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  DOROTHY’S GUARDIANS

  Princesses of Oz: Volume 1

  HELENA FIELD

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters,

  events, and places either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  DOROTHY’S GUARDIANS

  Copyright © 2019 by Helena Field

  Cover image: The witch with magic ball in her hands causes a spirits in cave-Image. © Evgeniia Litovchenko/Shutterstock.com

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be

  used or reproduced without written permission

  from the author, except in cases of brief quotations

  embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  First edition: 2019

  Dedicated to

  Losing and finding a home

  With those you care for most,

  And having the courage to carry on.

  Chapter One:

  Leaving Home

  Years ago, the fairy queen Lurline created the land of Oz, as she had fashioned so many others before. But she made Oz a garden in the middle of a desert, and she decreed that one of her daughters would rule Oz in her stead.

  Ozma became the first ruler, and she would return again in another form. But as the first ruler of Oz, she discovered that Oz was greater and wilder than she’d anticipated, for the garden was but one part of Oz.

  Mountains, marshes, forests, wastes and more were scattered across the land. Wild creatures roamed the place, some monstrous and fierce, and magic was so abundant that wizards and witches had cropped up amongst the mortal humans, too.

  These witches, wizards, and monsters might challenge her dominance over the land, and could threaten even a fairy princess like her. Ozma knew she couldn’t preside over the land alone, and she needed guardians to help her in this task.

  So Ozma called upon the bravest lion, the smartest dragon, and the kindest vampire to be her advisors and guardians. They traveled the land along the golden path that Lurline had formed when she walked through the country.

  They fought monsters, witches, wizards and more before creating truces and pacts with their enemies. They tamed the wild and built cities and towns, establishing a government for them.

  Oz was eventually settled as a peaceful country in good order, and Ozma retired to the central city of emeralds. Her advisors scattered to the east, west, and south to keep watch over the land. Ozma soon married a human prince and they had a child, who became the next ruler of Oz after Ozma passed on, returning to her mother Lurline and the fairies.

  Time went by, and the descendants of Ozma continued to rule with help from the guardians and their descendants, until a league of evil witches rose to power. After defeating and banishing the current guardians, the witches killed the Oz king and stole his child away, leaving the throne vacant.

  The witches put a puppet Oz king onto the throne, a wizard, and then the witches claimed various sections of Oz for themselves. Eventually a couple of witches were defeated in the north and south by Ozma allies, and Glinda took control of the south Quadling Country while Locasta seized the northern Gillikin Country.

  But the west Winkie and the east Munchkin countries were still held by the Wicked Witches, Griselda and Drizelda. There was no sign of the lost Ozma child and the guardians had simply vanished. Something had to be done to protect Oz.

  ℜℜℜ

  Dorothy must’ve read that story a hundred times throughout her life, but she never grew tired of it. The tale comforted her when her parents died and she was sent away to another home, to live with her Aunt Emmaline and Uncle Henry.

  Their farm was poor and rundown in the middle of a prairie with neighbors and town far away from them. Toto, her dog, had gone with her, and he was the only friend she had for a while.

  She couldn’t go to school much growing up on the farm, when Uncle Henry and Aunt Emmaline needed her help to manage their chores, crops, and animals. She didn’t meet many people outside the area, and didn’t socialize much with children her own age.

  There were boys she might’ve known, and sometimes she saw them occasionally. If things had worked out, maybe a match might’ve been arranged for her with a neighbor’s son when she was old enough. But that wasn’t meant to be.

  A twister tore through the area one day when Dorothy was eighteen, and she nearly got swept up in it along with Toto. But her Uncle Henry saved them and got them in the storm shelter in time, which was fortunate when the house was ripped apart.

  Uncle Henry, Aunt Emmaline, and Dorothy tried to fix up the house as much as they were able to, but it was more than they could afford to fully repair and maintain the farm in its damaged condition. Soon Uncle Henry started looking for other ways they could make their fortunes, other places where they might have more luck.

  Finally, about a year after the tornado passed through, Uncle Henry announced that they were leaving, selling the farm, and moving away to another country across the ocean. Dorothy was shocked, and clutched Toto close to her.

  “I can take Toto with us, can’t I?” Dorothy asked.

  Apart from Uncle Henry and Aunt Emmaline, he was the only creature dear to her. Everything else could be left behind, she knew, even the other animals, as long as they all stayed together.

  “I’m sure you can.” Aunt Emmaline said, turning to Uncle Henry. “We can bring the dog, right?” She asked.

  Henry shrugged. “I’ll try, see what I can do. It might be different if the dog needs to be inspected and quarantined before being released back to us. But I’m sure we’ll get Toto to come with us.”

  Dorothy grimaced, petting her dog as she worried if she might see Toto again and wondered if she’d miss the farm. But if it was the only choice they had, to leave this place behind and start anew, she was bound and determined to see it through with her family.

  They’d be fine, she hoped, and if Toto was taken away from her into quarantine, hopefully she’d be reunited with him on the other side of the world. It was the only choice they had, she told herself again.

  ℜℜℜ

  Dorothy handed Toto over to the customs official as they boarded the boat, waving good-bye to her friend as they parted. Dorothy sighed, melancholy while her aunt and uncle, excited about the voyage ahead and looking forward to their new life, set off to explore the boat.

  Dorothy followed along with them, not knowing what to expect, as she bumped into another young woman about her age. The lady was dressed up in beautiful, ruffled clothes, with a lot of feathers sticking out of her hat.

  “Watch where you’re going!” The other woman exclaimed in a high voice, adjusting her hat over her flowing red locks.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. Please excuse me.” Dorothy said, curtsying a little.

  Dorothy wore a plain, blue gingham dress with a checkered pattern. She felt quite plain and ordinary compared to this fine lady.

  The lady paused, staring at her with blue eyes, and said, “No problem. Sorry if I overreacted. Hi, there, my name’s Belinda. But people call me Billie sometimes.” Belinda smiled and held out her hand for Dorothy to shake.

  Dorothy nodded and shook Belinda’s hand, smiling a little as her brown eyes lit up. “I’m Dorothy Gale. That’s my Uncle Henry and Aunt Emmaline over there. We’re traveling to a new home.”

  “That sounds fascinating. I’m going to see some relatives, but uprooting your whole life like that must be hard.” Belinda said.

  She walked alongside Dorothy, chatting with her, and Dorothy felt a little better, standing beside Belinda. In short order, they became good friends, and associated with each other for the rest of the trip.

  One evening, the ship was caught up in a storm as Belinda was visiting Dorothy in her cabin
. Belinda glanced outside and shook her head, turning back to Dorothy, sitting next to her aunt and uncle at the table.

  “It’s definitely a cyclone out there, no mistaking it. Sorry, but I don’t think I can budge from this cabin until it passes by.” Belinda said, shuddering. “I’d hate to be swept overboard in the midst of this storm.”

  “That’s all right. You can stay here as long as you need to.” Emmaline said, nodding. “You can sleep in Dorothy’s room if the weather doesn’t clear tonight.”

  “I hope Toto’s okay.” Dorothy murmured to herself, glancing outside as the ship was tossed about.

  “He’ll be fine. He’s locked up, safe and secure, and he’s tended to properly.” Henry remarked, flipping through a newspaper. “You checked on him earlier today, didn’t you?” Henry asked.

  Dorothy nodded. “I saw him through a window. They still won’t let me pet him. I can’t believe they have to quarantine him the whole journey.”

  “At least this way you’ll be able to get him back sooner when we pass through customs, and not have to wait any longer.” Emmaline said.

  “Personally, I think it’s ridiculous.” Belinda shook her head. “Keeping a dog is one thing, but not letting the owner pet him? Ridiculous. You ought to be able to see him anytime you want to, Dorothy. He’s a sweet animal, and he’s healthy. I don’t see what the fuss is about.”

  “I agree.” Dorothy murmured, glancing out the window as the wind howled.

  Later that night, Dorothy felt restless and couldn’t sleep as she got out of bed and checked the conditions outside. The wind and rain seemed to have calmed down, and perhaps they were out of the worst of it now.

  She decided that perhaps it was safe enough to venture outside and quickly got dressed. Belinda woke up as Dorothy finished her preparations, staring up at her in a daze.

  “What’re you doing?” Belinda asked.

  “I want to see Toto one more time. See if he’s okay after this storm.” Dorothy told her.

  Belinda checked outside as well and slowly nodded, turning to Dorothy. “All right, I’ll come with you. Just to make sure you get back here safe enough.”

  Dorothy shrugged. “It’s over now, isn’t it? There shouldn’t be any more trouble.”

  Nevertheless, Dorothy waited as Belinda got dressed and then they ventured out of their room, careful not to disturb Uncle Henry and Aunt Emmaline as they left the cabin. Though the storm had abated, it was still wet and windy outside.

  They walked along the narrow deck to the bridge, where the cargo office was located and where the officer had put Toto into quarantine. The door was unlocked and they entered, but no one was on duty in the cargo office at this time as all hands were busy elsewhere, probably securing the vessel and ensuring that everything was safe.

  Dorothy and Belinda might’ve waited for the officer or gone back to the cabin, but Dorothy spotted Toto, curled up asleep in his carrier through the window. As Dorothy went to check on her dog, pressing her face up against the glass, Belinda glanced around and slipped over to the door separating the cargo office from the quarantine area.

  Dorothy looked up at Belinda and asked, “What’re you doing?”

  “You could easily slip back there, actually touch and pet Toto like you want to.” Belinda said, trying the doorknob. “Oh, look, it’s unlocked.” She said, opening the door slightly. “Must’ve forgotten to lock it.”

  Inside the quarantine area, Toto woke up and lifted his head at the sound of the door opening, wagging his tail a little. He even barked as he smelled Dorothy outside through the gap.

  “No, we shouldn’t do that.” Dorothy hissed, coming over to Belinda. “What if the officer returns and catches us with Toto? He might be locked up in quarantine even longer when we land, or worse, he might not be allowed in. Or we might be put into quarantine instead.”

  “What if the officer doesn’t come? If it’s just for a few minutes. I’ll stand guard and watch out for him. Don’t you really want to see Toto, inspect him for yourself, and pet him once more?” Belinda asked her.

  Dorothy hesitated, glancing at the door, Belinda, and Toto, before she finally nodded. “All right, I’ll go see him. But you better call out, good and loud, if you see that officer coming this way.”

  Belinda agreed and stepped aside as Dorothy slipped into the quarantine area and rushed over to Toto’s cage. She murmured and reached over for him as he wagged his tail and barked, glad to see her.

  She petted him a little through the bars, glancing over him to make sure he was well fed and healthy. Everything looked fine with him, just as it had before when she checked on him from afar.

  But it was still nice to see him again, to touch him, and know that everything was all right. She didn’t even dare to open the gate for fear that she might not be able to lock it again and that someone might notice it was tampered with.

  Meanwhile, Belinda went to the outside door and checked their surroundings. She stuck her head back inside, however, and hurried over to Dorothy after a few minutes.

  “The storm’s coming back. I think it might be worse than before.” Belinda told her.

  “What?” Dorothy asked, looking up at her.

  “If we want to make it back to your cabin before we’re caught up in it, we have to go now.” Belinda told her.

  Dorothy sighed, shushed Toto and petted him one last time, before she reluctantly withdrew away from his cage. Toto wagged his tail, barked, and howled as Dorothy left him behind one more time, closing the door behind her.

  Dorothy grimaced, wishing she didn’t have to leave him, but she was glad that she’d gotten a few more minutes with him. Was all this trouble, fear, and aggravation worth it? Maybe, she hoped, if nothing else went wrong.

  With Belinda urging her along, the two women quickly left the cargo office before they were caught in there. However, the storm was rampaging outside, rain and waves sloshing across the deck as the boat shook and tossed about.

  Dorothy and Belinda struggled to make their way across the deck and head towards their cabin, but they could barely keep their balance with the water swirling around them. Dorothy didn’t know what was happening when she could barely see anything in the spray, or hear anything but the howling that swallowed up the noise Toto made.

  Suddenly the wind knocked them over and they tumbled, sliding down the deck as it tilted. They screamed, grabbing onto a lifeboat as they crashed into it. Then the ropes holding the lifeboat in place snapped and it toppled over, taking them down with it into the ocean.

  ℜℜℜ

  Dorothy groaned as she came to hours later, washed up on a sandy shore, and coughing up water. Belinda lied on the beach next to her, unconscious or asleep, with the lifeboat marooned a short distance away from them.

  Dorothy pushed herself up onto her hands and knees, and crawled over to Belinda. “Are you okay? Belinda?” Dorothy shook her gently and then roughly, worried. “Wake up!”

  She practically slapped the other woman, who revived, eyes widening. “I’m awake! I’m okay!” Belinda cried, startled. She looked up at Dorothy, stunned. “Where are we? What happened to us?” Belinda asked.

  “I don’t know.” Dorothy said, shaking her head.

  She managed to stand, staggering up onto her feet, while Belinda sat up, groaning. “Feels like I nearly drowned.” Belinda said.

  “Me, too.” Dorothy said, taking a look around. “There’s the beach, and then the sand just keeps on going, towards a rise.”

  Belinda looked up. “Should we go check it out?”

  “Might as well.” Dorothy said.

  Belinda got up, and they trooped up the beach towards the rise and found nothing but an endless waste, stretching out before them. Dorothy moaned and shook her head, staring out at the vast emptiness while Belinda gaped at the sight.

  “There’s got to be something around here. Someone must come and find us.” Belinda said, scanning the area.

  “I don’t know. I think we’ve wound up in
a wilderness, maybe a desert.” Dorothy said. “There’s nothing around here, no one for miles, probably.”

  “This is terrible. What’re we going to do without food or decent water of any kind?” Belinda said, turning to her. “I’m already thirsty.”

  “The least we can try and do is search for something.” Dorothy said, glancing back out at the ocean. “I don’t know how far off course we are from the boat or civilization. But there’s a chance that we’re far enough away that any rescue party won’t find us in time, if they haven’t already given up on us surviving being swept overboard.”

  Belinda grimaced and turned away. “I suppose it’s up to us then to make our own way.” She said.

  “I suppose so, too.” Dorothy said.

  They trudged on through the waste, the sand burning beneath their feet. Dorothy had already given up hope that they’d make it through this desert, but they at least had to try. It was the only recourse they had left, aside from lying down and dying.

  Chapter Two:

  The Dragon

  Dorothy grimaced as they trooped along, hunched over while the sun blazed down from high above without a cloud in the sky. She couldn’t stop thinking about water, longing for the cool, crisp moisture to quench her thirst and relieve her dry, aching throat.

  She couldn’t remember the last time she ate or drank anything, but it seemed like days ago now. How long had they been traveling across the waste?

  Night must’ve passed as they’d fallen over and slept for a couple of hours in the chilly darkness before they got up and moved on. The darkness had been some relief to them, but it still wasn’t enough to satisfy them.

  Only water and food might save them, preferably in that order, Dorothy thought to herself as she stomped alongside Belinda. She didn’t think she could stomach any food without some water first, unless it was moist.