The wood of the caravan wagon seemed to creak with the slightest movement. It was musty and smelled of cigars, but in an odd way Victor Frankenstein found it cozy. The walls were decorated with old posters advertising for the traveling circus written in European-languages. Though the longer he gazed at the acrobats, show horses and magicians depicted in the circus posters the longer he felt their staring eyes. Suddenly the musty old wagon simply seemed less cozy.

He leaned into his chair, releasing another eerie creak. He lifted away his hand, not wanting to collect any splinters after his long recovery. But his neck ached, and he finally, gingerly placed his head against the barely cushioned head rest.

The wagon creaked again and suddenly the door behind him burst open then slammed shut, and in had stepped the tall and sharp looking Ring Master. Victor stood but the man motioned for him to take a seat. It was the first time Victor had actually seen the man, he was dressed in kitch, but finely made clothes. He wore a long, maroon coat with large gold buttons and black knee high boots to match the perhaps too-tall hat on his head. His vest was a dull orange and pink striped. The Coiled weapon appeared to have a sharp silver tip. He was the owner of the show, or so Victor was told. Victor had never met the man face to face before now. The Ring Master was the one who had summoned Victor after the young Doctor had awakened from weeks of battling injuries and sickness, and from what Victor was told, the one who had made the decision to take him in. It struck the Lordling as a foolish move for the owner of such an enterprise: after all Victor Frankenstein was a wanted the more he accessed the situation, the more in character it seemed to be. It wasn't as if these 'performers' had any better reputation than a convict on the run.

The Ring Master eyed Victor from the opposite end of the wagon, his gloved hand still fanned and pressed against the old cracked wooden door. When his darkly lined eyes had a moment to look him over, those long fingers of his slid gracefully and lifted his top hat from his full head of black slicked back hair..

This tall figure of a man let out a warm chuckle as he placed his hat carefully on the coat rack camouflaged against the cluttered wall and grinned with straight white teeth," Victor Frankenstein, my dear boy it is so good to see you awake, I didn't know if you would be able to overcome those nasty scrapes you had gotten yourself into" In long strides he went to take a seat in a patchy looking chair behind his desk," You know, you've made quite a name for yourself Victor- I mean, before your problems with the law"

"Yes.. well…" Victor cleared his throat nervously and fidgeted with the loose string at the end of his sleeve," I suppose I should thank you for… saving my life, Mr… um.. I apologize, but I don't believe I know your name"

"Oh, please, I consider myself a good samaritan, you've no need to thank me. As for my name, you will not need it. You may address me as 'Ring Master' as everyone else here does. Though..", The Ring master opened a drawer in an old dresser behind him and pulled out another poster, it was Victor's wanted poster with a sketch of his likeness in the middle of the paper,"I'm quite interested in your name. I wanted to ask you some questions about you. You're a Doctor, correct?"

"Was," Victor swallowed," Before the-"

"No no no, PLEASE I want to know more about your skills. From what I understand you are a phenomenal physician, and as it turns out our last 'healer' had a little accident with our kitty cats…"

Victor cringed more and more as the man spoke, this tall dark man's performer mentality was beginning to grate against his nerves," That's very gracious of you, but I think as soon as I can I'd like to go my own way. It's probably for the best"

The Ring Master's enthusiastic expression faded and turned into a slight scowl. He set down the wanted paper in front of Victor and traced the lettering of his name," Alright then… perhaps we should start with your story"

"My 'Story'? I'd rather not," Victor replied flatly

The Ring Master paused a moment, then let out a small sigh," Come, we all have a 'story' or a history of some sort and from what I've heard, yours is a very dark one. You come from the Frankenstein line yes? The eldest son of the now 'late' Lord Alphonse Frankenstein. And you had a brother, Gerhardt, also deceased?" The Ring Master questioned," I had heard some dark rumors about him as well, you know"

"Yes… he's gone" This man seemed to know a lot… or had enough information simply evolved over the last year and a half?

"I see, well you took up a medical career, despite your family's long history of work in the military. I imagine that didn't go over well.. and you were good. In fact extraordinary. Though when you had decided to look into reanimation, you lost all credibility in the medical community. But really, the worst thing to happen to young Doctor Frankenstein, was that you succeeded in your efforts," The Ring Master gazed down at the poster again and read aloud," Doctor Victor Frankenstein, charged with trespassing, grave robbing, murder and black magic," The Ring Master looked up at him," I didn't think you could be charged with that old offense anymore"

"Apparently," Victor managed, but when Victor met the Ring Master's expression again, he could see the 'showman' disappear, there instead was actual sympathy, even sincerity in his eyes.

"You know… I thought it was odd that a Doctor had such vastly untreated wounds"

Victor lowered his head," You and your caravan, were not suppose to find me… After the death of my father, it didn't stay hidden too well. It's true, those rumors, I had resurrected my brother, and while he was alive he was not the same. He is the one who killed our father but I am the one responsible. I had to take my brother away from there, but the authorities found out about us, and it wasn't long before we became fugitives. Unfortunately my brother in his condition, he couldn't survive the elements"

"And you, Victor Frankenstein," He smoothed out a crumpled corner of the poster," did you lose your purpose?"

"I did," Victor swallowed," I'm afraid I'm quite lost… I deserved to die, and for a time before you found me, after Gerhardt's death I thought dying was what I deserved"

The Ring Master sat back in his chair and glanced out the tiny window. It was quiet for a good minute or so before the Ring Master spoke,"I don't suppose a man like you believes in fate, but I do, Doctor. I believe the Gods have purpose for you yet, and that our happening upon you was not by mere chance," The Ring Master turned towards Victor offering a small smile," You know, there are people here who are in need of care. You may not be able to bring back your brother, but if you stay with us you can still preserve life- that was your calling at the start of all this, was it not?"

Victor looked away and ran his fingers through his hair," I'm not so sure…"

"Oh come on, half of us are criminals just like you! You'll fit in fine! Not to mention we took care of you, fed you, clothed you…"

"I thought you said you were the 'Good Samaritan'"

"Well… I'm also a man who has to make a living"

Victor considered the man, but after having spent so long under the harsh elements, he couldn't imagine doing that alone, the Circus could provide him cover for awhile, and the idea of helping these people did appeal to him even if he didn't want to admit it to the man. He had heard of the appalling conditions and treatment of the performers in these kinds of 'shows', he knew he could do some good here.

"You'll do it?" Victor returned his attention to the Ring Master who had returned to his 'showman's persona," You'll be our healer? Our shaman? Our mender?"

"I prefer, Doctor," Victor responded," and I won't work with the animals, I have no training and no desire to work with your 'kitty cats' or whatnot"

"Of course not, all in good time," The Ring Master stood and extended his hand to shake Victors, when Victor didn't take it fast enough, the tall man leaned over his desk and grabbed his hand shaking it roughly," You may have our last 'Doctors' quarters, it should be enough room and there's still quite a few leftover supplies as well- but if you need anything you may talk to our magician, or even better come straight to me! I'll get you whatever you require!"

Victor pulled his hand away when the Ring Master lowered his own," I appreciate that, thank you," The Doctor even offered a small smile.

"You know? I think I'll go talk to Greta, she can make sure you have your quarters all in line. You'll start first thing in the morning! I hope you're an early riser!" The tall lengthy man stood and chuckled as he went to get his hat," You're wagon is just behind the acrobats training tent!"

Victor watched the man leave practically clicking his heels on the way out. He shook his head when the door slam. He wasn't so sure he would 'fit in' if everyone here had the same demeanor as this Ring Master did, but it might be a chance to redeem himself doing… partial honest work, if that was possible. Victor stood to his feet about to get a proper look at his new quarters when the Ring Master opened the door again and popped his head in briefly," Oh, and by the way, it would probably be best if you didn't use your name here. i know who you are but most of our performers do not.. believe me, it's probably best if you just go by 'Doctor', alright?"

"Alright," Victor agreed

"Excellent!" The Ring Master grinned exiting for a second time," Early Rise tomorrow! Welcome to the Cirque Des Ombres!"

The door shut, and as Victor grabbed his coat off the back of his chair he scanned those posters lining the walls of the wagon, until one caught his eye. A large, wall height poster depicting a beautiful woman with long dark curly hair in a showgirls bright red dress and make up. Only she was doing her dance behind a cage and her wrists and ankles were in chains. The lettering upon it read; The She-Wolf. And while the woman's face had a beautiful symmetry about it, and her smile was wide, her eyes looked almost tragic. As Victor studied the poster, he couldn't avoid those pleading eyes. Finally Victor turned his back and stiffly walked out into the camp to see just exactly what the last Doctor had left him with.