Author:
weatherfeatherTitle: Mad Dash (part 2)
Rating: PG
Pairing/s: none
Character/s: Merlin, Gaius
Summary: Merlin makes a plan.
Warnings: none
Word Count: 368
Prompt: #466 Bingo: in public
Author's Notes: Should I put canon-atypical magic here under notes or under warnings? XD
What do I do? Merlin thinks to himself. He looks at all the injured knights who have been fighting, the castle servants who have been helping wherever they can, and the frightened townspeople who came to the castle for safety. They're rushing from the room as fast as their injuries will allow. Leon, unburdened of his unconscious charge, is coming back in from the hallway beyond the inner door. Gwen is supporting on her shoulders two men who can't walk on their own, and the three of them are limping their way farther into the castle. Gaius is simultaneously guiding the people and gathering what supplies he can carry.
Merlin blinks. His magic surges in his chest.
Gwaine lets go of Merlin's arm and crosses in front of Merlin to go speak to Leon.
In the moment when Merlin is hidden behind Gwaine, he slows time.
The frantic bustling around the room turns into a snail's-pace dash lit by too-slowly flickering candles. All of the knights, servants, and townspeople have slowed down. All except one.
Merlin thanks the Triple Goddess that only one of the beasts has managed to get past their defenses outside.
He lets his magic flow beyond his body so he can sense the magical taste of the beast. Once he has it, he lets time resume its normal pace. Now he can find the beast again without relying on his eyes, and he still has the element of surprise: the beast didn't notice him.
Gwaine moves over to Leon as he had started to do, and Merlin heads for Gaius.
Merlin catches Gaius by the shoulder while Gaius is facing away from him. He whispers, "Gaius, one of them is in here with us."
"In he-"
Merlin cuts him off before he can exclaim and draw attention to them. "I'm going to try to get it on its own. It's a being of magic - I've sensed it. I'm sure I can find a way to stop it."
"The castle is flooded with people running about," Gaius whispers back. He drops his voice even further, but his disapproving eyebrow climbs his forehead all the same. "You cannot use your magic in public like that!"