Chapter Nine has arrived! I would give more of an introduction, but I'm being forced off the computer. )

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own Wicked.

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The three travelers found that although the train was more comfortable then the carriage, it still wasn't that great. Now, however, there were lots of other people to look at, and Ayenna was getting lots of stares.

"Does it bother you?" Dhert asked her in a whisper.

"Does what bother me?" Ayenna asked back, looking up from her book.

"People staring at you."

"Yes, but after a while, you grow accustomed to it," she said, wanting to laugh at the indignant expression on his face.

"Do you want me to tell them to stop?" he asked, referring to a group of Gillikinese teenagers, mainly girls, who were having a grand time pointing and giggling at the funny green girl.

"No, they are just silly children."

"They're our age!"

"I judge age by maturity."

Dhert admired her equanimity, but he breathed a sigh of relief when the teenagers got off. Another few minutes, and he would have lost his temper and hit them. He couldn't quite figure that out. He was usually calm, but something about them talking about Ayenna made his flesh boil.

But she didn't seem fazed. On the contrary, she just went back to her book.

But he didn't want her to retreat back into herself, he wanted to learn more about her. Something about her intrigued him. Being a handsome boy, he had had girlfriends, but they were all impractical, giggly things that only worried about clothes and makeup. Ayenna on the other hand, was different.

"When we first met, you told me that you did not know anything about your parents," he said.

She looked up, and for a moment he was afraid that she was mad, but she had a small smile on her face. "I didn't know anything about them until last night."

"Will you tell me what you know about them?"

"I think I would prefer reading."

He felt a little snubbed, but he got her message. She didn't want to talk about her parents. His curiosity was aroused, but he let her read her book in peace.

Glinda, meanwhile, was sitting in the aisle in front of them. She was pretending to be reading a magazine, but she was actually listening to their conversation. If she wasn't mistaken, that boy had feelings for Ayenna. He probably didn't even know it yet, but they were there, like the first bit of green that a seed pushes out of the ground. She wasn't sure what Ayenna felt for the boy; she seemed to have no emotions when she didn't want them to show. Oh, young love. She sighed quietly. She had not had any romantic relations with men since Elphaba disappeared.

She couldn't wait to see her friend again. But she didn't know whether she would embrace, cry over, or slap Elphaba when she did see her. She couldn't believe that Elphie had let her believe she was dead for seventeen years. And that girl, Ayenna, there was no doubt Elphaba was her mother. The girl was too much like her, only lacking much of her mother's sarcasm. Maybe that was from being raised in an orphanage. They taught manners there, something Elphaba obviously missed out on. She grinned to herself. And she was looking forward to seeing Fiyero too, she just hoped it wouldn't be too awkward between them. She glanced behind her and smiled when she saw that Ayenna had fallen asleep with her head on Dhert's shoulder. The boy looked fairly pleased with this development.

Several hours and many stops later, the conductor called, "End of the line, folks! The Glikkus! This is the last stop, the Glikkus!"

Glinda stood up, grabbed the few bags that she decided she absolutely needed and hadn't left on the carriage, and nodded to Dhert. The boy gently stroked Ayenna's cheek and called her name quietly until she woke up. When she realized the position she had fallen asleep in, her cheeks blushed deep green, and she leapt to her feet and grabbed her bags. She looked at the ground so she didn't have to meet his smiling eyes.

They got off the train, and Ayenna realized that she was in the Glikkus. Just a few weeks ago, she had never been out of her tiny village, and she had certainly never been out of Gillikin. The largeness of everything made her feel like an insignificant ant in a big, big world. As the train left, she looked around at the landscape. The ground beneath her feet was dry, dusty, sand-colored dirt, and in the distance she could just make out innumerable mammoth mountains. To her right, she could see far-off water, undoubtedly the Glikkus Canals.

Glinda, who had obviously gotten someone to help her plan this excursion, had them walk a few miles in the direction of the canals until they came to a very tiny village. Ayenna knew that the Glikkus was not heavily populated, but after the Emerald City, this place seemed downright pitiful, even though it was about the same size of the village Ayenna grew up in. Glinda led them over to a small barn. They walked inside and were hit by the odor of horses. Not necessarily an unpleasant smell, Ayenna had thought. It put her in mind of grass and freedom. But when she saw the horses and how tightly they were tied, her stomach churned.

"Are you sure those aren't Animals?" she asked Glinda.

"Don't be silly, I outlawed that when I first became ruler. I may not make all the laws, but I do have influence."

A filthy man with matted dark hair and a beard walked into the barn. It was obvious that he owned, and probably slept in it.

"What d'you want?" he asked gruffly.

"Four horses, please," Glinda said primly, trying not to wrinkle her nose at his smell.

"But there are only…one, two…uh…three of you," he said, scratching his head and using his dirt encrusted fingers to count.

"Yes, but we need a horse to carry our bags," Glinda said, attempting to retain her politeness.

He sniffed, "D'you got money?"

"Of course."

"Are those Animals or animals?" Ayenna interjected.

"You insane, girl?" he asked, "I have little enough as it is, without going against Glinda's rules."

Glinda shot Ayenna a knowing smile.

"Can't stand the tramp, meself, but I'm not stupid enough to disobey decrees," he continued.

Glinda flushed and Ayenna was afraid she was going to strike him, but the Good Witch looked at his grubby face and decided against dirtying her hand.

"Girl," he said, looking at Ayenna, "Either I've been drinkin' too much--"

"Which could well be the case," interrupted Glinda.

"--or you're bloody green," the man continued as if he hadn't heard her.

"Here is your money," Glinda said, handing him a small bag full of currency, taking special care that her hand didn't accidentally brush his.

He looked into the bag, and looked back up, a grin revealing his rotting teeth. Without further complaint, he grabbed four horses and handed the halters of all four to Glinda. She in turn gave Ayenna and Dhert one each.

Ayenna looked into the eyes of her horse. It had dead eyes, and she knew that it was not an Animal; it had no soul. All four were a sorry lot. They were emaciated and their bones showed through their disheveled, dirty pelts. Their manes and tails were matted and coarse, and they had many sores from hard riding. But the most disturbing thing about the creatures was that you could look at them and tell that they had lost the will to live long ago. They were broken animals, and they probably wouldn't have even flinched or tried to defend themselves if you took a stick to them.

Ayenna, feeling like she was going to cry, petted her horse on the nose gently. It looked at her through dim eyes, as though surprised at such a show of kindness.

"You monster!" she yelled at the man, "Look what you have done to the poor animals!"

Dhert, who had been watching her face, had had a feeling she was going to something drastic, and he wasted no time grabbing her arm right as she tried to rush at the man. She immediately turned on him, slapping, scratching, and biting. She looked ready to do anything to get away from him so she could do something ungodly to the dirty man who was looking very surprised. However, Dhert's vice grip did not waver. In fact, he just got a hold of her other arm, making it impossible for her to hit him anymore. But the fire had not left her eyes, and he knew that any moment she would think of another way to gain her freedom from him. Without thinking, he pulled her close and buried her in a hug. She went completely limp in his arms, and he knew that there was no danger of her hurting anyone again for the moment.

She pulled away from him, confused and fuming, but she only looked at the ground. He felt his heart fall and settle somewhere down around his feet. He didn't want her to look at him like that.

"You're lucky that vegetable girl didn' hurt me. I woulda sued you for all you're worth," the man said, and he walked back around the barn, presumably to count his money and get some more alcohol.

"Ayenna…" Dhert started.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me," but her words were hollow.

"Look, I'm not saying that he wasn't a foul man who didn't deserve to be beaten to a pulp, but I couldn't have him hurt you. Please, don't look at me like that!"

"Fine," Ayenna said, and she opted to not look at him at all.

He sighed, glared at Glinda for no reason whatsoever, and they led their horses from the barn.