A/N: This one came to me when I was playing a little game online. I was playing with different outfits on a virtual doll that looked like Ruby. When one made her look like a gypsy or someone who travels in a caravan… well, I thought of a certain young man who also traveled in a covered wagon with his parents. What if these two crossed paths in a large town one day? That's right young!Jiminy and Performer!Red AU coming at you.
"Passing Through"
Jiminy had hoped that they had enough money for the week. They had already passed through two smaller townships on the way to their next destination and made a good amount of profit, even without the money from the pick pocketing he had to go through yet again. Surely, his parents would be somewhat happy with what he had pilfered from the crowd. They also scammed a young mother out of her silver candle sticks that were heirlooms. He was so tired of stealing from people. Going on twenty- six years, he was so tired of doing this to others. He wanted to be honest, he wanted to be… good.
"Jiminy," his mother called from the front of their wagon.
He stumbled over a few of their conquests and his father's sleeping form to open the small window that opened to the driver, "Yes, mother?"
"We should be arriving in Snowland soon," she smiled deviously and all his hopes of lying low in the large city were dashed.
"Why don't we just be good for once and leave the people alone?" Jiminy asked and put his hands on the window sill.
She sighed and groaned a little in annoyance as she shot him another look, "Better that we take advantage of them-"
"Before they take advantage of us," he repeated in a sorrowful tone and nodded in understanding, "What did you need me for?"
"Finish the driving, will you?" she asked and slowed the horses for him to get out, "I would like a rest."
"We just left an hour ago," he frowned, but made the movements to come out to the driver's seat, "You said that I would be okay to rest for the rest of the trip."
"But my bones are achy and my muscles are acting up again," she whined and held her hand pinched between her other hand, "I can't hold them well."
Jiminy nodded and hopped out of the wagon to jump into the driver's seat as the wagon still rolled along. He stopped the horses completely as his mother climbed into the back of the wagon and fell into a good, comfortable sleep beside his father. He flicked the reigns lightly and pushed the horses toward the large city in the distance.
The horses looked like they were tired as well and Jiminy reached forward to pat them both on the back gently, "You both and I will take a nice needed rest after we get into the city. I will make sure of it."
Once at the gates of the large and, by the looks of it, rich city Jiminy told the gate guards that he was part of a puppet show that his parents owned. He showed the guards the back of his wagon and pointed out his parent's sleeping forms. The guards nodded and ushered him through.
"We require that all performances are held in the town square. There is a large patch of grazing land for your animals and places to settle along the west end of the square," one guard recited to him.
"Thank you," Jiminy nodded in genuine thanks and led the horses and the wagon to the west side of the square, were there was a large field. He settled the wagon without any help from his slumbering parents and made sure it was stable while he let the two old horses out to the field, but kept them on long tethers in case of their wandering ways. He put off setting up for the show until he could see what exactly he was up against as far as space and audience.
In town square there seemed to be a few groups already performing, belonging to one larger group. He watched a juggling act, a human pyramid and a small freak show. Each was wondrous in its own way and so entertaining, but what really grabbed his attention was a large stage at the middle of the other shows. It had material hung around it like a shroud, shielding curious eyes from the real show about to begin. He walked himself toward the front as a man in fine wear introduced the performance.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he started and looked at the large crowd, his skin strangely shimmering in the sunlight, as if made from metal. A woman in a shimmering gold dress stood next to the material, ready to unveil the next show; blue ribbons decorating her chestnut hair, "I hope you have been enjoying my show. Name is Gold, and here I introduce one of our main attractions. The Temptress of the Beasts!"
He waved his hand toward the main curtain and it dropped with a pull from golden beauty. People gathered and gasped as caged beasts curved around the stage with a single figure in the middle, a large red cape and hood throwing them in mystery. The cages rattled and clanged as the predators began to pound against them. There was a large gryphon at the far left, its neck squeezed gently by a large gold collar. The middle was what looked like a unicorn with dark coloring. At the very end was a rather large wolf which seemed to pace the cage, its eyes locked on the figure on the stage.
"Watch as she sets each of these beasts free and tames each with not a word," Gold announced as the gold beauty settled beside him, "At least not ones that we hear or understand."
The now proclaimed woman stood up and the hood over her head fell back. Jiminy, now enthralled with the show, gasped at who he saw. Her black, raven hair cascaded in curls down her shoulders and back. Her eye lids opened to bright green- almost silver eyes, her face angular and young. Her red lips pouted and parted in a deep breath. Jiminy found he was leaning toward the stage further, as did some of the other patrons.
The woman let the cloak fall from her completely. It pooled at her feet as her top, reminding Jiminy of descriptions of gypsies, shone red and dark brown in the light. A dark skirt that swayed with her hips adorned her hips down to her knees, her skin showing along the rest of her legs.
She turned to the unicorn first and opened the cage. The large steed stood at least a foot above her head. It reared back in its cage and flashed its bright horn toward the maiden. The woman calmly put out both palms toward the animal and locked eyes with the mighty steed. It instantly calmed and she made a sound that sounded like nothing that Jiminy had ever heard. She stepped back and the unicorn followed her out of its cage and onto the large stage.
Gold stood near the crowd and began to announce once again, "She how she whispers to the beautiful beast, caresses it with her sounds and it is no longer afraid."
The woman put her hands on the unicorn's muzzle and she whispered unknown sounds to it. It nuzzled her face, tapped her with its horn and then trotted around the stage by just the guide of her hand. She put up her hand and it stood on its back hooves, standing and then walking with its front hooves in the air. She spun in the middle of the stage, dancing to unheard music. The unicorn spun with her with happy whinnies. She smiled at the well done trick and brought her hand down to bring the unicorn back down on all four hooves and then led it back to its cage.
"Next, she tames a gryphon!" Gold pointed to the far left cage, where the animal was screeching and clawing at the bars, "The beast was found with knights bones and flesh still in its claws."
Jiminy clenched his teeth at the screech and suddenly felt protectiveness toward the woman approaching the new cage. He knew he had no right to such a feeling, but he had it none the less. He felt the fear expand in his chest and she flung open the front of the cage.
The beast leaned back and in a fluid movement lurched forward and caught the woman in its outreached paws. It immediately flew up with her still in its possession. Jiminy felt his body leap forward to look toward the sky as everyone else cried in terror at the animal and the woman who was taken. They were both a speck in the sky and then the speck began to grow as the beast came closer and back down to earth. People began to cry and step back from the stage. Jiminy stayed put, unsure of the woman's fate and looked at Gold who stood with a smile at his face, simply watching the sky.
As the gryphon came closer, it reached out toward the crowd and then immediately rose back up, missing them at the last instant. It did a loop in the air and then landed softly on the stage with a few flaps of its wings. There on its back was the woman, caressing the feathers along its neck and gripping at the gold collar. The gryphon called out in a soft screech and the woman slipped off of its back, uninjured and carefully petting along the gryphon's back. Jiminy let out a breath of relief and watched her lead it back to its cage where it laid down and settled in for a nap. The whole audience clapped at the amazing show of aerial feats, until she turned to the last cage.
"And the last beast!" Gold pointed to the last cage, "It may look like in ordinary wolf, but look upon its size and its ferocity."
There, the large gray wolf lurched at the bars at the woman, its jaws snapping and snarling. The woman only stood and stared at the beast with calm indifference.
"This, ladies and lads is not a normal wolf," Gold repeated, "It is a werewolf. Stuck forever in its primal shape from a curse that could no longer be lifted. Who would dare to tame such a beast? A monster?"
As the wolf leaped again and the bar, the woman suddenly lurched back at the wolf, a large and menacing growl dropped from her lips. The wolf stepped back, not out of fear, but of curiosity as if it heard her command. She opened the cage door and the monster stepped on stage, out of the protection of the metal cage. The woman and wolf began to pace around one another, ignoring the screams and gasps of the audience. The wolf leapt at her with snapping jaws and just barely missed her, catching some of her skirt instead. She turned from the attack and made one of her own, her hands and nails, catching the nape of the wolf's neck. With strength unknown even to the strongest of men, she threw the wolf on its back and covered its form with her own; both of her arms on either side of its head and her teeth clenched in a snarl over the wolf's face.
Jiminy felt his heart speed again as the wolf could snap off her head at its earliest convenience and then turn to the rest of them. Instead, the monster, the mighty wolf, turned from the woman on top of it and whined in surrender. Its tail moved to cover itself and its paws up toward its chest to cover its weak points. She growled again at the animal and moved to stand at her full height. The animal turned back on its feet and crawled over to her to lay at her feet. She knelt, looked at the animal in the eyes and the wolf licked her on the face before it moved around her and laid back in its cage. She moved calmly to its cage and locked it inside one again before she whispered something low to the animal.
"And with that, ladies and gents, the Temptress has tamed even the most vicious of monsters!" Gold announced and the audience erupted in claps and began to throw pieces toward the stage.
The woman seemed to ignore the money at her feet and calmly picked the hood from where she dropped it on the stage. As she tied it around her neck she looked out on the audience and caught Jiminy's bright blue eyes. He gasped a little at the small exchange and she only smiled slightly with a wave. He went to wave back when a large hand covered his shoulder.
"There you are, Jiminy," his father chuckled and looked at the stages that were nearby, "If they have this kind of entertainment, they must be rolling in their money at night. They surely wouldn't miss a few shillings here and there."
"Maybe even some gold pieces," his mother added and tapped Jiminy on the chest, "Good idea to look at what we are dealing with. Let's get the show up."
His parents smiled at one another and walked back toward the wagon. Jiminy sighed heavily and turned back to the stage to see the woman one more time, but she was gone.
Jiminy huffed back to the wagon, his large satchel filled with what his parents managed to embezzle from a local public servant. He would be missing his silver dining set whenever his wife came home. Of course, he was chosen to take it back to the wagon since his parents wanted to see the sights of a large city. He threw the set in the back of the wagon and closed the door. He leaned back against it and looked out at the field where he let his horses prance earlier.
Instead, he saw both of his horses knelt in the grass with a single form. His horses would take turn nuzzling her cheeks and nibble at her hair. Her long, dark tresses he knew all too well from earlier in the day. Jiminy made his way out into the field and came closer to the woman with his horses. As he came closer she picked up her head from the attention of the two horses and met his eyes again.
"Hello again," she greeted with a smile and patted the nose of the mare, "…Jiminy."
"How did you know my name?" he asked with a whisper.
"They told me," she looked at both horses and huffed at them as if she was a horse herself. They both got up from the grass and began to run around the field with one another, "Don't worry, they won't go far."
"How do you do it?" he asked as he watched after the horses and then turned back to her.
"That's a secret I can't tell just anyone," she smiled again and stood up from the grass, "They told me that you take really good care of them despite the other two that travel with you."
"My parents," he nodded and huffed out a laugh, "They don't take care of them at all. It's a surprise that they didn't end up killing them once or twice."
"You care about them," she nodded and began to walk without knowing if he would follow or not. It seemed like she didn't need to worry since he fell into step with her only a few paces later. She suddenly stopped again and turned toward him, making him nearly trip in his hast, "They call me Red."
"Red," he nodded and looked at her wardrobe which was the same except for the cloak, "It fits."
She giggled slightly and began to walk again until they were under a large tree with a few carts and tents nearby. He didn't know what it was, but he couldn't stop following her. Maybe it was her magnetism that didn't just affect animals, but people as well.
"Did you enjoy the show?" she asked and sat on a large drum that he saw as a background item at the juggler's show.
"I did," he nodded and looked to his side to see the large wolf prowling toward them. He turned again to make sure he saw what he did. He took a few steps back and took a deep breath.
"Don't worry," she smiled and hopped off the drum to comb a hand through the wolf's fur. It panted a little, licked her again on the cheek and then trotted to the nearest tent. She smiled at the wolf and turned to Jiminy, "He knows not to hurt anyone who doesn't deserve it."
Jiminy stretched out his shirt collar and chuckled uneasily, "And how would you know I don't deserve it?"
"Despite from what your mare and stallion had told me?" she chuckled good naturedly and took a step toward him. She was close enough to touch him, but instead she took a long sniff over his pulse point on his neck and smiled brighter, "I can tell these things."
"Another secret talent?" he asked and unconsciously rubbed the spot she just sniffed.
"You can call it that," she leaned against the tall boxes and looked at the man in front of her, "I've never seen you at this city before. New to this trade route?"
"Just passing through," he answered and leaned against the post from one of the tents, "As always… always passing through."
"I know how that can be," she shrugged and looked at her nails as she worried at her top, "Never having roots, never able to stop and settle."
"Why don't you leave and do just that?" he asked with a frown, "It looks like you could do well on your own."
"I have… responsibilities here I have to fulfill," she shrugged as if that answered it.
"I know that," he chuckled sadly and looked at the sky, "My parents are my reason- my responsibility. I can't leave them."
"I would," Red frowned and crossed her arms over her chest, "They seem… untrustworthy."
"You have no idea," he closed his eyes and leaned his head against the post.
"They treat you just as bad- even worse- then the horses," she reasoned with him, "You are a man now. You can walk away."
"Not with his liver and her painful muscles," he phrased his parents, "They need me."
"But you don't need them," she shook her head.
He took a breath to answer, but when he opened his eyes she was right in front of him and all thought of breath left him. She narrowed her eyes and she looked into his and leaned up for a better look, her hands settling on his chest. He looked into her own eyes, her silver irises almost changing to a gold right in front of him. She finally leaned back and he was able to breathe again.
"You are too good of a man for them," she said sadly and looked at the ground before she turned away.
"Everyone has some good in them," he said softly, "It only takes the right person to let it out."
She looked back at him, "You really believe that?"
"I do," he nodded and slowly took his own steps toward her, "No matter what they have done, everyone has a spark of good- even greatness. It just takes another to catch that spark and turn it into a great flame. I had hoped as a boy that I would be the kindling for my parents. I never was."
"But you keep trying," she said as almost a question.
"Yes… and I hope, one day… they will finally catch on," he chuckled and shook his head, "I can dream and wish on stars, but that day has yet to be seen. I won't give up on them. Not yet."
She suddenly turned bashful and held her hands behind her back, "You are wise, too. I wish that I had someone like you to catch a spark of my own. I doubt that I will ever be a grand fire."
"You already are," he said without thinking. Her eyes flew to his and he put his hand over his mouth. His eyes grew large and he started to babble, "I'm sorry, I don't know wh-what- why I spoke out of turn like that."
"No, no, it is okay," she smiled and he could almost see what looked like a tear form in her eye, "People need to hear the good things. Even though they are small or weren't meant to be said out loud. Thank you, Jiminy."
"It's my pleasure, Red," he nodded at her.
"Jiminy! Where are you, son?" his father's voice cried from the wagon's spot at the other edge of the field, "Time to turn in! Long trip coming tomorrow!"
"Coming!" Jiminy shouted back and frowned in disappointment as he turned back to Red who looked down trodden.
"You are leaving tomorrow," she said simply, "I was hoping that you would be staying longer."
"We never stay for long. Just passing through," he shrugged and looked down at the ground, "They think that if we stay too long, someone would want their things back. Better to cut and run, than to stay put."
"Jiminy," she said from in front of him. He looked up in time for her lips to crash against his. She gripped at his collar and pulled him toward her. He was so surprised by the action, that by the time he went to press back, she had let go of his collar and pulled back just slightly. Her lips brushed over his own in a whisper, "You are a good man, Jiminy. Never forget that. You may just be the best of us all."
With that she stepped from him and ran around the tent and back out of his sight. He shook his head and turned to follow her, but she was gone.
"Jiminy!"
"Coming!" he said in an exasperated sigh. He turned from the tents and collected the horses on his way back to the wagon. He tied them to the post with their meal and some water. He patted them both on their flanks and walked to the wagon door.
"Just where have you been?" his mother asked as she took inventory of their new silverware.
"Talking with some of the other performers," he said simply. He looked at both his parents and leaned against the corner of the wagon where he could see the sun set, "They said that the longer you stay the more profit you can accrue."
"Is that so?" his father thought out loud.
"I will not give that deep pocket a chance to get this back," his mother pointed a finger to his father, "We are leaving tomorrow morning. The sooner the better."
His father deflated and kept adding up the money from the show and the money that had been pilfered.
Jiminy stared out the window and her voice repeated in his mind. He was a good man. She believed that and it brought a small smile to his face. He kept the feeling of her in mind; her scent, her hair running over his face, her lips on his and her hands against his chest. He patted the front of his chest where he felt a small sting. He looked down and found a piece of his shirt torn off and a small scratch on his skin. He wondered when it had happened, but shook it off. In the distance he knew the moon had risen as a lone wolf's howl was heard. His parents jumped in surprise and eyed the window warily.
He never felt safer.
Red sat on the fence surrounding part of the field from the forest line and looked at the spot where a large wagon once stood. She pouted and let out a long, loud sigh. Her ears perked up slightly when another figure leaned over the fence next to her.
"Hey Red, I was wondering where you went off to. No breakfast this morning?" Belle asked as she bit into a rather large strawberry.
"I caught a late night snack," she said with a wolfish grin.
"Good hunting?" Belle looked over her shoulder and back at the forest line.
"You'd be surprised," she shrugged and picked up a piece of cloth that was in her hand to her nose. She took a deep breath and smiled at the comforting scent still ingrained in the rough fibers.
"What's that?"
"A piece of a good man," she smiled and tightened her hold on the fabric.
"Do we need to leave? Did you tear him apart?"
"No, I wouldn't do that to a good man that didn't deserve it," she turned to her friend with a small, sad smile, "Don't you know they are a dying breed? Most of the time they are just passing through."
END