"Jenny!" my brother Brad shouted from the ground floor, his tone blatantly reproachful. "What's taking you so long?"

"I'll be out in a moment," I yelled toward the half-open door of Maisie's and my room.

"We'll leave without you if you aren't," he replied. The sound of the front door being slammed shut followed right after, startling me slightly.

I reassumed my former posture on the chair in front of the dressing table, my reflection in the mirror looking back at me with a somewhat sour expression. Although I'd seen right through my brother's bluff, he'd managed to make me feel bad about delaying our departure, so I hurriedly finished doing my hair, darted out of the room, and bounced down the stairs, my energetic descent causing the wooden steps to creak especially loudly.

As I scampered along the corridor toward the entrance, I heard my other siblings talking with my mother in the parlor, and I realized that I hadn't told them goodbye. I doubled back to its door, opened it a crack, and peeked inside. "Bye, Mommy. Bye, Kyle. Bye, Maisie," I said, and they responded in kind. With renewed urgency, I shut the door and ran the rest of the way to the entrance.

I went outside, stepping into the pleasantly warm light of the early morning sun. Brad was sitting next to Dad on the farm wagon, which was standing a short distance ahead. My brother beckoned to me impatiently, so I started to race there, but a sudden sting in my foot caused me to stop with a shriek after only a few paces. Balancing on my other leg, I pulled a thorn out of my bare sole and angrily flung it as far from me as I could.

Rather vexed, I hobbled back to the farmhouse and took my sandals from the trunk on the porch. When I was facing the opposite direction again, I noticed that Brad was on his way to me, and I waved him back before I sat down at the top of the stairs. I looked at my smarting sole but saw nothing more than a speck of blood where the thorn had pierced my skin. After wiping it off, I donned my shoes. My foot ached every time I put my weight on it, but I did my best to not let it bother me as I walked to the wagon as fast as I could manage.

"Jenny, are you all right?" Dad inquired as he alighted.

"Yes. It was just a thorn," I answered dismissively, and he boosted me onto the vehicle.

"About time," my brother said, gazing at me with displeasure.

Ignoring him, I clambered over the backrest and sat down on the stack of folded blankets in the rear. Dad, who'd resumed his seat, gave Bucky the command to move, and the draft horse began to pull the wagon at a moderate pace.

Brad switched to a kneeling position as he turned around. He put his forearms on the backrest and scrutinized me, squinting a little as he did so. "We had to wait because you put ribbons in your hair?"

I showed them off with a smile. "Aren't they pretty?"

"No one cares about your stupid ribbons," he replied in a tone that never failed to annoy me.

"I care," I pouted.

"Do I really need to remind you?" Dad said calmly. "No bickering today, or we'll stay home instead of going to the fair." He gave my brother a stern look and also directed one at me. "Would you rather help out around the farm?"

Both Brad and I let out a string of noes and promised to behave.

His features relaxed. "Very well, but I expect you to be nice to each other from here on out."

As soon as his attention was no longer focused on us, my brother leaned forward and gave me an inconspicuous signal to get closer. I complied, albeit reluctantly.

"Your ribbons are still stupid," he whispered.

"You're still stupid," I whispered back.

Dad briefly raised his forefinger. Nonetheless, Brad made a silly face and mockingly touched his hair. Exasperated, I stuck out my tongue at him. He responded with a triumphant smirk, then turned about and sat again. I wanted to cuddle my favorite plushie, but I realized that I'd forgotten to take it with me in my haste to leave the house. My mood worsened even further, and I sullenly stared at the dull landscape passing by incredibly slowly.

When my irritation finally abated, I let out a deep sigh and removed my sandals. I was glad there was no pain as I gently massaged the area around the tiny puncture in my sole. In high spirits once more, I lined up the folded blankets and reclined on them with my hands crossed behind my head. A few small white clouds drifted slowly across the light blue sky as I tried to recall what my older siblings had told me about their visits to the fair, but my vague recollections only increased my eagerness to see its wonders myself.

The wagon rolled onto a paved road some time later, causing me to stop daydreaming. "Are we there yet?" I asked excitedly as I looked around for the fair.

"We're nowhere near it," my brother snapped. "I told you that it takes a long time to get there."

"Tone it down, Brad," Dad admonished him. Addressing me, he said, "He's not wrong, though. We still have most of the way ahead of us."

I groaned disappointedly.

"Have you checked the bags? One of them has some diversions to help pass the time." He turned around for a moment to point at it.

My brother observed me unpack the bag, which contained several picture books and a few games, then lost interest. While the picture books were among my favorites, they didn't do much to alleviate my boredom. Not only did I know them all too well, but I was also getting too old for them. Nevertheless, I couldn't bring myself to ask Brad if he wanted to play any of the games with me, even though it would have probably been a more enjoyable activity.

I perked up when we turned onto a dirt road late in the morning. The signpost showed that we were getting close to the trading post where the fair was being held. With fresh enthusiasm, I moved to the front of the wagon, sitting between Dad and my brother.

The wooded terrain didn't allow me to see far, and I became positively restless. My fidgeting slowly grew worse until it culminated in a cry of delight when I finally glimpsed the fair in the distance beyond the trees. Brad threw me a look of disapproval, but I didn't let it faze me.

When the forest gave way to a plain, I had a good view of our destination. Tents of various shapes and sizes overtopped the sturdy fence of the trading post, which was even bigger than I'd imagined.

My brother gave me a nudge. "Look!" he said, pointing at the sky above the pennant on top of the highest tent.

I reacted just in time to catch sight of what appeared to be a bird of fire before it faded away. "Was that magic?" I asked in awe.

"Indeed. Pyromancy, to be exact," he answered smugly.

"Right," I acknowledged quickly. I confused the scholarly terms for the four magic disciplines with annoying frequency. "Daddy, what are you doing?" I exclaimed bewilderedly when we unexpectedly changed direction away from the entrance.

Dad was visibly amused. "We'll leave the wagon at the stable grounds, and the workers there will take good care of Bucky while we enjoy the fair." With a reassuring smile, he added, "Don't worry, it won't take long."

"But you don't need me or Brad for that," I said, unable to wait any longer. "Please let us go on ahead."

"Can we?" my brother asked promptly.

Dad looked at him with a serious expression. "As long as you watch over your little sister in my absence."

"Of course," he replied earnestly. "That goes without saying."

"Very well." Dad brought the wagon to a halt. "Make sure to stay in sight of the entrance so I can find you."

We voiced our assent and alighted. As soon as my bare feet touched the ground, I let out a squeak.

Brad frowned. "What is it now?"

"I forgot my shoes," I answered sheepishly.

"Again? Really?" He shook his head in annoyance.

Dad helped me get back onto the vehicle. I sat down in the rear where I'd left my sandals and quickly donned them. Back on my feet, I saw that my brother was waiting for me with crossed arms beside the wagon, and I gingerly jumped down to him.

Brad took me by the hand, his grip overly firm, and headed to the entrance at a brisk pace. I struggled to keep up with him and was almost out of breath by the time we passed through the tall gate. After a few more steps, we moved aside and stopped. A lot more people were visiting the fair than I'd expected, and I couldn't help but stare at the multitude. By the time my brother walked onward, my breathing had returned to normal.

"But Daddy said we have to stay at the entrance," I protested at once.

"No, he told us to stay in sight of it," he corrected me. "C'mon, let's take a look around."

I went along uneasily, but the confidence with which Brad navigated the crowd was very encouraging, and I was no longer concerned when we reached an empty stage a short while later.

"The pyromantic bird from earlier is the finale of the show taking place here every few hours," he said, pointing out the fancy sandglass attached to one of the corners at the front of the stage. Most of the bright blue substance it contained was still in its upper half. "Four mages, one of each type, display their abilities in an entertaining manner. We should be able to catch a performance sometime if you're interested."

"Of course I'm interested," I replied, desiring to experience as much as possible.

We moved away from the stage, staying fairly close to the enormous midnight blue tent that bordered it. Silver stars marked its entrance, which was closed. A troupe in its vicinity caught my attention. While most of its members were relaxing, the others were casually performing acrobatics. One woman did a backflip with a bit of assistance from another, and I was deeply impressed by how easily she executed it. I only noticed that I was no longer walking when my brother pulled at me.

"Why would you bother watching the tumblers now?" he asked incredulously. "We can attend their show later if you want to."

Unwilling to take my eyes off them just yet, I simply let him drag me along.

"Keep up, Jenny," Brad said loudly, and I suddenly realized that he was no longer holding my hand.

Filled with alarm, I turned in his direction. To my relief, he'd paused not too far ahead of me. Looking back at me, he gestured emphatically to me to catch up with him, then proceeded without waiting. I hurried after him, but a group of visitors stepped between us. They stayed put, so I tried to go around them only to find myself amid the crowd. I anxiously called out my brother's name, but if he heard me, the considerable buzz drowned out his reply.

Someone behind me was pushing against me, and I had little choice but to go along with the people surrounding me. The heat felt stifling due to the lack of space, and I began to sweat. Constantly looking for an opportunity to escape, I slipped through a gap in the wall of bodies as soon as it appeared, but it didn't change my predicament. After a few more such attempts that proved just as fruitless, I was too frustrated to continue trying.

As I glumly pondered my situation, I eventually became aware that there was a break in the crowd right beside me, and I dashed through it immediately. I didn't stop until I reached the comfortably large free space next to the food stand ahead of me. Greatly relieved, I took a deep breath and wiped my sweaty brow. While I rested in the shade of the stand's sidewall, the savory smell of its offerings made me hungry, but there was nothing I could do about it.

Once I was ready to find my way back, I looked for the prominent arch of the entrance, but it wasn't visible from my location. A smaller gate was fairly close by, however, and there was very little traffic there, so it seemed safe to investigate.

I stayed as far away from the main throng of visitors as possible as I approached the gate. A man was leaning lazily against the adjoining part of the fence on one side of it. Like a few other people I had seen at the fair, he wore a conspicuous hat of a kind I had been entirely unfamiliar with until this day. He eyed me curiously for a moment when I got close. I discovered that the gate connected to the stable grounds and continued through it in the hope of finding Dad.

The noise of the fair lessened gradually as I slowly walked down the lane formed by the stables on one side and a row of vehicles on the other, a second row visible beyond it with some space in between. Apart from the stablehands, almost no one was in the area, and I realized that too much time must have passed for Dad to still be present.

Spotting our wagon in the far row made me pause. After ruefully gazing at it for a while, I espied the top of the entrance in the distance. Invigorated by the sight, I ran through the gap between the two closest vehicles. When I came out on the other side, I bumped into a man I'd been completely unaware of and fell to the ground, landing hard on my hand and knee. The pain was bad enough to make me cry.

The man sighed loudly. "You really ought to watch where you're going." He picked up his coin purse from the ground and fastened it to his belt.

Embarrassed by my recklessness, I brushed away my tears with my forearm and mumbled a barely audible apology.

A woman, wearing not one but two swords, suddenly appeared before me, confronting the man. "What are you doing?" she said reproachfully. Her strange pronunciation made it difficult for me to understand her. "Can't you see she's hurt?"

"What am I doing? It was her own fault," he replied defensively.

"Still, you could have lent her your assistance." She turned in my direction and knelt down in front of me with an amicable smile. "Don't worry, sweetie. It's going to be all right."

The man frowned. "Your daughter isn't the first child to fall down and hurt herself, and she won't be the last. There's no need to make such a fuss with a healer right around the corner."

After a cursory examination of my scraped knee and hand, the woman stood up and faced him again. "And I'll take her there. She's not my daughter, though."

"Oh?" His face lit up. "In that case, why don't the two of us bring her to the healer and then have some fun in one of those cozy little tents?"

"I'll pass," she answered firmly.

"Are you sure? I'm feeling awfully generous all of a sudden." He shook his coin purse, its contents jingling.

"I'm sure you can find a courtesan on the fairgrounds who will only be too pleased to receive your undoubtedly big generosity," the woman replied amusedly.

The man was nonplussed. "Are you trying to make fun of me?" he inquired after a long moment.

She smirked. "Is it working?"

"Ha! I like you, lass. But that only makes me desire you even more." He looked at her with overt appreciation. "Seeing as you're so well-armed, will you grant me the privilege of a duel for a chance to couple with you?"

The woman hesitated. "What do I get out of it?"

"The satisfaction of besting me in a friendly contest should you manage to win." With a charming smile, he added, "A loss would be far more pleasurable of course."

"I'll take the victory," she said confidently.

"We shall see." The man stepped back several paces.

"This won't take long," the woman said to me.

She positioned herself opposite her adversary and unsheathed her sabers. He drew his sword, longer and heavier than hers, and they started to fight. Sitting on the ground, I watched their duel unfold. The man was taller, the woman quicker. Her fighting style was rather elegant, and I was in awe of her graceful movements. They seemed to be evenly matched, but as soon as the man became more aggressive, his opponent disarmed him with a deft maneuver.

"Nicely done, miss. You're quite the swordswoman." He picked up his weapon and sheathed it.

She put away her sabers. "You're pretty good yourself."

"Thank you. I'm a little sad that you rejected me, though. To cheer me up, I'll seek out a courtesan posthaste." The man inclined his head and walked briskly toward the fair.

The woman returned to me. "What's your name, little one?"

"Jenny," I answered timidly.

"Pleased to meet you, Jenny. I'm Zahia." She offered me her hands.

"Hello, Zahia." I took them, and she helped me stand up.

"The healer will take care of your boo-boos. It's not far." She started to lead me back the way I'd come. "Tell me, Jenny, what were you doing here on your own?"

"My brother was gone, and I was trapped in the crowd, and then I was free again, but I couldn't see the entrance, and then I wanted to find Daddy here, but he wasn't here, and then I saw the entrance, and I tried to run there, but I didn't see the man in my way," I said without pausing.

"I thought you might have gotten separated from your family, but I don't understand why you searched for them all by yourself." After a short silence, Zahia continued, "You could have asked one of the attendants for assistance."

"Attendants?" I asked, puzzled.

"The fair attendants. They can be easily identified by the tricorne hats they're wearing." She pointed at the gate, which was close. "There should have been one at the other side."

"Oh, you mean the man in the funny hat," I said with sudden recognition.

"That's right, little one" she confirmed.

As we went to the small building between the gate and the stables, I noticed that it was marked with the symbol of healing. The semi-transparent curtains at its entrance were drawn back, and we stepped inside. The infirmary was a rather plain room furnished with a table, several chairs, a rest couch, and a cabinet with shelves full of a variety of containers. The middle-aged man sitting at the far side of the table put down the book he was reading and said, "How may I help you?"

"Jenny fell and grazed her hand and knee," Zahia informed him.

"I see." He indicated the couch. "Please sit down."

She accompanied me to it. Once I was seated, she said, "I'll wait for you outside, all right?"

I nodded, and she left the infirmary.

The healer came to me with a bottle of water and a small ceramic jar. He put them down and pulled up a chair, sitting opposite me. "The wound has to be cleaned first, as you're most likely aware of already," he said. Trickling water from the bottle over my scraped knee, he washed away the dirt still sticking to it, and the area felt rather tender afterward. He opened the jar, the salve inside smelling quite weird. "This might hurt a little." The burning sensation as he applied it to my injured skin was quite painful, but it subsided quickly enough.

He placed his palm on my knee, and his face took on an expression of intense concentration. I felt a tingle where he touched me that grew quite strong before it abated. His countenance relaxed, and he withdrew his hand. He fetched a washcloth and used it to wipe the remaining salve off my mended skin. "As good as new," the healer declared with a smile, then performed the same procedure on my hand. "Anything else you need to have treated?"

"I'm fine now, thank you," I answered gratefully.

"Happy to be of service." He picked up the things he'd used and slid his chair back.

I got down from the couch and departed the infirmary. Zahia was right outside it, watching the gate. I proceeded toward her, and she noticed me when she glanced back over her shoulder. She turned around, and it suddenly occurred to me that she resembled my favorite storybook characters.

"Zahia," I blurted out when I reached her, "are you a princess?"

She was taken aback. "Whatever gave you that idea?"

"You're so beautiful and nice and can fight so well," I said admiringly.

"I'm flattered, but the title of princess is reserved for royalty, which I'm not." With an unreadable expression, she added, "I'm a ranger."

"A ranger," I echoed, intrigued by the unfamiliar term.

"Indeed. An associate of mine was supposed to meet me here, but he hasn't shown up yet." She shrugged. "I guess the dragons got him," she said flippantly.

I gasped. "Dragons?"

"Don't worry, it was only a jest. He was investigating a rumor about dragons, but I don't think their existence could be kept secret if there were any. No, I'm fairly certain what got him was a woman… or two." She sighed. "I doubt I'll ever get fully used to your ways."

"What do you mean?" I asked, perplexed.

Zahia laughed softly. "Never mind about that, little one. It's high time for you to be reunited with your family. You mentioned that they might be at the entrance?"

"Yes. Daddy told us to wait there, but my brother wouldn't listen," I answered peevishly.

She took me by the hand. "Don't fret, I'll help you find them."

We went back to the fair, but even though I felt safe in Zahia's company, the hustle and bustle on the other side of the gate made me hold her hand more firmly.

"Keep an eye out for your family in case they're searching for you," she said as she began to guide me through the crowd.

I was too small to see much, which I pointed out to her.

She halted at once and faced me. "It seems we require the help of a two-headed giant."

"Giants? Here?" I said, bewildered.

Grinning, she squatted down. "Climb on my shoulders and you'll see."

Eager to find out what she meant, I did so. She grasped my legs and stood up carefully, then walked onward. My elevated position afforded me a much-improved view and practically made me feel like a giant. When I suddenly figured it out, I started to giggle uncontrollably.

She slowed down. "What's going on up there?"

"I got it! We are the giant!" I said once my fit was over.

"I thought that might amuse you. I fondly remember my father doing something similar with me when I was little." She resumed her normal pace.

We were almost at the entrance when I sighted Dad and my brother in the place where Brad and I had stopped after entering the trading post.

I pointed at them. "Over there!"

Zahia headed toward them, but they were too absorbed in their conversation to notice us.

"Daddy!" I shouted when we reached them.

"Jenny!" he exclaimed joyfully, stepping in front of us. "There you are, sweetie. I was starting to get worried," he said tenderly as he lifted me from Zahia's shoulders. He gave me a big hug and planted a kiss on my cheek. After setting me down, he addressed her. "Thank you for returning my daughter. I hope she didn't cause you too much trouble."

"Not at all. It was obvious she was lost, and I just couldn't let her try to find her way back on her own. She knows about the attendants now." She winked at me.

"I see," Dad replied with a hint of surprise in his voice. "That was very kind of you."

"Happy to help," she said with a smile. "Enjoy the fair."

We exchanged goodbyes, and Zahia disappeared in the multitude moments after she left. Reluctantly, I faced Dad.

"The instructions I gave you were meant to prevent this sort of thing," he said, brows furrowed.

"I'm sorry," I replied with downcast eyes.

"Your brother accepted the responsibility of watching over you, and he'll have to make up for his failure. From what he told me, this incident could have been avoided if you had paid more attention to him, so I'll find something appropriate for you to do as well. There's no need to worry about that today, but I expect you to be on your best behavior from now on." Addressing both of us in a somewhat stern manner, he added, "Have I made myself clear?"

"Absolutely," Brad said while I nodded vigorously.

We started to look at the attractions, following the circular layout of the fair. After briefly stopping at several that neither my brother nor I had any real interest in, we reached a troupe that I found both enthralling and intimidating. The performers' bodies were painted with crimson designs, and all of their acts involved fire in some way. Even more fascinating than the tall and muscular man breathing fire was the pair juggling lighted torches, even passing them back and forth between each other at times. It wasn't pyromancy but very impressive nonetheless.

A bit farther along, we came to a large rectangular tent offering food and drink as well as a place to sit. We were quite hungry by now, so we went inside to have dinner. Since it was rather busy, we had to wait in line, and I used the opportunity to convince Dad to let me have a spicy dish. He ordered when it was our turn, but it took a short time until our meals and beverages were ready. While he paid, Brad and I took our plates to the unoccupied end of one of the long tables. My brother went back for our orange juice and returned together with Dad, who was carrying his food in one hand and a mug of ale in the other. Once we were all seated, we ate heartily. The dish I'd chosen made my mouth burn much more than anything else I'd eaten before, but it only added to its deliciousness.

Reinvigorated, we left the tent. A handful of attractions later, we reached one that Brad was rather excited about, though no one was currently performing. "The duelists will be back soon," he said. "Can we wait for them? Please?"

"You never get tired of watching Yannick and his pupils, do you?" Dad replied. "Well, it's up to your sister." He looked questioningly at me.

I didn't mind, and the pleading expression on my brother's face would have made it impossible to deny his request even if I did. "All right."

Brad smiled happily. "Thanks, Sis. They're amazing!"

"But I want to see the tumblers too," I said emphatically.

"The tumblers?" It took him a moment to remember. "Oh, you mean the Midnight Stars. Sure, we'll get to them later."

An assortment of swords for sale was on display nearby, and we examined them while awaiting the return of the duelists. The predominantly ornate weapons appeared to be of high quality, and I admired the craftsmanship of more than a few. The one I liked best was inlaid with bright rubies and had a beautiful design etched into its blade.

A substantial amount of spectators had gathered around the roped off area by the time Yannick and his two pupils entered it. Their bodies were covered by padded clothing, which I imagined to be very uncomfortable. After briefly addressing the audience, Yannick faced off with one of his pupils.

My brother hadn't exaggerated. They were so fast, I had trouble following what was going on. Neither was holding back, so their choice of dress made sense. Yannick was clearly more skilled, but the gap wasn't too wide, and his opponent managed to hit him every so often. They sparred for a while, then Yannick took on his other pupil, which played out in much the same way.

After a short break, Yannick, who was wielding two swords now, engaged both of his pupils at the same time. He was competitive despite being outnumbered. I wanted to believe that Zahia was better, but I knew that it most likely wasn't true. His fighting style lacked the grace of hers, however, and wasn't as enjoyable to watch.

Once the trio had finished sparring, Yannick gave members of the audience an opportunity to challenge any of them to a duel, and several expressed interest. One at a time, they were let into the area to fight their opponent of choice. A woman was the only one to challenge Yannick himself, and he held back a while before eventually claiming victory. None of the others won either, though one of them came fairly close.

"Don't tell me you weren't impressed," Brad said to me when the duelists left.

"Fine, I won't," I answered lightheartedly.

As we continued on our way around the fair, a stall with jewelry for sale drew my attention. I was allowed to look over the trinkets, and a thin bracelet caught my eye. It was rather plain, but the way its dark beads scintillated was very appealing. "Daddy, may I have something?" I asked, gazing up at him hopefully.

He appeared unenthused, but his features softened after a moment. "Very well, you can have a souvenir of your first visit." He held me back, adding, "Make sure you pick the one you like the most. I don't want to hear any complaints later."

I examined the trinkets again, but my mind was already made up. "The bracelet," I said, pointing it out.

Dad paid the vendor, and I slipped it onto my wrist. I felt like I had acquired a rare piece of treasure and couldn't help but smile for a time.

Not much later, we came near a group of brightly colored tents. The deep pink one in the center had an open entrance, unlike the smaller ones around it. Brad kept looking there, making me curious about what they were being used for. A redheaded woman, her sole piece of clothing a gorgeous purple hip scarf of considerable length, exited one of the outer tents, closely followed by a burly man. He touched her briefly before departing. A moment after she entered the middle tent, a black woman with a smiling man in tow emerged from it. She wore nothing more than flashy jewelry, which sparkled prettily in the sunlight as she lead him to the previously vacated tent.

Once we were past the courtesans' place, I noticed that the tent of the Midnight Stars was in view. I became really eager to see them, so we didn't stay long at the few attractions we hadn't visited yet. When we reached it, I was a little disappointed to learn that their next performance was a good while away, but it was their last show of the day, and it would have been much worse if we'd been too late to attend it. The time we had available allowed us to have a meal beforehand, however, ensuring we wouldn't get hungry while watching the show.

We went to a nearby food stall where Dad bought a sandwich for each of us, and we ate them while we slowly made our way to a confectionary stand in a different part of the fair. Although my sandwich was quite tasty, I was more interested in the dessert. When we arrived there, I was faced with a wide selection of mouthwatering baked goods. I eventually chose a cinnamon bun, and we took our fare to one of the high tables close by. There was a stand with fruity beverages located right next to us, and Dad purchased a glass of strawberry milk for me and one for Brad. I greatly enjoyed the scrumptious pastry and the refreshingly cool drink.

On our way back, we stopped at one of the small fountains scattered around the fair so I could wash my annoyingly sticky fingers. Despite our leisurely pace, the tent of the Midnight Stars was still closed. With uncharacteristic timidity, Brad asked if we could watch the dancer in the meantime. We hadn't paused when we'd walked past her stage earlier, and since it wasn't far, there was no reason not to.

It was a rather popular attraction, and we had to move around a bit until we had a reasonably good view of it. The fairly small stage was beautifully decorated. A few musicians at its back played an ethereal melody that I found quite pleasing. The lithe dancer wore an intricate web of delicate golden chains and nothing else. Transparent strips of cloth that shimmered iridescently were attached to it at her wrists and ankles. Her flowing movements were almost hypnotic, and I wondered if I'd ever be able to dance half as well.

Dad soon informed us that it was time to go back. He gave my brother a few coins, which Brad quickly deposited in one of the donation receptacles. I was so excited, I took the lead as we returned to the tent. We weren't the first to get there, but the line was short. It didn't take long until we had our tickets and were allowed inside. I was very happy that we had been early enough to get excellent seats, though having to wait for the show to start dampened my enthusiasm a bit.

Most of the seats were occupied when the outer lights went dim. Shortly after, the first Midnight Stars finally appeared. Their flawlessly executed acrobatics were breathtaking, and I was spellbound from the moment they began. The trapeze act in particular delighted me no end, and I recognized the two women performing it as the ones whose warm-up exercise had fascinated me so much. Like the others, they wore fancy black bodysuits adorned with diamonds, and glitter had been generously applied to the substantial amount of skin not covered by them. Much to my joy, the dazzling show was far from over at that point.

When it ended, I felt as if I was waking from a wonderful dream. In no hurry to leave, we waited until the tent was mostly empty. Stepping out into the bright sunlight caused me to blink, and I suddenly realized how tired I was.

"Ooh, the mages are doing their show," Brad said, giving me a tap with the back of his hand. "C'mon!"

A surge of excitement made me forget my weariness for the moment, and I followed my brother through the crowd, markedly thinner than before, to the nearby stage. We stopped next to some other spectators, and I sat down on the ground, already struggling to keep my eyes open.

The talent of each of the four mages was indicated by an aptly colored piece of clothing or accessory. The air mage, a woman wearing a light blue hip scarf, and the fire mage, a woman in a red skirt, were standing side by side at the front of the stage. The fire mage slowly moved her hand through the air in front of her, but every time a flame appeared in its wake, the air mage extinguished it with a wave of her hand. After a short while, the fire mage gave up and threw her apparent rival an annoyed look.

Both women appeared surprised when the air mage levitated a moment later. She floated forward until the stage was no longer below her, an expression of displeasure on her face. As she sank down, the earth mage, a man in dark brown shorts, could be seen standing in the spot she had previously occupied. His outstretched arm was pointed at her, and she descended further as he lowered it, her feet soon touching the ground.

The fire mage gestured again, creating a symbolic heart of fire between her and the earth mage, who responded with a smile. The heart pulsated a few times before the water mage, a man wearing a deep blue sash, stepped forward and directed a flying sphere of water toward it with his hand. The sphere quenched the heart, and the resulting vapor returned back into it.

The earth mage reluctantly made way for the water mage, who took his place opposite the fire mage, the sphere hovering over his upturned palm. He positioned his other hand above it, and the sphere transformed into a ring and then a band. After evenly spaced prongs formed on its top, it solidified into ice. The gleaming crown fell onto his hand, and he set it on the head of the fire mage, who beamed.

The air mage, who was back on the stage and visibly angry, confronted the earth mage, the other two giving them space at the front. The earth mage tried to calm her down with gentle gestures but was unsuccessful. His face suddenly lit up, and he raised his forefinger. He pointed at the crown, levitating it, and moved it onto the head of the air mage, whose anger turned into joy.

The fire mage was displeased and motioned to the water mage to do something. He quickly stepped in front of the air mage and touched her crown. It slowly turned into steam, which surrounded her head. With an amused expression, she waved it over to the fire mage, who became incensed.

The water mage hurried to her and put his hand near her head. The steam gathered around his forearm and turned to water that adhered to his skin. Once he had collected all of it, he abruptly swung his arm sideways, releasing the water as individual drops. A few gasps could be heard as they flew into the audience. One of them hit me square on the nose, startling me. For an instant, I was wide awake again, but my vision blurred as I futilely attempted to keep my eyes open, and I dozed off.

A clang caused me to wake up with a start. I saw that the show was over, though the earth mage was walking along the line of spectators, a bowl of shiny metal floating between him and the audience. It remained at his side as he slowly came closer, and the same noise occurred when someone dropped a coin or two into it. Dad touched my shoulder to get my attention and gave one to me. When the earth mage stepped in front of me, the bowl sank down, stopping just above the ground, and I added my coin. He moved on, the bowl rising to its previous altitude, and Brad donated his.

Dad helped me get to my feet. "There's no point in staying, Jenny can barely stand," he said to my brother.

Brad sighed. "Ah well, I don't think we skipped anything of note."

We headed to the stable grounds, but since I was too tired to walk at a reasonable pace, Dad carried me all the way to our wagon and put me in the rear.

I folded one of the blankets to use it as a pillow and drowsily snuggled into the rest. As Bucky was being hitched up, I thought about everything I'd experienced today. While I'd enjoyed many of the attractions, none of them had been nearly as captivating as the Midnight Stars, but it was my encounter with Zahia that stood out the most.

Although I was barely awake by the time we were on the move, the frequent jolting of the wagon prevented me from going to sleep right away. Instead of fantasizing about being a princess as I was wont to do while waiting to fall asleep, I envisioned myself as a ranger.