Notes: Please do not hate me, for it seems that I am introducing yet another sub-plot. I'm really not! This is my last chapter devoted to vagueness... (coughcough). Okay, this is the deal. I actually have all of this stuff planned out in my head that works quite well. I promise to stop letting you all feel so confused, and this chapter is supposed to be one of those that begins to clear up a little of the mystery (at least the beginning, and the end too though you don't know it yet). So, bear with me, and be sure to keep all of the wonderful reviews coming (thanks for those reviews, by the way. :D).
Disclaimer: Not mine.
The morning was warm and the road rough. Glinda laid her head against the wall of the carriage, clutching an old and fraying hat in her slim fingers. Its lacy fringes tickled the inside of her palm.
The worn tracks and slanting roof of the 4th Street Central Station came into view around a bend. Glinda looked away. The white roof, with its great flakes of paint stripped away, the weathered stripes in the apple-red wall; it was all imprinted in her memory. That train station haunted her dreams.
Though increasing amounts of time had passed since Glinda's first trip to the Emerald City, she still thought of Elphaba every time she skirted by the old train station north of the city. She had taken to going out of her way to pass south of the city instead, but her attempts failed her. The sight of the train station in the south reminded her with more ferocity that which she was avoiding and which she had lost.
Since her extemporary trip with Elphaba, Glinda had developed an irrational fear of traveling alone. She had been hoping that this trip could be different, but there was no smiling, silver-eyed girl beaming beside her on the worn leather seat, expressing wonder in the world that had long since lost its worth Glinda's eyes. Lena had renewed her joy in the small things. Yet Glinda had lost Lena as well, and she wondered at what she'd done to cause the Unnamed God, or Lurline, or whoever ruled the cruel dealings of her life, to feel the need to punish her so.
Green hills and magnificent meadows of daffodils and lilies rolled by Glinda's window, oblivious to their viewer's lack of appreciation. An oversized marble mailbox cut the rolling skyline, expressing to Glinda its desperate desire to be seen by all that passed. She clenched her fingers at the sight of it, unconsciously wrapping them firmer about the brim of the hat. "It's like public officials these days. Ha! They care more about being seen than getting the job done…" she imagined Elphaba would say. Though, who was to say she knew anymore? Elphie's wise voice was more of a second conscience to her than anything else these days.
As she drew closer to the mailbox, Glinda noticed something that she had failed to notice on her recent trips. In the soft peach marble names were carved, shallow from the weather of the years. She formed a name on her lips. "Frexspar."
A cold chill made her shiver. Perhaps everyone had some innate ability, a natural desire to leave their mark upon the world in which they live. Nessarose, Elphaba, and Frexspar had certainly done so. Even Frex's name upon the mailbox told of words unsaid and tasks left unfinished. Frex had possessed, in his later years, a bit of a strong desire to right that which his youngest daughter had left wrong. Colwen Grounds had been cleaned up and restored, and the natural state of Munchkinland returned to its original government of theological monarchy rather than all-out dictatorship. Somehow, it had seemed to Frex that giving the illusion of choice to the people was the same as providing them with freedom. His reign had gone under-appreciated, yet nevertheless had reinstated a sense of certainty in the land of his people.
Despite his plans, Frex was not long for the world after Lena's birth. He never came to know of his great-granddaughter or grandson. A plague that surpassed any and all semblances of such before it swept the great area of Munchkinland. An angry revenge from the Unnamed God, wreaking havoc upon the people that had dared to defy his Apostle, or so said the great and mighty Shell. The disease left the survivors of Munchkinland disheartened, sallow-skinned and weak from lack of food. The winter was harsh and many munchkins lost those closest to them.
Some turned against the government of the Free State of Munchkinland and fled to the Emerald City and less populated areas to the south of Gillikin. Others sought refuge in the maunteries, which were bursting with the hungry and the lost. Some, like Boq, turned to magic.
Glinda's memories of the four long years that had been stolen from the people by the Unnamed Plague (as the royal officials and devoted munchkins had come to call it) were vague. She had done what she could for Frex and the more downtrodden of the citizens, flitting about from mauntery to mauntery. Boq's house, in particular, was among the worst. Milla had died in the birth of Boq's twelfth child in the first year of the plague. Glinda had done all she could for him, and yet he still was overwhelmed. He lost his two oldest sons, Maverick and another boy whose name escaped her, first, spent due to their extra efforts in the cornfields. The rest of his children, scattered between the ages of eleven and two, were left to fend for themselves as Boq struggled to put food on the table.
The years were tough and by the fourth year of the plague, only one of Boq's children remained. He had gone nameless for fear of being lost, and as a mock sort of tribute to the namelessness of God. The plague eventually dwindled and became less frequent, allowing health to be restored to the citizens. Boq and Glinda's spirits were renewed. The child was finally named in his fifth year, Ean, meaning "God is gracious." Boq took over position of authority in the broken land of the munchkins.
The clattering of the cobblestones beneath the carriage wheels reminded her of the present. She wiped the moisture from her cheeks and cracked her mouth into a small smile, preparing herself to step down from the carriage and face the world.
She took the offered hand of the young boy that flung open her carriage door with a courteous, "How do you do, Miss Glinda?"
"Just fine. I think I'd like to take a solitary stroll in the gardens."
He bowed himself from her presence and flitted off to join the straggle of boys spread across the lawns. She wandered noiselessly into the gardens and found Boq's silhouette against the sinking sun.
"Hey, you."
He turned slowly. "Glinda!" He pulled her into a gentle hug reminiscent of warm fires. "Back so soon. Join me to watch the sunset?"
"Master Boq, I should think that I require a chaperone when with a boy." She smiled at their joke, a joke of the gardens.
"I should think, Miss Galinda, that you would have learned the language of the munchkins by now."
"Ah, it is so. But the question is, have you developed an ear for the language of the girls?"
"I might need a translator yet." He laughed.
She glanced about the gardens as though looking for such a translator. "Where's Ean?"
"Off playing big brother to Molly. They've really become quite the little duo, the two of them."
She smiled and turned her eyes to the setting sun. The hollows in her cheeks were bathed in soft shadow, and the dusting of silver in her fine hair reflected the sinking orange light.
He shook himself from his thoughts as he found himself wishing to reach out a hand to touch her silky hair. "How… how's Lena?"
She creased her eyes as though in thought. This surprised him. It was unlike her normal behavior after a return from the mauntery. Most occasions would find her bursting with stories and laughter, untold moments and future plans.
"Well, I thought to bring her out for a visit…"
"You always say that," he joked. He thought that, perhaps, she was just having a moment, and he seemed to be trying to coax her back into her normal, playful self.
She flashed her eyes at him in a rare display of annoyance, but seemed to recover herself quickly, continuing her story. "You know better than most the lengths to which Shell will go to extend his power. This weekend, I got a visit from Nor—"
"Fiyero's daughter?" His eyes were wide in surprise.
"Boq, if you'd stop interrupting, you'd know that's what I'm trying to tell you," Glinda replied, exasperated. "Nor showed up two days ago. She's been hiding out in the Emerald City, in a resistance against Shell. She wanted me to know that Shell knows about Lena…I was planning on fleeing with Lena, but…Lena left. I…" She appeared suddenly startled and wiped her eyes on her sleeve.
The patter of footsteps about the corner preceded a small figure that came skidding out from behind the bushes, her golden hair flying out behind her. "Gramma Glinda!" she cried, toppling into Glinda in a ferocious hug.
A tall boy came rushing out from behind the same bush moments later. "Molly, I said no turtle—Oh! Good evening, Glinda."
He made as if to say more, but the small girl was jumping up and down in front of Glinda already, and had quite obviously succeeded in capturing her attention.
"Today Ean took me to Dove Pond and there was this boat with a huge," the small girl stretched her arms out to emphasize her point, her clear blue eyes growing wide, "purple bow! And then we saw Kay! And there were cookies… and…" She trailed off, catching her breath, her round face flushed in excitement.
"That's wonderful, Molly, dear. You look so much bigger today." Boq could hear the slight strain in Glinda's falsely cheery voice.
"I'm six now," she announced proudly, puffing out her chest and displaying six small fingers.
"Yes, dear." Glinda sounded distracted.
"And tomorrow's Monday! On Monday there's always lessons! What lessons are tomorrow? Is it Math? Is it Music? I love Music. I—"
"I'm sorry," Ean said. "Would you like me to…" He motioned towards Molly.
"Molly, how about we all head up for dinner?" Boq offered. Molly appeared excited. She grasped Ean's hand in her own and began to pull him towards the house, happily listing off possible foods for dinner as she skipped along.
Glinda smiled subconsciously at the pair of them wandering a good ten feet ahead. She soon noticed Boq's eyes on her and turned to face him. "What?"
"Are you going to finish your story?"
She looked at Ean and Molly uncomfortably. She fidgeted. "I did."
"Well, how do you mean, Lena's gone?"
She did not look up at him for several moments. He turned his eyes back to the path, assuming that perhaps she needed some time before she'd want to talk about it again. Her voice was quiet when she responded. "Gone." Even quieter still. "Elphaba gone."
- - - - -
"Merra!" she called over her shoulder above the sound of the kitchen water running. "Merra, get in here!"
A girl came stumbling in from the rain, her dark hair tucked into a bun that seemed to be losing patience with its tie. "What?"
"Merra, what in… Lurline help us all. Please tell me that you weren't out in the courtyard again."
The girl tucked the stray hair back from her eyes and fell, exhausted, into a chair. "Raine, I don't understand what the problem is."
"Do not even start with me, young lady. I have told you more times than I dare to count the consequences of going out there, and now is not the time for me to do so again. Go and gather carrots from the garden, and mind you wash your hands before doing so."
Merra mumbled something under her breath as she pushed the chair back from the table and stood. Raine sighed and filled a pot with water before moving to stroke the fire. Moments later, a small boy, caked in dirt, came wandering in through the door and slammed it shut behind him. Raine turned to look at him before retrieving the pot from the counter and settling it upon the fire.
"Nor's coming," the boy stated as Merra entered the room, clutching a small heap of carrots in the fold of her apron.
"What?" Raine and Merra cried, the former dumping a large amount of water into the fire and the latter sending carrots flying across the kitchen table.
"She'll be here by dinnertime," he stated, smoothing his dirty blond hair out on his head.
"Oh, sweet Oz!" Raine called, throwing her hands up in exasperation as the fire hissed out. "Could we not have been given more warning than this?"
Merra was gathering the carrots from the table and tossing them fervently into the sink. "Kass does what she can."
Raine shot Merra a look. "Merra! I thought you'd only been out in the courtyard! If Nor were not coming tonight, you would certainly be receiving a due punishment." Merra smiled at the carrots in her hands. "But you are not getting out of punishment. Binh, run along and tell the others."
The little boy rushed off out of sight, his feet clunking loudly on the wooden stairs. Raine returned to her fire and set about lighting it with renewed vigor.