"Sarah? Are you ok?"
"Yeah, Toby. I'm fine. Um…can you just give me a minute, please?"
Toby looked at his older sister, wondering what was wrong. "It's not the gift, is it? I thought you'd like it…"
He was relieved slightly as Sarah grinned up at him from the floor. "Yes, I do. It's just that…well…it brings back some memories, that's all."
"Ok. Well, I have to walk Merlin anyway." As he turned toward the door, he cast one last glance at his sister. "Girls," he said, as he finally disappeared into the hallway.
Sarah returned her wide eyes to the book; one hand cradling it gently while the other made it's way over the smooth cover. The lettering had faded a little, she realized as she traced the gold words, but it still shone brightly. Cautiously, she opened the book, and after gathering her courage, she flipped through the pages. It still held the same story it had all those years ago. She glanced over the beginning, where the girl was offering her brother to the Goblin King. Captivated once more, she continued reading until her breath caught in her throat.
Her eyes lingered over the description of the Goblin King. The words, however, could never do the man justice. His image filled her mind until it preceded all thought. Once more, she found herself, a young, foolish girl, staring fearfully into those commanding eyes. His smile, his manner, all came flooding back to her as she sat in the cluttered room she called home.
Forcing her shaking hands to move, Sarah turned the pages until another name caught her eyes. Hoggle. Now, there was a face she hadn't seen in awhile. She still kept in contact with her old friends, and talked to them at least once a month. If something was troubling her, she knew that all she had to do was look in her mirror and ask for them.
The urge struck her, and she stood, clutching the book to her chest. She walked over to the door, making sure it was shut before she made her way across the room to her bureau. Even after all these years, it was still in the same place as it had been while she was growing up.
As she sat down in the wooden chair, Sarah wiped the unbidden tears from her eyes. "Hoggle…Hoggle, I need you."
Toby shook the rain from his hair, which happened to cover his face the moment he did so. He impatiently shoved the dripping locks away from his eyes, which were silently pleading with Merlin. "Come on, man! It's pouring out here!" When he received no response from the dog, which happened to be wandering around in search of a tree, Toby growled in frustration. "Will you hurry up all ready? Geez! For an old dog, you sure do take enough time to do your business!"
Finally, Merlin found a piece of shrub to his liking. When he was finished, Toby all but ran back to the house, only slowing down slightly when the elderly dog seemed to have trouble keeping up. Merlin was in good shape though, for his age, so Toby did not have to pull his speed much.
When they reached the house, Toby headed straight for the garage. He turned on the small heater they kept in there for Merlin, then unleashed the dog and headed for the house.
"Sarah? Hey, are you almost done up there? I wanna show you the new computer game I got!" After entering the house, Toby wandered up the stairs. Why wasn't Sarah answering him? Well, he figured, maybe she just didn't hear me. He went into the bathroom to grab a towel, and began to dry some of the rainwater off. That task accomplished, he went to Sarah's room.
Huh, I wonder why she shut her door? Deciding not to risk walking in on his sister while changing, Toby opted for the usual approach; eavesdrop until he knew it was safe.
"Sarah," a deep, gravely voice said, "if ye still care about 'im, let 'im know. Call 'im, already."
"I can't, Hoggle, what if he-"
Toby pulled his ear from the door. Hoggle? Who was Hoggle, and why was he in his sister's room? The boy bent to listen again, but the conversation had faded to a whisper. He leaned in closer, but as he did, Toby lost his balance. Arms flailing, he fell through the door, and landed with a thud on Sarah's floor.
For a moment, no one spoke. Toby looked up to find a monster sitting beside Sarah on her bed, and leaped to his feet, a scream dying on his lips. Sarah, meanwhile, jumped to her feet as well, and ran over to her brother.
"Toby, how dare you-!"
"Sarah, what is that-?"
Hoggle, meanwhile, watched the siblings in amusement. Despite their physical differences, the two looked remarkably alike as they stared at each other. The dwarf found that he could not contain himself, and began chuckling softly at the sight.
Sarah managed to overcome her shock, and pointed at her friend. "You, be quiet. And you," she twisted to glare at her younger brother, "should not be spying on me! What did you think you were doing, Toby?"
The young teen's eyes were glued on the laughing figure that Sarah had been talking to. "I didn't mean to…I heard voices, and I got curious, and…and…"
"And?"
"And what is that?"
Forgetting her anger for a moment, Sarah took at her brother's expression. Suddenly, she too found herself laughing. "Oh Toby, I think we need to talk." She placed a hand on her brother's back, guiding the stunned boy from the room. When he was out the door, she called to her friend over her shoulder. "Hoggle, thanks for coming, but I need to explain a few things to my brother. I'll call you later?"
"Sure Sarah. I'll tell everyone ye said hello." The dwarf was still chuckling as he slowly faded from the room.