This is a new venture on my part; trying to write an honest to Oz, descriptive, thoroughly edited story. So far my only publications on this site have been successful but not particularly deep fangirlish entries (don't be fooled; I love those dear little stories to death, they're just not the epitome of my writing talent. Hopefully this story will delve a little deeper into my writing potential. It's an experiment, but I hope you'll be willing to go along with me.
Please note that this story is written in the Musical Universe with references to events, and details of the book.
"Shiz?" Leyen let the foreign word slide over her tongue like a gulp of water. "Why would you send me there?"
"Well you're getting older," her mother reminded as she often did. "Your father and I can't take care of you forever."
"I could move into Fede," Leyen suggested brightly, naming a quadling village somewhere in the bog land between the Emerald City and Qhoyre. Though born in Gillikin with hair so fair it was almost white Leyen was a quadling in all the ways that mattered. Ever since her parents, ambitious ruby prospectors, brought her to the south she'd became enchanted with the ruddy skinned swamp people. Their communal ways and rich culture drew her like a woodmoth to a lamp. She spent her days diving for clamfish with the native girls and her nights sleeping in a wooden hut of woven reeds.
"No, that's ok," her mother insisted in a sharp, nervous tone. "You spend far too much time with those muddy savages. We're sending you to Shiz so you can live with civilized girls." Leyen's delicate face creased in naive puzzlement. The girl's simple life was reflected in her friendly mind and trusting heart. One result of this odd demeanor was an innocent inability to understand negative implications.
"When will I be leaving?" Being the gentle, interested creature that he was Leyen was willing to go.
"Tomorrow," her father said sternly in his no-nonsense tone. "Early in the morning."
"I'll be ready," Leyen assured them, curtsying as she'd been taught. With a brief but genuine smile she left her parents to bicker about whatever it was that currently irked them. Once outside the blonde pulled off her immaculate, white shoes and set them on the sandy boards of the sweeping porch. Like most of the Gillikinese who, by some misfortune or another, found themselves in the south she lived in Qhoyre, the most developed of the quadling cities. Her parents' house was grand and well furnished, but it would never be her real home just as the pompous couple inside would never be her real family.
/
"How long do you think you'll be gone?" wondered Purus, a quadling teenager with cropped black hair. Her elegant face was pulled into a forlorn expression at Leyen's news. The two friends were speaking Qua'ati; the language of the bogs.
"College lasts four years," the blonde girl explained. That little bit of Gillikinese knowledge fell like a chasm already growing between them.
"What could possibly take four years to learn?" The quadling's reddish forehead was creased with uneasy thought.
"Smart stuff," Leyen chirped as brightly as she could manage. "You know; math and reading and science."
"We quadlings don't know about any of that," Purus sighed. "But we get along just fine. Why is it that Gillikinese need to waste their life learning these things?"
"I don't know," Leyen admitted, moving her pale legs through the smooth, oily water of the south. "Maybe the Gillikinese are silly." Despite her heritage the blonde fancied herself a child of the swamps. Purus opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the squelching sound of approaching feet.
"What's wrong?" inquired Fieb, a middle aged woman with twisted, midnight hair. In her younger days she'd traveled to Munchkin Land the Gillikin in search of a better life. Fieb found what she was looking for right where she'd started. "You two look about as jumpy as cooked marshfrogs."
"Yenlay's going to Shiz," Purus informed her, staring through a blur of tears. Yenlay was the quadling form of Leyen. "Her parents are making her leave."
"No, I want to go," Leyen argued, though her woeful tone was not convincing.
"They're trying to make you into a proper Gillikinese society girl," Fieb observed sagely, bending down to wrap her warm arms around the now weeping blonde.
"I don't want to be Gillikinese," she protested. "I want to live in the swamps and reap the riches of the water and sleep in villages that drift with the whim of the river."
"It's ok," the older woman soothed. "They can put you in fancy dresses and elegant ballrooms but they can't do a thing about your childhood here." Purus wormed her way into the two person embrace.
"Promise you'll come back and visit," she whimpered.
"I promise," Leyen sniffled. They stayed curled in that hug until the sun dipped its toes into the marshy horizon.
"It's time for you to leave," Fieb said softly, pulling the heartsick blonde to her feet. She reached into her cloth tunic and removed a woven hemp necklace adorned with one of the largest rubies Leyen had ever seen. It was carved into the shape of a teardrop and dangled like a translucent prick of dazzling blood. "Take it," Fieb instructed, folding Leyen's hesitant hands around the gift. "Promise me that, no matter what wonders the rest of Oz may show you, you won't forget us."
"I promise."
/
Galinda Upland was buzzing with excitement. Her small body just couldn't contain the bubble of joy ballooning in her chest. The velvet carriage seat on which she sat suffered a fair amount of enthusiastic bouncing. Sweet Oz, she was going to Shiz! Not all girls were lucky enough to attend college at all, but here she was on her way to one of the most prestigious schools in the country. Just thinking about it made her heart swell with pride. Clearly the acceptance to Shiz was a sign of brilliance; a sign that she had earned the carefree, party laden life that came with such an acceptance.
Her sparkling blue eyes drifted out the open window. A flirtatious breeze teased her golden curls. She was beginning to contemplate how stunning her appearance must be when a traveler trekking beside the road caught her eye.
"Driver stop!" she commanded, though her sing-song voice pronounced it more like a question. The carriages, for there was another carrying her numerous belongings, screeched to a shuddering halt and Galinda threw the engraved door open. "Do you need a ride?" the blonde called to a white haired traveler of about her same age. It wasn't that Galinda enjoyed giving rides to every wayfaring stranger, but this girl looked safe enough and the journey had long ago gotten tedious.
Leyen looked up from her gaze on the gritty dirt road. "I'm fine with walking; it's not far to Shiz," she replied. "But if you want a traveling companion I'd be more than happy to oblige." She was already tired to using proper Ozian grammar, the harsh language itself was enough, and longed to slip back into her familiar quadling speech pattern.
"Come in," Galinda beckoned. "I'm bored and those suitcases look heavy." She swept a disdainful glance over the blonde girl's weathered, leather luggage. Leyen climbed into the coach with a shrug, setting her bags on the carpeted floor. "So you're going to Shiz?" Galinda questioned, hungry for conversation.
"Yes," the pale blonde answered.
"Where did you walk from?" the petite girl inquired as the carriage continued moving. She didn't even think to ask her guest's name. "Couldn't your parents hire a coach?"
"They did," Leyen responded. "I wanted to walk the last few miles."
"Why would you want to do that?" Galinda gasped.
"I like being outside," the guest explained. Her petite companion was quite baffled by this. Still she happily filled the rest of the ride with shallow conversation about the latest Ozian fashions. Leyen, who knew nothing of such things, just smiled and nodded politely. When they rolled onto the paved roads of Railway Square the smaller of the two blondes departed to arrange further transportation for her luggage.
"See you later!" Galinda called to her traveling companion as she flounced away. Leyen was bewildered by the high walled buildings, so solemn and stern. They were severe mountains of brownstone framed with thick blankets of perfect grass. Rivers of creamy sidewalk curved through this tame greenery from structure to structure. Only a few well trimmed trees could be seen dotting the lawn.
Though she wanted to kick off her pinch toed shoes and pad through the soft grass Leyen remembered her mother's firm instructions and set off down the sidewalk towards a building labeled 'Main Hall'. Many confused freshers were milling about inside, peeking at the wrinkled schedules in their hands. Leyen attempted to mingle with the other girls her age, merging into a circle of gossiping students. "Did you see her?" hissed a heavily built brunette.
"See who?" wondered a bony, beanpole of a girl with dirty blonde hair. "What are you going on about Pfannee?"
"She was green," Pfannee, the brunette, explained.
"You mean seasick?" inquired the bony one, eyes sharp and rat-like.
"No, Shenshen, aren't you listening?" Pfannee demanded. "Her skin was green as sin."
"Are you sure?" Shenshen questioned doubtfully. "That's hard to believe and you tend to exaggerate."
"Just wait. You'll see," Pfannee huffed, crossing her thick arms.
"Oh hello," greeted a third girl, noticing Leyen for the first time. "What's your name?" She had pale brown tresses and, to her credit, had remained quiet throughout Shenshen and Pfannee's discussion.
"I'm Leyen," the blonde replied with a shy but open smile.
"I'm Milla," the friendly girl introduced in response. "These are Pfannee and Shenshen."
"I'm delighted to meet you," Leyen said, drawing on her long ago etiquette lessons.
"Where are you from?" Shenshen queried.
"A village called Fede in Quadling Country," she informed them proudly.
"Why in Oz would you live down there?" Pfannee gasped in obvious disdain. "You're clearly Gillikinese."
"My parents were ruby prospectors," the blonde explained, puzzled by their disgusted reactions. However, before the conversation could progress any further, Pfannee's breath hitched and she pointed rudely at something behind Leyen.
"There she is!" the brunette exclaimed triumphantly. As one entity the three others turned to set their wondering eyes on a newcomer. She had a fierce, angular, but undeniably pretty face and long raven hair. Her fiery eyes were the same intricate brown as beautiful southern mud. The most noticeable feature, though, was her brilliant emerald skin tone. Leyen was surprised to see looks of repulsion on her classmates' faces. Sure this girl's coloring was exotic and unique, but she saw nothing ugly or unattractive about it. In fact, Leyen already felt close to this stranger. It was clear that the green girl was just as much an oddity here as she was. The only difference was that Leyen looked like everyone else.
I'm testing the waters with this story so some detailed reviews would be very helpful. Criticism (constructive or otherwise) is also welcome.