Would Elphaba still love him in this state? She had made him this way, but what would she say when they were finally face to face once more? He had once comforted her, assuring her that she was beautiful in her own way. He could only hope that Elphaba would look beyond his outer appearance and know that Fiyero was still there inside. His spirit had not changed.
The two travelers came upon a small cottage on the cusp of the great forest. It was here that Fiyero suggested they spend the night.
"Good idea, Scarecrow." Dorothy said with a sound of relief in her voice.
They knocked on the door at first, but when no one answered Dorothy gently pushed the door open. Finding it deserted, they entered and began preparing for the evening.
While Dorothy and Toto ate some of the leftover corn for dinner, Fiyero went outside and gathered leaves from the surrounding area to make a bed for Dorothy. She was very appreciative of his kindness. Fiyero sat in a corner, wide awake, while Dorothy fell asleep.
At periods throughout the night, Dorothy would shake and sweat, sometimes crying out in fright. He could only imagine the nightmares she must have been experiencing, having been whisked suddenly away from home in a whirlwind that could have killed her. And then, of all things, her house accidentally landed on and killed a woman.
Poor Dorothy!
At these times Fiyero would cross the room and take her hand until she was calm again, falling back into a peaceful slumber.
When morning came, Fiyero went out for a walk. He figured Dorothy would sleep a bit longer due to her restless night, and he longed to hear the birds sing their morning melodies. Staying up all night wasn't at all a pleasurable thing. When Dorothy's sleep was still and sound, the silence nearly drove him mad.
He sat down beside a lovely stream and thought about what he would do to the Wizard once he got his hands on him. Fiyero was thinking of all the ways to dismember him when something occurred to him...
...Dorothy...
Should Fiyero attempt to do anything to the Wizard, there could be consequences for his new friend. And, should that happen, what could he do in his current state to help her? Indeed, the only way to protect Dorothy from the Wizard and to get back to Elphaba was to play dumb.
'It's no different from school I suppose,' he thought to himself as he listened to the moving water. 'I had to pretend I was a lot dumber than I was back then, too.'
It was true. Elphaba had made Fiyero see that there was more to life than parties and good times. There were things worth fighting for...worth caring about. Yes, there were even things worth loving in the world. And, as he got older, Fiyero came to realize that there were forces in Oz that needed to be eradicated, which is why he became captain of the guard in the first place.
Fiyero heard rustling coming from downstream. He looked up to see Dorothy washing her face in the clear water. She tried to remove the silver shoes from her feet, but she seemed to be struggling. He meandered over to her and offered to help.
For some reason, even with Fiyero pulling one way with all his might and Dorothy pulling the other, the shoes refused to relinquish her feet from their silver prison.
"Maybe if I just stand up..."
Dorothy stood and tried once more to pull her right shoe off, but she lost her footing and fell comically into the stream.
At first Fiyero was afraid she was hurt, for she stayed underneath the water for a few moments before she resurfaced, laughing at her own blunder.
"Are you all right, Dorothy?" Fiyero asked as he outstretched his hand to pull her out.
"I'm fine, if not a little wet," she replied with a giggle. "I'm afraid I'll have to let my dress dry out in the sun for a while."
Dorothy unbuttoned the front of her dress down to its hem and slid it off. Her undergarments she left as she draped her dress over a nearby tree branch. She took the bands out of her hair and unraveled the two braids. Her thick, brown locks reached the middle of her back.
If only Fiyero still had blood vessels, his face would be red as a ripe apple!
Just then he heard a rustling in the brush behind him and saw a quick flash of green out of the corner of his eye.
"I'll give you some time to dry out. I'll see if I can't find some berries for you and Toto."
"Thank you Scarecrow!"
Fiyero walked into the brush. It was thick for a time, but it wasn't long before he came to a clearing.
"Did you like my trick?" he heard her smooth voice coo.
She came swiftly from the shadows into the light of the clearing.
"Elphaba!"
Ok...I'll leave it here for now. Hope you're enjoying it.
More to come soon!