The Fairy Diary Day 343 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

I detected a hint of embarrassment in our friend before he began the account of his latest adventure. That became clearer with the first words out of his mouth. In his  hasty pursuit on the Low-way of those bearing the dragon egg, he ran afoul of one of our traps. It had to have been one of our fairy traps. For he fell into a deep state of forgetfulness. 

And he wandered aimlessly until he fell into the company of a couple of dwarves – our old friends Fliget and Gnoston. That is how Merlin fell into the hands of the ever suspicious Artoxon. 

Something about his surroundings brought him back to his senses. (I believe that the fact of all that gold in one spot would make a perfect nest for a dragon egg did the trick). 

Once he remembered who he was, he thanked them, bid them goodbye, then disappeared from their sight. (He was none too keen to trust those dwarves based on their past history). 

He was more than happy not to explain more when Noralei laid before him the mystery of the chalice and the red ash. 

As the wizard conferred with her and Rumble, I went atop the tower from which it had been removed, and looked around.

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The Fairy Diary Day 342 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

They tell me I fainted dead away from all the excitement surrounding the fast moving changes at play among the peoples involved as they have assented to agreements, signed treaties and began the exchange of habitations. 

Now I have reawakened I call it exhaustion and consider it just a delayed reaction to the amount of force that streamed out of me in dispelling the influence of that mysterious entity responsible for the madness visited upon the Dromadil pixies and the dark elves. 

The dark elves have already begun their trek back to the surface. They will repopulate the abandoned villages of the land with no name. And are considering to name it anew (they even desire to seek a new name for themselves, as they want to leave behind the stigma carried by the term ‘dark elves.’)

Dunfallon has gone off up the Low-way with a few of the Dromadil pixies in search of Artoxon and his dwarves to inform them that they may now return to this, their former stronghold.  

When I joined Rumble and Noralei who again had taken up the examination of the chalice and the red ashes, who should walk in but our friend, the wizard Merlin.

The Fairy Diary Day 330 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

We received an answer from the High Fairy to our report about our new location and about our hopes for Noralei’s compass. His excellency wanted me to summon Merlin – at the wizard’s behest for he wanted to be where we are. 

(We were hoping to have him with us and were relieved when he appeared).

While Dunfallon kept watch on the Low-way, the rest of us gathered in the junction chamber around Noralei and her compass. 

Merlin is convinced that the red ashes within are reacting to the the dragon egg. Clearly they were stationary – which Noralei confirmed had been their status for quite some time. Rumble posited that its inactivity may be due to the dark elves’ caution after their discovery of the traps. 

After some thought, Merlin said that if there was no movement soon, we should set out for it. 

He is particularly desirous that it not fall into the hands of their most effective warrior – one who had been most ferocious under Gilgorgon’s mountain.

The Fairy Diary Day 329 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

We decided to retreat based on the fact that our current location is too close to the stronghold. I thought it wiser to give ourselves more opportunity to spot and to seize the dragon egg, and to do that, required that we descend to the Low-way and head back to the other passage that connects to the first junction we came to in the side passage. 

Before we followed Dunfallon down to the Low-way, Rumble finished his ministrations to the plant roots with good results. They appeared healthy and thriving. 

Keeping to the wall and the shadows, Dunfallon soon had us at the other passage to the first junction. Along the way we sighted only a few dark elves – traveling singly – some up the Low-way, others down. Obviously messengers, but none carrying a dragon egg. 

We took turns going up to the chamber of the junction. When it came Noralei’s turn, she was gone no more than fifty wingbeats before flying back down with the news that the red ashes in her compass were once again active. 

We think it might be tracking the dragon egg.

The Fairy Diary Day 273 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

I have come to the conclusion that there are no dark elves in this land – and this not just from our own experience thus far. Grimace tells us that he has not seen nor encountered one in his traverse of the entire country. 

That left us all wondering exactly who or what it is that opposes us – that has mounted the attacks against our lands. 

Then this valley took a turn to the east at the end of the mountain range to our right, and another valley opened before us – one that appears to cut through all the ranges we saw from the heights a few days ago. 

Straight ahead per Noralei’s compass lies the source which attracts the greater amount of the red ashes. And both my pendants which have been ‘silent’ since we passed beyond the barrier were quivering. 

We are impatient for Dunfallon’s return. 

The Fairy Diary Day 269 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

As we go along in the land of the dark elves (in which we have yet to see a single dark elf), Rumble stops frequently to tend to the suffering plant life, coaxing them back to health. 

I am all for his efforts, of course, but I do have consequent concerns. We need to stay ahead of that giant walking menace, so I counseled my friend to be brief. I do not tell him to desist – not yet – but it may be necessary for me to do so if the result of his ministrations is offhandedly leaving a trail behind that will lead it to us. 

Noralei later came to me to say her compass was acting strangely – the red ashes identified with the walking plants were larger than the other clump. So, I asked Dunfallon to fly over and check it out. 

He found the giant plant standing stock still in the middle of a stream. At first the pixie thought it was trapped and prevented from continuing. But as he circled he could see that it was actually growing bigger – in girth as well as height. 

At this disturbing news I decided we needed to move on with all dispatch, and told Rumble we all would have to keep a swifter pace. 

The Fairy Diary Day 267 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

We have not sighted any of the ambulatory plants. So we decided to take advantage of that and move on. Rumble had the thought that with the collapse of the barrier they may be adversely effected. 

I for one certainly hope that is the case. 

We came to a point along the stream where we decided to depart from it. Which also meant saying goodbye to Nora. (He was very disappointed and that more than anything saddened us too). We promised one another undying affection.  And I felt that we would be encountering one another before long. 

Noralei consulted her compass and was puzzled by the movement of the red ashes. Instead of pointing in just one direction, now there were two. 

It was easy to surmise that the eastern group was due to the black plants, especially the walking ones, in that direction. That left the other as highly likely to be were our enemy is headquartered. 

I wrote the High Fairy to fill him in on our discoveries and to ask for the latest from him. 

We are all pleased with our progress at last.

The Fairy Diary Day 220 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

I convinced Navril to allow us to scour the grounds towards that spot where we knew the crystalline structure lay. He accompanied us, loading us into some skiffs by which we gained the upper town and once there fanned out into the fields. 

We easily found what we were looking for. The fields were filled with those ugly black flowers. Together we began the task of uprooting the perfidious plants. Noralei took the opportunity to collect their red seeds and harvested the red ashes of those ones that burst into flame. 

Before we returned to Nililitil’s council chambers, the black crystalline structure materialized out the hazy distance – now plain to the view of all. 

It was a reality for which Nililitil and his people were unprepared.

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 190 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Merlin decided that it was time to send us on our way this morning, despite not knowing everything about the seeds and the ashes. 

We are reasonably certain we carried it off without being detected. We held Dunfallon back and kept him close to us for now. Once we know more about the tools the wizard has sent along, we’ll feel more confident to allow him to scout ahead. 

As it is, it does slow us down a bit for we constantly find ourselves surrounding Rumble whenever he stops and takes out the map to check it. Therein we can see ourselves and precisely where we are in relation to the features showing on the map. It’s a constant source of novelty which may just take awhile to wear off. 

And at those times Noralei takes out the case with the red ashes to use it in conjunction with the map to fine tune the selection of the way ahead. 

Hopefully we’ll master these tools soon so that we can quicken our pace.