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. 

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The Fairy Diary Day 551 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Merlin had us alternate between flying in formation and then touching down on the ground for closer examinations. Thankfully Cluyjil got over his distrust of walking in the snow or on ice. In fact, all three dragons were quite taken with the new possibilities for play in these new elements. And probably none more so than when Dunfallon was in charge. 

Gibley answered the wizard’s questions about the terrain he has been exploring with the other goblins, and together they have settled on a narrow valley that was hemmed in by walls on both sides. Since the goblins did not notice any signs of game thereabouts they passed it by. The wizard thinks it was most likely his path into the Land of Plenty. 

We just have to find it. 

However, we are not splitting up to do so. We all think it safest to keep in close proximity. 

Shortly after Noralei remarked out loud that she missed Navril’s singing. Dunfallon took that as a challenge and broke out in the elf’s favorite pixie ditty. We all joined in. I even heard Merlin humming along. 

Our singing appeared to energize the dragons and we were able to check out a dozen valleys before putting up Gibley’s enclosure for a rest. 

The Fairy Diary Day 549 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

It had been a good day of hunting for the five goblins. The excitement of the chase still shone on their faces when they joined us around the fire. Before Merlin could question them about his summoning of Cluyjil, Glossom announced that they were returning to the canyonlands. And added the explanation that they needed to get back to the two baby dragons – Clemjil and Torjil – the anchors for their main dragon. 

The wizard put his question to them anyway and the chieftain of the goblins gave his consent. 

At this juncture Noralei took Glossom aside to talk. I knew she was going to request a dragon from them for the Caretaker of the Crack of Doom. 

Dunfallon and I accompanied Merlin outside and there in the falling snow he took out his beacon stone. He rubbed it – producing a purple glow that lit up the air around us, and summoned Cluyjil. 

Then with a knowing look he instructed me to write to the High Fairy – to get word to Tinadell that he may be called upon soon. 

The goblins had everything together, their dragons heavily laden, and bid us and Gibley goodbye. For the young goblin had asked and was granted permission from his uncle to remain behind. Gibley wanted to help us in our exploration for the source of the problem. 

Thankfully we still had Gibley’s hunting enclosure – where we settled in and I scratched out my note to his excellency. 

The Fairy Diary Day 548 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

We talked and talked and talked. I think Merlin was becoming frustrated with our thick headedness. To help us understand he begged a strip of paper from the bottom of my scroll. And with it he made to glue the ends together. But he gave one end a half twist before attaching them. 

Then he begged to use my quill and with it he demonstrated that there was only one side – as he put my quill to the paper and drew a line – eventually the line came around to the exact spot where it had started. 

Dunfallon took the paper ring from him for a closer look. On it the line was clearly on both visible sides. 

The wizard simply stated, “Something similar is occurring in this situation.”

 Noralei was the first to ask if there were any way to send for Cluyjil – the better for us all to travel on further to investigate. 

Merlin separated out the necklace with the beacon stone from about his neck. And said, “I should be able to. But first we must confer with the goblins to make sure it’s use would have no adverse effect on their dragons.”

Thus, while we waited, my thoughts ranged about on many things, but they always came back to me wondering if this might be the problem that Tinadell is destined to remedy. 

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. 

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 542 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

When Noralei left Rayjil in the stables last night, the dragon refused to stay in any of the pens except that of Conjil’s. All the other stalls she thought were empty. 

When she returned this morning to check on her, Rayjil was missing. Noralei hastened back to tell us. 

Our biggest fear was that Rayjil turned transparent and transported to the other side. We assumed that Glossom and Gibley were there with their dragons and other members of their clan. So we thought Rayjil could have followed their scent.

However, we decided to fully search the goblins’ vast stable first. 

Dunfallon, attracted by noises back in the depths of the stable, found her – and two hatchling dragons – all at play. And all hungry. 

Noralei brought some fire plants back to that pen and filled their trough. And mixed in some of the dragon shell. 

Each of us had the same thought – why had not the goblins left enough provisions for the two baby dragons if they were to be gone for any length of time?

Noralei and Dunfallon wanted to pass over to the other side immediately. But I cautioned them and suggested we provide for the babies first for a sufficient amount of time as we could not take them with us either. 

It took the rest of the day to find everything we needed. So, we shall depart first thing tomorrow. 

The Fairy Diary Day 522 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

My captor showed his face. Shockingly he looks like me. That is – he is a fairy like me. So, perhaps that rumor was true that Merlin had heard through the goblins.

He says he means me no harm. Yet he makes no move to release me. All he adds is that it is for my own safety- with no explanation. 

He will not answer my query after my friends. So I am left here worrying about whether they are still alive or not. 

Sizing him up in my mind afterwards I cannot imagine him besting three dragons and my companions, especially an enraged pixie. 

Maybe it would be best to forget about myself and write the High Fairy and have them strike the Crack of Doom to summon my friends back out of this place. And hope they come back for me later. 

The Fairy Diary Day 498 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Before we set out again this morning Merlin shared the results of his extra time in the quarry yesterday. Through close observation he had figured out how to follow the Maulfors in their movements under the mountain branching out from the quarry. This was new to Glossom – though somewhat skeptical he was willing to test it. 

Thus we re-entered the same entrance as yesterday and followed the wizard’s lead to some fresh signs of worm passage. 

The goblins were impressed. We were soon running in passageways hitherto unknown to them. However the gems left behind had a reddish tone, not a purple one. Merlin took them anyway in order to see what he could do with these particular crystals. 

We were almost back to the main quarry when a Maulfor came crashing through a wall chewing everything in sight. 

This one had never met a pixie before. 

Dunfallon within the space of two wingbeats had the front of the beast sliced off from the back, and from its slimy innards out slipped a purplish stone. I scooped it up to the applause of all present.

And we returned to Glossom’s with gladness.