Chapter Eighteen: A Curious Coincidence

Thanks to the light of the full moon above them, the Doctor and River had enough to guide them down the dirt road on horseback. Wearing a dark brown cloak as a disguise, the Doctor was amazed of how easily they were able to steal a pair of horses from King George's stable; of course, with River's vortex manipulator, any theft was possible. Halfway down the road, the Doctor, who had been leading River in the direction that he believed the TARDIS was in, stopped his horse, prompting River to stop hers as well. With the Doctor's back facing her and the hood of his cloak masking his head, River could not tell what the Doctor was doing, but she had a good idea.

"You have no idea where we're going, do you?"

Beneath his hood, the Doctor had in fact been looking around in confusion; however, he refused to let River make him admit he was wrong. "No…this is a shortcut."

River rolled her eyes and moaned in aggravation. "You prideful bastard! I knew we should've kept in the same direction they took us in when they captured us!"

The Doctor turned and glared at her. "I know what I'm doing!"

"Do you really? Because you still haven't figured out just where we are!"

Looking down in defeat, the Doctor suddenly caught a glimpse of an object that was shimmering in the grass. Even though River was still scolding him for his lack of direction, the Doctor was more focused on the object that had caught his attention, climbing off his horse to check and see what it was. His sonic screwdriver in hand, the Doctor slowly approached the artifact and shined the light from his alien tool to get a better look at what it was.

Meanwhile, River's scolding continued as it reached an entirely different subject. "And why didn't you want to see King George? Weren't you the least bit curious to know why that man had us captured and locked away?" She realized that the Doctor was not listening to a word she was saying and grew even more upset. "Oh, stop pretending like you're ignoring me!"

"I'm not pretending." The Doctor said in a nonchalant manner. "I've found something more worthy of my attention."

Ignoring his rude comment, River climbed off her horse and went to the spot he was crouched. "What did you find?"

Just as she approached him, the Doctor picked up the item in the grass and stood up, turning to show it to River. Shock registered on her face as she discovered what was in the Doctor's hands. "Is that…what I think it is?"

The Doctor nodded. "The head of a Cyberman."

River snatched the Cyberman head out of the Doctor's hands and looked upon it with heavy confusion. "How did a Cyberman get here?"

"Not a Cyberman…the Cybermen." The Doctor corrected.

River looked to the Doctor in disbelief. "Surely you don't suppose that more of them could be here."

"They never travel alone." The Doctor deduced. "The Cybermen have traveled between dimensions before, and I have reason to believe they've done so now…only by accident."

"Just like us." River returned her gaze to the Cyberman head. "How many do you think are here?"

"Hundreds…perhaps even thousands."

"We have to find out how long they've been here. If anyone discovers them, their lives could be in danger."

"Or someone could abuse their power. We're in a fairy tale world, River. A world with many powerful beings – more powerful than even the Cybermen. And if any of these beings happen to be of evil standards…" The Doctor paused with a hint of anxiety. "…well, let's just say that no one in this world will live 'happily ever after'…ever."

They suddenly heard the cry of a wolf in the distance, alarming them only slightly.

"Let's get back to the TARDIS and find out what point the Cybermen arrived." The Doctor hastily instructed.

"Should we bring the head?" River motioned the object to the Doctor.

"No, I've gathered enough information through the sonic screwdriver for the TARDIS to tell us when and where we'll need to go, so leave it. If we're fortunate enough to change time in this world, then that head will have never been there."

River did as the Doctor said and dropped the head back into the grass before climbing back on her horse. "If you don't mind, sweetie, I'm leading the way this time."

The Doctor watched her in annoyance as she started riding down the road again, not waiting a second for him to climb back on his horse. He quickly done so and caught up with her the best he could. Just as the two travelers departed, a lone figure emerged out of the forest and into the light of the moon. Had the Doctor stayed much longer, he would have recognized this figure as Rumplestiltskin, who carried a particular interest in the Cyberman head that was left behind. The wizard picked up the head and stroked its sleek steel structure gingerly, grinning with greed.

What more surprises have you hid from me, dear Doctor?