"Wake up, dear! Come on, we have lots to do!" Glinda cried as she tapped Ayenna, rather harder than necessary, on the shoulder.
Ayenna rubbed her eyes and looked at Glinda. It took her a few moments to work out why she was there.
"We haven't got all day! By Lurline, you are heavy sleeper!" exclaimed Glinda.
Ayenna held back a retort and went to get ready. She put on her simple gray dress that would be comfortable for traveling and as she brushed her hair, she thought about Glinda. Something about the woman got under her skin and made her want to slap the bubbly blonde, but at the same time, she kind of liked her.
Well, I guess if she was my mom's best friend, I should learn to like her, she thought.
When she was all ready, Glinda practically pushed her out the door.
"Go tell your boss that you are leaving, then come right back here."
"I will, I will," Ayenna grumbled. She checked the lobby's clock. It was 9:00. She had plenty of time to get to work before the day started. She decided to go to Strattel's house to tell him of her departure, since he probably wouldn't be at the office yet.
He opened the door after she rang the bell twice and invited her in immediately.
"What can I do for you, Miss Ayenna?" he asked.
"I…uh…have something to tell you," she started, a little uncertainly.
"Isn't that funny, I have something to tell you too! I'll tell you mine first. I have decided to give you your first assignment!" Strattel said enthusiastically.
"But, Mr. Strattel, I--"
"No, I know what you are going to say. You don't think you have enough experience. Don't worry! You'll do fine."
"But, where are we--"
"Going? I'm going to send you up to the Glikkus. Won't that be exciting? There has been some riots among the natives, and someone needs to go find out the story and report on it. That someone, my dear, is you!"
"The Glikkus?" Ayenna asked, amazed at her good fortune.
"Yes. I am sure that you are worried about your safety, but never fear! Dhert will keep you well protected. He's a good lad."
"Dhert's coming?" Ayenna asked.
"Yes. He will be your personal bodyguard and he can help you with your reporting as well," Strattel told her.
"How long do you expect we'll be gone?"
"I don't know. Maybe some weeks, give or take a year. The important thing is that you get the story. Now, you'd best be off. We can't waste time chatting when there is something that needs to be reported to the world!"
"We're leaving right now?" Ayenna asked, her head spinning.
"Of course! I'll call Dhert," Strattel said.
"No need, Father. I'm here," Dhert said, walking into the room. He had on a pair of brown pants, black boots, and a ruffled white shirt. He was buckling a sword in its sheath to his belt. All in all, he looked positively suave. Especially with his hair gently tousled like that. He smiled at her, and she felt a mysterious tingling sensation in her stomach. It was nothing she had ever felt before. Perhaps something she ate…?
"Oh Dhert, you're ready. Good. Now, be good and take care of Ayenna, will you?" Strattel asked.
"You know I will, Father. Goodbye!"
Strattel embraced his son and clapped him on the back.
"Good luck!" he said.
Dhert grabbed some suitcases and led Ayenna into the street.
"Do you need to get your things?" he asked.
"Yes. They are at the inn that you told me about. They are already packed up, though, so I shouldn't be but a moment. But, uh, Dhert?"
"Yes?" he asked.
"We are going to have someone else traveling with us," she said.
"Who?"
"Oh, someone you will recognize."
He looked a little confused but didn't question her further.
Glinda met them in the lobby, Ayenna's two small bags and a large host of what must have been her bags around her feet. If Ayenna hadn't ever spoken to Glinda personally, she wouldn't have recognized her. The witch was wearing the first outfit that wasn't puffy or glittery since Ayenna had met her. It was a plain dress, still pink, but sensibly so. She was wearing the brown cloak from the night before and she had the hood over her head, hiding the most of her curly, golden hair. She had also wisely dispensed of her wand for the time being. Ayenna supposed it was in one of her many suitcases.
"Who is this, Ayenna?" she asked when she saw Dhert.
"Is this our traveling companion that you spoke of?" Dhert asked.
"Yes, Dhert. Glinda, this is Dhert. Dhert, Glinda," Ayenna said, waiting for the explosion.
She didn't have to wait long. "Glinda? Did you say Glinda, Ayenna? As in the Glinda?"
"Yes," Ayenna said in a small voice, noticing that the receptionist was becoming altogether too interested in the situation, "Let's go. I will explain everything on the way."
Dhert and Glinda followed, the first still staring at Glinda, and Glinda looking slightly put out that Ayenna hadn't told her that she would be bringing a boy along.
A carriage waited outside, albeit one that did not have the royal crest on it. Apparently, Glinda had taken Ayenna's words to heart.
"A carriage? Excellent! I was afraid we would have to walk the whole way," Dhert said.
"Yes, Glinda provided it. We can only ride it for a ways, though, because after we get into less populated places it will be difficult to drive. I guess we can get horses or something then."
Dhert, being a perfect gentleman as usual, helped Glinda load her bags into the carriage and then put his own on. Ayenna needed no assistance with her meager belongings, however.
They climbed into the carriage, Dhert taking the seat beside Ayenna, and Glinda taking the seat across from them. Once everything was properly loaded on, Glinda told the driver to drive.
"He already knows where we are going. He has made the trip many times before. He will be taking us to the end of the Yellow Brick Road, where I have made arrangements for us to then ride on the Great Gillikin Railway to the Glikkus. Then we will buy horses to get us the rest of the way," Glinda explained.
"Ayenna, would you like to explain everything to me now? Why are we traveling with Glinda the Good? Why do you act like you were already planning on going to the Glikkus? What is your purpose in going there?" Dhert asked, confused.
Glinda shot Ayenna a warning look.
"Glinda…we can trust him. I trust him," Ayenna said.
"And I appreciate that," Dhert said, "But I would also appreciate some answers."