Still a little short, but whatever. Feedback is as welcome as ever! And don't worry, everybody will meet up eventually.
Neither Doctor Who nor Valdemar are mine.
Amy ran through the rain, phone pressed to her ear, feet pounding on the sidewalk. "Rory! Why can't you come get me already?"
"I'm in the middle of a doctor's appointment Amy!" came the voice on the phone.
Amy pouted. "Fine. But don't blame me when I come down with pneumonia or whatever."
"Oh—fine. Get inside somewhere, I'll pick you up when I'm done. Or take the bus already! I just wish we had a second car."
"Oh, now you agree with me. Oi!" That last was to the world in general when Amy slipped on something that didn't feel like pavement, falling on her face. The phone beeped twice, ending the call. When she grabbed her phone again, Amy saw why. No reception. No reception? How was that possible? Her Raggedy Doctor had fixed her phone so that she had reception wherever she was. Literally wherever she was. Or whenever. So why didn't she have reception?
Amy frowned at it, then stuck her phone into her jacket pocket, wiping mud off her face. She was somewhere else now. It was mid-morning, the sun was bright on the unfamiliar grass of wherever she was. Unfamiliar, wet grass. Amy stood up and brushed herself off. She was in a large, empty field. Amy wandered for a few minutes before she found what appeared to be a wide gravel road, packed and covered in the many footprints of humans, carts, and animals, but apparently no motor vehicles.
"Okay then." She muttered to herself. "Pick a direction. Any direction."
Amy began trudging north along the road.
There was a knock at Herald Terril's door.
"Come in."
It was the boy Brent again, looking nervous. This time he was accompanied by a red-haired girl, covered in mud and wearing a scarf and short leather jacket.
"Dear gods. Another one?"
Amy crossed her arms uncertainly, staring at the woman in white. The stranger was rather wrinkled, with grey hair pulled back in a ponytail and a scar running down her cheek. She was dressed all in white with a high collar, bent over a pile of paperwork. The stranger pinched the bridge of her nose, looking Amy over.
"So," the woman asked. "Who are you?"
"Amy." She shifted her weight.
"Amy what? Do you know?"
"Amy Pond. Amelia Pond, well technically Amy Williams. I'm married."
The woman in white raised an eyebrow. "And what do you think is going on? Do you know where you are? What I am? Anything?"
"Ah—no. Sorry. What's going on?"
The woman stood up, leaning over the desk. "My name is Terril. I'm a Herald. Do you know what that means, Amy Pond?"
"Not exactly."
"It means it's my job to do things like enforce the laws, spread news, and do what I can to protect people. It's a very special job, and those who fill it are Chosen by the Companions, who look like white horses with blue eyes. Trust me when I say they're much more than that. Heralds wear white, Healers wear green, and Bards wear red. Do you have any guesses as to each of their functions?" The Herald tilted her head.
"Umm… Healers heal people, right? Like doctors? And Bards do music and stuff?" Amy hazarded.
"Correct. Now, I have one question before I give you directions," continued the woman. "A few hours ago, a man calling himself the Doctor came through here. Are you with him?"
Rory looked at his phone in startlement when the call broke off. Huh. That was strange. Usually Amy's phone always worked—that's right, he realized, Amy's phone worked everywhere in the universe now. So why had the call broken off? She didn't hang up.
"Oh, Amy…"
The interminable doctor's appointment had finally ended and Rory stood out in the rain, phone in hand. Once, twice, three times it rang—nothing. At last the phone reached someone, but the voice on the other end was not the one Rory had been expecting.
"Rory? What is it? Talk quickly."
"River?" Rory said in surprise.
"His phone doesn't always work, so it went to me. What is it?"
"Um. River. It's Amy. Her phone—it lost reception. It never does that!"
"Rory!" River exclaimed. "You tried to call the Doctor for tech support?!"
"No, of course not, it's just that he fixed her phone so that it has reception everywhere. As in everywhere, River, not just Earth. It can't logically have lost reception because it has reception everywhere in the universe. Tell me how this is possible."
There was the sound of River sucking in a breath. "Then perhaps she isn't in this universe. And maybe the Doctor isn't either, which could be why the call went to me. If she isn't—Rory, did the Doctor go and get her?"
"No!"
River cursed. "Find her. Or him, either one. Something's happening, and it can't bode well—" River was cut off as the connection dropped.
Rory flailed for one heart-stopping moment as the ground dropped out from under him, only to land on the ground in what appeared to be a rather dusty alley. The sun was high in the sky, almost at its zenith. It was sunny, not pouring. And the buildings all around him looked more like what he had seen in his 2000 years as a Roman than modern construction, built out of whitewashed stone. Rory struggled to his feet, wiping his hands on his pants. He picked up his phone. No reception. Rory breathed out, stuck it in his pocket, and took a closer look around.
"Milady Herald?" Herald Terril cursed inwardly, got up, and opened the door. Brent stood in the doorway looking apologetic, next to a scruffy man with short blondish hair and wearing a sweater.
"Leave us, Brent." The young boy gave a sigh of relief and left.
"Sorry, but have you seen my wife?" Rory asked.
"Long red hair, brown eyes, scarf, covered in mud?"
"Ah, yeah, that'd be her. Sorry."
Terril sighed. "She headed north, following a man who introduced himself as "the Doctor". A few things you need to know before you leave: Anyone wearing all white is a Herald, we uphold the law and perform important legal, political, legislative, and practical tasks for the protection of the Kingdom and the people in it and really everyone who tries to make the world a better place. You can go to any Herald for help. Anyone in green is a Healer, which is fairly self-explanatory. Anyone in red is a Bard, anyone in blue is part of the Army or the Guard and they should also help you if you ask, as should the Healers. The road north is just east of town and I suggest taking a horse if you want to catch up to the others anytime soon. Give this note to the Guard at the stables in this building, he'll lend you a horse but you need to give back to the Guard when you catch up with your friends or I'll be sending people after you. What's your name?" Terril scribbled something on a piece of paper, then handed it to him.
Rory blinked. "Um, Rory. Rory Williams. What's up north?"
The Herald sighed. "The Forest of Sorrows." At Rory's look of incomprehension, she elaborated. "Creepy haunted forest that kills anyone with harmful or evil intent."
"Oh."
"No really, don't be afraid to ask help of any Guard, Herald, or Healer you meet if you really need the help. It's our job." She ran one hand through her hair. "Now feel free to leave, so I can finish my paperwork."
"Oh, um, of course," Rory stuttered. He turned and left.
River Song stared at the phone for a moment, then gave it back to the prison guard.