A/N: A shout out to Marceline Spinellifan for the review. So glad you enjoyed the story so far. :)
Chapter 37
"Are you sure this is the best course of action?" One of the Councilman's guards asked as the group of twenty rode along on their horses toward the city. With the full moon at their disposal, they had made relatively good time but would not make it back to surrender for at least a couple of days. Luckily Hikmet had made excellent time but the poor bird was getting tired in his old age.
"It is the best course of action for our people. Ozkan obviously had no idea with whom he was dealing with and managed to get a lot of good people killed," the Councilman, whose name was Bartholomew, said.
"Tell me Councilman, do you know what happened to the Eminent Thropp's house? What happened in the city?" Elphaba asked, wondering just how much the Munchkin people had been told.
"After the death of the Wicked Witch of the East and shortly after Ozkan took power, he burned it. Claiming that nothing should be there to remind us of the oppression suffered at the hands of the Witch," he told her. It made Elphaba's insides churn when someone spoke of her sister that way but she could do nothing about it. Nessarose had done terrible things to the poor Munchkins and it is because of it that someone like Ozkan rose to power.
"But you have not seen what happened in the city have you?" Elphaba pressed.
"I assume it to be the bustling place it always was. When Ozkan moved his forces to our current destination, he said it was to better protect the interior of the country. After all should the capital fall, what with it being so close to the border, there would be anarchy and all of Munchkindom would fall," Bartholomew said it as though it were gospel.
"I'm afraid that is not true. All that remains is an empty city, the stench of death in the air from the burned and rotted bodies that lay there," she said.
"You have seen this with your own eyes?" One of the guards asked.
"Yes. It is why I headed for the city afterwards, only to find it occupied by the Ozians," the cleverly disguised Witch told them.
"They must have done it and now we ride to our doom!" Another guard shouted.
"No, they could not have done such a thing and still capture Ozkan at the new capital. It must have been done before hand and I must have been blind," the Councilman shook his head and everyone looked at him.
"When the call for certain people came to leave their homes and travel to the capital, I assumed it was because of their knowledge, skills, and bravery. Some of them had worked to free us from the Witch but had grown not so fond of Ozkan. They were sent in special transports to the capital where we had been told they'd be given positions that would better aid all of Munchkinland. Though they never returned and I should have seen through it. What have I done?" The Councilman asked.
"You did nothing that anyone else would have done differently. Ozkan would have killed you for not following orders and taken them anyway as that is the kind of Munchkin he is," Elphaba ground her teeth and Hikmet patted her arm with his wing. She had to keep steady.
"You speak as if you know him quite well," one of the guards spoke up an air of suspicion in his voice.
"I know of people like him. Believe me for most of my life people have wanted me dead and they have killed to get at me. I have been fortunate to survive and to unfortunate to watch everything I held dear crumble around me," she couldn't hold on for much longer as the anger inside was boiling. Hikmet could sense it and he hoped to the great Unnamed God that the troops being led by Glinda would meet up with them soon.
"We all carry great burdens, though yours seems worse than most," Bartholomew nodded. Elphaba slowly calmed herself and said,
"You have no idea but it is not anyone else burden to carry and I carry it alone. I am sorry that I let it loose upon you." Silence fell among them for a stretch until Hikmet screeched.
"What is that?" One of the guards pointed to something flying above the trees that started to head straight for them.
"That dear gentlemen is Glinda the Good," Elphaba smiled, glad to see her friend.
"Glinda the Good? What is she doing here?" Bartholomew asked as the White Witch came in for a landing in front of them.
"I'm here to accept the terms of surrender and to escort you back to the city where King Fiyero intends to offer any Munchkin sanctuary," Glinda said as the sound of horse hooves rang as though a thousand men were riding toward them. The good witch had enchanted the horses once more to arrive faster than they could normally run. She quickly cast the spell on the Munchkins' horses as the good troops of the Gillikin surrounded them.
"Gentlemen, may I be proud to present to you Queen Elphaba of the Emerald City," Glinda smirked as Elphaba, with a quick flick of her wrist, transformed back into her usual self and Hikmet turned back into an Eagle.
"I don't know how those falcons do it," the larger bird ruffled his feathers while the Munchkins looked on in shock.
To Be Continued…