Thanks to anyone who's been reading so far and thanks so much to any who's left a review! With this chapter I've officially passed from the section I wrote in high school to the one I wrote in college. For anyone who's interested, the new material for this rewrite starts around chapter 18.

Focus. Thirsty. Forward. Hot. Tired. Walk.

Fiyero's thoughts were almost non-existent. 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. Blood pounded in his ears, matching the half-hearted sound of his stumbling footsteps. Fiyero knew that he was sweating, knew that he was dirty from when he'd tripped and fallen, 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 again.

Fiyero had long since lost track of time, 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 little food, save for a meager portion of the rations he'd brought with him. He was attempting to conserve them as much as possible, as he had no idea how long he would be traveling before he reached the Animal settlement. He'd been cautious with his water as well, and his throat had long since become parched in the fierce heat. For all of his training and his position as captain of the Gale Force, survival skills were not Fiyero's strong suit.

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. First, he had brought no tracking supplies with him whatsoever. No compass, no maps, nothing at all that could be of any use to him in his purpose of finding Elphaba. He also hadn't accounted for the fact that he could be on the move for days, and the supplies he had brought with him were proving woefully inadequate. Second, it was a very hot time of year. The sunlight was brutal, and Fiyero could feel his skin turning red as the sun baked the back of his neck. On his previous journeys the thick canopy of the forest had protected him, but he had no such luxury now.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly of all, Fiyero had realized that he was almost certainly being tracked by the Gale Force. He had no idea what was going on back at the palace, but Glinda had likely relayed the story of Fiyero's strange behavior just prior to his disappearance, and there had to be theories developing in the wake of it. Fiyero supposed the most popular would be that the Witch had cast a spell on him, and that he was currently under her thrall. The belief that Fiyero was a traitor who was quite possibly falling for the Witch was probably a less popular theory around the water cooler. Regardless, men would be sent to look for him, and those men would have greater numbers and more adequate supplies. At the rate Fiyero was moving, it would not take long at all for these hypothetical Gale Forcers to catch up with him if they marched in the right direction. Fiyero could only pray that they 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 at least a tiny bit irritated with him as well.

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 conscious awareness of his surroundings, Fiyero finally stumbled across a water source. There was a small, clear stream snaking through the ground just ahead of him. 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 heightened awareness of his gnawing hunger, Fiyero set off on his path once more.

Sometime later, when the sun had dipped lower into the sky and the light had become softer, Fiyero paused his forward momentum. Running his fingers through his grimy blond hair, he took a long look around and surveyed his surroundings. There was no perceivable landmark in any direction, just grass and shrubs for 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 safe for consumption. After a meager and not very satisfying meal, he sighed to himself and sat down to rest for a moment.

Fiyero realized that he was now at a crossroads, with an important decision to make. It was becoming painfully obvious that he didn't have the supplies or the stamina to continue in this fashion for much longer. He needed proper food and water and a long rest, and he was not equipped to provide those 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'd ever undertaken had been his searches for Elphaba, and those had never entailed anything more than a dozen or so 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'd 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, but he would at the very least be able to make it back to the previous 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 his only advantage. He at least had a lead right now, a bit of information he'd gleaned from a small Bear Cub. Lorgen had mentioned that Elphaba was headed to another Animal camp not far from the one Fiyero had left, but he had no way of knowing whether she was planning to stay at that camp, or if she would just be passing through. If he went back for food and rest, it was possible that he could lose Elphaba's trail for good.

Not that Fiyero had any confirmation he'd ever been on Elphaba's trail in the first place. After all, he was taking the word of a child. A child who, for the record, had not even been involved in the conversation she had relayed to Fiyero. Lorgen could have easily misunderstood, or accidentally pointed Fiyero in the wrong direction. There was also the less likely, but still possible, scenario in which the Bear Cub had been lying to him from the start and had sent him on a wild goose chase. Maybe Lorgen was just as mistrustful of Fiyero as the Animals in the camp, regardless of her friendly demeanor.

Despite his doubts, Fiyero knew that his other option was to press on in the same direction and continue his search. Drawbacks to this course of action included the fact that if he didn't reach the other camp soon, he might collapse from lack of food and water. If Fiyero kept going and made it too far out to turn back to safety, he might find himself lost in the middle of nowhere and inches from hopelessness. On top of that, Fiyero didn't know if he was going the right way, or how far he still had to travel. He didn't even know if Elphaba would be at the camp when he got there. If he entertained that possibility, then there was a chance that he would be denied entrance 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 creeping up on him. How had he landed himself here? A short while ago, his largest concern had been whether 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.

Fiyero pushed aside the thought of Elphaba and returned his focus to the task at hand. He found that the decision wasn't coming easily, and he was so tired that reality was beginning to blur with the fuzzy images of an oncoming dream. Without even noticing, Fiyero transitioned from his sitting position to lying slumped on the ground with his head in his hands. Before he had time to realize what he was doing, he let sleep take him.

Fiyero awoke with a start sometime later, struck with a strong awareness that something was wrong. The last thing he remembered was passing out in a clearing, but a quick survey of his surroundings revealed that he was now lying on a makeshift bed inside a small cave.

Shooting up into a sitting position, Fiyero began to look around frantically for some clue as to where he was or how he had gotten there. His first, incredibly hopeful thought was that Elphaba had found him and somehow relocated him to her new hideout, but he discarded that notion only moments later.

The cave in which he currently found himself was very much not Elphaba's style. The mouth was completely open, not concealed as the last one had been. Looking out through the opening, Fiyero could clearly see the trees of the forest, suggesting that it wouldn't be hard to find this place should someone come looking for it.

Another glance around further confirmed Fiyero's suspicions. The cave was dark, lit only by the moonlight coming in through the opening. It was not lit by magic, as Elphaba's previous lair had been. The large spell book and the other stacks of worn and tattered paperbacks were also conspicuously absent.

As Fiyero took all of this in, he remembered the most convincing evidence of all, which was that Elphaba was so angry with him that she likely would have left him for dead had she found him.

So the cave he'd found himself in was decidedly not Elphaba's. This still begged the question of where he was, and how he'd ended up here.

Fiyero sat up further and stretched, wincing at the soreness in his muscles. His body was not used to the amount of strain he had placed on it the day before. His legs cried out in pain as he swung them over the side of the bed and got to his feet, but he pointedly ignored them.

Fiyero gave another quick scan of the room and confirmed that he was the only one present. He also noted that the cave was hardly furnished. Save for the hard slab of grass-covered rock that he'd been using as a bed and another in the center of the room that most likely served as a table, it was devoid of furniture or decoration of any kind.

Fiyero became painfully aware of his still-present hunger when a growling sound from his own stomach startled him. He thought on his options. He could wait for whoever lived in this cave to return and hope that said person would know where he could find some food, or he could strike off on his own again. Given that he was significantly weakened and had no idea where he was or what direction to head in, Fiyero did not deem the latter a favorable option.

Resigned, he sat back down on the edge of the bed and let his head fall into his hands, questioning once again just how he'd managed to get himself into this situation. After a time, he began to doze off, but he was startled awake by the sound of footsteps from outside.

Whatever he had been expecting, it was certainly not the sight of a large Lion filling the mouth of the cave. For a moment Fiyero felt as though his body had gone into shock. His eyes darted around the room wildly, looking for a weapon or an alternate escape route. His fear soon subsided however, when he noticed that the Lion's arms were laden with apples and pears. Fiyero's senses returned to him as he realized that the Lion was an Animal.

"Oh, y-you're awake," said the Lion, laying his bounty down on the stone table. His voice shook slightly, and Fiyero could swear that he saw the Animal's legs quivering.

Still reeling slightly, Fiyero responded, "Uh, yeah…. Where is this place? Is there a particular reason you brought me here?"

The Lion still seemed wary and was keeping as much distance as he could between himself and Fiyero. Fiyero wasn't quite sure what to make of it. After a pause, the Lion answered, "I found you passed out back there near the edge of the forest. It looked like you'd f-fainted or something, so I carried you back here to my cave. These woods aren't very safe at night, and you didn't seem very dangerous so…." He trailed off, as though he were now nervous about what Fiyero's reaction would be.

Fiyero was a bit taken aback by this information. He apparently hadn't realized what rough shape he'd been in. It was possible he owed the Lion his life for bringing him to safety. Smiling slightly, he said, "Oh, well I owe you my thanks then. I suppose I really wasn't thinking clearly last night."

Upon hearing Fiyero's words of gratitude, the Lion visibly relaxed. "Oh shucks, it was nothing," he said. "I just happened to be passing by on my way home when I ran into you. I have to admit, you gave me a bit of a fright before I realized you were unconscious. I don't do so well in the dark…." The Lion trailed off, then took an apple out of the pile on the table and offered it to Fiyero, who accepted it eagerly.

Fiyero didn't speak again until he'd made short work of the apple. When he was finished, he glanced hopefully toward the rest of the fruit still sitting on the table. The Lion followed his eyes and said, "Oh, help yourself. Please."

Fiyero didn't need to be told twice. He grabbed the nearest pear and settled back onto the bed. As he took a bite of it, he said, "It's funny, I didn't realize Lions liked fruit."

The Lion smiled sheepishly. "Oh, well I'm not sure about other Lions, but I'm not much of a hunter myself."

Fiyero cocked his head slightly. "You don't know any other Lions? What about your family?"

The Lion looked down at his feet and responded, "Oh, I never really knew my family. I've been on my own pretty much ever since I was a Cub."

"Really?" Fiyero said, finishing off his pear and reaching for another apple. "Why's that?"

The Lion seemed to grow nervous again, and his eyes darted from side to side as though he feared someone might be listening. Moving in closer to Fiyero, he whispered, "Have you ever heard of the Wicked Witch of the West?"

Fiyero's eyes shot up. He was suddenly very interested in what the Lion had to say. Wiping his mouth, he responded tentatively, "Yes, I suppose everyone has at this point."

The Lion nodded and continued, "Well, I don't remember this very well, but when I was younger, I was kidnapped and imprisoned. These people…they killed my mother and put me into this strange metal box that had bars all the way around. Most of the details are fuzzy, but I do very clearly remember a green woman. I somehow managed to escape from that place, and eventually I found my way here. I've been living here ever since. I'm too afraid to leave the forest."

"And you think that this green woman you remember is the Witch," Fiyero supplied, watching the Lion's face carefully.

"Well, I can only assume so," the Lion answered. "I don't get out much, but sometimes other people pass by, and I can hear their conversations. I've heard talk of a powerful witch with strange green skin who goes around terrorizing innocent people." The Lion seemed to be frightening himself with his own words. After a moment he paused and changed the subject. "B-But I've been rambling on about myself for too long. What about you? Why were you out in the forest alone so late at night?"

Fiyero, choosing his words carefully, said "I'm looking for a friend, someone I think might be in trouble. I must have pushed myself too hard, and that's probably why I'd passed out by the time you found me."

"Trouble?" the Lion repeated, his voice a mix of fear and awe, "You must be pretty courageous then."

"Oh, uh, yeah I guess so," Fiyero said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I really need to get going, but I do have to thank you for your hospitality. I don't know if I would have made it if you hadn't run into me."

"Oh, you're going already?" the Lion asked, looking forlorn.

Fiyero looked at him curiously. "You know, there are one or two well-established Animal camps in this area. Have you ever thought about going to one of those instead of living on your own like this?"

The Lion's eyes widened as he said, "Oh, but I'd be too frightened to do that. I've heard that the types of Animals that live in those places are feral and dangerous."

Fiyero had already suspected that the Lion was cut off from his own kind by the way he'd referred to Elphaba, but he hadn't imagined that it ran this deep. "Well, I don't know about that. I've been to a couple of those camps myself, and I can tell you that everyone there was perfectly pleasant," he said. He knew he was technically lying, as he wasn't exactly an expert on these matters, but from the one camp he had seen and Elphaba's testimonials, he didn't feel as though he was stretching the truth too outrageously.

The Lion's ears perked up at this, "Really? You mean…well…are there others like me then?"

"Mostly," Fiyero replied, nodding. He added, "You know, I was actually on my way to one of those Animal Camps when you found me."

The Lion seemed intrigued. "Really? You wouldn't happen to…I mean, I wouldn't want to…"

Fiyero smirked and said, "If you'd like, you could come with me and see for yourself." He suddenly felt as though it was his duty to help this poor Lion. After all, it seemed the sort of thing Elphaba would do. It also didn't hurt that the Lion's knowledge of the forest could come in handy.

The Lion, however, still seemed unsure. Wringing his paws together, he asked, "Oh, and you're sure it's safe then?"

"Absolutely," Fiyero said with as much enthusiasm as he could muster. This was not actually something he could guarantee, but he hoped it at least sounded convincing.

That seemed to be enough for the Lion. Though he was still shaking slightly, he nodded his head with as much conviction as he could muster. "Alright then, I suppose I could go with you. I admit I have always been curious to see one of these camps for myself."

Fiyero smiled and responded, "Well then, I guess we should be on our way."

If it wasn't readily obvious by now, this story is fully based on the musical and not the books. I've only ever read the first one, and at this point in my life I think I'm finally ready to admit I've never really liked them. So though I know they contain more information about the Lion, like the fact that his name is Brrr, I'm going to be ignoring that. I'll only be using information available in the musical, or to a lesser extent The Wizard of Oz, and I'll be filling in any gaps on my own.