Doctor Who fic: Honing An Edge (1/1)

[locker_monster]

Title: Honing An Edge (1/1)
Rating: G
Word Count: 547
Characters: Andred, Leela
Timeline: Post-"The Invasion of Time"
Summary: Andred starts to wonder if weapons training with Leela was such a good idea.
Disclaimer: Doctor Who belongs to the BBC.
A/N: Written for who_contest's "Blade" challenge.

"Again."

His right hand looked like a wizened claw. Andred tried to straighten his curled fingers but just a mere twitch sent a fresh spasm of pain racing along his digits. He bit back a grimace and resisted the urge to cradle his arm to his chest.

Leela watched him with what seemed like zero sympathy as she stood over him, gripping the knife she had neatly disarmed from his now smarting right hand. Andred had no idea his wrist could be twisted at such an extreme angle without breaking any bones.

"I just need a moment." He wasn't winded, but every inch of him ached. The padded mats on the floor cushioned his falls, but it didn't ease the pain entirely. He was more used to training with staser pistols, which usually didn't involve any bodily harm unless a new recruit had terribly bad aim.

Leela suddenly grabbed him around the arm and easily pulled him to his feet. "Your enemies will not give you a moment when you are in the middle of a battle. If you are resting, you are dead. Again."

He was very glad that they were on friendly terms. Andred had no desire to face Leela in true combat. Staring into her intense blue eyes, he saw the fierce determination that Leela's foes likely saw before she sliced them down. "You will just disarm me again," he predicted as he took the knife back from her.

"Yes, and I will continue to disarm you until you learn from your mistakes." Andred swore he saw a hint of a smile from Leela just then. "A warrior does not gain experience simply from observing."

"Perhaps that's the problem." Andred turned away from Leela, ready to take up his starting position at the other side of the mats. "I'm not a warrior."

Leela grabbed him by his wrist, but it wasn't the opening for a grappling move that would leave him flat on his back. She pulled him to a stop and turned him back so they were face to face. "Are all Time Lords this foolish? You rallied you fellow guards when you thought the Doctor was a traitor and you helped to stop the Sontaran invasion."

"And I was shot by a Sontaran for my troubles. I know I asked you to train me, but I'm still just a guard at the end of the day."

"Do you think mastering this makes you a warrior?" Leela lifted his hand, bringing the knife to eye level. "It is a tool, just like your staser. You are the weapon."

Not for the first time, Andred was amazed by Leela's bold nature. She held nothing back, and that was something quite refreshing within the stuffy confines of the Citadel. "So you're saying I'm not completely useless."

Leela smiled at him but this time it lacked the teasing quality he had glimpsed earlier. "If I thought you were useless, I would not have stayed." She let go of his wrist before gently nudging him in the chest. "Now attack me again before I lose my patience."

Andred didn't have to be told twice. A truly angry Leela would be unbeatable. He readjusted his grip on the knife and headed to the far end of the mats.

Comments

[shivver13.livejournal.com]

Very nice! I have to admit, the prompt made me think of Leela immediately - I just couldn't think of what to write. You have Leela's voice down so well, I can just hear Louise Jameson speaking her lines. I also like the hint of their closeness at the end there. I've always thought that to an outsider, Leela and Andred would seem like a terrible match, but they have an unspoken understanding and attraction.

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I admit I was re-watching "The Invisible Enemy" while writing this, so that probably helped with getting Leela's voice right.

I've always thought that to an outsider, Leela and Andred would seem like a terrible match, but they have an unspoken understanding and attraction.

That's pretty much my opinion, too. I was never able to believe that Leela would leave the Doctor just because she met a nice guy. So it took me forever to write this because I wanted to find the right balance between them. It made sense in my head that Andred would like Leela because she's so different and maybe the same rings true for Leela as well.

[roseglade.livejournal.com]

Oh, great job with Leela! I love her so much. :D

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Leela is pretty awesome. I really should write for her more often.

[matimae03.livejournal.com]

You did Leela perfect! This was such a great story, well done!

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

Aw, thanks. This is actually my first time writing for Leela. I didn't want her to just shout at Andred, so it took me forever to figure out the right balance.

[paynesgrey.livejournal.com]

Love this. I always enjoyed any series I've seen with Leela. Very enjoyable scene and exchange. Well done!

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I always feel like I don't write enough Classic Who stuff, so writing something for Leela was a nice change of pace.

[dancingdragon3.livejournal.com]

Great job with Leela. I feel like I know her now, where I've only seen, like one of her episodes.

"Do you think mastering this makes you a warrior?" Leela lifted his hand, bringing the knife to eye level. "It is a tool, just like your staser. You are the weapon."

I love that :-)

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

Thank you! The way I see Leela, she's this fierce warrior, but that's not the only side to her. I tried my hardest not to have her just berating Andred.