The Fairy Diary Day 681 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Gibley left for the canyonlands on Conjil this morning. Rumble joined Dunfallon and I to bid him goodbye. The goblin had offered to accompany us on our trip, but I thanked him and released him from any obligation that he was feeling and assured him that the three of us should have no problem reaching the dwarves safely. 

Together we three had Cluyjil harnessed and prepared to go just before Merlin and Tinadell arrived. An escort of fairy troops delivered the cages with our two prisoners and tied them down into the wagon. 

The Fairy King echoed the wizard’s assurances of yesterday to me. He thinks all challenges will be laid to rest by the time of our return from Gilgorgon’s mountain. 

Merlin instructed us on how to care for and communicate with our prisoners. We are to talk with the Caretaker and not the former queen. Additional spells are weighing her down and restricting her activity and abilities. He is confident she will present no problems. 

After Dunfallon reviewed his soldier less weapons and arranged their marching order about the wagon, we set out, following behind our fairy troop escort.

We bypassed Nonin-gal-dith and took the southbound road in order to retrace the path we traveled last time. Dunfallon still believes it wise to keep the distance between the renegades and the Will’o’the Wisp. 

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The Fairy Diary Day 679 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Merlin has transferred me to the repository. I am under Tinadell’s orders to bring back the wagon and whomever and whatever I need to effect the transfer of the two prisoners to Gilgorgon’s mountain. 

The wizard then returned to the capital to be my advocate there. He explained beforehand the present circumstances to my friends here – Dunfallon, Noralei, and Gibley.  And spent some time privately encouraging me. He had long suspected that I had been human – but it is even more clear now to him that I am fully a fairy. 

I was thankful for his vote of confidence but perhaps more so for my current assigned task to keep my thoughts occupied and off that predicament. 

According to Gibley’s estimation the dragonlings are ready to assume their roles as guardians of the repository. So he asked me if he can accompany me in the wagon back to the capital and there retrieve Conjil and return to the canyonlands. I agreed but consequently had to decide to assign Noralei and Rayjil to remain in charge here for now. 

I wanted Dunfallon to join me in my assignment. So he harnessed Cluyjil to the wagon and selected a good portion of his soldier-less weapons to accompany us. 

The goblin and the pixie and I set out for the capital. 

The Fairy Diary Day 670 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

I was teased wherever I went today. When I passed Dunfallon on the way to the library this morning, he gave me a deep bow – and a titter. Behind him our goblin friend Gibley scraped the ground also (though for truth with his small size it was hard to discern the difference). 

I startled Rumble upon my entrance into the library. He made a hurried bow – stopped in mid movement – hesitated – then executed the lowest courtly bow I have ever witnessed. I begged my friend to desist and to never do that again, even if I were to accept the post of High Fairy. 

Afterwards I fled out of the city for a little peace of mind and paid a visit to Noralei and the dragons at the inn. There I was greeted by a sweeping bow and a wink and a smirk. She giggled, and then told me that I would make a magnificent High Fairy. Thankfully she changed the topic by pointing out her new charges. Besides Rayjil, Clemjil and Cluyjil she was now looking after Conjil and Torjil too. Gibley had  brought Torjil with him from the canyonlands. She is to be Clemjil’s consort upon his installation as guardian of the Crack of Doom at the repository. 

By evening, the jibes were past and our regular comradery resumed. Merlin shared the news out of the palace. Tomorrow the trial of her former majesty and the Caretaker will commence.

The Fairy Diary Day 667 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Even though Rumble went out early to collect the last of the evidence and returned in a short time, he insisted that it be put in boxes for safe keeping before we left. And that put us behind again while Noralei and Dunfallon constructed two large crates for the scrolls, and then placed them in the wagon. That last step did not prove too difficult as they took the place of a good deal of the supplies that we no longer need to carry. 

When Dunfallon finished with his part of that task, I sent him on to the capital on Cluyjil to confer with Merlin. In particular I wanted to know if Gibley had been sent for. And if not, did the wizard think it a good idea for Dunfallon to fly to the canyonlands to ask the goblin to come and help us with Clemjil. 

I did not have to ask the pixie twice and he was off before Noralei harnessed Rayjil to the wagon. 

With fairy troops before and after and Dunfallon’s army hemming us in, we set out too. I verily believe that everyone in Nonin-gal-dith turned out to gawk as we passed. 

There was audible grumbling in a couple instances, but no overt actions were launched against us. 

All was calm once we were out in the fields. And continued thus for the remainder of the day until we reached a place in the open where an advance contingent from our guard had prepared a camp for us. 

Here we will pass the night. Our prisoners are quiet – subdued actually. 

I will be glad to reach the capital tomorrow. 

The Fairy Diary Day 651 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Yesterday as we passed by the sight of the canyonlands in the distant south, I found myself wondering about our friends there, in particular Gibley and Conjil. I saw both Noralei and Dunfallon cast thoughtful gazes in that direction too. And I guessed where their thoughts lay. 

We all look forward to the next visit from our diminutive friend. 

But today our thoughts focused on the city before us. We arrived at Laguayil to a lavish welcome. Dunfallon was there already, having proceeded us and made preparations for stabling our dragons, and arranged for a secure place for holding our prisoners. 

Nililitil met with us in his private chambers. Which had me wondering why not his official chambers of state? Merlin voiced the same thought outloud to our host. The king of the Laguayil elves replied that all would be clear in good time. 

Instead he had us (including Navril) squeeze into his own scullery where he seated us at two tables and went about fixing our meal with his own hands. 

So, when all were served and with Navril mounting guard at the door, Nililitil opened his thoughts to us. 

He shared the intelligence that there is a strong movement afoot in his kingdom that seeks the release of our prisoners. 

To say that this news was shocking is an understatement. Merlin pressed him for details, but alas he lacked them. He decided that he would double the guards to see us to the border of Gilgorgon’s kingdom, and has sent word ahead for the dwarf to send a contingent to meet us there. 

And he advised us to set off early tomorrow. 

The Fairy Diary Day 642 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

We sailed our way out of the narrow straits and into the open sea.  No one minded at all leaving that string of islands behind. 

Rumble and I kept up our duties about the ship. Merlin joined one or the other of us as the need arose, and even took a watch himself. But he never climbed the rigging. He had his own way of making the sails bend to his will. 

Our dragon riders continued to take turns dropping in. When it came Gibley’s turn he asked us if we could do without his presence. He thought that he and Conjil would forgo accompanying us all the way to Corbelin since it seemed their being here was rather superfluous. As for Clemjil, the goblin decided not to take the young dragon with him. After all he had been released by his uncle to be a protector of the bell in the repository. Merlin concurred and we assembled to bid our friend a fond farewell. 

Gibley flew by Dunfallon and Noralei to say goodbye before he and Conjil left for the east and the canyonlands. 

The sun was just going down as I came up for my watch when Nora hailed me from over the ship’s side. He barely could get the words out as he excitedly reported that one of the prisoners was trying to escape. 

I leaned over the rail and saw that the Caretaker has hanging halfway out – caught in the porthole three sizes too small for him. For five wingbeats I considered leaving him there, but when Merlin checked on him, he yanked him back inside the cabin and sealed the porthole. 

I made sure the renegade queen was still under lock and spell before returning to my watch. 

The Fairy Diary Day 640 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

The bell has been loaded aboard our ship. It was stowed on deck, in the dragon’s former spot, which will work since all the dragons, except Clemjil, were flying. Gibley will lend a hand with Conjil, towing where needed, at least until Corbelin. From there he intends to return home to the canyonlands. With Dunfallon on Cluyjil and Noralei on Rayjil, they will escort us.

Our prisoners were locked up in separate cabins, the two smallest on the vessel. A couple troops from Dunfallon’s “army” will be left out of their boxes to guard them. 

Rumble and I will work the ship with Captain Goff. We are looking to Merlin to take up the slack with us. He has a couple of measures up his sleeves that should prove most helpful.

In the meantime the wizard has gone on ahead to the ice floes. He is making good on his promise to help Tublain and the blue fairies on their way. He had taken with him a great tun of nectar which he has infused with a special elixir to strengthen them for their journey.

As we set sail from the island, we saw the first flights of Frost Fairies taking off for their home. And we could tell that Merlin was at work also melting the ice crystals blocking us from the way down.

Hopefully the channel down to our world will be clear by the time we reach it. Which might be a problem since we now have the surge behind us to speed us along.

The Fairy Diary Day 624 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Merlin and I hashed out a plan to keep us informed about any problems that could arise if the Frost Fairies were to mount attacks in our absence from the mainland. So, when Dunfallon came on deck this morning, I filled him in about the plan. 

Upon the return of Gibley and Noralei – the greetings were barely out of the way before the pixie enlisted the goblin and the dragon to carry out our plan. Merlin handed over the High Fairy’s scroll to them to deliver to the Sprites. I judged them the best candidates to give us any warnings about the actions of the former Faerie Queen’s minions. (Merlin told the pixie that Emminie should be prepared to surrender the scroll to the new High Fairy whenever he is named).

We were then going to set sail until Noralei gave us the news from the canyonlands. Their mission there had been just in time. It took some convincing on Gibley’s part to gain his uncle’s compliance. All the goblins’ dragons were fitted with the ear shields with the exception of one. The young one – Clemjil had been resisting, when a frenzied demeanor overtook its being and he streaked away from the canyonlands- evidently called away by the Crack of Doom. 

We met this news with a sigh of relief that the majority of the dragons were saved – and with sadness that another had been lost. 

Merlin decided that we no longer needed to depart today, but we now had the luxury to wait for the return of our friends from their mission, rather than chancing their catching up to us at sea. 

The Fairy Diary Day 621 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

The innkeeper approached Merlin this morning for his promised payment. The wizard asked me where the moon flower blooms had been stowed. Noralei overheard the reference to the blooms and joined us in the stable. She knew every nook and cranny in which they had been crammed. When she uncovered the lot, the innkeeper beamed with satisfaction at the amount, and said they were more than sufficient and made arrangements for their transfer. 

While there Noralei took Merlin over to Conjil and showed him the ear shields she had wrought for the dragon. The wizard was impressed and told her that she must fashion some more. 

By the time of our return we were unanimous in our decision – Gibley and Noralei must fly to the canyonlands and bring this same protection to the dragons of the goblins. 

Once we had seen them off on Conjil, Merlin took Rumble, Dunfallon, and myself down for a walk along the waterfront. He asked us to review his findings and led us to a vessel at the end of the quay. The wizard had hired it to quarter all of us for a journey to the western isles – where he believes the former queen is held up with the dragons Cluyjil and Rayjil and her confederate the Caretaker. 

Once aboard he showed us into a cabin especially fitted for him. Rumble was given his maps to go through and Dunfallon and I were handed the seers stone to see if we could come to the same conclusion as the wizard. 

I soon saw why Merlin wanted other sets of eyes on the problem – for the readings were many and conflicting. And though the majority were on an island in the midst of the sea, the lands we knew were littered with others. 

The Fairy Diary Day 591 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

We saw them coming from our refuge, high within the repository and rushed down to open the gate to Dunfallon and Navril. The pixie was extremely unhappy not to see Noralei with us. But he mellowed out as the seriousness of the situation dawned upon him. 

Navril wanted to know what he could do to help. Rumble took him on a tour of the repository and together they took stock of the remaining materials. Surprisingly they found a huge cache of weapons – more than likely overlooked by whoever emptied everything else. 

Dunfallon and I talked over our options. Like yesterday I found myself counseling caution and patience – as usual a difficult proposition for my pixie friend. 

We were debating the virtues of waiting versus striking out on a search for Merlin. When who should appear in our midst but the wizard himself. I began to explain about the state in which we had discovered the repository, when he stopped me and told me that he already knew – as Noralei and Gibley had caught up with him and told him everything. 

Dunfallon then sidestepped to look behind the wizard as though he expected to find Noralei and the goblin there. Merlin placed a hand on his shoulder and said that they would be along a bit later. Gibley had returned to the canyonlands to leave Clemjil and the dragon egg where they could be better cared for. 

Then, Merlin said that what he really wanted to know was what had happened to the High Fairy.