There was something about the ring master that made Batya shrink back a little. She wasn’t someone who showed uneasiness openly, but, like her friend, she got the sense that this man seemed a little shady. Something was off about the way he looked at them, and his smile was almost condescending. Anyone who would look at their customers like that had to have something up their sleeve. He reminded her of the one man who tried to buy some horses off her father a few years ago, a year after she and Iden had their friend taken away now that she thought of it. She didn’t like it, but didn’t swell on it too much. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her share of the fee slowly and paid the man. She was already committed to seeing this show through to the end and was not going to miss it for the world.<br/><br/>She didn’t say anything, and in fact had simply planned to head inside with Iden without a word, until the guy welcomed them to his show.<br/><br/>“Thank you, sir! I’m sure it will be quite the show, one we won’t ever forget!” Batya said enthusiastically, giving the ring master a smile just to be nice before heading inside with Iden. She was more than ready to go inside, and agreed that they absolutely needed to get good seats. The early bird gets the worm as they say, and there were so many people here. If they ended up with crappy seating it would ruin the whole show. She walked along side Iden, with a little bounce in her step, trying hard to contain herself. Fortunately, the two lucked out and managed to find seats in a middle row, overlooking the main part of the arena. It wasn’t as close as she had hoped to be, but with so many people, and many having to sit in the back, she had no complaints.<br/><br/>She could hardly sit still, her impatience winning her over. She turned to Iden sitting next to her and said, “Hey, what do you think the big event for tonight is anyway?” It was still a few minutes until the show began, they might as well make conversation. Would the main acts be a lot like the smaller acts outside, she wondered to herself. The bits and pieces of conversation she picked up while they were waiting to head inside told of wild animals and horses. It was the same things she has heard since the circus rolled in. “That man… he seemed kind of slimy, wouldn’t you agree. I know I really didn’t like him at all… did you see the way he looked at me? That had total creep written all over it. I can’t help but wonder what kind of act someone like that would put on.”<br/><br/>Batya paused for a moment and let out a slow exhale, her lips forming a thin line while she thought. “I wonder if they’ll have something crazy, like a juggling troll!” She chuckled at the thought.