A/N I just have a question for you all, is the lenght of each chapter okay? They're pretty short for my standard, but I'm experimenting with shorter chapters and so far I like it, but it's up to you guys of course :)

Brittle Bones

~Chapter 2~
a Mystery Found

As the people they had overheard talking had said, the market was indeed a sight to behold. It seemed there were stands for everything; various food, crops, meat, cloth, clothing in a whole, weapons, shields, spices and indeed also jewellery. Martha and Avery immediately moved over to the first stand they saw and began looking through what the woman had to sell, while the Doctor stood behind them with his hands in his pockets and a sour look on his face.

For at least an hour, the Doctor followed Avery and Martha as they moved around from stand to stand. Avery could see on his face that he was about to begin complaining, when suddenly something interesting happened.

"Now, is that not the most beautiful thing I have seen all day?" Martha and Avery turned to look at the man who had said that. The two had been holding a piece of jewellery in their hands, inspecting it carefully to understand how the man had managed to create that with his bare hands, and so they had thought the man had been talking about the jewellery in their hands.

"I know right," said Martha with a smile, gesturing towards the diamond in the middle, "I doubt that's real though."

Martha and Avery earned a sour look from the man selling the jewellery, and Avery bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"Oh, indeed, the necklace is pretty. But the woman holding it in her hands, is ever much more beautiful than it."

Martha almost snorted at the sudden poetry directed towards her, while Avery nudged her in the ribs with a smirk playing on her lips.

"Well, that's, uh, very kind of you, sir," replied Martha awkwardly.

"Call me doctor Estling," introduced the man, grabbing Martha's free hand and kissing her knuckles.

"Doctor, aye? Our friend here is also a doctor," said Avery, grabbing the Doctor's sleeve and pulling him forwards so he was standing in between the two women. He rolled his eyes but still acted kindly towards the man.

"How'd you do," greeted the Doctor.

"I didn't know they had called in an extra doctor! How rude."

"This seems to be a big village. Are you really the only doctor here?"

"Why, yes I am. Though lately the profession of a doctor has not been much needed. More so the profession of a coroner, unfortunately."

"Why?" asked the Doctor, his interest finally poked to the point where he actually joined into the conversation.

"Very new to town then, aye? They didn't even let you know why they were calling you in?"

"Oh, yeah, they uh, were very rude indeed," lied the Doctor. "Just shuffled me into a carriage and made me come here. No explanation. So… why?"

"There's been murders committed here… terrible murders. Unbelievable a man could do something as such." Doctor Estling nearly visibly shivered, though stayed professional. "Haven't found a single clue hinting at who is the murderer either. In all honesty, there isn't much to look at when it comes to the bodies. Not much left."

"That's awful," commented Martha.

"Aye, how rude of me. I should not be talking about something like this in the presence of ladies – "

By this point, Avery's focus was diverted from the conversation at hand towards someone bumping into her. She let out an "oomph", her shoulder accidentally hitting the Doctor who barely took notice of it, before she turned around to take a look at who had bumped into her. Her hand reached down to her bag, her watch, automatically as this happened.

A man wearing ragged clothes and a strange odour of beer coming off of him stood there, staring at the woman he had just walked straight into. Avery was about to comment on his rudeness, when he suddenly grabbed her shoulders, leaning in close to her face, "Leave. Leave this town!"

People all around her had turned their attention towards them by now, and Avery shrunk slightly at the awkwardness.

"It's cursed! THE DEAD WALK! THE DEAD WALK!"

Hands pried the man's hands away from her shoulders. The Doctor and doctor Estling had pushed the man backwards away from Avery, while Martha grabbed onto Avery's arm in protection.

"Sam, my lad! Calm down!" pressed doctor Estling. Almost immediately, the ragged man pried his arms away from them and turned to leave. He was still muttering the words he had screamed just then.

"What was that all about?" asked Avery as the atmosphere around them returned to normal, people continuing to shop and talk.

"Sam worked at the cemetery. Came in a few weeks ago with a head injury. Ever since then he's been a bit… strange in the head," explained doctor Estling. "Says the dead hit him and forced themselves onto him, wanting something from him. But it's all just rambles from a lost, poor soul. The priest had to let him go eventually and now he has no home anymore after he couldn't pay his rent."

"That's so sad," commented Martha.

"Indeed it is," sighed doctor Estling. "Now, if you don't mind, I must bid adieu. Sun's going down and I have work left to do. I guess we will see each other soon as we will be working together."

"Hmm? Oh, right, yes," said the Doctor, quickly shaking the man's hand before they watched him disappear into the crowd.

"Ma'am, are you going to buy that?"

Martha quickly gave the man his necklace back before she turned towards the Doctor and Avery. She was about to ask something when the Doctor placed a hand on Avery's shoulder, his eyes moving up and down her body, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," breathed Avery. "I'll be fine. I guess you've found your adventure."

The Doctor grinned, earning a chuckle from Avery and Martha, "Indeed I have! Now – oh, what's that?"

The two women watched as the Doctor pushed past them, his eyes set on something particular; namely a police officer standing by an alley as though he was guarding something. Martha and Avery shared a glance before they quickly hurried after the Doctor.

Murders and possible walking dead?

Just a typical day with the Doctor.