Finvarra's Circus

5- To Walk and Fall

A DENSE FOG SKIRTED THE MENAGERIE TENT, the white sidewalls almost invisible in the mist. A sign with the words Hungry Lion, Keep Out hung by a wire on a rusted stake stabbed into the entrance pillar of the tent. Leanna had only a moment to read the carved words before being pulled through the curtain flaps.

Though her heart pounded a maddening rhythm, Leanna's screams warped. Her fight too dwindled when her eyes fell upon the beautiful beast sleeping regally inside of an intricately carved gold and red wagon. Leanna blinked away the sawdust drying her eyes to take in the majestic sight. Having read much about them, never would she have imagined them to be so large, and in a troublesome paradox, so frighteningly gorgeous. Its caramel mane kissed by reddish strands glowed under the faint gaslight, infusing the terrifying creature with a dreamlike quality. But looking to the large paw that dangled from in between vine fashioned bars, Leanna could only think of the nightmare she was set to endure at the mercy of that lion.

"Ben, the keys!" Tomas growled suddenly into the shadows. Leanna sucked in a breath and held it, afraid as the lion rustled at Tomas' booming voice. Thankfully, it didn't waken. She tore her gaze reluctantly from the sleeping animal to the shadowed corner Tomas called to.

Squinting, Leanna noted the silhouette of a child dozing off on a wooden stool tipped back onto two hind legs. She could barely see him as light did not follow into this dark corner. Only his snores were audible, and small black boots visible in a rogue stream of light.

"Ben!" Tomas roared again. This time the young boy jerked awake with a startled moan, his stool tipping forward. Her eyes now adjusted to the dark, Leanna watched as he pushed his red cap back away from his eyes. His head downcast, he fetched blindly for a ring of keys looped on a post. With a weighty sigh, Ben stepped into the light.

Leanna bit back a gasp. Why, he was not a boy at all, rather a man! In fact, he appeared to be older than her father, though much shorter. What remained of his silvery hair was combed over gaping baldness, half of which vanished under the hat barely hanging on his head. He shuffled toward them, scratching an ear. They were pointed.

Ben turned his little eyes to Leanna and smiled a smile of few teeth. "Come to see the lion have you?" he said merrily and jingled the keys in tune with his squeaky words. He then handed them to Tomas. At this, Leanna could no longer contain her fear and screamed louder than before, her nails digging into Tomas' seemingly impenetrable skin.

Ben cringed at the piercing shriek and his hands shot to his ears. "Why so frightened? It's only a lion," he said, but Leanna hardly heard him through her screams. Tomas tucked her under his arm and walked toward the cage, promptly sliding the key into the tarnished lock.

As if detecting the coming meal, the lion yawned. At once, Leanna quieted.

"Wait! I'll do it! I'll do it!" she said in heated whispers, not wanting to stir the sleeping creature any more. When the words left her mouth, she regretted them instantly. However, faced with two rows of sharpened teeth--and with escaping Tomas being as impossible as, well, as impossible as standing in the sun--Leanna pled with much more vigor. "Tell Finvarra I will do it, I will be his tightrope walker!"