The Fairy Diary Day 546 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

It has been one of those times about which there is a lot to write. We had been following a whole series of goblin hunting camps. And were very confident we would catch up with our friends before long. 

When we left the hillocks behind, broad fields took their place – fields filled up with snow and ice. So it has gotten a lot colder the further we go in this land. 

At one point Noralei turned to me and thanked me once again for the gift of the scarf. She says it keeps the cold out very well. 

For extra warmth Dunfallon donned his cloak of invisibility. (Though it is a bit disconcerting to see his head bobbing without a body when the hood slides down). 

I had more of a struggle coping with the cold. We are all thankful to be riding a dragon for we get quite a boost from her body heat.

Then, we caught sight of tracks below, two herds worth crisscrossing the plain. Rayjil sped up and we nearly lost Dunfallon to the jerky motion. It was a fortunate mishap – otherwise we would have missed the goblins if Noralei had not reined her in. 

In that same instant Rayjil caught the scent of Conjil. And before we knew it she had us under a makeshift enclosure beside a roaring fire presided over by a grinning Gibley. 

We hardly finished celebrating our reunion when the circle grew bigger with the return of Glossom and three other goblins and an even bigger surprise – our wizard friend – Merlin. 

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The Fairy Diary Day 545 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

We have made one circuit of the mountain so far at this level. Stretching out from it in every direction below – as far as one can see – is a solid blanket of clouds. Noralei is now certain that the goblins are nowhere up here on the mountain and suggests that we take up the search in the clouds and below them. 

I am beginning to think that something untoward has happened to Gibley and Glossom and whatever clan members are with them. 

So the three of us mounted Rayjil with the intent to leave this region of the mountain behind. But Rayjil did not respond to Noralei’s commands. She much rather preferred to gambol about the sky above the clouds. 

Finally she was able to get her to alight back on the mountain and Dunfallon slipped off and grabbed the dragon about one ear and whispered something. 

Rayjil perked up and as soon as the pixie was reseated, she took off and dived for the clouds below. 

Flying through these clouds was like unto swimming through a river of rainbows. And coming out of them the light was, of course, not as bright as above them. We made for the multitude of hills drawn up around the base of the mountain. And there found another abandoned goblin hunting camp. 

We settled in and talked through our options. 

The Fairy Diary Day 544 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

I would say that the pleasing light of yesterday was downright cheery this morning, if the term morning had any meaning in a land that no longer grows dark. In that detail it contrasts with what we experienced here when it was the Land of Darkness- but it is not quite the Land of Plenty – other than plenty of rocks. 

Perhaps it is still becoming. 

We are also puzzled by the absence of any animal life. Or as Dunfallon expressed it, “What exactly do the goblins hunt here?”

As we mulled over this conundrum the best we could propose was that our goblin friends were either in pursuit of their game, or like us still ranging about looking for it. 

Or the thought in the back of my consciousness- the wildlife has yet to return to this place. 

That thought was later dispelled after coming across more goblin hunting camps later in the day. In the last two we found animal bones near the dead campfires. 

The Fairy Diary Day 543 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Noralei had some difficulty with Rayjil convincing her to leave her new found playmates behind. Thankfully Dunfallon enticed her away from the stable by whispering something in her ear. 

I jotted a quick note on the scroll to the High Fairy to alert him to our movements. 

The three of us were soon mounted and Rayjil took flight, pursuing the westering moon. I knew we were on the right track when the rainbow circling that orb reached out to us and drew us in. 

The Land of Darkness was no longer. Instead of the vast well sinking down to its depths there was an irregular shaped mountain filling the same space. A pleasing light filled the air about us. Dunfallon wondered out loud if this was the Land of Plenty once again. 

We touched down on the nearest side of the mountain. Everything was barren roundabout – hardly a paradise. And everything was cold to the touch. 

We scanned our surroundings for any sign of Glossom and Gibley. But nothing. 

We sent Noralei aloft on Rayjil to do a wider search. Dunfallon and I remained on the mountain to explore all the nearby caves and crevices. 

In one such cave we found what we believe to be a goblin hunting camp. Noralei circled back at that instant to report a similar finding further down. Since she judged the one she had found of more recent use, she packed us up and we descended to it. 

There we took our ease after a busy day. And tried to rest despite the constant light bathing the land.