Gilkin peaked over the lighting horizon as Elphaba took quickly to the ground, or rather the tree tops. The land surrounding the fine city had all the pleasantries one could ask for in a vacation. Hills to the west, mountains in the skyline, forests as far as one could imagine to the east. And on the outskirts of the city a pure river that snaked through Oz but left the corruption out of its waters. No wonder Glinda had grown up beautiful. With such surrounds on could only absorb it through some escape. It was certainly nothing like the drought ridden valley of Rush Margins or her most known home, the swamps of Quadling Country. With the rise of the sun the chill of the night melted away but Elphaba still brought her cloak tighter to herself.
Beside her falling in a heap of dried dirt, fell her faithful Chistery. He looked about absently as if confused of what had happened, but quickly gathered himself. With small sounds from his throat he collected at Elphaba's skirts and looked out to the foreign city. He whimpered loudly in into her cloak and tugged gently at the base.
"Don't be so childish." whispered Elphaba, who never took her eyes from the glittered tops of the mansions, but patted the small Animal's head.
Inside one of the finest and most forefront estates, Glinda was surrounded in her riches but wandered her halls aimlessly. Guards snapped at a seemingly working position as she drew near but she walked by with a small graceful smile. She wasn't clothed in overly fine ball gowns or her known dresses of travel and awe, but instead she clothed lighter and freer almost scandalously so. If she hadn't a fair face or a fine form one might consider her a queer man who dressed in outlandish colors. But this was all irrelevant to how Glinda, now, thought when she was alone.
The trip home from Munchkinland had gone on without a hitch much to Glinda's disappointment. Danger and mystery, these things she long missed and often in her travels would she drift back into memories of a slim darkly clothed arm circling over her shoulders while she surveyed her suspicious passengers who were more than put off by how she stroked a green palm. How seamlessly her fingers caught between-
"Lady Glinda."
Glinda was immensely startled, her hand instantly taking to her chest as she tried to refocus on not screaming. "Sweet Oz…"
"I'm sorry would prefer I called you something else? Saint Glinda perhaps? Titles and such. I think they are rather pointless."
It took her a long moment to come to terms with the strange rambling and found the man speaking was nothing more than her personal bodyguard. One she personally trusted a great deal more than half of the men standing in uniforms across the grounds.
"You must be facing some memory problems today, Eiodin. I'd much rather you call me Glinda."
Eiodin cleared his throat and nodded. "Yes. Glinda. Though I hardly feel it is very proper for a woman such as-"
Glinda smiled softly, "Myself to want such a simple address."
"Yes."
She wanted so very badly to laugh but her smile only grew. This was often her starting conversations with Eiodin. She assumed it was because he was grateful to be hired at all as it still became hard for Animals to find a workplace though she has tried many times over (in respect of Elphaba no less) to add some equality back to the people. He often repeated himself and took great joy in speaking in long sentences, not for the sake of hearing his own voice (though Glinda could be led to believe otherwise), but fear he wouldn't be able to by morning.
Eiodin for a very long moment waited for her to speak again with his hooves clasped finely in front of him. However Glinda could find little to nothing to say. It wasn't always like this. And for her sake, he hoped it wouldn't last for much longer. He had indeed missed her liveliness. As Glinda rounded down the stairs in the main hall, Eiodin called to her. "Welcome back home, Lady Glinda."
Glinda stopped at the base of the stairs and sighed stroking the finely carved wood with her fingertips, "I haven't been home in such a very long time Eiodin."
Out in the middle of a small clearing, which was once home to a fallen tree, a rickety shack tilted slightly. Elphaba shared a rare smile with herself as she touched the small leaves that dipped off branches. Her hue was a shade or two lighter having only been out on the grounds at night and by day shrouded in a tower. Chistery was already across the field staring up at the small hole in the tree top canopies. He played happily in the grass and rolled in it, making small hills in bountiful green. It wasn't until the sharp sound of wood slapping wood did he freeze up. The fine hairs on the back of his neck stood raised as he bared his teeth.
"Horrors…" he whispered.
Elphaba crossed past him drawing her cloak up to mask her face. The wind caught the back of the shack rolling the door that swung loosely on one hinge to clang loudly with the structure. Almost embarrassed for being startled Elphaba instantly dropped the mask and stared at Chistery. "Horrors…? Chistery it's only-"
The monkey came barrelling past her squealing his attack. With a heavy collision Chistery crashed inside the house clinging and tossing with something in the dark. The door fell to the earth with a puff of dirt while Elphaba waited out the monkey. In a matter of minutes Chistery was slapping the ground in joy and, following the quiet command of his mistress, he waddled out. A sigh of either disgust or immense displeasure gave Chistery the hint to suck the squirming tail of a small rodent into his mouth quickly.
"Gone."
Glinda in a very uncharacteristic manner chose to dine alone for the night. Eiodin had led her planned guest of many out for the night with a claim that the Good Saint was very traumatized by the vicious murder and sacrifice of her people in Munchkinland to attend to such a formal gathering on short notice. Though in truth he knew that this event had been longed plan and was practically annual now. Oh well, traditions were meant to be broken.
The always fine light in her room died as the embers in her fireplace dimmed and she finally blew out the candle beside her bed stand. Her curtains were drawn wide open and she could see beyond the front gates where the guards were changing shifts for the last time until dawn. She could easily pick out the young from the old, those that had finally hardened with battle and public torment under the Wizards rule.
"I am OZ, the Great and Terrible…"
A shiver ran up Glinda's spine and she departed quickly from her room. High windows along seemingly never ending corridors brought fine blue light upon her red carpet. She never did like the heavy thick color it was. It had been Sir Chuffery's choice. And it was something she needed to rectify soon.
Her and silken nightgown brushed at her knees as she held to herself tightly, wandering aimlessly. She knew the lay out well. She knew she needed to sleep. But she also knew that something wasn't right. All day and all evening something wasn't right. Something was almost….heavy. A burden? A promise? She was forgetting something. But the more she tried to focus on what that something was her mind would allow her glimpses. Sounds. Words. Hold out, my sweet….
Glinda grew angry with herself. She stared out an open window that left a gently breeze into the manor. A window she hadn't remembered opening. The wide expanse of the sky was all she could capture in her vision. You're a seasoned traveller now Glinda.
Soft footsteps met with the fur lined rug in gentle pads of sound.
"Eiodin I'll be fine. Go back to bed."
But there was no answer. No more footsteps. Just the gentle whistling of wind against the willow trees below. Glinda shivered at the chill of it. A warm hand was brought to her shoulder the heat sparking against the patches of bare skin her nightgown had not covered. She gasped at the suddenness and if not gentleness of such a touch. IT was a not a hoof.
"And so the beauty does remain…"
