Rating: PG (just to be safe)
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine, except when they are. The settings and locations are not mine, except when they are. The plots, conflicts, and resolutions 'are' mine, except when they're not.
Reviews/Feedback: 'Constructive' criticism is always welcome. Any suggestions you may have on how to make my story better will be greatly appreciated.
Elphaba easily lost track of how long she and Fiyero had been traveling for as they headed towards the western border of Oz. She wasn't sure what they would do once they reached the border, or where they would go from there. Maps of what lay beyond Oz did exist. As a child, Elphaba had sometimes found herself staring at such maps in books, wondering if there was a place where the people were green like her. However, the reliability of such maps was questionable, since travel outside of Oz wasn't common. Supposedly there was a passage that led out of Oz, beneath the desert. But whether or not she and Fiyero would be able to find such a passage remained to be seen.
Elphaba glanced at Fiyero as they trudged onwards, side by side. Despite the change in form that he had undergone, seeing Fiyero now still brought Elphaba a sense of relief, relief that he was still in the world, that death hadn't taken him away from her. Knowing that Fiyero was here with her now, that he still wanted to be by her side in spite of everything that had happened, gave Elphaba a level of comfort that she knew was wholly irrational, given the uncertainties they still faced.
Just then, Elphaba stumbled over a stone in her path. She and Fiyero had been staying away from the maintained roads, keeping to the wild land. The terrain in this part of Oz was rocky, and Elphaba was tired, so very tired. Fiyero reached out to try and steady her, but the difference in weight between flesh and bone verses straw and fabric was still causing problems with his balance so he ended up falling forward instead, both he and Elphaba tumbling to the ground.
"Are you okay?" Fiyero asked immediately.
Elphaba nodded wearily, but she couldn't seem to rise to her feet again, no matter how many times she silently commanded herself to get up. It felt too good to just sit and rest.
"Are you sure?" Fiyero asked, his worry evident.
"I'm fine," Elphaba reassured him, "just tired."
Fiyero seemed to notice the exhaustion in her voice then, the fatigue in her eyes.
"I'm so sorry," he apologized. "I forgot I don't get tired anymore, so I didn't stop to think you might be tired."
"I'm alright," Elphaba told him. "We should probably keep moving."
Despite her best efforts, the words came out half-hearted, and Fiyero shook his head.
"We need to find someplace for you to rest," he said firmly. "You can't keep going like this."
Elphaba wanted to argue, to tell him that they weren't safe yet, that she was still a danger to both of them so long as there was a chance she would be recognized. But she couldn't muster up the strength to disagree with him just then. Fiyero stood, and then waited as Elphaba tried to will herself to her feet.
"I'd carry you if I could," he said.
Fiyero's tone was light, but there was also a twinge of something wistful in his voice, as if he felt useless in this situation.
"I'll be alright. Just give me a minute," Elphaba said, trying to ease his worry.
For a moment, Fiyero looked as if he was concentrating on something.
"Do you want me to scout around, and come back for you when I find a place?" he asked.
"No!" Elphaba responded, her answer immediate and firm as she forcefully leveraged herself off the ground.
The emotion in her voice wasn't hard to read. That single word was laced with something close to panic. Once Elphaba had found her footing, Fiyero carefully rested one stuffed glove hand on her shoulder.
"I'll always come back to you somehow," he said.
Given how Fiyero had stood by her in the past, those words carried weight behind them. They also had the desired effect of momentarily calming Elphaba's fear. Fiyero lifted his hand from her shoulder, only to gallantly offer Elphaba his arm so they could walk on together.
After a time, they came upon a cluster of jagged boulders that provided a crude shelter. Elphaba lowered herself to the ground, trying to get comfortable among the rocks as Fiyero flopped down beside her.
"You can use me as a pillow. I don't mind," Fiyero said.
His tone was playful, yet at the same time it was clear he was being serious. Elphaba considered for a moment before she nodded, and Fiyero shifted his position slightly so she could rest her head on his chest. The straw-filled fabric was surprisingly comfortable after their long trek, the sweet smell of hay filling Elphaba's nose, Fiyero's arms around her providing what additional warmth he could offer. Still, Elphaba's tension remained, her thoughts racing with questions over both their immediate safety and their future.
"I'll wake you if anyone comes, I promise," Fiyero said.
Elphaba nodded again, briefly wondering how Fiyero could be so in tune with her thoughts and feelings, as she pressed her cheek against the fabric of his shirt. They didn't have all the answers yet, not by a long shot. But for now, they were okay. They had each other and, for this moment at least, that was enough.