"New Trends and Old Tricks" (Rose)
When I first met Merlin and began to adventure at his side, the idea of sneaking about in the dark of night was something to adjust to. After a while, it was both a fear and a thrill. In my heart of hearts, I never, ever desire to become acquainted with this new trend.
Once again, we are out on the streets of the lower town in broad daylight, pressing ourselves against the walls of temporarily empty homes. Most every villager was either in the market (whether buying or selling), or in their fields, tending to crops and livestock. Despite this advantage of not being spotted through windows, there was a higher rate of activity beyond the protection of the cramped spaces between cottages.
As we near the castle, we hear the crowd thickening. Now is the time that we must dash from our cover to the woods around the courtyard walls.
Now it's back to old tricks of getting by unnoticed. Merlin looks around the corner of the bookshelf and uses magic to cause a candle ornament to fall and crash onto a glass dish, and unfortunately, topple onto Geoffrey's foot.
"Ouch!" he cries, bending down as Merlin's lips crack into a smile.
I lightly smack him on the back for making light, feeling mostly sorry for the old man because of his pain and partially because I want to laugh, too.
We quickly run to the revolving bookcase. I stay outside and keep watch in case the noise attracts the injured Geoffrey's hearing as Merlin bolts inside and grabs the goblin's former home.
The bookcase spins again within the next minute, and Merlin pops out, holding in his hands what will hopefully be the goblin's final resting place.
Most of the conjured distractions already behind us, our path out was much simpler than the one in. Charging back up the stairs and dashing all the way back to the physician's quarters, we are relieved to find Guinevere present and ready.
Merlin raises the box in triumph as Gwen observes, shaking her head with a grin, "I don't know how you always manage to find the solutions so swiftly, Merlin."
Politely smiling in response, Merlin chooses the wiser path of not commenting on the matter. I can't help but feel like it's mostly because for a good amount of the chaos around here, he seems to be pushed into the position of being part of the problem himself. My heart sinks at the thought because I see him as so much more than that. It's almost as if the world gives him too much responsibility and then scorns him, should he ever falter under its weight.
"Now we need to get clever," Merlin redirects us. "There's a potion that needs brewing … and then, of course, we need the antidote. Rose, you're better at these things than I am," he says, turning to me.
"I'm sorry, Merlin," I cast my glance to the floor. "I don't think I could mix the poison, knowing what it was for - not with a sound mind or steady hand."
"I understand," he nods. "I'll give it a go then. Can't be too complicated," he laughs lightly. "Right?" he questions, his entire expression shifting to one of nervousness.
"It will be alright," I reassure him. I walk over to one of Gaius's books of potions and poisons and pull it off the shelf. Flipping through the pages, I find the one I think fit for the job that we have the supplies for. "Let's use this one," I say, handing the open book over to Merlin. "I'll assemble the antidote."
"I can wait on hand to administer it!" Gwen volunteers.
"And Rose and I saw where the goblin's been hiding its gold," Merlin adds. "Once the poison is done, I can douse the gold. When Gaius licks it, he'll be affected immediately."
"Wait, I'm sorry- licks it?" Gwen asks in disgust.
"Unfortunately," I answer.
The moments fly by as Merlin and I bend over our brews with sweating brows. I finish the antidote quicker than I anticipated, but Merlin is still struggling a little with the poison.
"Hurry up!" Gwen pressures, knowing that the goblin will walk through the door at any minute now.
"I'm doing my best!" Merlin defends his pace. "Gaius normally deals with anything to do with poisons."
"Here," I step closer. "Let me," I extend a shaking hand to grab the next ingredient as Merlin picks up the recipe and reads over the next step. "It should be complete now," I say soberly.
He swiftly pours the mix all over the gold in the chest. Cleaning up his mess, he explains to Gwen what she must do. "As soon as the goblin is out of Gaius, you must give him the antidote," he holds the solution up. "We only have a few seconds or Gaius will," he tilts his head and states the obvious, "Die."
I see the color drain from Gwen's face as she turns back to keep watch. "We won't let that happen," I say to them both.
"He's coming!" she warns.
Merlin shuts the lid to the chest and hands Gwen the antidote as we pass him and hide in our room in the back.
"I know this is your least favorite statement today, but do hurry," I tell him as he runs over to the open barrel, puts the chest away in its place and recovers it.
He dashes through the door way and we shut it. Now all we must do is wait.
And peek- always peek.
"Out of Time" (Merlin)
The goblin teeters into the room, and sniffs a little pouch- full of gold, no doubt. He sets the sack down and heads straight for the chest.
He sets it on the table, puts the small bag in, and, just as we'd hoped, pulls out a handful of coins and promptly begins licking them.
"Ew," Rose mumbles softly, making a face portraying her disgust. "If I wasn't so worried, I wouldn't watch."
"Ugh, that's disgusting," Gwen comments in agreement.
Seeming pleased with his taste sensations, he throws them back into the chest and closes it.
That's when we see the effects of the poison set it.
His eyes grow wide and he begins to stumble around the room. His expression speaks his confusion.
Once I know it's set in long enough, we reveal ourselves.
"You've poisoned me," it says, sounding nearly shocked. "You poisoned Gaius."
Guilt strikes at my heart, but I remind myself there was no other way, and that we have the antidote. "Leave his body while you still can," I demand.
It didn't take much convincing. Gaius's face contorts and a tiny glowing orb makes its appearance as Rose runs over to Gaius as he falls forward. She falls with him, softening the blow, but hurting herself.
As I am distracted by her small cry, the thing flits by me. "Give him the antidote!"
The goblin charges at Gwen, sending her tumbling into the table of potions, knocking them all to the ground. Some break, and we can only hope the antidote wasn't one of them.
"Stay with him," I yell to Rose as I swing the lead-lined box at the flying creature.
Apparently now sick of flitting about, the goblin takes on his more physical form. He spits and wipes his mouth atop another table.
"Back in the box," I command him, ready to pounce.
"You'll have to catch me first," it teases menacingly before jumping over my right shoulder.
I turn myself around, determined to ensnare this pest. I release the box, following after it into the sacks of supplies Gaius has piled in part of his front room. It scurries in between them. I bend down and start to pull them aside, searching for the goblin, which then pops back out in its all its pixie glory, flying right into my mouth.
"Quick, Merlin!" Rose shouts. "Spit it out and into the box!"
Right away, it tries to force itself out of me. Being careful to keep it where it was, I bound over the fallen furniture and launch myself over to the box, spewing the goblin into its dark center, and slamming the lid shut for good.
As I seal it in, I hear from inside. "Oh, let me out. I promise I won't do it again." And at the same time, "Gwen, please! He's fading fast!"
"I don't know which one's the antidote," Gwen says helplessly.
I scramble over to her, feeling myself shake. We're running out of time.