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clumsiestgiantess · 7 months

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Day 10: Quiver

Yey! I finished it! Here’s a piece of a larger story project of mine, Winter’s Everlasting! (I’ll show y’all some designs and creature details later, but here’s some of the story for now)

I swear it was only supposed to be cold. The weather man had me convinced that it was only chilly outside, windy at best, but nothing more. Yet, leaving the checkout of the grocery store, all I can see out the storefront windows is white. A swirling blizzard raged outside while I stood staring in anguish at the amount of snow dropping from the sky, thrown every-which-way by the wind. I have to walk home. I came here on foot from my apartment down the street. All I needed were three simple things. This spit-roasted chicken better be worth the awful journey home. However, the second I stepped outside, and a blast of freezing slushy wind hit me straight in the face, I decided the chicken and everything else was definitely not worth it, but it was too late now. Hugging my grocery bags close to my chest, I braced myself and pressed on.

The snow came down so thick it was like walking in fog. I couldn't see anything more than a few feet in front of me. Sticking to the sidewalk as best I could, I charted a course for home. I know the way there by heart; normally I'd brag that I know it blindfolded. I guess that'll be put to the test today, won't it?

As the snow kept piling down, I gradually lost sight of my one waypoint. The sidewalk became hidden by layers upon layers of freshly fallen snow. Even with my reliable navigation, I began to worry I'd end up wandering into the middle of the road. All I can do is pray I hear something coming or spot headlights in time to dodge out of the way. Maybe if I'm lucky, someone will pity me and offer me a ride home.

I kept trudging through deeper and deeper snow, pressing on with nagging uncertainty. Surely my street sign, or any street sign for that matter, would show up soon. My feet were beginning to go numb and the snow had already piled up to my ankles. Something large towered up ahead, and I picked up the pace. If I could figure out what it was, maybe I could use it as a landmark.

The large thing turned out to be a gigantic pine tree, followed by even more pine trees further ahead. Which is.. strange. There aren't any pine trees in the neighborhoods I know, including mine — they're all fairly urban. So where in the world did this come from?

Trekking towards the other pine trees, I noticed with growing anxiety that the snow was quickly rising, almost too quickly. It's up to my shins now, halfway to my knees. When I finally made it to the pines up ahead, I stopped short. All my groceries fell from my numb hands in shock as I stood gaping at the scenery. An entire forest spread out before me, trees all bending beneath the wind, cracking as they slowly froze solid. How did a whole forest appear in the middle of town?

My legs no longer had feeling, and neither did my fingers. Gloves and boots can only trap in heat for so long. The trees might help break the awful wind, though. Next thing I knew, I raced for the edge of the mysterious forest. It was marginally warmer underneath the frozen trees. The wind shrieked overhead as if it were angry over losing me to the semi-safety of their branches. I flinched at every little creak of ice-locked trees. Any one of them could come crashing down at any moment. It was terrifying, but if the weather weren't so miserably windy, and I had warmer clothes, the snow-capped pines would have looked absolutely stunning. I stood staring around for a while. The sharpened pine-needle-covered branches looked almost fluffy with the amount of snow piled on them. It was so heavy that every once and a while the puffy thud of branches bending their snowy coverings off of them could be heard through the wind.

Clearly I'm nowhere near my home whatsoever. I don't know how I ended up in the woods. Maybe I'd taken a few wrong turns walking blindly home. Nevermind finding my apartment, I needed to find some sort of shelter, and fast. Frostbite was starting to become a serious possibility. Multiple times I thought about just sitting down beneath a tree to stay warm, but all the cold weather warnings always say to keep moving. Chances are, if you lay down, you won't ever get back up.

I meandered aimlessly through the forest, desperately looking for any signs of life. Seconds away from screaming my lungs out in anger, exhaustion, and fear, I heard chatter from somewhere up ahead and to my left. "Hello?" I called, desperately hoping I hadn't imagined it. "Is someone there? I'm lost and I'm freezing! Please! Can you hear me!?" The voices came closer, a conversation between two, maybe three people became even clearer. "Hey! Over here!" "Hello? Who's there?" I froze, mouth halfway open in response. The voice was raspy and thick with an accent I'd never heard before. Where in the world have I wandered to?

"Hey, I think they're over here!" Three forms appeared through the blizzard. Beneath the trees, my vision was slightly clearer thanks to their branches catching most of the snow. My heart lurched in my chest as the figures stalked closer, loping along on four limbs. Wolves. But they can't be; they're talking, and they’re huge! The largest one’s ears could reach the same height as myself. I have to be hallucinating because three large gray wolves sauntered up to me, whispering amongst themselves. Their yellow eyes glinted off the dying sunlight.

Finally, the largest one leaned backwards and stood perfectly straight on his back legs. Standing like that, he was almost three feet taller than me. Two large canines jutted out from his lower jaw, rubbing the fur right off his skin where his teeth grazed his jaw. I backed off slightly, too disbelieving to run away. "What in all the Realms are you?" he asked me, crossing his.. arms..? front legs..? haughtily. "I-" I stuttered, "I'm a-" My throat swelled up in fear. Am I going insane? Am I dying? "It doesn't matter what it is," another wolf remarked nonchalantly, standing as well. This one was skinnier than the others. A chunk was missing from one of his ears and many of his teeth were chipped or missing.

"It's a freak, is what it is. We could trade it to Ink for a bucketload of valuables. Anything we want, even! Just look at it! It's hideous!" I could hardly process what he was saying, let alone the fact that he'd just disrespected my dignity in at least three different ways. "Smother's right, Ink would reward us handsomely for a find like this," the final wolf agreed. They were scruffier than the others, but still had a bit of bulk on them. "Alright, alright. Tie it up and bring it along," the largest wolf commanded. I snapped out of my stupor once one of the wolves, Smother, I guess, pulled out a length of rope from a pack attached to his side. Terrified, I raced through the woods back the way I came. It's really hard to run from wolves when the snow is piled up to your shins, though.

In no time at all, the three wolves pinned me down and bound me. I thrashed and struggled against them, but it was three against one, and they were so much bigger. "No! Please!" I begged as they struggled to put a gag in my mouth, "I'm not a weird creature in the woods! I'm sentient, like you! You have to listen to me, I- MMPH!" It was no use, I couldn't reason with them anymore, if they could even be reasoned with at all.

Time moved sluggishly after that. I kept trying to convince myself that it was all some sort of fever dream. Maybe I'd gotten sick from walking home in that snowstorm. Maybe I hadn't even gone to the store at all, and this is just a weird nightmare. At some point I felt a snag of pain and realized I might be getting hurt by being dragged on my back over the icy ground, but I'm too numb to feel much of anything. Eventually, I was dragged to a gigantic tent set up in an open clearing in the forest. One of the wolves went inside while the other two sat outside with me. It was a struggle just to stay conscious at that l point; I barely even understood what was going on.

Eventually, the wolf returned with another beside it. Undoubtedly, this was Ink. He was sleek and thin — completely black except for his head, which was snow-white from the neck up, almost like it had been replaced with another. Also unlike the other three gray wolves, he had beady black eyes. I stilled as he scrutinized me from head to toe. "This is.. quite the creature you have here. Tell me, do you know what it is?" "No clue," Smother answered, "I could make it tell you if you'd like! It can speak, though its pronunciation could use a bit of work."

Ink shook his head, "No, that's alright. What were you willing to bargain for this.. thing?" The big brawny one crept back to four legs and motioned for Ink to do so as well. "I- That is to say, WE, would like some of your more.. exotic meats," he whispered. For a horrifying moment, I thought he was insinuating that I would be the one getting turned into meat before one of the others spoke up. "We want some dragon meat!" they whispered excitedly. The bigger one took a swipe at him. "Not so loud!" he growled.

Ink nodded slowly, "I believe I can get that for you." He regarded me for a moment. "Come, take the creature to the back room with me. It looks as if it'll freeze to death at any moment." Together, the wolves sauntered over to a smaller tent attached to the larger one's side. Ink briefly disappeared inside it, then returned carrying two large packages of what I assume must be dragon meat, hefted over each shoulder. "Here you are," he huffed, placing them roughly down onto the snow. "These should be about equal to its weight." The largest wolf easily slung both bags over one shoulder, thanked him, and departed with the other two in tow.

"Let's get you inside, hmm?" Ink asked, nodding at me. Instead of dragging me, he hoisted me up and walked me inside, sitting me down by a fireplace. He didn't undo my binds, but he did take the gag out of my mouth. "Thank you," I whispered hoarsely, shivering as I slowly and painfully heated up. My skin prickled like a thousand needles were jabbing into me as my skin slowly thawed.

"You're welcome," Ink replied with a brisque nod. "I'm surprised a creature like you knows proper etiquette. I'd say the trio of hunters that brought you here taught you that, but I'd be shocked if they knew any decent manners at all." I sat by the fire for a while, trying to take it all in. "Could you.. could you untie me, please?" My muscles ached from being tied up and dragged around. Ink huffed, "Alright, but I'll have to get something first." He swiftly hurried off to another part of the tent. I could vaguely hear carnival music coming from deeper inside.

Once Ink returned with a coil of metal chains, I recognized what the exchange outside had been about. The wolves had sold me to a freak show of some kind, hoping to exchange me like some kind of exotic creature. "I'm not an animal!" I blurted the moment he came close, "I don't belong in some carnival! I'm sentient! You said so yourself that I know how to properly speak!" "Well, your pronunciation is a bit off." "Your pronunciation's off!" I quipped, edging away from him as best as I could.

In a few quick slices of his claws, Ink undid my bindings only to immediately shackle me in chains. "If you were something a bit less.. unique, I might've let you go. But you're simply too valuable to leave off the Grand Floor. Even if I did free you, you would freeze to death without any fur." Ink had a point, but at the same time, I did not want to be some caged carnival animal. "No! Wait! I don't even know where I am! And I'm not warm enough yet!" I cried, trying to come up with an excuse he'd fall for. Ink looked me over with a thoughtful, almost scheming, look.

"We're in Greatwolf Den for the next few days, then we pack up and head to Shallowood." He snickered at the dumbfounded expression I gave him and tried again. "We're in Greater Wolf Territory." Still, I had no clue what he was saying. Clearing his throat, he tried one last time. "In Winter's Everlasting? You.. you don't understand?" I shook my head tiredly. "Are you.. not.. from Winter's Everlasting?" I shook my head again and his eyes went wide. "Oh my..." The room went silent for a while as Ink drifted deeper into thought. Finally, he shook himself off, fur brisling up before smoothing back down. "Well, strange creature, I'll be sure to include that in the advertisement." So saying, he whirled out of the tent, leaving me chained to the floor.

Tired and hungry, I sat down in defeat. What should I do? What could I do? Silently, I begged for everything to be a dream as I fiddled with the cuffs on my arms. Each cuff had a keyhole in the clasp. I picked at them for hours, but to no avail. Eventually, I passed out on the floor, too tired to keep myself awake.

When I woke up the following morning, I shivered at the sight of the tent around me. "This isn't a dream," I whispered in horror. "No, it isn't." I flinched, turning around abruptly to find Ink sitting at the large wooden desk at the other end of the room. He slid a piece of paper off its surface and plodded over to me, handing it over with a small bow. "Your debut posters, miss."

I snatched it from his outstretched paw and slunk backwards to examine it. The paper bragged 'Come see the horrifying monster dragged from another world!' In the center was a drawing of… something that was not me — not exactly. They made me thinner and paler, almost like a ghost. My forearms were drawn a lot longer and lankier, and my teeth stuck out at weird angles. The puffy collar of my jacket was pictured as a mane of fur around my neck, ruffled out in all directions in a threatening display. "This is horrifying!" I cried out, "I do NOT look like this!" Ink shrugged, "Eh, a bit of exaggeration — all part of showbusiness."

Glaring at him, I tore up the paper and huffed "Well, I won't let you put this up. I'm not a monster!" Laughter bounced through the small space. "Ha! You're a feisty thing, but it’s too late, creature. I've already put up images twice that size all over the boards outside the tent." I sat in silent dismay, beginning to realize what was in store for me. Suddenly, my stomach growled awfully. Acid deep in the pit of my stomach sloshed around in the empty space, dissolving me slowly from the inside. "Can I at least have something to eat?" Ink regarded me for a moment, then nodded. "I'll give you an hour. Then it's time to unveil you to the masses." He gave me a charmed smile that I did not return in the least, then left.

Only a moment passed before he returned, an offering of raw meat in his pawed hands. "Here you are," he announced, dropping it at my feet. "Fresh caribou." I gawked at the piece of raw flesh on the floor in front of me, holding back the gag rising in my throat. "I- I can't eat this!" I exclaimed, "I can't eat raw meat; I'll get sick!" Ink gave me a baffled look. I thought he was teasing me with it, but I realized that he genuinely assumed I ate raw meat. I guess that is what wolves eat.

"What do you want, then? We don’t have much else." I was shocked by the sudden concern in his voice, before I realized why he was so worried. He needed to keep me alive and well to parade me around his circus. Ink doesn't actually care about me in the slightest. "I cook my meat before eating it," I explained. "Stick it in the fire for a while. I'll tell you when it's ready." Ink growled, making me flinch instinctively. "I don't have time to sit around and hold meat over a fire!" he exclaimed, "Why don't you do it?" "Because I'm chained to the floor, that's why!" I replied angrily. "Let me out and I'll do it myself."

My remark was met with a chilling stare. "You think you can fool me, creature? You will never be let off those chains." In a sudden rage, I lashed out at him, but he quickly dashed backwards, ears flat against his head. "I'm not a creature; stop calling me that! Let me out of these chains right now!" Ink snarled at me, canine fangs glistening with saliva. My anger rapidly cooled to fear. "TRY ATTACKING ME AGAIN AND YOU WON'T BE FED AT ALL!" He pounced at me, and I scrambled backwards over the stone floor, scrambling as far away as my chains would allow.

For a moment, he crouched in front of me on all fours, teeth gnashing, hackles raised. His all-black eyes gleamed soullessly. Slowly, he regained his composure once tears started leaking down my cheeks. Shaking himself off, Ink again stood on his back legs and smoothed out his fur. "Now.. Do you want this, or not?" He gestured to the hunk of meat still on the floor. "I'll die if it isn't cooked," I stressed through a mouthful of tears. Ink sighed, grabbed a fireplace poker, stabbed the raw meat, and cast it over the fire. Neither of us said a single word to each other the entire time. I only spoke once, to tell him the meat looked ready. When I did, he shoved it off the poker and stormed out of the room, dragging the hot metal rod with him. My shaking hands could barely hold my awful meal as I gnawed away at the chunk of meat. It was still slightly raw in the middle, but it was better than being inedible.

Eventually, Ink came back. I had a double-take the moment he stepped in. He was wearing a leather strap around his neck where the line between his white and black fur separated, making it look even more like they were two separate pieces held together by the leather band. A strange combination of metal and fabric twisted over his head, and he held a staff-like cane in one paw. "It's time," he addressed me coldly, "Behave, and I'll let you eat again." I nodded solemnly.

Ink sauntered up to me and unhooked the chains from the floor. Squeezing them tightly in his free paw, he took a deep breath, plastered on a toothy smile, and stepped out onto the Grand Floor. I was whisked through the curtains only a second later. Gasps echoed through the tent once I emerged. Ink walked me up onto a raised platform beside our entrance, strutting proudly forward as a spotlight hovered over him. "My audience, behold!" he cried, "A creature unlike any other! A mysterious beast brought forth by hunters late last night. She is a sight that will chill you to your core!" The crowd of wolves oohed and ahhed as he pulled the chains in closer, hoisting me to center stage. The spotlight swung to me, and I squinted in the harsh light.

Once my eyes adjusted, I could see a tightly-packed crowd of wolves gathered around the front of the stage. They were all sorts of colors, mostly shades of white and grey, but there were a few black and brown ones, and even one that was patterned with all of those colors.

Ink nodded, satisfied by the sounds of the impressed audience. "But this is no mindless beast, I assure you!” he continued. “She may look unruly, but this creature can speak, albeit not very well. Would you like to hear her?" The crowd erupted in resounding cheers. "Alright! Creature, speek!" Ink commanded, giving me a pointed look. My mind blanked for a moment. I thought for sure that I would pass out. "H- hello. I'm.. Ainsley." Though I'd only spoken three words, the crowd howled and applauded wildly.

Thankfully, Ink didn't mind my lack of verbalization so long as the audience of wolves were satisfied. "Yes, yes! Quite an extraordinary creature! She will be on permanent display here on the Grand Floor. If you have any questions about her, ask me! However, please don't directly interact with her. Though she seems quite tame, I assure you she is ferocious when I'm not present as her handler." I internally cursed him for making it seem as though I were his 'dog on a leash', so to speak.

After the showcasing, Ink walked me around the Grand Floor. Oddities of all sorts were on display throughout the circus tent,separated into exhibits. A wolf skeleton with two skulls was pinned up in a glass case in one section. A tree with a spear of ice penetrating it grew in a pot in another section. There were other attractions that were alive, like me. Some were strange animals in cages, others were wolves that roamed freely around the place. They seemed to be like average carnival folk. A jacked wolf that resembled a strongman lifted a whole uprooted pine tree, and a fortune teller with two tails sat in a booth a few feet further down. While Ink walked along, crowds of visitors stood nearby, watching me curiously. Everywhere I went, I could feel stares burning into my back. Some wolves backed off when I made eye contact with them, but most just looked on curiously.

I was snapped out of my frightened stupor by a sudden yell. "Brother! Wow! I thought the posters were exaggerating, but this thing is incredible! It looks just like the pictures!" I huffed in annoyance despite myself. This wolf just called me as ugly as that awful rendition of me on the posters. "Cartilage, I've struck gold once again!" Ink replied. "Meet the newest member of our jolly crew!" He dragged me up beside him. "Creature, I'd like to introduce you to my younger brother, Cartilage."

"My name is Ainsley," I reminded him, “Not ‘Creature’.” Unlike Ink, Cartilage was entirely snow-white with startling blue eyes. His face had a thinner, sharper look to it than Ink's, whose fluff made it look more rounded. However, his eyes had a softness to them that Ink’s lacked. Cartilage would've almost seemed friendly had it not been for the sheer amount of skulls he was wearing. He had a large necklace of so many different skulls that it draped all the way down his chest and over his shoulders, causing him to rattle when he moved. Looking on in horrified fascination, I found that every single skull was a unique animal — no two were the same.

"Well, it's an honor to meet you, Ainsley!" Cartilage gestured to the many bones I must've been staring at. "Don't mind these, they're all part of my act. I assure you that none of their corresponding deaths had anything to do with me," he assured me with a wink.

The brothers chatted for a while as they meandered about, finally splitting off at Cartilage's station. Ink continued on the main walkway, but soon split off into a different section. Sitting in the center of this section was a large cage. Ink unlocked it with the same key he'd locked my shackles with. "Alright, welcome to your new home." I stared in disgust, "You can't-!" I tried to pull away from it, but Ink yanked me right back and chained the ends of my shackles to the cage floor. "Get in. Unless, you'd prefer to starve?" All I could do was stare at him in dread, silently begging him not to do this to me.

"Don't look at me like that," he huffed, "I'll take you out and walk you around the Grand Floor at least once a day." As if that makes any of it better. Begrudgingly, I shuffled over to the cage. "Good girl," Ink said with a curt nod. After double checking I was secure, he slid back into the crowd of wolves, head held high. Twenty or so visitors instantly crowded around my cage, watching me with awestruck gazes. I curled up in the center of the cage, away from anyone stupid enough to stick a paw through the bars.

Burying my head in my arms, I sat for hours trying to block out the sight of everyone who came to ogle at me. Eventually, Ink announced that the Grand Floor would be closing soon, and the tent dwindled to silence. Not entire silence, though. Other caged animals made occasional noises, and the chatter of wolves who worked there revertibrated around the tent. I let my ears go for the first time in the last few hours, stretching out over the length of the cage. It was about twelve feet tall and seven feet wide. Big enough for me to comfortably stand and lie down, but that was all. I shivered in the cold. Thankfully, the tent was somewhat heated, but the cold metal that made up the entire cage cooled everything right off. Footsteps shuffled closer and I scooted to the far end of the cage.

Ink stepped up to me and deposited another hunk of meat, sliding it through the bars. It was cooked a bit too much and was chared on one side, but I was still happy just to have something edible. "You did a fair job for your first day," Ink told me, leaning against the side of the cage. "But you're going to learn that, like everyone else here, you have a role to play. Whether you really are a monster or not, in here you are a monster. That's what I advertised. You need to start looking scarier, more like your picture." "But I'm nothing like my picture!" Ink shrugged, "Most of show business is acting, my dear. Pretend until you're confident enough that you don't need to. Just act like a monster for the crowds. Make a few kids cry; that's always good for business."

I sighed, "If I'm an actor, will you treat me like one of your own actors and let me out?" Ink chuckled, "Letting you out would ruin the immersion. Just keep doing as I ask." Before I could reply, he pushed off the cage and strutted away. "Damn wolves," I grumbled, "How have I been abducted into a circus? It's been two days and I still don't even know where I am!" I sulked in the cage for a while, blowing on my hands and rubbing myself in an attempt to get warmer.

Footsteps again trotted towards me and I grumbled, thinking Ink had heard me. However, Cartilage tapped up to the bars instead. He sat on the floor almost like a dog to be closer to my sitting height. "You look cold," he mused after watching me for a bit, "Do you want a blanket or something?" I nodded and he wandered off, returning with a woven blanket in his paws. Sliding it between the metal bars, he sat back down. I pulled the blanket around myself and snuggled into it. It smelled like wet dog, but it was warmer than the chilling air.

"Thanks," I said halfheartedly. Cartilage frowned, "What's wrong? Why does your voice sound so sad? Or is that how it normally sounds?" "What's wrong?" I repeated frustratedly. "I'm locked in a cage with my arms bound! That's what's wrong! I keep trying to convince everyone that I'm not some animal, but no one listens to me!" I clasped a hand to my mouth after my sudden outburst, unsure how Cartilage would react. He sat there, wide-eyed, then turned away with a pensive look on his face. "I asked my brother about you," he said after a while, "Ink said that you had almost frozen to death before he took you in."

Hesitantly, Cartilage shifted towards my direction again. "I want to let you out of there, but I know you'll run away. And if you run away, well.. For one thing, Ink would never forgive me, and you'd run off into the cold and die somewhere. A lose-lose situation for the both of us, I'd say." "What if I swore to you that I wouldn't run away? I just don't like being treated like an animal, that's all. I.." I swallowed the saddened feeling in my chest and continued. "I know I can't survive out there. But I really don't want to sit in here either."

Cartilage almost seemed convinced. If I begged him one more time, surely he'd cave in. "Cartilage!" Ink called, startling both of us, "Cartilage, I need your help over here! Where are you?" In a much clumsier way than his brother, Cartilage scrambled up off the floor and tore away from the cage, tail tucked between his legs. He gave me one final glance as if to apologize, then darted away in the direction of Ink's voice.

"No! Come on!" I whispered angrily, "I almost had him!" Dejected and pissed off, I lay down. Half the blanket Cartilage gave me was wrapped beneath me to soften the cold floor, and the other half draped around my body. I did the same ritual as the night before, sending up another silent plea to the universe that this was all a horrible nightmare. However, I knew in the back of my mind that my predicament was absolutely and horrifyingly real.

A sudden chill swept through me, dragging me out of sleep. The tent was lit from the sun outside, so I assumed it was the next morning. Ink was standing by the cage with a dissatisfied look on his face. "Where did you get this?" he growled, holding up the blanket I'd been sleeping on. He must've yanked it right out from beneath me. "Cartilage gave this to you, didn't he?" Ink bared his fangs, angrily glaring across the Grand Floor in the direction of Cartilage's stand. "He's too soft," he chided, shaking his head sadly, "Which is why that boy will never be my successor. He just doesn't have what it takes to run a place like this. He's one of the best actors I've ever seen, but he's simply too emotional."

"I would've frozen last night if it weren't for him," I huffed angrily. Normally, I wouldn't dream of getting Ink any more worked up, especially after the fight we'd had yesterday morning. The metal bars around me locked me inside, but it also blocked others from getting in as well. Whatever rudimentary security the cold metal offered, I clung to it, ironically letting me have a bit more freedom.

Giving me a scrutinizing once-over, Ink stashed the blanket beneath a covered table nearby. Its surface was littered with structures of crystalline rock. "You can have it back after closing time. A cuddly blanket will undermine your character, don't you think? Remember, you're supposed to be a monster." I huffed in outrage, but nodded. "Try acting more.. aggressive, and less cowardly today. I'll walk you about the place if you do a good job." I really didn't appreciate the fact that my payment was an hour or so of controlled 'freedom' on a leash, but it was better than never getting out of here. Ink gave me one last inspection and made a curious humm as he stepped closer.

"That puffy, discolored.. thing — is that something you're wearing, or is it a part of you?" he asked, gesturing to my jacket. "No, it's not a part of me," I explained agitatedly. "I wear this to keep myself warm. If I wasn't wearing it, I would've been frozen solid long before even the hunters found me." His eyes widened, impressed. "Fascinating! I wonder what you really look like underneath all that." I blanched, the thought of Ink or any of the wolves taking off my clothing was more frightening than everything they'd done to me so far. "I would instantly freeze to death if you took this off me!" I quickly lied, "I would die before you even tried to put it back on me! Don't you ever even think-!" "Alright, alright," Ink interrupted me, "I won't let my curiosity get the better of me."

He strode off to check on some other showcase, leaving me alone with horrible intrusive thoughts. After a while, the curtains at the front were drawn back and I heard Ink’s voice welcoming visitors in. I stood on my toes, straining to see the entrance. A multitude of wolves came to my cage the moment the Grand Floor opened. I stayed directly in the middle, avoiding the reach of anyone who tried. I was content to avoid everyone, but Ink walked by a few minutes later and gave me a threatening stare. He wanted me to act — to pretend I was the monster he promised the crowd. I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths, trying to work up the courage to follow Ink’s request. I feared that he might punish me or worse, get rid of me, if I didn’t.

Well, I can always try. I tried making a scary-sounding noise, which came out as an angry yell that ended in a snarl. Many of the wolves backed away, startled. I lunged at them as they did so, but tripped over my own feet, accidentally slamming into the bars in front of me. This only made the crowd even more nervous. They glanced around at each other, and some with younger kids backed off, tugging them along. Ink, who was still watching from afar, gave me a satisfied smile and sidled away through the crowd. Now I know at least my efforts will be rewarded. Adrenaline pumping through my system, and anger from being treated like an animal constantly on my mind, I shook the bars of my cage in fury. “Why won’t anyone let me out?!” I screamed. Again I slammed myself against the metal bars, purposefully this time. The rest of the day was a blur of similar events. Ink didn’t even take me out for a walk; I was far too wild to be released.

Before I knew it, the floor was closed again and I was exhausted. I fell onto the floor, breathing hard. Thirsty and starving, I groaned in pain. Ink must’ve heard my cry, because a few moments later, he trotted over to my cage and unlocked it. I lifted my head to look up at him. Shockingly, he looked worried for me. He threw open the cage door and dropped to all fours, shifting closer to examine me. “Are you alright? That was quite a performance, and you kept it up all day!” I chuckled quietly, “Some of it wasn’t acting. I’m genuinely angry about being caged up in here.” Ink’s gaze shifted away from mine, slightly remorseful. “Do you need anything?” he asked kindly. “Just the usual food and water,” I told him blandly. Nodding absentmindedly, Ink turned and slunk away to get me what I’d asked for. The cage door was left wide open, and I raced to get out of it. However, I was pulled back down to the ground by the chains linked to my arms. I groaned as I knelt back on the cold metal beneath me.

Ink came back with cooked meat and a large glass of water. That is actually a great sign that he’s sorry for me. The meat was cooked evenly and the water wasn’t given to me in a bowl. I drank and ate while Ink stepped over to a table and brought me my blanket. After I finished, I was about to thank him for his small piece of hospitality, but he closed the door to my cage right then. I thought twice about thanking him after that.

“Tomorrow morning,” he began, “Keep up that act for a while. I’ll come over to you and do something dramatic to ‘pacify’ you. After that, pretend to calm down, and I’ll take you out and walk you around, alright?” I huffed, annoyed. “Would you stop being so two-faced with me? You lock me up in here all day, but at night you come over and start planning acts with me like I’m one of you. Make up your mind!” Ink growled briefly. “I’m trying to do as you asked and give you the freedom of a walk. If you really want me to make up my mind, you won’t like the path I choose. I’ll leave you in here and feed you through the bars like a real animal. Which is what you’re supposed to be.” My heart sunk into my stomach as he sauntered away, disappearing behind a stack of crates. Angry tears welled in my eyes, but I shook them off.

With nothing to do, I sat lamely in the dark, staring at the place where I’d watched Ink disappear with visions of punching in that snarky snout of his. As I did, a soft glow began emanating from the inside of one of the crates. Three of the sides — the ones facing the walkway — were made of tight mesh, while the other — the back one facing me — was made of solid wood. At first I thought it was some sort of glowing rock, like some of the ones on the table beside me, but it was flickering and moving, which made me think otherwise. Having been staring so intently at the crate, I hadn't even noticed the human-like shadow it cast on the floor beyond it. I gasped, stepping to the barred wall in front of me. “Hey!” I yelled quietly, “Who’s there? Why do you look like another person? Do you have fire over there?” The light disappeared immediately. “No, please! I.. I’m not actually a monster. I just want to talk. Are you trapped too?” There was a long silence after my question, and I was almost convinced that they weren’t going to answer me, or that I’d imagined it. “Yes, I’m trapped too.”

I was so shocked, I almost forgot to respond. The voice was unlike anything I’d heard. The closest thing I can think of is autotune of some sort, only it sounded a thousand times more melodic. It also sounded rather far away. “Wh- You’re not human, are you?” “No.” “Where are you?” There was a briefer silence. “You’re human, aren’t you?” That caught me slightly off-guard. “Yeah, what about you?” The light flickered on again, brighter than before, lighting up the whole area. I watched in awe as the silhouette of a tiny, four-armed person appeared through the mesh in the crate. Their entire body radiated light, and they were only the length of my palm.

“You are human! How did you even get here? Humans can’t get here! No wonder they locked you in a cage.” “Hey!” I yelped, a bit offended, “What’s that supposed to mean? And you haven’t answered me. What are you?” Her light dimmed down to a softer glow, just enough so I could see her. I couldn’t make out much of her features, though. Between her light and the distance between our cages, I couldn’t really see much. “I’m a faerie, I.. I was born without wings.” “A- A fairy? Those are real?” Talking wolves aren’t real either, but a fairy somehow made things much more unbelievable. “Is that why you’re here?” I asked dully, “The wings?” “Y- Yes. The colony banished me. They thought I was an omen of bad luck. My mother took me in when I was younger. If they’d found me then, they would’ve just killed me.” Now I was quiet for a while.

“What did you mean earlier? That it made sense they’d locked me in here?” “Oh, I just meant that they wouldn’t have understood what you were. Humans can’t get here. Only royalty are supposed to know your kind even exists.” “Then why do you know?” I saw her shrug, “Faeries know everything.” “Like magicly or..?” The tiniest laugh I’d ever heard echoed from the crate. “No, we just own all the history books.” “Oh.” That was about the entirety of our conversation. If humans can’t get here, then why am I here?

The following morning, I went along with Ink’s plan, but only so I could go out and visit that fairy. Ink himself looked slightly shocked that I actually followed his lead when he began pretending to hypnotize me into a ‘calmer state’. If anything, his haughty acting only riled me up, but I kept my anger to myself. I was taken by the chain and walked slowly around the entire tent. I was immensely relieved that I no longer had to act insane, or be trapped in a small space, but the crowds and shackles weren't much better alternatives. This time around, I paid a bit more attention to some of the other attractions as Ink paraded me through every place possible.

Our first stop was the hall I'd seen last when I was introduced. The strongman and fortune teller were there, and so was Cartilage. I had to do a double-take when I saw him. Not only was he wearing that giant necklace of skulls, he also had one over his face, like a mask, and the bottom pads of his hand-like paws were glowing with a pulsing light. It looked almost like the fairy's light, only it was blueish instead of soft yellow. Ink had stopped to watch his act, so I did as well.

He began pantomiming a few different things on stage, first putting himself in an invisible box, then walking on an imaginary cane, then sitting down on the open air as if there were a chair. I was getting bored of this, and someone in the audience even jeered that Cartilage's 'illusions' were just pretend. Cartilage only laughed and asked someone in the crowd for a drink. A younger wolf in the front row offered him their cup, and he took it gracefully. "Now, see this bowl in my paw?" he asked, holding out empty air. "Of course you can't. It's an illusion," he chuckled to himself. "Hmm, let me try filling it first."

Taking the cup the kid had given him, he poured it over his paw. Instead of spilling onto the stage, it sloshed around in the air in a half-circle, as if there really were an invisible bowl holding it. "See it now?" he asked as gasps rose up from the crowd. "What some wolves don't understand," he began, gesturing vaguely at the guy who'd complained earlier, who was now staring in awe. "Is that you don't necessarily have to see something to know it's there." As he said this, he pretended to climb a ladder, after a few fake steps, his feet fell onto invisible rungs and he climbed all the way up to the rafters of his small stage. The crowd burst into applause, but he held up a paw for silence.

"Ladies and gentlewolves, before the show I placed a trampoline onstage, but none of you saw it there. I don't even see it there." He chuckled, "Wish me luck." Cartilage lifted a foot, teetering on the edge of the plank he'd been standing on before falling over backwards, plummeting towards the stage. A wolf screamed in the crowd, and I could feel the tug of the chain on my wrists as I subconsciously itstepped closer. To everyone's amazement, his back briefly hovered mere inches above the wooden floor before springing back up. Cartilage bounced a few more times then jumped off to center stage, taking a gracious bow as the crowd exploded with praise and applause. Ink nodded approvingly and tugged me along past a fire-breather to a different section. While I wondered how Cartilage’s act worked.

A lone wolf stood at the entrance to a fake weathered gateway, warning visitors that while they would behold the most exquisite of treasures, they should be wary of the dragon that guards them. In a normal world I might've rolled my eyes at such a statement. However, the wolves that caught me had traded me for dragon meat. For all I know, there really is a dragon in there.

Ink stepped beneath the curtain, and I followed cautiously behind, suddenly taking the greeter's words to heart. The place was lined with strange artifacts in cases. Chalices and ancient-looking carvings sat grandly on pedestals, and tapestries hung from the walls. In one case, there were strange news articles about the uncanny — ghost sightings and blurry photos of imagined monsters. Among the papers was an ad that boasted the seller could solve anyone’s problems so long as they drew the pictured sigil, and had something of value to offer them. I'd even spied an artifact that was very clearly a rubix cube, but it was labeled as some otherworldly codex puzzle.

Did the wolves really believe that's what it was? I doubted any of them had actually seen a rubix cube, but even so, Ink tended to exaggerate things fairly frequently. Most likely, he didn't know what it was, but knew it was strange, so he gave it some fake name and placed it here. Actually, that's what happened to me. How many other attractions were just misplaced things?

As we walked deeper, the hallway became narrower, and less and less artifacts were on display, until there were none at all. The empty corridor faintly echoed with the sounds of maddened roaring and groaning, making my hair stand on end. One word raced through my mind as I strained at the very end of the chain, practically being tugged along: dragon.

Before I could call out to Ink and ask him to turn back, the corridor suddenly gave way to a room lined with red satin and piled high with gold coins. In the center of it all, a gigantic cage stood about five times bigger than mine. Inside it was.. I don't know what it was, but I shrieked the moment I saw it. A gigantic furry mass slid around inside the cage, hissing and groaning. Its basic body structure looked like a dragon, but instead of wings, it only had elongated arms and fingers, and its head looked like it had been twisted in the wrong direction.

I screamed again as the creature threw itself into the side of its cage, struggling to get to me. Its mouth opened in a snarling hiss, revealing row upon row of teeth, growing all the way down its throat. Straining on the end of my chain, I turned around and tried desperately to flee. For a minute or so, my feet dragged uselessly over the ground, but soon Ink walked back the way we'd come, hurrying me alongside him. I didn't stop running until I was safely out of that attraction. Afterwards, Ink decided it was best to put me back for the day. I hated that decision, but I was still too scared to say anything. He took a much calmer way to the cage — one with hanging pictures of various optical illusions. Some of them I recognised from my own world, some of them I didn't, but I wasn't really looking all that carefully.

Thankfully, Ink stopped to talk with some wolves just as we neared the entrance to my cage, giving me a bit more time outside. For a while, I stood there to catch my breath, but then I saw the faint glimmer of soft yellow light. Sneaking to the end of my chain, I peered cautiously into the crate from the night before. There she was. The little fairy sat cowering at the back of the crate, which was designed to look like an elaborately decorated little room. She was the closest creature I'd seen that looked human. Albeit, most of the other creatures looked nothing like humans at all. The fairy had the basic human torso, head, arms, and face, but lengthened antennae-looking tendrils protruded from the fronts of her eyebrows, and she had four arms instead of two. Her legs were the strangest — shaped like a bug’s but covered in skin. Despite her slightly unnerving appearance, she was one of the few creatures willing to speak with me normally, so I clung to her kindness almost eagerly.

“Hey,” I whispered softly, “It’s just me, you know, the human from last night.” She stood up off the floor, but didn’t move from her spot in the back. “H- How are you out there? I thought you were trapped too?” “Well, I’m still chained up,” I sighed, pointing to Ink, who was gripping my chain lightly, busy talking with a few customers. If I really wanted to, I could probably yank it out of his grasp and make a run for it, but I wouldn’t know where to go, and someone in the busy place would probably catch me before I made it out.

“Oh. Oh! They feed you meat, right? If you come back here tomorrow, do you think you could bring me some? They keep feeding me berries and stuff and it’s annoying. They don’t know that I eat virtually everything, not just plants. Sometimes they just bring me leaves and pine needles. Those aren't even edible!” “Why don’t you just tell them to get you something else? Threaten to die. It works for me.” She looked confused for a moment, then seemed to realize something. “They don’t understand me. Most creatures can’t understand us that easily.” “But I can understand you, and they speak the same language, as funky as their accents are.” “No it’s.. it’s a magic thing. I’m not speaking human language right now.” “Really?” She nodded. “What’s your name? If we’re going to work together, can I at least know your name?” “You can call me Liana.” “My name’s Ainsley. It’s nice to talk with someone who actually knows what I am.” Ink yanked on my chain then, dragging me away from her.

In a few minutes, I was back in my cage, angrily glaring at anyone who dared to get too close to me. While giving me my meal that night, Ink came back and applauded my performance with a slow clap. “Well, well, I must say I didn’t think I’d be giving you this meal, but you deserve it! Keep up the act and I might give you a whole second meal.” I couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic or serious about that, but I shrugged it off the best I could.

“Can I have that blanket back, please? I’ve been shivering all day.” “That wasn’t part of your act? I thought you were doing it to appear almost rabid — because that is what you looked like.” “Well, if I had some warmer clothes-" "No, no! The shaking is a good touch. Say, maybe I shouldn't give you more food. Maybe you'll thin out — look more like the posters." "Do you mean the half-dead looking version of me?" I quipped. "Because the only way I'll look like that is if I'm a corpse. That wouldn't be very good for business, would it?" "I suppose not. Though, if you do die, I can think of a few ways to preserve and display you." I stared Ink down between the bars of my cell. "Are you threatening me?" He shook his head and smiled toothily, "No, just thinking, is all."

With a nod goodnight, Ink stuffed the blanket back through the bars of my cell and plodded away. Once his footsteps stopped echoing across the floor, a strange noise started up. It sounded like someone talking, but it was too faint to make out, and the words were slightly garbled, like an echo from far away. Liana stood on the side of her crate again, I could see her glowing. The faint noise stopped, then started up briefly, then stopped again.

“Is.. Is that you making that sound?” I asked confusedly. It echoed briefly then stopped again. “Wait,” I said, slowly working at something in my mind. “You said that not everyone can understand you…” Her light flashed brightly for a second before dimming again. “Does that mean I’m right?” I guessed, “I can’t understand you anymore?” Another flash; I was right. “But why? I could understand you yesterday. I could even understand you a few hours ago!” I knew she couldn’t actually answer me, at least, not in a way I understood, but I was still worried. I’d finally made a friend and now I couldn’t talk with them. “So is that it? Is there like, a limit that I reached?” There were two flashes this time, which I could only assume meant no. I spent a good portion of the night guessing what had happened with yes or no questions, and fell asleep knowing essentially what the problem was.

As it turns out, the fairy language is really weird. Everyone can understand it at least once a day, but beyond that, it was the luck of the draw. Sometimes I would be able to understand her just fine for all 24 hours, other times it would sound echoey like this. Liana confirmed that there was a way to prevent disconnects like this, but I didn’t know much more than that. I sulked in my cell all the following day, not bothering to interact with the crowd like Ink had taught me. He gave me a stern look as I walked by, but I ignored him. I ignored everyone — until some kid threw a bone from his meal at me. Whirling angrily around at the speed of light, I stared him down, daring him to do something else that would piss me off.

He backed up beside someone who might’ve been his father or older brother, then stuck his tongue out at me. Seething, I picked up the bone he threw at me and lobbed it back through the bars at him. He was just a kid, and probably didn’t deserve that kind of hostility from me, but I was already feeling dejected from capture, and alone after being cut off from easy communication. The bone hit him square on the nose, and he immediately started bawling. His companion turned to me suddenly. They hadn’t been paying attention, but the kid was screaming about how I’d attacked him, and suddenly I became the bad guy. The older wolf growled at me and bared his teeth.

“Come ‘ere you dumb animal!” With quicker reflexes than I expected, he reached into the cage and grabbed my arm. Claws dug into my skin and I cried out in pain, struggling to get free from his grasp. I managed to slide away, but large bloody gashes were left behind. They stretched out down the length of my forearm. A larger crowd began gathering around my cage, making claustrophobia set in. Before I could shout at them, the wolf who’d attacked me reached in further and took my chain in his paws, hauling me back over to him as his hackles raised. Snarling, he took a swipe at my face, but I ducked out of the way just in time. “Wait! Stop! I didn’t do anything!” I cried, “The kid started it!”

Suddenly, Ink pushed through the crowd with the help of his decorative cane — plowing a path through the onlookers. Everyone froze as he shoved the wolf who’d attacked me back from the cage. “How dare you spoil one of my best exhibits! Keep your paws off; it says right there on the sign! Are you illiterate, or just dumb? I ought to make you your own exhibit with the fools! Get out! Now!”

“It- it attacked my kid,” he sputtered, gesturing to the younger wolf’s bleeding nose. “If he was close enough to get hit, then he was standing too close to begin with. Out. The both of you. Go put some snow on his snout, it’ll heal right up.” Ink shuffled the two trouble-makers off, and came back a few moments later to lead away the rest of the crowd. Drawing out a large rope, he tied it over the entrance to the exhibit, announcing that it was closed for the day. I sat at the back of the cage in tears. My arm throbbed painfully as blood spilled over my clothes and the floor. I tore off my coat, only to feel the freezing air and pull it back on. Only my hurt arm was left outside, stinging with pain and biting cold. A grey wolf like the one that attacked me stepped in, and for a terrifying moment I thought he’d snuck back in to finish the fight. However, it was someone else.

This wolf was carrying a medical kit and a large roll of bandages. I cowered in the corner as my cell was unlocked. “Aww, poor thing,” she cooed, lowering herself to all fours to be closer to my height. “It’s alright, I won’t hurt you. I’m here to help.” I could tell that’s why she was here by the things she’d brought, yet I still felt the need to stay tucked in the corner. Pulling on a tight glove, she reached for my arm. Instinctively, I pulled it away from her. “Ah, ah, come here.” Her hand-like paw brushed against my skin and I flinched, but her touch was light. She guided me a bit closer, then scrutinized my arm for a moment.

Pulling a jug of liquid from her bag, the wolf poured it over my cuts. “Ahh!” Whatever it was, it stung awfully. “You couldn’t have given me a warning first!?” The wolf’s eyes grew wide in surprise, and her hands slid away. “Y- You talk? Sorry, I… Are you new?” I nodded and gripped my arm in pain. “Here, don’t do that, it’ll just make you bleed faster.” Gently, she took a cloth to my arm and dabbed at it. The cloth was soaked in something wet, but it wasn’t the stinging stuff. I relaxed slightly as I watched the bleeding slow down.

After that, the wolf took the roll of cloth and began wrapping up my arm. “Now try not to mess with your bandages. Usually I’d put a cone on a creature in your condition, just to prevent them from aggravating their wounds, but you seem smart enough to know not to. You don’t need a cone, do you?” I shook my head vigorously. “Alright, I’ll leave it off for now. If you mess with my work I’ll come put one on you, though.”

She stood up and examined me for a moment. “Is there anything you might need before I go?” There were at least twenty things I could think of, but most of them were impossible. “I’d like something to eat and drink,” I told her. She nodded and stepped out, locking the door behind her. Minutes later, she returned with some cooked meat and a cup of water. “I asked the kitchen, but is this really what you eat?” I nodded and she shrugged, unlocking the door again to hand my meal to me.

“Well, that’s about as much as I can do,” she mused, giving me a final once-over. “If you need medicine or if your bandages get messed up, call for Tangle. That’s me.” She turned and reached to lock the door, but I stopped her. “Wait! I.. I don’t want to be here.” I felt like that was obvious, but I just wanted someone to understand how I felt. Someone to help get me out of this awful place. Tangle didn’t seem as inhospitable as Ink did, so I tried to get my point across. She gave me a pitying look and smiled sadly at me, ears dipping against her head. “I’m sorry sweet thing. If it were up to me I’d let you out. But it’s not up to me. I’d lose my job if I did.” “But.. But I-” My voice cut off with tears as I slumped over on my good arm, leaning heavily against the cold bars of my cell.

Tangle turned right around and rushed in beside me. “Aww, you poor innocent thing,” she cooed, “You’ll be alright. It’ll heal up with maybe a scar, but after it heals, it won’t bother you.” I took a wheezing breath between tears, “That.. That isn’t what I- I want to go home!” Everything was shaking now — my whole body. I’d partially taken off my coat to keep my arm from snagging on the material, and I was detrimentally paying the price. Within the few minutes I had it off, I’d quickly become colder and colder.

I watched as Tangle’s ears slowly flattened all the way against her head. “Oh.” With slow movements, she slid closer and drew me into a hug, avoiding my wounded arm. I didn’t want it, but she was fluffily warm, so I let her. “I’ll ask Ink to keep stricter rules regarding you. Maybe we’ll build you an enclosure without space for others to stick their arms into.”

“That.. would help,” I sniffed. A brief rhythmic thumping started up as Tangle’s tail wagged over the base of my cage. “Good! I’ll see what I can do for you. It is my job to keep everyone here happy and healthy, after all.” I was feeling neither of those things, but I didn’t tell her that. The wolf got up, sliding her warmth away from me, and I began shivering again. “Can you pass me my blanket?” I sounded pathetic between my tearful voice and chattering teeth, but I could care less about my dignity at the moment. Tangle nodded and took it out from its place hidden beneath the table that I pointed to. She handed it to me and promised to come back tomorrow bright and early to check on me. With that, Tangle stepped away into the crowds outside, leaving me alone in misery.

Once night had fallen, Ink returned with my daily meal. I’d thrown the cup Tangle had given me across the floor before he came. That way, he wouldn’t know that I’d already eaten. “What a show today, hmm?” he asked me as he placed down my things. “I’m sure you’ll have quite the crowd tomorrow.” “Tomorrow?” I asked incredulously, “What do you mean tomorrow? I haven’t healed up yet!” “And? You can still act. It’s not like you have a broken bone.” Groaning in annoyance, I watched as he swiftly walked away before I could argue any more. My arm was throbbing again, but I couldn’t call for Tangle because everyone had gone home for the night.

Actually, not everyone had left yet. The white tips of Cartilage’s ears poked up above the tops of crates as he walked by. If anyone here were to let me out, it would be him. “Cartilage!” I called, shocked at how desperate my voice sounded. He paused in front of the entrance, then dropped to four legs, stepping beneath the rope. I heard him inhale softly at the bloodied bandages around my arm. “I heard you’d gotten in a fight, but I didn’t realize you were injured.” I nodded, inconspicuously trying to look as sad as possible. “How is it?”

“It hurts, and my arm is freezing. I can’t put it in my sleeve or the blanket because it’s too painful.” Cartilage rushed up to the door then circled back to the entrance. “I’m going to get the keys, I’ll be right back!” At first, I thought he was already convinced to release me, but when he returned, I realized that he just wanted to open the door so he could come sit with me. All I had to do was convince him to release my chains, then I could run. However, if I could convince him to release me intentionally, I would have a much better chance to escape. At that point, I didn’t care if I got lost or froze to death. Anything would be better than this place.

When he got close enough, I decided to put my highschool acting classes to good use. “Cartilage, please! You have to let me out! I’m.. scared.” Internally, I tried my hardest to cry again. I doubted he would deny me if I started bawling. The best I could do was get my eyes to tear up, though. I guess I’d used up all my real tears earlier. “Scared?” he echoed, passively laying down like a dog who’d been yelled at. “Yes, I’m scared the awful wolf who hurt me will come back and finish me off! I tried to tell Ink, but he said that he was opening my exhibit tomorrow anyway!” I whined.

Cartilage's ears were pinned back against his head. He fidgeted with the key, glancing backwards at the open door. "Please, I can find my way home. Just let me go." That was a bold-faced lie, but I couldn't think of much else I could try. Heaving a long, heavy sigh, Cartilage stood up and carefully brought my shackles closer, minding my injury. With two clicks, the metal links fell to the ground. I gaped at my freed wrists in awe.

"Take this blanket with you and run," Cartilage told me, guiding me out of the cage. "Don't trust anyone you meet, and good luck on your journey home. I.. I do hope you get back to wherever it is you came from." With the excitement of my freedom flooding my veins, I couldn't help but pull him into a small hug. "Thank you. I won't ever forget what you did for me." Nodding curtly, he turned toward the entrance. "Give me a bit of time to leave first. That way we won't be caught together. If they do find you, perhaps I would still be able to help you escape again." "Good idea," I agreed.

Cartilage slipped soundlessly beneath the rope, took a final glance at me, then disappeared into the darkness of the closed circus tent. Heart pounding in my chest, I positioned myself to make a run for it at the exit to my exhibit. However, a flash of light startled me from my concentration. A loud, panicked-sounding echo rang out beside me. "Liana!" I gasped, sneaking to the front of her display. She raced to the other side of the mesh, speaking faster than I could process even if I could understand her.

"Alright, alright, calm down. I didn't forget you," I assured her quietly, "How do I get you out of here?" She raced over to the left side of the crate, the opposite side that I'd been near, and pointed to a bolt lock on the side. "-pens the crate." Her voice came out of nowhere. "What? Wait, I can understand you again!" "Really? It must be your time. This is about the same time we'd talked the first night, isn't it?" I shrugged, too excited to bother with anything but escape. "What were you saying before?" "Oh! There's a latch on the side over here that opens the crate." I nodded and stepped over to where she pointed. There was no padlock — just a small keyhole on a simple latch. "How have you not broken out of here by now?" I wondered aloud, throwing open the door. "It's iron." "And? You don't have to break through it. Just pick the lock. It shouldn’t be too hard for someone your size." Liana sighed, "I'll explain it to you later."

With a quick flinging motion, I busted the door and threw it open. We stared at each other for a moment as I realized that she couldn't follow me out without wings. "Umm, I guess you could hide in my pocket," I offered. She studied me for a moment. "I'll take the big one. The one on your back." She was referring to my hood, which I intended to pull over my head the moment I stepped outside into the freezing cold night. I explained to her why that wasn't really an option, but she shook her head, insisting I wouldn't need it. "I can do a simple spell that will make you tolerate the cold! Please?"

"You can do that for me?" I asked incredulously, "Keep me from freezing?" Liana nodded, "Yes, now let's get out of here! I'm already incredibly nervous and we haven't even left yet!" The muscles on her back rippled strangely. It took me a moment to realize that those muscles might’ve been what controlled her wings if she had them. I imagined they would be buzzing with nervous excitement right now. "You're right, let's get out of here."

Turning around, I cautiously backed up to her crate until I felt my coat press against it. "Get in, do the spell, then hold on tight because I'm willing to run forever until I get far enough away from this place." In a moment, I felt a slight weight fall to the bottom of my hood. Sneaking to the edge of the tent, I could sense the slight grip of her climbing up to peer over my shoulder. At the edge of the tarp, I turned my head to the side to look at her. "Alright, can you do the spell?" "It's already done," she replied, "Step outside and try it."

Lifting up a flap of the tent, a strong wind blew past me, but it was only slightly cool, like it had come from a handheld fan. Simultaneously shocked and thrilled by the much warmer weather, I tore out of the tent. It felt so good to be able to run again. The only issue was how deep the banks of snow were. Though I couldn’t feel the biting cold, the deep piles of frozen slush slowed me down quite a lot. I tried to get as far away as I could, wandering aimlessly through the woods like I had on the day I fell into this crazy world.

Eventually, I came across a cobblestone road of sorts. There was nothing else to do besides wander, and the road was clear of snowdrifts like the knee-high ones I’d been stepping through, so I followed it with a sigh. “Where are you going?” Liana asked, climbing up to my shoulder. “I don’t really know,” I confessed. “I’d ask you where you think I should go, but you were banished and then captured, so I don’t think you would know, either.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry about that, by the way. That must’ve been awful. At least mine was a mistake.” “Why are you sorry?” she asked confusedly, “You had nothing to do with it.” “It’s.. a human way of saying that I sympathize with you.” “Oh.”

We walked in silence for a while, then the rumble of something coming down the road started up, shaking snow off the branches of the trees overhead. Quickly, I dashed behind the trunk of a nearby pine tree and waited for it to pass. Four large horses plodded down the road, dragging a giant sled behind them. A single driver sat tiredly in the front. As it passed by, Liana gasped, but it was distorted. I grumbled slightly as she spoke and I couldn’t understand a single thing. “I can’t understand you anymore,” I told her quietly so the driver wouldn’t hear. Her face scrunched up in annoyance. Liana climbed all the way out until she was leaning over my shoulder and pointed hurriedly at the sled, then at me.

“You want me to get on? Why?” She let off a faint glowing flash of light, signaling yes. I didn’t know why, but as the sled slowly disappeared from sight, she became more and more insistent that I get on it. I gave in and snuck quietly behind it, racing up to the back before jumping in. I owed her as much for keeping me from freezing to death. As I rolled to a stop beside a tied-up bundle of logs, my arm burst into pain. It throbbed incessantly, and when I held it up, blood seeped through my bandages. I flinched as Liana jumped down, landing on my leg. “Wh- what are-?” She motioned for me to bring my arm closer.

When I held it up to her, she placed three of her hands on it, spanning the length of my arm. I could hear her speaking, then I felt a strange tightening along my skin. Slowly, Liana unwrapped the bandages. Only thin red lines were left where I was clawed. Mesmerized by the feeling, and the slow-crawling skin stitching itself back together, I watched my arm until I couldn’t find a single trace of the scratches. There wasn’t even a scar like Tangle said there would be. Liana turned to look back up at me with a small smile. Suddenly, the sled hit a bump in the road and she was thrown off balance. She was tossed backwards towards the end of the sled, but I caught her at the last second. Scared she might fall off again, I held her gently to my chest, scooting further into the bed of the sleigh.

Liana said something softly, pushing at my fingers slightly. I looked down, suddenly overly aware that I was holding what was basically a tiny person in my hands. I loosened my grip on her a bit, holding her a slightly further back. “Are you alright? I didn’t mean to grab you.” She nodded slowly, examining the little seat she had in my cupped hands before safely repositioning herself and settling down. We sat together like that for a long time, watching as the pine trees slowly dispersed until they finally vanished over the horizon.

Scrubby bushes were the only thing left to decorate the landscape. It was probably around mid-morning. Surely Ink had come to my cage by now, only to realize that I was gone. I hoped he didn’t suspect Cartilage. As much as I hated the wolves in general, he had let me go even if it did take a lot of effort to convince him on my part. He wanted me to go home, but I had no idea where I was even when I arrived. This sled could be going in the opposite direction, for all I know. I do trust Liana’s judgment, though. The sleigh traveled for hours while we waited for its inevitable stop at some unknown destination, where we could make our escape.

#kinda mad that the specific fonts for each creature’s dialogue doesn’t show up on tumblr #the Greater Wolves’ dialogue IS supposed to be bold #but Faeries are supposed to have 9 point font Caveat #eh whatever #it looks cool for my google doc at least #g/t #giant tiny #promptober/inktober #Winter’s Everlasting

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