Quick author note to let you know that the this chapter and the next are mainly from the view point of Glinda's mother.
Later that evening I am startled awake by a light knock on the door. "Glinda?" It's my mother. "Glinda, honey, are you awake?" She says quietly opening my door.
I roll over and try to blink blurriness away. "Mhm." I respond and then notice I still have Elphie's hat. I shove it under the blankets before sitting up a bit. "What time is it?" I ask noticing it is dark outside.
"It's nearly nine o'clock. Maizy told me you shut yourself up in here after you returned from riding." Momsie studies me a moment. "She also said you looked as if you saw a ghost."
"I... I just started feeling dizzy from a... a migraine." I stumble over the response as Momsie continues to study me her eyes narrowing.
"If just a migraine then why are you pills untouched and your trunks torn apart?"
Swallowing I hadn't realized how observant she still was. "I... I... d-decided that I was going to... to try and wait it out." You idiot she won't buy that excuse!
"I see." She says coming and sitting down on the edge of the bed. "So you thought that hugging her hat while you slept would help or maybe it was more of a comfort seeing as she blamed you for everything?" I go pale. "I... I.... I don't know what you mean." I say tossing my hair over my shoulder and putting on rather snotty facade. How did she know? I wonder to myself. She strokes my cheek. "Jake told me." I scowl and mumble, "I should have known it was him." Momsie sighs "Galinda, he told me because I asked him to keep an eye on her."
"Why didn't you tell me it was her in the cabin?" I glare at her, and she sighs. "Your father doesn't want anyone to know she is here. In fact, the only reason she is, is because I begged him to leave her be. She had been through so much and was in need of help. I admit I see her very much as a daughter."
I suddenly glare at her growling. "I have fretted and been driven crazy for three years because of her death, and... and you chose to tell me this long afterwards that she was still alive!" My voice is filled with anger. "Do you have any idea what her 'death' has done to me, and then to suddenly get a note saying she is alive and then lo and behold not only is she alive, but she is living at my own parents house?"
Momsie looks at me sadly. Her eyes are full of sympathy and hurt. "I'm sorry honey, but I had to know she was going to survive before I told told." My anger turns to confusion, and she notices. "When she arrived her she was barely alive. Fiyero brought her here."
"Fiyero is here too?" I ask surprised. Momsie shake her head. "No, he didn't survive. He died." My heart sinks, and despite the fact I hadn't loved for so long we had still been friends and his loss hurt. "I'm sorry honey, but he died saving Elphaba. He carried her as far as he could from Kiama Ko. Which was no easy task, mind you!" Momsie places her hand on my arm. I suppose I should tell you everything I know."
"Yes you should, and don't leave anything out!" I order. She nods. "I will, but please don't interrupt lest I forget something." I agree and sit back on the bed as Momsie begins.
"About three years ago we received a letter from Fiyero that had been composed hastily. He said he was on his way here in hopes of finding a safe place to hide Elphaba. You can imagine my surprise when I received that letter. I read it over a few times, and then I showed your father. He was against it from the start. You see, he believed all the things said about her, but I felt differently, so I sent word giving Fiyero the okay to bring Elphaba here, but to never let your father know.
It was several weeks later when Chistery arrived. He was all upset, and I realized something was wrong. It was hard to decipher what he was saying between the screeches, but eventually I worked it out that Fiyero and Elphaba had run into some trouble."
"What kind of trouble, if you don't mind me asking?" I can't help, but ask because I'm afraid if I don't she won't tell me. Thankfully she did.
"You see while she was able to walk after the 'melting' incident she was still injured, and Elphaba being as stubborn was not willing to risk staying put till she recovered, and so Fiyero, Elphaba and Chistery struck out. On there way here there had been a storm one day, and Fiyero knew he needed to Elphaba to safety, but he was having trouble doing so because there was little coverage and very few farms.
Elphaba was exhausted and in a lot of pain, and so Fiyero had her hide in a fallen log. He hoped it would work as a shelter till he could find a better place. He stayed with her till she fell asleep, and then went in search for a better hiding spot and left Chistery to watch over her. As time went on the log began to fill with water and Chistery couldn't get Elphaba to wake up, and so Chistery took off in search of Fiyero.
Eventually Chistery found Fiyero, but it was too late. Someone had discovered him trying to steal some things that would help him and Elphaba as they traveled." Momsie shifts a little. "The people who caught him had him killed."
I gasp a little in horror and whisper. "May Lurline protect his soul. What happened after that?"
"After seeing what happened to Fiyero Chistery knew it was up to him to get Elphaba to safety, and so he went back to her and somehow managed to wake her. By then though she was soaked and covered in blisters and burns." I gasp, but remain quiet as she continues. "Chistery and Elphaba continued on the painful and slow trek here."
"Nearly three months after receiving the letter from Fiyero Chistery returned. It was the nearly eleven at night during a snowstorm when he banged frantically on the door. Your father, thankfully was away on a business trip, and would be gone for a about a week. Chistery managed to inform me that he had managed to get Elphaba as far as the woods just beyond the pastures, but she had slipped into unconsciousness and he couldn't wake her.
I quickly order Jake to get a horse and Maize to find some blankets and get a room ready. They both go to do as I instruct as I quickly get dressed in warmer clothed and set out with Chistery to the stables.
Jake was waiting holding the reins of one horse with two others ready to go. He quickly helps me one one, and Chistery scrambles up to sit in front of me like a child might. Then we head out leading the other horse along.
I am not sure how Chistery did it, but he somehow managed to lead us to where he had left Elphaba.It took us nearly two hour, but we got to a tree that had died and was hallow.
"Is this the place?" Jake yells over the howling wind as Chistery jumps down and rushes towards the tree. The Monkey just looks at him nodding and screaming a little.
Jake and I quickly go to where Chistery disappears to and that is when we get our first look at her. I cautiously move closer to what at first appears to be a sort of black thing, but as I get closer and the light from Jake's lantern falls over it I catch a glimpse of green. "It's her!" I yell back to him.
Let me in there and I will get her into the horse!" He tells and moves forward. He easily gets her out and onto the horse. She was still unconscious or maybe she had died. We didn't know for sure, but he gets her up on the horse and then mounts up behind her as he is ordering Chistery to get on the other horse.