The Fairy Diary Day 288 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

I filled a good section of the scroll in my message to the High Fairy. 

His reply back to me was equally lengthy and started with the good news that he and the fairy troops had been successful in turning back the dark elves from their assault on Corbelin. (He does confirm that they are dark elves). 

As for my news he is skeptical about my conclusions from a dream that a plant however big could be responsible for all this chaos and wants us to look deeper. 

I took this advice to heart and called a meeting to re-examine the map. 

According to Rumble’s understanding there remain only two more branches off the shaft that are lower than the one containing the forges and the fire plants. One bears the label “barracks,” the other “treasury.” 

Dunfallon disagreed and insists there are at least five more offshoots off of the shaft, not two. 

At that point I prompted Noralei to join with the pixie and explore the unmarked passages. 

Rumble and I will visit the two identified ones.

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The Fairy Diary Day 286 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Rumble brought out the Dromadil map and demonstrated to us that the offshoot with the forges was not on it. We decided to send Dunfallon down to explore. To aid him Noralei passed off her Will’o’the Wisp lantern. 

While he was gone we poured over the map and compared our observations.  None of us is sure what we are looking for. Nothing so far has been anything but pixie related. So, this latest place where we cannot go may contain the strongest clue as to what our enemy may be up to. Especially if it is related to the dark elves. 

We gathered around the pixie upon his return to hear his latest adventure. There was a gamut of forges to pass before the ultimate chamber on that level. The tools fell silent and still, as he passed nearby. The last room was filled with a familiar form. Dunfallon says they are exactly like the fire plants we encountered around the dragon egg nest. 

It made me wonder if this chamber was the planned destination of the dragon egg we had intercepted. 

The pixie added as almost an afterthought that the presence of the forges reminded him of his time with Gilgorgon and the dwarves. And perhaps odder still was that Willie was most glad to be there and had protested when Dunfallon pulled him out.

The Fairy Diary Day 285 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

The Dromadil map had us off on branches from the shaft. They turn back on themselves on a slow turn to a lower level before broadening out to a rather large thoroughfare. Empty shops lined the way. 

They had me curious but nothing caused me to stop and look closer. Dunfallon of course lagged behind occasionally but never dropped from view. 

Noralei seemed the more anxious one. She was way out front and frequently motioned for us to keep up with her. 

She is eager to check out the red glow we spotted on the first day we arrived at the crater. 

Once back at the shaft we took the descending path that follows the shaft perimeter. 

At the entrance to another offshoot lower down we heard a rhythmic beating coming from within. Noralei, in the lead, took one look and hurried us back to the shaft upon the realization that iron ore was everywhere within.

We retreated back up a level to regroup. Noralei is sure that many forges were hard at work on that branch. But what was particularly disturbing was the fact that no hands nor any visible agency wielded the hammers and tongs that sang away on the anvils. 

The Fairy Diary Day 283 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

All our plans were tossed to the winds. Rumble’s observation long ago about those canyonlands resonated in my memory. Everyone looked to Merlin, and he quickly sorted out our priorities after a session with his seer’s stone. 

Merlin with Nililitil and his armies will return immediately to Laguayil. (The enemy has not yet arrived to lay siege). The High Fairy will lead the fairy troops to Corbelin, which is in imminent danger. (He has ordered the Faerie Queen back to the fairy capital for safety). 

The Dromadil pixies will remain here on guard. And will help us. 

I was not surprised that Merlin has assigned us to stay with our original plan to descend into the shaft. Each of us – Rumble, Noralei, Dunfallon and I sense our destiny lies below. 

Through Dunfallon the Dromadil pixies gifted Rumble with a map of their former strongholds that lay beneath the city of the dark elves. 

So far it has proven faithful.

The Fairy Diary Day 260 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

We are now safely ashore on the land whose name no one will utter – in an abandoned fishing village. How that came to pass is a very surprising story. 

As our ship was drawing closer to our destination we could at last make out some features along the shore. Per Rumble’s map a fishing village was situated somewhere nearby. As it came into our view, we all observed a slow change in the captain. His reluctance to proceed grew greater in direct proportion to our proximity to the shore. 

In fact he called a halt and brought the ship about and anchored when the harbor of the village was yet a good distance off. He refused to go further, giving as reason the lack of charts for this coast and the clear evidence of rocks and shoals ahead.

I was about to protest, when Noralei spoke up and told me it was not necessary to take the ship any closer. She had had a dream last night and in obedience to the same she mounted to the top of the mast and blew on a horn borrowed from Dorgone. 

In two wing beats, Nora, the water horse appeared at the stern, frolicking in great excitement to encounter us again. 

And he agreed to ferry each of us ashore.

The Fairy Diary Day 207 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Dunfallon was up and out before any of the rest of us.  Upon his return he declared that all was clear hereabouts. 

When we were out and on our way, Rumble checked his map in conjunction with Noralei’s compass and we were thankfully still on course. Although when Rumble scrolled ahead it showed that the stream we are following will veer away and run down to the distant coast and join the sea. 

None of this is visible from where we are. Obviously a decision will have to be made when we come to the point of the change. Do we keep aligned with the red ashes or do we follow the stream down to the sea and look for transport up to the country of the crystalline tower?

I wrote out a message to the High Fairy. And tasked Rumble and Dunfallon to consider the options from what they had discovered when in Merlin’s castle.

The Fairy Diary Day 203 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

It has been a memorable day for so many reasons. I am so thankful for our practice yesterday riding these water beasts. It is clear I made all my mistakes then and was able to ride the length of the body of water without a mishap.

However, in Dunfallon’s case, we had a severe concern for his safety after multiple problems when he was practicing- in the main due to his size. We thought it best, therefore, that he ride with one of us. But he would not hear of it. And rather than argue about it we came up with a compromise. Or to be more precise, Noralei did. She offered her water horse to the pixie, as he has had the most experience being ridden. 

It was a good match for both Dunfallon and his mount were equally competitive – and raced against each of us, easily surpassing Rumble and myself, and then battled Noralei and her water horse all the way to the finish. 

As I have said it was an exhilarating day. And a check with Rumble’s map upon our landing revealed that we traveled the greatest distance ever.

The Fairy Diary Day 198 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

The terrain around us once again has changed. Very few plants poke their heads above the gleaming sands. Dunfallon, ever the curious pixie, sniffed and tasted a few grains, and announced to everyone that it is mostly salt. He was moved by pity for the struggling plants and begged us fairies to help them. 

Rumble, Noralei and I talked it over and agreed to try. Noralei selected the largest patch of the plants and we concentrated our efforts there. 

Rumble brought to the surface a water course from somewhere deep underneath our feet. 

Soon the shoots of the plants were towering over our heads adding long broad fronds that blocked out much of the glare from the sun. 

The new growth spread out from this one patch laterally and forward and back. 

As we set out again we found the water course we are following has appeared on Rumble’s map and Noralei’s compass confirms it as our heading.

The Fairy Diary Day 197 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Thankfully it is no longer so stultifyingly hot. And we have made up our lost ground. Though down in this sand pit our goal remains hidden so it is hard to judge just how far away it is. It seems Rumble has to scroll up on the map forever before it comes in view. And just to climb out of this depression would appear to be a  daunting task. 

I confess to a slight nervousness that has me scanning the sky ahead and behind us. Each of us has been wary over the possible return of dragons to their nest. And what they might do to us if they were to catch us this close to it. 

That is – up until I received the latest message from the High Fairy. He relays good news from Merlin. The wizard judges that it will be a good year before the dragon egg will hatch. 

I could read the relief in my companions’ eyes as I quoted his words. For we now can assume that we won’t be seeing any dragons any time soon.

The Fairy Diary Day 196 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Another sweltering night. Followed by disappointment. Or so we thought at first. We found the source of the biggest red spot on the map. Dunfallon flew over it. He could make out what he thought was a nest, but no eggs were visible. 

Noralei pointed to a mound in the center of the nest (as viewed from this side) that might cover an egg. But how to get close enough to check remained the problem. 

I decided to summon Merlin and have him help with an idea that had come to me. 

The wizard immediately answered the call from his pendant. He took one look at the situation and came up with the same solution that had occurred to me. 

While Rumble, Dunfallon and I showed ourselves to the raging fire and drew it our way, Merlin and Noralei seized the opportunity to enter behind the flames as they shifted away. Thus they were able to uncover a dragon egg from the mound and fled with it. 

To our surprise the flames died out as though doused. Everywhere – as a check with the map revealed. 

Merlin was beaming as he bid us farewell and disappeared with the egg, his “well done” ringing in our ears.