;; a different path to atonement

Red sun; black robes - silence; no sweat.

It's just not in her nature.

Elphaba takes her boots off and shrieks at the smell. It's been a while since she got out of the river (How did a river managed to fit into a bucket, pray say?) and she has strayed as further away from water as she could.

She tries to summon anger for Dorothy, for Glinda, for Nessarose, even for Lir and his stupid fascination with Dorothy (everybody loves the sweet and ignorant Dorothy) - but it's all fading. What she still knows is that she will get those shoes, but she will never get forgiveness for Fyiero. Dear Fyiero.

She watches lazily her monkey flapping its wings.
She's just green; and empty.

After having rejoiced in a good night sleep -- the odd man had kept his promise: the bed was comfortable enough, there were no flies or musquitoes, and no one bothered him with snores or other noises -- Sir Arthur Pendragon rose quite happily, rubbed his eyes and felt around him for his clothes. Wearing the same tunic he had worn the previous day didn't make him happy; he should ask the innkeeper about a laundress, if they had such thing.

After very little though he decided for taking the sword with him downstairs. A knight always needed to be careful. Grumpily enough, he presently drags his feet and his sword downstairs, where he hopes to find a good hot meal waiting for him on the table, and perhaps some people to ask about how to get out of this curious situation.

Ouch.

"You idiotic manservant, you --."

Shaking dust off his tunic, Arthur stands up - barely - and finds his balance after some seconds of struggle. He looks around, eager to find Merlin and to push him around a little, at least to cool off his nerves, but finds his horse blocking his sight and his way of action.

"Idiotic horse! MOVE!!!" he bellows. The horse stares placidly back. "You're not listening to me!"

Well, of course. It probably doesn't understand English, be it old or new. More and more annoyed, Arthur looks around for support, for anyone to tell him that it was Merlin's fault and sorcery that opened that odd whirlpool just when he was enjoying his morning ride, but faces naught but deserted landscape and the same placid horse.

"I demand you to get out, wherever you are! This is absolutely NOT a good joke!"