Hey so this chapter is being reposted with a bit of an edit to the ending, because I have deleted the original chapter 19 of this story that I posted four years ago and replaced it with a completely new one. Everything else that happens here is completely the same, I just chopped about 4 paragraphs off the end.
Focus. Thirsty. Forward. Hot. Tired. Walk.
Fiyero's thoughts were almost non-existent at this point. They came in short, choppy bursts, reminding him only of the basic needs he was sorely lacking. It was mid-afternoon, and the sun had reached a high point in the sky. The thick canopy of the forest did little to shade Fiyero's already sunburned form. Blood pounded in his ear, matching the half-hearted sound of his stumbling footsteps. Fiyero knew he was sweating, knew that he was dirty from when he'd tripped and fallen into the dirt, yet he'd become detached from these facts some time ago. All he was conscious of was a burning need to keep moving and the knowledge that if he stopped he might not be able to get back up.
Fiyero had lost track of time some while ago, but he knew it had been almost a day since he'd left the Animal camp and started walking. He was exhausted, having had only a brief four-hour rest during the night. He'd also had almost no food since he'd set out, save for a few fruits and berries he'd recognized as edible from his Gale Force training. The last water he'd tasted had come about two hours ago in the form of a small stream, but his throat had long since become parched again in the fierce heat. For all of his training and his position as captain of the Gale Force, Fiyero was pretty bad at planning ahead.
When he'd fled the palace yesterday, running on nothing but adrenaline, hope, and a measurable amount of stupidity, Fiyero had overlooked several important facts. Firstly, he had brought no supplies with him whatsoever. No food, no water, no compass, no maps, nothing at all that could be of any use to him in his purpose of finding Elphaba. He hadn't accounted for the fact that he could be on the move for days, he hadn't accounted for anything. He was dangerously close to becoming disheartened. Secondly, it was a very hot time of year. The sunlight was brutal, and though Fiyero had finally found shelter from the direct rays of the sun a short while ago, he still felt the crippling heat as though he were out in the open. Every cell in his body was screaming for water, yet Fiyero had none at hand.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly of all, Fiyero had only just realized that he would undoubtedly be tracked by the other guards. He had no idea what was going on back at the palace. The way he saw it, the belief was probably that Elphaba had recaptured him after her escape, wanting to take her revenge on the guards who had attempted to detain her. The belief that Fiyero was actually a traitor who was secretly in love with the Witch was probably a less popular theory around the water cooler. Regardless, guards would probably be sent to look for him, guards with greater numbers and more adequate supplies. At the rate Fiyero was moving, it would probably not take long for these guards to catch up with him, provided that they marched in the right direction. Fiyero could only pray that the Gale Forcers had no leads on his whereabouts, because he would never forgive himself if he led them straight to Elphaba.
He had a sneaking suspicion that Elphaba would be a tiny bit pissed at him too.
So it was in this fashion that Fiyero pressed on, willing himself forward with every ounce of his strength. After some length of time, during which he seemed to drift in and out of a conscious awareness of his surroundings, Fiyero finally found another chance for water. He suspected it was the same stream he had drunk from before; it probably snaked around from where he'd been before in a wide arc and cut straight through the forest. Not actually caring where the water came from, Fiyero dropped to his knees immediately and stuck his whole head into the stream, reveling in the instant relief from the blistering heat. He took several gulps of the water and washed his face. Refreshed and in slightly higher spirits, but with a now heightened awareness of a gnawing hunger, Fiyero set off on his path once more.
Some time later, when the sun had dipped lower into the sky and the light had become somewhat softer, Fiyero paused once more. Running his fingers through his now grimy blond hair, he took a long look around, surveying his surroundings. There was no perceivable end to the forest in any direction, just trees and shrubs as far as he could see. Upon further scrutiny, Fiyero found a small bush nearby that held some ripe-looking purple berries that he thought he recognized as being safe for consumption. After a meager and not very satisfying meal, Fiyero sighed to himself and sat down to rest for a moment.
Fiyero realized that he was at a crossroads now. He had to make an important decision. It was becoming painfully obvious that Fiyero did not have the supplies or the stamina to continue on in this fashion for much longer. He needed proper food and water and a long rest, and he was not equipped to provide these things for himself. Fiyero might have been captain of the guard, but he was accustomed to a very comfortable lifestyle. The most grueling tasks he had ever undertaken had been his searched for the Witch, for Elphaba, and those had never lasted longer than a couple of nights in a proper camp. Fiyero was not built to survive in harsh conditions, and he had never braved this sort of discomfort alone. As large as his ego was, Fiyero was not too dimwitted to realize these obvious truths about himself.
It was with these thoughts in mind that Fiyero sat on the hard ground, massaging his aching calf muscles. He knew there were two options to choose from. The first would be to turn around now and go back the way he had come. The journey would take him the better part of a day, perhaps a bit more now that he was so worn out and disheartened. Even so, he would at the very least be able to make it back to the Animal camp before he collapsed. He knew that the Animals there were not overly fond of him, but he doubted that they would begrudge him the basic necessities of food and water when they saw the shape he was in. He could rest there and get his strength up.
However, if Fiyero chose this course of action, he risked losing Elphaba's trail for good. After all, at least he had a lead right now, a bit of information he'd learned from a small Bear Cub. Lorgen had mentioned that Elphaba was headed to another Animal camp, one that wasn't far from the one Fiyero had left. But even if that was true, Fiyero had no way of knowing whether Elphaba was planning to stay at that camp, or whether she would just be passing through. If he went back for food and rest, he might permanently loose Elphaba's trail, and therefore permanently loose Elphaba.
On the same note, however, how was Fiyero sure he'd ever been on Elphaba's trail in the first place? After all, he was only taking the word of a child. A child who, for the record, had not even been a part of the conversation from which she had picked up the information she had relayed to Fiyero. Lorgen could have easily misunderstood the information or accidentally pointed Fiyero in the wrong direction. For that matter, it was also less likely but still possible that the Bear Cub had been lying to him and sent him on a wild goose chase. After all, it could be that Lorgen was just as mistrustful of Fiyero as some of the other Animals in the camp, regardless of her seemingly friendly demeanor.
Despite his doubts, Fiyero knew his other option was to press on in the same direction and continue his search for Elphaba. However, drawbacks to this course of action included the fact that if he didn't reach the other Animal camp soon, he might collapse from lack of food and water. If Fiyero kept going and suddenly found himself too far out to turn back to safety, he might become lost in the middle of nowhere and inches from hopelessness. Besides that, Fiyero didn't even know if he was going the right way, or how far he still had to travel to get to the camp. He also didn't know if Elphaba would even be at the camp when he got there. If he entertained that possibility, then there was a chance that he would be denied entrance to the camp when he arrived. Just because he had seen one group of Animals didn't mean he knew them all. Perhaps he would finally reach the camp only to be turned away and left to rot in the wilderness.
It was with all of these possibilities swirling around in his mind that Fiyero began to feel the cold fingers of doubt and despair creeping up on him. How had he landed himself here? A short while ago his largest concern was whether or not Glinda was hogging the bed covers, or whether a particularly dark stain would come out of his favorite shirt. Those simple times seemed like ages ago now. Back then he never would have seen himself as he was now, tired and dirty and lost, thinking out dozens of different courses of action and their possible outcomes. And yet here he was, and there was only one woman to blame.
At the thought of Elphaba, Fiyero almost let out a moan of despair, and he would have had he possessed the energy. Before meeting her Fiyero never would have believed that one person could change him so completely in such a short amount of time. Yet it had happened, and Fiyero had believed that he would give anything, anything at all, just to catch another glimpse of her strangely stunning emerald skin. He had believed that. Now he wasn't sure if it was worth risking his life to chase a lead that could easily turn out to be false. And yet Fiyero knew he had to make his decision soon. Whichever direction he chose, he was only wasting time the longer he sat there unmoving.
But Fiyero could not decide easily, and he was so tired that reality was beginning to blur with the fuzzy images of an oncoming dream. The forest floor was suddenly no longer hard and uncomfortable, but rather feathery soft and inviting. Without even noticing, Fiyero had transitioned from his sitting position to lying slumped on the floor with his head on his hands. Halfway through imagining the feel of Elphaba's lips on his own, Fiyero let sleep take him.