"Doctor! Watch out!"

The Doctor ducked just in time as a soldier sliced at where his neck would have been. He spun around and tried to parry the next blow with his stick. He wasn't exactly sure how he'd gotten himself and Clara into this mess, but well, one thing led to another and here he was, fending off two or three or five Spaniards with a tree branch somewhere in France. Another had his arms around Clara's waist, and the Doctor could tell he was making her uncomfortable.

Two of the Spaniards rushed at him, and he smacked their swords aside. Another came at him-this one had been relentless-but this time the branch and blade collided the latter snapped. Defeated, the Spaniard threw down the half of his weapon and stalked off. His comrades kept fighting, and a lucky slip of his arm sent the Doctor's stick to make contact with one of the helmets, knocking the man unconscious. The remaining two came at him, but they began to tire while the Doctor laughed at them, viewing the fight as play. One tired and gave up, and the other passed out from exhaustion. When the last man fell over, the Doctor turned on the man holding Clara.

He tightened his grip and the Doctor heard her groan. "Let. My. Friend. Go." he demanded, holding up his tree branch threateningly. The man was obviously a little frightened, but he was not tired as the others were, or weaponless. He shifted Clara to his left arm and held her tight, and unsheathed his sword with his right arm.

"Did I stutter? I said, let my friendgo, now, or I'll pry your dead fingers off of her myself." The Doctor feinted toward the man, who was now terrified. The Spaniard lowered his weapon and released Clara. The Doctor pulled her away from the man and hugged her. "You alright?" he murmured in her ear.

"Fine. He's got a tight grip." she replied, causing the Doctor to glare at the swordsman. Clara patted her friends back. "I'm alright, calm down."

"Let's go back to the TARDIS."

"Alright."

The Doctor led Clara past the defeated swordsman and through the woods to his blue box and took her inside. Only at the door of his ship did he drop his tree branch.