"Wonder" (Rose)
After bolting about like mad, we had to throw in the towel before our feet fell off. As we enter the chambers, Merlin announces, "With Rose's help, I've searched the entire palace. There's no sign of the goblin any- What happened!?" he changes his tune, taking in the sight around him.
Our home was a total wreck. Glass, scattered papers, books, and anything else Gaius kept in the front room covered the floor. Everything was either misplaced or broken at this point.
"It's that pesky goblin!" Gaius bellows. "You let it escape, and it's ransacked my premises!"
Normally, Gaius does not blame anyone so harshly. He is always direct and ever honest, but never mean spirited. I wonder why he's so worked up over this.
"You've got some cleaning up to do," he says, walking past Merlin as the poor serving boy steps further into the disastrous room.
Once again, his mouth hangs open, taking in all the details. He turns over his shoulder to look at the old man, who only eschews his glance. "Clean," he demands and repeats with more urgency, "Clean!"
"Where are you going?" Merlin asks, still peering at him with utmost confusion.
"I'm going to the tavern," Gaius replies, as if it is the most casual and normal thing in the world. And it might be in some individual's lives. But not ours, and certainly not Gaius's.
For this reason, Merlin retorts, "You never go to the tavern!"
"None of us do," I add, thoroughly perplexed myself.
"Then I shall see what I've been missing," Gaius counters before exiting with a strange spring in his step.
"Lost It" (Merlin)
I can't help but do a double take as he leaves. I know this goblin situation is irritating and potentially dangerous, but for all that we deal with on a daily basis, what with sieges, evil magicians, and such, I cannot believe Gaius is so out of sorts over a two feet tall, green manlike looking thing with a pony tail.
"Has he totally lost it, or is it just me?" I blab.
"I'm actually not sure," Rose answers, concern filling her voice. I look over at her, seeing that her countenance is showing the same worry.
"What is it?" I ask, growing worried myself.
"I don't know," she says, thoughts creasing her brow. "I think we should keep an eye on him."
"Do you think it did something to him?"
"Either that or this is a side to Gaius neither one of us knew existed," she says.
"Between the two of us, I'm pretty certain it would be impossible that he had a side we have never seen," I say, not thinking too much of my statement.
"Exactly," she says with an air of darkness. "And that's what worries me."
"So if it's not another side to him," I ponder. "What else would be the case?"
"Magic of some sort?" she suggests. "I don't know much of goblins. Do they spell cast?
"Not that I know of," I say, thinking on it. "It wouldn't be a bad idea reading up on it though."
"My thoughts are the same," she says, grabbing the book we used to identify the monster and sitting down on the floor with it. Naturally curious, I go to perch next to her, but she stops me. "What do you think you're doing?"
I gaze at her, not sure what to think.
"Clean. Clean!" she imitates Gaius's earlier intonations almost perfectly.
I burst into laughter. But seeing as she is the faster reader, and I am more practiced at manipulating multiple objects, I do as she said.