Fiyero couldn't take his eyes off of her. She was almost the same as he remembered. Only she was a little older, he could see that on her. There were lines around her eyes where they used to be none and a bitter twist to her mouth. Her hair was twisted in a knot at the nape of her neck and her dress was as drab as she had always worn it. But caught in the moonlight, she looked like an exotic plant shrouded in the darkness. He thought he would never see her again. And here she was, living in his castle like she was his wife, Sarima. Sarima who he had never loved as much as Elphaba, whom he could never had spent long stolen nights with, not the woman who could make his heat beat faster or think of with the passion that he could only reserve for his Fabala. She was the only woman on his mind for a long time and now, out of the confines of his head, she had become real, almost like a mirage in front of him. Except that the cold fingers clasping his collar was not an apparition. She was real.
'What are you doing here?'
'On a sympathy mission.'
'What sympathy mission?'
'Well I met Dorothy and sympathised with her. It was the least I could do after she rescued me from that cornfield.'
She knew Fiyero was trying to make a joke out of and despite her gloomy mood, her mouth curled up in the hint of a smile. He took that as encouragement.
'I can't explain to you how I feel now that I've seen you.' He shook his head in disbelief.
She said nothing but the catch in her breath and the look in her eyes told him that she was on the same wavelength. How long she had thought of him, certain of his death at the hands of the Gale Force.
They were interrupted by Dorothy who had run back to request that the witch and scarecrow be present in the kitchen. 'It's very important you see' she explained breathlessly, big eyes switching nervously between them. 'We need to ask you for something.'
'So you did come here for something' flared up the witch immediately. The scarecrow put him arm on hers and curiously, she subsided.
'Let's just see' he said, taking a step to the kitchen. She reluctantly followed. Dorothy could hardly believe her luck. Elphaba took her seat at the table with the others, waiting for the bombshell to be dropped. She sat with her chin on steepled fingers, waiting suspiciously for the request. She had half a mind to turn it down immediately out of uncharacteristic spite. Soon she would find out that she didn't even have to resort to that.
'The wizard asked us to come here to bring something to him' announced Dorothy. The witch didn't move. 'Something useful and precious he said.' Elphaba raised an eyebrow but still said nothing. Dorothy took a deep breath.
'A book. He wants a book of spells.'