The Fairy Diary Day 661 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

We all were elated by the good news. Not having to be over watchful sped us along at a swifter pace. Still, we sent Dunfallon up on Cluyjil. We trusted that if there were any problems left out there he would spot them. 

I caught Merlin for a talk about Clemjil. I explained that our dragonling is showing signs of maturing and wondered if he could procure an igniter stone for him. Then, from his voluminous robe the wizard withdrew a gleaming red stone. 

With a twinkle in his eye, he said, “This should do quite nicely. But…” He paused, then added, “…I believe we will defer to Gibley in this matter. And if you agree, we will wait on his timing – when we are together once again.”

I did agree. 

Then Merlin did something he has never done before. He removed his outer robe and surrounded us in its tent like folds. He said what he had to tell me needed to be in private. In his recent interaction with the Frost Fairies they told him that they were waiting for two dwarves that had promised to deliver to them an unbeatable weapon. I knew without speaking it outloud that he meant (and they meant) the current leaders of our dwarfish escort – Rugis and Strukul.

The wizard continued by pointing out that we should not have to do a thing about them, as it is clear the reason for them to steal the bell had been removed. 

We parted and upon laying eyes on the two dwarves again, I vowed to stay alert.

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The Fairy Diary Day 660 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Merlin left before we even arose this morning. He left word through Gilgorgon that we should follow as soon as we were prepared. Knowing we wanted to be on our way as soon as possible, the dwarf king kept the parting ceremony brief but meaningful. As always he looks forward to our paths crossing again.

Dunfallon and Noralei switched places once more. The pixie took Cluyjil up hopefully to be on hand for the wizard, if necessary. And Clemjil for the first time, accompanied them. Noralei harnessed Rayjil once again to the wagon. And as in the past Rumble and I walked along on either side with Dunfallon’s “army,” keeping pace. They looked fit and shiny… and deadly.

The dwarves with us on the way up the mountain have been assigned also to accompany us down this side. With one difference – Herblas has remained behind, there being too much for him to do to get away – and in his place of leadership are two dwarves, Rugis and Strukul. Rumble recogized them as the two dwarves he thought had an unhealthy interest in the Crack of Doom. I must say that I have never seen a more shifty-eyed pair.

Our prisoners were ensconced in their normal spots. Her former majesty was uncharacteristically quiet in her cage. Instead, the Caretaker, who has hardly uttered two words together, complained about every bump on the road that we encountered. I do believe that on one stretch before a switchback, Noralei intentionally hit every rock and pothole on the roadway.

As the shadow of the mountain behind us began to lengthen, the other two dragons showed up. Dunfallon was on Clemjil and Merlin on Cluyjil. They brought exciting news with them. The way ahead is now clear of living obstacles. Merlin had encountered the Frost Fairies waiting in ambush on this side, and successfully convinced them to return to their home in the north under their new commander Tublain.

The Fairy Diary Day 656 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meriabell writes:

We could see Gilgorgon’s mountain well before we arrived at the border, but it never looked more inviting than when we actually crossed over. There was a trace of snow outlining its crest. It was serene and peaceful in the midday sun. 

Just outside the dwarf border outpost, the friendly face of Herblas greeted us. He looked like the mountain in miniature – all gray and white on top. 

A meal had been prepared for all. After which Navril made his farewells. He assured us that he would get word to us about the two renegade elves. 

Clemjil, having become quite fond of Navril, was sad to see him go. He perked up when Cluyjil came over and nudged him. Dunfallon told me later it was a sign of acceptance by the older dragon. 

After the elves were gone Herblas called us together. Dunfallon was going to wait outside on guard over our prisoners, but Herblas said he could safely leave them with his dwarves. He assured us that there is not a sign of sympathy for her former majesty anywhere in their kingdom. However, when he had us all together he added there had been rumors of lone elves roaming this side of the mountain – that were wholly suspicious. But perhaps more disquieting were actual sightings of bands of fairies on the other side of the mountain. 

Merlin asked for a description. Herblas said they were blue – thus more than likely Frost Fairies. 

Much speculation followed. Were they elements that had not been part of the great swarm and thus do not know they are no longer in thrall to their former leader? Or is there something more devious lurking for us?

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 639 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

We are satisfied with our meeting with the new leader of the Frost Fairies. His name is Tublain, and all he wants is to take his people home to the North. They want nothing to do with the renegade queen nor her Caretaker. They look upon that pair as the corrupters of their king – enticing him to leave the frigid lands behind for lives of ease in the South. 

Our meeting was short, but we asked him to stay the night and await the sun and the arrival of our ship so that we could release the blue fairies we held here as prisoners. 

Merlin promised Tublain that he would do all he could to see them safely back to their homes. 

After Captain Goff arrived the Caretaker was brought ashore and put in a separate cell from the queen. And Tublain and the other blue fairies went aboard for the trip back to the ice floe. 

Gibley now recovered from his indigestion took Conjil up to escort our ship and to keep an eye on things. 

As for what to do next our meeting with Merlin was quick and unanimous as to our decision. We will take the queen and the Caretaker back to the Faerie Kingdom to be tried for treason and the murder of the High Fairy. 

We passed the rest of the day uninstalling the Crack of Doom from the tower and packing it up for transport. 

The Fairy Diary Day 636 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Merlin assigned Clemjil for my use in liaison with the others. I took him to Noralei to fit him up with a pair of ear shields – as the wizard said he would need them. I believe the little fellow remembered me and was excited to be out stretching his wings. He definitely knew Dunfallon who stopped by to scratch behind his ears – whisper to him – and gently placed the devices on him. 

First I flew him out to the furthest away of our forces – Captain Goff and his ship. There I informed them that Merlin has seen the two dragons with one figure on each and expects we would encounter them before the day closes. And in addition to that  – a swarm of blue fairies follow behind at a great distance. 

Rumble had some information for me. His prisoner, the Caretaker, had let slip that besides the queen on one dragon, the King of the Frost Fairies would be on the other – said to be a most formidable fairy. 

Next, I took this news up to Gibley circling above on Conjil, and to prepare them for our defense. I intended to return to the tower and make one more round of my charges, but Gibley cried out that he saw two spots in the distance. 

Conjil went transparent at the goblin’s urging and my mount followed his senior’s example. Thus, instead of spots, we were mere specks. We then flew higher. 

We watched as the approaching dragons and their riders honed in on the ship and dived on it. Before I knew it, we were streaking after them. 

Before the dragons could spew fire on our ship, two things happened. Gibley ducked under a vicious backslash executed by the blue fairy king and launched himself at his attacker and in one gulp devoured him and commandeered his dragon. And at the same instant the two unshielded dragons reacted to the sounding of the Crack of Doom. I had been waiting for this, knowing that Merlin was waiting in the tower – watching via the seers stone. 

The renegade queen tumbled off of Rayjil and did not fly off under her own power. I saw her hit the water and disappear under the surge that characterizes this sea. 

I looked for her myself – unsuccessfully- before turning the task over to Captain Goff and Rumble. 

I returned to the island and joined the celebration as Cluyjil was reunited with Merlin and Rayjil with Noralei. 

The Fairy Diary Day 634 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

It has been a day of action – unrelenting in our efforts to beat our way to the shores of the island. Even with the help of Gibley and Conjil towing, it was slow going. In the meantime Dunfallon drilled his army constantly. 

When at last we neared the shore, we were greeted by Nora who informed us that Noralei had landed to scout around. 

Merlin ordered Captain Goff to anchor the ship, and the rest of us helped Dunfallon land his troops. The wizard held the dragon and Gibley in reserve against the expected arrival of the other two dragons. 

Before we left the beach, Noralei returned with a captive – the Caretaker. She had surprised and subdued him not long after going ashore. She easily avoided the patrols of Frost Fairies ringing his chamber at the base of the tower in the mountain. (In many ways it reminded her of the repository back in the Faerie Kingdom). Noralei wrung from the Caretaker the intelligence that his queen was not there but with the dragons and the army of Frost Fairies in the field. Then handed him over to Nora who transported him over to the ship where the captain shackled him. 

The next task before us then, was to secure the bell. So, Dunfallon set his troops in motion and Rumble, Noralei, and l marched behind in the rear guard ready for anything. 

We came up against the first outpost but its blue defenders had disappeared. And as we swung our column towards the tower we caught sight of our adversaries in full flight. 

Our pixie had not yet pressed onward with his soldierless weapons and we three fairies took to the air and harassed the Frost Fairies from above. Then the resolve of our enemy broke and they sued for quarter and laid down their arms. 

(Later, we learned that many of them had witnessed the slaughter of their fellows back at the village of the Sprites – and did not want to experience a similar defeat). 

In exploring the tower we found the young dragon Clemjil under lock and key. Noralei with Dunfallon’s help was instrumental on reaching through his distrust and once under the attention of Conjil, he settled down. 

With the tower and the Crack of Doom in our hands, we set about preparations to meet the return of the former queen and the dragons. 

The Fairy Diary Day 631 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Captain Goff was unrelenting in his drive to save his ship. Before we could seriously examine our surroundings all hands were called to save her. 

Most manned the pumps to expel the water weighing her down. Gibley remained atop Conjil and together could do nothing other than pull on the ship to keep it on the surface. In sympathy Nora swam by their side. 

As we kept at the pumps, Merlin seemed curiously unconcerned for our plight. When I went to his cabin to check on him, he turned to me and said, “Carry on. I have total faith in your abilities.” Then he resumed his study of his seers stone. Curiously I noticed that he had my scroll and my diary open on the table beside the object of his study. 

As we gained momentum on the flood, Dunfallon asked to be relieved to check on his “army.” He was fearful some may have been lost overboard. The Captain released him from his station at the pump, and the pixie called a muster roll for his troops. 

After Gibley secured Conjil back aboard, Merlin returned my items to me with the request to check the latest message on the scroll. Emminie had written that the Frost Fairies were in retreat and the two dragons that had appeared in their support had flown away to the west. 

So, the wizard’s guess had proven right. 

And off in the distance was an island like I had seen in the seers stone. With a tower atop a mountain. 

The Fairy Diary Day 629 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

This day brought us a lot of confusion. I feel like we were being torn in multiple directions. 

With the islands now in view I took a short hop over to one to look around. It is a sandy waste land, not a rock in sight. And the nearby islands look similar.  But the most disturbing discovery was that the waterways between them seem too shallow to support our ship. 

Upon returning Dunfallon shared with me the urging from the voice in his ring that we turn towards the south for the promise of a navigable passage through the islands. We took this message to Merlin and before the pixie had finished repeating it, a note came in on my scroll from the Sprites. It was the warning we had feared. Frost Fairies had been sighted on the move through Aznastria – with, it is believed, the Faerie Kingdom as its target. 

I wanted to return immediately. And I thought so would my fellow fairies, Noralei and Rumble. 

Merlin, however, took the note from Emminie as a confirmation that we were closing in on our adversary. And he wanted to press on at all hazards, arguing that when we engage them the advance of the Frost Fairies will fall apart. 

Another wrinkle emerged when we asked Captain Goff to change course to the south. He stated that he would do so but requested that we not ask him to go to the western land as he was not yet prepared to immigrate with those elves that have gone on before. 

The wizard then rather cryptically said that we have yet another direction to consider. 

The Fairy Diary Day 625 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

It has been a good first day. Even though we did not make it out of harbor with the fishing fleet as Captain Goff had hoped. We held off for the return of Conjil carrying Gibley and Dunfallon. Thankfully we did not have to wait too long. 

However, it did take some time to settle the dragon into her position on the main deck amidships. (I think she would prefer to perch on the taffrail, but that would put us down by the stern).

We received our first message on my scroll from Emminie. The Sprites have expanded their exploration- so now besides connections with the pixies they have added contacts to the goblins in the great shaft and the trolls of the surrounding area. He is confident that if there is any activity from the Frost Fairies he will hear of it in short order. 

Noralei has inspected the harness apparatus and has pronounced it sound. We will hold off on using it until we can convince Captain Goff that it will be beneficial. 

Merlin monitors the seers stone and I back him up when I can. I am paired with Noralei for our watches, and Rumble with Dunfallon on theirs. We take turns introducing Gibley to the work of a sailor. And that work has introduced the goblin to the rigors of seasickness. 

The one surprise so far is the voice from Dunfallon’s ring complaining about being seasick too. Is it part of the Will’o’the Wisp that has been placed in the ring?