A/N – Sorry, this one is kind of short but it was either cut it off here or not get anything posted today. Busy week. Thanks as always for the continued interest!
Chapter 21
Elphaba woke to a sharp stinging in her shoulder. As her eyes opened, she could barely make out a fuzzy brown form leaning over her. She yelped and sprang upright in the bed as her vision cleared.
Chistery hopped off the bed when Elphaba sat upright with a flutter of wings and a frightened yell.
Elphaba reached for her shoulder and for the first time noticed a bandage pressed against it with a substance that strangely resembled mud caked under it. She glanced sideways at Glinda, who was still sleeping soundly.
"Oz, Chistery, you scared me half to death." She said lowly so as not to wake Glinda. "Is-Is this mud?"
Chistery hopped back up on the bed with a sniff. She peeled back the bandage and scowled at the mess. The mud was slathered on her arm and shoulder; underneath the mud the wound was an angry red.
"This is mud." Elphaba said with a cocked brow before she smirked. "I suppose I have ignored this a bit too long. But mud? Thank you for the effort though my friend."
Chistery stuck his tongue out at her and then hopped off the bed. Elphaba turned back to Glinda and leaned closer to gauge her condition. The blonde was sleeping soundly and as Elphaba placed a hand on her forehead, she smiled noticing the fever receding.
At Elphaba's touch, Glinda moaned in her sleep and shifted closer to her. "Mmm, Elphie?" she whispered without waking.
"Shh, rest Glinda. Everything is fine." Elphaba soothed, gently stroking her cheek. Elphaba smiled as Glinda sighed contentedly and didn't stir further.
Elphaba scooted off the bed carefully so as to not disturb Glinda, stretched and moved toward the window. Based on the position of the sun, Elphaba realized she and Glinda had slept well into the afternoon. She glanced down at her shoulder again and then moved back to the Grimmerie and began flipping through the pages.
She was still trying to locate the healing spell when she heard Glinda stir a while later. Elphaba pushed the book aside and rushed to the bed.
"Elphie?" Glinda called, an edge of panic in her voice. "Elphie, where are you?"
"I'm here Glinda, I'm here. It's all right. You're alright my love." Elphaba placed her hands on either side of Glinda's face and leaned in, pressing her lips to the pale forehead.
"Elphie. I didn't dream you? You're really here? And you really…" Glinda faltered then, an uncertain look on her face. Elphaba smiled almost shyly.
"I'm really here. And I really love you, if that's what you were wondering." Elphaba whispered. Glinda smiled, relieved. "How are you feeling today? You do know you still have to drink your medicine right? We've got to help you continue to regain your strength."
Glinda groaned at the thought of the drinking more of the potion and crinkled her nose. Elphaba smiled tenderly and laughed.
"Don't give me that look. It's for your own good Glinda. We have to get you well again." Glinda smiled up at Elphaba's worried face.
"Just don't forget our deal with that nasty stuff." Glinda said softly.
Elphaba felt a blush rising, along with a pleasant fluttering deep in her belly as she looked deeply into those blue orbs. "No reminder necessary." She replied with a sheepish grin.
Glinda felt her breath catch as Elphaba leaned closer and pressed their lips together. She held Elphaba as tightly as her weakened body would allow and moaned softly as Elphaba's hand tangled in her hair.
They broke apart as another coughing fit tore through Glinda's body. Elphaba scooped her up and cradled her tightly until the coughing subsided. "Glinda? Are you alright my sweet?"
Glinda nodded weakly against Elphaba's chest. "I'm fine Elphie, really. You've just taken my breath away, that's all." She tried to laugh but coughed again.
Elphaba eased her back down onto the pillow and gently stroked her cheek with her thumb as she cupped her face. She pressed her lips to Glinda's forehead again. "Shh. It's all right love. You just rest and I'll be right back with some more of our miracle drug. Your fever's broken, you're going to be just fine; do you hear me?"
Glinda nodded again and struggled to keep her eyes open. Elphaba bit her bottom lip worriedly as she watched Glinda dozing off yet again. The blonde seemed to be improving but was still weak and could not stand or even sit up with out assistance. She felt anger rising at the thought of what Morrible had almost gotten away with. Elphaba shuddered at the thought and pulled the blankets up tighter around Glinda.
Morrible. Elphaba's thoughts began to swim. Morrible couldn't be allowed to get away with all she had done. The City was crumbling and the Resistance was scattered but something still had to be done. She was still stewing over her options when she heard a commotion outside.
Elphaba ran to a window and looked out. Fiyero and Sarima were running through the courtyard toward the castle. Elphaba felt relief swell at the sight of them.
A few moments later, the two of them came rushing through the tower doorway, startling Glinda out of her slumber.
"Elphie?" She called. Glinda didn't have to look far; Elphaba was already perching next to her on the bed as she struggled.
"Easy Glinda. It's all right; it's just Fiyero and Sarima. They're here."
Glinda blinked and tried to steady her breathing as Fiyero and Sarima came closer to the bed. "Are you two alright?" Fiyero asked. "Glinda, we've been worried, how are you?"
"I'm fine Fiyero, how are you? What's happened?" Glinda asked in a shaky voice.
Elphabe kept a firm hold on Glinda's hand as she turned to look at her friends. "Fiyero, what's going on?"
Fiyero and Sarima exchanged a look before he replied. "It's bad Elphaba. The Gale Force and quite a few citizens are on their way here. Somehow they know where you're hiding. We came to warn you; you have to leave, now!"
"But…but what's happening in the City? Where is everyone? What's happened?" Elphaba asked, feeling her own panic rising.
Sarima placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "Most of the southern district has been burned to the ground. What Animals were left in the City were rounded up and slaughtered, along with anyone captured who was a suspected supporter. We barely got out ourselves. We're going to regroup and try to fight them off."
"Fight? You can't be serious! You're going to take on the entire Gale Force? That's suicide!" Elphaba exclaimed.
"What else can we do Elphaba?" Fiyero replied. "We tried to do this without force, but it's gotten us nowhere. This is our last chance. Morrible and the Wizard must be stopped! No matter what else happens, they must be stopped!"
Elphaba nodded. "You're right." She said softly. "I'll do it. I'll go back."
"What? No! Elphie, no!" Glinda cried, desperately reaching to draw her closer. "You can't Elphaba, I won't let you go back!" She was quickly wearing herself out further and Elphaba cringed at the pained look on Glinda's face.
"She's right Elphaba, you can't go back there. It's you they're after." Fiyero said firmly.
"Well then, I'm the one who should put an end to this!" Elphaba yelled, rising to her feet. "You two get Glinda out of here. Take her some placed safe; take her to Frottica, to her parents' home and wait for me there. I'll join you when I can."
"No Elphaba, please!" Sarima cried. "We came to warn you, not send you back in the midst of them. Please, you take Glinda to Frottica and wait for us. Or better yet, just get her out of Oz all together. You've both been through enough already, you can be happy away from all this!"
Elphaba shook her head. "No, my mind is made up. I'm going and I'm going to stop Morrible. She doesn't have the Grimmerie any longer, I'll be fine."
"No!" Glinda wailed. "Elphaba you can't leave me! Please!"
Elphaba reached for Glinda as she began to cough yet again from her exertion. She pulled Glinda tightly against her and buried her face in the limp blonde hair.
"It'll be alright Glinda. I'll come back for you. I promise!" Glinda continued to cry and clutched Elphaba desperately. Elphaba pulled away and looked the blonde in the eyes. "Glinda, please, look at me. We won't be safe until Morrible and the others are dealt with. I can actually do something to help, for once. I won't let her get away with what she's done…to Nessa, to the Animals…to you, especially you. I have to go."
Fiyero picked up a thick book from a desk nearby and quietly moved behind Elphaba with the book raised, poised to strike her. But Elphaba sensed him and turned, thrusting a hand out toward him. "Stop!" She yelled. Fiyero froze where he stood, a confused expression on his face. "You would strike me Fiyero?" The surprise was evident on her face. She flicked her wrist and the book went flying in the opposite direction.
"It seemed like a good idea at the time." He muttered, eyes wide as he struggled to free himself from the impromptu magic. "Elphaba, you're talking crazy. Take Glinda and go somewhere safe. Please!"
Elphaba turned back to Glinda and kissed her. She willed the blonde to feel every ounce of love she could never actually express in that one kiss. As she pulled back, she wiped the tears from Glinda's face and rose. She quickly rushed for her broom and the spells she had written down from the Grimmerie.
"Fiyero, Sarima, you two take care of her. Get her out of here! And take the Grimmerie with you. It must not fall back into Morrible's hands. Go!"
With that, Elphaba leapt onto the broom and was out of the tower before anyone could stop her, Glinda's pained cries ringing in her ears.
xxxx
Elphaba was nearing the City hours later. The entire flight back, she was working on a plan for confronting Morrible. The only thing she had come up with was a direct attack and to take the sorceress by surprise. If she was still in the City that is.
Elphaba circled and gazed at the scenery below her. The southern district was smoking and in shambles. Glinda's home was still standing, but had clearly been attacked and ransacked. Bodies lay strewn about on the streets, Gale Force and citizen alike. What Animals had been left in the City and captured were slaughtered and placed on pikes throughout the area.
Elphaba cringed at the sight of the wreckage below her. She felt ill at the thought of what the people had suffered under Morrible, the Wizard, and Chuffrey of course. At the thought of Chuffrey and his hands ever touching Glinda, Elphaba felt her blood boil. There were soldiers milling about everywhere, cleaning up and tending to the injured. Random gunfire could still be heard in the distance.
She circled back toward the Palace, which also seemed to be in chaos. The street shops across from the Palace were being looted and there were fires burning in the streets. Elphaba was surprised to see the wreckage this close to the Palace. She neared what she remembered to be Morrible's balcony from her bubble excursion with Glinda and landed quietly. If anyone on the street took notice of her, they did not voice it.
Elphaba slipped quietly inside Morrible's quarters. There were no lamps lit and the rooms were swallowed in darkness. There was no movement and no sign of life from inside and she slipped further into the room.
"Where are you?" Elphaba muttered to herself, looking around.
"Right here, waiting for you Dearie." Came a voice from behind her in the shadows.
Elphaba spun just in time to make out Morrible's sneer as she felt her bones popping and dropped to her knees with a feral scream. She was blinded by pain as Morrible stood before her, chanting and fingers swirling in the air.
xxxx
Fiyero and Sarima loaded Glinda into the back of a wagon as gently as they could. She had cried herself into a state when Elphaba left and was now only semiconscious. Sarima settled in beside her while Fiyero slapped the reins on the horses and they pulled away.
Shouting and gunfire could be heard off in the distance. Fiyero glanced over his shoulder as the sounds drew closer.
"They're going to overrun us!" He called back to Sarima. "The wagon won't be nearly fast enough. Be ready with the gun if anyone tries to jump in there with you!"
Sarima nodded and reached for the gun with one hand and kept the other on Glinda's shoulder. She glanced back through the trees and saw soldiers in green break through the clearing onto the castle grounds. Fiyero slapped the reins again and spurred the horses onward.
They kept on, pushing the horses at an exhausting pace until the sounds of the soldiers faded into the distance. Still, Fiyero didn't stop until an hour later and the sun was barely filtering through the trees, leaving the forest in an eerie shadowy state.
He slowed the wagon to a stop and turned to meet Sarima's questioning gaze. "We have to rest the horses. They'll be no good to us if they're run to death."
Sarima nodded and stood up to stretch. "She's still sleeping soundly. I hope this is natural."
Fiyero hopped into the back of the wagon and knelt down next to Glinda. He placed his hand on her forehead. "Still feels as though the fever is down. She's probably just worn herself out. She'll be all right Sarima. We'll get her to her parents home and then Elphaba will meet us there."
Sarima smiled slightly and nodded. She slipped off into the trees to take advantage of the brief respite. Fiyero jumped down from the wagon and circled around inspecting the wheels and the horses' hooves to be ready to proceed. The second he heard the gruff voice behind him; Fiyero cursed himself for leaving the gun in the seat and out of his reach.
"You there. Just turn around nice and easy and no one will have to get hurt." The voice said. Fiyero turned and eyed the dirty and ripped Gale Force uniform. The man was unkempt and as dirty as his uniform and had his musket trained on Fiyero's chest. "What you got in the wagon there? And keep your hands where I can see 'em."
Fiyero raised his hands and looked steadily at the man. "I mean you no harm. I'm just traveling through."
"I said, what's in the wagon?" The man asked again, his voice rising.
"Lady Glinda, if you must know." Fiyero said with a cringe.
The man squinted and pursed his lips. "No kidding?" He inched closer to the wagon and stretched to peer over the side and into the bed. As he saw Glinda's still form, the man's eyes widened and a grin split his face. "You're not kidding. This is my lucky day. Captain Chuffrey has quite a reward out for the return of his beautiful wife. I just have to get rid of you and I'll even get some alone time with the lovely lady. My lucky day, certainly not yours."
The soldier tightened the grip on the musket and smiled as his finger inched toward the trigger. Fiyero heard a sickening crack and cringed, certain he'd been shot. Instead, he watched as the man fell to his knees and then facedown in the dirt, the gun dropping at his feet. Fiyero glanced up in surprise at Sarima holding a large tree branch.
"Good one." He muttered, kicking the gun away from the unconscious soldier. "Thank you."
"I refuse to be a widow before I'm even properly married." Sarima said dropping the branch with a smirk. "Well, come on then. We should get going."
Fiyero smiled and reached out a hand to help her into the back of the wagon. She met his eyes and smiled as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. With one final glance at the downed soldier, he scooped up the extra weapon and swung up into the seat. They were on their way again, Glinda still sleeping soundly in the back with Sarima keeping watch over her.