NUTS AND BOLTS ¯ᶠʳᵉʳᵃʳᵈ

15. Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge

It was five days before Frank managed to get any information that could lead him to Maria. When he had left the circus he had had no idea where to go and so had simply sent his horse at a trot through the city they had set the circus up in, looking about for any signs that could help him. He had stopped to talk to anyone he saw, asking around for a woman with a beard but most people just looked at him like he was crazy, and everyone else just told him to try the circus. It was just no use.

In the end Frank had reluctantly left the city in the direction he hoped Maria had taken. One way went back through little country villages the circus had come through in the first place. The other direction went the way the circus would be going next - through more country roads to another city. But that direction also had many other cities en-route, and so Frank hoped Maria would pick that way. It was easier to hide in a city than a village, and surely she would have considered that someone from the circus would come looking for her.

For the next five days Frank had travelled continuously, stopping only to sleep and eating whilst he rode to save time. Cog's was mostly quiet, and yet still a great companion to have. He kept still on Frank's shoulder and every now and then would wander down his arms to sit on top of the horses head. He often gazed at Frank with those large, knowing jade eyes and would sometimes nuzzle his head against Frank's cheek as if trying to comfort him.

With every city that Frank went through he spoke to as many people as he could, asking around for a bearded woman but no one had seen her. In fact, people gave the impression that they thought Frank was either trying to take the piss or was in fact crazy. It was getting him nowhere, and with every city he went through the feeling of dread would grow inside him. Had he gone the wrong way? Had Maria chosen the little village route instead?

It was on the fifth day, when Frank was beginning to lose all hope that something finally came to light.

Frank had stopped in a tavern for the night, his body aching from the constant riding and his head full of thoughts of failure. He would never be able to find Maria and would soon have to admit defeat and return to the circus. The thought of having to do that made him want to be sick, but the thought of staying away for so long - and possibly making Gerard die without the key to his chest with him - all for no reason, was even worse.

"Room for one please." Frank sighed as he stood at the bar in the tavern. The owner nodded and turned to get a key for a room, taking the required gold and smiling sympathetically at the weary traveller.

"Long journey?" He asked politely as he came from behind the bar to lead Frank upstairs, the younger man nodding as he looked down at his feet.

"You could say that..." He mumbled, following the tavern owner up the stairs to the second floor where a corridor stretched before them. There were about five doors along it and Frank followed the elderly man along to the final one. "Say, you haven't seen a bearded lady around here by any chance have you?" He sighed, already expecting the man to say no and give him the same 'are you crazy?' look everyone else had been giving him.

"A bearded lady?" The man repeated in surprise, Frank blushing as he nodded his head, opening his mouth to tell the man to forget it, but he spoke before he had chance. "We actually had one stay here just last night. Do you know her?" He asked, smiling warmly at Frank as he unlocked the final door and led Frank into the room.

Frank was staring at the tavern owner with wide, stunned eyes. The elderly man had walked into the room and started straightening up the bed sheets, listing the facilities they provided and asking Frank if he'd like any dinner brought up, but Frank was frozen solid in the doorway. For a moment he was sure he had misheard, but as the old man's words sunk in Frank's heart began to race erratically in his chest.