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"Get out of the house for once," Clarabelle says as she all but shoves him out the door, and he nearly trips on the front stoop.
"There's more to life than fungus, brother," Cara says as they tumble a bag into his hands, filled with mushrooms and rations and one of their anti-poison poultices. They’ve always believed in being over-prepared, and now is no exception.
"The dark hasn't taken us yet," Colton says before she closes the door in his face, and Caduceus hears the distinct sound of her throwing the heavy beam over the door.
"Go have some fun!" she shouts through thick wood.
Caduceus stands there, frowning, ears twitching. He's haphazardly adorned in his beetle armor; his shield lies at his feet. He's clutching a travel bag. It seems like they want him to leave for longer than a daytrip.
Has he really been that much underfoot?
"I don't have my staff," Caduceus tells his siblings, knowing good and well they can hear him through the unshuttered window.
The pane lifts. His staff sails out, clattering to the ground.
Caduceus sighs and finishes pulling on his armor, buckling it in place. Travelling through the Savalirwood is not without its dangers. He’d best be prepared.
They won’t let him in unless he does as they suggest.
Granted he could go off into the woods, camp overnight, and return in the afternoon and lie about where he’s been. Caduceus, however, is not a very good liar, and Clarabelle always seems to know when he’s lying anyway.
“There’s a circus in town,” Colton says, appearing in the open window, making shooing motions at him. “Go see it. Come back and tell me all about it.” She grabs the window and shuts it with a noisy thunk.
If Mother were here, his sisters would have never gotten away with this.
Fine.
He could use a few more ingredients which can't be found in the forest anyway. If they're so desperate to get him out of the house, he'll leave. They'll miss him when they realize they have to cook for themselves.
Caduceus scoops up his staff, murmurs a prayer to the Wildmother to watch over him, and heads for town. Given a brisk pace, he could be there in a few hours, none the worse for wear.
Luck is with him, and the Wildmother as well. She guides him straight through the woods, avoiding all obstacles, until he's stepping into Shadycreek Run. It's a crisp fall afternoon, muggy and damp with the threat of storm.
A nice shower will cool things off, Caduceus thinks.
He moves into the main thoroughfare, thick with the unwashed masses, all with their heads down as they go about their day. Caduceus' favorite shop is just around the corner, but before he can enter, something else catches his eye.
Bright flags. A huge tent. A colorful collection of people.
The circus.
Caduceus pauses, head tilting in consideration. Part of him wants to turn away on principle alone. Simply because his siblings had been so insistent on it. Another part of him is curious. He's never been to a circus before. What exactly are they?
"Well, you are definitely someone in need of a good time, if I do say so myself."
Caduceus blinks and turns to acknowledge the voice sauntering up next to him. It belongs to a tiefling, as colorful as the flags fluttering around the circus tent. He's lavender-skinned and red-eyed, and jewelry dangles from his horns, making a delicate chime of metal on metal.
"Are... uh... are you talking to me?" Caduceus asks.
The tiefling breaks into a big smile as he looks up at Caduceus. "Well, I don't see any other charming firbolgs around." He squints. "That is what you are, yes, a firbolg?"
"I take it you've never seen someone like me before?" Caduceus asks.
"Well, maybe I have, maybe I haven't." The tiefling's shoulders roll in a shrug before he dips forward in a wide, sweeping bow. "Mollymauk Tealeaf at your service, friend. And I am happy to personally invite you to attend the Fletching and Moondrop Traveling Carnival of Curiosities."
Well.
That is certainly a mouthful. He’s impressed the tiefling managed to get it out without tripping over a single syllable.
Caduceus chuckles. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Mollymauk. To what do I owe the honor of a personal invitation?"
"You're the first spot of color I've seen in this place. Kind of dreary, isn't it?" Mollymauk winks at him, and Caduceus catches movement in his peripheral vision. The tiefling's tail is twitching madly, and rings sparkle on the end of it.
"I suppose that depends on your point of view," Caduceus says.
Mollymauk blinks but seems to shake himself. "You're a different sort, aren't you?"
"Aren't we all?"
"That's fair." Mollymauk laughs, and it's so genuine and carefree, Caduceus smiles along with him. He flicks his wrist and a sheaf of paper appears between two fingers, which he then offers to Caduceus. "Here you are. A flyer from yours truly."
Caduceus takes the paper and unrolls it, admiring the carefully inked words, the swirls of color splashing across the page. It's five copper, which is entirely doable, but still...
"And what do you do?" Caduceus asks.
Mollymauk grins up at him. "Now, now." He shakes a finger at Caduceus in a parody of a parent's chastisement. "That would be spoiling the surprise, wouldn't it?"
"I suppose it would." Caduceus folds the paper and tucks it away. "Well, Mr. Mollymauk, if I find the time, I will certainly check out your show."
"I hope you do. I--"
"Molly!"
The tiefling twitches, and his tail does, too, as he looks over his shoulder. A tall woman with long hair and dark clothing stalks his direction, her face cast in a glower.
"Yasha, my love, were you looking for me?" he asks in a bright tone, his hands spread wide in greeting.
"Yes," she says, and her gaze slants to Caduceus. She tips her head in a terse nod of greeting. "Gustav says you're supposed to be handing out flyers, not flirting."
Mollymauk chuckles, and his tail swishes around playfully. For a moment, Caduceus is captivated by the sheen across the bells, and the sound they make. He’s never seen someone with such animated behavior before.
"Gustav doesn't understand that advertising and flirting are the same thing," Molly says, and he drapes himself against Yasha's side like a cat begging affection. "Wanna meet my new friend?"
"Everyone is your friend," Yasha says, a note of fond exasperation in her voice. She pats him on the head, between his horns. "But fine. Introduce me."
Molly laughs and makes a broad gesture toward Caduceus. "This is..." He pauses and blinks rapidly. "Wait. I don't think I got your name."
"You didn't." Caduceus chuckles and extends a hand in greeting. "Caduceus. Caduceus Clay. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"Yasha," she says as she shakes his hand in a firm grip that makes his bones creak. Her shoulders and arms are impressive, and Caduceus thinks Clarabelle would love to wrestle her.
"It's nice to meet you," Caduceus says with what he hopes is a friendly smile. "And what do you do for the circus?"
Molly winks and elbows her in the side. "She's the charm. And the strong arm."
"Yes, I can tell," Caduceus says. "I hope I can make it to the show tonight."
"You should. It's a good one," Yasha says, and her monotone doesn't do much to hype up Caduceus' interest, but he finds both her and Mollymauk curious. If the rest of the circus is anything like these two, perhaps Caduceus will find himself attending after all.
Yasha looks down at Mollymauk. “Come on, Molly. Gustav wants us to keep spreading the word.”
“Yes, yes, I know.” Molly flaps a hand at her before turning his charming smile back toward Caduceus. “Hope to see you there, Mr. Clay.”
They wave and wander away, Mollymauk jogging ahead to catch the attention of a passing soldier while Yasha trails in his wake, better resembling a bodyguard. Perhaps a man such as Mollymauk needs one. He seems to be the sort to invite trouble.
Hmm.
A warm wind tugs at Caduceus' ear. There's a tingling in his chest, the core of his being where his faith resides. He hears his goddess, not with words, but with emotion, guiding him in the direction of Mollymauk and Yasha.
"Oh, they're important, are they?" Caduceus murmurs. "For me or for the world?"
The warmth spreads outward, radiating through his entire body, an echo of a forest song at the back of his mind.
"Oh. Both," he says.
And then he mutters a curse.
Clarabelle and Cara were right.
They're never going to let him forget it.
****