Chapter 6 – One Short Day
Sam didn't question Charlie's sudden recovery anymore and they reached the Emerald City after three days of uneventful travel.
With Elphaba's guidance, they weren't dependent on Charlie's tablet anymore, which was good because it gave out halfway through the second day.
"I'm going to stay here." Elphaba said, subconsciously plowing the dirt with the tip of her broomstick. "I already risked a lot by guiding you here, but I'm not going to risk death by going into the city with you."
"We understand." Charlie nodded. "But how do we find you?"
"You know the way," Elphaba shrugged. "I'll wait at Kiamo Ko. If you can convince Glinda to come with you, you'll be safe."
"How are we going to travel back then?" Sam asked.
"By bubble." Charlie, Dean and Elphaba simultaneously said.
"That was weird." Elphaba frowned.
Dean shrugged and mounted Baby. "Gonna miss you, girl," he mumbled to the horse.
Sam chuckled.
"Don't listen to the big mean man, Baby, he's just jealous of our special bond." He wrapped his arms around the mare's neck and she snorted loudly.
Sam threw him one of those uncomfortable looks he mastered so well.
"Okay, well, let's uhm, get these horses to their stables, and, uhm, find Glinda." Sam mounted his horse too and turned it around, towards the Emerald City. "Thank you so much, Elphaba, and if we manage to convince Glinda to come with us, we'll see you again soon."
Elphaba nodded. "I would say 'no problem', but that'd be a lie. You have caused me many problems."
Sam rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, we're sorry about that."
Charlie had already been distracted again. "Come with me. To the Emerald City."
Elphaba frowned weird when she said that, but didn't say anything. "Good luck," she said, before climbing on her broomstick and ascending.
Charlie waved briefly, but spurred Skywalker into a gallop and squealed: "Oh, I've always wanted to see the Emerald City!"
Sam and Dean followed her, and Dean felt light and happy.
After about five-hundred yards, they slowed their horses to a trot and laughed together.
Everything that had bothered him, Heaven, Hell, the Angels and the Demons, he was able to let it go in this magical land of Oz.
"Sammy," He laughed. "Why don't we stay?"
Sam's lightheadedness disappeared immediately. "You know we can't, Dean. Kevin needs us. Cas needs us."
Dean shook his head. "Yeah, I know that, man. I was just kidding."
Sam threw him another concerned look. "I want to see you happy, Dean, but…"
"No crap, Sammy." Dean growled. He pulled up in front of the gate.
"What's your business?" The guard said.
"We're here to deliver three horses to the Gale Force." Charlie said, dramatically throwing her hood off.
Dean rolled his eyes.
"Yes," Sam scraped his throat. "And we're here for leisure."
"Where are you from?" The soldier asked.
Sam eyed Dean, but he shrugged.
"From a small village in the Great Kells," Charlie said without hesitation. "We wanted to see some more of Oz and a farmer offered us money to take these horses to the Emerald City."
The guard nodded. "The Gale Force stables are near the barracks on the West end of the city."
"Thank you," Dean said, and he steered Baby into the busy crowd.
Charlie was riding in front of them, singing softly. "There are buildings as tall as Quoxwood trees, dress salons, libraries, palaces! Museums! A hundred strong!"
"What's she singing?" Sam whispered to Dean.
"First thing we do when we get back is get your asses to New York and we go see Wicked." Charlie yelled from the front.
Dean grinned.
They arrived at the Gale Force stable after about twenty minutes. The ride was way too short for Dean, who was having serious trouble because he had gotten attached to his horse.
"Dean, you have the biggest commitment issues ever, but you can't let go of a horse?" Sam laughed while he handed Pie/Rosie over to a soldier.
"Let it go, Sammy," Dean growled. "Horses and cars, they don't cling like women."
Baby neighed softly and nibbled on Dean's sleeve with her soft lips.
"I'm gonna miss you too, Baby." Dean cooed.
Charlie smiled, handing Skywalker over to the soldier holding Pie/Rosie too. "His name is Skywalker." She said. "Take good care of him."
"I will," the soldier nodded. "This is the beauty bred for the new Captain," he eyed Baby, and Sam was quite sure Dean was ready to rip his throat out.
"Her name's Baby," He said, "Take good care of her."
"I'll tell Captain Tiggular." The guard smiled.
On their way out, they crossed a handsome young man dressed in (surprise) green. He was carrying a rifle on his back and there were golden medals on his chest.
"That's Fiyero," Charlie whispered in Dean's ear.
"Are you like, two hundred percent sure?" Dean whispered back.
"Yeah," Charlie frowned, "Why?"
Dean turned around and pulled Fiyero against the wall. "Whoa, take it easy man," He frowned.
"You're gonna get that black horse over there, and you are gonna take good care of her," Dean growled.
Fiyero looked at him, astonished. Then he started smiling, this lopsided grin that annoyed Dean to death.
"I'm not kidding, mate," he said. "I've been to Hell and back, I can take you. Her name is Baby, and if I ever catch you mistreating her, I will kill you."
Fiyero eyed him up and down. "I like your leggings."
Dean nearly had his hands around Fiyero's neck when he felt Sam pull him back. "Smooth, Dean," he whispered, pulling him along onto the market.
"Let's head to the castle," Charlie said, sort of discarding the fact that Dean almost strangled the new captain of the guard of the Gale Force, who also happened to be one of the lead roles in her favorite musical. "Find Glinda Upland of the Upper Uplands!"
"Excuse me?" Sam laughed. "How can you get that out without stuttering?"
"Sammy?" Dean popped up between them.
"Yes?" Sam frowned.
"Do we still have some money?" Dean asked.
"Why?"
He pointed to a stand a few yards away. 'Oz's best apple pies', a sign read.
Sam rolled his eyes and handed him the coin purse.
Dean's broken heart was mended by the sight of small, warm apple pies. He bought six, effectively spending the last of their money.
"Damn you, Dean!" Sam cursed.
Charlie just laughed.
They shared the apple pies and scouted around the palace where they supposed Glinda lived. They supposed she had to come out one moment and were planning on sort of kidnapping her.
When they proposed that plan to Charlie, she didn't agree.
"You can't just kidnap Glinda!" She frowned angrily.
"Shush," Dean said. "We don't want all of Oz to know."
"Let's split," Sam proposed. "We try to find the window leading to Glinda's chambers, persuade her to bubble us to Kiamo Ko and go home. Dean, you start at the North wing, I start at the South and we meet in the middle."
"What about me?" Charlie said.
"Charlie," Sam smiled. "You look gorgeous, but if we're gonna have to climb into a window tonight, you'll need pants."
"But Dean spent all our money on pie," She said.
"Then trade your dress. Or, uhm, here," Sam took off his watch, "Take my watch. Try to make a good trade and we'll meet back here…" He scouted for the sun. "We meet back here at dusk."
"Be careful," Dean said, he brushed his hand behind his back, searching for the reassuring touch of his colt. Still there. He pulled his throwing knife out of his boot. "Here Charlie, I know it's a throwing knife but don't throw it. You'll do more damage close range. Attack first, kiddo, take 'em by surprise."
He playfully punched Sam and headed to the North wing of the palace. It was large. Buckingham palace large, not Versailles large.
Dean scanned the windows. He was never going to be able to check them all, and even if he managed, there was no guarantee he would be able to say which quarters were Glinda's.
There had to be another way. Dean scanned his surroundings. Maybe, if he found his way to the kitchens, he could steal a box and pretend to be a servant, slowly working his way in.
He walked around the wing and found himself lucky. Kitchen doors.
Dean smiled and hid in the bushes, waiting for the supply truck to arrive.
He ate the last of the apple pies, cleaned his colt and Ruby's knife and waited.
The sun set and he was almost going to give up, when a large truck pulled by horses arrived. People started hauling bags and sacks and Dean managed to steal a bag of apples.
He'd be able to bluff himself in with apples.
The first bit he just walked in like he was supposed to be there with his bag of apples.
"Excuse me sir," a guard stopped him in the hallway.
Dean shrugged, he got far, considering he was in a palace.
"I am to bring these to Lady Glinda." He said, as posh as he could.
"And why is that?" The guard asked.
"She requested apples specifically from…" Dean swallowed. He knew nothing about the geography of Oz. "The Upper… Uplands."
He swallowed and the guard frowned.
"Yeah." Dean nodded. "So if you could- uhm, point me to her chambers."
"Do you have credentials?" The guard asked.
"Sure, sure," Dean bluffed, he lifted his leg and reached for Ruby's knife, pulling it in one smooth motion and pressing it to the guards neck. "Here you go, my credentials. If you could now point me to Miss Glinda's chambers, I'd be very grateful."
"Yes, uhm," The guard pointed down the hall. "Up the stairs and…"
"No, walk me." Dean said. "Pretend nothing is happening."
He put the knife back in his boot and followed the guard.
"Don't get any ideas about running," He hissed. He didn't have to finish his threat.
He followed the guard around the palace, to Glinda's chambers.
The sun had long set, but he knew Sam and Charlie would find their way back to him tomorrow. He didn't worry about them much anymore, since they had been separated countless times now and always found their way back to each other.
The phonebook trick wasn't going to work here, but they'd find a way.
Probably through wanted posters after this trick.
"This is it," the guard said with a trembling voice, pointing to a door. "It's usually guarded, I don't know why there isn't anyone at the door."
"You should probably report that," Dean said with a grin.
"Yes… maybe…"
"I was joking, idiot, is Glinda in?" Dean prodded the guard's back with the hilt of his knife.
"No… she's not going to be in for another hour, she's out speeching." The guard swallowed at the feeling of the hard wooden hilt in his back, knowing that the other end wasn't this blunt and a lot more unpleasant.
"Go in," Dean said.
The guard opened the door with a key and entered, locking it behind Dean.
From his posture Dean saw he was planning something funny. He turned Ruby's knife around in his hand and dodged the guards dagger just in time.
"Don't get funny with me boy," Dean growled. He had fought Demons, Angels, Werewolves, Vampires and all the other horrible creatures in creation.
He disarmed the guard with three movements and kicked him in the hip when he heard the dagger clatter to the ground, might the guard get ideas about pulling his sable.
With a punch in the temple, he knocked the guard out and dragged him to the closet. When he opened it though, he saw that it was taken.
By two terrified looking, gagged and tied, guards.
Dean raised an eyebrow. "I'm, uhm, gonna leave this one here too." He said, and he started on a gag when he heard a familiar voice behind him.
"Dean?"