Hey guys. So I finished this chapter rather quickly, and so I shall be posting it rather quickly as a result. Thanks so much for the positive response for the last chapter and for all of your reviews. You guys are like my encouragement. Anyways, today was my last actual day of school, and now finals start. However, I don't study obsessively, so I should still have plenty of time to write.
Anyways, just something I'd like to clear up, since I'm not sure if it was evident enough last chapter. Fiyero had never met Elphaba, but Glinda has. The two were still friends in college and the same thing happened when they went to the Emerald City. Fiyero knows nothing about this but the little bit Glinda has told him.
OK, so here's chapter two. Hope you enjoy it!
Fiyero cursed mentally as his pant leg snagged on yet another tree root. Almost two years in this profession and he'd still never quite gotten used to having to traipse through the forest. He and his men were not exactly stealthy, and one would probably be able to hear them crashing through the undergrowth from miles away. It wasn't really a wonder that they had not yet succeeded in the capture of the Wicked Witch of the West.
They'd been out searching for at least a couple of hours at this point, though Fiyero had lost track of time long ago, and they were just about nearing the area the Wizard had informed them about. The Wizard had spies, strange flying monkeys who flew around Oz and reported any strange or threatening behavior, and this was how he gathered information to fuel the search efforts. Fiyero had heard that the strange beasts had been the very first victims of the Witch's madness, and he was just glad that everything had worked out for the best in that case. Now at least the very monkeys she'd created would be able to aid in the efforts to capture her.
Fiyero finally stopped moving and held up a hand for his men to do the same as the group neared a large clearing. Apparently there'd been reports of subversive Animal activity around these parts, and it was believed that the Witch was involved somehow, for she was always trying to stir up trouble and rebellions among the Animals. Fiyero had never met or even seen an Animal himself, but he'd heard the stories the Wizard told. He knew that they were stupid, savage beasts who thought their ability to speak gave them the right to co-exist with humans. They were certainly a group that needed to be put down, and to have the Witch working with them certainly did not help the situation. Once the horrible woman was captured, putting the Animals in their places would certainly become a much easier task.
Crouching down, Fiyero examined the field for anything out of the ordinary. His guards stood stock still behind him, pistols cocked and at the ready. However, absolutely nothing seemed to be wrong at the moment, and so he slowly stood up and motioned for his men to follow. At this point he could already feel his legs beginning to shake, but he was by now a master of masking his fear. Holding his pistol out in front of him, he began to take a few tentative steps forward.
Fiyero glanced over his shoulder as he walked, doing a swift head count to make sure all of his men were present. They were not a large group, consisting only of Fiyero and twenty five other soldiers. It would not do to travel in very large numbers, for it would be far too hard to keep track of so many men, and would become almost impossible to retreat should the need arise. Fiyero supposed this was another reason these little expeditions worried him. How were twenty six men with pistols supposed to stop an extremely powerful Witch who had evaded capture for two years?
Still, he tried not to think of these things as he pressed on. Surely if he allowed himself to have doubts he would never be able to keep moving. It was best to keep his mind completely blank, a surprisingly easy task for him, and just focus completely on his purpose.
Fiyero jumped as a creature suddenly shot out of a nearby bush and took off running. One of the guards fired at it in his surprise, but the bullet missed completely as the small creature disappeared into the distance. No one moved for a few moments as they waited with baited breath to see if any strange occurrences would follow this. Fiyero wasn't sure if the creature was an Animal or an animal, but it had appeared to be some sort of wild cat cub. Such beasts were common in this forest, and so it wouldn't be surprising if the cub was only an animal. However, if it was an Animal, it could mean that the Wicked Witch of the West was nearby.
They stood for several moments, tensed and ready to spring into action, but nothing else happened. Slowly and tentatively, the men lowered their guns and began to move forward once more. However, Fiyero felt something wasn't quite right here. The air felt too still, and he had a nagging feeling that something was about to happen. On a whim, Fiyero slowed down a bit and glanced back over his shoulder. That was when he saw it. Just as the last man passed by the tree the cub had emerged from, a streak of green and black went darting past them and took off running.
Fiyero stopped short, as did a couple of the other guards who had obviously also witnessed the disturbance. The guards who had not seen stopped short as Fiyero did, looking confused as they bumped into each other.
Heart pounding in his chest, Fiyero realized that for once they were actually hot on the trail of the Wicked Witch of the West. He was completely unprepared for this, and it took him a couple of seconds to find his voice. Realizing he had no choice but to give chase, he finally opened his mouth and shouted, "She's headed north, let's move!"
Almost immediately, the guards charged into action, Fiyero now bringing up the rear as the group changed directions. He was perfectly fine with hanging back, but knew it was his responsibility as leader to get back to the head of the group. Pushing his way past the other men, he sprinted ahead until he was in his rightful position once more.
By now they'd lost sight of the Witch, but they kept on in the same direction until they reached another clearing. This one was much larger than the last, and it was characterized by a series of different sized caves and a small lake a short distance away. Fiyero wondered briefly why the Wicked Witch of the West would choose to live by water. After all, if what he'd heard was true, water had the ability to melt her.
Shaking his head, Fiyero returned his attention to the task at hand. There were quite a few caves here, though a good number were obviously too small to be inhabited. This task would be much easier if he split his men into groups and had them comb the area. He honestly didn't think the Witch was occupying any of these caves. They were far too obvious and out in the open. Surely she'd choose a much more inconspicuous hiding place.
Turning back to his men, he gave them his orders. "Split into groups of five and search the caves," he said quickly, waiting for the men to separate before he continued. Motioning to the group closest him, Fiyero said, "You five come with me. Everyone else stay nearby and yell immediately if you find something."
The guards nodded obediently and marched off in different directions, pistols held at the ready. The group Fiyero had called for moved closer to him, and he motioned for them to follow as he started toward the largest of the caves.
Taking a deep breath, Fiyero suddenly felt apprehensive as he stood at the mouth of the cave, and he motioned for the other men to stop as he peered into the blackness. He knew what he should do as the leader, even if very part of his brain was screaming at him to turn tail and flee.
Ignoring his own fears and putting on a show of bravado, he said, "Wait here. I'll go in first and make sure it's safe to enter"
The others nodded, muscles tensed in anticipation, and he reluctantly stepped forward into the blackness of the cave. He waited for a few moments for his eyes to adjust, before he slowly moved even further in.
The cave was even larger from the inside, and it seemed to extend back endlessly into pitch black darkness. Biting the inside of his lip, Fiyero pulled out his pistol and held it at the ready. He really hoped he wouldn't have to use it, but having it close by at least brought him a sense of comfort.
He continued on, going in about 20 feet or so. Apparently the men outside had lost sight of him by now, for one of them called after him unsurely, "Sir?"
"Right here," he responded absentmindedly, not turning to face the guard. He was about to give them the okay to enter, when suddenly something caught his eye. Was it just his imagination, or had he just seen the end of a piece of black fabric disappear around the corner? Completely forgetting the other guards, he moved forward instinctively. Now he could see a strange light coming from just around the nearest bend.
The guards called after him again, but he completely ignored them this time. He hastened his steps, completely terrified but at the same time exhilarated. His mind didn't seem to be working anymore; his body had given in to adrenaline rush.
It seemed the other guards were beginning to grow worried, for he could now hear their heavy boots clapping against the damp floor of the cave as they continued to call out for him. He still paid them no heed as he finally turned the corner and was temporarily blinded by a suddenly dazzling light.
What happened next occurred so quickly that Fiyero's mind couldn't seem to process what was going on. Two arms suddenly shot out and grabbed him, causing Fiyero to cry out in alarm before a hand clamped down over his mouth. Upon hearing his shout the other guards hastened their footsteps, and their cries became more frantic as they realized their captain was in trouble.
Fiyero struggling in his captor's grasp, but the person's grip was surprisingly strong. Quite suddenly, a female voice began to chant from behind him, and Fiyero's struggle became more urgent as he realized who it was that held him in a headlock. Suddenly, a large stone rolled into place, blocking the tunnel he and his captor were standing in from view just before the other guards rushed past. Fiyero tried to call out again, but his voice was muffled by the green hand still covering his mouth.
The Witch kept him there for several minutes, and he could hear the muffled footsteps of his men from the other side of the stone. He prayed to the Unnamed God they had seen the large stone close off the passage, but it was apparent they hadn't, for he could hear no attempts being made to move it.
After a few minutes the guards seemed to give up their search, and he could hear them rush from the cave, calling to the other guards for help. Fiyero listened to their footsteps fade, his last hope going with them.
A few minutes later the hand came away from his mouth, and he finally cried out again. However, there was no use now, for it was apparent the guards could not hear him. Legs shaking, he was pushed forward into what he now realized was a small living area. The light he'd seen came from a strange glowing orb across the room, which Fiyero assumed the Witch had conjured by magic.
There was no furniture, but a few large rocks apparently served as a table and chairs. Spread across the floor makeshift carpet apparently fashioned from some strange type of leaves, and there were random papers scattered about. A few ratty books stood in a pile against the wall in the corner, and an old broomstick leaned up against the far wall. On the "table" a large, leather book lay opened, though Fiyero could not see what was written on its pages. On the right side of the small room there was a hole in the wall, which Fiyero assumed led to another "room".
His heart pounded as he was led into this small space, hands still bound behind his back. He'd finally found the hiding place of the Wicked Witch of the West, but he'd been taken there as her prisoner.
Ah yes, my beloved cliff hangers. Well anyways, as you can see this chapter pretty much sets the scene for the rest of the fic. I actually have the next chapter finished already, but I'd like to get chapter four written before I post it. The more reviews I get the faster I update, so please leave me one and tell me what you think so far. Thanks again to all of the awesomeful people who reviewed the last chapter!
S.P.