Lion's Roar (Clexa)

3. Admission.

Octavia led Clarke out of the big top, past the caravans, and toward the scatter of small canvas tents on the camp's far side.

"Where are you -" Clarke started to ask, but Octavia cut her off.

"Shh, just wait and see," she grinned.

Clarke shook her head in amusement. "Whatever you say."

The girls walked past grazing horses and sleeping dogs, and came to a stop at a very square and solid-looking tent which looked like nothing more than a steel cage draped with red canvas. Clarke could see the bars showing through the material, straight lines of condensation where cage and cover met, and her heart began to race.

"Octavia..." she asked anxiously. "John's still alive isn't he?"

The knife girl laughed. "Of course he is! He got fired because he did something stupid. Ontari was just trying to scare you. Don't listen to her!"

Clarke nodded silently, still not entirely convinced.

"Anyway," Octavia continued, pulling open the tent/cage door with a flourish. "Meet Polaris."

Inside the cage-tent, curled up in the back corner, was an enormous golden-brown lion. The beast was asleep, breathing in a rumbling snore/purr hybrid that reminded Clarke of a lawnmower.

"Wow," she breathed. She'd never seen one this close before.

"Beautiful, isn't he?" smiled Octavia, placing a hand on Clarke's shoulder as she admired the big cat. The blonde just nodded, still lost for words.

"You looking forward to working with him?" the knife-thrower asked. She frowned, a distant look in her eyes, clearly thinking of something unpleasant. "I'm sure you'll do a better job than Murphy did."

"Um, Octavia," Clarke began. "What exactly did-"

Octavia held up a hand to stop her. "He's waking up!" she whispered. Clarke looked over to the lion, who had indeed begun to stir. She watched in fascination.

Polaris flicked his tail before slowly opening his eyes and looking sleepily around the room. His gaze settled on Clarke and he let out a low, rumbling sigh.

Cautiously, Clarke began to approach him. One hand outstretched, the walked towards it, keeping eye contact the entire time. The beast didn't retreat.

"Hey," she said softly, kindly, beckoning the creature closer in a manner that one would generally reserve for a more stereotypically domesticated animal - a dog perhaps. The lion rose and padded softly across the floor towards the girl with no signs of aggression whatsoever. Was this a result of kindness from other handlers, or had it been scared or beaten into submission on some previous occasion? She hoped it was the former, but something told her otherwise.

Now the lion was standing, she could see that he had a scar on the other side of his face, a long red gash that had missed his eye by only millimetres. From Clarke's limited experience helping her mother in the practice, she could tell the injury had been fairly recent.

She looked over to Octavia. "Did John...?" she asked.

Octavia nodded solemnly. "Sword. Stolen. We're not sure why. Murphy got fired the very second Kane found out. God, he was furious."

"It's okay," Clarke whispered, turning back to the big cat and reaching her hand out to pet the feline. "I've been hurt too. I know how you feel." The lion leaned into her, pressing its face against her open palm, and purred.

"Wow," said Octavia, applauding, a look of awe and surprise plastered across her usually condescending face. "Bell was right, you really are some kind of cat whisperer. I'm impressed."

Stroking Polaris like a house-cat as if to prove her point, Clarke responded. "I guess so. Probably comes from the fact I spent most of my free time as a kid shut inside the house where my only friends were the cats," she said coldly, detachedly.

Octavia nodded, not really sure what to say to this, then glanced at her watch.

"Anyway," she said hurriedly, clearly wanting to direct the subject away from any angsty backstory Clarke might have been about to launch into, "You're definitely fit for the job. I think it's time for you to meet Kane."

The girls left the lion tent, locking the door securely behind them, and with Octavia in the lead made a beeline for Kane's RV. Octavia knocked sharply on the door three times.

"Kane!" she yelled at the still-closed door when there was no immediate response.

"Coming, coming!" came a voice from inside the RV, followed by various thumping and clattering sounds as Kane presumably tripped over something or knocked something off a shelf. Eventually the door opened to reveal a friendly-looking middle-aged man, the black hair atop his head surprisingly well-groomed considering the fact he appeared to be wearing only a bathrobe.

"This Clarke chick's fucking incredible, you've got to hire her!" Octavia said, before Kane had even had a chance to open his mouth and greet them.

"I'm not that-" Clarke tried to argue, but Octavia slapped her hand to shut her up.

"Dude, you were like Cesar friggin' Millan with that lion! When Bell texted me and told me you'd shown up on his doorstep I had my doubts at first, but he said he saw potential and damn was he right."

Clarke blushed, and turned back to Kane, tentatively offering a hand for him to shake.

"Hi Mr Kane," she said, trying to exude some air of professional reservation despite her new friend's preference of colloquial gusto. "I'm Clarke, and I suppose I'm here to apply for the position of lion tamer - that is, unless you've got any other roles that need filling more urgently. I'm happy to take on whatever you decide to delegate me."

Kane accepted the handshake, and gestured for Clarke to come inside.

"From what Octavia and Bellamy have said about you, I think that you'll be fantastic in the lion taming role. However there are, I believe, a few legalities we have to sort out first." Clarke nodded warily, crossing the threshold into the ringmaster's travelling home.

Kane looked at Octavia. "You can leave now," he said. Octavia nodded in understanding and did so, closing the door behind her. Clarke and Kane were now alone. The latter moved to sit down on a brown leather couch against the wall, beckoning for the former to follow.

"So, you're a runaway I presume?" Kane began, getting straight to the point.

"Yes, I -" Clarke faltered. "Don't make me go back, please!" she begged, her muscles tensing and the pupils of her sky-blue eyes beginning to dilate with fear.

Kane placed a sympathetic hand on Clarke's shoulder.

"I'd never do that. I know that people don't just run away for no reason, that there must be something you really don't want to return to. We've got other people like you here, don't worry. I'm not asking this so I can send you back, I'm asking so I can stop them from finding you."

Clarke was surprised. "Really?" she asked.

Kane nodded. "Yes, really."

Clarke smiled weakly.

"So is there anything else I need to know? Is there anyone after you? Any crimes to your name? You a proper fugitive or just a missing person?"

Clarke's eyes widened. "No, no, I'm - I haven't done anything," she said hurriedly.

Kane pondered this for a few seconds and nodded in understanding.

"Alright then. Standard procedure. We'll relocate today, get you a stage name, tell the others you're not to be outed. I'll tell them now. See you in the big top in five."

Clarke rose, shook Kane's hand once more, and left.

It wasn't a lie, that she was innocent, but it wasn't the full story either. She had information. Information that, if it got out, could turn the world as she knew it upside down.  Even if her mother didn't send someone to hunt her down, Clarke was almost certain that the government would. There were people out there who would do absolutely anything to prevent the truth from getting out.