I'm going to be gone till Thursday. I'm hoping we'll get a few more people, and even if we don't I think it would be okay if we started on either thrusday night or friday. Thanks!!
I will probably change my original claim to only have a Wolf.. I don't think there really need be many more Troupe members.
"The grasshopper!... Mind the grasshopper!... A grasshopper not only turns, it hops!... It hops!... And it hops jolly high!" ~Erik, The Phantom of the Opera
Style of Dress: Like in the picture with black pants and mini high heels.
Personality: very clever, witty and cunning. A real guy magnet. Very in-your-face and defensive. But can be sweet when she wants too.
History: Was a former member of the troupe, but she left almost six years ago after an 'accident' that made her lose her powers. Won't talk about the 'accident'. She is an assasin for the Wolfs and the Troupe doesn't know she is a wolf...yet. Before that she was a model.
Up for Love: YES YES YES
Anything Else: She hates it when you try to make her look stupid. Dont do it.
Love is beautiful, but what would love be without life?
We were leaving Florence and going to Venice for our next show. The other members of The Troupe rode in the caravan behind the large compactable stage going down the winding dirt road.
I sat in my chair, looking out of one of the windows. The scenery drifted by quickly. I let my mind wander.
Three months ago, the Wolves had caught up with us. They had gotten one of us, too. James had been the hero, saving all of us. He was the one who had known they were in the area, but had said nothing. He was the one who led them away from us. He was the one who died.
They had killed him in the worst way. They burned out his eyes first, and then they threw large stones at him. They cut him with razors and cut out his tongue. Then, finally, they stabbed him in the heart. We found his body the next morning, flies all around him and decay starting to spread.
We sent him out to sea, as he had told us he wished his funeral to be. We had all talked about it one night, and coming from Norway with Viking blood sharing his, he told us that he wished to be cremated on a funeral pryor, so we did what he asked.
Through our tears, we gathered logs and bound them. Then Harold, the leader and manager of our group, and Vincent gathered James's mangled body, and put him on it. Then we pushed it into the water and Vincent lit an arrow on fire and shot it to the pryor. It went up in flames instantly and we all said our final goodbye to our dear friend.
I came to myself and noticed that it was starting to get dark. I looked at Lovie. "Are we there yet?"
She smiled a knowing smile at our inside joke. "No, we never will be."
I sat on the back of the caravan. The red and gold cloth underneath ruffled in the wind as a gust struck the moving caravan. I frowned at my feet watching them dangle over the side. Coraline sat inside the caravan staring out at the scenary.
Deep green lush tree flauntered around the green plains, small flowers sprinkled across the ground. The way her eyes were slit I could tell she was thinking about him. James. I frowned closing my eyes. When his body had been found I thought my life was coming apart. The wolves were not going to stop till ever last one of us is dead!
Standing up I swung inside the caravan landing on the wooden floor. Lovie looked up at me and gave a weak smile. "You nervous?" I asked her streatching my arms.
The scenery flew by outside the window. Noah fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat. Sage and Kato had to be kept in a seperate vehicle, in a cage, that was towed behind the stage's trailor. Noah had tried to convince everyone that the two tigers were as domesticated as can be but people didn't usually like being in close proximities to tigers, domestic or not.
Some of the others were chatting quietly amongst themselves. Some about the next show, and some about James. Noah frowned. James had been a good guy, a great actor, but a stupid hero. His life could have been spared. Easily. But he had to go and be a hero.
Noah wasn't much interested in any of the other conversation in the caravan. He wanted Sage and Kato here with him. There were his two true friends. They stuck by him. Even though he didn't know anything past a few years back.
He rubbed his forhead and concentrated, as was becoming a habit of his. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut, a glimpse of a house coming into view. No, it wasn't a house. It was a mansion. A fabulous estate. Someone was in the driveway. They were watching Noah.
And then, the memory was gone. If it even was a memory and not some delusion of his screwy mind.
Noah sighed and sunk down in his seat. He wished Sage and Kato could be here.
We arrived in Venice in a few hours. Everyone got out of our little caravan and started setting up for our next show.
Harold had us gather around. "Alright everyone, I think that we can wait until tomorrow to have a show. For the rest of the day and tonight, we can go into town and advertise. Everyone have the posters?"
We all nodded and he smiled. "Alrighty, then. I think that everyone should stay together, that no one go off alone. If you wish to split off into groups, you may, but please, have someone with you!"
We all went back into the wagon to get our things.
"So," said Devi, "When we stopped for a break a few hours ago, I talked to someone who said that tonight there's to be a masquerade, hosted by the Prince."
"Oh, really." said Lovie.
"Yes. I'm of the mindset where I would like to go." replied Devi.
"It would be a wonderful advertising opportunity." I said, putting on my straw hat.
"It would indeed. Who all wants to go?"
Devi, Lovie, and I raised our hands. Noah and Vincent looked like they wanted to do something else.
"Oh, Noah, don't you want to go? I thought you liked masques." said Lovie.
"And Vincent, you were just talking about how we needed something to get our minds off of everything." I pointed out. "Come on, we'll only go for a few hours, and then we'll come back here by midnight."
They hesitated but soon nodded. "But we will be back at midnight." said Vincent.
"Alright. Now, we must go get ourselves some new clothes and some of the most beautiful masks in all of Venice!"
I giggled excitedly, clapping my hands. "What should I wear?" I asked everyone. "What are you guys going to wear?! I think red for me, but that's a give away. Hmm, purple maybe? Ooh, how about silver! no, no, silver would make me look paler. Black is too sad....Dark blue? Or wine colored? That's like purple AND red. Ahck, I don't know! As for you two...Huh. I have to think about it." I rambled, pulling Devi in one hand and Coraline in the other. "Where should we start? Dresses first, or masks first?"
I never liked shopping but since Lovie and Coarline were so estatic about it I couldn't help but smile. Twirling around as Lovie pulled me from where our camp was perched. I smiled up at the people who passed us on the streets looking at us excitedly. Some of them weren't as extatic throwing dirty looks at us from behind.
"No I think I'll go with yellow, A yellow dress! Wait no maybe a fuschia dress, hey what do you think?" Lovie asked estatically pressing her face to a shop window. I stared up at the large figure in he window. A silver dressed billowed out at the thighs, sequenence ebroided on the top.
"That dress looks gorgeuos" Caroline smiled up at it pressing her hand to the glass. "Excuse me!" A sharp voice snapped from the door of the shop. I turned to stare at a scrawny man with beady eyes staring us down.
Regretfully abandoning the camp, where his tiger friends had to stay, Noah ventured into town. He kept a short distance from Devi, Caroline, and Lovie, but was close enough to keep an eye out.
Noah walked with his hands in his pockets next to Vincent. They didn't speak to each other, only walked. Noah wasn't much for talking recently. He wondered if he ever had been.
"Excuse me!" a scrawny man jumped out of a dress shop the girls were window shopping at. He looked angry, staring the girls down as he was.
Vincent sighed. "Looks like they've run into some trouble," he said.
Noah nodded. "Might we help them, then?" he asked, his tone soft, almost melodic.
How can I be king of the world? Because I am king of rubbish. And rubbish is what the world is made of. — Kate DiCamillo, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
