The Fairy Diary Day 300 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Noralei told us that we have passed the last landmark that she remembers from her first foray. There where the passage had swollen into a huge cavern were many structures fashioned from wood brought from above. 

It was impressive, but unidentifiable as to origin. Dunfallon said the scale is all wrong for pixies, and added that goblins would not have added the decorative touches that exist throughout. 

Rumble put forth a guess that it just might be fairy made. 

Intriguing. 

We discussed whether or not it might be the place to stop the next wave of dark elves. 

We decided instead to press on.

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Day Eight Hundred Forty #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

We continued sometime past sunrise to be sure we had not missed the second mountain peak in Quasimo’s instructions. We were encouraged that no such landmark lay over on that side of the horizon. Yet.

We had decided between us that we will not switch to daylight travel, but will continue our nocturnal strolls, with a couple of adjustments. We will start well before sundown and not call a halt until an hour or so after sunrise. We are confident that will be enough to keep us oriented properly.

We also were helped along in our decision by an occurrence over the night. I again heard noises trailing us. Not barking, rather this time, clearly voices on the desert air.

Day Eight Hundred Thirty Four #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

Arose thankful for what a time of rest can do. Elijah called for a time of meditation and put off our trek until later in the night. I was thankful for that too.

Come time to leave it was a simultaneous decision without a spoken word between us.

But we had much to say between us along the way. Elijah said we should make it a short hike, confident we would find the landmark well soon. I shared that we should be prepared to defend ourselves.

And so both sayings came to pass.

Within the next hour we discovered the well. And we had to run off a pair of jackals that disputed our presence.

We took turns on watch.

Day Eight Hundred Thirty Three #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

We were exhausted by the time morning rolled along, having been awake and moving all day and night.

Our path was easy going, helped along by the glow of the moon while it was up.

Still, as we turned in for the daylight hours, my mind was overfull with the trek so far.

The events from the bridge to the rock formation run over and over in my thoughts, colored by my apprehension that a drone might overtake us before we found it. And the trek through the desert night carried its own unease as we were alert to find our next landmark. A well that should mark an end to this effortless pathway.

It helps to breathe and pray.

Day Eight Hundred Thirty Two #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

The desert was in sight by trek’s end last night. We knew better than attempt to enter it from this point. Instead we passed the morning looking for the landmark mentioned by Quasimo. A pile of rocks in the shape of a kingly statue.

Our side movement to the northwest proved fruitless, so we reversed direction and finally found the rock structure well to the southeast.

It stood guard where an emerging wadi continued its course into the desert itself, forming an avenue east to follow in the otherwise trackless sand.

We waited by the curious rock pile for the cool of the night to come on. And fortified ourselves with water from a nearby well against our future march.

Day Seven #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

     This day has been a day of rest. Forced by circumstances. I was too used up to make my way down and on to the next viewpoint.

     A good thing. For a number of reasons, but most importantly – if I had not, I would have missed a sighting of the bridge. It lay in a quadrant that hitherto was shrouded in clouds whenever I scanned the horizon in that direction. I had felt surely that such a huge landmark would tower above any low lying cloud, and consequently overlooked it.

     I can scrap my original plan for tomorrow.

     I know now where to point my feet. And may I in future commit myself to rest. Not just when forced to.