Lott's satisfaction with his fishing skills quickly turned into surprise when he reeled in his catch. Instead of the mystical or legendary items he hoped for, he found himself staring at a bucket of ordinary fish.
His face set in shock, Lott could hardly believe it. "Ah?" he exclaimed, his voice tinged with disbelief. The sight of the silver carp and bighead carp flopping about on the shore was both unexpected and underwhelming. It was just a bucket of fish.
He muttered to himself, "I went fishing and caught a fish. Well, a whole basket of fish." A red bucket, previously common and inexpensive in his past life, now held these fish. As Lott observed, the fish hopped out of the bucket and onto the shore.
He checked the catch carefully, finding no hidden treasures or mystical artefacts, just plain fish. "Oh, well. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose," he thought with a resigned shrug. Lott decided that the fish would be a nice addition to the kitchen, a pleasant surprise for Morgan, who often complained about his lack of success in fishing.
He placed the fish back into the bucket, noticing that there was still a good amount of water in it. "Perfect, I don't need to find more water for these fish," he noted. He then gathered the bucket, holding it in one hand, and continued to carry Gawain, who was cradled in his other arm.
As he walked back to Camelot, Lott found himself wishing for more hands to manage the load. He admonished Gawain gently, "Be careful with the fish. Don't tease them, or you might get bitten."
Gawain, intrigued by the bucket, looked closely at the water. At Lott's warning, she pulled her head back with a surprised expression. Satisfied that she had heeded his advice, Lott proceeded with his journey.
When they arrived at the city gate, Lott noticed Gawain's unusual behaviour. The baby was attempting to drink the river water, holding it in her tiny hand and sipping it. Alarmed, Lott hurriedly stopped her. "What are you doing?!"
Gawain, puzzled, looked up at her father. Lott, now worried about the amount of water she might have consumed, asked anxiously, "How much did you drink, little one?"
Despite Gawain's confusion, Lott decided it was best to return her to the palace for a check-up. "I'll take you back to the court first," he said, though it was more of an expression of concern than a direct order.
Morgan, returning from her administrative duties, encountered Lott as he approached the castle. She took the fish from the guard and was surprised to see the catch. "Lott, you caught fish!?" she exclaimed.
"Why doubt it? I told you I'd catch something," Lott replied, somewhat defensively.
Morgan, intrigued, asked Lott to show her the fish while she took Gawain from his arms. Lott explained the situation with the river water and Gawain's antics. Morgan relieved that the baby seemed fine, took Gawain for a thorough check-up.
After several hours, it was confirmed that Gawain was healthy. However, Morgan noted with surprise, "Isn't Gawain growing too fast?"
Lott, trying to reassure her, responded, "Must be the good food."
Then, in a teasing tone, he encouraged Gawain to speak. "Come on, say 'Dad'."
To Lott's astonishment, Gawain responded with "Dad" and "Mom" in her babyish voice. Both Lott and Morgan were stunned.
"Is my child a natural wonder?" Morgan wondered aloud.
"Maybe," Lott mused, recalling that exceptional births were sometimes celebrated as miracles, like the legendary Buddha's birth.
Morgan, bewildered but accepting, held Gawain closely and commented on her unusual weight gain. "She feels heavier than before. Could she be growing too quickly?"
Lott hadn't noticed any such change, but Morgan's concern was genuine. "Maybe you're just overthinking it," he suggested.
Morgan, though still puzzled, decided to accept the anomaly. "If she develops early, it will just make things easier for us in the future," she said, shaking her head in resignation.
"Yes," Lott agreed, and they returned to their duties, their minds buzzing with the remarkable development of their daughter.