A/N: Shout outs to my anonymous reviewer and James Birdsong. Glad you're enjoying the story. :)
Chapter 10
Elphaba reread the letter from the Emerald City as she sat in the Palace's library. She'd practically memorized it by now but still she held onto the piece of paper. Somehow, she knew the answers that Boq had asked for weren't here. It wasn't anyone's fault. In fact, she'd been glad for the Queen's help.
"You look like someone just told you your dog was dead," Ayla's voice broke her thoughts.
"Might as well have. Boq wants to know if I found anything," Elphaba heaved a sigh.
"This weighs on you more than it probably should. I think Boq is grateful that you saved his life, but I can also understand why he'd want to be back in his human body," the Queen said as she took a seat in the cushioned chair next to the one the green woman was sitting in.
"I made him that way," the younger woman said.
"Because your sister tried to kill him. Not out of malice but as a good person, doing the right thing," Ayla told her.
"Somehow that is of little comfort when the only way I can change him back, might also kill him. My sister's deeds have long outlived her and continues to haunt more than just me," Elphaba sighed.
"Indeed. There is an old Vinkun story – a warrior has fought on the battlefield. He was the bravest, boldest, and best warrior who had slain many of his tribe's enemies, leaving only him left from both warring sides. Still, he was not able to avoid all of the arrows and spears. As he lay bleeding, knowing that the end was near, he is approached by a medicine man. This medicine man is not of his tribe, but he makes no aggressive moves toward the wounded warrior.
"The medicine man asks if the man has made peace with the Creator and the warrior tells him that he could not see how the Creator would have peace with him. He had killed so many in the name of his tribe that he fears he does not deserve eternal rest. So, the medicine man asks why he did it then and the warrior said he had to protect his loved ones and it was better for them to mourn a great warrior than to mourn a coward.
"While the medicine man does not disagree, he understands the burden this man faces. Many men before him had suffered the same way. The medicine man then asks to the warrior – 'You believe what you did was just. You followed your chief and your conscience. Why doubt them now?' The warrior responds – 'I believed it was just, but would the men whom I killed think the same?' The medicine man nods and says – 'You've answered your own question. I'm glad that you did. Say hello to my son.' The warrior is confused, but it doesn't last long as the medicine man plunges a dagger into the warrior's chest, hastening his death," Ayla finished the story and Elphaba looked at her, unsure of the meaning.
"Legacy is only viewed by those left behind. Do deeds that will make your family and ancestors proud because death is only the beginning, not the end," the Queen told her.
"People see what they want to see – it is not always the truth," the green woman nodded.
"Exactly. In that moment, Nessa did not care about her legacy. She only cared about getting what she wanted. Not only did she not get it, but she hastened her own death, while ruining Boq's life and not helping yours. Now as for Boq, I suggest you talk to him. See if he's willing to have you try to speak backwards. After all, this isn't just your decision to make," Ayla gave her a slight smile.
"But how is a painful death even an option? I couldn't let him go through that," Elphaba said.
"It may not be the decision you'd want but maybe it's the decision Boq wants. Though I must admit, I hope that not to be the case," the Queen admitted. The younger woman nodded. Ayla was right. When she got home, she'd have to talk with Boq and see what he wanted.
Meanwhile, Bayram met a man in a back room of an old abandoned building. He hoped that he could convince the man to help. Still, he worried that he might be going about this the wrong way.
"What do you want from me? Its' not bad enough that I was kicked out of the Gale Force, now you want my help?" The man asked.
"Look, you broke the rules. There wasn't much I or anyone else could do about that. What I'm asking you for now is help, but that help cuts both ways. You'd be helping not only me but yourself. Get me intel. Find out what he's plotting. You do this and I can reinstate you and your pension," it was a big promise, but he figured he'd be able to keep it.
"What about helping my family now?" The man asked. Bayram pulled a small bag of coins from his jacket.
"This is to start. More to follow," the Lieutenant said.
"How do you know that I won't sell you out, the first chance I get?" The man wanted to know.
"Because you want your old life back and I'm the only one who can guarantee it. You think that Foster can do that for you? After what he did to you?" Bayram wondered. The man frowned.
"You've got yourself a deal," the man told him.
To Be Continued…