first_in_time | Knights in Shining Armour [for Splendid

In the TARDIS wardrobe Barbara was squeezing herself into appropriate clothing with the help of Susan. The whirling of the engines had stopped a short while ago and one quick glance at the scanners determined that they were in an era which required suitable clothing. Barbara had bustled everyone into the wardrobe room and assisted in their outfit decisions.

"I still don't understand why I have to be a boy," Susan commented once Barbara was laced up and covered with yet another layer of cloth. "I'd quite like to wear a pretty dress and a corset."

"Trust me, Susan, I'd be a boy too if I could get away with it." Barbara placed a cloth over her head and secured it down with a band of twined, neutral colours. Susan admired her in the mirror.

"But with Ian and Grandfather around, we'd be alright."

Barbara tried not to look doubtful and managed well enough. "Yes, I know. Come on, they're waiting for us."

Arm in arm, the female companions of the TARDIS team walked elegantly from the wardrobe and into the control room where the Doctor and Ian were meant to be waiting for them. The doors were wide open, however, indicating that they'd already left.

"We'd best go and find them," Barbara sighed and stepped out into a pleasant, English summer day in the early fifteenth century.

Colourful tents and crests spread out before them, and a wide array of people went about their business. Some in armour, some in finery and others dressed in every day clothes. There were squires, ladies, rich looking old men, knights and some questionable women. Barbara, however, was keeping her eyes out for more familiar faces, namely those of the Doctor and Ian.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

splendid_roman

"That's tradition, isn't it?" He just hadn't met any yet and he didn't want to end up inadvertently offending anyone - the king especially. "I suppose I can't ask for one from my sister?" he asked hopefully.

From:

first_in_time

"I think it might be frowned upon, since it's considered flirtatious," Barbara grinned and held herself back from telling him that she'd give him a favour if she could. "Maybe don't take a favour unless someone is being particularly obvious about it."

From:

splendid_roman

"Maybe there'll be a woman that's excited to see a handsome new knight from foreign lands and she'll want to give him a favour." He grinned.

From:

first_in_time

"Maybe. And maybe she'll be four feet wide with ghastly warts and straw for hair," Barbara grinned back, "she might even hunt you down afterwards and try to marry you."

From:

splendid_roman

He chuckled. "Then I'll tell her my uncle won't allow me to marry and hope the Doctor agrees with me."

From:

first_in_time

Barbara chuckled, too. "I'm sure that he will. Any more humans on the TARDIS and he might explode."

The alien in question had stopped to wait for them, hands grasping his lapels most importantly. Susan had pulled a piece of folded up paper from her pocked and handed it to a man behind a table.

"...yes, that's right. House Tardis."

"Never heard of it," the man told her in a gruff tone but wrote it down next to Ian's name all the same.

The Doctor coughed as the teachers approached. "I say, you'd best put your helmet on young man and wait with the other knights and Su-ah, Samuel. Barbara and I will wait in the stands."

From:

splendid_roman

"All right. Lead the way, Samuel," Ian said grandly, and Susan giggled, before heading over to the rest of the waiting knights.

The Doctor sighed as he watched them go, then offered Barbara his arm. "I do hope Chesterton doesn't injure himself."

From:

first_in_time

"So do I but I suppose there's little we can do to stop him at this point. Why don't we find somewhere to sit?" Barbara's added and together they found a spot in the stands two rows back from the front.

She could see the king from where she sat, and the empty chair beside him. So there wasn't a queen at that point? Barbara wondered if someone might be betrothed to him at that point but was distracted by the first joust. Each knight walked out to bow at the king before saddling. They went three rounds before someone was knocked off, and the fact that he was alright enough to get up and walk away helped Barbara's spirits a little. The next man, however, was impaled on the competitor's joust, which had splintered and ripped through his neck. Barbara had to close her eyes but she knew she'd hear the screams in her dreams for weeks after.

"Next to compete in the King's Tournament is Sir Ian of Tardis and his opponent Sir Morris of Yester."

From:

splendid_roman

Ian and his opponent approached from opposite ends, Ian looking in the crowds for Barbara and the Doctor. He bowed to the king, then smiled at Barbara as he returned to his horse. Once he was on it he took his shield and lance from Susan, then he was off.

He managed to dodge the lance pointed at him, but was too busy worrying about that to score a blow. Sir Morris laughed at him, proclaiming him to be an amateur. Ian was not going to stand for that and he used the tactics he'd watched on the previous competitors. That, coupled with Sir Morris relaxing because he didn't think he could lose, meant Ian scored a blow and Sir Morris fell of his horse. He rolled over and stood up, unhurt.

From:

first_in_time

Barbara managed to breathe a sigh of relief for the moment, but it did mean that Ian had advanced to the next round.

A few knights were still left to compete before the next round started but it did mean that by the time it was Ian's turn again, Barbara was a little done with the violence. However, she couldn't tear her eyes away once Ian's name had been called again.

His opponent for this round was a huge knight, tipped to win the entire tournament. He was known for brute strength and quick thinking, two traits not often found in the one person. His armour was black, and his shield painted with the dislodged head of a bear, complete with blood and ripped out eyes. He bowed at the king but didn't seem pleased to do it, then growled at Ian.

From:

splendid_roman

Ian smiled at him, hoping to put him off, not that it worked. He was a little worried as their horses galloped towards each other, but Ian got lucky. Someone called out just as they were nearing, which distracted the other knight, making his arm twitch, so his lance missed. Ian was going in for a hit himself, his lance hit the other's, then hit the knight. The other knight fell sideways, but clung on to the reins, slipping further sideways as his horse galloped off. Eventually he fell off.

There was quiet for a moment, everyone amazed at the other knight's loss. But then Ian removed his helmet and pumped his fist in celebration, and the crowd cheered, as he became their new favourite.

From:

first_in_time

The other knight wasn't quite finished. He stomped toward his squire, who was by that time attempting to hide, and snatched his sword. Then charged for Ian.

"Ian, look out!" Barbara screamed.

From:

splendid_roman

Ian looked up to Barbara for a moment, and then to the knight coming towards him. He dropped his lance and put his helmet back on, but didn't have a sword, so all he could do was hold up his shield and tell Susan to stay out of the way.

"I won fair and square," Ian shouted at the other knight, but held his ground, hoping the other knight would decide it wasn't worth it.

From:

first_in_time

The sword came down on the shield and made a thunderous clang. People in the stands began to boo and shout rude comments. The knight screamed profanities at Ian as he lifted his sword for a second blow, aiming for Ian's neck.

The king shouted orders and several guards ran for the beastly knight, knocking him to the ground. They had to immobilise him by stacking themselves on top but at least they'd managed to take the sword away. Eventually.

Barbara and the Doctor were quickly out of the stands and making their way to their companion now that the threat was being managed.

"Ian, are you alright?" Barbara asked, eyes roving his armour for anything obvious.

From:

splendid_roman

"I'm fine," he promised, taking his helmet off and smiling at her. He was a little shaken up, but he wasn't prepared to admit that to her.

"I thought he was going to kill you!" Susan said, unhelpfully.

"I had the crowd on my side," Ian pointed out. "They wouldn't have let him get away with being such a bad loser."

From:

first_in_time

"I knew this jousting business was a bad idea!" the Doctor spluttered angrily but didn't get a chance to say anything more because the king decided to interrupt them.

"Magician!" he called from the stands in such a loud voice that the crowd were silenced. "Is this brave knight with you?"

"eh, y-yes. He is my nephew; Sir Ian of Tardis."

King Henry laughed joyously. "Good. You eat with me this evening!"

From:

splendid_roman

"I hope the Doctor doesn't do anything to get him in trouble," Ian said in a low voice.

"He'll be fine," Susan assured him. "Grandfather's eaten with lots of kings. You have another round." She handed him back his lance.

"Wish me luck," Ian said, putting his helmet back on.

From:

first_in_time

"Good luck," Barbara said and tried her best not to worry as she walked back to the stands with the Doctor. She glanced over her shoulder to where Susan stood with Ian but they seemed alright.

It was another hour before Ian got to joust again. The next knight bowed to the king like all the others and went back to a fine white horse. As he settled in to begin, one of the court ladies handed him a small pink handkerchief which his squire tied to the end of the joust.

From:

splendid_roman

Not to be outdone, another lady came up to Ian and handed him a handkerchief. She was pretty and Ian had a feeling that if he said no it wouldn't go down very well, so he took it from her with a smile and a "thank you", and tied it to the horse's bridle.

When the two knights met, Ian accidentally hit the handkerchief on his opponent's lance and ended up getting it tangled on his hand, so it came off. The knight was not happy, but the king was amused.

From:

first_in_time

The knight snatched it back and glared at Ian from behind his helmet. "I'll thank you for that!" he called out to Ian and trotted to the other end of their jousting space.

"Have at him!" the king roared at both the knights.

From:

splendid_roman

Ian taunted the knight. "Maybe your lady's favour isn't as good as mine." As he hoped, the knight was angry, which meant he came at Ian with aggression, but very little finesse, so it was easy for Ian to get under his guard. Although he hadn't been aiming for his head, that's where Ian's lance hit. The knight tumbled off his horse and lay on the ground unconscious. The horse galloped off, until someone managed to catch it.

From:

first_in_time

The lady whom gave him her favour was crying on the shoulder of another woman nearby. Ian's admirer blew him a kiss. Barbara tried to ignore her jealousy and focus instead on the fact that Ian was alive and well.

"Chesterton should have one more round," the Doctor told Barbara with a pat to her knee.

From:

splendid_roman

Ian returned to Susan, jubilant, to find she was surrounded by girls. Ian expected them to surround him, but when he turned up they melted away. He frowned at Susan. "What was that about?"

"They like me." At Ian's frowned, she added quieter, "As a boy."

"Oh! I hope you're dissuading them." They'd soon discover Susan wasn't a boy.

From:

first_in_time

Susan gave Ian a scathing look which mirrored the Doctor's far too well. "Lets get through the next round. I want to go back to grandfather and see how he's getting on."

From:

splendid_roman

He was glad there was only one more round - his arm was aching from holding the lance, although he wasn't going to admit it. And he was looking forward to seeing what other entertainment there was around here.

The knight he now faced had been even luckier than him, and Ian was getting the hang of jousting, so he beat the other knight easily.

"I'm sweltering in all this armour," he said to Susan when he returned to her. "You'll need to help me take it off."