The Doctor's body tensed as the knife rose slowly higher. He placed a restraining hand on Alison's shoulder. "Don't move." he whispered "Whatever happens I want you to stay here." Then he sprang from his hiding place and quickly closed the distance to the robed figure. The man and woman gasped as the Doctor pushed past them and grabbed the arms holding the raised knife. A chorus of surprised shouts met Alison's ears as she watched the two men struggle over the blade. Then more voices sounded in the distance. In an instant, six more brown-robed men ran to the rocky area and began to restrain the Doctor's arms. Alison started to move forward, but then remembered the Doctor's words and ducked behind the tree once more. She hardly breathed as she watched the newcomers overpower the Doctor and pull him from the furious knife-wielder.
"What is this!" shouted the tall man. He stepped back and examined the restrained Doctor. His eyes widened, "What manner of man is this that profanes the purification!" he roared.
The Doctor stopped struggling and looked the man directly in his eyes. "Only a man who would keep you from killing an innocent child!"
The tall man's faced dropped in confusion, then quickly spread in a sharp sneer. His yellowed teeth showed starkly against the black of his rough beard. He turned quickly from the Doctor, "Hold him!" he called back to the men, then he returned his attention to the weeping babe. Once again he raised his hands above his head. Alison gasped as she saw the blade glint in the muted sunlight.
"Don't do it!" the Doctor shouted.
With a quick circular motion the tall man slashed the thumb of his free hand, then quickly knelt beside the infant and pressed his thumb to it's forehead. "The child is pure!" he called out.
The woman immediately ran forward and gratefully scooped the wailing infant into her arms. The man accompanying her placed his hands on her shoulders protectively and led her away. All the while glancing back at the stranger who had interrupted the ceremony
The bearded man returned his gaze to the Doctor. "Search the forest.." he said softly, "see if this Toroth collaborator travels alone." Four of the robed figures turned and moved toward the forest, the remaining two held the Doctor.
Alison shrunk low to the ground as the men spread out and approached the forest's edge. As quietly as she could she crept backward through the dying underbrush, ducking from tree to tree. She paused behind a large tree and tried to listen for the sound of approaching footsteps over the overwhelming noise of her heart beating in her ears. She looked back along the footpath and wondered if she could make a run for the Tardis without being caught. As she shifted her weight from one heel to another, she felt a hand grab a fistful of her hair. She started to struggle but then felt the cool touch of a blade at her throat and relaxed.
"Stand!" her capture insisted. Slowly she rose from her hiding place. "I've found another!" the man called out. In little time she was led out of the trees and restrained at the Doctors side.
"Sorry." Alison whispered.
"Don't be, it's my fault you're involved."
"Silence the both of you!" the tall man shouted. He examined the two strangers standing before him. A wicked grin spread across his face. "We'll take them to Malik, he'll wish to question them."
"Well that sounds like a fun time." the Doctor muttered.
An hour passed as the party moved carefully through the rocky countryside. The Doctor and Alison walked between the group of robed men who's eyes never left them. As they traveled the landscape became less wild. Plowed fields and pastures began to replace the stony ground. Soon the edge of a village came into view. It grew to an impressive size as they approached. The path before them began to widen out into a well traveled road. In the pressed earth Alison could make out the groove of cart wheels. Small, rather unimpressive thatch roof houses came into view
"It looks like a medieval type setting..." Alison whispered under her breath "probably the same level of technology too."
"Don't be too sure," the Doctor whispered back "although I must admit..." he scanned the growing number of onlookers "there is a certain authenticity to it."
Alison's nose wrinkled as the group brushed by a cluster of drably dressed, curious villagers. "Well it certainly smells authentic" she gasped.
The Doctor smiled "Surely when you studied the medieval period you became familiar with the aversion to bathing."
"All I can say is the textbooks don't do it justice"
Most of the villagers who watched them seemed to be simple farm folk, their clothing dusty with the earth of the fields. There were several barn sheds and animal pens they passed containing large, horned, millepede looking creatures. The animals snorted and stamped as they walked by. As they neared the village center they were met by the calls of merchants selling goods, however all calls ceased as the strangers came into view. Rounding a corner, they found themselves facing a large, rather plain faced building. The robed men increased their pace and soon the group had filed into the less than imposing structure.
"You will remain here until Malik sends for you." the tall man announced.
"And what precisely are we being held for?" The Doctor began "It's true we interrupted your ritual, but we could hardly have known..."
"Do you pretend to know nothing of the Toroth?" The man roughly grasped a corner of the Doctor's coat as he spoke "Only they wear articles like this, woven as though by the hands of a spirit."
The Doctor glanced down at his garments "Oh, the weave. Well, yes I suppose it's a bit finer than yours..."
"Foul Toroth magic. Were I in charge you would be punished for dabbling in it," He eyed them carefully "but you are not of our kind, nor of the Toroth... you must be brought before Malik. He will decide what's to be done with you." And with that he turned and signaled the other men out of the room. He backed away from the Doctor and Alison slowly, all the while keeping his menace filled eyes on them. Then finally he too passed through the entry and closed the heavy door behind him. There was the sound of a bolt sliding into place.
"Somehow I don't think this Malik will be any more understanding than he was" said Alison as she walked across the straw covered floor of the room. The only light came from four small, barred windows set high in each of the walls.
"Curious..." the Doctor examined the edge of his coat "these Toroth must be somewhat more advanced if they've achieved machine woven clothing."
"How nice for them." Alison answered glumly.
The Doctor gave her a sharp look but it quickly faded. "Yes I suppose you're right, it doesn't really help our current situation." He reached into his pocket and retrieved his sonic screwdriver.
"Will that work on a bolt?"
"It may just... if I can reverse the polarity of the power source." He opened a small section of the sonic device and began to make adjustments.
"It's a good thing they didn't see that," Alison began "if they found your coat impressive..."
"Yes... this would probably have us classified as evil incarnate."
The bolt began to shudder noisily. The Doctor's head snapped to attention.
"You did it" said Alison with surprise "I didn't think you were finished."
"I wasn't." the Doctor said, and quickly slipped the sonic screwdriver back into his coat pocket.
The door opened. A burly man in a long gray tunic entered. "I'm here to escort you to Malik." he said in a deep voice that broached no argument.
"Of course!" the Doctor said cheerily "We were wondering what kept you." And he strode past the man with determination. Alison looked at the large man, gave a slight shrug, and followed.