An Unexpected Journey, Part 4
Catch up: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
The squeaking sound of the wagons approaching them became louder and louder. Soon they were upon them. Liorna pressed against Joshua, afraid of being noticed by the travellers. But Joshua suddenly sat up straight and listened with a serious face. Liorna also listened then. She heard rough voices of men, the heavy breathing of working horses, and an occasional laugh from a woman or two. If there were laughing women, then this company couldn't be very dangerous, right? At least that's what Liorna hoped.
Then she yelped as the horse dashed forward, Joshua's heels in its sides. As usual, there had been no warning from him in advance. Liorna felt like just grabbing the reigns and turn the horse around, but she felt bad for the poor horse who would be given so many different orders if she did. So she didn't move.
"What are you doing?!" she hissed instead to Joshua. "Those could be dangerous people! You said we were going to hide until they had passed!"
"Those are the people from the circus," he replied, then fell silent again as if that was enough of an explanation.
"So we are, what? Joining them?"
"Yes."
He had really gone insane, she knew that now. Didn't he remember the lions? And those really dangerous beasts, the shinjis? And there were people who were good at swords and fire and all sorts of things! Who was he actually running from, since he would consider travelling with a bunch of people of this sort?
They turned around slightly so they would come up behind the circus party. At a safe distance they slowed down and went down to the rouad. At a steady trot they closed upon the wagon at the end, and Liorna's heart beat faster and faster the closer they got. She was amazed no one else could hear it.
When they were about 20 yards away, a head popped out from the back of the last wagon. It was the man who juggled with fire earlier. He was a strange man — even his hair was red. For a second Liorna wondered if maybe it was because he had been juggling with fire for so long. Then he spoke. Or rather, shouted to them.
"Fellow traveller! What brings you on the roads? If you have ill intentions, mind that we are mere circus people travelling with light purses."
Another man joined the fire man, but Liorna didn't recognize him. Maybe he was not one of the entertainers, just a worker.
"You have no need to worry," Joshua replied. "We are just travellers as you are. We have no ill intentions."
Joshua and Liorna were now riding alongside the wagon. The horse got nervous — perhaps it could either sense or smell the beasts that Liorna had seen earlier. But Joshua had a strong and steady hand, and they stayed by the last wagon for a little while, making small-talk to the two men inside.
"In which wagon can I find the master of this circus?" Joshua asked eventually. "I would like to speak to him, if that is alright."
"Sure, go ahead." The man that Liorna didn't recognize shrugged. "He's in that red wagon over there. The second one from the front."
Joshua lifted his hand towards his head, as if to touch his hat if he had worn one. Then he steered the horse around, off the road — getting to the correct wagon would be easier and quicker that way. The road was too narrow here for a horse to easily pass by the wagons.
There were six wagons in total. At least one, maybe two, were needed for the beasts. So the circus people lived in four wagons, Liorna guessed. All of the wagons were painted in different colours. That's very convenient. It's easy to point people in the right direction. Soon enough they reached the red wagon. The master's wagon. Joshua kept the horse off the road, but alongside the wagon.
"Excuse me, sir!" he called out. "I'm Joshua, a peaceful traveller, and this is my sister. May I ask where you are headed to?"
A few seconds of silence passed. Then the man who had presented all the entertainers during the show opened the window beside the door. He was a huge man, tall and heavy, and he was balding.
"Apparently we are heading north," he said. "As I imagine you are as well?"
"Yes, we are," Joshua replied. "How far will you go?"
"The next show is in Burrowhill. Why?"
Joshua nodded as if saying to himself 'That's good'. Out loud he said:
"Burrowhill, you say? Would it be okay if we joined your company for a while?"
"And what would you offer in exchange for the protection of a large company to travel with?"
"I am good with the knife, and if you hand me a sword I will be good with that as well. I am young and swift, and so is my horse. If you wish so, I can act as your scout."
The master thought hard about it, but then he nodded.
"Okay, you are welcome to travel with us for a while, Joshua. You can call me Matty."
Joshua bowed his head.
"Thank you, Matty."
"Now, boy. If you meant what you said before, I'd be more than happy to accept your offer of scouting the area. Report back to me once in a while, if you'd please. And we won't stop during the night."
"Understood," Joshua said. Then Liorna froze when he added: "In which wagon can I leave my sister? She's had a long day and should be allowed to get some sleep at last."
No! Don't leave me here with these people! Liorna thought. But she didn't say anything, because there was nothing she could do. Joshua was right, she should try and get some sleep. So she just did as they said and joined the small group of people in the third wagon, the green one. When the door closed and she heard Joshua leave, she suddenly felt like the most lonely person in the whole world.
"What's your name?" It was a young man who asked her. She'd noticed him before the show, he had taken care of the horses. Joshua had revealed his real name, so she guessed it would be safe for her to do the same.
"I'm Liorna."
"Where are you from?" the young man continued. "Oh, and I'm Kai."
"I, uh... I'm from far away," Liorna stuttered.
"And so are we all," said a middle-aged woman while getting off her chair in the corner. "Now leave the poor girl alone, Kai. You can talk to her in the morning." She put her arm around Liorna and gently led her towards a bed at the back of the wagon. "Now, you sleep here tonight, girl. And if anyone messes with you, just call out for Jenn, and I'll be with you within a blink of an eye."
Liorna didn't doubt her. Jenn seemed to be a person you wouldn't want to pick a fight with. From the safety of the bed, Liorna tried to get a better view of Kai in the dim light. He was lying rolled up in a couple of blankets on the floor, and the only part of him that she could see was his ruffled dark brown hair. So she rolled over to face the wall instead, and as the movement of the wagon slowly made her fall asleep, her last thought was lingering on Joshua and wherever he was at this moment.