So, where to, my lovely lady," Fiyero asked, exuberant as always.
"Give me a moment," Elphaba said, sitting down by the road side. She pulled the slippers from her satchel and looked at them for a second.
"You miss her," Fiyero said. It wasn't really a question.
"Yes, and not only that. I'm tired. It's been a whirlwind day." She laughed bitterly at the unintended pun.
Fiyero turned away and looked to the horizon. "The sun is rising," he muttered in a dreamy voice. He shivered a little. Elphaba wondered at this. A Scarecrow couldn't be cold, so what was troubling him?
"Yero..."
"Take all the time you need," he told her.
She ignored this. "What's on your mind?"
He laughed at her question. "My mind? Why, they say I haven't got one."
"That's not true and we both know it. They're the brainless ones," she seethed.
He made a dismissive noise. "It's not for us to worry about from here on."
"What is it?"
He shook his head, a few bits of straw coming loose. He watched them drift to the ground. "How did this happen to me?"
"I was desperate. I had to save you. I couldn't let them..." Her voice began to shake. "Please forgive me," she whispered, in a desperate voice.
"That you would spare me," he said, staring off again. He mentally shook himself and backtracked a few paces. He held his hand out to her, in assistance. She took it and he pulled her to her feet. He glanced at the slippers, still in her hands. "Perhaps, dear Nessa has been granted a miracle such as we were."
Elphaba gave him a sad smile. "If only...but no I saw what had happened. There was no chance. She had no chance." She began to wither. He put an arm around her and led her back to the road. "Oh, Yero. I had the best intentions. How I made a mess of things."
"Stop that. That kind of thinking gets you nowhere, and I won't hear any of it. Look! The road's ahead of us, which ever way we turn. Where would you like to go?"
"I'm not sure." She looked up at him. "Is there somewhere you would like to see? Or something you want to do?"
He cocked his head, thinking on it while they continued to walk forward. "Nor. What's became of my sweetest Nor?"
She faltered. A question she had not anticipated, had not prepared for, although she should have been ready for. She stopped and ducked under his arm. She backed away from him. By the Unnamed God, what am I supposed to say to him? How to explain?
He turned to look back at her, bewildered by her behavior. "Elphie?"
"The Gale Force. They stormed Kiamo Ko." She turned her back not wanting to see his face. Or him to see hers. "Sarima, Irji and Nor were taken. They executed your son. It was a terrible public spectacle. There were rumors that Sarima was killed as well but I cannot say for certain. As for Nor, I have no knowledge. I'm not sure if she lives, or where she may be."
Fiyero was silent for a long time. Elphaba finally summoned the courage to turn around and look at him. He was sitting down by the side of the road, much as she had done a few moments before. He held his head in his hands. He must have sensed her watching at him because just then he looked up at her. He patted the ground beside himself. Sit.
She complied, remaining silent. She watched him closely. As he had done before, he seemed to stare at nothing, seeing nothing and hearing nothing. Empty-headed, my ass...I'd give anything to know what was going through that brain of yours.
After a great while, he seemed to rouse himself from the reverie. He lifted his hand and studied it in the pale morning light. He seemed fascinatinated by it.
Elphaba looked frantically back and forth between his face and the hand at eye level. Has he gone mad now?
Fiyero suddenly jumped to his feet. "I will find her!"
"Oh, Fiyero...she is probably beyond help at this point."
He shook his head at her negatives. Again, straw loosened from beneath his hat. He swatted it away, irritated. "I will find her, yes. No, we will find her. But first..." He lifted the offending hand again. "First, we must fix this."
"Magic doesn't work like that. What has been done, cannot be undone."
He scoffed and gave her a disaproving look. (To all my criminal minds readers :)) "In the entire history of mankind there is nothing that cannot be undone," he said, shaking a finger at her.
"But it's not that simple. Fiyero, you just don't understand."
"No? Well, I hear rumors too. And they tell me that there is a girl, down in the Cloister of Saint Glinda. The real Saint Glinda, I mean, not that giddy little featherhead flitting about in her bubble."
Elphaba had to smile at his mini-tirade. She hid it with her hand.
"I hear she has quite an unusual talent with the domingon. She can reverse this spell. I'm sure of it."
"And then what?"
"I've already told you. We go to find Nor. Rescue her if need be."
"As I said, it's not that simple."
"Why shouldn't it be? It seems fairly straightforward to me."
"Because we are both wanted criminals and we are both supposed to be dead. And if we manage to change you back they will certainly recognize you. Coupled with my lovely shade of green we ought to stick out nicely. Might as well prepare the gallows for us, right now."
"And you've never heard of a disguise? Really, Elphie, you act as if you're the one without a brain."
"Stop that," she hissed at him. "You've got more going on up there, than half the population of this God-forsaken place."
"So you say."
A small noise caused them both to turn. A young boy, of perhaps thirteen, stood watching them. Elphaba relaxed. "Oh, it's you Liir. Thank goodness, you atleast are safe."
"Liir? I don't believe I've met...," Fiyero began to say. Elphaba shot to her feet and began to walk briskly away. "Where are you going?"
"You wanted to go. So lets go. We'll never get anywhere if we sit around here dilly-dallying all day."
Liir drew level to Fiyero and the two of them exchanged a look. "Women: they are the strangest of creatures," Fiyero told the boy. He then ran ahead to catch up with Elphaba. "So who is this Liir kid," he asked her.
Her lips worked silently for a few seconds. "Um...do you remember what happened back during the Corn Exchange?"
"Oh yes, that was wonderful," he said, grinning widely. "But what does that have to...oh." He glanced back at the boy, who was now following them. "You mean...he's...no, it can't be."
Both of them fell silent after this.