"Did it even briefly occur to you to dodge?" Merlin demanded in a high-pitched voice, flailing a little with his free hand; despite the emphatic gesturing his touch was still steady and gentle as he wrapped the bandages around Arthur's ribs. Arthur rolled his eyes; he could have gotten out of the way, but Merlin's thick head had been right in the path of the creature's striking tail.

"Did it occur to you to be anywhere other than the courtyard we were setting up an ambush in?" Arthur asked, though at this point it was in the same tone - lacking much hope - as these questions always were.