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A young hedgehog stood near the door, wringing his paws worriedly before him. This was his first day on the job and he was terrified that he'd mess up and that his boss would fire him and send him back to the orphanage. Archibald was terrified of the orphanage. It hadn't been so bad when he was actually there, but now that he was faced with the prospect of returning after having found a home elsewhere...well, the notion was unbearable.

So he'd best do a good job!

"Circus, Circus!" He called, in a meek little squeak that sounded not nearly as impressive as he hoped. He cleared his throat and tried again, hoping not to sound as completely embarrassed as he was. "Come inside and see Clancy, the Wonder-Bug!"

Archibald was a nervous, meek little thing, but he didn't want to be. In his heart, he burned for adventure and the splendors of the world. So when a certain mouse had approached him, inviting him to travel with his circus...well, how could a young creature deny such a thing?

He did wonder, though, if he might get a glimpse of his fellow orphans...even his brother.

He cast his bright green eyes about the area, searching through the milling crowd...and desperately hoping that he'd pull in at least a few guests, so he could keep his job....and his new home.

Inside, on the dusty floor that made up the ground of the circus itself, Tristan Swiftpaw was busy preparing for the opening act.

Hiring the kid had been a smart business move. For one, the hedgehog was so grateful to have a proper home (of sorts) that he would work for free. For another, having him outside advertising to the masses left Tristan free to do what he did best: perform.

Truth be told, he was nervous. He would never admit this to anyone, of course, but in his very depth-of-heart he was trembling. He'd performed his magic tricks before, of course...but to small audiences, children or simpletons. Never to a whole crowd. And the bug...well...Clancy was a wild thing, and at any moment he might go mad and begin to wreck the entire theater -- there was really no telling.

But, if things went well -- and Tristan assured himself that they would -- he would soon be a very fortunate mouse. In his mind he had the blueprints for a new house for himself, a handsome abode indeed, and back home he had a willing carpenter for the job. Now he only needed supplies....and hopefully, among the guests, an opportunity would present itself.

He turned pink eyes toward the entry-way, eagerly anticipating the arrival of guests.

Archie looked up, startled at being addressed. He managed to hold back his frightened squeak, but his eyes lingered on the adult hedgehog for a beat longer than perhaps they should. He was reminded of his father, and it caught him off-guard.

"A-admission," he stammered, trying to get his wits back about him. He took a bit steadying breath and pulled himself up to full height. He tried to remember exactly what Tristan had told him, but the fancy words sounded so much better from the mouse and he was afraid of making himself sound foolish. "We work for charity, sir. Just a few building supplies, towards the making of a house." He hesitated, not sure if he should explain that the charity -- and the homeless mouse in question -- were his boss. Maybe he'd best leave that to Tristan. "...We also take IOU's," he added, helpfully.

Laird was not particularly keen on circuses, they filled the young with silly ideas about what was possible and that you could make a living just by playing around. However the raptor was tired and he would need time to rest before the long flight back to Fangroot. Switchfoot was a strong and spunky little bat pup but Laird did not doubt that he'd have to carry her at least part of the way there, she was not yet ready to solo such a trip on her own and he'd not see her strain and injure herself trying. Thus watching the circus he'd seen advertised around Mossflower meant a few more hours of rest while still being entertaining.

With that in mind the dark feathered falcon swooped down upon the amphitheater and landed by a pair of hedgehogs near the entrance. He'd likely end up having to perch atop the remodeled tree stump but he'd have to get permission to do so first.

Switchfoot followed after her new guardian, the dark furred bat not particularly happy to be awake during the day but excited to have left the Orphanage. Switchfoot landed and leaned up against Laird to keep herself upright, unable to stand unsupported on her feet like so many others she knew. She didn't even know what a circus was but she'd been excited by the picture of a bug on the flyer she saw. Something told Switchfoot though that she wasn't going to be allowed to nom on the wonderbug. Curious as she was the large eared female was silent for the moment, waiting to see what this circus brought and wondering if she was allowed to fall asleep if it was boring.

Archie's eyes widened. A carpenter, really? What were the odds of that? Tristan had told the little hedgehog that great luck always followed the mouse in Mossflower, but Archie hadn't believed him -- until precisely that moment. That was incredibly lucky. He hoped that some of Tristan's luck would wear off on him, now that they were family.

Family. That was so weird.

No. He was his boss. That's how he'd think of it. He was a proper grown-up now, with a job and everything. "My boss would love any help, I bet," he said, and shifted uncomfortably. Tristan had given him very specific orders on the topic of negotiating: simple haggling was fine, but leave all the important business to Tristan. "Go on in, an' Mr. Swiftpaw will talk to you after the show."

When Lirian mentioned his nerves, he shifted a bit uncomfortably. And he was trying so hard to be brave and confident, too! "...Oh, thank you sir," he said, taking the fish, staring at it. He hadn't had his own toys to play with since Father died. He'd had some things he'd taken with him, to the orphanage, but all his belongings had long since been stolen or broken by the other children. He held the wooden fish to his chest and looked back up at the fellow hedgehog with warm eyes.

There was no time to dwell on the new gift, however, as it seemed Archibald had developed something of a crowd. Oh my! He hoped they hadn't been waiting very long.

The mouse spoke first, so he addressed her first. "Just a donation," he said, cryptically, like Tristan had taught him. He clutched his carved fish to his chest and smiled a little at the young mouse. He didn't know him. Probably for the best, he thought, and his eyes flicked over to the other duo waiting in line.

He blinked. "....Switchfoot?" He asked, staring at the bat. He looked up at the bird, craning his neck a bit, and then back at the bat. He did recognize this one, as a fellow orphan. It shouldn't surprise him, really, seeing as they were in Mossflower and all...but she seemed to have been taken in by that big, imposing bird, and that caught him quite off-guard.

Inside the amphitheatre, Tristan was nearly ready for the show to start. He kept glancing at the door, keeping an eye on all the comings-and-goings and making sure the kid abandon his post. He had traded worthwhile goods for the hedgehog, and he hoped the investment would be amply returned by the kid's free labor.

Besides, he was just so...enthusiastic. And Tristan liked that.

Well, the kid seemed to be doing his job well enough, Tristan thought as the first glimpse of patrons became visible queueing up outside the door. Best to get his game-face on for the show.

He'd need to learn some new tricks. That much was incredibly obvious. Everything he knew was simple sleight-of-hand stuff, nice enough in close quarters but wasted in a big arena like this. Ah well...he'd just have to make it work until he figured out a routine.

Besides, the main attraction was the bug, after all...and Clancy was in top form.

Clancy the Wonderbug was, at that precise moment, tied to a stake in the middle of the circus. A bit of thread had been fashioned into a harness for him, looped over his carapace. He wasn't very pleased with the arrangement, but his annoyance at the situation was satiated by a large pile of grass and dandelion greens Tristan had laid out for him to munch on.

The bug had a voracious appetite but, then...he was a Wonder Bug, after all.

Switchfoot stared for a moment as her name was called, oh oh that was that hedgehog boy that the others liked to pick on who'd gone away one day. She'd wondered what had happened to him. "Archie I thought running a way to a circus was a story tale." She remembered her mother telling her that story once of the little bat boy who flew away to join a circus. If Switchfoot thought about only good memories than the hurt of losing her mother bothered the little bat less.

Though still a bit drowsy the young stonecrestian was far more excited about the circus now that someone she knew as a part of it and she glanced towards the inside of the tree hollow where some mice had just gone. Even if she couldn't eat the wonderbug this could be fun.

Laird was pleased that his new ward had found a familiar face to converse with even if that wasn't what they were here to do. Still, it was only polite to greet old friends. The falcon himself bobbed his head politely at the young hedgehog " Pleasure to meet you and we too will need to settle the admission fee afterwards." Laird didn't often carry things to trade with on him but he had a friend or two in Mossflower he could owe a favour to for borrowing what was needed here.

"Okay," he said, a bit distracted as the mouse and the hedgehog went inside. Archibald managed a nod and smiled to the other hedgehog as he went into the building, and then peered back at Switchfoot, suddenly feeling much bolder than he had a moment ago. He drew himself up proudly. "I know," he said, in response to her story-tale comment. It wasn't often that Archie had things to be proud of, but this certainly seemed to qualify. "Pretty neat, huh?" He looked up at the raptor. "That's fine, sir." He pointed up, vaguely gesturing in the direction of the top row where there would be space for these larger animals. "Enjoy the show!"

Tristan smiled a wide showman's smile at the mice as they came in. He gestured invitingly to the front row seats, and came up to them, sweeping his hat from his head to take a flourishing bow before replacing it over his large ears. "Welcome, welcome," he said, and looked down at the little brown child. "Well...aren't you precious," he said, and there was a softness in his pink eyes. He really did like children; their enthusiasm was endearing, and something about their optimism resonated with him. Like himself, children so often didn't seem to recognize their limits.

Tristan extended a deft pink paw (in which he'd carefully concealed a bit of candied berry, the likes of which he stored in his hat and retrieved whilst bowing) and reached behind Newt's ear, looking very serious and thoughtful. He withdrew his paw, holding it out flat on his palm and extending it for Newt to take. "Wait, after the show," he said, in a private whisper, "And I'll let you come say hello to Clancy, personally."

He lifted his eyes to smile to Abeya, and then withdrew to take a look at the other crowd as they milled in. A hedgehog made his way in, and Tristan gave him a carefully appraising look before glancing back to the doorway, where it seemed the kid was making negotiations with the shadow of a very large bird -- Tristan could just make out a talon through the opening from where he stood. How 'bout that. The kid was a natural! Tristan was proud.

Laird dipped his head again in a nod at the young hedgehog boy. "I'm sure we will." That said he took a step back and extended his large wings before hopping up into the air and climbing upwards through the sky towards the top of the stop where he could roost properly. A raptor's keen vision meant he would still see the show just fine from where he was and it was highly unlikely that the lip of the tree stump would get overcrowded.

Switchfoot grinned again at Archie and nodded " You have to tell me how it happened later," she insisted before opting to crawl inside the hollowed out stump rather than try to balance on the lip. She wasn't quite as big as Laird just yet and her vision wasn't nearly what his was. In another season Switchfoot need to be up top with her guardian but for now she could manage to sit or lay on the carved benches with the rest of the audience. In fact she was crawling her way all the way down front towards the hyper looking mouse boy from earlier.