days, since all the trouble, I sensed you were nervous to get things done."

Brian sighed. "I just wanted to prove myself worthy. It was easier being younger and in-experienced, relying on my own wits, now more is at stake sir, and I must do the right thing."

Lancelot laughed and placed his arm around his friend. "You're growing into a fine young man, Brian, and learning well, but just because you're learning what it is to be a knight, doesn't mean you can't still use the skills you learnt as a boy."

"I suppose so. So did I disappoint you then, when I didn't show enough courage?"

"Of course I wasn't disappointed and you did show true courage, Brian, rushing into the castle with me, playing your part, staying behind to protect the others. You showed as much courage as Sir Tristram or Sir Gawaine or any of those knights and much more courage than Sir Kay, though that's not surprising."

Brian laughed. "Don't let him hear you say that."

"The point is Brian, I very nearly lost you today and it was a very horrible experience, but you're nearly a man now and no longer in need of my constant protection."

"Thank you Lancelot," Brian replied with a big grin.

Lancelot got up to leave.

"Lancelot?"

"Yes?"

"If I ever start saying I'd rather go and have a normal life as a farmer, hit me over the head!"

Lancelot laughed. "I'll remember."

...

Later that night, the TARDIS was dark, and Ian and Barbara were sitting together in his bedroom reading a book. They had been unable to sleep after all the things they had been through and just needed each other's company. They were perusing an old Arthurian book, a beautifully illustrated book that had glorious writing and stories and pictures. They both paused and gasped when they looked at a particular drawing. It was the image of an old man, dressed in the strangest of clothes- he was standing in the courtyard of a castle, facing a whole army of knights. He stood undeterred with his hands clutching at his lapels. They both started laughing when the caption underneath read 'The Fool'.

"It can't be real, can it?" Ian asked as he turned the page of the book. "These are mostly made up stories aren't they?"

Barbara laughed. "No one knows truly what was recorded, what was real. All we know is that we lived it, we were there."

She grabbed Ian's hand and got up. "Come on Sir Knight- walk me to my bed chamber."

"I will be most honoured, M'Lady," he replied.

As they left, the book was left open on Ian's bed and was on a new page. The drawing displayed a knight saying goodbye to four travellers in the forest. There was a blue box on the hill and an orb of what almost looked like an angel's halo surrounding it. The writing underneath the illustration simply read:

"Our friends from the stars."