The Fairy Diary Day 666 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Noralei and her sister’s shop and home is surrounded nonstop by an elite corps of fairy troops from the capital. And there is an inner ring of Dunfallon’s army whose only focus is the bell and our prisoners. 

I feel safe and secure. We all do. Yet I want to be off to the capital and get the trial behind us. But for now we must wait. 

Rumble with an escort assigned by the captain of the elite guard left early for the former High Fairy’s residence to collect documents for the trial. Upon his return this evening he informed me that he will need the morning tomorrow to complete his task. 

While we were waiting today everyone was talking about their plans for the future. Noralei is looking forward to settling back into the business with her sister – which she plans to do after the trial and after settling Clemjil into his role as the protector of the Crack of Doom at the repository. 

Dunfallon has a decision to make. Nailbiter reminded him that there is a new burrow that desires to have him for their leader. He asked me for my opinion in the matter. I hemmed and hawed at first, but then told him straight that I could not envision him as a pixie settling down in one spot. 

He then turned the tables and asked me if I had any plans. I confess that at first nothing occurred to me other than taking up my life again here in Nonin-gal-dith, but even in the act of thinking it I knew that something more would be asked of me. 

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The Fairy Diary Day 665 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Last night Dunfallon was later than any of us wanted him to be. Though we should have expected it. He tried to use the excuse that it was hard to locate us in the dark – I shook my head at that comment, for we had our beacon fire going well before sundown. 

Finally he admitted that time just got away from him. He had fully intended to leave earlier, but then Nailbiter and others brought out some rumors that had been circulating among pixies and the nearby fairies. Some fairies in Nonin-gal-dith wanted their queen back. And were boasting that they would take matters into their own hands. 

This brought about a debate among us – avoid Nonin-gal-dith and go straight on to the capital, or keep to our original plan. 

With the morning we decided on keeping to the plan.  Rumble said there were certain documents we needed to collect from the High Fairy’s residence and both Noralei and Dunfallon thought that if there were inimical factions they needed to be exposed and/or convinced that their support for the disgraced ruler is misplaced. 

So, we pressed onwards to Nonin-gal-dith. 

Our decision proved the proper one. 

There were many more troops manning the daisy ring defenses than formerly, but they sped us through. Merlin had convinced Tinadell to send a strong escort to remain by our side as long as necessary. 

Noralei’s sister was prepared to receive all of us – pixie, fairies, and dragons. 

The Fairy Diary Day 664 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

I do believe that we are farther from Nonin-gal-dith than when first we entered these pixie woods and that holds true even though we have come out on the other side of the forests. The path Rumble plotted for us kept us not only far away from the swamp of Will’o’the Wisp – it also kept us at a great distance from the main pixie burrows. 

That is why I granted Dunfallon’s petition for him to pay a visit to Nailbiter’s burrow – with the proviso that he return to us this night. 

The road chosen by Rumble was very smooth and passed through picturesque forests and meadows. It is surprising therefore how few pixie burrows there were in that most perfect of settings. 

We crossed over the road the humans use between Aznastria to the north and their sister kingdoms to the south. It called to mind our friends King Nimrood and Caywyn, and made me wonder how they fared during the freeze and the Frost Fairy incursion. 

Rumble called a halt when we came to the fairy road that will take us to Nonin-gal-dith tomorrow. Here we will wait for Dunfallon to find us. 

I wonder if he will remember to show up. 

The Fairy Diary Day 663 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Dunfallon’s “army” clinked and clattered continually today, as we traversed wave upon wave of rolling hills. The ride in the wagon was smooth enough, at least the Caretaker was no longer complaining. Noralei was excited, she could almost smell Nonin-gal-dith and home through the intervening hills and forests. It also had an effect on Rayjil as there seemed to be an extra bounce in her step.

Merlin announced that he would go on ahead to the Faerie capital and there make arrangements for the trial of her former majesty and the Caretaker. To that end he asked Dunfallon to fly him there on Cluyjil. The pixie was more than ready for he wanted to stop in at the pixie burrows on his return.

After the wizard’s departure, Rugis and Strukul and the dwarf escort took their leave of us. They felt their services were no longer needed. So, there we were, Noralei, Rumble, and I, and the two dragons, Rayjil and Clemjil – now only days away from our destination.

By day’s end, with the forestlands in view, Dunfallon returned. He and Cluyjil had delivered Merlin safely to the capital. And though intending to stop by to pay his respects to Nailbiter and his pixies, he was called away by the voice from the ring to see the Will’o’the Wisp. Willie had a dire request to be relayed to us. He advised us to keep her former majesty as far as possible from him, as he was highly susceptible to her influence. 

I asked Rumble to come up with a more suitable route for tomorrow.

The Fairy Diary Day 367 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

The High Fairy and Merlin conferred the night through in a lean-to constructed by Nailbiter’s pixies. The rest of us were set the task of securing the perimeter around the structure so no one could interfere or listen in on their discussions. 

I kept Dunfallon with me while Rumble and Noralei roamed about. The pixie is still somewhat fuzzy and his demeanor changed in that he is more subdued. 

I hope we can have our “old” Dunfallon back soon. 

Our sages emerged with the rising of the sun and announced that we will all be going to see Gilgorgon. The wizard will renew his plea to the dwarf to release the dragon egg to his care and protection.

The Fairy Diary Day 365 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Nailbiter gave over to us his private audience chamber so we fairies (including the High Fairy) could question Dunfallon about his captivity. There are so many details that he could not recall. It was our hope that we could jog his memory. Especially as to what Willie had done – and what the Wisp was planning next. 

It had been disappointing to find the crystal cover to the chalice charred and cracked. I held its pieces and examined them throughout the questioning. 

What Dunfallon recalls was being knocked off his eagle and somehow being caught by Willie. It was a pleasant encounter at the first – Willie was friendly, even apologetic for his recent behavior. 

Noralei pointed to his silver whistle and asked why he had not used it to summon his eagle. By the pixie’s blank stare we all knew that there was a spell of forgetfulness at work. 

Rumble, Noralei and I left him in the care of his excellency to deal with the enchantment. 

We gathered outside the burrow to examine further the broken crystal. In the afternoon sunshine a facet to one of the crystal pieces flashed. Looking closer we could see a repeated image of our pixie being pushed off his eagle by the black bird.

The Fairy Diary Day 364 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Sometimes decisions don’t prove their true worth until a good deal of time has passed. Other times the reason one made the choice to begin with has a completely other unlooked for – and better outcome than one may have planned. 

Such was our decision to bring Dunfallon’s mountain goat with us. 

Though this was not apparent when our day began. The dew was still on the trumpet lilies when Rumble rushed up to me with the news that the mountain goat was missing. Nailbiter launched a full search of the burrow and the immediate vicinity – favoring the direction towards Willie’s swamp. 

Noralei made up the party towards that side. Just short of the pond there, the mountain goat came prancing from behind an immense shrub to nuzzle her. Then he led her back behind the bush. 

There she found an unhappy Dunfallon sitting in an improvised cage staked out on the ground. Answering their call, Rumble and I helped break him out. We had to exercise extreme caution for Dunfallon informed us that Willie had booby trapped it. 

When free, our pixie raced off to the Wisp’s lair. There we joined him in front of the burned out crystal. And no Will’o’the Wisp. 

Dunfallon had one consolation, being reunited with his mountain goat. 

We asked the High Fairy to report to Merlin that our trail is again cold.

The Fairy Diary Day 363 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

I had a dream about our pixie last night. He was playing a game of hide and seek with us in this his favorite hollow. The image of his smiling face persisted even upon waking. 

Each of us had a similar dream, though Noralei’s had a distinctive difference. She was observing Rumble and me – observing Dunfallon. But she saw what neither of us did – watching everyone was the flitting apparition of the Will’o’the Wisp. 

This formed our topic of discussion as we continued on our way to Nailbiter’s burrow. 

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Bird song echoed from among the branches of the trees and shrubs. Small animals scurried away at our advance. 

We encountered two pixies also traveling the path to Nailbiter’s burrow. We were the only ‘news’ to them for these parts. 

Arriving at the burrow we were given a royal reception. There beside Nailbiter, the High Fairy was also waiting for us. 

His excellency told us that he found no signs of Dunfallon between here and Nonin-gal-dith. 

Nailbiter, however informed us that strange lights have been sighted in the sky above Willie’s swamp.

The Fairy Diary Day 362 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

We parted company with Corbet today just before we passed into the territory of the pixies. The young man was very apprehensive at the prospect of falling prey to their pranks. 

(He’s heard too many stories about encounters his people have had with pixies that downright scare him. And probably our mention of the name of the pixie we will be visiting – Nailbiter – has only deepened his fears).

We bid him goodbye as he set off to find his way around the pixie lands. Rumble had enjoyed their talks together, so he was saddened to see him go. 

First things first, we wanted to check out Dunfallon’s favorite spot which he once had shown us. From memory Noralei lead us into the cozy little hollow. 

There we found some signs of recent occupation – but as to whether or not they were those of our pixie none could say for certain. 

With the day far spent by that time, we decided to pass the night here.

The Fairy Diary Day 83 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

The Wisp renewed his demands to be released when we set out this morning. By turns imperious command or abject groveling. We made no effort to reason with him. And tried our best to ignore him. 

The guards sent along by Nailbiter were curious and asked lots of questions about our prisoner. I did my best, but it was the testimony of Dunfallon that fully convinced them that their pity would be misplaced in his regard. 

So, the guards turned their attention to reports of human bands traveling the roads paralleling the border and kept us well out of sight to chance encounters.

Pixies have a marvelous system of hidden trails and tunnels. I am much impressed.