Authors Note: Thanks for everyone reading. Thanks for heatqueen for reviewing again. Your comment about Elphaba is interesting. I guess I'm crossing my verses a bit, but that's one of those characters deciding to say what they want moments. It was in the dialogue I had planned in my head. It just came out.
But anyway, read, review, enjoy.
Glinda collapsed sobbing. The hands holding her left and she fell to the ground, instinctively curling into a ball. Her cries of pain drowned out the world around her. The only thing she could hear was the pounding thought that Elphaba was dead. She felt a pair of strong hands grab her and wrestle her off the ground.
"Let me go!" she cried. "You might as well just kill me now! Elphie…"
"Hush, Glinda, it's me." A soft voice said.
"Elphie?" she sobbed.
"Yes." She felt the ropes fall off her, and went to remove her blindfold. Elphaba's strong hands stopped her. "No, my sweet, not yet."
"Elphie, why? How?"
"Pick her up and hold her close." A harsh voice said. Glinda whimpered and clung to Elphaba. She felt her head being turned to place her face fully against Elphaba's chest. Sandalwood and fire smoke enveloped her. She was suddenly scooped up, and gave a little yelp of surprise. After, there was an unfamiliar bobbing sensation as they moved. A minute or two later she felt herself put down.
"Can I take this off now?" she asked meekly.
"Yes, my sweet."
She took off the cloth but in the darkness could only see Elphaba's outline. Elphaba held up her training wand and Glinda used it to conjure her light orb. She almost wished she had not. The red smudges across the green skin could not cover up the deep purple bruises already starting to form.
"Oh, Elphie, look what they did to you. And how-" Glinda saw a glint in the darkness. "Elphie, watch out!"
Elphaba spun. Two orbs shone in the dark; Glinda thought it may be a big Cat. Elphaba put her arm in front of Glinda as they came closer. Elphaba tensed. A flash in the darkness along a line, and a piece of steel appeared. Holding it was a man in a garish purple scarf.
"Duran?" Glinda said, and then blew a sigh of relief. "It did work!"
As he came closer Elphaba tensed even more and moved in front of Glinda. She was shaking.
"Elphie, what is it? It's only Duran." She said, looking at her. The expression on her face was like a cornered animal. She looked back at Duran to see him run something along the length of the sword, and come away red.
"I apologize for my lateness. I was not appropriately attired when you called." He gave them a small smile. "Not out of my sight for twelve hours and already in trouble." He shook his head and came almost within touching distance of Elphaba causing her to shake more. He noticed and softened his expression.
"We need to move. There may be more about. Come on, I know a safe place. The host may be a little grumpy that we dropped in on him, but it will be fine."
"Elphie, what's wrong?" Glinda whispered when she did not respond. This did not bring a response from the quaking emerald woman either, so Glinda turned to Duran. "What about our things?"
"Elphaba grabbed the Grimmerie and I'll come back for everything else. We really need to go." And with that he moved ahead, scanning the area.
"Who were they?" Glinda asked as she tried to keep up. She was practically dragging Elphaba with her.
"White Skulls; Hunter-Killer Squad of the Gale Force. I didn't know there were as many as I saw tonight. Maybe they pulled them all in."
"Why are they called White Skulls?"
"They wear white skull masks on raids. They had them on tonight, too."
They moved in silence for another hour. Glinda kept watching Elphaba who looked as if she would fall apart at any moment. It had steadily gotten worse as they went. Finally, they stopped near a mossy rock cropping. Duran moved the moss aside and entered into a hole. Glinda followed nervously with a shaking Elphaba.
"We'll stay here tonight." Duran said, and Glinda plopped down. Elphaba remained standing, leaning against the wall. Her eyes never left Duran.
"Elphie, why are you watching him like that?" she whispered but Elphaba still did not answer. Huffing, Glinda got up and moved to where Duran was standing. "Thanks for coming." She said, smiling. He smiled back.
"I said call when you need me. You really needed me. It started out as a general urgent pull but began to throb harder time and again. I assume it has something to do with Miss Elphaba's condition."
Glinda nodded but movement caught her eye. She turned to see a bear roar at her. It was so loud it covered up her scream, and Elphaba darted in front of her. The bear stopped, took a deep breath, and went to do it again.
"Really, Lord Barrington, is that anyway to treat guests?" Duran asked, and the bear – Bear - blinked. Elphaba and Glinda did the same. The Bear shuffled his feet – paws – and looked bashful. Glinda had never seen a Bear look bashful before. It was almost cute. The bear sniffed the air deeply and then finally noticed Elphaba and Glinda.
"Oh, I'm sorry." He said, voice deep. "I didn't realize it was you, Quicksilver."
"Quicksilver?" Glinda repeated.
"Your scent is covered by blood. Plus -" he sniffed the air again, "you covered up Sandalwood Smoke and Crisp Green Apple."
"Which witch is which?" Duran asked jovially.
"The tall is Sandalwood Smoke, and the shorter Crisp Green Apple."
"Really? Miss Elphaba I could see Sandalwood Smoke but Miss Glinda Crisp Green Apple? I thought it would be Gillikin Rose."
"It's Elphie's favorite." Glinda mumbled. The Bear's head jerked up.
"The Goodnesses here! I'm not presentable!" he began to shuffle about and they now noticed her was wearing a robe. They could also see a moss separator behind him.
"Please, Sir Barrington," Elphaba said, the first time she had spoken since she picked Glinda up, "no need to fret. We barged in."
"But I'm not prepared to entertain."
"We're not here for an extended stay." Duran explained. "The ladies need a place to spend the night safely and I need to borrow a shovel."
"Over by the entrance." Duran thanked him, and left, cape rippling. The women began to notice a pattern. "This way, Your Goodnesses."
He led them through the separator and they marveled at the size of the cave. It was held up by intricately carved wooden arches and had a large living room that contained a fireplace, sofa, and stuffed chairs. They could see multiple exits to other rooms.
"Wow." Glinda said, and Sir Barrington smiled (which was very unsettling).
"Thank you. I have a few friends in the Glikkus, Moles you see, that do marvelous work."
"Why do you call him Quicksilver?" Elphaba asked. She was beginning to return to her normal self after Duran left.
"You've seen his sword move, yes?" he responded, and Glinda nodded while Elphaba shuddered.
"Elphie, we need to see to those injuries."
"I'm fine."
"You're not fine. You look like you're about to pass out. You've been shaking since… well, you know."
"It has nothing to do with my injuries."
"Then what! I'm guessing Duran helped…" she trailed off as she saw Elphaba's eyes widen and she began to shake again. She reached out and gathered Elphaba into her arms. "Elphie, tell me."
"At the end, right before that man pulled the trigger, Duran shot him down. He then jumped right into the middle of them. I thought he was dead. There had to be at least a dozen of them. They went after him, but he moved and they died, almost before they even hit the ground. I saw the light go out of their eyes, Glinda. There was blood…everywhere, and he moved through it like it was rain. It could not have taken more than a minute. One minute and over a dozen men dead." She drew in a rattling breath. "I've seen death before, Glinda, but never watched someone kill so easily. It was like it was the most natural thing in the world for him. A stroll on a sunny day." She fell silent, shuttering.
"But…he saved us right? So that can't be bad?" Glinda asked uncertainly.
"I don't know. They were bad men, Glinda, of that I have no doubt. But they were slaughtered like, like-"
"Cattle." Sir Barrington put in, and Elphaba nodded.
"Whenever I close my eyes I can see it." Tears began streaming down Elphaba's face. "I see their eyes as they realize what's happened. I see them struggle against it, and then the fear as they realize they are going to die. I see the light go out of their eyes." She was sobbing now, and Glinda stroked her hair, murmuring comforts to her.
"It is…difficult to see death take someone for the first time." Barrington said. "Quicksilver is very good at bringing it."
"How can someone be that way? To take life so easily?" Elphaba choked out.
"I don't know. I've met cruel people, broken inside, that become professional killers. It covers their hurt when they hurt others. I've seen good people who are blind or ignorant kill, but shatter when they realize what they've done. I've never met anyone else who cared so much for his fellow beings welfare and then kill them with such ease. I cannot say he is haunted, either. His eyes are not hollowed out as other good men who are forced to be killers are. He is a contradiction to be sure."
"What does Duran smell like, when he's not covered in blood?" Glinda asked. By now Elphaba had regained some of her composure, and listened intently.
"He always smells of it. When one is covered in it so much, it seeps into the articles they carry and remains, no matter how often they clean. He also smells of powder, fire, and steel."
"How can he exist like that? Some Resistance members said he goes out and kills every night. But he seems…good. I can't figure him out." Glinda wondered sadly.
"I'll tell you a story of how I met Quicksilver. Before the Wizard's reign, my family had been granted lordship over these lands. They were ours to hunt, care for, protect. Then, the Wizard's laws came. At first we thought we were safe; it was only the city Animals. But they kept pushing. One day they ambushed me, my wife, and my cub. They shot me and clubbed me." He reached up and split his fur to show deep scars. Glinda gasped. "They threw a net over my wife and cub, and began to beat them too. I was helpless and knew I was going to die. Then Quicksilver came. I need not tell you what happened. He saved us, and saved me from death afterward. He also helped my family move to a safer place."
"Why was he in the area?" Elphaba asked. She detached herself from Glinda and began to run her hands over the scars, and then rub them. Barrington sighed.
"You've done this before, Your Goodness. As to Quicksilver, he was in the area. Hunting the hunters, as it were. It is because of him the Gale Force is too timid to go into the forests. That happens when not many come out. This is something Her Goodness used to her advantage, I may add." He said, eyeing Elphaba.
"I never knew." She replied.
"Most Animals don't, either. He likes it that way since it gives us strength to think we did it ourselves. It also creates fear in the Gale Force of us. "
"Sir, is there any else you can tell us about him? He's so…confusing." Glinda asked.
"Not much. In my interactions with him the last decade I've only met him a few dozen times, usually as he's passing through."
"Last ten years? Ten years ago he would have been Shiz." Elphaba said.
"That I don't know. But he passed through on business often and was a skilled fighter then too."
"That doesn't make any sense." Elphaba muttered.
"Does he live outside the City?" Glinda asked and Elphaba gave her a curious look which caused pain to shoot through her face.
"Not as far as I know. He smells of the Emerald City, or at least his boots do."
"Then how did he get here so fast? We've been walking for hours."
"Glinda, were probably less than ten miles from the City. We weren't moving that fast." Elphaba said.
"Still, I only called him when they grabbed you. Do you think he was outside the City?"
"It's possible."
"No, I was in the City." came Duran's voice. "Thanks for the assistance, Sir Barrington. Ladies, your packs are by fireplace."
"Then how did you get to us so fast?" Elphaba inquired.
"I was needed as quickly as possible, so I came as quickly as possible."
"No one can cover ten miles in a half an hour on foot!"
"It was more like six."
"That's not much different!"
"I came when needed. Don't read too much into it." He replied, voice leaving no room for argument. So naturally Elphaba tried.
"Look, to do that-"
"Oh, Elphie, be quiet!" Glinda cut her off, frustrated.
"Thank you." Duran said. "Miss Glinda, here. The flask contains an oil that will help clean and disinfect Miss Elphaba's wounds. The jar contains a salve that will help them heal faster."
"Thank you." Glinda replied, taking them. She shot a look at Elphaba.
"Yes. Thank you." Elphaba replied suspiciously.
"You're welcome. Sir Barrington, do you have any food around?"
"You know I hunt for mine."
"Oh well. Working for dinner it is."
"You can have some of ours." Glinda offered but Duran smiled and shook his head. Glinda noticed Elphaba shiver slightly.
"No thanks." He said. "I'll find some on the way back."
"Back?" Glinda exclaimed and Elphaba echoed. "At this time and after all of that? Surely you must be joking."
"I'm not." He paused a moment. "And don't call me Shirley." Glinda looked puzzled and Elphaba groaned. "Sorry, couldn't resist."
"You must be exhausted. You need sleep. Stay tonight." Glinda attempted but she was stopped by the same smile.
"Don't you remember? I don't need sleep." And they were beginning to believe him. With a flash of his cape he was gone out the door.
"Does anyone else notice he does that every time?" Barrington asked.