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Authors: Terie Garrison
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staring off into the distance.
After awhile, he stirred himself and walked over to the cage. He beckoned me to come closer. I did, and he reached through the bars, grabbed the wood collar, and pulled me toward him, forcing my face to press against the branches.
“Let that be a lesson to you,” he said. “Do not think to mock me. Do you understand?”
I had no idea what he was talking about, but assent seemed the wisest course. Unable to nod, I had to speak. “Yes, yes. I understand,” I squeaked.
“Very good.” He pushed me away so hard that my head struck the other side of the cage, making my ears ring.
All day, I pondered this sudden change in his mood. I had done nothing, said nothing out of the ordinary. What had that message contained to make him so angry? From that moment on, he became completely unpredictable.
“I am taking you to join the circus,” Anazian said. I stared at him in disbelief.
It was the day after the incident at the crossroads. He’d let me out of the cage that morning only long enough to relieve myself. Then he’d given me just a single cup of water before we got under way. It was now afternoon, and we were stopped in the roadway about a mile from the first village we’d come across. I felt sick. My muscles ached and my head swam. I could hardly see or think straight.
So when Anazian said something abut the circus, I thought I must be hearing things. When I didn’t react, he reached through the bars of the cage, which gave enough that his upper body came through, too. He grabbed the wood collar and pulled me toward him; had he jerked it any harder, he might have broken my neck. That thought seemed to occur to him, too, and he stood for a moment breathing heavily but not letting go.
When he seemed to have got himself under control, he took a leather strap and tied one end of it to the collar and the other to the upper frame of the cage. My heart sank. With only two feet of lead, I wouldn’t be able to sit, much less lie down.
“Now,” he said, “the story is that you are a wild girl, raised by wolves. You can’t even talk. I’ve captured you and am taking you to Penwick to join the circus. Play your part well, or there shall be ... consequences. Do you understand?”
I nodded.
“Do you understand?” he repeated through clenched teeth.
“Yes, I understand.” I was never sure anymore when he wanted me to speak and when to stay silent. He’d struck me across the face this morning when I’d answered a question aloud, and my lower lip was split and swollen. Well, at least that would help me look wild.
I got through the next humiliating hour by pretending the whole thing was an elaborate game dreamed up by my brother, the practical jokester. It was actually just the sort of thing he would’ve come up with, and I imagined one day laughing with him over the story. That hopeful thought sustained me.
Since he wouldn’t fold the land as we passed through the populated area, Anazian sat on the wagon and drove it. As we entered the village, people stopped what they were doing and stared. I could well believe that a person in a cage wasn’t a sight they saw every day.
Children gathered round and followed. A large, mean-looking boy threw a stone at me. It hit one of the branches and bounced harmlessly away, but when Anazian ignored him, others picked up stones to throw, too. Some made it through and hit me, one striking me hard in the eye.
I snarled and growled at the children, and not all of it was an act. I yipped when the rocks hit me, which made the children laugh and try even harder. Anazian’s shoulders shook with suppressed laughter.
It took fifteen minutes to get to the village square. By this time, adults had joined the throng.
To my horror, Anazian stopped the wagon at the square. How long did he think I could do this? Why couldn’t he just keep going?
A man stepped out of the small crowd. “Beg pardon, sir, but what’s this about?”
Anazian leapt from
After awhile, he stirred himself and walked over to the cage. He beckoned me to come closer. I did, and he reached through the bars, grabbed the wood collar, and pulled me toward him, forcing my face to press against the branches.
“Let that be a lesson to you,” he said. “Do not think to mock me. Do you understand?”
I had no idea what he was talking about, but assent seemed the wisest course. Unable to nod, I had to speak. “Yes, yes. I understand,” I squeaked.
“Very good.” He pushed me away so hard that my head struck the other side of the cage, making my ears ring.
All day, I pondered this sudden change in his mood. I had done nothing, said nothing out of the ordinary. What had that message contained to make him so angry? From that moment on, he became completely unpredictable.
“I am taking you to join the circus,” Anazian said. I stared at him in disbelief.
It was the day after the incident at the crossroads. He’d let me out of the cage that morning only long enough to relieve myself. Then he’d given me just a single cup of water before we got under way. It was now afternoon, and we were stopped in the roadway about a mile from the first village we’d come across. I felt sick. My muscles ached and my head swam. I could hardly see or think straight.
So when Anazian said something abut the circus, I thought I must be hearing things. When I didn’t react, he reached through the bars of the cage, which gave enough that his upper body came through, too. He grabbed the wood collar and pulled me toward him; had he jerked it any harder, he might have broken my neck. That thought seemed to occur to him, too, and he stood for a moment breathing heavily but not letting go.
When he seemed to have got himself under control, he took a leather strap and tied one end of it to the collar and the other to the upper frame of the cage. My heart sank. With only two feet of lead, I wouldn’t be able to sit, much less lie down.
“Now,” he said, “the story is that you are a wild girl, raised by wolves. You can’t even talk. I’ve captured you and am taking you to Penwick to join the circus. Play your part well, or there shall be ... consequences. Do you understand?”
I nodded.
“Do you understand?” he repeated through clenched teeth.
“Yes, I understand.” I was never sure anymore when he wanted me to speak and when to stay silent. He’d struck me across the face this morning when I’d answered a question aloud, and my lower lip was split and swollen. Well, at least that would help me look wild.
I got through the next humiliating hour by pretending the whole thing was an elaborate game dreamed up by my brother, the practical jokester. It was actually just the sort of thing he would’ve come up with, and I imagined one day laughing with him over the story. That hopeful thought sustained me.
Since he wouldn’t fold the land as we passed through the populated area, Anazian sat on the wagon and drove it. As we entered the village, people stopped what they were doing and stared. I could well believe that a person in a cage wasn’t a sight they saw every day.
Children gathered round and followed. A large, mean-looking boy threw a stone at me. It hit one of the branches and bounced harmlessly away, but when Anazian ignored him, others picked up stones to throw, too. Some made it through and hit me, one striking me hard in the eye.
I snarled and growled at the children, and not all of it was an act. I yipped when the rocks hit me, which made the children laugh and try even harder. Anazian’s shoulders shook with suppressed laughter.
It took fifteen minutes to get to the village square. By this time, adults had joined the throng.
To my horror, Anazian stopped the wagon at the square. How long did he think I could do this? Why couldn’t he just keep going?
A man stepped out of the small crowd. “Beg pardon, sir, but what’s this about?”
Anazian leapt from
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