Chapter 10: Once and Future
"Do you make a habit of sneaking out to roam at night?" the Doctor scolded as Kelly stifled a yawn. "Like a stray cat? You should have been resting."
"I was..." She found herself biting her tongue and unable to answer.
Silently she cursed the Trickster once more. When he had given her that vision of Ace in the dungeon, he had also obliged to put her under a spell that prevented her from mentioning him. It was downright infuriating. Because of the spell, she couldn't even tell the Doctor what had happened last night. The bloody Trickster had been very thorough and had anticipated every manner of circumventing the magic she had attempted so far. Writing it down had failed as she had started at the parchment for ten minutes with a quill and pot of ink in her hand, unable to even begin the downward stroke of the capital 'T'. Her tongue was similarly bound when she tried speaking in Arabic which only served to raise the Doctor's eyebrows and leave her unable to properly explain why she had spoken it. She would have tried sign language but that was limited to the letters A to K and shorthand for tactical manoeuvres.
"I went for a walk," she eventually. She was aware of him giving her a look that insisted she fess up and tell the truth but could do nothing.
"I don't like being lied to," he prompted, unaware he was making things even more difficult.
"Nor do I," she murmured.
"Kelly," he persisted.
As soon as I find a way to, thought Kelly, then I'll tell you.
While she wasn't keen on making the Doctor aware of her blunder and the mess she had ended up in, Ace had explicitly warned her against bringing anything that didn't belong. Kelly hadn't brought hairpins to this time intentionally. She had forgotten about them until the need arose to pick a lock. It had been accidental but she understood it was important to recover the hairpin as quickly as possible. It could not be left in this time and place. It must be retrieved.
She glanced at Finn warily. She had checked he was not another illusion; he had definitely been solid when she 'accidentally' bumped into him. He still made her uneasy because of his potential allegiance to the Trickster. Perhaps... She bit her lip as she considered an idea. "Did he ever tell you how we met?" she asked the Doctor and nodded her head at Finn.
The Doctor, made suspicious by the seemingly abrupt change of topic to avoid answering his question, frowned. "No. I was not aware that you had."
This will end one of two ways, thought Kelly. Either she had found her way around the spell or Finn would be unable to speak of the Trickster and reveal he was also under the spell. She prompted the boy to tell the story with a wave of her hand.
Sheepishly scratching the back of his neck, he told the Doctor that he had stolen her coin purse and she had tracked him down. He cringed a little as the Doctor's frown deepened. "I was aware that I was in the company of one thief," said the Doctor, his sideward gaze scorching Kelly's cheek, before adding, "not two."
"Agent," Kelly corrected.
She willed Finn to continue with the story. Tell him I asked about the Trickster. Just mention him by name and the Doctor will be taken in by curiosity. He was much like Ace in that regard. Both liked unfamiliar names and concepts to be explained; it was doubtless that asking countless questions was how they acquired much of their knowledge during their travels.
Kelly felt her throat tighten in response to the boy continuing the story. She grinned. Her plan was working. Now just say the name... Come on...
She cursed silently as the Doctor interrupted to reprimand her for being so foolish as to wander into a den of thieves. His tirade ceased abruptly and she noticed his expression change. He was puzzled by her lack of interjection to defend her actions. He expected her to and because she had not, he was taken aback. He examined her face and seemed to extract meaning from it.
"Kelly," he asked quietly, "did you come into contact with anything on your 'walk' last night?"
Yes, she wanted to answer but could not.
"Anything magical?" he asked, frowning. He noticed her clenched hands twitching. He nodded slightly, his suspicions confirmed. "Show me where," he instructed.
How did I not think of that earlier? wondered Kelly as she led the way towards the building with the secret passage. I could have just grabbed him by the arm and dragged him there.
They only got halfway across the castle town when a voice called out to them. The Doctor initially dismissed it but the voice called again. Kelly couldn't help but look. Had that knight over there in silver really said what she thought he'd said? More surprisingly the Doctor automatically answered the voice. "I'm busy."
Kelly poked him in the ribs with her elbow and nodded her head towards the knight who was chasing after them. The Doctor turned around and blinked as though taking notice of the figure for the first time.
"Oh," he managed, taking in the red-haired knight's rather impressive apparel.
Unlike the other knights of the castle, his armour was not speckled grey but silver. It shone as though emitting its own light (Magic, Kelly suspected). A crest depicting a dragon emblazoned his left shoulder. As for the man within the armour, he had prominent cheekbones and a crocked nose. She couldn't tell if it was due to a battle wound or not. His forehead was creased by stress and uncertainty. She wagered he was middle aged but it was hard to tell if he had aged naturally or the battles to survive in this age and occupation had caused him to look this way. He was certainly much older than Ancelyn and Mordred yet looked as strong as an ox and ready to run rings around them on the battlefield. She guessed magic played a role in his prolonged fitness and youth.
His eyes were attentive and analytical; he was examining her, Finn and the Doctor just as much as they were him. He peered at each of them in turn. Kelly couldn't help but have some pride in being the only one of the group who the knight did not have to lower his gaze in order to make eye contact.
The knight nodded respectfully at the Doctor. "At long last you have returned, Merlin."
Kelly raised an eyebrow. Merlin? So her ears had not deceived her. She tore her eyes away from the silver knight to glance at the Doctor and mouthed, 'Merlin?' He absently waved a hand at her as if to tell her it was perfectly natural to be addressed as the magician from legend. Kelly crossed her arms and watched him rest his chin in the palm of his hand. He tapped his fingers thoughtfully.
His silence did not cause the knight to second guess as he waited patiently for a reply.
"How did you find me?" the Doctor asked calmly.
"You don't remember? Hmm," the knight frowned. "It was some time ago- Ah," he smiled. "Tis another of your games. You are checking that I remember and have not forgotten."
The Doctor nodded but said nothing.
"I'll admit I worried I had misheard your instructions and had arrived too late. I hope I am mistaken seeing as here you are."
"And what were my instructions?" the Doctor inquired evenly.
Kelly was impressed by the Doctor's bluffing. It was baffling how gullible and unsuspecting this knight was. It was as if he was deliberately letting the Doctor dance around and provided the answers to his own questions.
The knight frowned then seemed to remember something important. "The craftsmen followed your directions exactly. I personally made sure of it," he assured.
How did he get this knight into his pocket? Kelly wondered. We haven't even been here more than a day. This isn't just stupid, this is downright unbelievable. It's as if... Magic? Hypnotism? Neither? She wasn't sure herself. Things were just fitting all too nicely; the knight 'happening' across them and 'recognising' the Doctor as Merlin. That wasn't a coincidence. That had to be premeditated. Perhaps I wasn't the only one out and about last night. The problem with that theory was it didn't explain the look of surprise on the Doctor's face. It was genuine but how?
"I see..." replied the Doctor although Kelly could tell he certainly did not. And where is...?" He waved a wave vaguely, unsure exactly what 'it' was.
"This way."
No, no, no, moaned Kelly in her head. Not a detour, not after all the manoeuvring around that damn Trickster's spell. This is important, she wanted to say. Can't this 'thing' wait until after? It pained Kelly to divert from their earlier path to the Trickster's den and delay the attempted recovery of the hairpin but she followed without audible complaint.
"I confess, I was uncertain it was you at first," he confided to the Doctor. "A most cunning disguise, Merlin."
"Oh? How could you tell it was me?"
The knight smiled proudly and tapped the side of his head. "Your description of your travelling companions. I did not forget about the child and the..." He briefly gave Kelly a sideways glance.
"The...?" prompted Kelly.
"Maiden," he answered quickly, glancing away.
Uh-huh. The word 'lie' was written all over his face. "That wasn't how your sentence was going to end."
"I know not what you mean... Milady," he added hastily. His defensiveness only made her more curious.
"Maiden," Kelly repeated, testing how it sounded. "Not 'Lady Knight'?"
The knight laughed. "Lady knight, ha! There is no such thing, not in Camelot or our neighbouring kingdoms. It would not be right."
Would not be right?!
The Doctor, noticing a violent gleam in Kelly's eyes, interrupted before she could challenge chivalry and other medieval attitudes. "Kelly is not a knight, nor a warrior."
The knight smiled broadly. "Oh, but her words strike as surely as steel. Tis most entertaining."
Entertaining?! You should see what my fists can do, thought Kelly. The Doctor pulled her away from the knight. Before she could protest, he muttered hurriedly in her ear, "The closest equivalent for 'spy' in this time period is 'assassin'. Better they think you are some curiosity from a backward far-off land than a threat, I think you'll agree."
Reluctantly she agreed. She hated it when he was right.
"Did I say why I wanted you to make this for me?" the Doctor asked to change the topic before the knight could answer Kelly's question.
"You said you would have need of it. As for it does, I know not. It is a most curious design, even of your specifications."
Kelly and the Doctor shared a look.
They reached the end of the main road and Kelly became aware of stares from all sides. It was unnerving to have so many pairs of eyes trained on her. It made her nervous. She noticed it was not just peasants who were staring but castle guards as well. A few clenched their right fist against their left shoulder as the silver knight passed by. Why were they saluting him? She had not seen any other knights being treated this way.
Kelly turned to face front again and noticed the dragon crest for the second time. It had to mean something, but she knew nothing of heraldry. The more she tried to think about it, the more it nagged at her, as though it should be obvious. When she thought of dragons she thought of fire-breathing monsters or the knights that battled against them.
It suddenly clicked into place and she hurried to lengthen her strides to walk alongside the Doctor. She lowered her voice. "If you're Merlin, that makes him Arthur, doesn't it?"
"Arthur Pendragon, King of the Britons?" the Doctor asked with a straight face before a smile grew. "Very probably."
Finn looked at them with a 'Well duh' expression. Clearly he had recognised the king far sooner than they had.
"So that would make," she pointed at the sword at the knight's waist, "that Excalibur."
"Most probably." He strained his neck to get a better look at the sword's hilt. "Yes, I recognise the pommel."
He recognised it? "But you've never met him and yet he thinks he knows you. Are you Merlin?"
With a straight face he told her, "We can't all be Ladies of the Lake, Miss Jones."
"No, that would be Ace, wouldn't it?" Kelly stated, recalling Ace's earlier comment. She sighed. "I'm beginning to think you two make a game of being mythical figures."
"It's not intentional," he reassured her. "Things just turn out that way."
"So he thinks you are Merlin, and you're just going along with it?"
"I have been identified as Merlin before," he told her quietly. "Ancelyn called me that when Ace and I met him but I am not Merlin yet. I have not experienced those events yet. They are in my future."
"Which has happened for these people," Kelly concluded and he nodded in agreement.
They reached their destination; a moderate building with a smelter and leather tanning rack outside. The trio followed the king inside. He pulled something that clinked metallically off a bench and offered it to the Doctor for inspection. "I trust this will suit."
The Doctor's eyes scanned over the object before turning to pass it to Kelly. She blinked at the anachronism in her hands.
"I am not sure what it does but-" Arthur trailed off as Kelly fumbled to remove her sword's scabbard from her belt. She handed it to Finn. The boy blinked but accepted the blade and watched her step one leg through the largest loop of the contraption and one of the smaller loops then brought her other leg through the large and the remaining loop. The buckles initially resisted her efforts to tighten the waist loop but the leather soon relented.
Well this makes things a lot easier, she thought as she proceeded to tighten the leg straps. Not that she wasn't grateful but what was a climbing harness doing in the middle ages? It clearly didn't belong as her systematic donning of the harness had baffled her audience. It was strange though. The harness itself had not been brought from the 21st Century. The leather was not factory manufactured and the buckles were not quite uniform in shape. It was as if it had been custom made. No, she decided, that's exactly what it is. The knowledge of how to construct this came from beyond this time and place but all the materials used to make it are native. It was like building a makeshift radio before radios were invented. The tools and most of the supplies necessary already existed so it was possible to build one, but of course, you would have to know what a radio was and how to make one. And that would require time travel.
Is this the Doctor's doing? Or, she supposed, will it be the Doctor's doing? He had admitted that he knew he would be Merlin even though he wasn't yet. But why would he do this? Doesn't this break, I don't know, timelines or something? Because if the future Doctor were to give instructions to have this harness built, wasn't he interfering or changing what had already happened? She remembered his description of events in time being adaptable. Perhaps this was one of those. Perhaps he was ensuring it happened the way he remembered by having it made.
Forget about it, she told herself. What matters is you now have an extremely useful piece of equipment that will make rescuing Ace a hell of a lot easier. Provided it was up to scratch, it was going to make assailing the castle's walls a hundred times safer than free-climbing it or making do with wrapping rope around her.
She examined a mental inventory of what she needed. Rope, more rope, lots of rope, some thin but strong prusiks, a change of clothes, a knife, a grappling hook, some gloves, something that could be used as a descender, and enough food and water to get there and back to the TARDIS.
"It's perfect," she heard the Doctor tell the king. She listened optimistically when the Doctor inquired if there was anything else.
The king handed over a roll of parchment addressed to 'Merlin'.
"Did you read it?" the Doctor asked, suspiciously.
His inquiry was met with a sheepish smile. "You knew I would not be able to resist opening it. But no, I could not read it. Tis blank."
A blank piece of parchment? That wasn't exactly useful. Compared to the harness, it was a bit of let down. Still, it would be difficult to leave a message for your past self. You would have to find a way of making sure the knowledge didn't end up being discovered by someone else. She pondered how she would leave such a message.
I'd write it in code, she decided, a tricky one that wouldn't be easily guessed. Unless she gave it to Polly to look after. The code wouldn't last long then. If not code, then I'd leave instructions that relied on something only I knew. That would be secure. But a blank parchment... It reminded her of how First Years would leave secret messages on scraps of paper using invisible ink and think it clever. So naive. All they needed was some lemon juice...
Ahhh, lemons. She'd seen plenty of them in fruit stalls around the castle town.
Finn was astonished as words appeared on the parchment as the Doctor held a candle behind it. He swore it was magic and watched in awe.
"As I suspected," said the Doctor. "My handwriting." He read the message aloud. "'Dear Doctor. Hello again.'"
"Again?" asked Kelly as she peered over the Doctor's shoulder. "Do you leave yourself messages a lot?"
He tossed between agreeing and disagreeing before settling on, "Sometimes." He cleared his throat and continued. "'You will be needing this in your upcoming rescue. Be sure to remind Miss Jones that she will be rescuing two prisoners.'" The Doctor frowned. "Two?"
Kelly nodded. "Ancelyn," she told him. She hadn't planned on leaving him in his cell while she sprung Ace. He was a nice enough knight and he apparently was going to meet Ace and the Doctor sometime in his future and it was important not to mess that up. It was partly her fault that he was imprisoned too.
The Doctor frowned, trying to determine how she could know that, before continuing to read the message. "'Of course, she already knows that but is unable to tell you as she under the influence of the Trickster's spell.'"
What? Kelly boggled and stared at the parchment, reading over the sentence for herself. How...?
The Doctor's frown deepened. "And you were going to mention this when?" he demanded.
She rolled her eyes. Gee, that an easy question to answer seeing as I'm under a spell that prevents me from saying anything about it. Having read ahead, she pointed at the next line on the parchment.
He sighed as he read, "'She was trying to tell you before Arthur showed up so don't be too harsh.' Harsh, me?"
Kelly's lip twitched in amusement and she raised an eyebrow but held her tongue. Pedantic, certainly.
"'Break the spell and rescue Ace and Ancelyn.' Hmm, I'm not being very helpful, am I?"
The lip twitch transformed into a smile. "How could I answer that honestly without getting glared at?"
True to form, he glared and Finn laughed. The Doctor scanned over the parchment. "I don't even give myself any hints on where to go or how to break this spell you were stupid enough to fall under."
"Mmmmph," grumbled Kelly as she turned the parchment over. Catching sight of more text, he snatched it from her. Again she rolled her eyes.
"'P.S. King soon to depart for final battle. Excalibur required for flight. Follow stream to ship.'"
"Ship?" Kelly repeated. She remembered Ancelyn mentioning ships that flew through the air. "As in one of those flying ships?"
The Doctor mumbled a long list of digits scrawled across the back of the parchment to himself and concluded they had to be coordinates to input into the vessel. He folded the parchment and shoved it into the pocket of his jacket.
"So how are you going to steal Excalibur?" she asked. Finn's eyes lit up in delight, looking rather keen to get his hands on the magical sword. Even in this world where myth and legend was true, the sword was still legendary.
"I'm not," the Doctor replied. "I'm going to ask for it."
Kelly shook her head. She couldn't imagine the once and future king giving up his magic sword on Merlin's say so.
Excuse me, King of Briton, I need your magic sword. Not sure what for yet but this message from my future self tells me I need it so would you kindly hand it over? Much obliged. Oh, and by the way, you're due to be fatally wounded in battle and shipped off to a magic island paradise ready to return in the time of greatest need. She couldn't see that going down well.
"It was only ever on loan," he elaborated as he handed a purse of coins to Finn. "We're going to need supplies for at least three days, but enough for five."
"You're counting Ace as one?" Kelly scoffed.
He raised a finger and acknowledged she had a point. "Better make that six," he amended. "Meanwhile, Kelly, go find everything else you need and I will retrieve the sword. Meet you all in the inn."
"Good afternoon. I'm the Doctor, this is Finn and I believe you've already met Kelly."
The Trickster jolted awake and tried to jump to his feet but found them bound by chains. He scowled and winced as they brushed against his skin. It blistered before his eyes.
"Don't get up," chimed the Doctor pleasantly. "It may be rather painful considering your aversion to silver."
"Who are you?" demanded the Trickster.
"People call me Merlin."
Kelly's already broad grin widened as the creature's jaw hit the floor. "M-Merlin?" he repeated. "No. No." He struggled to his feet and limped forward. "Your face, you are not Merlin."
The Doctor's eyes narrowed. "Look again. See past the different face. See my aspect."
The Trickster paused and Kelly sensed the air electrify. She shuffled nervously. It reminded her too much of the shape-shifter exerting its power over her with repeated jolts to her neck. While the Doctor had assured them the chains would restrain the Trickster and restrict his magic, Kelly wasn't certain if he knew that as fact or if it was a theory of his. At least the silver was working. He claimed his idea came from a previous encounter with a magical Fey creature who had been ensnared and bound by silver chains. Sounded like only half the story in her opinion but she wasn't in any position to argue.
"You see it is true, don't you?" The Doctor smiled pleasantly. "Now," he began as he started circling the creature, "I have a deal to make with you. Are you listening?"
"You escaped the ice caves," the Trickster growled. To see him so powerless amused Kelly to no end. See how he likes it, she thought with a snide smile.
The Doctor ignored his comment. "You made a deal with Kelly. I want it undone." The Doctor gestured lazily at the chains that bound the Fey. "In return, I shall release you."
Kelly's smile faded as the Trickster smirked. "That is impossible."
"Explain," the Doctor prompted. He didn't sound irritated yet but the light heartedness of his tone was starting to wear thin.
Kelly shivered as the Trickster eyed her with a knowing grin. "It is not a mere physical object for me to take back. I provided her a gift of knowledge, of far sight."
The Doctor scowled. "You showed her the future?"
The Fey laughed as though the idea was preposterous. "No, Merlin. I showed her what is far, what she wanted to see." The Trickster hissed as the Doctor tugged ever so slightly on his chains.
"If the deal cannot be undone, then a new deal shall be made," the Doctor insisted. "You shall leave her as she was before you met and return whatever you took in exchange for your 'gift'. Then you will be freed."
Careful Doctor, she thought. He's not beneath double-crossing you. He will make every attempt to deceive you while seeming to agree to your terms.
"Don't you want to know what she wanted?" the Trickster taunted. "Don't you wonder what she would trade for a gift of magic?"
Kelly clenched her fists. He's making it sound as though I agreed to this trade, as if I initiated all this, but I didn't. I didn't have a choice. He just did it and I couldn't stop him. He's trying to turn the Doctor on me. He wants to divide us. Once he has, he will try to deceive you and then ensnare you too. Can't you see that, Doctor?
She noticed the Trickster watching her carefully. He smiled and she had a sudden epiphany; he can hear my thoughts.
The Fey showed his pointed teeth as he smiled at her. "Yes, dearie, I can."
She shivered and snarled, "Get out of my head."
"How well do you really know her?" jibed the Trickster, redirecting his attention to the Doctor. "She is no friend of yours. If only you could hear her thoughts about you," he laughed so hard he snorted. "So deliciously fiery, so angry, so protective and torn."
Kelly glared daggers at the creature but that only goaded him.
"She hates you, did you know that?"
The Doctor shrugged. "I understand we are not on the best of terms."
"No, she really, really hates you," the Trickster went on, taking delight in Kelly clenching her fists. "You truly have no idea how much. She doesn't know what her friend sees in you or why she would stand by your side so loyally. She hates it how her friend jumps to your defence and is constantly trying to please you. She blames you for her friend's fragility. She blames you for stealing her away and," he dropped his voice to a whisper, "she hates how powerless she is to stop it happening again."
Kelly's fingers dug into the palms of her hands. Bastard, she thought, focusing intently on the word in an attempt to stab the Fey's mind with the word. Get out! You get out of my head or so help me I will crush you, I will tear you into mincemeat and feed you to the dogs.
The Doctor's cold reply chilled her to the bone. "I know." He ignored her stare and the Trickster's open mouth of surprise. "I know what she must have wanted. She used this far-sight you gave her to check on Ace."
Kelly blinked, startled at his accuracy.
"That she did not disappear into the night tells me that Ace is alive and unharmed," the Doctor continued. "Now, return what you took from her and remove the spell that binds her."
"Or what, Merlin?" the Trickster taunted. "You'll leave me here, bound in silver chains? I shall be freed sooner or later. Someone else will find me and be tempted to free me in return for a gift."
"I don't think you understand." The Doctor's voice was chilling. "I need her in order to rescue my companion. You do not want to learn what lengths I will go to in order to ensure her safety."
The menace was not in the tone of his voice but its sincerity. His funny vest and brightly coloured umbrella had never contrasted as greatly to the aura that radiated off him. Gone was the bluster, the jokes and the banter. A storm brewed in his eyes as he and the Trickster locked gazes. Kelly blinked but swore she saw the Doctor's eyes flash gold. It was the same dangerous look she had seen in Ace's eyes when they were brimming with fury and violent thoughts. The air electrified but, as the Doctor had told them, the creature's magic could not reach them. Unable to outwit or overpower his opponent, the Trickster surrendered and reached into his mane of hair, plucking the hairpin from it. He tossed it towards them. Kelly retrieved it and cautiously approached the Fey as he beckoned her.
"You are right, you know," he whispered as his fingers touched her temples. "He is so much more than you ever could be. You will always pale in comparison."
Murder shone in her eyes but she kept her tone calm as she felt an electric current run through her. "As will you," she whispered back, her voice tight. "I'm glad you have been forgotten. May nobody ever learn who you really are. Non illegitimus carborundum," she spat.