Part 2
Chapter 3: First Steps
Kelly Jones stepped out of the time machine and took a deep breath. Well, here I am, she thought with an idle smile. I'm here despite all reason telling me I'm being a complete idiot. More than an idiot, a lunatic and yet I don't care. I should be stepping out into the 21st Century onto a suburban street but here I am instead; willingly travelling in time, even selecting the destination. Having elected to do so meant she was ready for it this time around, ready to be shocked and dumbfounded by the sight before her of...
Hills. Loads of hills and sheep. Not quite what she was expecting. A little bit lacking in the spectacular department. No, alright, hills, still pretty monumental, first steps, first sights. In the distance there is a... building? Some kind of tower, is it spinning? She pulled out her binoculars from her backpack. Windmill. Was it too soon for there to be windmills? She considered that before shaking her head. It's not producing electricity, just spinning the grindstone to crush the grain. It's how they make bread.
The air smelt different. Very much a 'country' kind of natural scent to it. Air untainted by coal and the mass expulsion of carbon dioxide and pollutants. It was invigorating. The hills she could see weren't as boring as she had initially perceived them to be. Aided by the binoculars, she noticed some were fields of grain while sheep nibbled at shoots of grass in others. She guessed the grain was wheat, hence the windmill. Still, a cynical thought chided that this could be any countryside anywhere. It posed a good question; clearly the box had moved again but had they actually travelled in time?
She wasn't expecting a sign that gave the date but any distinguishing landmark would do. She turned to the left and adjusted the focus. Oh. I think that counts, she thought, having caught sight of a large structure in the horizon.
She felt Ace press up against her back as the girl tried to squeeze through the doorway. "Come on, lemme see. Where are-" Her chattering abated immediately as she caught sight of the structure. "Yes!" Ace cried. "Yes, yes, YES!"
For someone with access to any time anywhere in the Universe, or so she claimed, she seemed absolutely ecstatic to catch a glimpse of a stone castle in its prime. It was incredibly dignified and impressive after all.
"What are you waiting for?" Ace grinned. "Race you there!" And like a rocket she took off down the hill, unhindered by the wall of wheat, burrowing her way through it until she was out of sight. Kelly's muscles tensed as she prepared to run after her.
"Wait!" called the third member of their party.
Kelly almost groaned. He's an authoritarian, wonderful. Couldn't he just stay in the box and let them explore on their own? His voice bellowed across the field and the wheat twitched from side to side. Like a meerkat, Ace's head popped out of the dusty brown sea.
"And how are you going to blend into our surroundings dressed like that?" he asked sternly.
"Aww, but Professor..." whined Ace.
The Doctor tutted. "You're making a poor example of yourself in front of your friend." He turned to Kelly and scowled at the binoculars she held. "Anything that doesn't belong here, like those, stays in the TARDIS," he instructed.
Kelly frowned, not liking his tone or being told what to do, but returned the binoculars to her bag. She couldn't help but grin as she heard half-hearted grumbles and curses as Ace trudged back up the hill.
Twenty minutes later in the wardrobe, Ace was not happy.
"Hate dressing up," she stated for the fifth time.
Kelly was bemused. "And here I was thinking that was one of the pros of time travel," she smiled. "Getting to wear all the cool outfits before they go out of fashion."
"No," Ace snarled and Kelly was a little taken back by her animosity. "You end up stuck in poofy dresses, stockings, skirts so wide you can't even walk through a doorway and almost suffocate in corsets."
Kelly struggled to maintain a straight face throughout Ace's rebuttal but her composure broke at the last mention. She laughed so loudly Ace jumped with fright and spun around. She was finding it hard to breathe having imagined a mortified Ace, ready to commit murder, in an Elizabethan dress and corset.
Ace scowled. "I wasn't being funny."
"No, no you were," Kelly managed as she regained her breath. "God, a description like that can only mean you really did-"
"To my horror and shame," Ace replied.
Kelly composed herself and deliberately raised an eyebrow. "What were you doing in a corset?"
Ace reddened. "You will never ever see pictures."
Kelly didn't need pictures. She could already envision it but Ace's reaction only made Kelly grin more. "I wasn't asking for pictures but if pictures exist I must see them."
Another round of laughter was almost set off by Ace's steely glare. She lazily blocked Ace's hands from swiping at her.
"Alright, alright, but in comparison, these can't be so bad. We're not exactly dressing like royals, more like stable hands."
Ace itched at the collar of her tunic. "Still don't like it. I know, 'blending in' and all that stuff, but it just feels... wrong. And!" Ace scowled and puffed out her chest in annoyance, "there's no pockets." She patted down the sides of her legs in search of the non-existent pockets. "None. Not one. Where am I supposed to put my Nitro, down my trousers?"
"Breeches, Ace," Kelly corrected, smiling.
Ace didn't miss a step. "Down my breeches, then?"
"I'd suggest the tunic instead but I doubt that would be any more comfortable than wearing a corset." Had Kelly not donned her stoic mask, Ace might have taken another swing at her. Kelly wasn't an expert but she doubted gunpowder had been brought to this part of the world by this time period. "You surely can't mean to bring some with you. I thought we were leaving everything here."
"It's useful," Ace defended, "and has gotten us out of more than a hundred sticky situations."
Kelly suspected many of those 'sticky situations' had been caused by Nitro or other anachronisms. "If you were to set off an explosion, the people would think it was the work of the gods."
"And that's a bad thing?" Ace returned. "Kit, in my experience-"
"Which obviously trumps common sense," Kelly interjected in a mutter.
"-having people mistake you for being agents of the gods usually helps."
Kelly sincerely doubted that. "How often exactly?"
"Frequently."
"Out of a hundred cases...?" she prompted.
"A good percentage of them," Ace answered evasively.
"As in more than it doesn't?"
Ace's hesitation to answer spoke volumes.
"I see... And the other times when it doesn't 'usually help' you end up tied up and in danger of being burnt at the stake?"
Ace scoffed. "I'm still alive, aren't I? Stop being such a... a..." she searched for a word. "Doubter! I've done this a thousand times. I'm more experienced and the Doctor says you should do what I say."
She's pulling rank on me? As for whatever the Doctor might say, Kelly couldn't give a crap but even so, she doubted he would leave Ace in charge. "He didn't."
"He did," Ace declared.
"Actually," chimed in the Doctor as he entered the wardrobe, "I did. Ace has, as she put it," he paused momentarily to attempt to mimic Ace's voice, "'done this a thousand times' and should be capable of keeping you out of too much trouble."
This is the same girl who bolted down a hill in 20th Century clothing in her hurry to visit the medieval castle, right? The same girl, Kelly continued in her mind, who three years ago followed me out into the middle of the night to a dockside warehouse. The same girl who'd bring cans of destruction with her into the Middle Ages if given the opportunity. The same girl who thought she could steal the last choc-chip cookie from the kitchen in a boarding school and get away with it.
"Seeing as this is very much routine for her, I thought it would be a good opportunity for her to reflect on what she has learnt," the Doctor continued, "and the easiest way to do that would be-"
"To teach me," Kelly finished, understanding the message conveyed between the lines. "Not that I intend to become accustomed to this," she added, worried Ace might take more from her words than she meant.
Ace refused to be disappointed. "So, basically I'm boss, Kit."
We are doomed, thought Kelly.
She glared at the use of her nickname. It wasn't so much that she didn't like it. She had grown used to Ace calling her that and didn't mind hearing it again. She just didn't appreciate it being used in public or, in particular, in the presence of someone she didn't like. Certainly, she was relying on the Doctor to keep to his word and get her back to her own time and place but that didn't mean that she trusted him. She didn't, not one bit.
Ace did. At least, she put up a convincing show of it. Kelly trusted Ace's judgement for the most part in that she was convinced that Ace believed the Doctor would keep his promise. As for the man himself, while Kelly told herself it had nothing to do with Ace choosing to travel with this man and her running off at his beck and call, it had everything to do with Kelly's unease.
The man had stolen her best friend from her life for three years; plenty of time to build up a hearty resentment.
"Well then, Boss," she teased, maintaining her neutral mask. "Lead the way."
"Why did you pick here?" asked Ace as the trio trudged along the dirt path towards the castle.
"Does it matter?" Kelly asked. "Judging from how you were practically falling over your own feet earlier, I would have thought you liked my choice."
"No, I mean, yeah, I do but why here. Of all the places to pick, you know?"
"Why 12th Century Britain?" Kelly asked and Ace nodded. "The knights of course."
"The knights?" Ace echoed, frowning.
Kelly rolled her eyes. "You did read about the knights of the round table, King Arthur and Excalibur, the sword in the stone, the Holy Grail...?"
"Well yeah, course I did," Ace butted in before Kelly could go on any further. "But you do know that most of that isn't, well, true, don't you?"
Kelly widened her eyes in alarm. "It's just a myth? No! No, it can't be."
Ace had begun babbling to console her before she noticed Kelly's grin. "Oh, ha-ha. Very funny." She remained sceptical of Kelly's justification. "You really picked here because of the knights?"
"You don't have your eye out for a knight in shining armour?"
Ace's expression hardened and she turned away.
Uh-oh, thought Kelly. What have I stepped in? She hastened to amend her error. She jabbed lightly at Ace's arm, "Honestly, it's all about the stories. They don't have to be true to be enjoyed. The likelihood of there actually being a group of knights who sit at a round table and serve the people and their king who never abuses his power who sends them off on quests to fight witches and save damsels in distress is minuscule. As if there really was an all-knowing wizard or an enchanted sword that only the once and future king of England could draw from the stone... Why are you laughing?"
"Nothing."
Kelly's eyes narrowed, detecting a lie so apparent it might have well have been holding up a giant sign reading 'Lie'. It certainly wasn't 'nothing' for Ace to go from moody and irritable to this in ten seconds.
"You just shouldn't close off your mind to the possibility of... some truth in myths and legends," Ace elaborated with a knowing smile. The smile annoyed Kelly because she was unable to determine whether Ace was winding her up or legitimately had something to hide. Knowing Ace, it could equally be both.
"Always a good idea," chimed in the Doctor, contributing to their conversation for the first time in an hour.
"Even those scientifically impossible, such as Icarus flying too close to the sun?" Kelly quipped sarcastically.
"Ace," the Doctor prompted, "Clarke's Law..."
Like a dedicated star pupil, Ace took a deep breath and began to recite. "'Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.'"
"Precisely," agreed the Doctor and proceeded to pick up his walking pace. Just like a teacher would after showing his prized student off while on an excursion. And Ace looked pleased, pleased, to have received praise from him, as though she were eight years old.
It didn't sit right with Kelly. Is it routine for the Doctor to quiz Ace like a teacher and have her answer immediately? It made Kelly wonder if Ace would recite her four times tables or the first 30 elements from the periodic table or explain the lifecycle of a star if the Doctor prompted her to. Would she jump if he yelled, 'jump!'?
"Ah," he called from the top of the next hill. "Come see."
Kelly was disheartened by being left in the dust as Ace ran up after him. Yes, she decided. Yes she would.
Ace had failed to probe the answer out of her completely, but Kelly had indeed chosen this time and place for a reason and it was based on a myth. It just wasn't one she expected Ace to know. Unlike the adventures of King Arthur, it wasn't as well known, however it did have some significance to Kelly. It wasn't highly documented; in fact she suspected much of what she had discovered to be incorrect. Kelly did not believe in myths regarding mystical creatures that preyed upon unsuspecting mortals, but the myth was her only lead and it pointed to 12th Century Britain; more specifically an island off the coast known in the present as the Isle of Man.
It was here that the earliest reference to the Saint Trinian had been found.
According to her research sometime in the 12th Century a church changed its name from Saint Ninian's to St Trinian's, and Kelly had hit the roadblock of lack of information years ago. Kelly was meticulous. If there was something to be discovered and she was determined to find it, Kelly would do everything within her power to discover it, using whatever means and resources were available. Ace and her identity had been her biggest and most baffling puzzle to solve but that was due to information conflicting with what she believed to be plausible. In this case, it was the lack of information that posed a barrier.
She was unsure if this church had anything to do with her school. She could find no link, not even a reference to a saint sharing the name. Unable to find any more leads, she had been forced to give up her search but seeing as this was her one and only chance to make use of a time machine, why not investigate? It wasn't only to know about the origins of the anarchic school for sentimental reasons. Having spent time digging, Kelly sought answers. Whoever this St Trinian was she covered her tracks well. It only strengthened Kelly's conviction that there was something worth knowing about the figure.
The Doctor had been a bit surprised by her choice, it being so precise a location and time period. She had issued it as a challenge, for surely he could manage something as simple as following directions couldn't he? He had raised an eyebrow before muttering and moving about the central structure adjusting dials and turning knobs but otherwise made no complaints. Guess he thinks I'm here to see the castles, she thought, or that I have roots here. Let him think that. By choosing a time and place she had a better idea of what to expect of this time period and place based on her research. It gave her some comfort in plunging into Ace's world.
She had a growing awareness that her research was not as thorough as she had thought. The landscape looked right but she had pictured the layout differently in her mind. The castle was where it ought to be but the surrounding countryside of fields, paddocks and forest felt off as a wide river she had never read about ran a few metres from the roadside. It ran almost parallel. That couldn't be natural yet there were no signs of human intervention. The river vanished as she climbed the hill and at the top, the Doctor used his umbrella to point at the castle.
It was breathtakingly impressive, not depressingly shamed like its ruins would become in the future. Unlike most structures Kelly had grown accustomed to in the 21st Century, the castle was not built symmetrically. The irregularity of its shape caused by the numerous additions and expansions over the years made the castle seem alive as it adapted to serve the people's needs and followed the natural contours of the land upon which it stood. It did not stick out like a sore thumb as a skyscraper did but stood with pride. It belonged on that horizon and would stare down anyone who dared object.
It was not just an impressive sight. It was also quite intimidating. Its sheer size and defensive design were not to be scoffed at. From memory, Kelly knew that sections of the castle walls bordered cliffs to provide an addition barrier to attacks from the sea. Its formidable walls appeared impervious and they were only the first line of defence. They were supplemented by two rings of watchtowers; half joined to the walls and towered above them, the other half standing within the castle grounds and surrounded the keep. Both types were equally tall, allowing defenders a clear view of the walls and accompanying towers and a clear shot at any standing on them if they were taken. She could not see them from here, but Kelly identified the castle guards that were doubtlessly patrolling the walls as the third line of defence.
After taking in the beauty of a well-planned defensive structure, Kelly's gaze was drawn to the gatehouse and the castle's surroundings which were swarming with carts, horses and people.
"I believe we have arrived during a festival," stated the Doctor. "That is Peel Castle, believed to be where the Arthurian legends took place."
"That's Camelot?" Ace asked, surveying the castle again with a more critical eye.
"I thought you said those legends weren't true," commented Kelly as she nudged Ace.
"I didn't say that," returned Ace cheekily. "I said not all of them are true."
Kelly rolled her eyes. "So there being a Camelot is true but the Lady of the Lake is just fiction."
"Oh, no, she's very much real," replied the Doctor offhandedly. "The premise behind her that is; rising up from the depths of a lake and bestowing magical swords upon unsuspecting Arthurians. Not the most effective means of governing however..."
Again with that grin, thought Kelly irritably as she watched Ace's face light up. What aren't you telling me? Their little inside jokes were starting to get annoying.
The Doctor took a quick breath and changed the subject. "The Middle Ages is a distinctly hierarchical society with different ways of greeting people depending on both your and their social status," he lectured. "As you are both passing for squires, might I suggest that Kelly's adopts another name during our stay?"
While Kelly understood the reasoning behind it; training as a squire to become a knight was a solely male occupation; she did not appreciate being the only one whose name was up for contention. It had to be another dig at her, another move in their match.
"What about 'Kevin?" Ace suggested. "'Kyle', 'Kieran', 'Kay'?"
She reluctantly consented to the later suggestion before Ace could come up with any more ideas. The longer Ace had to think, the more outrageous her suggestions would become. Sooner or later she would think 'Kassablanka' was the most acceptable choice.
Still, the Doctor singling her out to enforce a name change made her twitch uneasily. You win this point, she thought stubbornly, but there will be others.
They reached the castle and had no trouble walking right in amongst the carts and peasants. The town within was alive with people, food, animals and goods. Fruit, vegetables, pottery, livestock, trinkets, weapons and ale as far as the eye could see. Kelly smiled as Ace, as seasoned a travelled as she claimed to be, openly gawked at her surroundings and the bright colours, strange smells and noise everywhere. The town was a sight but Kelly hid her fascination behind a façade of indifference although even she could not help but stare open mouthed at some of the merchandise up for sale. The Doctor pulled them aside for a moment and passed them a bag of coins each and pointed out a building where they were to meet up with him after sundown.
"Stick together, avoid getting into fights and," he lowered his voice to stress the importance of his last suggestion, "don't drink the beer."
Kelly had no intention of doing so. Ace looked disappointed so Kelly made a mental note to explain how alcohol was made in this time if necessary. Encountering men with swords full of alcohol and testosterone was certainly not on her to-do list.
It was then that it occurred to Kelly that they had forgotten a key accessory to their disguises. What was a squire without a weapon? Kelly predicted the answer would be a mugged one. Coaxing Ace over to a blacksmith's stand was not difficult. Ace eyed some of the more elaborate goods but Kelly steered her towards more practical weapons before selecting a dagger for herself, about 30 centimetres in length from hilt to tip, plain and nothing special to look at. As she held it in her hand, she examined it from two perspectives, a practical one and a historic one. This simple blade could become a highly valued antique someday. After use it would be lost or buried and, assuming it survived, could potentially be discovered a few hundred or even a thousand years later by a treasure hunter or meticulous archaeologist.
A little souvenir for the trip home, she thought with a smile as she strapped it to her waist. Its worth in the Middle Ages might be a few gold coins but in good condition it could be a handsome sum in the present day. Kelly hoped she would not have to wield it; it could get damaged and decrease exponentially in value; but decided to add a few more coins to the blacksmith's purse in exchange for an even smaller knife which she slipped into her left boot.
She had been thinking of bandits while out on the road but now she was within the castle walls thieves and pickpockets were more likely. Her stomach swirled in a mixture of nervousness and excitement. How easy it must be in this day and age to be a practicing liberator of goods. No cameras, no electronic locks or alarm systems, no electricity in general. A thief would have to rely on their senses and peers for guidance and their skills to execute their deeds and escape into the night. These people were not the typical medieval numbskull. They were pioneers in their art. While not every thief was of the same ability, collectively the thieves of this time were masters, outwitting guards, stumping shopkeepers and making a tidy profit. But not all, she added as an afterthought as she and Ace passed a few beggars on the street corners. Many would be forced to live on their spoils alone. Their lives would depend on their skills to survive. They danced on the edge, literally and metaphorically, between life and death. One moment's lapse could be their undoing. The price they could pay for being caught could cost them their fingers or their life.
Still, at the moment the thieves were several steps ahead of the law. It would be a few hundred years before they had to worry about being identified after the act. Now they only had to run and stay hidden if observed and there was little danger in being seen if you could disappear. Lay low for a bit and your face would be forgotten then you could try again. As valuable as pilfered jewels were, Kelly was rather keen on keeping her head attached to her shoulders. She had no intention of practicing her thieving arts here. It was far too risky.
As she and Ace explored the market stalls, Kelly lost count of the number of thieves she laid eyes on. She knew the tricks of the trade but was still dumbfounded by how visibly they pulled their stunts when surrounded by witnesses. Brave, reckless or stupid, she couldn't decide which. Most were common pickpockets, stealing whenever the opportunity presented itself. Only a few actively stalked their targets; Kelly ensured her newly bought dagger was visible to deter the thieves from selecting her. Ace was the ideal target however, clearly displaying the traits of 'the tourist'; wide eyes, not watching her surroundings, standing close to others in the crowds, picking up and examining objects, constantly moving. Kelly's only comfort was that the majority of the people around them were the same.
The expectations were the guards, shopkeepers and the knights. There were a surprising number of the later around actually. At least a dozen of them had barged their way through the crowd followed by their entourages. Anyone who got in their path got shoved and a few knights went out of their way to shove those who so much as looked at them. Some Camelot this is, thought Kelly. No knights in shining armour here that don't need to be pushed onto their backsides.
"Do you think there's a tournament or something happening?" Kelly asked Ace who glanced up from a stand that was selling bread.
Ace grinned in delight. "I sure hope so. We should sign up. You and me, we'd take 'em all on."
Kelly abolished the idea. "We most certainly will not. Do you have any idea how dangerous these tournaments are or have any idea how many people died competing or lost limbs or crackled skulls?!"
Ace laughed. "I was joking, Kit, and you know it."
I was hoping that was a joke, thought Kelly, but sometimes you get the strangest and most horrifying ideas into your head and go about making them happen.
"You take everything so seriously. I want to find this tournament. Maybe there'll even be jousting." Ace looked delighted at the idea. "Should have enough time to watch a few bouts before the lanterns are lit. That's when the Professor said to be back."
"And you must do exactly as the Professor says," Kelly mumbled acidly. You dare not disobey or you might get a detention. Urgh, it's nauseating. When did you get so boring? The Ace I knew would have dashed right into the thick of things and needed to be pulled out by the ear, not err on the side of caution and ensure she was where she had been told to be on time. It was a sharp contrast from the reckless behaviour Kelly was accustomed to. Kelly yawned to express how much she cared about being back on time.
"I know, curfew, ick," Ace pulled a face, "but I got a good look at where I think he's made lodgings and it'll be a piece of cake getting back out again for a bit of exploring."
"Now that's the Ace I remember." Kelly grinned from ear to ear. "We do have an entire castle to explore after all. Fine, we'll be back like your parental says but you better be right."
Ace rolled her eyes. "He's not always this protective."
Protective wasn't the word Kelly would use. 'Overpowering' or 'demanding' might be. 'Overly restrictive over every aspect of Ace's life', most definitely. "No? It's recent then?" she asked.
"Kinda. We've just been through a bit of a rough patch lately." Ace did not elaborate. The glassy look that appeared in her eyes was enough to tell that things were indeed a bit strained between them as Kelly had spotted earlier. Kelly longed to dig straight to the heart of it but whatever it was, it was an emotionally charged issue. That turned a delicate subject into a potential minefield.
She chose a circuitous path to her objective. "It wouldn't have anything to do with how you're obviously rebelling against him."
Ace became a deer in the headlights. "What? How'd you-"
"Ace," Kelly chided. "Having come from a boarding school of rebellious teenage girls, I know a thing or two about rebellion." And, she added to herself, how to do so more effectively than simply playing along and hoping things work out in your favour.
Ace muttered about it being complicated.
Kelly sighed. "You know I hate it when you say that. I managed to keep up with all the complexity last time. Try me," she urged.
Three hours later Kelly sat at a table at the inn the Doctor had selected and was mulling over their conversation as she mopped up watery soup with a bit of bread. She barely registered the taste or the texture of the stale bread although Ace had made her complaints known earlier, having described it as "slop". It was regretful that Ace's explanation turned vent had been forced to end somewhat prematurely due to having to rush back to the inn when the lit multi-coloured lanterns caught their attention but Kelly was glad for the time to think.
She had told Ace that it wasn't the strangest case she'd heard. That had been a lie. It was a lot to process and Kelly wasn't sure if she or Ace even would ever understand it fully. Hearing about this alien being, this Fenric, and his manipulations throughout time, then this mess with the Doctor testing her and trying to ship her off somewhere she didn't want... Ok, so Ace had been right. It was complicated. It was too big for Kelly to really picture. Breaking it down into simpler terms, the Doctor had known something was playing games with Ace and had used that to his own advantage. Despite Ace's protests that she understood why now and had gotten over it, the damage clearly lingered. Having her trust severed like that had left scars that Ace either was not aware of or refused to acknowledge.
Bizarrely, Ace claimed that it had all happened before she showed up at St Trinian's which confused Kelly to no end. After effectively having her trust shattered and shoved into her face, she was dropped off at a boarding school while the Doctor went off alone. Then, she went running back to him the moment he returned. Why? Why had she gone back? Sure, he had apologised and Ace said she believed it was genuine but she had gone back and had continued to travel with him as though nothing had happened. Upon hearing that, Kelly had to resist the urge to shake sense into her gullible friend. You can't just act like nothing happened, not when there's a great big chasm of the breach of trust separating the two of you.
They evidently hadn't talked about it judging by the events that followed. The whole situation Ace had described was impossible to empathise with. It was far too alien. She knew nothing about the life the pair lead or what it entailed. What did she know of timelines and the preservation of history? What did she know of the whole 'saving-the-world' business Ace dealt with on a day to day basis? What she did know however was the damage betrayal could cause. That she could sympathise with. It reminded her of the dangers of trusting others and the reasons why she worked alone. It was too easy to fall into the trap of depending on people and end up being used. Ace had learnt about the pain of manipulation the hard way. Not just once, twice. By the same person.
Ace was older and more hardened than she had been when they first met, yet she carried the same baggage she'd brought with her to St Trinian's; doubt, unease and hurt by fractured trust. It was as if the damage had not healed. She bore the same scars.
It made it easier to dislike this Doctor. Like she needed any more encouragement. He'd hurt Ace. Again.
Kelly found herself in the dilemma of how to approach the issue. Ace had gone upstairs a half an hour ago. Kelly doubted she had gone to sleep. What am I supposed to tell her, she wondered. That she should have seen it coming, having endured it once already? Hell, she chosen to go back to him, knowing how he'd hurt her. Saving the world and travelling the Universe might be what she is meant for but she shouldn't have to put up with this. If she thinks what she's been doing is rebellious enough to prove a point, then she's not going anywhere. She must see that. Something has to change.
It only strengthened her resolve to continue to distrust her friend's travelling partner and challenge his every move and instruction.
Expecting to be ambushed by Ace upstairs, she made her way to her room without so much as a nod to the Doctor who was brooding by the fire. She wasn't surprised that Ace had made claim to the bed in their shared room but had suspected as much. The floor will probably be more comfortable anyway, she concluded, so long as there were no rats or creepy crawlies.
Given their earlier conversation she was surprised to see Ace was beaming. She stood by the opening in the wall that served as a window and gestured for Kelly to come and take a look. Quietly grateful for one of Ace's extreme mood swings, Kelly glanced out the window and looked straight down. She retreated quickly. "That reeks!"
Ace nodded. "No prizes for working out what usually goes out the window." Kelly crinkled her nose and Ace laughed. "Getting a bit too real for you now?"
Kelly tried not to look as unsettled as her stomach was. "12th century faeces are more poignant than I expected."
Ace shifted from one foot to another awkwardly. "Well, seeing as you mentioned it, I should probably point out the erm, pot over there." She gestured vaguely at a clay pot near the bed.
It took a few seconds for Kelly to compute what Ace's body language was trying to convey but she felt heat rise to her face when she did. Oh shit, thought Kelly as her cheeks burnt. I really should have thought about plumbing before picking our destination.
Even in the low light, Ace noticed her change in colour and thought it was hilarious. "Bwahahaha! Your face! Priceless!"
If Kelly's stare could kill, Ace would have stopped breathing in a nanosecond.
"You really thought we'd..." She stifled another roar of laughter. "That we'd have to... Bwahahaha!"
Kelly's vision blurred. She absently raised a hand and wiped a tear of mortification from her eye. I can't believe that for a few moments there I thought she was being serious when I know what a prankster she is! She continued to glare at Ace's eyes. Had she not been so determined to avoid using the chamber pot or latrine at all during their stay in the Middle Ages, she would have throttled Ace then and there. Alternatively, the contents of the chamber pot would have been emptied over her head. "I won't forget this," she assured her hysterical friend. "I will get you, Ace McShane, and you will sorely regret doing this."
Tears of laughter streamed down Ace's face. "What happened to McKenzie?" she asked, wiping her face.
Kelly's stern expression mask wavered. You're not her anymore, she thought. McKenzie disappeared when you did. She hasn't come back.
Ace promptly forgot she had asked a question when she revealed a small container of tiny red and green pills.
"And where have you been carrying those?" Kelly smirked, hastening to recover from the unexpected question.
Ace reddened slightly. "Oh, shut up."
Kelly grinned.
"They're colour coded, red for stop, green for go," Ace explained, removing one red pill from the container. "One to one, not that hard to figure out except that I really wouldn't recommend taking two red or two green in a row. Reds 'cause it makes you feel like you've been kicked in the gut by a donkey, greens cause, well... You don't want to hit go twice," Ace assured her with a knowing look.
That sounded like a very interesting story to ask for another day. While the pills offered a solution, Kelly had her doubts about what some strange clearly futuristic medicine or chemicals would do to her digestive system. The way Ace described it made it seem as though the pills paused digestive processes altogether. Surely that couldn't be healthy. "And stop lasts how long exactly?"
Ace considered her answer. "You know when Josey was staking out the bathrooms for, like, a week?" She continued after Kelly nodded, "Yeah, about that long."
That definitely did not sound good for the digestive system. Kelly took the offered pill and stared at it, turning it over and trying to examine it using the candlelight. "What's in it exactly?"
"You really don't need to know," Ace replied firmly. Kelly raised an eyebrow but Ace refused to cave. "Honestly, I'd rather not know but the Professor insisted on telling me. Believe me; I'm doing you a favour."
Kelly stared at the pill whilst watching Ace take hers. You have already tried to prank me once today. I'm not falling for another one. Only once she was certain Ace had not deceived her did she drop the pill onto her tongue and swallow.
"So, same old sneaking-out-after-dark routine?" Ace joked.
Kelly peered out the window again and the smell that wafted up from the dark gave her second doubts. It really reeked. The only way down would be to climb down to the street, where the contents of chamber pots were waiting. Was it really worth trudging through that slop to have a look around after dark? There was a reason nobody was out at night; there was a curfew. If they weren't careful they might end up visiting ye olde castle dungeons as inmates. Rationally it wasn't a smart idea to venture out considering the risks. There wouldn't even be much to look at. Yet Ace was eager and had taken the initiative by moving towards the window to go first.
We'll just have to be careful, Kelly decided.
Ace had managed to get one leg out the window before a loud thud sounded from downstairs shortly followed by a cry of pain. Creases of grave concern appeared on Ace's forehead and she scrambled back inside. Without uttering a word, she threw open the door and rushed downstairs. Kelly followed, her left hand resting on the hilt of the dagger strapped to her belt.
The single source of light in the main room downstairs was the fireplace which sent flickering shadows across the room. Flashes of light filled the room whenever a figure moved away from the fire. Kelly lost Ace in the sea of darkness. She could not see what was happening but found herself being attacked and responded in kind. Unsure who was foe, she fended off the shadowy figures with her hands. She struck something thick and metallic at one point but didn't have time to process the pain as blows came at her from all sides as the people around her scuffled to hit whoever or whatever got in their way.
She retreated until her back touched the wall. The intruders or whoever these shadows were had some kind of armour protecting the bulk of their bodies. Her strikes were ineffective but she dared not draw her dagger. It was impossible to tell one figure apart from another. She might harm Ace or perhaps the Doctor. As much as she detested him she needed him to stay relatively healthy or else she'd be lugging him all the way back to that box.
If only we had lights, thought Kelly. I can't fight what I can barely see. Struck with an idea, she surged towards the open fire and grabbed a piece of firewood and held it out in front of her. The closest figures now had faces and had taken a few steps away the flaming torch, granting her some space. Now she could see, she blocked their fists more easily and sent a few sprawling with a few strikes and kicks of her own.
The only problem with her tactics was while she could see them they could also see her. Some of the figures continued to run blindly at her, throwing punches left, right and centre. One however was smarter and more fearsome. It was he who wore the most armour. There was no doubt in Kelly's mind who was the leader of the pack. He had kept away from her after she had acquired the makeshift torch. He was also armed, a large broadsword strapped to his waist. Their eyes met. Kelly shuddered. This man was a predator, not a brute like the others. With a sinister smile, he reached for his blade. Kelly's dagger practically flew into her left hand from its scabbard. It was a mere toothpick of a weapon in comparison.
Her blood chilled further when he laughed. "You would pit such a puny blade against mine? Fool."
Her cheeks reddened knowing he was right. "What kind of knight are you?" she growled, keeping the makeshift torch in her right hand between them. "Are you that weak you need to ambush opponents or are you a coward?" she goaded. "Can't you take a fair fight?"
His face turned beetroot. She was having second thoughts about provoking him but it was a bit late now. She tensed as he clenched the hilt of his sword tight. Instead of drawing it and attempting to run her through, he grabbed his left wrist with his right hand, tore off a gauntlet and threw it at her feet. She glanced at it for half a second before pulling her gaze up to keep a watchful eye on her opponent. He stared right back at her, his eyes ablaze. "We shall see if you are as pathetic as your blade," he declared, "in the ring."
A shiver ran down Kelly's spine as the other invaders noticed a gesture he made and withdrew to the door. The knight at last broke eye-contact with Kelly and marched out the door, the brutes stumbling after him.
From the shadow of a corner, the Doctor pushed past Ace. He joined Kelly by the doorway to watch the intruders as they jogged out of sight, his forehead severely creased in thought.
Ace wiped blood from the corner of her lip with the back of her hand as she limped towards them. "What just happened?" she asked.
The Doctor turned, a puzzled expression on his face, and regarded Kelly. His eyes scanned her from head to toe. Uncomfortable with his scrutiny, she sheathed the dagger and returned the firewood to the fire. The fire illuminated the growing bruises and cuts on her hands. Her knuckles had suffered most from where she had punched the knight's armour with full force. Otherwise she had sustained only a few glancing blows. Judging by Ace's limp, she had endured several blows.
"I believe I made an error of judgement," Kelly heard the Doctor begin.
"That's never a good sign..." muttered Ace.
"We may have been better off without contemporary clothes," he continued. "Because," he hastened to add before Ace could retort with an 'I-told-you-so', "in some regions, green is reserved for the knight class."
Kelly frowned. That did not ring any bells. Still, she felt both the Doctor's and Ace's eyes on her and glanced down at her tunic. Her stomach dropped. Dark green.
Ace voiced Kelly's thoughts. "They think she is a knight?"
"They think she is a he and that he is a knight, yes," the Doctor corrected.
Just because I'm wearing green? Kelly shook her head. No, that isn't plausible. "My disguise isn't exactly convincing-"
"It is dark," the Doctor interjected loudly over the top of her. "You're tall, dressed in male clothing and, in your anger, adopted a deep voice." The description was almost mesmerising in how it flowed off his tongue. "Most members of the lower classes barely reach Ace's height because they stop growing before age sixteen." He paused and met her eyes. "You should consider yourself lucky he didn't decide to duel you here and now."
Kelly glanced at the floor and caught sight of the gauntlet. That's why he threw it, she realised. He was issuing me a challenge. She bit her tongue. It's not my fault! It's not like I wanted this to happen. I sure as hell didn't! Again she regretted her decision to accept the Doctor's dare. I sure didn't sign up for duels with crazy swordsmen. What was I thinking, endangering my life just to thwart him? My stupid pride, I should never have agreed. I should have gone straight back to where and when I belong.
The Doctor turned to face Ace, keeping his gaze trained on Kelly. "Get your things. We're going home."
For once, Kelly found herself in agreement with him.
"What do you mean no?" demanded the Doctor.
The guards stationed at the gate refused to be intimidated by the stranger dressed in funny clothes. "Gates shut. Nobody in, nobody out. Tournament."
"What on earth for?" he pressed. "We have urgent business outside and need to have been gone an hour ago."
One of the guards shrugged and gave the Doctor a shove which barrelled him into Kelly before marching down the street.
It was just breaking dawn and the first loaves of the day were toasting over an open fire. Kelly stifled a yawn and arched her back. Ace was perched on a fence post but was annoyingly chipper. "Nice guard that one. Nicer than some we've met, eh Professor?"
Unlike Ace, the Doctor was fuming. "The tournament's today? Even worse than I'd thought."
Ace swung her feet. "I know we should be getting back to the TARDIS but like Mr McGrumpy said, the gates shut. There's not much we can do so maybe we should come back later."
While Ace was right that standing around wasting time wasn't doing any good, where were they supposed to go? They couldn't go back to the inn as that would the first place the knight would go looking. Failing that, he would soon check other inns so they were also not an option. Kelly wasn't keen on doing too much wandering around. What if they were to bump into that knight again? They didn't have much alternative though.
She had a sneaky suspicion that the knight would be staking out the streets around the castle courtyard where the tournament was being held. It was most probable. If she had been in his position it was exactly what she would have done. Being unable to leave was a bit too convenient for her liking. It smelt of a trap, a trap that had being sprung around her that was now too late to slip out of.
"There must be another gate..." the Doctor mused.
"If there is, I'm sure it's the same," Kelly replied. "Unavailable."
"Nothing ventured..." he declared and Kelly sighed as she and Ace followed, hoping to be proven wrong.
They followed the wall around rather than following the main paths. It was considerably dirtier along the outskirts of the town. Kelly avoided thinking about chamber pots and focused instead on the dwellings and people she saw emerge from them. Some were craftsmen; candle makers, woodcutters, weavers, the odd tailor; many of which were tanners or butchers. The ground was caked with animal blood and a nearby pig sniffed its way around its pen. Not many were beginning their work for the day. Most were headed for the courtyard. The children, grubby and wearing tatters for clothes, looked particularly excited. It must be the highlight of their year to watch people fight against each other, she thought. While she didn't appreciate blood-sports like the locals did, she concluded it was probably their equivalent of the Olympics. A tournament would bring people from the surrounding countryside to the castle, and was a chance for everyone to forget just how tough life really was. It was an excuse to celebrate.
If she wasn't in danger of being dragged into the ring, she might have enjoyed taking in the sights too.
As Kelly had predicted, the other gatehouse was closed. The Doctor glared at her like it was her fault. She glared back.
Whoever this knight is, he has connections, she conceded. Even though she was aware of the completeness of the trap that contained her, she was surprised at how calm she was. She wasn't sure how long the tournament would last but was confident she could come up with a way to stay away from the knight until it was over. The best idea she had thought of so far was to ditch the knight's getup and give up the disguise altogether. Buy a dress, get changed and dump the tunic. It wasn't complicated and made a lot of sense. The knight and his cronies would not be looking for a woman.
"Told you she was smart," Ace grinned when Kelly shared her idea.
The Doctor wasn't convinced it was that simple. He pointed out that most clothes were handmade and passed down through families. She would not be able to just walk in to a tailor, pick something out and purchase it. Kelly opened her mouth to argue but the Doctor silenced her with a comment about her being "taller than the average woman," and how that made it even less likely to find a suitable outfit in this time period. Any other day she might have taken that as a compliment. Here it was just being used to carve holes into plans she was forming.
She tried another idea, carefully selecting her words. Mentioning borrowed clothing still got a frown from the Doctor, who clearly disapproved of stealing on principle. It was somewhat amusing how skewed his morality was considering Ace served as his shadow. In addition to his disapproval, he doubted many citizens would have more than a single pair of clothes and the few who might reside within the keep. Any clothing stolen from there would attract undue attention and be noticed by the owner if sighted on the street. Kelly didn't bother mentioning the possibility of bribing someone into exchange clothes.
She was resigned to finding a hiding place to conceal herself and remaining there until the event was over when the Doctor surprised her by changing course, heading straight for the centre of town. Ace halted, glanced at Kelly who was looking similarly confused, and called after him.
"Professor, you said we shouldn't go that way."
"I've changed my mind. It's the only way to get there."
"Where?" Ace and Kelly asked in unison.
"Isn't it obvious?" he asked with a grin. "The castle!"
The same castle swarming with guards? Wonderful, thought Kelly. His intelligence knows no bounds.
"If we can convince the local lord that we need to get out-"
"He's probably the knight's liege," exclaimed Kelly. "It would explain how he is able to lock-down the entire castle at will. Going in there would be the same as walking straight into the ring."
The Doctor paused mid-step. "Oh," he managed with a frown.
"Oooh! I've got an idea!" declared Ace.
Desperate times called for desperate measures so Kelly turned and listened intensively.
Ace pointed at Kelly. "We get her arrested."
Kelly blinked. "You what?"
"Just listen," Ace insisted as Kelly crossed her arms. "She gets arrested and thrown in the dungeon. Safe and sound during the tournament and we bail her out after it's over. I know," continued Ace as the Doctor and Kelly remained silent, "it's not perfect but it's not the craziest plan ever."
It took a minute for Kelly to put her natural condemnation about imprisonment aside. Medieval prisons weren't quite the same as the ones she had a healthy respect for. It was far more feasible to break in and out of a medieval dungeon than a high security complex back home. Actually, Ace's idea didn't sound all that horrible. As far as plans went, it was not bad. She was seriously considering the idea and contemplating how she would sneak some make-shift lock picks into the cell so she could break out when the Doctor dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand.
"Ace, he trapped us inside the castle within an hour. He could bail her out himself in half that time."
"Actually," Kelly interrupted loudly, "I think it's a good idea. If I were to combine it with losing this tunic, it could work. The knight will never find who he challenged as they'll have vanished without a trace."
"You forget the fatal flaw of that plan," the Doctor criticised as Kelly frowned. "It's not just about hiding you. That knight has had ample opportunity to get a good look at Ace and I. Last night, this morning, now, anyone in the street could describe who they saw with you. If you somehow managed to disappear, he will come looking for us. Hiding one person we might manage but three? No. For the last time, it won't work."
'Somehow managed'? Hmmph. He doesn't have a clue how well I can 'manage' a disappearance. His constant negativity grated on her nerves. It was as though she was trying to knit together a plan and he kept pulling at the loose strands, causing the whole thing to unravel.
"Instead of wasting time dissecting every thread of the ideas we come up with," she challenged, "why don't you tell us what your big plan is?"
"Kit," Ace warned but the Doctor was quick to retort.
"Because I'm trying to scrape together an alternative that doesn't involve getting you killed!"
Well at least we have the same end goal here, thought Kelly irritably. You're just going about it in a pessimistic and over-analytical manner. Philosophise about it all day if you want. I'm not about to wait for you to come up with a solution that is acceptable to you, not when my life's on the line. Self-righteous git.
Ace spoke softly to try and ease the tension in the air. "You must have a plan," she said, referring to the Doctor. "Tell me?"
He tore his gaze from Kelly's face and met Ace's eyes. It seemed to calm him because he gave a sigh and replied quietly, "The only choice we have; to enter her in the tournament."