Step Right Up

[Tale Weaver]

Esile was in her preforming element. The vixen's slanted eyes gleamed through the half light of the soothsayer's tent as she she waved her paws in front of a pair of dormice. She had brought her traveling troupe to the dormouse encampment the evening before. Their leaders had agreed to allow Esile to bring her troupe of side show performers and healers through the encampment, providing they carried no weapons. The vixen had agreed to the terms. This stop would mean payment and that was enough. The dormouse crowd were not of much use for anything else.

"I see a bowl..." The dormice leaned forward as Esile continued in a sing song voice. "A bowl full of wheat and sweet herbs." The dormice looked at each other while smiles spread over their features.

"You hear that my dear?" Said the male mouse.

"Aye, the harvest will be good this year." The female replied.

Esile grinned inside herself as they conversed. All she had to do was ay the right words and the reward would be a full belly and more loot for her collection. "Yes, the harvest will be good, provided you leave an offering for the rain spirits." She fixed them with her gaze while waiting for her assistant the push the collection bowl to the center of the table.

Once they had put their offering in the bowl Esile turned to March.

"Please show our guests out and bring the next customer in."

The vixen sat back. She would take the assistant role with whoever came in next. It was easier to preform if she took turns with March.

All around the soothsayers tent other of her troupe were preforming their duties. Some put on performances, others had tents similar to her own offering a variety of help from medical to magical. If all went well she would move on from the dormouse encampment with a rich reward. It was required that all payment be turned into Esile at the end of a show. If her troupe was lucky, they might end up with a few coins of their own.

[Faiyloe]

***
March, also known as Hawthorn, pushed the bowl towards the two voles as they put there offering in. She had broken her selfish self serving tendency years ago but the influences of the troupe had brought them back to the surface. She no longer had a problem with a little lie to get her bread.  She admired there leader who had made it clear to her threw her example and words that there was nothing wrong in it. No one died and no one got hurt. Work was work.

At the moment the rabbit was not wearing her usual attire and had donned a more appropriate garb. It was not that different from before with only a few changes. She still wore the same Maroon purple long sleeved shirt and cherry wood colored under bust corset but instead of her green tunic she had a blue short sleeved dress under the corset with a flowing loose skirt and sleeves.

She lead the two to the exit and pushing back the flap she let them pass before waving in the next costumer, A pretty young vole maid. March'es stance changed to an air of mystique and a confidant sway came into her walk her skirt swishing against her leg and boot then against the table before she sat down in the place where Esile had sat before. She was not as good at this as the fox but none could match Esile in that.

Without looking up at the vole who stood just inside the entrance she spoke "Would ye sit, please," she said waving to the seat across the table from her. The vole sat down and looked intently at her. March finally met her gaze with a look of someone who has many secrets. After a short show of mystery in which she called upon the spirits and gave them a small offering which she had been taken from the last couples offering She laps into a trance. Her body swayed where she sat and her eyes stared at something that was not there.  She then spoke "I see a wreath... a wreath of flowers and a bouquet,"  The voles face brightened, 'Me, married? really!" She said already day dreaming about who it would be. "Yes, the ancestral spirits will watch o'er you and see that yer life is a happy one but first you must leave them an offering,"

The Vole placed her offering in the bowl with exceptional willingness before being lead out. Once she had left March relaxed. She could act and play a part but to her it was just another thing that had to be done. She found little joy in it, she did not dislike it either but she was one of order and rules and the way of things so she did it just the same and she did it well, going threw the motions like she always did. She preferred the place of assistant or healer or cook, swords beast, even acting in a skit but she did not like having the staring role. She did't fancy all the attention it brought with it. She would always be content to be second. round here though that was not always an option.

[Rainshadow]

  ***

 In the center of the performers' camp, a large dirt patch in the shape of a circle stood, surrounded by tents that housed soothsayers, healers, and many beasts of other professions.  Around the circle, a sparring ring, was a vast audience of dormice, varying in size and age, and the circle currently housed two beasts, one of which being a solemn fox, who stood tall, his fur neatly brushed, his whiskers combed, and his clothing freshly washed.  The tod's multicoloured cape flowed gently in the breeze, the movement making the soft fabric look like the aurora borealis, after which it was patterned.

 The fox, whose body was facing the audience, but whose head was angled toward the ground, suddenly jerked his head up, looking straight at a tiny babe, his green eyes glistening with mischief, but his expression still serious.  Then, as quickly as he had looked up, the fox's lips were pulled back to reveal a large grin, his teeth shining as white as the billowy clouds above.

 "Welcome, welcome, one and all!" the tod exclaimed, passing his gaze over the crowd.  "Both I and the lovely Aislinn thank you for joining us for this truly exciting event.  If you do not know who we are, let me tell you right now, lest you not understand the truly fantastic sight you are about to see.  I am the master of the rapier, the one, the only Perrian Thrust!"  He paused as polite applause ensued.  "And this beautiful pine marten beside me is the amazingly talented Aislinn, a beast truly blessed with skill for the dirk."  Again, he stopped his so carefully planned speech, allowing the dormice to clap.

 "Now," he continued regally, holding his chin slightly up so as to look down on the audience with refined grace, "does anybeast feel brave enough to venture a guess as to what Aislinn and myself will be doing today?"  He peered at the beasts, finally stopping at a dormouse of about ten seasons who was raising his paw.  "Yes, fine sir?"

 "You 'n' Aislinn're gonna have a duel?" the child asked, suddenly appearing quite shy.

 Perrian smiled impishly and nodded.  "Yes, my good lad, that we are!"  Without another word, he dramatically untied his cape with one paw, tossing the expensive garment onto the ground in one corner of the fenced ring.  Then, taking his leather scabbard in his right paw, the beast pompously drew his rapier, holding it in an elegant fashion with his left paw.  He pointed the blade at his sparring partner, the roguish grin still on his face as he raised his right paw and shifted his footpaws into a fighting stance.

 "Are you ready, my dear?" he inquired mockingly.  "Or do you need more time to prepare yourself?"

[Jukka the Sling]

Aislinn stood to one side of the ring while Perrian made his speech, smirking slightly, her arms crossed, just to let the crowd know she could handle herself. She might not have had the fox's way with words and flamboyant manner... but I'm definitely better with the blade, she thought.

Glancing away from Perrian, the pine marten entertained herself for a moment by watching the crowd of dormice. The majority seemed to be simple farmer types, to whom the prospect of a duel was quite thrilling. Some of the excited youngsters pushed forward into the ring, and their parents dragged them back again, rebuking them sharply.

Aislinn turned her attention back to Perrian just as he finished his speech, drawing her dirk from its sheath at the same moment he drew his rapier. She gripped it in her right paw and smirked at Perrian when he mockingly asked if she needed any more time to prepare.

"Oh, no, I'm ready. Perhaps you need some more time, though?"

[Leatho Shellhound]

***

The events were going on well, and Esile had given him and some others the task of putting on a show. He was a grouchy shrew who knew the woodlands well and had joined this troupe mainly because of the traveling and adventure rather than the little pay that he got. The many things he did for the The Ramblers, that was the group's name, were often times taken for granted.

André, the shrew, would find little settlements and castles for the troupe to perform in. He found out useful information about these places for his leader's soothsaying, like if they were having constant raids by vermin or a bad crop. And since they often did some things like cheating or thieving, a quick get away was needed, which was also his job to find and plan out.

At the moment he had found a nice shady spot just under some tall trees. The show he was to put on was a shadow theater, for they cost less money and needed fewer supplies. One could do with out the fancy costumes and props, a broken pot's shadow could look like a marvelous crown or a ragged blanket a beautiful robe. The trees gave the darkness they need and the tall trunks where used to hang the rope for the screen. He lit a concentrated fire in a metal box behind it with a cheap glass lens.

André pitched a little one beast tent off to the side. This was for their fiddle player Dannilo, who would provide the music for the show and told the audience what was happening. Whether it be a storm, battle or wedding in the moving shadows.

Every thing was almost ready, he pushed the little cart full of the trashy props that where to be used behind the screen to make the desired pictures, besides the fire box.

He crept, for he didn't really every walk up right, around to where the dormice would view the exhibit and clapped off the dust from his paws.

And finding his work satisfactory, he went to get the wildcat and Vanglar, so they could start the show.

[Tam and Martin]

 * Vanglar took a moment to pause from his work. He put a paw on his forehead and looked up into the blazing sun. "Sure is hot out here" He spoke to himself out loud as it was common for him to do. He wiped away a few beads of sweat that were gathering on his forehead. He sighed and decided to get back to his work.

Vanglar was standing around a clump of rocks a little distance away from the main group. He had a shovel in his hands and was doing what you would expect someone holding a shovel to be doing - Digging. What he was digging though was a secret only he knew about. Every performance their troupe did, he would dig a hole a little distance away from the camp they were performing at and he would put in that hole all his valuables. Seeing as they were a travelling band and that they invited several different type of creatures into their camp, he thought it never safe to have his money just sitting around somewhere.

Now, he was standing in the blazing heat with no shade around him just digging and thinking.

Suddenly he hit something hard and metallic. He dropped his shovel and yelled loudly grasping his paw which was in anguish. When he was sufficiently recovered from his very minor injury, He stuck his paws in the whole (Which was only about 2 feet deep) and dug about to see if he could find the object. As he was digging, he cut his finger open. He pulled the same paw back in pain and held it tightly feeling the blood run down his paw.

He stuck his cut paw in his mouth and sucked the running blood from it. After he had done that, curiosity still got the better of him and he looked into the whole again to she what had cut him. Removing one more clump of sand from the hole, he saw the object - sharp and shiny. He gripped as well as he could without getting cut again and pulled hard.

The thing he pulled came out right away and he found himself holding a long-sword. Beautiful this thing was, as he could tell right away it was a very expensive sword. He saw it was made of pure silver with a likewise silver handle. On the end of it, it had a emerald pommel-stone with several rubies inserted into various places of the grip.

His jaw dropped for a moment as he stood there in awe of the glorious thing. He knew he couldn't let anyone else know about this. He quickly took one more greedy look at it then stuck it back in the whole, but, as he was going down, he struck something else metallic which, this time sprained his paw.

He cursed his misfortune out loud and thought "Certainly not a good day for my paw....". Curiosity still won over his anguish and he looked into the hole again. There, not to far away from where the sword was, he saw a little chest just laying there. He picked it up slowly making sure not to hurt his paw any more than it already was.

Vanglar held it up and examined it carefully. It was made out of some type of metal he couldn't place. As would anyone who finds a chest, He immediately looked to see if he could get into it. Sadly, there was a lock on the front of it - Very rusted but still locked. He cursed his misfortune (As was a habit of his seeing as he always thought misfortune came to only him) and threw it down. He heard a crack and saw that the chest lock had broken. Then he glanced at it and saw several objects come flooding out.

For once, he actually thought something fortunate happened to him because just then, from the chest, came several pieces of gold, jewelry, and precious stones. He yelled loudly and smiled ecstatically! This was amazing! He could become rich now!

Not wanting anyone else to see what he had found, he shoved it all back into the chest and put it back into the whole, where he then put the sword and all his normal belongings also. He took a few shovelfuls of grit and flung them over top and then stomped the dirt down as to not have it look like someone had been digging there.

He then took his shovel and began his short walk back to the camp knowing that he had a performance with his one partner, Andre, soon.

"I will be back for you" He said out loud again apparently directed to the jewels and sword.

He heard a twig snap behind him and he flung himself about sharply. "Who's there?" He yelled hoping the person hadn't seen him with the jewels. He focused his vision a bit more and saw the makeout of a little body. He spoke a bit softer this time and said "Andre? Is that you?"

He certainly hoped it was the shrew.....

[Rainshadow]

  "Oh, no, I'm ready. Perhaps you need some more time, though?"

  Perrian chuckled and shook his head.  "No, Miss Aislinn, I'm prepared for whatever attack you choose to confront me with."  Then the bare-chested fox started circling his opponent, placing one dark footpaw behind the other as he practically waltzed around the ring.  This odd sidestepping maneuver was no show, however; it was Perrian's ideal method of sizing up his enemy and finding their weaknesses.  Unfortunately, no matter what way he looked at the pine marten, the tod couldn't determine any physical weakness.  He had a slight chance of her having a mental weakness, but one would have a hard time finding any sort of mental handicap while in the midst of battle, where time is of the essence.

  The pre-fight prance, as Perrian called it, took all of a few seconds, as he only stepped a few paces to his left, instead letting his eyes do the work of glancing over Aislinn's colourful form.  After finishing this odd ritual, Perrian grimaced inwardly, unhappy that he hadn't discovered any useful information.  Outwardly, however, he still appeared as cocky as ever.

  Suddenly, the tod stopped moving, dropped his arms, and stood straight upright, his body in such a pose that should the she-marten attack when he wasn't expecting it, he could very well suffer painfully for being caught off guard.  Then, spreading his arms wide, the fox angled his rapier downwards, exposing himself to any sort of blow Aislinn could throw at him.  In an exasperatingly polite voice, Perrian said, "Being the gentlebeast that I am, I do believe it's ladies first.  You may have the first move, love."

[Jukka the Sling]

While Perrian circled her, Aislinn shifted her position as well, keeping her eyes trained on him the whole time in case he tried any sudden moves. She kept her dirk pointed at her opponent, her body tensed, but with a slight smirk still playing on her lips. When, after a few seconds, the fox finished his maneuver and straightened up with his arms at his side, Aislinn straightened up as well. Wonder if he's gonna make the first move.

But he didn't. Instead, he let her go first. She was fine with that, but the tone he said it in, as well as the condescending "love", really ticked her off; it was like he was personally insulting her without outright saying something rude. The marten drew herself up even straighter, tempted to say sassily that she didn't care whether she went first or not, but then she glanced at the eager dormice crowding around the ring and figured they'd better get on with the duel. So, with some difficulty, Aislinn swallowed her pride, tossed her head and merely answered, "Alright, then."

She moved in closer, her brown and green eyes flicking back and forth as she quickly decided on her move. Suddenly, she thrust her dirk in the direction of Perrian's chest.

[Tale Weaver]

Esile eyed the vole from under the black silken veil she had placed over her muzzle when taking the assistant role. The vixen felt it helped add to the mystery of the soothsaying act if the second beast in the room remained as much a shadow as possible. it was nice to have the attention on somebeast else for a while. March was a natural at this role. Esile knew the rabbit didn't much care for it but she still preformed rather well. She had watched the vole become mesmerized quickly in the gaze of the rabbit, making her all the more willing to drop payment into the basket.

Once the patron had exited the tent Esile stood and pulled the curtain shut.

"Well now, that was well done miss March... perhaps we should find you a permanent role in this act?" She narrowed her eyes at the hare as she pulled the veil from her muzzle. It would prove little good for the rabbit to disagree. "Or perhaps you would rather dance with a blade like that rouge Parrin? Speaking of which..."

The vixen took off the robe she had throw over her usual garb and set it on the chair. "Time to go check on my lovely crew. Care to join me miss March?" It was bright outside and still quite warm. Midday had passed and the sun's rays slanted down on the various preforming station intent, it seemed, upon broiling any performer willing to take to the task of putting on a show.

"Now where have that lot gotten too?" Esile muttered as she walked by the smoothed out dirt arena where Andre, Vanglur, and Dannilo should have been working. Her eyes narrowed as she watched customers putting coins back in their pouches and moving on. "I'll have their tails..." Esile muttered. "Remind me to have a word with them later miss March."

She was a bit more pleased with the goings on at the sword fighting arena. Aislinn and Parrin were up to their usual routine, awing a group of dormice. Perhaps they would make a fair amount of gain from this stop after all. Esile pondered where they would be heading next. She had heard the tale of a mercenary group that moved through the lands not far to the south. Perhaps they would be the sort who enjoyed entertainment? Beasts in that line of work sometimes carried valuables with them.

"Make sure everybeast know we will be having a meeting tonight once our patrons have left." She spoke to March before retiring to her personal trailer. Tonight she would address her group of performers in the same dirt circle where Vanglur, Dannilo, and Andre would soon be acting. They would have a fire, roast some roots and possibly fish, and she would tell them where their roving band was headed next.

[Faiyloe]

***
March stood glad to be done with the task. Esile closed the curtain and then turned and addressed her

"Well now, that was well done miss March... perhaps we should find you a permanent role in this act? Or perhaps you would rather dance with a blade like that rouge Parrin? Speaking of which..."

"Indeed marm," March said in response, purposefully making it unclear to which question she was responding. March stood to one side while Esile removed her costume. She has not donned any accessory for her part aside from the slight change in artier she felt it pointless to make make herself up more than she had to and she found earrings and piercings to be highly distasteful.   

"Time to go check on my lovely crew. Care to join me miss March?" March didn't even bother to reply but followed Esile out of the tent into the sunlight. Her face, a mask to emotions graced with the scar that ran from her right ear to her left cheek which had almost took her life. Her brow furrowed and she let her paw trace the scar While no one was looking. She would never let anyone know it but she really was quite vain, most rabbits are.

March hardly bothered to look around at her surroundings, she knew the set up well enough by now, no sense in looking at it again, a wast of time really. When they passed an empty dirt ring Esile stopped and on her face was a look of displeasure. "Now where have that lot gotten too? I'll have their tails... Remind me to have a word with them later miss March."     

March looked up at the empty arena  with a look of disapproval. She highly disliked shirkers and punctuality was a quality that she highly prized in herself and in others. "Indeed..." She said following the fox over to where a duel was being showcased. "a'll be sure t'remind you marm," They walked for a bit longer till they reached the vixens trailer she paused and spoke to march before leaving the rabbit to herself. "Make sure everybeast know we will be having a meeting tonight once our patrons have left."

"Aye marm, t'will see to it," She said before turning and heading her own way. She passed among the tents set aside for living and entered the one assigned to her and two other female Troupe members. There was a curtain hanging at one end used as a privacy screen and going behind this she changed out of the blue dress and into her usual green tunic. Then leaving the tent she headed towards where she had seen Andre setting up some sort of show.

She had not been outside long and yet the sun was starting to take its toll on the rabbit. "Ai t'wern't made fer this weather, rabbits are delicate creatures, we are," She said to herself under her breath her right ear drooping. She fingered it for a moment pondering, frowned then flicked the ear back where it aught to be with disapproval. She stopped in front of the shrew crossed her arms in front of her and said "Miss Esile says there is ta be a meeting, t'is ta be held after the patrons have left, One is obligated to go," March paused and inspected his work cheep as it might be it was sturdy. She turned again to face Andre "Pass tha message along," Blunt and to the point perhaps even a bit rude but that was her way. Most that new her had gotten used to it and those who hadn't, well lets just say they she doesn't like them very much. 

[Leatho Shellhound]

He absentmindedly watched March trot over to him, an interesting creature, he thought to him self, not to caught up thinking what others thought about her manner.

"Meeting you say? You mean a give-me-all-todays-earnings session.... right?" he pushed for a reaction of agreement.

Walking away backwards so as to show that the conversation wasn't done but needed to leave. "Well, I've got you go and find those who should be helping me preform, or else I'll have nothing to fill Esile pockets with," he said underlining his previous statement.

André had noticed that Vanglar had a habit of going away soon after they come to a new place. It was really inconvenient at times. But being a experienced woods beast, he soon found the fox's trail in the forest, altough he saw that the ground was soon becoming rocky and the trail harder to follow.

Some movement caught his eye, Vanglar. Thank goodness he thought to him self.

"Why you!" the shrew said out loud, "wondering off leaving me all the work! The show needs to start or eles we'll fall short of the vixen's satisfaction."

Creeping back to camp motioning him to follow he ordered, "help me find that music making misfit."

[Rainshadow]

  In one swift and graceful move, Perrian stepped backwards and flicked his sword upwards, parrying the marten's dirk with a loud clang!  The power of the female's thrust did, however, send shudders through the fox's rapier, which caused his arm to ache.  But no matter; if no pain was felt, that meant that he wasn't trying.  So, shrugging that off, the tod grinned and said, "A fine, strong offensive move, my dear, but you'll have to try harder."

 Then, with no warning, Perrian leapt forward, the silver blade lunging for his opponent's face.  He heard a gasp from the crowd, but a grin was still on his face.  He knew that Aislinn would be able to block his move; this was something they'd done before to shock the audience.  As he moved forward to stab the she-marten, the copper fox noticed Esile Violettail, the leader of their troupe, standing near the back of the crowd.  What she was doing here, Perrian didn't know, but he could feel her eyes boring into him, and it made him uncomfortable.  But he had to focus on the battle, not on the vixen.  Ripping his eyes away from the beast, the blade master returned his attention to Aislinn just as his rapier came within the reach of her own weapon.

[Tam and Martin]

* Vanglar was immediately relieved when he saw the make-out of Andre.  He sighed and took a deep breath restoring the calmness to his body. He finally was able to speak to Andre but before he was able to, Andre spoke to him.

"Why you! Wondering off leaving me all the work! The show needs to start or else we'll fall short of the vixen's satisfaction."

He was slightly upset at the shrew for saying this, seeing as he was a good friend of his, but he decided to think the best of it and keep the friendship.

"Sorry mate, I had to take care of some old things" He said, hoping Andre wouldn't ask about what he was doing.

Vanglar began his walk back to camp. He hoped everyone didn't notice he had been gone awhile. As soon as he made it back, he immediately went to work setting up their place they were going to perform at. He did a general cleanup of the area removing all sticks and stones or any objects that might get in their way.

Vanglar then went to see what type of props they had that they could possibly use. He glanced at a few pieces of rock, broken pieces of metal, bits of scrap linen etc. Vanglar loved performing in the shadow theater for two reasons:

1. He was very flexible with his fingers hence he could make several different interesting creations with his hand and fingers.

2. He enjoyed working with his good friend Andre.

There was only one thing he disliked about acting there; He had to work with Danillo Thann. His and Dann's relationship goes far back but, to put it simply, they were enemies. He would glare at Dann sometimes to see what he was doing and to watch him, making sure he didn't do anything funny.

Vanglar did some of the final preparations for the show and then spoke to Andre and Dannilo "Are you ready to begin?"

[Faiyloe]

"Meeting you say? You mean a give-me-all-todays-earnings session.... right?" Andre said and March gave him a reproving look.

"Esils our benefactor, she has the right and we are well taken care of, you should not speak about her in such a fashion," March scolded. 

"Well, I've got you go and find those who should be helping me preform, or else I'll have nothing to fill Esile pockets with," Andre said heading off towards the forest. Proving that he had not heard a word she said, or at least had chosen not to listen to her. She gave a small hiss of disapproval before leaving to find the rest to inform them about the meeting.

Andre wasn't all that bad really he was one of the few beast she found tolerable even likable in character. She just kept finding herself scolding him like a mother goose. Perhaps this was just here way of showing that she liked him which said a lot. She didn't like many people, mainly because they didn't like her ether.   

[Jukka the Sling]

***

"Hah, I was just playing around," Aislinn shot back. "You'd hate to see me really try." Her arm was also tingling from the force of the last blow, but she was actually beginning to enjoy herself. Though she wasn't fond of Perrian, she loved swordfighting; there was something exhilarating about the bobbing-and-weaving and clash of steel. But she kept herself alert, watching her opponent.

Suddenly, Perrian lunged forward, his blade seeking her face. Aislinn was aware of a gasp from the dormice, but she wasn't really alarmed by the move, as she and Perrian had done it on multiple occasions. The pine marten stepped back a little and brought her dirk up in front of her to parry the blow. With a clash, their weapons met, which elicited another gasp from the audience. Aislinn flicked her wrist, shoving his rapier to one side, then stepped back, grinning a little.

"You're making this way too easy for me. Can't you be a little less... predictable?"

Aislinn smirked at the fox again, then, without warning, slashed her blade horizontally at his torso.