SURWOOD | MID MORNING
Balder.
The brunette witch smiled a little to herself, her eyes drifting to the high ceiling of the gold and blue tent that the troupe called home. She and Tristaan stumbled across the performers a little over two weeks ago, and honestly, the wick already felt like she belonged. She felt home. Balder had welcomed them with eager open arms, the short stout human delighted to have anyone come visit his circus. Of course, there wasn’t just the ring master in the troupe. There was Winslow the clown, an older human who seemed gruff but was really a big softie with wiry grey hair and ridiculously oversized pants and suspenders. Then Dorian and Taegan, again both human young men not much younger than the witch herself, each as visually different as night and day. Dorian was a dark haired and dark eyed contortionist, with a light hearted flirtatious attitude and a ready willingness to cause mischief. He also swallowed swords and breathed fire, two skills he had been overly enthusiastic to share with the newcomers, waggling eyebrows at Sarinah with clear over confidence. Taegan was blonde, blue eyed, bronzed and appeared to own not a single shirt. An animal tamer by trade, the man had formed an almost unnaturally close bond to a massive black scaled chrove called Clarabelle. He was broodier than Dorian, but it didn’t stop him laying on the charm as thickly as fresh butter on hot bread, no matter how much it annoyed any other male specimen around. Regardless of their differences, the two young men got along like brothers—sometimes they fought like brothers too—but in the end it was Winslow that kept the boys in-line like a gruff uncle, and Balder oversaw the lot of them like a proud father. There had been a woman, a human girl called Stars McGee, but she’d had a falling out with Taegan and promptly packed her bags for Vienda.
Leaving a timely opening for a wick with a few tricks up her sleeve and a passive with a solid pair of fists.
Sarinah had given the troupe just a taste of what she was able to do, but it was enough. It was enough to light the spotlight in Balders eyes. A star, he said. The Amazing Flying...
“Sarinah!” Dorian exclaimed loudly, dragging Sarinah from her musings. She blinked and turned her eyes back on the ground, smiling warmly at the man as he approached. Only two years her junior, the talented human was grinning as he approached the witch.
“Oh, but what can I assist you with my beautiful wick rose? Have you finally decided to leave Tristaan and steal away with me?” He quipped, pushing boundaries he knew would get him in trouble. The dancer chuckled as she finished wrapping her hands, moving towards the rope tied around one of the supporting posts. She had dressed in a simple red camisole and high waisted black shorts, leaving her long legs and muscular arms free to grip the cool metal of the hoop. Walking with bare feet, the brunette lowered the circular frame that had been suspended from the ceiling beams.
“Ah, not today Dorian. Afraid it’s much more selfish than that. Here.” She handed him the rope with a wink, much to the young man’s delight.
“I need someone to man the rope. Ye seem like you’ve got a bit of muscle there balach? Just pull me up till I say stop, then tie the rope around that rig there. Ye chen?” The woman moved towards the hoop, tying the top half of her hair back with a small strip of the rags, reaching up to take it with her hands and pulling herself up to sit in the cradle before nodding to Dorian. As the young human pulled on the rope, a pulley in the beam allowed it to feed through with ease, and Sarinah felt herself rise into the air. There was no spotlight, but the roof flaps were open to allow the sunlight in, dust motes floating through the rays like tiny bugs. The witch looked up as the metal hoop crawled closer to the roof, looking down at Dorian with a smile as she went.
“There kov, that’s enough.” The human nodded, before tying the rope and giving her a thumbs up. Sarinah reached above her, muscles in her arms straining as she moved to familiarise herself with the equipment and perform a series of deep stretches using the frame to brace legs or arms as she went.
“Forget it Dorian, she’s not interested in boys. She’s a woman, she needs a man.” Taegan announced his arrival with all the overconfidence he could possibly muster, flexing his well defined bronze muscles as he approached the contortionist, slapping his friend in the back of the head as he stared dreamily at the dancer. Dorian scowled and shoved the other man with a snort.
“You’re the same age as me you moony lug. ‘sides, even if that were true, she ain’t even got eyes for anyone but Tristaan.” Taegan chuckled, his blue eyes on the wick with a waggle of his brow.
“That’s only coz she hasn’t had a chance to experience this yet.” He said with a tone that implied that was obvious, gesturing to himself with a dimpled grin. From behind the two ogling boys, Winslow appeared, whacking them both on the head.
“Have some respect you kensers. Sarinah shouldn’t have to put up with your shit, not here. Besides, that wick fellow of hers would flatten you Taeg. He’s short but he’s fucking tough, or hadn’t you figure that out yet?” The golden boy grumbled, rubbing his head and muttering about trying on Clarabelle for size. Winslow slapped him again, glancing up at the woman with an almost sad frown. He knew her face, he’d known it the minute he’d seen her, keeping it to himself for a multitude of reasons. No one needed to know the Dove was in Surwood, not unless she wanted them to know.
Sarinah let the momentum of her legs spin the hoop as she moved around the familiar frame, stretching out to give the hoop a wide circular rotation above the ring itself. Almost lazily, she swung her legs down from behind her, pushing the circle to be even wider. The air rushed past her face, catching dark tresses in its gentle caress. Dropping to hang by her hands, the witch curled her legs up to hook them on the frame and let go, hanging by her knees as looked down at the three men with reaching arms. Her eyes flicked to the entrance, where Balder had begun to approach, smiling up at her. Smiling back, Sarinah pulled herself up to sit in the cradle again.
“Got some news. We need to talk boys. About travel. About Vienda. Dorian, get her down here please?” He said, rubbing his hands together with clear excitement, looking around for Tristaan as Dorian waved to Sarinah and began to undo the rope.