Chapter Ten: Rory

Despite having been provided with a comfortable tent and a generous dinner, Rory hadn't slept well. The rain had continued all night, with varying degrees of intensity. As hour after hour passed, his anxiety grew. Amy was out in the storm, trying to find her way to the TARDIS. Anything could have happened to her in the darkness. He felt himself getting close to panic and he distracted himself as best he could. Sometimes he busied himself re-stoking the fire in the tent's stove; other times he checked on the Doctor.

By dawn, Rory had abandoned trying to sleep. He'd paced the chilly tent, feeling his anxiety growing. The Doctor had slept on, oblivious to everything, and as time passed Rory had found his fear and panic turning to anger. The Doctor had once told him fear generates savagery and he thought now he understood. He knew it was irrational to be angry with the Doctor, but he couldn't seem to stop himself. He reminded himself that the Time Lord had never meant for any of this to happen and he certainly wouldn't want Amy to be harmed, but still his fear and anger grew.

The Doctor had finally roused a couple hours after dawn. He'd been muddled at first but as soon as he learned that Amy wasn't back, he'd insisted that Rory go find her. Rory had protested that he couldn't simply abandon him and the Doctor had cut him off with a desperate Please. Part of Rory had known that would happen. This was the Doctor after all. How many times had he risked his life to save them? Rory had consented to search, then gone to the queen for help.

Queen Anne had understood his dilemma in an instant. She'd summoned the captain of her guards to put together a group to ride out in search of Amy and she'd promised to have someone sit with the Doctor while Rory was away. Rory returned to the tent to finish wrapping a bandage around the Doctor's ankle and get his arm into a sling. He was a careful as he could be but by the time he was finished, the Doctor's face was white and he was trembling. Rory moved the quilt up around him carefully, wishing he had some way to ease his pain.

"I can get you some water. Would that help?" he asked.

"No, thank you," the Doctor said. "Maybe later."

"The queen said she'd have someone sit with you while I'm gone. If you need anything…"

"I'll ask." The Doctor shifted on the cot, fumbling in his jacket. Rory reached out, wanting to stop him.

"What…"

"TARDIS key," explained the Doctor. Rory gulped. The only reason he'd need the key would be if he didn't find Amy; she had the other with her. He pushed the thought away. Of course you're going to find Amy. The Doctor pulled something from his pocket and his face fell. Rory realized that it was his sonic screwdriver, and it was in two pieces. He reached out to take them.

"You must have landed on it. Should I…"

"Just leave it in the TARDIS," the Doctor said wearily, reaching back into his pocket. "She'll make me a new one. Again."

"Ok." Rory tucked the screwdriver pieces into his jacket pocket. The Doctor held out the key and he reached for it, closing his hand around the Time Lord's for a moment. "I'll be back," he promised.

"I know. Bring Amy with you, ok?"

"Ok. Stay in that cot." Rory got to his feet with the key in his hand. "You need to rest."

"I will." The Doctor closed his eyes and lifted his good arm, putting his hand over the closed lids. Rory stared at him for a moment, feeling guilt souring his stomach. How could he just leave him? He thought of Amy, and knew he didn't have any choice. He turned and hurried out of the tent before he could change his mind.

Rory found five members of the queen's guard waiting for him, including Lord Eckhart, along with six horses. He'd never ridden a horse before but to his surprise, he found that he knew just what to do. It was another memory from the time-line that never was, when he'd been a Centurion. Except he hadn't really been a Centurion – it was a memory the Autons planted in his mind to fool him into thinking he was human rather than plastic. He shied away from the thoughts; if he stopped to consider the confusing jumble of memories in his head, he'd wind up with a migraine. Better to just accept that horseback riding was something he did understand and move on.

The queen came to see the guard off, much to Rory's surprise. She wished them well and they rode out, leaving through the crater entrance. Eckhart led them up a hill to the other side of the crater. Rory looked down onto the tent city, shaking his head at the size of the encampment. The entire crater floor was taken up with it. Not only were there the tents, but there were also the horse-lines and the fires. Definitely not subtle, Rory thought, shaking his head. When he looked up he found that Eckhart had slowed his horse and was motioning for him to ride up alongside.

"We need you to guide us," he explained. Rory nodded, swallowing nervously. He hadn't paid close attention to the landscape they passed through the previous day; he'd trusted the Doctor would know how to get them back to the TARDIS when the time came. How did we think Amy would find her way after dark? he wondered. He took a deep breath and scanned the plain before him, struggling to spot anything familiar. After a moment he thought he recognized a sparkling rock. Amy had been looking at it just before the Doctor fell.

"That way," he said, pointing toward it. Eckhart nodded and the guard moved forward.

Eckhart and Rory took the lead, stopping from time to time so that Rory could scan the landscape. He struggled to pick out anything familiar that would tell them they were on the right path. The farther they went, the more he realized that sending Amy in the dark had been foolish. We should have waited until morning, he thought. This is hopeless. She could be anywhere.

They passed over the hill-top where Rory had set up the picnic. When they reached the bottom, they stopped again so Rory could look around. After a few minutes he recognized a copse of trees and they moved again. It was getting harder and harder for Rory to spot anything familiar, and when they came to the edge of a large plain, he felt his heart sink in despair. Eckhart waited, watching him impatiently as he scanned the vast space.

"Stra… straight ahead, I think," he finally suggested. Eckhart nodded and they moved forward, this time riding six men across as they each searched for any sign of Amy's passage. The grass was thick here and there was no mud to capture footprints. Rory was starting to worry that he'd led the men the wrong way when one of the riders called out. He looked over to see the man holding up something. As he drew closer he realized it was a long, red scarf.

"You recognize this?" Eckhart asked. Rory nodded, feeling at once relieved and sick.

"It's my wife's."

"Then we know she passed this way. Good." Rory nodded, not trusting his voice, and the group rode on.

They'd been moving for about fifteen minutes and Rory was starting to worry about spotting landmarks again when he saw the tree near the edge of the plain. It was leaf-less, twisted, and familiar. Rory felt a surge of elation as he realized they were very close to the TARDIS now. His elation was quickly squashed by worry. They'd come all this way without finding Amy. The group rode on and after a few minutes the familiar blue box came into view. Rory spurred his horse to go faster, his heart hammering in his chest. Please let her be inside. Please let her be inside. Please let her be inside.

When he reached the TARDIS Rory didn't wait for the others. He jumped down from his horse and ran to the door, fumbling to get the key from his pocket.

"Master Williams!" Eckhart protested.

"I'm going to go inside," Rory called, finally succeeding in getting hold of the key. His hand was shaking so badly that he had trouble fitting it into the lock. "You'll have to wait here." He didn't wait for a reply before pushing open the door and slipping inside. He quickly closed it behind him and turned. "Amy?" he called. His voice seemed to echo in the console room and he knew at once he was alone on the ship. He sagged back against the door, fighting back sobs. This had been his last hope. How was he ever going to find Amy now? He let himself sink down until he was sitting on the floor and put his head in his hands.

After a few minutes, Rory was able to get his emotions under control. He figured his best chance of finding Amy now was the Doctor. He needed to get the med kit, return to camp, and help the Time Lord. Once he was healed, they could find Amy together. Feeling determined and reenergized, Rory got to his feet and bounded up the stairs. The med kit was just where he'd left it in sick bay and he took a quick look to make sure everything he wanted was inside. He detoured into the room he shared with Amy long enough to tug on a jumper. He snagged one for Amy and another for the Doctor as well before charging back to the console room. He was half-way to the doors when he realized he still had the pieces of the Doctor's sonic in his jacket pocket. He turned back to the console. As he approached, a slot popped open on one side, reminding him of a rubbish bin.

"Well, that's tidy," he muttered, dropping the screwdriver pieces in. He started to turn away but a whirring sound stopped him. To his astonishment, a new sonic screwdriver popped out of another slot on the console. "What? You keep spares on hand?" he asked. He started to laugh, amused at himself for talking to the ship. His laughter died as a thought sprang in to his mind. Seems like a good idea, as he keeps breaking them. He stared at the console, thoroughly disconcerted. Had the TARDIS actually answered him? A beep from the unit broke him out of his reverie. He reached out to snag the new sonic and headed back to the doors. The TARDIS was strange enough when Amy and the Doctor were with him; he didn't like it when he was by himself.

When Rory stepped out of the TARDIS, he found that Lord Eckhart's men were not waiting for him alone. A second group of riders had arrived, and the atmosphere between the two groups was tense. Eckhart had a hand on the hilt of his sword and was glaring at a dark-haired man. The stranger had a hand on his sword as well.

"You're a long way from home, Lord Grist," Eckhart said. "What are you doing here?"

"I don't answer to you, Eckhart. I am a free man of Umbria and I'll go where I please!" The man called Grist punctuated his last statement by drawing his sword. Eckhart followed suit. The other men in both parties reached for their weapons as well.

"Oi!" came a familiar voice. "Put those away before you poke someone's eye out!" Rory took a step forward, searching for a glimpse of the speaker, and Grist turned his sword toward him. A second later Amy leaned out from behind the man, reaching out to grab his sword arm. Grist turned to glare at her.

"Mistress Pond, I'll thank you not to interfere!" he growled.

"And I'll thank you to not point your sword at my husband!" Amy snapped, returning his glower. For a moment they frowned at each other, and then Grist slowly lowered his arm. Rory breathed a sigh of relief as Amy turned to grin at him. "That's better, isn't it? Now, where's the Doctor?"

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