The show was an unanimous success. After the finale, all of the animals were brought into the ring and took a ‘bow’ together—the horses raised a front leg and lowered their heads, the tiger crouched down, while the lion kept its head high and roared, signing everyone that this magnificent beast would not bow to any being. Except for Tobias, that is, who did manage to get a short crouch out of the king of animals, a feat regarded with a healthy share of laughs from the audience. Only at the very end did the tamer himself take a long, well-deserved bow to show his love for the people. And they indeed made sure to reciprocate the love—the standing ovation did not stop until Tobias showed one last little trick by jumping on the back of one of the horses and made it do a tall prance for several seconds. The stallion's almost victorious neigh was the true sign of the end of the performance.

In the next second, the [i]big top[/i] tent became more cacophonous than ever as the hundreds sprung to their feet and started heading for the exits. Several assistants hurried into the ring, some tasked with keeping each of the animals calm and still while the rest leashed them and prepared to take them back into their enclosures. Tobias stuck with his seal brown coat, almost pitch black stallion, caressing its head and mane. [i]Sullivan[/i] was his name, and he was the tamer's favourite horse. On some days, Tobias thought of riding out with him into the endless rural England and never returning. Not to say he was not happy with the circus—it provided him a livelihood and the priceless chance to cause people joy—, he simply wished for excitement. For adventure.

Although the show was over, some people remained in the tent and near the ring, seeking a chance to take one last look at the beautiful creatures before they were taken back to their places. Tobias encouraged them to come closer and interact with the animals, trusting in his own training abilities that they would not harm anyone.
The lion, [i]Charles[/i], garnered the most attention and it was where Tobias went to as well, making sure no one did something that could have angered the beast and having a few kind and even informative words to everyone. For the vast majority of people—himself included—, such circuses and carnivals were the only chances to see exotic animals from up close, it was no wonder they did not want to let the opportunity go to waste.

However, it did not mean the rest did not receive any recognition and Tobias made sure to see to the people at the others as well. This was how he eventually arrived to a young woman in an exquisite, faintly blue gown. She stood at the other notable horse in his performance, a mare who was almost a perfect opposite to Sullivan with her shining whiteness. The way the girl held herself even in the grass and mud gave away her noble parentage immediately.
“She's beautiful, isn't she?” Tobias spoke, stepping up next to the girl and stroking through the horse's pure white mane himself. “She's an English thoroughbred. Her name is [i]Stargazer.[/i] She likes to stay awake at nights when we keep her outside.” He laughed. “But I'm sure you know plenty about her kind already.”