Chapter Two: A Fair Welcome
"That was the Dragon Patrol you saw."
They'd been greeted at the castle walls by a friendly looking guard, who'd gestured for them to get into the town with great urgency. He'd said something about the warning? And then they had been escorted up to the castle. Passing through medieval thatched buildings and chickens running around open markets, Rose had really gotten a feel for the place. Forget the history textbooks, this is the place to be! She wished she could've been here when it mattered- though it was too late now to go back and reclaim a history A Level.
They had woven in and out of open trades, and the guard had taken them past an exquisite fountain, where Rose had been surprised to find a couple dressed in peasant clothing making out. So…was this a huge period drama…or did they still do things here by the book?
She was sure she was still on Earth. She must be…what were the chances of a place like this, a complete mirror of an earlier time?
And the castle. Huge blocks of grey stone, standard moat encircling the fortress. In her mind, she could almost see the heralds with their stitched tunics and trumpets, the knights in shining armour charging across a dusty courtyard, even a giant banquet hall, laden with dishes. And it had all been true.
The Doctor had been chatting to the guard until he'd left, and after a few minutes of tense waiting in which the Doctor had reminded Rose what being 'ladylike' meant, the King had appeared.
Rose knew from what the guard had told them that the man now on the golden throne was the King; she could've guessed otherwise from his regal looking cloak and the way he held himself. The fact that he had a crown on his head and was sat on the throne kind of also gave it away.
The King introduced himself as King Hadrian IV, and the Doctor had introduced both him and Rose.
The Doctor had spun off a cock and bull story about them being travellers from a long way away, and after a few embellishments, the King had accepted the story. The Doctor still wasn't sure what the state of technology was on this place; he knew they'd travelled into the past from the far future but he'd forgotten to check the date. He still had to be wary- for all he knew; this place was a disguise for some darker alien black market mass weapon production zone. Nah…
The King was currently explaining to them about the knights that Rose had said she'd seen in the forest.
"Dragon Patrol?" The Doctor asked, frowning.
"You see, we have always had dragons here," the King sighed. "Normally, they aren't too much of a problem here, they prefer to terrorise the other towns closer to their mountain regions. However in recent weeks we have had a surge of dragons and an alarming increase in citizen deaths. This has required us to set up a Watch, so to speak, to inform us of any developments so that we may be able to prepare ourselves better for what may turn out to be a war."
"That makes sense," the Doctor agreed.
Dragons! Rose frowned. What in the name of the four moons of Jupiter?
"The problem here, is that we have this one dragon residing practically next to us, the Sapphire Caves I believe it is. Now what could be so problematic about this dragon? Well, the fact that it seems to have taken quite a liking to our livestock and townspeople." He paused for breath. "Never have we faced as dragon as smart as this one. It has successfully evaded our capture seventeen times now, scorching five of our men in the process. And every time it appears, we hear this titanic roar that shatters our windows, and destroys our buildings. The price of roof thatching has hit the proverbial roof, and everyone refuses to trade with us now! Our death toll has already doubled since it first nested in the Sapphire Caves two months ago. There is nothing we can do."
The Doctor contemplated for a moment. "You could freeze the beast. Or at least strike up a bargain with it."
"Bargain with a dragon? You must be joking, good Sir! They are amongst the most devious beasts ever to exist here, plus the one that we are talking about doesn't seem to understand our tongue. It is very puzzling, I must say. We would prefer to capture it alive and bend it to our will…"
He spoke so offhandedly; it caught Rose off guard. A place that was plagued by dragons?
"…The ties between our neighbouring kingdoms has been growing thinner recently. Political arrest has been afoot ever since…"
"Dragons?" Rose's voice rose up a notch. She just couldn't believe it. "On Earth? Since when?" There'd never been dragons here, had there? Maybe she should've actually listened in history…
The King regarded her steadily, breaking from his monologue.
"Erm…"
The Doctor recognised the early warning systems of suspicion. He had to act quickly, or his whole cock and bull could unravel and they could end up in medieval jail fast for speaking untruths.
"Different customs, my lady hasn't been brought up in such fortunate circumstances, so she hasn't learned the manners of the woman yet, I'm very sorry, your lordship," the Doctor gabbled hastily before bowing and elbowing Rose in the process.
Rose glared at the Doctor and bowed hastily too, when she realised she was supposed to curtsey. Boy, things were going well.
The King laughed at the look of horror in Rose's eyes. "It is OK, Miss Tyler." His warm brown eyes met hers. "We get far stranger people appearing, some that we can hardly even call people; we are very much used to it now."
"Well that's a relief then," Rose muttered, wiping her forehead. She'd honestly thought…
"You honestly thought I was going to say- off with her head! Is that not correct?" His polite manner disarmed Rose, and she had that wild rabbit look again.
The Doctor grinned.
"Well, I am afraid that the only request I am going to make is that you two stay for dinner," the King said, eyes creased in laughter.
xXx
The banquet hall was just as Rose had imagined- laurels and wreaths decorating the walls, giant wooden tables set out in a long line, and a grand hearth in which a few logs spat out sparks. Rose was surprised at how quick darkness had come to this world, they'd only been here for two hours.
The King was sat at the head of the table with another woman; Rose assumed she was the 'queen'. The woman had inquired about the Dragon Patrol earlier, but the heralds said nothing had been seen of them since the trumpet warning Rose had heard when they'd first materialised.
"You don't think…"
"Nah," the Doctor grunted as he got started on a huge drumstick. "Thuck in, thar food's mphff."
Rose shook her head as she swirled her goblet, sipping her wine.
Suddenly the wooden doors were flung open, and a band of knights staggered in wearily. The chatter ceased as the straggle made their way up to where the King sat. Rose could see that they were dragging another man.
"He tried to escape again," one of the knights said, lifting his helmet. "This mad fellow just won't stay put."
The knight indicated how they'd had to tie up the man's hands and legs. The man, furious, was still struggling. His wild red eyes smouldered with anger.
"See what I mean, Sir?" The same knight addressed the King.
The man spat contemptuously, his filthy rags trembling as his eyes scanned the room. They fixed on Rose with a burning snarl. She trembled, looking away.
The woman laid her hand on the King's arm but he brushed it off.
The King sighed wearily. "Malcolm, I do see what you mean. Place him in the same holding as before, until we can find out what is wrong with him he is a danger to us all." Malcolm bowed and was about to leave when the King asked, "I trust you all returned in good health?"
This time it was Malcolm who sighed. "All but one Sir. Master Frederick wasn't so lucky, he is in the infirmary right now, being treated for severe burns."
As Malcolm turned to leave, Rose finally got a good look at the knight. And blushed- he couldn't have been much older than herself. His straight brown hair was clear cut and came down to his neck, and he had a small angular face that was handsome in his own right. His tall, silent posture reminded her exactly of the knights she'd seen pictures of on Earth, provided they weren't actually still here.
Malcolm must have sensed someone looking at him because he turned around, and as his brown eyes met Rose's she realised with a sudden shock that he was the knight who'd looked directly at her when she'd been hiding earlier.
He must've realised this too because his eyes widened in shock as he left. No one paid any attention to the woman at the head of the table, who scrutinised Rose, the Doctor and Malcolm with a frown upon her beautiful face.
xXx
Ten minutes later the knights all came back for dinner, dressed in more simple plain tunics. There was a space beside Rose which Malcolm filled, and as he munched on his meal Rose was able to get a better look at him.
Boy was he dreamy! He seemed to radiate an aura that suggested authority, yet she sensed he'd been a bit of a joker in his youth. Looks like teen spirit. Smells like roast pork.
On her other side, the Doctor shook his head. "Are you going to eat the pork or the knight?"
"Oh you," Rose shoved him playfully.
Taking a sip from his goblet, Malcolm finally turned to Rose.
"Sorry about not introducing myself earlier," he swallowed. "My name is Malcolm-" chew "-member of Dragon Patrol." Chew.
None of them mentioned the encounter in the forest.
"You must be hungry." Rose indicated the pile on his plate.
"Yes, I am starving. We are always like this, especially after an encounter." He waved at the other members of the Patrol, who were all too engrossed in their food to notice.
Rose gazed at him for a few seconds. "I…"
"Who was that man? A prisoner?" The Doctor butted in, chewing.
Malcolm stared at the Doctor for a moment, not sure of what to make of him. "Kind of," he answered finally. "You see, we found this man wandering around in the woods two weeks ago. He had completely lost it, roaring like he was a dragon. And his clothes…well, I am sure you have seen them, have you not? We are trying to detain him whilst we try and locate his relatives, but it seems like he is having none of it."
Rose frowned at Malcolm's strange speech. It seemed a mix of modern and old, like a country lost in time.
"He does not know his own strength, poor man, and we do not even know what he is called!"
"Shocking!" The Doctor muttered sarcastically.
"So we have called him Mad Raigon, for Raigon is the only word he can say."
Rose's eye wandered to the spot where the knights had stood earlier with Mad Raigon. Her glance moved to the King, and to the lady in turn, who met her glance with a cool stare. Drawing away, she felt very much shaken.
"Who's that woman sat next to the King?" She muttered. "She's giving me the creeps."
Malcolm frowned for a second, obviously puzzled at Rose's dialect. "Oh, you mean the Lady Evelyn? Why, she is the King's new wife. Where she came from remains a mystery, probably from beyond the Border, but I assure you she is of the friendliest nature."
The Doctor nodded, taking in Lady Evelyn's long wavy brown hair and her perfect posture.
"Ever since our late Lady has passed away, Guinevere hasn't been the same."
"Who?" The Doctor began.
Suddenly Rose realised something. Something she'd had in her pocket a while back…her hand closed on thin air. No! She couldn't have lost it. The Doctor had said…he'd said… "unimaginable destructive powers" emanated from this object though she'd chosen to ignore the "beyond the comprehension of your feeble brain" part.
She was worried now. Her heart was thumping, hands clammy from fear. No way was she going to be blamed for something that was actually her own fault. Muttering about having to go find something, she excused herself from the table. It was only after she exited the hall that she started running.
xXx
An hour later and full of spirits, the Doctor realised that something was missing. No, someone. Damn! He cursed himself, and got up. Malcolm seemed to have realised too that Rose had not returned yet. Glancing around the now messy hall, he saw people slumped, too full to speak, but not one sign of Rose.
"You do not think that…?"
"She's gone out into the woods, silly ape!"
Malcolm gasped at the Doctor's such brusque woods. Standing up, he followed the Doctor as he made his way to the entrance of the hall. Peering out, the Doctor noted that it was almost completely dark outside. He'd been in worse. What if…?
Someone touched his arm. "You can not go now, it is too dark and dangerous. The dragon is about," Malcolm's calm and gentle voice brought the Doctor back down to earth. "She never said that she had gone out to the woods now, did she?"
"Damn!" The Doctor cursed again.
"She has probably been escorted to the ladies tower. She should be there in the morning."
The Doctor noted how Malcolm had said 'should', as if he too was afraid. But he couldn't go out now. He couldn't risk upsetting the people here- after all, he was two team members down and he'd left all his gadgetry behind in the TARDIS hadn't he? And anyway, what if he'd been worked up for no reason? He could scold her in the morning then, couldn't he?
xXx
Unbeknownst to the Doctor and Malcolm, Rose wandered, lost in the chilly night air, feeling more and more hopeless as the dark caught up with her.
I know the dialogue is a bit weird...unique to say so in the least.
How was it?