7.
The Doctor, Jack and Katherine sat at a table in 'The Stag' with Sir William Deering and his wife Louisa. The pub was fairly busy and Megan was rushing between tables, serving food and clearing away empty glasses. They had enjoyed a hearty meal of steak pie, chips, and fresh vegetables and now the Doctor and Jack were washing it down with a second bottle of red wine. Katherine had become slightly bored with the conversation and had excused herself to talk to Megan, when she had a moment behind the bar, and now sat perched precariously on a barstool.
Sir William's wife Louisa had turned out to be a very sociable and welcoming woman with a quick wit and a ready smile. She was in her early forties with long brown hair that she pinned back into a ponytail. Louisa had married Sir William nearly twenty years ago and was a Northerner, originally coming from near Sheffield. The couple had moved back to Sir William's parents' manor at Pontachor and lived there for over twelve years. She had just taken Toby out some water and now returned to the table carrying some more drinks. She put the tray on the table and sat next to her husband. "There we are."
The Doctor picked up his glass and smiled at Louisa. "Sir William told us that you teach in the school here."
Louisa nodded. "It's only a small school, just one class for the local children, but I enjoy it. I always shed a tear when they leave to go to the big schools in Aberystwyth."
Jack took a swig of his wine and chuckled. "He also said you knew all about the spooky legends."
She nodded and laughed. "Yes that's right. You must come up to the hall. I've got some books in the library that explain all about the monk and the bridge!" Her voice lowered theatrically.
Katherine walked excitedly across the room and sat next to the Doctor. She was followed by Megan who had a concerned look on her face. "Doctor," Katherine began urgently, "you know that card we found?"
The Doctor nodded, remembering the student card they had picked up. He pulled it out of his pocket and held it up. "Here it is. Nicola Bennett. What about it?"
Megan nodded and bit her lip worriedly when she saw the photo of the redheaded girl. "That's Nikki! I haven't seen her for two days!"
8.
"Who is Nikki?" asked Sir William, putting down his glass on the table.
"She's an American. She's backpacking around the area with her boyfriend Mark" explained Megan.
"Then perhaps they've just moved on to a new area," reasoned Louisa. "You know what these Americans are like!" Jack cleared his throat and grinned at Louisa, who just smiled sweetly back at him.
"I don't think so. They've been in 'The Stag' for a few nights, and we got chatting. They didn't say they were moving on. I hope nothing has happened" said Megan.
"Alright," said Sir William reassuringly and patting Megan's shoulder. "There's no point in doing anything today. PC Hughes will have gone home anyway! We'll ask him in the morning to keep a look out."
Katherine looked across at the Doctor. He seemed to be distant and lost in thought although she guessed that his mind was probably racing. "Doctor?" she prompted.
He refocused and smiled at her. "I think Sir William's right. It's too late today, and it could be a false alarm anyway." He grinned at Megan. "I hope these rooms of yours have comfy beds!"
*****************
After a wonderful hot bath, Katherine had slid into a welcoming bed with crisp white sheets and relaxed her head on the soft pillow. She'd had a lovely relaxing afternoon and a terrific meal, and allowed herself to gently drift off. Perhaps travelling with the Doctor could be fun. Pontachor was certainly more restful than the snowy prison planet of Callis IV or London in 1940. She liked the people here too. Sir William and his wife seemed nice enough, and she liked Megan a lot. It was nice to talk to a girl of about her age again, even though she guessed she could give Megan about five years. Katherine smiled to herself. About four hundred and five years actually!
Unnoticed by a drowsy Katherine, the glass of water next to her bed suddenly frosted over as the temperature of the room dropped. Close to the floor, a patch of grey swirling mist appeared and started to grow into a ghostly figure dressed in a cloak and cowl.
The spectral figure loomed over the now sleeping Katherine.
9.
The ghostly hooded shape raised its arms and began to whisper softly in an alien, guttural language. Katherine moaned and twisted on the bed. As the whispering became more intense, she turned over and suddenly opened her eyes to see the terrifying figure above her. Katherine pushed herself away and screamed as loudly as she could, her eyes wide with fear. The figure gave an angry hiss and lunged forward but Katherine rolled quickly off the bed and ran to the door, screaming as loudly as she could. "Doctor! Jack! Help me!"
At the sound of nearby doors opening and running feet, the creature shrank back. With another hiss of anger, it began to dissipate into swirling grey mist once more.
The door burst open and the Doctor and Jack ran into the room. Katherine threw herself sobbing into Jack's arms. "It was horrible!" she cried.
The Doctor scanned the room, but could see nothing. "What was it Katherine?" he asked. "What did you see?"
Katherine took deep breaths as Jack held her. "It was a ghost; a spectre!"
Jack looked down at her. "A ghost!" he exclaimed. "What did it look like?"
Katherine wiped her face with her hand. She was a little calmer now that her friends were here. "It had a cloak and a hood over its head. It looked like a monk!"
The Doctor frowned but at that moment, David Williams, the pub owner, and Megan arrived outside the room. "Is everything alright?" the publican asked with concern.
The Doctor took a deep breath and then managed a smile. "Oh, just a nightmare Mr. Williams," he said cheerfully. "Too much cheese before bedtime I expect!" Katherine shot him a pleading look but stayed silent. "I wonder Megan," the Doctor continued pleasantly, "could Katherine stay with you tonight?"
Megan nodded and put an arm around Katherine's shoulders, an understanding look on her face. "Sure, no problem," she said gently. "Come on Katherine." The two girls walked down the corridor to Megan's room.
Williams shrugged and half smiled at the Doctor before going back to bed. Jack looked at the Doctor who had a very worried expression on his face.
10.
The next morning, a slightly embarrassed Katherine sat in the small breakfast room of 'The Stag' where she was just finishing her toast and coffee. According to Megan, who was serving bacon and eggs to other customers and clearing away dirty plates and cutlery from empty tables, the Doctor and Jack had come down much earlier, ate enormous fried breakfasts and gone off to see the Deerings. This had annoyed Katherine. She didn't like being kept 'safely out of harm's way' as she saw it and wanted to feel part of the Doctor's plans.
Megan cleared the last plates away, poured herself a cup of tea and sat next to Katherine. Katherine glowered up at her and then smiled. Megan made a sad face in return and in a moment, the two girls were laughing loudly at each other.
"Thank you," said Katherine, trying to compose herself, "I just feel so stupid!"
Megan held up a hand in mock surrender. "Hey don't shoot the messenger! I'm just telling you what the Doctor told me!" She tried to imitate the Doctor's voice, not very successfully. "Better let her sleep in; get some rest!"
The two girls giggled again. "Did he say what time they would come back?" asked Katherine.
Megan shook her head. The girls took a sip of their drinks and Katherine paused a moment. "Do you believe me when I say I've seen a ghost?"
Megan looked down at her tea cup. "Yes," she said quietly, "I do."
Katherine looked at her new friend carefully. "Why?"
Megan paused. "You said it looked like the ghost of a monk?" she said carefully. Katherine nodded. "Well there is the monastery ruins on the side of the gorge; all the legends about the monk and the bridge." She shrugged a little self consciously. "Oh, I don't know!"
Katherine put down her coffee cup and grasped Megan's hands. "Tell me!" she implored.
"Well, I could always go and show you. I'll tell you the legend on the way." Megan said brightly.
Katherine looked doubtful. "The Doctor told me to stay here," she muttered sulkily.
Megan slowly raised an eyebrow and both girls burst into giggles.
11.
Sir William Deering opened the small garden gate and he and Jack Harkness walked up the stone path to the cottage. The glorious sunshine of the previous afternoon had been replaced by a grey, cloudy morning that promised rain later on.
"Josh Hughes is our local PC," explained Sir William. "He lives in Pontachor but has to police the next three villages too. Cutbacks!" he chucked. "Still, today should be his day here and we're early enough to catch him. Josh doesn't normally get out and around the village until past ten!"
Jack nodded thoughtfully. "It could be nothing. The backpackers could just have moved on."
"Best to sure though," Deering agreed.
Over the front door of the cottage were the traditional blue lamp and a small sign that read 'Police'. Sir William knocked sharply on the blue door. "Morning Josh," he called brightly. "You ready to face the day yet?" PC Hughes was a popular figure with the villagers and it was no secret that he liked a pint or two at 'The Stag' most evenings.
To their surprise, the door just swung open with a creak.
Deering glanced worriedly at Jack who put a finger to his lips. Deering nodded but his eyes widened as Jack drew his revolver from his shoulder holster.
Jack took a deep breath and burst into the house, holding his gun with both hands and covering the room.
It seemed quiet and empty, but the living area they had entered had been wrecked. Papers, books and magazines had been torn and fluttered in the breeze of the suddenly opened door. An easy chair had a deep gash that had ripped the back and seat and shelves and tables had been overturned.
Jack looked around quickly, his gun up and ready. "Stay here!" he hissed at a shocked Deering. Sir William just nodded dumbly as Jack ran quickly up the stairs to check if anyone was there, but the bedrooms and bathroom were both deserted.
At the sound of a gasp from Sir William, Jack hurried back down the stairs. Sir William pointed to the kitchen. The kitchen door hung from its' hinges and in the corner was the bloody corpse of a bloodhound.
12.
The Doctor and Louisa sat in the Deering's rather well appointed library. Louisa picked an old book off the shelf, flicked through some pages until she found the page she wanted and then handed it to the Doctor.
The Doctor put his mug of tea on the small table next to the leather armchair and took the book from Louisa. On the pages she had opened it to, one page showed the print of an old sketched drawing depicting a figure slipping from a bridge and falling into the river below. Under that sketch was another that showed the figure, now clearly recognisable as a monk or priest, cowering in front of a horned demon. The next page had the title 'A Monk's Folly – Fear's Bridge', and text detailing the story of the old legend.
The Doctor put on his glasses and began to read aloud. "A deadly plague had been sent upon the brotherhood at St. Thomas and to protect the surrounding villages from the disease, the monks had locked themselves within their monastery. But a lowly friar that had not yet succumbed broke their vow of separation and fled across the old bridge. As his heart was not pure, God punished him and he fell into the gorge beneath. There he met the Devil who claimed him for his own. As the monk's soul was torn between piety and damnation, he is said to never have rested and watches the bridge for eternity, waiting to claim further souls to take his place in Hell."
The Doctor looked up at Louisa. "When was this supposed to happen?" he asked.
Louisa shrugged and smiled. "It's a bit vague, but looking at the style of drawing, probably about the twelfth century."
The Doctor glanced down at the book again, a worried look on his face. Louisa saw his expression and laughed. "Surely you don't believe it Doctor? It's just a myth, a legend!"
He looked up at her and she saw that he was serious. "Nearly all legends have some truth in them; that's why they're legends." He bit his lip and sighed. "And we were having such a nice time!"
13.
Megan led Katherine out of Pontachor and towards the stone bridge that crossed the gorge. Katherine eyed the bridge warily, superstitious fears and uneasy memories of last time making her pause before it.
"Oh come on!" teased Megan playfully. "There's nothing here that can hurt us!"
Katherine edged towards the bridge and looked over the edge and deep into the gorge beneath. The gorge was very steep with lots of large boulders and a small stream at the bottom, far below the bridge. "Is this where the monk fell?" she asked.
Megan nodded, and stood next to Katherine looking into the gorge. Katherine glanced at her friend and smiled bravely. "I'm just being stupid aren't I?"
Megan laughed. "A bit! Come on," she turned and walked across the bridge to the other side of the gorge. "The monastery isn't far, but we'll have to leave the road and climb up the hill a bit.
Katherine followed Megan to the other side of the bridge and then let out the breath she had been holding unconsciously. Nothing evil had happened to them; she was just getting carried away!
******************
Sir William leant over the washbasin and took a deep breath. He and Jack had returned to 'The Stag' from PC Hughes' cottage as Jack had insisted they not touch anything in case they disturbed any important clues that the Doctor might find. Sir William had forgotten his mobile phone as usual, so they could use the phone here to contact him at Deering Hall.
Sir William had first insisted he use the bathroom after ordering a quick brandy from David Williams. He didn't want anyone to know, but the sight of the dead and butchered bloodhound had quite upset him. He had always loved dogs ever since his late father had bought him an Alsatian pup when he was six. Louisa had often teased him that he loved Toby more than her.
He bent over and washed his face and hands. When he straightened up, his heart flew into his mouth as he looked in the mirror to see a dark figure dressed in a cloak and hood standing just behind him.
