Doing first year subjects can be really boring sometimes.
Did you know, Kreah is actually how you would pronounce the German word "krahe" which means crow and is, unsurprisingly, the inspiration for our crow friend's name. (It's also an unintentional reference to Deltora Quest's 'Kree'. Did anyone else get that?)
Fae'sFlower: You're a champ! I remember that school thing :/ it was a bit stressful towards the end but you'll survive! Also, I don't think it was gypsies who attacked the caravan in the first chapter...
From her apartment, Elphaba could still hear the dull roar of the crowd in the square.
After Kreah had left her, Elphaba had run back to her apartment, hurtling through the streets as fast as she could. She was hurt and angry and confused. Why was the Wizard doing this? Why was no one doing anything to stop it? Had everyone gone mad? At least one of her questions was answered as she ran the short distance to her apartment.
Shop owners outside their doors listening and watching the square confusedly, patrons waiting for their meals complaining about the disturbance of their peace. Elphaba felt a wave of relief when she realised that she wasn't the only sane person in Oz. It seemed the gathering in the square was another isolated incident, a freak storm on a cloudless day, meaning the larger part of the city was yet to be exposed, but it was only a matter of time. Word was spreading, and no one was saying otherwise.
Looking around her small apartment Elphaba saw everything just as she had left it that morning. This little room that had been her home for the past few weeks offered a small comfort to her hammering heart; the closet with its doors that didn't close properly, the basin where she washed, and the small bed with her trunk resting beside it, and atop her trunk a book.
When she had moved here from the hotel, Elphaba had put it there for Oz knows what reason. She wanted it gone, but still it drew her in. She hadn't opened it since the incident, but it had always been within reach, taunting her. Now she crossed the room in three quick strides and grasped it in both hands.
The book.
The Grimmerie.
The strange, yet familiar, tingle of magic ran up her arms and ignited in her chest. The book seemed to quiver in anticipation, or maybe she was shaking from the chill, Elphaba couldn't tell.
Kreah had said to wait, to do nothing, but how could she stand by while her people and those innocent Animals were being tortured right under her nose! She had to do something, and she had the means to do it. If she could just replicate what had happened to Biff on the soldiers, turn them all into wood, completely this time, then she'd be able to save everyone.
She could do it. Something inside her knew she could.
Somehow without her noticing, Elphaba had opened the Grimmerie and was now staring down at its gothic script and archaic spells. Her head felt light at the prospect of the possibilities before her, dizzy with unimaginable power.
Gasping, Elphaba dropped the book letting it fall to the wooden floor with a thud. Her breath shuddered in her chest. What was wrong with her? Had she really been considering harming dozens of people? Even if it was for the sake of the innocent, she would never stoop so low as to willingly kill someone.
Head in hands, Elphaba slumped down onto her bed leaving the book where it was on the floor. Her mind was whirling with all that had happened that day and what she had been considering.
Nothing seemed to make sense anymore.
These past few weeks had been like a dream, a repose from the mess that was her life. She'd gotten a job, a place to stay, Oz, even friends, but then everything had fallen apart in a matter of hours.
She'd have to work amongst these rioters and madmen, her new home had become a house of horrors with the monsters living a few street away, and Fiyero... She didn't know what was going on there.
The only thing she knew for certain was that she couldn't stay in the city any longer.
Clothes and books were thrown haphazardly into trunk, buckles were fastened and door was locked behind green back. Her trunk thumped down the stairs as Elphaba descended to the ground floor, soon finding herself standing before the front door of the building.
Just as she was about to turn the handle and leave, a gnarled old voice called from behind her.
"Oi Miss! Leaving are we?"
It was Mr Carn standing in the doorway to his little office down the hall.
"I'm sorry, Mr Carn, I'm leaving the city," explained Elphaba as she reached into the pocket of her skirts, hurriedly producing an envelope that she had almost forgotten in her rush. "My key and rent for this month. Thank you for letting me stay here."
Mr Carn scowled in confusion but accepted the key and payment nonetheless.
"Whatever." The old man snarled and waved her off, returning to his office. "On your way!"
Out on the streets it appeared that storm was spreading. Men wearing sashes of red marched down the street in twos and threes, brandishing papers in the air and shoving fliers into the hands of passers by. Their sashes contrasting sharply with the signature green of the Emerald City.
She couldn't stay here.
She didn't care what that stupid Bird had said, she was going. Trunk in hand she walked quickly in the opposite direction of the pamphlet runners, Elphaba circled around through allies and side streets to find herself on the main road.
More red sashes here. They were everywhere. She couldn't escape. A pamphlet was shoved into her chest, forcing her to catch it on instinct before it hit the ground. She only held it long enough to read the bold title, How The Animal's And Ahe Conspiring Gypsy Scum Are The Cause Of Your Woe!
Flinging the paper to the ground in horror she redoubled her efforts to leave the city.
She couldn't stay here.
She ran up the road, head bent and trunk swinging, hitting her legs as she went. Everywhere men and women bearing red sashes gathered and frowned and shouted and passed out papers; it was ridiculous!
When she could run no longer, she walked until she found the strength to run again. A number of times Elphaba tried to hail a passing carriage, but it seemed like everyone in the city had somewhere to be, or maybe those who could were all leaving like her.
By the time the ornate emerald gates were before her, Elphaba's arms were near falling off from carrying her trunk, no matter how light it was, her feet had begun to ache in her boots and the sun had long since set.
Lamplighters were busy lighting the few remaining streetlamps and the few shops this close to the wall had all shut, leaving only the odd restaurant or fast food vendor with their doors open and lights on.
She realised that she hadn't told Cherry that she wouldn't be returning to work, let alone told her friends she was going.
Stopping dead in her tracks Elphaba suppressed a cry of dismay as she realised she had to go back. It wouldn't do to send a letter, it would never get there in time to give her boss enough notice; not like telling her now would be any more notice.
Gripping her head with enough force to dislodge her knitted cap, Elphaba agonised over whether she could bring herself to walk all the way back or if she should just continue on and apologise later. Thankfully she wasn't thinking too long before the answer came in the form of a high pitched voice calling from behind her.
"Elphie? What are you doing?"
Elphaba whirled around to find Galinda, her ridiculous, blonde friend half out of her carriage, beautiful face creased with confusion.
"Galinda," gasped Elphaba, struck half-dumb at the blonde's sudden appearance.
"Elphie?" Galinda asked again, marching across the cobbled street to stand before the taller girl. "I'm waiting?" she said with a raised eyebrow.
Unsure how to explain, Elphaba simply said, "I'm leaving."
"And where are you going?" the blonde queried.
"Away from here," stated Elphaba.
"Why?" asked Galinda, crossing her arms across her chest.
Elphaba had no way of telling how the blonde would react to the truth, unsure of her stance in the whole affair.
"I can't stay here."
"Then where are you going to stay? I know you can't go back to Munchkinland and you don't have any contacts beyond those gates." Galinda pointed up at the large green gates not a hundred yards away.
Elphaba faltered. She hadn't even considered where she was going to stay, and she supposed her hesitation was enough of an answer because the blonde cut in before her.
"You don't know," Galinda said her face softening. "Do you?"
"I'm such an idiot!" groaned Elphaba, head in hands. What was she doing?
"No you're not, Elphaba!" asserted Galinda. "You just have a big heart that can't bear to see the suffering of others, no matter how much of a threat they are said to be."
Elphaba looked at the blonde, this time she was the one confused. "How…?"
Well," explained the Galinda, "while we were enjoying our dinner some rabble wearing these hideodious red sashes that just clashed with everything burst through the door! They were raving about Animal threats and whatnot completely ruining the atmosphere. Needless to say father was extremely angry and demanded our luggage be sent for and we leave the city immediately!"
Elphaba's eyebrows rose to meet her hairline. Galinda's father, a rich, Gilikinese noble, wanted no part in the Wizard's campaign? Perhaps Kreah didn't know it would be this bad? That staying in the city would become unbearable for more than just her, that other Animal sympathisers would, perhaps not stand up to stop it, but leave the city altogether. The Crow had said that she needed to 'blend in', perhaps it would be easiest somewhere where her lack of participation would not seem such a crime?
Elphaba's mind was reeling so much she barely noticed that Galinda was staring at her with a look of deep contemplation. When she finally looked up at the blonde after a few long minutes had passed, she was more than surprised to see her friend thinking, let alone frowning.
"What?" Elphaba asked.
Galinda continued to look at her for a long moment before nodding silently to herself.
"If you can't possibly stay here in the Emerald City and you have no place else to go," the petite blonde set her jaw in determination. "Then you shall come stay with me in the Gilikin."
I just added a list of the shows I've seen to my profile and by Jove is it long! Over 60 shows listed, but I'm missing tickets to at least a dozen, so I don't know what they are!
The answer was Oliver! Yeah, Fae'sFlower!
Next: Which musical features (and is named after) a magical nanny?
Please leave a review! I want to know your opinions, or even if you just want to chat to me!