I'm still not sure why I'm posting this or if anyone will read it, but it has been 3 years since I've touched/updated this fic. My plans for finishing it fell through, but I found some chapters in my Google Docs and decided to go ahead and upload them. Sorry for leaving it for so long, but hopefully now I can finish it. No promises. If you happen to click on this, please drop me a review.
"Wow, Uncle didn't mention that you were so unobservant."
Elphaba's entire body tensed as she stopped dead in her tracks.
"Excuse me?" She asked, trying and failing to restrain the fear she felt from her voice. And, the man had insulted her.
"I've been trailing you for quite some time now, and you didn't notice. Guess that just goes to show how skilled I am."
An arrogant stalker to turn her over to the Gale Force. Just what she needed right now. Elphaba said nothing, foolishly hoping perhaps if she stayed still for long enough the man would just go away.
"You don't have to be afraid. You can trust me, I'm here to help."
The voice was behind her now. At first it had sounded almost like it was everywhere. Like it was in her head. All around her at the same time, but now it had settled in one spot. Elphaba turned around very slowly to face the man from whom the voice was coming. And exhaled a huge sigh of relief.
It was just a boy.
Adolescent years, dark, nearly black, brown hair atop his head, and eyes the brightest blue she'd ever seen. She was just about to turn and continue walking, when she thought about the tone of his voice. The confidence in it.
"How can you help me?" Elphaba asked.
The boy walked towards her, bowing at the waist and extending his hand. "Aeadan Kittridge, of the Resistance at your service."
Their hands met, and Elphaba took it gratefully.
"I I I-iiiii" she stuttered. While seeking a member of the Resistance, one of them had come to her. Almost too good to be true. But she was too excited right now to be worried about this being a trap.
"I heard you were looking for our little group, and you were headed the right way." Aeadan's voice was smooth, and he sounded so sure of himself.
"Were?" She asked, confused.
"Well," he put his hands in his pockets as a breeze blew past them. His fingers were moving, like he was tinkering with something, considering something important. "Keep heading into the Vinkus if you want to see where we're based. There are more Animals housed there than anywhere else, but I'm one of the few that can get you inside. To meet the man who's in charge."
Elphaba was following Aeadan with her eyes, he was circling the area, watching everything around the two of them. Being cautious. "So where do I meet him?"
"The Emerald City. That's where he works, undercover."
Elphaba gawked at him. "You want for me to walk back into the City? They'd see me in an instant, I'd get executed."
"Calm down, I came prepared for that." Aeadan stopped in front of her, and pulled a simple gold ring from his pant pocket.
He took her left hand in his and gracefully slipped the ring onto her finger.
"I've cast a spell on this ring that will make you appear fair-skinned to the public. I'm sure no one ever looked past the green to focus on your facial features anyways, so we should be good."
Elphaba withdrew her hand from his, pulling her arm back in and studying the ring.
"You have magic." Elphaba breathed, dumbfounded at seeing her skin a creamy white color, rather than the green she'd become used to in her 21 years of life.
"I've noticed." Aeadan deadpanned. Elphaba gave him this look that indicated she was the one that got to have sarcastic responses to everything.
"Can we go now? I'm getting rather bored of all this standing around." Aeadan had his hands behind his head and had started walking in the opposite direction. Elphaba was surprised. This young man was so confident, so self aware. She began walking after him. "So.. to the Emerald City?" She asked. Aeadan continued nonchalantly striding ahead of her. "To the Emerald City."
