Chapter Ten

Historically, in Europe, knighthood was conferred upon mounted warriors and knighthood was considered a class of lower nobility. The rank became associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior.

They were the elite special forces of the medieval period, and Arthur's knights were the best of the best. Primarily they were horsemen, with almost mystical relationships with their horses. They could ride without need of saddle or rein, controlling their horse with commands from their legs and feet whilst using a longbow.

They were proficient in bladed weapons such as dagger, throwing knife, short sword, long sword and broad sword. They could use blunt weapons, battle axe, club, mace, morning star and quarterstaff.

They used polearm weapons on horseback such as lance, halberd and pike. In fact it was said they could use a chair or a tree branch and gain victory. They would face one opponent or ten and fight with the same stoic courage.

Dinadan, who was known more for his sense of humour than his desire to fight, was once ambushed by three Saxon raiders. It is said that he lowered his head and gave his sympathy for their families' loss. When they pointed out that he was outnumbered 3 to 1, he apologised again for being in a hurry and not having time for them to go and get reinforcements. After the fight he respectfully laid out their bodies, placing their swords along their bodies, arms folded and their shields on their chests.

They were hard, hard as nails. And yet they were also refined and cultured, enjoying the arts and culture. An iron fist in a velvet glove.

They had made a temporary camp at the foot of the hill, using a fallen tree as a bench seat. They sat on alternate sides of the tree so that they could talk and still see in all directions, preventing the risk of ambush. They were eating bread, cheese and fruit as they waited for the Doctor, Rose and Lancelot to return. Inactivity, while waiting for comrades to return from potential danger did not sit well with them, but they did it with professional calm.

The dogs howled and the horses whinnied as they heard the rumbling first. Arthur and his knights leapt to their feet in an instant with swords drawn as they felt the ground tremble.

They heard the 'BOOM' and 'WHOOSH' of the percussion wave from an explosion and saw the fireball rise into the sky through the trees above the hill.

"What in Gods name?" Arthur uttered.

They started to run up the hill and then stopped when they saw three figures crest the hill and come stumbling towards them as fast as their legs could carry them.


On top of the hill, the Doctor and Rose fell onto grass in the forest undergrowth with Lance on top of them. They heard the 'BOOM' and 'WHOOSH' from the methane explosion and felt the heat from the huge fireball as it rose into the air in front of them.

"What?" is all the Doctor could manage to say.

Lance got to his feet and closed the cover on his wrist bracer.

"Teleport," he said in explanation as he helped Rose to her feet. "I'm glad you didn't disable that function," he said looking at the Doctor.

"So am I", he replied.

Rose smiled remembering Captain Jack. "Ah, like Jack used in that hospital when we were trapped by the gasmask people," she said to the Doctor.

"I can't wait to hear that story," Lance said with a smile.

"Maybe at the next banquet," the Doctor suggested. "Right now though we've got to get back to Camelot as fast as we can." He took Rose's hand and they ran across the hilltop and down the slope on the other side.

They saw Arthur and his knights coming up the hill.

"MOUNT UP!" the Doctor shouted. "WE NEED TO RIDE FOR CAMELOT!"

Arthur and his knights climbed quickly onto their horses. The Doctor ran to White Cloud.

{Can you travel as fast carrying two as you can carrying one?}

{Have no fear Doctor, I will keep up}

He leapt onto White Cloud and held his hand out for Rose.

"We have to ride fast Rose, come up here with me," he told her. She grabbed his wrist and was pulled up behind him.

"Hold on tight!" She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her body against him. 'At last' she thought to herself with a wicked grin. The Doctor was very aware of the inside of her thighs pressing against his bum. Her flat stomach against the small of his back. Her firm breasts against his shoulder blades. Her arms around him, hands on his stomach.

{Morning Dew, ride like the wind for Camelot} he told Rose's horse and they all set off at a gallop back towards the City of Legions.

"He'll probably wait for nightfall before attacking Camelot!" the Doctor shouted across to Arthur as they galloped side by side. "Hopefully we'll have a bit of time to get people to safety."

"Why is he attacking now?" Arthur shouted back.

"Because he knows he can, he's decided to set up home here. I thought I could offer to call his folks and get him a ride home. I hadn't considered the fact that if he went home he would be humiliated and face a court marshal."

"How are we goin' to stop 'im?" Rose shouted from behind.

"Don't know! I'll have to try and distract him, piss him off so that he'll concentrate on me," the Doctor replied.

"That should be easy for you with your motor-mouth," she grinned. "You're good at pissin' people off."

"Rose Tyler!" he exclaimed indignantly. She gave him an affectionate squeeze, burying her head into his back.


"GUARDS!" Arthur called as they galloped through the barbican. "Run into the city and warn people to get into stone buildings. All wooden and thatched buildings are not safe tonight."

He saw his squire run through the keep entrance. "Edmund, summon all my knights and the guards, we are at war!" Edmunds eyes went wide with disbelief.

"Yes sire, immediately."

The Doctor slid out of the saddle and lifted Rose down off the horse so that he was carrying her. She had her arms around his neck.

"Hello," she grinned at him.

"Hello," he replied, grinning right back at her.

"Er... Doctor."

"Yeah?"

"There's nothing wrong with my legs!"

"I'll say!" The Doctor suddenly realised what he was doing and what he had just said. He dropped her onto her feet and ran his hand through his hair, looking very embarrassed. She slowly smoothed his lapels and looked up at him.

"Thank you," she smiled. He cleared his throat and started looking around.

"Arthur!" the Doctor called out. "We need to get to the roof of the Great Hall and I need two swords."

"Guard!" Arthur grabbed a passing guard. "Take the Doctor and Rose to the roof, then have two swords sent up from the armoury. Keep them safe."

"Yes sire." The Doctor and Rose ran after him through the double doors. When they reached the first floor, the inkling of a plan started to form in the Doctor's mind.

"We need to make a slight detour, I need some armour," he announced as he headed for the bedroom where the TARDIS was 'parked'.

When Rose caught up with him and ran into the TARDIS, he was stuffing a backpack with various bits and pieces. He had the orange Krop Tor spacesuit nearby.

"Is that your idea of armour?" she asked him with concern. She was sure he was going to get himself killed.

"Against a Craigon it's ideal. This suit is designed to operate at temperatures from −216 °C to +216 °C, keeping the wearer at a comfortable 37 °C." He stood and ran out of the console room.

Clattering and clanking noises came filtering through the room and he reappeared with two, what can only be described as cannons, hanging on straps from his shoulder.

"Here, take these. You and Lance might find them useful," he told her as he put the backpack over his shoulder, picked up the suit and helmet and headed down the ramp.

"I didn't think you 'did' guns" Rose said following him outside.

"Look carefully, you've seen something like them before."

Rose examined one of the guns and then remembered where she's seen one before. She and Mickey had carried them on the space station that had tried to take the brain of Madame de Pompadour.

"It's a fire extinguisher!" she exclaimed. "That's brilliant!"

When they ran out onto the roof the light was dimming fast. Rose looked over the castellations at the surrounding terrain. To the west was the river Dee curving around the city to the south. She saw the bridge they had used earlier to enter and leave the city. Facing east she could see the main street running from the south gate all the way up to the north, past the large stone built church which would eventually become Chester cathedral.

She could see people in the city being helped to safety by the guards. People in the north of the city were being led to the church, while people in the south were brought into the castle.

The roof door opened and they turned to see a trumpeter step onto the roof.

"The King has asked that I sound the alarm when you see the dragon," he told them. He looked terrified.

"Good idea. The King must think very highly of you to give you such an important task," the Doctor said. "What's your name?"

"John sir," he replied.

"I'm the Doctor, this is Rose. Once you've sounded the alarm I want you to run downstairs and stay out of trouble." He waggled his eyebrows in Rose's direction.

Rose smiled at the Doctor. Even in a dire situation he still had time for the ordinary man in the street.

The Doctor took his folding binoculars out of the backpack and engaged the night vision in the dim light. Everyone waited anxiously for the Craigon to appear as the minutes ticked by.

"John," the Doctor said quietly.

"Yes Doctor."

"Time to play a tune." He folded up his binoculars and put them back in the backpack. John took a deep breath and sounded the alarm.

The Doctor started pulling on the spacesuit, Rose helping him wriggle in and fasten him up. She stood in front of him, holding the helmet, looking into his eyes. She had a feeling of Déjà vu and suddenly was very scared.

"Hey, what's up?" he asked her when he saw her expression change.

"I was just rememberin' the last time I saw you in this suit. I thought I'd never see you again, and here we are again, the same suit, the same possibility."

"Come here." He pulled her into a tight hug. "It's going to be fine."

"So, what's the plan?" she asked him as they finished the hug.

"Welllll... It's sort of... fluid at the moment. It all depends on how Khysssh Shhrysshk reacts when I challenge him to combat."

"What? Like you did on the Sycorax ship?" Rose was incredulous.

He waggled his eyebrows. "It worked though didn't it?" He started to put on the helmet.

"Only after you lost yer hand!" Rose reminded him

"If I'm right, and I usually am, it won't come to that." His voice was muffled inside the helmet. The suit powered up with a hiss as the internal environment stabilised and the helmet illuminated his face. When he spoke again the suit comm-link enhanced his voice.

"I'm going to try and get him inside, hopefully into the dungeon where we can contain him. Out here he's unbeatable, but in confined spaces the odds are more even."

Rose grabbed the helmet and, just as she did on Krop Tor, she kissed the face plate and smiled at him.

"If you see someone with a barbecue, I'll have a hotdog and a burger," she said with a grin. The Doctor grinned back at her and then nodded for her to get off the roof. She picked up the two fire extinguishers and headed for the door.

She got to the door and stopped with her hand on the handle, looking back at the lone orange sentinel. A vanguard knight, standing in defiance, on behalf of all mankind.