The Fairy Diary Day 673 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

We almost passed by the cutoff to the repository. Its approaches hidden by design, have been further obscured by the rampant growth of the neighboring vegetation since its abandonment. Merlin helped by close observation of the images supplied by the seers stone.

Thankfully, once we were on its track, Rayjil was instrumental in muscling the wagon and us forward. Noralei directed us right up to the entrance, and Merlin addressed the two monarch trees which bowed to his command and opened to allow us in to the close grown forest that is the repository.

The quiet within lasted about fifty wingbeats, long enough for its new protectors – Clemjil and Torjil – to enter and race about in a frenzy of discovery. Gibley sighed in resignation and added his opinion that it was best not to rein them in, but indulge their curiosity.

I was thankful that neither was yet fitted with igniter stones.

The first order of business was to set the Crack of Doom back up into its place high above. The fairy troops were effective in guiding the bell, preventing it from falling afoul of other structures – but the wizard – staff in hand – was the one to do the heavy lifting.

Once the bell rested in its place, we began the task of setting all else in order. The fairy troops tidied their barracks and Dunfallon’s “army” were welcomed back into their place of origin.

For now Merlin and Gibley set up in the former Caretaker’s chamber. Noralei and I saw to the care of the dragons and will seek places near them for our time here.

Tomorrow the next project begins.

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The Fairy Diary Day 666 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Noralei and her sister’s shop and home is surrounded nonstop by an elite corps of fairy troops from the capital. And there is an inner ring of Dunfallon’s army whose only focus is the bell and our prisoners. 

I feel safe and secure. We all do. Yet I want to be off to the capital and get the trial behind us. But for now we must wait. 

Rumble with an escort assigned by the captain of the elite guard left early for the former High Fairy’s residence to collect documents for the trial. Upon his return this evening he informed me that he will need the morning tomorrow to complete his task. 

While we were waiting today everyone was talking about their plans for the future. Noralei is looking forward to settling back into the business with her sister – which she plans to do after the trial and after settling Clemjil into his role as the protector of the Crack of Doom at the repository. 

Dunfallon has a decision to make. Nailbiter reminded him that there is a new burrow that desires to have him for their leader. He asked me for my opinion in the matter. I hemmed and hawed at first, but then told him straight that I could not envision him as a pixie settling down in one spot. 

He then turned the tables and asked me if I had any plans. I confess that at first nothing occurred to me other than taking up my life again here in Nonin-gal-dith, but even in the act of thinking it I knew that something more would be asked of me. 

The Fairy Diary Day 469 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

The sudden appearance of Dunfallon caught everyone off guard. And because he brought Cluyjil with him (or vice versa) a small furor was raised among the fairy troops guarding the entrance. 

The Caretaker was beside himself at what he considered to be an effrontery to his authority. Thankfully the High Fairy and Merlin soothed his jangled nerves – until the worthy commandant asked the obvious question as to how a pixie and a dragon had found the hidden repository for the Crack of Doom.  

Back at Nonin-gal-dith, Dunfallon and his team (which included Rumble and Gibley) had learned that dragons have an innate sense as to the location of this most dangerous of bells. 

It was in that moment that I understood why it was that our enemy had set his sights on obtaining a dragon through his various agents. 

Now more than ever it falls to us to keep that from happening. 

The Fairy Diary Day 466 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Her Majesty provided an escort to guide the four of us out to the secret hiding place of the Crack of Doom. These fairy troops will be added to the protective detail already in place. 

On the way out of the fairy capital we passed over the daisy ring defenses. As it would be expected they are much larger and more extensive than those surrounding Nonin-gal-dith. The High Fairy noted my interest and headed off my thought that similar arrangements should be supplied for the bell’s hiding place. He pointed out that such measures call attention to what they are defending, and we need to conceal it. 

And such was the case as we soon discovered – for the hiding place was much closer to the capital than I thought it would be. There was no road leading straight to it. The capital had dropped from view when the High Fairy directed us off the road towards a towering forest that appeared all the more impenetrable the closer we drew to it. 

Halting before a pair of tree monarchs his excellency spoke the words of enchantment and the brambles between the two unwound and parted, allowing our group to enter into the sanctuary beyond. 

Leaving the fairy troops to integrate with the others, Merlin with our assistance began to review the inner repository for ways to improve the protections around the bell. 

The Fairy Diary Day 440 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Gilgorgon has won his point with the help of Gnoston’s testimony. Although the details going forward are not yet settled. Many of Gilgorgon’s best miners, having refused to come out earlier, remain behind in the sunken capital and have been hard at work trying to dig their way down into Artoxon’s apartments. 

I recalled vaguely the location of the maintenance access that Dunfallon, Gibley and I used to descend to that level and gave them that information. 

Other than that I do not see anything else left for Rumble and me to do. 

Merlin and the High Fairy are staying to see things through, but I thought that Rumble and I should return to Merlin’s castle to check on our dragon handlers. So, we went to Merlin to get his permission. 

But before I could gain an audience with him an alarm was raised from fairy troop sentinels stationed back on the Low-way of the dwarves. 

Another dwarf army headed up by Fliget had arrived. Has he come as our friend or our foe?

The Fairy Diary Day 437 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

We located the wall section that houses the gate into the capital, but it turned out not to be what we were hoping for. Having exhausted other possibilities I believed that there may not be any way to get in from the outside – and the thought was growing that its controlling mechanism only operates from within. 

I mentioned this to Rumble and he reminded me that if it had been modified as a trap surely Bifitz would not have allowed access to it from the inside. Otherwise those trapped might possibly find it and extricate themselves. 

We were thus in our quandary when the High Fairy arrived with a phalanx of fairy troops. Merlin explained what Gnoston had told us and our recent findings. Between the two of them they felt they could raise the structure long enough for one of us to slip in to help Gilgorgon. 

I volunteered. 

After removing my armor – retaining only my pendants, I took up a position in front of the gate area. Merlin and the High Fairy took their positions on opposite sides of the structure – and the phalanx of fairies filled in the gaps along the perimeter. 

At a signal from Rumble they lifted all together. When a whoosh of air was sucked into the slim opening I rushed in with it. 

The Fairy Diary Day 288 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

I filled a good section of the scroll in my message to the High Fairy. 

His reply back to me was equally lengthy and started with the good news that he and the fairy troops had been successful in turning back the dark elves from their assault on Corbelin. (He does confirm that they are dark elves). 

As for my news he is skeptical about my conclusions from a dream that a plant however big could be responsible for all this chaos and wants us to look deeper. 

I took this advice to heart and called a meeting to re-examine the map. 

According to Rumble’s understanding there remain only two more branches off the shaft that are lower than the one containing the forges and the fire plants. One bears the label “barracks,” the other “treasury.” 

Dunfallon disagreed and insists there are at least five more offshoots off of the shaft, not two. 

At that point I prompted Noralei to join with the pixie and explore the unmarked passages. 

Rumble and I will visit the two identified ones.

The Fairy Diary Day 276 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

We have the High Fairy’s reply. We are to await the arrival of their combined forces – the Dromadil pixies, the elves of the light, the fairy troops and Merlin. In the meantime he wants us to learn all we can. 

I selected Rumble and Noralei to work with me to scout the crater – first those parts easily accessible and then the shaft that appears to be in the center and lowest part of the depression. 

I assigned Dunfallon and Grimace to patrol the far side of the crater and perhaps ascertain how we can help our allies from our position in the rear of the forces opposing them. 

It’s an assignment our pixie especially relishes. 

The Fairy Diary Day 216 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Dunfallon is still heartsick today over his fears that his beloved eagle is trapped within Merlin’s castle. (His mood was such that I almost sent him back on his own). 

Rumble engaged him in a heart to heart talk. Dunfallon shared with me the gist of it later – he knows we must soldier on per the High Fairy’s orders and must trust others like his excellency and the fairy troops to do their part, just as they are trusting us to do ours.

That was about the time that Noralei reported back with word that we are coming to the end of this jungle and that a city is now in sight ahead. 

The Fairy Diary Day 215 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

We now have a stream to follow again. At first the only sound was its babbling. Then the birds began to return. Their songs were welcome, but their presence meant the possible return of more dangerous animals. 

As we went along we debated taking to the air. After going around and around with Dunfallon we agreed to do so only in emergency situations. 

I took out the scroll to write another message to the High Fairy and found one from him. 

His excellency was at Merlin’s castle, or rather outside of it. It is entirely encased in a hornets’ nest. There was no sign of the wizard nor of any of its other denizens. 

He has sent for some fairy troops to aid him in investigating further. And encouraged us to continue on.