The Fairy Diary Day 657 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Before we got under way today, Merlin cautioned Herblas and his dwarves about the recent attempts by our prisoner to gain influence over her captors. He offered to help blunt any design she could muster against the dwarves. 

Herblas thanked him but he was certain that they were untouchable when it came to her dark arts. 

I really could not tell what the wizard thought about his reply. 

Also, before we departed the border outpost, Noralei and Dunfallon agreed to exchange positions for the trip up the mountain. She unhitched Rayjil and together they went up to scout the area ahead.  And the pixie harnessed Cluyjil to the wagon and sat up forward with Rumble and me. 

Dunfallon’s “army” continued at their posts immediately surrounding the wagon. They seemed not to be bothered by the dwarves as much as they had been by the elves. I do think they are looking a little worse for wear though. 

Not too far along we passed into familiar territory and memories crowded in about our battle with the undead trolls. After we arrived at the fort we defended back then, (our destination for the day), we settled in for the night, Dunfallon brought out his harp and played and sang about that victory. 

I do think that Noralei was quite impressed. 

Advertisement

The Fairy Diary Day 533 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

It has been a long, long day. And very tiring – and somewhat anticlimactic for we closed our arguments but the Faerie Queen has not yet given her decision. 

Dunfallon spoke first about the horrific battle he and the others had waged against the creature of evil in the Land of Darkness. Everyone had been taxed to the fullest restricting its movement and holding it at the point where the fire from the three dragons could focus. And at the center of that conflagration a figure emerged that the pixie only recognized later when he laid eyes on Tinadell. Thus, he came to the conclusion that whatever evil there was in the banished fairy had been burned up with the creature. 

Noralei spoke next about the sterling qualities she had observed in her brief acquaintance with Tinadell – especially his humility. I testified next to similar observations, and closed with the account of his willingness to remain behind. Therefore I pointed out that it was my action that has placed him in jeopardy, and it was only because of our desire to preserve life. 

Next Rumble humbly submitted records that document past examples of banishments that were reversed. 

Last of all, Merlin spoke. To our surprise he proposed a way to keep a limited banishment in place, and hinted at the necessity of employing the unique qualities of Tinadell for the salvation of Faeriedom. 

The Faerie Queen then dismissed us, but required the wizard to remain behind for further discussion. 

Thus a shroud of secrecy descended and we were all perplexed. 

The Fairy Diary Day 434 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Our advance was brought to a halt not much further up the Low-way of the dwarves. Rumble heard moaning off on one of the side passages. We would have passed by otherwise. 

The sound of pain came from a mound of rags shivering in the dark of that passageway. It was our friend Gnoston. I had to fight back tears at the sight of him. 

Merlin knelt by him, taking a vial from his voluminous robes and giving him a drink of elixir. The transformation in the dwarf was instantaneous. 

He thanked the wizard for the draft and recounted his tale of how he came here. 

Word that Gilgorgon’s army was on the march alarmed his village and soon most fled. Gnoston stayed but was forced out by the arrival of Artoxon’s troops. He made his way up to the capital only to be refused entrance. They told him he was too late. And with the sound of battle behind he fled up the Low-way of the dwarves to where we found him.  

What he shared next caused us to return back to where we last saw Artoxon’s capital. 

The Fairy Diary Day 430 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

We reached the gates to the Low-way of the dwarves. They had been locked and barred only a moon ago when we passed by on the way from Gnoston’s village towards the stronghold city. Now they were broken asunder. 

Had Gilgorgon and his forces done this?

It would seem the logical conclusion- but ever since the vision of yesterday my thoughts touch continually upon the grinning face of Willie. 

Merlin himself is perplexed as there are no signs of battle – force opposing force on either side of the gates. He is inclined to believe that some other power has done this. And that Gilgorgon and his dwarves passed through without opposition. 

However the question remains- did they turn towards the stronghold city? Or towards Artoxon’s capital?

Rumble asked the wizard to describe the scenes of battle he witnessed via the seer’s stone. Merlin did something better – circumscribing a circle in the air with his staff, we were soon observing the past scene ourselves. 

Our hearts sunk when we realized that the battle between dwarves was playing out in Gnoston’s village. 

The Fairy Diary Day 429 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Merlin called a halt at the spot he identified as the location for the pitched battle between Gilgorgon’s dwarves and the dark elves. Though for the most part the area had been scrubbed clean, one still could make out the scorch marks left by the blasts from Merlin’s staff. 

The wizard told us that this was where they turned the tide of the battle. And most curious to him there was a fresh monument set up to commemorate the occasion. And more curious still it was not forged by dwarves. 

But a chill went through me as a vision of Willie – the Will’o’the Wisp – passed before my eyes. Neither Rumble nor Merlin saw the vision – but myself alone. 

In fact, they did not notice that I had frozen in place while they continued on. When they did realize I was not with them and returned for me, I stood helpless and watched their attempts to revive me from my stupor. 

It was the first indication that something completely out of the norm was bound up in the mystery surrounding the fate of our friends the dwarves. 

The Fairy Diary Day 341 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

The effects from yesterday’s battle and the events surrounding our victory continue to ripple as we dig deeper into its meaning. 

Just as my actions had freed the Dromadil pixies from under the grips of the bloodlust, so too have the dark elves undergone a transformation. This fact both Nililitil and Navril have remarked upon. A feeling of good cheer and fellowship has sprung up between these former enemies. 

Noralei has spent quite some time examining the chalice and its contents. And she has come to the conclusion that it is filled with a special form of the red ash. She then expressed what we all were thinking – we long for Merlin to be here with us and explain these mysteries. For though the present crisis has passed, in another respect I think it has only begun.

The Fairy Diary Day 337 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

At long last Dunfallon returned – with great news. He and the Laguayilian troops led by our friend Navril, ambushed the three dark elves carrying the dragon egg. It was a costly success, for that dark elf warrior maimed or killed nearly half their party. Dunfallon and his eagle prevented Navril from being decapitated by distracting that warrior as he swung his ax and in a mighty riposte Navril actually did the deed on him with one stroke of his sword. (There is some concern that a bit of his blood fell on the shell of the dragon egg and was absorbed). The egg is on the way to the care and keeping of the High Fairy. 

A band of Dromadil pixies had arrived late for the battle, but continued here with them, all as volunteers for the assault on the dark elf stronghold. Dunfallon wants his fellow pixies with him as they poke around looking for the hidden entrance into the dark elf stronghold. They descended to our junction single file and followed down the narrow passage to the next junction above the stronghold gate. 

Navril’s elves filed in after them but had to stoop while they remained in these smaller confines. 

Thus we thought it best that they set up their camp down in the Low-way. 

About that time we noticed that Willie was missing from his cage.

The Fairy Diary Day 154 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

I felt I had to apologize to Merlin. Somehow in the heat of battle I had gripped the pendant and summoned him without meaning to. He graciously forgave me and then added with a wink, “You knew you needed me.”

Today we toured the battlefield with Merlin and the king. The siege works were empty. And reports came in that the troll camps were deserted too, with the enemy in full retreat throughout the human territories. 

Nimrood lavished his praise and thanks to Merlin and the High Fairy, who soon bid goodbye and disappeared without ceremony. 

The king then turned his attention to Rumble and asked to be introduced to the fairies who inhabit his parklands – but Rumble begged off with the simple explanation that they were not yet confident enough to show themselves to anyone beyond their own circle. 

The king declared that he understood their reticence but protested that he would burst if could not express his awe and wonder for the service of so many. Then his gaze alighted upon Dunfallon and there and then he made the pixie a noble in his kingdom.

Here’s hoping the honor doesn’t go to his head. 

The Fairy Diary Day 153 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

This has been the longest battle I’ve ever experienced – stretching from yesterday through the night – and ending only this afternoon. 

According to Caywyn the tactics employed by the trolls have never been seen before. 

First, they launched wolves over the walls to raise havoc within. A none too smart tactic as sometimes the wolves were seriously injured. Consequently Nimrood’s forces led by Caywyn easily dispatched the survivors of the first wave. 

And all praise to Rumble the second and successive waves were thwarted by his surprise reappearance leading a band of local fairies. They filled the air above the wall creating a protective spell that propelled the flying wolves back whence they came. 

Then during the night the trolls substituted fireballs for the wolves and pressed their attack in that fashion. Our aerial enchanted net held with the powerful aid of the High Fairy who arrived unannounced to lead Rumble and his troops. Thankfully his excellency was on hand to heal those fairies whose wings were singed. 

And Noralei and I met the last assault aimed against the gates themselves. A handful of trolls penetrated the outer defenses and hacked away at the gates. She and I dispatched one and just when I thought the others were going to overwhelm us Dunfallon astride his eagle seemingly attacked from all sides at once and Geog and Gimace pounded the survivors. 

Within moments a great cry arose from the troll camps as a great ring of Fire consumed them. 

Something caught my eye on the next battlement over. I turned and saw Merlin standing there with arms upraised. 

The Fairy Diary Day 40 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

We have observed a day of rest. Not strictly, for we did move about to take the measure of the vanquished enemy. Dunfallon borrowed a mountain goat and ranged the whole battlefield (reminiscent of what he did yesterday when he and his steed tripped up many a troll). His report was a repetition of what we saw. The trolls were already great heaps of bones with very little flesh left on them. 

Gilgorgon was very troubled by the sight. During the battle he recognized some of trolls as those that had disappeared from the mountain area. Yet they looked more lifeless in the battle than their dead forms now. 

Once Dunfallon rode back in, Rumble and I conferred with him. Did he want to continue on with us or stay here with his new friends? (Both of us feel the dwarves would readily adopt him).