Tales of Time and Travel (LGBT)

TimeLabs - Day 3

Alnwick, Northumberland, England 1174

Day Three began with an English breakfast of fried eggs and bacon to get everyone in the right mood as they waited for dawn to break. The time machine was parked on Alnwick Castle roof, behind a turret.

"The fog should be starting to lift now," Marcella informed them. "Let's go outside now and get a good spot."

Sam and Zak followed, shivering a little in the cold air despite the suits.

"Ranulf de Glanvill and his four hundred mounted knights should arrive any minute," continued Marcella. "Keep your eye on the large tent over there. William of Scotland is inside."

Sam and Zak had soon found out that this William was not the William Wallace of Braveheart fame, but they were still looking forward to witnessing a real live medieval battle.

They heard them before they saw them. Hundreds of powerful war horses galloping across the fields. They heard cries of alarm from the tents below and William dashed out, still pulling on his armour and calling for his horse. Accompanied by only sixty men, he rode full pelt towards the English knights. The dawn light flashed on swords and shields, and sounds of horses snorting, men shouting, and pounding hooves filled the air. Sam sucked in his breath‒William was brave enough but foolhardy; sixty against four hundred was only going to end one way.

Arrows flew through the air, some going wild as men were jostled and Sam and Zak found themselves ducking instinctively. Sam flinched as he heard more than one arrow clatter on the roof behind him. He stood up again just in time to see several arrows strike William's horse, spurting blood. The animal collapsed under the Scottish king and in a matter of moments William was over run and captured. The next few minutes were full of confusion as men continued to fight before they heard the call to surrender.

It wasn't until Sam turned to say something to Marcella that he realised disaster had struck. Instead of standing behind him, she lay crumpled on the roof, an arrow sticking through her shoulder.

"Zak! Marcella's been hit!" Sam bent down urgently to check her pulse.

"That's impossible!" protested Zak. "This battle has been happening exactly the same way for years. How could this happen?"

"I don't know," murmured Sam, "but it has. At least she is still breathing. We must get her inside the time machine, there's bound to be a medical kit there."

Zak bent down to help and between them they carried Marcella silently into the time machine. Neither of them said aloud what was uppermost in their minds. If Marcella failed to regain consciousness‒or died‒how would they get back to 2155?