"You must hurry Duck, we do not have much time..." Edel glanced fretfully at the door. Droselmyer would be back at any moment, if he caught wind of the duo's plan... the outcome would be too horrid to imagine. The red headed girl, who earlier was busy trying to put what little possessions she had into a knapsack, was now looking up at Edel somberly.
"Miss Edel, I know you're trying to help me, but, if I go..." Duck became a bit choked up, "What will happen to you? He is sure to find out I have gone sooner or later."
"Sweet Duck..." Edel placed a gentle hand on her head, "I have faced Droselmyer before you and I will continue to face him now... now is your time to be free." Edel reached into her pocket and pulled out a few crumpled bills. She placed them firmly into Duck's hands, closing her fist around them. "Take this, you'll need it more than me." Ducks eyes became wide.
"This is what we were saving to..."
"Leave together, I know.." Edel held Ducks hands tighter, "But for now, you must leave for the both of us. Now go, quickly. He will be back any moment." Duck threw the knapsack over her shoulder and opened her bedroom window, they couldn't risk anyone seeing her leave out the front door. Droselmyer had eyes everywhere. The cool night air caressed her freckled cheeks. It filled her with excitement and fear. "Before you go duck..." Edel reached around the girl, placing a pendant around her neck. Duck held it in her hands. It was a simple red stone, hanging from an old, rusty chain. Edel kissed the back of Duck's head gently. The familiar touch of the only person in the world Duck could consider a parent nearly brought her to tears, she held them in, though. "Don't look back, it will only make things harder." Edel Stepped away from her. Duck took a deep breath and hopped out the window, disappearing into the night. Back home, tears stream silently down Miss Edel's face.
Duck ran through the dimly lit streets, a hood covering her face from anyone who could possibly identify her. She had memorized the directions the man had given her earlier that day by heart. 'Meet me here at nightfall... if you truly mean what you say about dancing, this may be your lucky break.' How could Duck ever say something she didn't mean about dancing? It was her life since the first moments she could remember, that first day, she awoke lost and alone in the woods, not even knowing her own name. Suddenly she was enveloped in a warm, feathered embrace. The silhouette of a winged primadonna appeared before her that day, encouraging her to always dance. Duck was sure it was that dancing that guided Miss Edel to her, and it was the same dancing that got her an invitation to join traveling dance troupe earlier that day.
Duck was reluctant to join, Miss Edel was the only friend she had ever known, she took Duck in and treated her as her own child. Leaving Edel alone with her abusive father, Droselmyer broke her heart. Edel assured Duck that she would be fine, and Duck could do nothing but take her word for it. She was nearing the site now. She could see a carriage faintly in the distance, dancers were picking up their things and loading themselves into the back. The last person climbed aboard and the carriage paused momentarily before its wheels started to turn. Duck ran faster, gasping for air.
"Wait!" She cried out, closing in on the carriage. She was close enough to see the people inside now, her hand instinctively reached out to stop it, "Please! Don't leave me!" She begged. There was no way she could go back now, not after all the trouble Miss Edel had gone through to get her away safely. A hand reached out from the back of the carriage, it grabbed tightly onto hers and tugged, but the person was almost pulled out of the cart themselves. Just when Duck was beginning to lose hope, she was pulled from off the ground and into the carriage, tumbling onto the cramped floor.
"Idiot, why did you do that? If she was so desperate to come she should have been here on time, What if you had fallen?" huffed a tan boy with long, dark hair. He looked down at Duck distastefully before plopping back down into his seat. The 'idiot' the first boy was referring to was his near opposite. Another boy with hair, skin, and eyelashes white as snow.
"Sorry Fakir..." the white haired boy apologized softly, sitting down next to him. Fakir sighed heavily and placed a calloused hand on the others head.
"It's fine, just stop putting strangers before yourself, Mytho." He insisted. Duck dusted herself off,
"Th-Thank you so much! You helped me up r-right?" She blurted without thinking. She bowed her head gratefully at the two. "I-I'm Duck! I am so happy to be able to dance ballet with the two of you... well, all of you." She looked shyly over at the other dancers, who were all staring at her now. A girl with raven hair, who sat on the other side of Mytho let out a small giggle.
"Dance with Mytho? You're so funny." The girls piercing red eyes met Duck's innocent blue ones, she grinned slyly. "Duck, was it...? I like you. Come sit by me." She motioned for the dancer next to her to leave her sight, which they did without question, then patted the now empty seat. Duck was far too elated at the opportunity to make friends to be even the slightest bit suspicious, so she happily snatched the seat up. The raven haired girl laughed again. "You have a strange manner about you, Duck. Lets be friends, my name is Rue." Fakir leaned forward to look at Rue suspiciously. She was never this kind to new dancers, the whole situation made Fakir, as well as everyone else in the carriage uneasy. Rue was a cut-throat dancer, not many people knew much, if anything about her. The only thing that was known to be true about her between members of the troupe was that she was madly in love with the troupe's leading man, Mytho. It was that love for Mytho that drove her to relentlessly challenge everyone before her and become his sole partner, the troupe's primadonna ballerina. Meanwhile, Duck was beaming and gladly accepted Rue's friendship. The goofy redhead began chattering on and on to her new 'friend' about anything and everything. Rue played along and listened intently even though the girl was beginning to annoy her, she wouldn't let it show.
Time ticked on, the night air had become still and silent. The majority of the troupe had dozed off in their seat by now. They were far from the place Duck had called home all those years, she was beginning to feel a bit worried for Miss Edel. What was happening at her home now? Duck clutched the pendant that hung around her neck tightly, she was so lost in thought about Edel that she had stopped talking to Rue mid-conversation. The ballerina was now staring at her, a bit irritated.
"Hello? Earth to Duck?" Rue waved a slender hand in front of her face. "What's wrong with you?" Duck returned back to reality from her deep thoughts and gave a half-hearted laugh.
"Just a bit homesick I suppose..." She sighed, turning the round stone over and over in her hand, Rue reached for the pendant.
"What's that? Let me see it." Before Duck could oppose her, she took the gem into her hand. "This stone is very pretty... I suppose someone important back home gave this to you, right?" Rue let go of the pendant and it fell back into place. Duck nodded.
"Miss Edel gave it to me... I guess shes kinda like my mom. At least I think that's what moms are like." She pursed her lips in thought. "She's the one who found me and she protected me always, even if it meant she had to do something dangerous she'd always make sure that I had what I needed." Duck thought back to all the things Edel would do for her, she worked any job she could get, and when times got rough and she couldn't find one, Edel would go so far as stealing and pick pocketing to make some extra money. Duck felt a bit guilty at the fact that this pendant may be someone else's, but she knew Edel had the best intentions at heart.
"Well, that sure sounds like a good parent to me, not that I would know..." Rue averted her eyes from Duck's and bit down on her fingernail. Duck tilted her head in confusion. Rue still would not meet her eyes. "Anyways, I'm tired. Goodnight, Duck." Rue reached into the bag by her feet and pulled out a blanket. She covered herself and Mytho with it, then she closed her eyes. Duck was curious about what she had said earlier but decided not to bother her. Instead she wished her good night, and tried to drift off to sleep as well.
Duck sat wide awake until the sun was nearly upon the carriage. Regardless of the bumpy ride and the birds waking and chittering up in the trees the other dancers still slept peacefully. She guessed that would be something she learned to do as the days stretched on. During the hours that Duck sat restless in the darkness she could find herself thinking of nothing other than home. She wondered to herself if this homesickness would ever subside, and when she would be able to see Miss Edel again. Just after dawn the carriage finally came to a stop. Duck had hardly noticed any difference she was so lost in her own thoughts. She didn't come back to reality until a figure in the corner of her eye stirred. The carriage door was gently pulled open and a pair of eyes peered in. Duck recognized that almost feline face, it belonged to the leader of the troupe, the very one who recruited her and everyone else there, . He noticed that Duck was awake, that didn't surprise him much but he very much in shock at the seat she had taken. Mr. Cat motioned for Duck to join him outside and turned around, leaving the door slightly ajar. The petite girl tiptoed over everyone's feet and out of the carriage. Mr,Cat was waiting for her outside.
"Couldn't sleep?" He inquired. The exhausted girl could do nothing but nod. The sunlight hurt her eyes, that were swollen from both a lack of sleep and crying during the night, and her tailbone was sore from the hard wooden seats. She didn't complain, though, for she knew must have been even more tired driving that carriage all night. She could see clearly the bags under his eyes and his drowsy demeanor gave it all away. Mr. Cat sighed and shook his head. "Well, the rest of the dancers will not be up for a while still. They had a very long performance last night and I am sure they're still exhausted. You should take the chance and rest a bit, as well. After tonight we will be on the road again, and I expect you to attend the practice later this afternoon as well." Mr. Cat walked over to the other carriage, where another unlucky, sleep-deprived dancer was unloading a tent which duck assumed to belong to Mr. Cat himself. He took the tent from the dancer and shooed him away. Mr. Cat turned back to Duck once more and with a serious look in his eye, he said; "I understand your distress, but I expect you to fulfill your promise and stay in this troupe with us. You are family now... and if you don't live up to my expectations..." his eyes narrowed, "I will have no other choice but to force you to marry me!" Mr. Cat screeched into the quiet morning air, and with that he scurried off to pitch his tent and get some well earned shuteye. Duck was alone now, not even the villagers in the small town they stopped in had begun to start their days yet. The air was dark and heavy and it seemed to press down on Duck, it smothered her and weighed her down. Eventually she just found a nearby tree and sat against it, trying to catch her breath. Duck wasn't used to feeling like this, usually she could make the best of any situation, and this opportunity should make her happy, but she couldn't keep herself from longing for home. Duck started sobbing quietly to herself, she pulled her legs in close to her and buried her face in her knees. The girl was too distraught to worry about crying in public anymore. She wasn't ready to leave her family, everything just happened so suddenly and now there was no turning back. Duck started crying a bit harder, her shoulders trembling with each shaky breath. She heard the crunching of leaves near her and her head shot up, startled. Mytho stood stoically by her, he didn't flinch a bit at Duck's sudden movements, instead he took another step towards her. Duck stood quickly and wiped her eyes and nose on the sleeve of her shirt.
"S-Sorry! I was being loud wasn't I? Sorry I'm so sorry, you're Mytho right? I probably woke you up, huh? I'm sorry I'm such a dummy you're probably so tired..." Duck started rambling a bit then paused when she noticed that Mytho wasn't saying anything back. He was just staring at her with his large, doe-like brown eyes. He stepped closer again and wiped a tear from her chin.
"Why is it... that you're crying?" Mytho asked in a low voice, his head tilted in confusion.
"Well..." The freckled ballerina trailed off. Mytho's gaze was so intense, but he had such a graceful, almost innocent manner about him. It made Duck very flustered and she lost her train of thought. "w-well... that's because I'm sad...I wanted to dance here very badly but..."
"But? Do you not like dancing, Duck?" Mytho inquired. Duck hadn't realized he had taken note of her name. Now she was very embarrassed and tripping over her words even more.
"N-No, that's not it I-" she objected. Mytho held his hand out and gave her a kind smile.
"Would you dance with me, then? I want to see you dance Duck." Duck held her breath and looked at him. 'Is he... Is he serious?' She asked herself. Though she did come here to dance, she never thought herself any good. Kids in her town always told her she danced like a Duck. The nickname stuck around and shes been called that ever since, though the name doesn't bother her anymore, her dancing she felt was still sub-par to anything that Mytho could do, she was sure of it. Even the way he walked was just so graceful and fluid, there was no way she could... While duck was once again lost in thought, Mytho had taken her hand and pulled her close to him, away from the treeline so they could have room. He began leading her into a Pas De Deux, his hands were gentle and though she was reluctant at first, it felt easy for Duck to be dancing with him. The ballerina lost all of her inhibitions. She tiptoed around Mytho, following his guiding hand. He spun her round and round the crisp air caressed her flushed cheeks, finally a smile was brought back to her face. Mytho's hands grabbed hold of Duck's waist as she slowly positioned herself into first arabesque, one of arms raised gently in front over her head, the other draped behind her. She struggled to stretch and straighten her leg behind her, she was shakily trying to hold the position. No matter how much she trembled Mytho did not waver. Duck stood upright again and took a step away from him, bashfully tucking a wild strand of her auburn locks behind her ear. She couldn't keep the silly grim from stretching across her cheeks no matter how hard she tried. They had finished dancing now but her heart still pounded feverishly as if he were still holding her in his arms. Mytho smiled a bit more than earlier and let his hands drop back at his sides.
"See? Now you're smiling." He pointed out before walking past her, back towards the carriage where dancers were just now starting to stir themselves awake.
"So that's how it feels..." Duck muttered to herself, "That's how it feels... to have someone dance with you!" She looked down at her hands, which were covered in freckled constellations. Duck felt like the universe was all inside of her. Dancing with Mytho made her feel talented, and beautiful, and most of all, it cured her of her homesickness. She was sure Edel would be happy to see her here, this was what they both truly wanted. Duck couldn't be more excited to start practice later this afternoon. Once again gripping the pendant around her neck, she looked up at the sky she knew both Edel and her were under, and was at ease.
Back at the carriage, red eyes peered out and long fingernails dug into the old door. A scowl distorted Rue's face, her dark locks were tangled around her, matted from sleep. She saw the two's dance end and disappeared back into the carriage. Cold thoughts began creeping into her mind. She was Mytho's sole partner.
"Maybe..." She whispered to herself, a crafty grin tugging at the corner of her lips, "Maybe our new little Duckling needs to be taught a lesson. You don't go around trying to take other people's things." Rue began running a brush through her long hair, the devious smile never left her lips.
AN:Thank you for reading my story! I hope you decide to stick around as the plot unfolds. (Rue isn't a bad girl, I swear!) See you next time!