Fiyero took one look and the stream lying in their path and ran on ahead. He found the shallowest spot and waited for them to catch up.
"Elphie," he said, flashing a smile.
She sighed inwardly and decided to humor him. He took her arm and helped her cross. "Carefully," he cautioned, "it's slippery." He reached for Yackle.
"Do I look infirm," she barked at him, before making her own way.
Candle gave Liir and quick glance, as if expecting something but he ignored her.
"Gentleman, isn't he," Yackle sneered.
Fiyero rolled his eyes and held out his hand for her. "Come on, pretty girl," he coaxed. She blushed crimson and took it. He pulled her to the other side.
Chivalry brought consequences. His side suddenly pained him again. He stuck his hand there, hoping to stifle the pain.
"Are Chiss venomous," he asked Yackle.
"No, but I hear their sting can be extremely painful."
"So I am finding out," he said. He pushed his hand in harder. His chest began to ache, his ribs apparently still tender and now this was exaberated by the Chiss encounter. "I need to sit." He left the path. "I'll catch up," he told them. He sat down in front of a tree and leaned against it.
Elphaba stopped walking, letting the others pass. She told them to keep going. She sat beside Fiyero. "I haven't had a second alone with you in over a week."
He gave her a tired smile.
"You're not feeling well," she said, looking concerned.
"I'll be okay, that whole mess with the Chiss was too much, too soon. I just need to rest."
"Lay back, let me take care of you."
"You women and your damn molly-coddling," he said, but complied.
"Yeah, well, you're just going to have to suffer through it," she told him. "Oh, you're burning up."
He waved a hand dismissively. "It's a hot day. Mmm...that feels good."
She poured water from her bottle onto a small cloth and wiped his face with it.
He sighed blissfully.
She tilted his chin and wiped his neck and slid it down to the top of his chest.
"They're leaving us behind," he said after sometime.
"They won't get far. Just rest for awhile."
"I only needed a minute. Just long enough to catch my breath." He started to get up.
"Take it easy," she cautioned.
"I'm fine. I can handle it."
"Yero..."
"I said I can handle it!"
She drew back sharply, startled by his outburst. So was he, apparently.
"I'm sorry Elphie. I don't know what came over me."
"Well, don't you worry. I won't be trying to help you anymore."
His anger flared up again. He pushed past her, saying nothing.
Yackle halted, the hairs on the back of her neck rising. She turned to look back down the path. A chill wind rose on the air. She held her breath. A moment later, Fiyero and Elphaba came up the path, both looking angry. She touched finger to thumb and drew a circle in the air. He saw this and paused. His eyes met hers as she watched him with a wary expression.
Elphaba sat up abruptly, waking from a hideous dream, that had already been forgotten. But the effects remained. As she worked to steady her racing heart, she realized that Fiyero was thrashing about wildly in his sleep. He gave a wordless exclamation of fear. Had the same dream came to them both, she wondered. It was possible given the boding spell she had cast.
He woke up just then and immediatly jumped to his feet. Pale and shaking he was. She stood up and went to him.
"It's okay. It was just a dream." She touched his cheek with her fingers.
"There was fire and darkness," he gasped. "I felt evil."
This, she realized, she had felt to. So not everything had been forgotten. "I know. I had the same." She took his hand in both of hers and tugged gently.
"I felt evil," he repeated.
"Lay back down," she suggested.
He sat down but didn't look at all ready to go back to sleep. He was still breathing hard. She slid an arm around his shoulders. He flinched at her touch.
Fiyero didn't sleep the rest of the night, so shaken was he by the nightmare. He had taken his leave while the others were still waking.
The stream they had crossed had twisted around them and grown into a lake.
He glanced back over his shoulder to see if any had come looking for him. Not yet.
He lifted his shirt and examined the sting. His whole side had become inflamed. He touched the area tentatively, wincing as his fingers made contact.
He waded into the water.
But someone else had come down to the lake. Candle followed the winding path until she stumbled upon him. He was completely naked, a fact which stopped her in her tracks. She had never seen a naked man before. She gawked, unable to help herself. She quickly came to her senses and made to duck behind a tree, blushing fiercely.
Fiyero let the water rush over him. He resurfaced and pushed his hair from his face, slicking it back. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The air here was sweet. He treaded water and tried not to think of the dream, a near impossible task.
He felt evil. Not to say he had sensed it around him but that he had been the evil. Elphaba had no doubt misinterpreted this. He shuddered at the memory and dove back beneath the surface.
Candle found her way was blocked. A strange young man leaned ostentaciously against the tree trunk. "Enjoying the view," he drawled. She froze, quite unable to move. He leered at her. "I can give you a better one. You'd like that wouldn't you?" He licked his lips and took a step towards her.
She backed up and let out a thin cry. He jumped and looked to where Fiyero had been. So did Candle. But he had gone. The man laughed and advanced again. "Looks like it's my lucky day." He lunged forward, seizing her. He pinched her breast hard and all she could manage was a squeak. This seemed only to encourage him more. He pressed his mouth against hers and forced his tongue beneath her teeth.
Candle resisted, tried pulling away. But he was stronger. He slid his hand up her skirt and let out a shuddering moan. She lifted her arm and bit into the sleeve fabric, triyng to keep her sanity.
Then she saw Fiyero standing behind them. He had heard, or seen. Whichever didn't matter, only that he was here and could help her. But...why was he just standing there?
Fiyero felt a kind of perverse pleasue watching the scene unfold. He mentally shook himself. What the hell is wrong with you? And you came up here to help. He shot forward, rapidly closing the distance. He grabbed a handful of hair and snatched the guy's head back with a strength he barely knew he had. The guy's teeth clicked together.
Candle tumbled free and didn't need to be told to run. She did pause at the top of the hill and watched the scuffle bolew. Fiyero whaled on him for awhile, getting in several good punches before the guy fell over. "Have mercy," the guy pleaded holding up his hands in supplication.
Mercy? Have mercy? Fiyero tilted his head and looked down at the man grovelling at his feet. I was granted no mercy. Not when they beat me and left me to die. He reflected on the hellish purgatory of the cornfield. Mercy? I hardly know the word. He kicked the cretin in the face, knocking him into the dirt. For love. Over their supposed great enemy. A woman, who in truth, had sought only to liberate them. I'd die a thousand times over for her. Fiyero drew his blade. Defamed the noble house of Tigelaar. Destroyed my family. And you...
In a fit of madness, Candle hurtled herself down the hill and grabbed the wrist that held the blade. Whatever the guy's faults he did not deserve death. And even so, Fiyero did not deserve to be a murderer.
Before he knew what he was doing he had thrown her to the ground and nearly turned on her. Maybe it was fear feeding her imagination but his eyes seemed to flash with an orange glow. He caught himself and flipped the blade and slammed the hilt on the the guy's skull.
Fiyero stared at his unconcious form for a moment. The rage that had come over him, he had never felt anything like it before. He was glad Candle had stopped him before he had done something unthinkable. He reached to help her up.
She hesitated to take his hand, still a little frightened.
The warm smile he gave her seemed genuine but there was something off about him. Back at the mauntery she had seen him beneath the Scarecrow features. And now...she wasn't sure what she saw. Something hidden just beneath the surface. But the moment passed. She took his hand and he lifted her to her feet.
"Come on. I need your help with something," he told her. She gave her attacker a worried glance. Fiyero shook his head. "Don't worry. He won't be waking up any time soon. Besides, I'll take care of him if he tries anything again." That strange gleam flared in his eyes again and now she was sure she hadn't imagined it. She took a step back. He gave her a confused look. "What's wrong?"
She stared at him, not sure what to say.
He smiled again. "I'm sorry. I got caught up in it. Men who want to take advantage of women...they just set me off. I didn't mean to scare you. But hey, you've been travelling with me for awhile. You ought to know I won't do anything to hurt you," he told her.
She considered and nodded. Maybe she was being silly, the trauma of her near-rape causing her to overreact. But still...there remained a seed of worry.