Chapter Fourteen: Rory

Rory's relief at finding Amy was tempered by his concern about how she would take the news that he'd left the Doctor behind. He hadn't been surprised when Amy dragged him into the TARDIS for a "discussion." She'd admonished the guards to get along before hopping into the box with him following. He wanted to look at her ankle but she wanted to know what had happened. His guilt at leaving the Doctor resurged as he explained, especially as Amy was highly skeptical.

"When he realized you weren't back he kind of… panicked," he said, remembering the Doctor's desperate Please.

"The Doctor panicked." Amy folded her arms across her chest, looking dubious.

"He insisted I look for you," Rory said. "I went to the queen and she offered to send some of her guards with me. She promised to have someone sit with the Doctor while I was away too."

"She's awfully generous, this queen."

"She's been very… helpful." Rory could feel his face growing warm. Amy arched a brow at him.

"Yeah, I can see that," she said. The heat in his cheeks increased for a moment, until he thought about the men outside.

"What about you? You called that man 'Randy.' Who is he?"

"Just someone I… ran into last night," Amy said, not quite meeting his eyes. When he waited, she sighed. "I twisted my ankle and wound up sprawled on the ground. That man – Lord Grist – was riding and he nearly ran me over. He wound up picking me up and taking me to a house."

"He picked you up." It was Rory's turn to sound doubtful. Amy looked at him and laughed, smacking his arm lightly.

"Not like that. He was a gentleman. He carried me to the house and bandaged my ankle. This morning he agreed to bring me here and then take me to the crater."

"That's awfully… generous of him."

"I think he's avoiding…" Amy's voice trailed off for a moment, her eyes widening. "He said the queen had summoned him to the palace. He didn't seem happy about it either."

"Why wouldn't he like the queen?" Rory wondered.

"I don't know. Maybe she's bossy." He fought back a smirk, arching his brows at Amy instead. She smacked his arm, grinning at him. "Shut up!" Rory smiled back, feeling the tightness in his chest easing.

"Seriously, Amy," he said, sobering a little, "she's a good person." His face warmed again as he continued. "It isn't… you don't need to be jealous."

"Jealous?" Amy scoffed. "I am not jealous, Rory Williams."

"Really? 'Cause you seemed a little…"

"I'm worried," she said firmly. "We need to get to the Doctor."

"We will. I just need to fix your ankle and then we can go," Rory told her. "Assuming our escorts haven't killed each other." He started to look over his shoulder at the TARDIS doors but Amy tugged on his jacket front, aiming him back toward her.

"C'mon – ankle, now."

It didn't take long for Rory to unwind Amy's bandage. There was some kind of ointment on her ankle, staining her skin brown and smelling vile. He wiped away as much of it as he could before reaching into the med kit to find the tool he wanted. The Doctor had used this device on his knew a few weeks ago. It only took him a moment to turn it on and within a few minutes the swelling in Amy's ankle was disappearing. The device turned itself off after a few more minutes and Amy sprang to her feet.

"I'm going to go get a new pair of boots," she announced, dashing off. Rory repacked the device and retrieved the jumpers he'd dropped by the door. When Amy returned he offered hers to her and she shrugged out of her jacket, revealing a bandage wrapped around her wrist.

"What's that?" he demanded

"Oh," she said, sounding surprised. "I forgot. I bent my wrist when I fell last night."

"Well let's get that taken care of too," Rory replied, reaching for the med kit again. The device made short work of that injury as well and Amy reached for her jumper, frowning at the second one.

"For the Doctor," Rory explained and she nodded in approval. She took it from him and he collected the med kit before they both headed for the doors. Rory could feel his apprehension increasing. What were they going to find outside? There'd certainly been a lot of hostility between Lords Eckhart and Grist.

Amy was apparently feeling the same apprehension because she hesitated at the doors.

"I don't hear anything," she murmured, glancing at Rory..

"I always figured these doors were sound-proof," he replied, shrugging. "It can hold in air while we're flying through space. Why wouldn't it hold in sound too?" Amy nodded and turned away to stare at the doors again. After a moment, she squared her shoulders and reached for the handle.

"Alright. Let's go get the Doctor." She pushed open the door and they stepped outside.

To Rory's relief, Eckhart and Grist were not fighting. All the men had dismounted, allowing their horses to graze on the lush grass around the TARDIS. When they heard the TARDIS door snick shut, both Eckhart and Grist turned. They started forward, glancing warily at each other as they approached Amy and Rory.

"Are you ready to return, Sir?" Eckhart asked Rory. Grist spoke at the same time to Amy.

"I can take you on to the crater now, Mistress Pond." Amy glanced at Rory, arching her brows and biting back a smile. He shrugged, unsure how to proceed, and the two men started to argue.

"You can leave now, Lord Grist. My men and I will escort these people to their friend."

"I promised this lady I would see to it that she reached her friend," Grist protested.

"And I'm telling you it isn't necessary," Eckhart retorted.

"Nevertheless, I will fulfill my promise."

"Are you suggesting that I wouldn't provide her a safe escort?" Eckhart took a step closer to Grist. Rory put a hand on Amy's arm, ready to draw her away from danger, but she was undaunted.

"Oh for goodness' sake," she said, rolling her eyes. The two men ignored her, pressing on with their argument. Rory looked from one to the other, noting their flushed faces. Neither of them was reaching for his sword, however, and after a moment Rory looked to the others. Both Eckhart's guards and Grist's men were watching the proceedings closely, but none of them were reaching for their weapons either. Rory turned his attention back to the conversation in time to hear Eckhart speaking.

"I am doing my duty and protecting my queen," he said.

"Your queen has nothing to fear from me."

"You've been absent from court for so long, Grist, that I no longer know where your loyalty lies."

"What are you implying, Eckhart?"

"Oi! Would you two just shut up already!" Amy cut the men off again, glaring at them.

"Amy…" Rory cautioned, but she ignored him, taking a step closer to the Grist and Eckhart.

"Do the two of you have to fight over everything?" she asked.

"Apparently we do," Grist replied, "since Lord Eckhart is so distrustful."

"Well you're not exactly Mr. Forthcoming," Amy snapped. "Why don't you just tell him?"

"Tell me what?" demanded Eckhart. Amy swung her gaze to Grist, giving him a pointed look. He looked away.

"Oh for…" Amy blew out an angry breath. "Grist has been summoned to the palace by the queen," she said.

"Mistress Pond!" protested Grist.

Amy glanced at him for a second before continuing. "If he comes with us to the crater, he can see her there and save himself the longer trip to the palace."

"The queen summoned you?" Eckhart was clearly surprised. "What for?" Grist shifted his glower from Amy to the other man.

"If her majesty did not see fit to share her plans with you, you can hardly expect me to do so," he snapped. Eckhart's face flushed.

"Of course," he muttered.

"I can produce the letter," Grist said. "You can see her majesty's seal…"

"That won't be necessary."

"How very trusting of you," Grist said drily. Amy shot him a dirty look and he lifted his shoulders in a half-shrug. There was a long silence, until Amy nudged Rory.

"Say something," she muttered.

"Like what?" he asked softly. Amy shook her head and sighed, turning back to the man.

"Can we go now?" she asked, looking between the two men. Eckhart nodded grimly.

"Yes." He turned to his men. "Mount up! We'll be returning to camp. Lord Grist and his party will accompany us." Grist turned to his men, waving them toward their horses. Amy looked at Rory, giving him a tight smile.

"Finally," she muttered.

Amy wound up behind Rory on his horse, her arms wrapped around his waist. The ride back to the crater took less time than the ride from it had, in part because it was no longer necessary for the men to stop and check the route with Rory. Eckhart's men rode together in one column and Grist's men rode alongside in another. The ride was mostly quiet, the men in each column occasionally talking amongst themselves. Grist and Eckhart were silent. As they got closer to the crater, Rory could feel Amy's tension increasing.

"How was the Doctor when you left?" she asked softly. "Really."

"He… he was in pain," Rory admitted. "But he seemed… clearer than last night."

"So he'll be alright."

"Once we get this kit to him, yes." Rory glanced back at her, giving her a quick smile. "He's going to be fine."

Amy breathed out a sigh. "Ok," she said, returning his smile.

"We're not far now," Rory told her. They were just starting down from the hill where they'd had their picnic.

They'd just reached the bottom of the hill when the other ride appeared, riding hard toward them from the direction of the crater. As soon as he spotted Eckhart he began to shout. Rory felt his stomach lurch. Something was very wrong. He spurred his horse forward.

"Treachery!" shouted the rider. "My lord, we've been betrayed!" The man drew even with Eckhart and stopped his horse, struggling to catch his breath.

"What's happened, Thomas?" demanded Eckhart. "The queen…"

"The queen is gone, my lord," gasped Thomas. "As is her brother and four of the guards Lord Trock, Lord Dawson, Mr. Fitts, and Mr. Montague."

"How long ago did they leave?" asked Grist. Eckhart shot a frown at him before turning back to Thomas and nodding.

"We're not sure. One of her majesty's ladies in waiting concealed her disappearance for some time. Lord Taylor is questioning her now." Eckhart was about to speak again but Rory interrupted him.

"What about the Doctor?" he asked. The men turned to stare at him and he went on. "My… my friend."

"I don't know," Thomas admitted. "I'm sorry. No one thought…" Rory didn't wait to hear the rest, nudging his horse forward. Amy tightened her grip as they lunged forward, moving at a gallop toward the crater. Rory could hear someone shouting behind him but he didn't slow. He charged around the crater's edge to the entrance and into the camp. A guard ran toward him, waving his arms for him to stop. Rory reluctantly reigned in his horse and the man reached up to the bridle.

"Master Williams!" he cried in astonishment. "What…" Rory ignored him, dropping from the saddle and dashing toward the tent he'd shared with the Doctor. He could hear Amy calling out to him but he didn't slow. He charged into the tent, skidding to a stop by the stove to stare at the empty cot where the Doctor had been.

"Rory!" Amy burst into the tent, coming to a stop as she realized that Rory was the only person there.

"He's gone," Rory said.

"Are you sure?" Amy asked, a note of desperation in her voice. "Couldn't we have the wrong tent?"

"He was right here. I told him to stay in this cot and he promised me he would," Rory said, moving toward the cot. The Doctor's boots were on the floor beside it and he lifted them to show her. Amy drew in a sharp breath and Rory hurried toward her, putting an arm around her. "Amy, I'm so sorry."

"What do we do now?" she asked, reaching out to take the boots from him.

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