A/N: Shout outs to my anonymous reviewer and James Birdsong! Glad you liked it. :) More on the supplies now.
Chapter 35
The dawn came faster than anyone realized or maybe the truth was that they had not gotten a lot of sleep and now the sun was reminding them of that. Elphaba had done all she could to help and while some Munchkins had refused her help (something she was totally expecting), others were glad that someone was caring for them. Left to their own devices they had managed for a while, but eventually everyone would need help.
"Status report Mesud," Fiyero said as he entered the medical tent.
"Everyone survived the night so excellent I'd say, sir," the medic reported.
"Definitely one for the win column then. Do you still think anyone needs to be transported to the Emerald City?" The Captain wondered.
"No. Some of them have a long row to hoe though, sir," Mesud admitted.
"No doubt. Ok, I will see where we are with getting more supplies. Meantime, be prepared for more refugees. The only reason I can think for them taking the Yellow Brick Road is that they were so desperate to get away, they weren't thinking about their safety," Fiyero told him. He was right of course. The Yellow Brick Road was the main artery in Munchkinland. If one were trying to escape the army or from anyone else, one would take the less obvious roads and trails, hoping to avoid as many Munchkins as possible. Desperation forced them to use the route they chose.
"Yes sir. I hope they can get us supplies soon," the medic nodded and headed back to make his rounds. Elphaba approached her beloved and pulled him aside.
"I'll make my way back to the Emerald City. With any luck, I can come back with supplies," she said.
"Be very careful. We may be receiving refugees but that doesn't mean there aren't Jinjuria supporters in the woods," Fiyero was concerned and he didn't bother to hide it.
"I will be. You be safe as well. I need you in one piece," Elphaba gave him a small smile. She wanted to throw her arms around him, but she knew that she could not. Too many here still were uneasy at her presence and she didn't want them thinking that she was controlling the Captain.
He gave her a small smile as she whistled for her broom. The cleaning implement flew to her side and she quickly hopped on before launching herself into the sky. She was met by Chistery, who told her that he was staying by her side. With any luck, he could relay a message back to the troops faster than a Bird could.
"Did Yero put you up to this?" She asked as they flew along.
"Hardly Mistress. It was my own idea, which the Captain supported," he gave her a wink. Elphaba chuckled. Their flight was uneventful, just the kind anyone who flies likes.
"Elphie, I'm glad you're back. We have supplies and the letter was sent to Fiyero's parents. It's time to try that spell you found," Glinda gave her friend a hug when she entered the blonde's office shortly after her arrival.
"Let's see what we can do. Whatever we can't get there by magic needs to be loaded onto wagons and moved as quickly as possible," Elphaba told her. Glinda nodded and the two quickly headed back down to the courtyard, where Chistery was waiting for them.
"Ok, so I'll start creating the bubble to carry the supplies and you'll perform the spell on the bubble," the blonde said as she looked at the piles of supplies that had been gathered. They had done well but she worried that it wouldn't be enough, considering what she'd seen the night before.
"That's the plan. I think we need to start with a load that is not too heavy. We still don't know how long the amplification lasts and we certainly don't want supplies wasted because the bubble never left the Emerald City," Elphaba pointed out.
"Noted," Glinda called over to Bayram and told him to get the wagons loaded. She would be attempting to fly fifty pounds of flour, fifty gallons of water, and two crates worth of medical supplies. She figured that would be a good start and not too heavy. The blonde began to craft the bubble and Elphaba muttered the spell they'd found in the book. The two worked together and the bubbled encased the supplies and lifted them up off the ground. Slowly, steadily, the bubble lifted until it was about ten feet above their heads.
"That's it?" Glinda asked.
"I guess so…" Elphaba shrugged. She was beginning to feel incredibly tired but tried to focus on the bubble.
"I will goad it along Lady Glinda," Chistery promised.
"Good. I think that you'll need help though," the blonde admitted.
"I'll follow behind. If it pops the two of us will be able to manage," Elphaba told her. Glinda gave her friend a look but knew they were running out of options. The blonde gave them a nod and off they went – Glinda crossing her fingers it would work.
Chistery spent the entire trip watching the bubble and Elphaba. They moved slower than he would have liked but it was still faster than a wagon. Elphaba's focus remained on the bubble, hoping it would not break or get popped. As they neared the camp, Chistery called to his brothers and sisters. The other Flying Monkeys swooped in to help him watch the bubble.
They made it into camp and were quickly swarmed by Gale Force to distribute the supplies. Zetti alerted Fiyero and the Captain quickly went to see the returning group. He was glad to see that they had made it, but that happiness quickly faded as Elphaba collapsed.
To Be Continued…
