Thanks so much again to anyone who read and reviewed the last chapter. I really appreciate it!
Fiyero woke the next morning with his thoughts in turmoil and flinched internally as the events of the previous evening came back to him. He still didn't understand what on earth he'd been thinking. Kissing Elphaba was quite possibly the worst decision he could have made. Setting aside the fact that he still didn't understand why he'd done it in the first place, he couldn't imagine the absolute turmoil he'd cast her into.
Sighing, he dragged himself to his feet and stretched. He glanced across the cavern to the large boulder that still blocked the exit. He wondered what it meant that it was still firmly in place. Had Elphaba already left and decided it was too much of a risk to let him out? Was she still here but making a point of ignoring his presence? He noted that the fruit that usually comprised his breakfast was conspicuously absent. How badly had his actions worsened his current predicament?
Fiyero dropped back into a sitting position and placed his head in his hands. He'd been so sure he was growing as a person, developing a mind of his own. Now he suspected that he was as brainless as he'd ever been.
Fiyero was unsure how long he sat basking in self-flagellation, but eventually he gave a start as the door to his cell rolled open. He glanced up to find Elphaba standing in the doorway, clutching a bowl in her hands so tightly that her knuckles were white.
Neither of them said anything for a long stretch. Fiyero got to his feet and was searching for some way to relieve the tension, when Elphaba thrust the bowl into his hands and said, "Be ready to leave in five minutes."
With no further elaboration, she stepped out of the cavern and crossed the room to retrieve her cloak. Fiyero stared after her, trying to decide what this meant. He knew she'd stated yesterday that she would try to trust him, but he hadn't been sure he believed her. Glancing down at the bowl in his hands, he selected a slice of apple and popped it into his mouth. Absently, he wondered where the fruit she provided came from. He assumed there must be an orchard of some sort nearby, or perhaps she got her supplies from the Animals. Fiyero shook his head as he realized he was merely distracting himself from the matter at hand.
Elphaba glanced back at him as she tied the black cloak around her neck. He could tell that she was troubled, but he was unsure what to say. He finished his breakfast in silence and then made his way across the room to where she stood.
Elphaba recited the same incantation she'd used yesterday, and Fiyero once again felt the invisible bonds settle around his waist. Once that was finished, he turned and followed her without a word. They exited the cave and stepped into the sunlight, and Fiyero realized that it didn't seem to dazzle his eyes quite as badly this time. He fell into step beside Elphaba quickly as she began to move ahead. They both remained silent as they neared the small village.
The pair did not receive as many stares as they had the day before. The Animals seemed to have adjusted somewhat to Fiyero's presence, though he did still receive a few stray looks. Fiyero supposed that he was still an intruder in their eyes.
Elphaba seemed to pick up on some of his discomfort and addressed him for the first time since they'd left the cavern. "It took them a while to get used to my presence too."
Fiyero was relieved that she was speaking with him again. He gave her a small, grateful smile and said, "Then I hope they'll get more used to me in time."
They walked together in a more companionable silence for a bit after that, until they came upon the same schoolhouse they'd visited yesterday. Elphaba stopped at the doorway and ushered him inside. Even knowing what to expect this time, Fiyero still felt the same sense of wonder as he took in the sight.
After checking up on progress once more, Elphaba led Fiyero to the back of the room, where several eager children were already sitting in a circle. Lorgen was present as well today, and she sprang to her feet as they approached, a colorful children's novel clutched in her paws.
"You said I could pick today, Miss Elphaba," she said with breathless enthusiasm, holding the book out. "This one is my favorite!"
Elphaba accepted the book, smiling at the eager Cub. She moved to take her seat at the center of the circle but halted as though having second thoughts. She turned towards Fiyero, and he tilted his head to the side slightly as her gaze fell upon him.
"You know," she said, after a moment of deliberation, "why don't we have Mister Fiyero read you a story today?"
There was a small cheer from the children, though they looked a bit confused by the proposal. Fiyero, who hadn't expected to be volunteered in such a way, felt his cheeks flush. He wasn't at all a fan of public speaking, and reading to children was not something he had any kind of experience with. What was Elphaba thinking? Was she trying to punish him? Test his resolve?
Before he could even protest, he found himself shuffled into a tiny plastic chair with the small book in his lap. He stared out at the eager Animal faces with apprehension, unsure of what to do. He was an only child. He'd never been great with children.
Fiyero looked up at Elphaba, who was watching expectantly, and then back down at the book in front of him. It was titled 'The Three Little Bears', a name Fiyero did not recognize. Before he could lose his nerve, he took a deep breath, opened to the first page, and began to read.
The children watched him with rapt attention as he read through the short story, but Fiyero could only concentrate on the page in front of him. He didn't look up until he'd finished, and when he did, he was met with a polite round of applause and several approving smiles. He felt himself relax slightly as he realized his trial was over. His heart rate slowly returned to normal as he rose from the seat and returned the book to the waiting Bear Cub.
As the children dispersed, he turned to Elphaba and asked, "What was that about?"
Elphaba paused before answering. "I thought it might help to make you a part of what we do here. Even in a small way. That maybe you would see some of what I see."
Fiyero nodded at her explanation. He realized that she was testing him. She wanted to believe what he'd said yesterday, but she needed him to prove it. He had to admit, even such a small contribution had left him with a warmth blooming in the center of his chest. He wondered if that meant he'd passed.
From that point onward, Fiyero could feel Elphaba beginning to loosen up around him throughout the course of the day. There was still a lingering tension, but conversation was coming easier between them. Fiyero supposed that in this place, surrounded by the Animals she cared about, she found it easier to be herself.
When they finally left the village later that evening, Fiyero felt as though some of the walls had begun to break down between them. For some reason, it mattered very much to him that Elphaba feel comfortable around him. He told himself it was merely because she was an extraordinary person who deserved his friendship. He even almost managed to believe it.
After a few moments Elphaba initiated conversation once more. "So, what do you think of the village?" she asked. She paused and then continued, a bit of hesitation in her voice, "I'm sure it doesn't quite compare to the glamour of the Emerald City." She dropped her gaze to the ground as she spoke. Fiyero could sense the unspoken guilt behind her words.
"It's genuinely one of the most amazing things I've ever seen," he said with sincerity. "I appreciate giving me the opportunity to be a part of it, even in a small way."
He could tell she didn't quite believe him by the way she kept her eyes trained on the ground in front of her. He wasn't sure there was much else he could say to convince her, so he decided to change the subject. "Where did you live? I mean before...everything," he finished, unsure of how sensitive a topic he was broaching.
"I'm from Munchkinland originally," she said. If speaking about this was uncomfortable for her, she gave no indication. "My father was the governor. My sister took over the position after he passed."
Fiyero mulled this information over. He realized that, while it all made perfect sense, he'd never connected the dots before. He knew that Elphaba's sister was the governor of Munchkinland, and that the governor had inherited the position from her father. He hadn't realized that this meant that Elphaba herself was from a political family. No one in Oz really seemed to acknowledge that particular bit of information. Fiyero supposed it was another symptom of having her former identity erased by the Wizard.
Before Fiyero could comment on this, he realized that Elphaba had frozen in place and was staring straight ahead with a look of horror on her face. He followed her gaze and felt a swooping sensation as his heart dropped into his stomach.
There, right outside the entrance to the cave, was a battalion of about sixty Gale Forcers. Based on their position, it was likely that there were additional troops who had already made their way inside. Dozens of heads swiveled in Fiyero and Elphaba's direction as they came into view over the top of the hill. For a few moments nobody moved, and Fiyero could only stare helplessly between Elphaba and his own troops. There was nowhere to run now that they'd been spotted.
Fiyero felt like a complete fool for what now seemed like a glaring oversight. Of course his troops would return to the area of his disappearance to search for him. He was the captain of the guard and Glinda the Good's fiancé. His safe return to the Emerald City would have been made a top priority. The soldiers had likely returned home just long enough to make a full report on his disappearance and gather additional troops before they'd marched right back to find him.
Fiyero chanced a look at Elphaba and could see the shock written across her face. Now that he thought about it, he was surprised that she hadn't prepared for this eventuality. She had to have known his troops would come back for him. With a sinking feeling, he realized that his actions over the past few days had likely thrown her off her guard. She had never planned to let him out of the cave, or to let herself be caught out in the open. He'd inadvertently made himself a liability to her.
The brief period of calm was shattered as the soldiers shook off their confusion. All at once, they began shouting and raced towards the two figures who still stood frozen on the hilltop. Fiyero felt as though he was watching the scene unfold from outside of his body. Elphaba, apparently too stunned to move, made no attempt to flee as twenty of the guards closed in around her. She finally broke from her stupor as two of the guards shoved her arms roughly behind her back. Fiyero watched helplessly as she donned her familiar mask and slipped back into character.
With a few muttered words, the three guards nearest Elphaba went flying, including the two who had been binding her arms. Yet even as she freed herself, the remainder of the guards began to close in on her. She continued to repeat the spell, but for every three guards she repelled, six more took their place. It was obvious she was badly outnumbered and could not access more powerful magic without the aid of her spell book. Fiyero could only look on helplessly as he was shoved away from Elphaba in the ensuing chaos. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Elphaba stopped her chanting. Her chest was heaving with the effort of her frantic resistance. She gave one last look of seething defiance, and then hung her head in defeat. Sensing her surrender, two more guards seized her arms and bound them behind her back with a thick rope. She made no effort to resist this time.
Fiyero watched as she was dragged away. He wanted to shout at the guards, to order them to release her. Yet he knew it was futile. They would never obey such an order. They'd think he'd been placed under the Witch's spell. They would hurt her on his behalf.
He stared after her even as he felt the friendly claps on the shoulder from his concerned comrades. They asked him if he was okay and how he had managed to escape the Witch's lair. He couldn't bring himself to answer. His throat felt as though it had sealed itself shut.
Fiyero caught another glimpse of Elphaba as they pulled her away. She struggled a bit as she turned to face him. He'd expected to see defeat in her eyes but was taken aback as they blazed at him in fury.
Softly, so softly Fiyero that Fiyero almost missed it, she looked into his eyes and said, "I knew I shouldn't have trusted you."