Doctor Who ficlet: Coeur de Lion | Martha | G
Title: Coeur de Lion
Author: rustydog
Fandom: Doctor Who
Characters: Martha Jones
Rating/warnings: G, spoilers for s3 'Last of the Time Lords'
Words: 300
Notes: Written for Day Twelve of consci_fan_mo and "L" in my alphabet prompt table. First in a little series:
Lions and Tigers and Bears
Most animals had been exterminated by the Toclafane or found their way into starving humans' pots, but Martha still saw cats occasionally. They were good at living in the shadows, something she understood. It was how you survived in this world.
At the moment she was resting in some tall grass near the road, watching a smoke-grey feline shape creep toward a sparrow. Stealth was smart, she knew, but sometimes she wearied of it; it felt cowardly. She longed to walk in the sunlight among a crowd and shout to a friend across the street.
The cat had caught the bird and was slinking into the grass with it. Curious, Martha followed. Eventually she came upon a rusting tractor, but couldn't see the cat anywhere. "Puss!" She whispered. "Hey, cat? Don't be scared, I won't hurt you."
Suddenly there was a rustle, then an enraged hiss, and she realized the cat had appeared from a hollow underneath the tractor. The animal's ears were flat against its head and its fur was puffed, making it look twice as large as its actual skinny frame. Martha crouched, slowly so that the cat wouldn't become more frightened and run away. "It's okay, I'm a friend. I'm just glad you can see m-"
And then she was leaping backwards to escape the explosion of claws and fur that had launched itself at her leg.
Good thing she wore boots, she thought a few seconds later, panting, shin smarting from the boxing she had taken. Now that she was far enough away, the cat was sitting serenely in front of a rusty wheel, licking its paws. And now Martha could hear several small voices mewling from somewhere behind it.
Stealth when possible, courage always. "Good luck, cat," Martha whispered, and headed back toward the road.
Author: rustydog
Fandom: Doctor Who
Characters: Martha Jones
Rating/warnings: G, spoilers for s3 'Last of the Time Lords'
Words: 300
Notes: Written for Day Twelve of consci_fan_mo and "L" in my alphabet prompt table. First in a little series:
Lions and Tigers and Bears
Most animals had been exterminated by the Toclafane or found their way into starving humans' pots, but Martha still saw cats occasionally. They were good at living in the shadows, something she understood. It was how you survived in this world.
At the moment she was resting in some tall grass near the road, watching a smoke-grey feline shape creep toward a sparrow. Stealth was smart, she knew, but sometimes she wearied of it; it felt cowardly. She longed to walk in the sunlight among a crowd and shout to a friend across the street.
The cat had caught the bird and was slinking into the grass with it. Curious, Martha followed. Eventually she came upon a rusting tractor, but couldn't see the cat anywhere. "Puss!" She whispered. "Hey, cat? Don't be scared, I won't hurt you."
Suddenly there was a rustle, then an enraged hiss, and she realized the cat had appeared from a hollow underneath the tractor. The animal's ears were flat against its head and its fur was puffed, making it look twice as large as its actual skinny frame. Martha crouched, slowly so that the cat wouldn't become more frightened and run away. "It's okay, I'm a friend. I'm just glad you can see m-"
And then she was leaping backwards to escape the explosion of claws and fur that had launched itself at her leg.
Good thing she wore boots, she thought a few seconds later, panting, shin smarting from the boxing she had taken. Now that she was far enough away, the cat was sitting serenely in front of a rusty wheel, licking its paws. And now Martha could hear several small voices mewling from somewhere behind it.
Stealth when possible, courage always. "Good luck, cat," Martha whispered, and headed back toward the road.