Here we are again folks, new chapter Wednesday. Any feedback you have to offer would be wonderful, whether it's a review, or simply a private message to me. I know the story has been moving a little slow at the beginning, but it's picking up, I promise!

~L.J.

Chapter Four

Dorothy was the first to wake up, and rushed to gather berries around the forest. She wasn't quite sure which ones were edible, and which were not, but she figured that Corey would likely be able to explain the difference to her.

He does seem to be warming up on this trip, she thought with a smile, scooping up a pile of berries and plopping them in her basket, as Toto nipped at the plant.

She enjoyed the idea of Corey warming up to her. He was the first man she admired so strongly, despite his cold, careless demeanor. He was strikingly handsome, which had allowed her to forgive him for being rude so easily. If he would just learn to be kinder, she would surely marry him. If he were to ask her, of course.

Oh, Dorothy, don't you think of such things! You have to go home to Auntie Em and Uncle Henry! She scolded herself silently. For a moment or two, she tried to concentrate on simply picking berries, instead of the handsome wizard, whose face looked so peaceful when asleep…

Perhaps he would like to come back to Kansas with me, she supposed, chewing her upper lip as she continued to toss assorted berries into her basket.

Lost in thought, she didn't notice the trees start to move, the branches start to lower, the small, indented faces on the trees growing angry…


"Help!"

Corey sat up swiftly upon hearing this squeal.

After hearing Dorothy's incessant chatter for hours at a time, he knew exactly whose voice was currently screaming. The little girl had managed to get herself into trouble just an hour after daybreak.

Toto ran over to him, yapping loudly before running back into the thick of the forest.

Corey sighed, and ran his hand through his hair as Avaric and Jeffrey jumped up, looking around wildly for any signs of Dorothy.

She had likely gotten herself stuck in the trees. They were quite temperamental in the mornings, and Dorothy could be quite irritating. The combination seemed almost inevitable, given the fact that Dorothy had gone straight into the thick of the forest, where the trees were used to sleeping in.

"Don't worry about it, I'll go get her. She's probably just caught up by the trees. I can about imagine how she managed to deserve her fate." Corey said easily, waving at Avaric and Jeffery, who were looking at him anxiously.

Avaric relaxed slightly, while Jeffery continued to look between the thick of the forest, and Corey.

Corey walked slowly towards Dorothy's voice as she continued to wail, chuckling to himself. She was just making matters worse by making noise. The trees didn't intend to hurt her, or cause her to scare. They were simply trying to shut her up. He could sympathize with that.

"Calm down, they're not going to hurt you," he said calmly as he approached the tree that Dorothy had been captured by.

She continued to struggle and squeal.

"Use your powers, help me! Trees certainly don't do this in Kansas! Oh!"

Corey laughed, causing Dorothy to look down at him and scowl.

"You're lucky, if trees were the same in Kansas, you'd likely never get down. They didn't pick you up to torture you, Dorothy. They're just trying to get you to be quiet. They don't like being woken up so early. If you apologize and promise to leave, I'm sure they'll let you down. They're likely realizing you're more trouble than you're worth."

Dorothy continued to scowl.

"Apologize to a tree? Why, that's simply absurd!"

"See, now you're going to hurt its feelings."

"It doesn't have feelings, it's a tree!"

As if on cue, the tree held Dorothy a little tighter, and began to tilt her upside down.

Corey watched in amusement. He had seen his friends fall victim to the same test of pride. Now she would certainly have to apologize to the tree, it was offended, and intended to shake the apology out of her, if necessary. If she still didn't apologize, he would likely have to intervene. Intervening would cause trouble; the same citizens of Oz who were fighting for Animals rights were notorious tree-huggers. They would likely condemn Dorothy to death for her behavior, as it was.

"I don't have time for this. Either you apologize to the tree right now, or we're going to leave without you. I assure you, I have plenty on my plate as it is, I don't need this little quest. Removing it from my schedule would be a welcomed relief."

Dorothy sulked for a minute, before accepting defeat.

"I'm terribly sorry, tree. You see, I'm not from here. The trees where I'm from don't grab people. Will you please let me down? I must continue my journey." She pleaded, causing Corey's mouth to twitch into an amused smile.

He had expected to have to make her speak a meaningful apology, but she had done this all by herself. She was much more compliant than the others that he had worked with in the past.

The tree slowly set her down, returning to its original state.

Dorothy turned to look at Corey in amazement as Toto continued to bark.

"Have you been caught in one of those trees before?" She questioned.

Corey shook his head.

"No, though it wouldn't have been nearly as dramatic if I had. I grew up understanding all of the creatures and inhabitants of Oz. I know those trees do not like to be disturbed, unless it is the middle of the day, and even then, they can be dodgey, at best. Now, come along, Jeffrey was very concerned that I would simply leave you here."

"Were you really going to?" She questioned softly.

He looked back at her momentarily before shrugging and continuing on.

"If I needed to, I would have."

He didn't turn back to see her reaction. He didn't need to. He knew the annoying girl well enough to know that she was offended that he would even consider leaving her behind. Corey knew enough about women to be able to identify fairly quickly that Dorothy felt that he was obligated to her, much like her small, black dog.

She had not been surprised when he was the one who had showed up to rescue her. In fact, she had given him attitude throughout the entire process.

This little girl from Kansas was a lot more than he had bargained for.


"How much farther are we going to have to walk on this journey? I've got pebbles in my paws," Jeffrey whined as they continued walking down the red brick road, occasionally straying from the path to take a scenic or more direct route.

Corey shot him a dark look.

"We'll get there when we get there. You're not new to Oz. You know that the Vinkus is quite a trek to make. You should have brought shoes," He responded, taking his dark gaze off of Jeffrey, and returning it to the road.

"No stores make shoes big enough for Lions, anymore," Jeffrey said glumly.

"Aw, you poor thing," Dorothy whined, taking Jeffrey's front paw in her hands.

Corey and Avaric both rolled their eyes.

Jeffrey was turning out to be quite a coward. He whined every hour on the hour, looked to Dorothy for sympathy, and jumped every time he heard a noise. Dorothy was a regular warrior compared to him, and Toto, a vicious beast.

"We will find shoes for you at the first store we come across. If they don't have any for you, why, I'll make you shoes myself!" Dorothy assured him as they walked along together, smiling at him widely.

Jeffrey smiled back.

"You're going to make a Lion shoes? How do you propose doing that? Are you going to pull materials and tools out of thin air?" Avaric questioned, looking back at Dorothy and raising his eyebrows at her.

Dorothy frowned, her nose scrunching up as her eyebrows furrowed.

"I'm from a farm in Kansas. Auntie Em has taught me everything I need to know about being resourceful! One time I even made a dress out of an old bed sheet, a piece of string I found on a bird's nest, and a pointy stick that worked as a needle!"

Avaric chortled, slowing his pace to match the speed of Dorothy and Jeffrey.

"I'll bet that dress wasn't quite as pretty as your others."

"It was a charming little dress. I still have it, back home."

"Well, maybe you can make me something. That way I'll have something to look at once you're gone." Avaric suggested with a crooked grin, his brown eyes fixated on Dorothy, whose eyes grew a sight wider.

She was not used to men being so direct towards her; especially not such handsome men. She would surely never fully recover from the shock of Avaric's forward comments, accompanied by his shameless smile, and dancing eyes.

"Leave her alone, Avaric, she's much too young for you, and I don't think she has the same..." he coughed, "experience that you might expect in your other prospective ladies. You're making her uncomfortable," Corey commented, not turning around to look at the group walking behind him.

Dorothy blushed, smiling at the ground. She was grateful that Corey had stepped in, and relieved her of Avaric's charm. However, the indifference behind his statement did make her heart sink a bit.

In all of the novels she had read back in Kansas, the man was supposed to be offended when another man spoke to a girl he loved, sometimes challenging him to a duel.

She giggled at the thought of Corey and Avaric dueling over her.

It was certainly an exciting idea.

Avaric looked at her curiously, before matching Corey's speed, to talk to him about battle strategies, and some woman named Elphaba that they both seemed to know. Dorothy figured she was likely one of the women that Avaric had charmed, back in Emerald City.

She looked at Jeffrey and smiled widely as a rush of excitement overtook her.

Maybe she wouldn't return to Kansas – perhaps she could start a new life in Oz – if she could simply find a way to let Auntie Em and Uncle Henry know that she was safe, and happy, she could happily live in Oz for the remainder of her existence. She would stay with Corey, of course, once he proposed to her. She would have tea with Jeffrey almost daily – she would miss him dearly if she saw him any less. Avaric would be given a medal for his valor and bravery throughout the quest, and would serve as her knight in shining armor whenever a threat presented itself.

"Oh, now I don't care if I ever go back to silly old Kansas!" She whispered to herself.


"Do you really think that we should kill Elphaba? I know that your father is the Wizard, and what he says goes, but she is our old friend from Shiz." Avaric asked Corey gently as they walked ahead of Dorothy and Jeffrey.

Corey glanced at him before focusing on the road ahead of them.

"You know, I could have you jailed for treason for saying that,"

Avaric gulped, his skin turning a pale color.

"I won't, but I feel obligated to tell you, you must watch what you say, especially around Emerald City, or one of its officials. You know that it's sort of a sensitive time in Oz right now, and with Nessa gone, my father has even more time to focus on Elphaba and those she associates herself with."

"Is that what happened to Fiyero?" Avaric questioned quietly.

Corey looked at him, surveying his facial expressions.

Fiyero and Avaric had been good friends, even after Shiz. Hearing the details of Fiyero's death would not do Avaric any justice; it could cause him to panic, and insist on having nothing to do with Elphaba, or it could cause him to realize just how corrupt and underhanded Oscar Diggs could be, and would tell the rest of Oz about the actions of the great Wizard.

"No, we're still trying to figure out how poor Fiyero met his fate. Nobody has found a body, or any witnesses, so there is still a chance that he may be alive. Perhaps he's hiding, just waiting until everything starts to settle down again. Goodness knows that I'd do the same thing if I could." Corey responded softly.

Avaric looked at the ground, puzzled.

Something didn't feel quite right about Corey's statement, but he felt this overwhelming sense of comfort suddenly. Corey wouldn't lie to him, they were friends. Besides, Corey and Fiyero had always been sort of close, he was probably right. Fiyero was likely just hiding somewhere. Perhaps Corey had even helped him find a place where he wouldn't be discovered.

"Yeah, you know, that's probably it. Thanks, Corey," Avaric breathed, starting to smile.

Corey nodded, hardly paying attention to Avaric, who had now started chattering about memories from their school days, when he and Fiyero would behave irrationally, in the hopes of getting attention from the young ladies.

Instead, he was thinking about Fiyero's fate. He had been out of the castle when his father had made the decision to send the secret police to murder Fiyero, but he had just returned when his lifeless, bloodied body was dragged through the doors.

It had been gruesome, and one of the most troubling things he had ever experienced. He was accustomed to taking advantage of people, and steering himself out of upsetting situations, manipulating their will to do so. This, however, was something that he could not manipulate. The damage had been done. His old friend was lying right in front of him, beaten to death by command.

"So, about Elphaba," Avaric started up again tentatively, after about an hour of reminiscing about the old days at Shiz.

Corey looked at him darkly, but he continued.

"Were you part of the decision to have her killed, or was it primarily your father? Do you think that you could actually do it? I'm not entirely sure that I can go through with it. I know that she's an enemy to the Wizard, and I'm not saying that I'll protest the Wizard's decision. I'm just saying that I don't know if I can be the one to do it."

"I'm not at liberty to discuss that with you. You accepted the job when you responded to my letter, confirming that you would be a part of the party. If it comes down to it, you'll do it." Corey responded coldly.

Avaric's eyes grew wider.

Corey ignored him as he tried to stammer out an explanation for being unable to murder Elphaba. Corey was completely uninterested in Avaric's morals and values. He had killed people before. This didn't have to be any different.

Of course, Corey didn't want Elphaba to die any more than Avaric wanted to kill her. He was still hoping to find an excuse to keep her alive, without having to disobey and betray his father, who would likely just as soon have him killed. He couldn't let Avaric know this, however. If he showed any signs of disagreeing with his father, Avaric would start questioning the Wizard as well. Once the citizens started questioning the Wizard, Oz would turn to chaos.

"Okay, so what about the girl? Why are we bringing her along, again?" Avaric questioned, glancing back at Dorothy, who was smiling from ear to ear as she placed flowers in Jeffrey's mane, braiding portions of it as she did so.

Corey shrugged, regulating his facial expression so Avaric wouldn't see him smiling at the scene.

"My father told her that she must kill the witch in order for her to return to Kansas. If she doesn't come along, she won't receive credit for it." He responded, looking straight ahead of him, hoping that Dorothy couldn't hear them.

She hadn't mentioned killing the witch in a while, and had been smiling for hours. If she remembered the purpose of the quest, she likely wouldn't have the same chipper attitude. Not to mention, Avaric wasn't exactly the most tactful man he had ever met. Avaric would likely blame Dorothy for the predicament they were all in.

"Why don't we just let her go, then? Why did you have to drag the rest of us in? Why are you even here?" Avaric questioned, his dark eyebrows furrowing as his muscles tensed.

Corey looked at him, willing him to calm down.

Avaric's muscled relaxed slightly, but he continued to clench his jaw.

"We both know that a little girl wouldn't have a chance against Elphaba. Once Elphaba killed Dorothy, my father would still want her dead. There would just be an unnecessary casualty on the list." Corey explained, glancing back at Dorothy quickly before looking at Avaric, hoping that his string of questions was almost over.

"Why did your father even ask her to kill Elphaba, instead of sending her to Kansas?"

Corey sighed. He had known that this question would come eventually. Everyone on the journey believed that Oscar Diggs was a great wizard, who had the capacity to perform tasks such as sending lost little girls back home in the blink of an eye.

The truthful answer to the question was that Oscar was hoping he wouldn't have to send Dorothy back to Kansas, because he had no idea how. He was counting on Dorothy dying in the process, so he could easily tell the citizens of Oz that she had died a martyr, fighting in the name of the Emerald City. Corey was perfectly aware that his father had no idea what to do if Dorothy returned back to Oz in one piece.

"He thinks that since she killed Nessa, she might as well try to kill Elphaba as well. Her image would make the citizens of Oz feel hope," he responded simply.

Avaric looked back at the girl, then at Corey.

"Do you really think that Oz would believe that girl is a killer? I wouldn't feel comforted at the thought of her serving as my protection." He grumbled.

"No, I wouldn't either, but there's something to be said for the superstitions of Ozians." Corey responded, smiling back at Dorothy.

She noticed, and smiled back uncertainly, brushing a wisp of hair that had fallen out of her braids out of her eyes.

No, Avaric was wrong. There was something about Dorothy Gale. Something about the freckle-filled grins she gave out so liberally. Something about those big brown eyes that stared back at him so eagerly. She was the very definition of hope.