The Fairy Diary Day 689 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

After our arrival yesterday, Merlin and I met with Tinadell. The Fairy King promised to have all the questions resolved about my candidature tomorrow. There was something in his demeanor, however, that hinted that another outcome was possible, maybe even certain. 

It is probably why I rested so uneasily overnight. 

I floated through a constant stream of dreams, filled up with snippets of my adventures these past many moons. And one after another my friends appeared before me – Rumbletwist, Dunfallon, Noralei, Gibley, Navril, Caywyn, Herblas, Emminie, Captain Goff, Geog, Gilgorgon, Fliget & Gnoston – and a few faces whose names escape me, weaved in and out of them. Even Nora splashed by here and there. And Tinadell presided over the whole.

Only two were lacking – the High Fairy and Merlin. The absence of the High Fairy I dismissed as to be expected. But I continually asked my friends as they passed by, “Where is Merlin?”

But then at the end, the wizard did make his appearance. Everyone else faded away. Merlin commanded my whole attention – and intoned a sobering announcement. There would be yet one more trial for me to undergo. Then he was gone with no further explanation.

My mind was abuzz as I went down to the morning meal. Merlin was waiting for me at the door to the galley hall. Before I could say a word, he told me that I must submit to one test. He motioned for me to follow.

Up in the audience chamber of the Fairy King, a scale had been set up beside the throne. Seeing the question reflected in my visage, Merlin explained that according to my accuser, the prime minister, if it can be shown when weighed, that I weigh less than Tinadell, then he would agree to remove his complaint.

(I remember thinking at that instant, I was glad that I had not eaten or drunk anything).

Tinadell took his place first on one side of the scale, which hardly dipped as he sat. He motioned me over to the other plate. Time itself seemed to stop as I crossed to the scale.

The prime minister commanded that I not flutter my wings while on the scale.

At this, Merlin picked me up and placed me on the plate.

My side dipped at first, but then it rose to a level above that of Tinadell’s. A sigh of relief echoed around the chamber – largely mine.

Tinadell applauded and announced that I would be anointed tomorrow at the repository.

Advertisement

The Fairy Diary Day 500 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Glossom did not go with us to the stronghold city of the dwarves. He told us that he had too much work to see to as leader of his goblin clan and could not safely neglect it any longer. 

Before we parted he gifted his nephew with a young dragon that has manifested the same behavior as Rayjil. Not yet named (Gibley would have that honor), she was strong enough to carry the three of us – with room to add Herblas. 

Arriving at the entrance to the Low-way of the dwarves, Gibley remained with the dragon while Dunfallon and I went into the stronghold city. 

Herblas had not been idle and eagerly displayed for us a pouch full of purple gems. I thought they looked promising. 

We paid our respects to Fliget (Gnoston had returned to his village), and alerted him to the intelligence that the black bird was abroad in our land. Then we rejoined Gibley. 

The young goblin, having passed some time with the dragon, had named her. So, he introduced us to Conjil. And after we coaxed Herblas to join us, we winged our way to Merlin’s castle. 

The Fairy Diary Day 495 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Before we met again Merlin had been prompted to change a few things. Instead of the council chambers the wizard asked for a smaller and more secure venue – and he also limited those in attendance. 

Fliget and Gnoston, as their presence was not required, took it upon themselves to stand guard against any eavesdroppers at the doors of the inner room in which we convened. Herblas joined his fellow dwarves, leaving only Dunfallon, Gibley, and myself to attend. The High Fairy was not present, as he had returned to the Faerie kingdom to give a report to the Queen. 

Merlin opened the meeting with important information from Glossom. He made it plain that only dragons like Rayjil can transport to the other side in their own power. For other dragons and their riders to accompany such a one required a beacon stone worn around its neck. And the only one that Glossom’s goblins possessed was the one lost when Gorbin was immolated. 

(When this was said I had a flash of understanding of how the black bird moved between the worlds with the Will’o ’the Wisp). 

Upon a quick glance Gibley’s way I was filled with pain for him, wondering what may happen in any future encounters with this bizarre reincarnation of his father. Is there anything left of Gorbin in that beast?

Thankfully the wizard did not allow us the time to dwell on such thoughts, for we immediately set out for the goblin holdings in the canyonlands for answers. 

The Fairy Diary Day 490 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Our progress picked up after Fliget decided to exercise his prerogative as king of the dwarves. All caravans were shunted aside to allow ours the right of way. 

I began to feel uncomfortable about what might lay ahead for us in the stronghold city. My sense that something was off lead me to approach Merlin to talk to him about it. Gnoston’s and Fliget’s actions were hard to understand as to what motivated them. And afraid to say, I was suspecting our friends of evil intent if not outright perfidy. 

The wizard listened patiently to my fears. When finished he chuckled and painstakingly calmed all my concerns. 

The High Fairy has been sent for and will join us in the stronghold city. The dwarves have invited him to be present for a special celebration of our victory over the dark elves. 

Evidently the dwarves think that a season of thankfulness is called for, especially on the eve of another conflict. 

Before he dismissed me, Merlin hinted that more surprises await us upon our arrival in the stronghold city. 

The Fairy Diary Day 489 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Come time to set out for the stronghold city I was almost too full to move. This feasting of late slows me down considerably. Looking around at my companions I saw a similar effect at work in them – all except in the case of Merlin. He seemed ready to march nonstop all the way to our destination. 

Even more traffic was traveling the Low-way of the dwarves. Most of it headed towards the capital. Many times our party had to yield to the traffic headed in that direction – huge caravans carting building materials and there were other transports headed in that direction which we knew were ferrying metals from the mines, judging by the amount of soldiers guarding them. 

During one of the instances we were waiting Dunfallon excitedly brought to us a new arrival – our friend Gnoston. He wanted to know if I would send a message to the High Fairy – but before I could answer him, Fliget saw him and took him away from us. 

I asked Dunfallon if he knew why Gnoston wanted to contact his excellency. The pixie shook his head. 

We had the distinct feeling afterwards that our friend was being kept from us. 

The Fairy Diary Day 447 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

The repairs to the gateway to the passage that travels up to Gilgorgon’s mountain were nearly complete when we arrived. The dwarves from the nearby outpost along with a contingent sent by Gilgorgon had been hard at work but it required the reinforcements Gnoston brought to have enough hands to lift the new doors up onto the new hinges. Rumble and I guided their placement upon the spindles. And Merlin added the last touch – creating stops on either side the better to hold the doors open, as a statement for his hope for the future. 

Before we took leave of Gnoston the dwarf informed us that he and the members of his village had placed the memorial statue just up the way from the gateway to commemorate the defeat of the dark elves by Merlin and Gilgorgon’s forces. 

I was glad to hear this. And I know Merlin was touched. 

The Fairy Diary Day 446 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

I was glad to leave the craziness behind. And so was Rumble. (As for Merlin we have seen no change in his composure throughout- we admire his strength). That being said, I will be very keen to hear about the final decisions regarding the future of the two dwarf kingdoms. I am sure the High Fairy will have great success and that all will be satisfied. 

Merlin has settled upon returning the way we came. We were no longer required to be accompanied by guides, so we acted our own. Rumble is sure that all the traps have been removed from the Low-way of the dwarves. Probably by Gnoston. 

Passing through Gnoston’s village, we paid a call on our friend. He was just about finished putting things back in order. He and his fellow villagers have been tasked with restoring the gates to the passage up to Gilgorgon’s mountain. And asked to accompany us. 

The Fairy Diary Day 441 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Some tense moments passed as the two sides waited one another out. Hostilities nearly ignited several times between separate individuals facing each other. Thankfully Fliget kept his dwarves in check while waiting for an answer to a set of demands he sent over by an emissary. 

A very good thing – for we had to retrieve Gnoston from the bowels of the sunken capital where he had gone to help Gilgorgon’s miners. And like we believed, he was the perfect one to explain the current situation to Fliget. 

Everything Gnoston had shared with us regarding the deep seated dislike towards Artoxon proved true. In response Fliget ordered his dwarves to stand down, and while the majority made camp, he sent a contingent of miners into the capital to help those belonging to Gilgorgon. 

At the first opportunity I finally obtained an audience with Merlin and he agreed with my reasoning that it would be best for Rumble and I to return to his castle. He did not say out right that Gibley and Dunfallon needed watching, but just remarked that Noralei could use a little break. 

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 439 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

The discussion among Merlin, the High Fairy, and Gilgorgon dragged on interminably. Clearly by his loud protestations the dwarf king was not happy with what the other two were advising him to do in regards to Artoxon. They want him to halt any further attempts to defeat and capture his enemy. 

Rumble and I kept company with Gnoston apart from their place of contention. We were both surprised at our friend’s attitude towards this issue. He agreed wholeheartedly with Gilgorgon’s position and against that of the wizard and his excellency. And I do not think it due to a belief on his part that he must do so as their prisoner. Strange to say he does stand against his own sovereign. And he declared that so do most of Artoxon’s subjects. 

I for one marveled at how well the dwarves of this kingdom had masked their true feelings about their king all the times in the past we had been with them. 

In the end I prevailed upon Merlin and the High Fairy to give an audience to Gnoston before any final decision was reached.