The Fairy Diary Day 684 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

We took turns on watch throughout the night. And today, I found myself constantly scanning the sky about us – looking for more black birds, or for the hornet swarms that oft times were associated with them in the past. I must say that with the blackness filling the sky more and more to our front, it would be very difficult to distinguish them.

Thankfully the black plants have not spread beyond the pixie territory. The last ones we saw took up an entire meadow at the end of the forest. Dunfallon had coaxed Cluyjil to torch them all to ash. He now cannot wait to deliver our prisoners to their waiting cells under the mountain, and return to his beloved land of the pixies with the dragon and eradicate the rest.

As we came out of the rolling hills, a light shone out of the darkness ahead. Rumble directed Cluyjil and the wagon towards that beacon. And I ordered our fairy escort to form up and follow behind us.

There at the base of the mountain, Herblas was waiting for us beside a signal fire. He had no explanation for what was going on, and was hoping we might know something. We filled him in on our suspicions, then pushed forward in the dark, following behind his dwarves, illuminating the way with firebrands.

All was quiet within the cages. A peek inside was met with glum and long faces. Then I realized that the queen no longer stuck her tongue out at me. And probably could not. 

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The Fairy Diary Day 683 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

The incident yesterday with the black bird has us all on edge. That and sightings of the black plants here in pixie territory today bring up bad memories. Dunfallon jumps down from the wagon and eradicates each such plant he sees.

I took out my scroll and wrote out a message that I hoped would reach Merlin. We all fear that like the struggle Tinadell had with his evil self before Noralei and the others defeated that manifestation, someone else is now the pawn of that evil. Perhaps the renegade queen herself.

And though the sun has risen here, the night has not departed from Gilgorgon’s mountain which can just be made out in the west as we entered the area of the rolling hills.

Time wore on with no answer, and just when I was about to use the talisman that the wizard had given me to summon him, a message came back from him. Tinadell indeed had relayed the message to Merlin, and the Fairy King was deeply concerned that what had happened to him before, was happening again – to someone else. 

Merlin was more hopeful – even had half expected something like this. He said it was all the more important that we get to Gilgorgon’s mountain as soon as possible. And he promised to meet us there.

As encouragement, the wizard added that the strength of the adversary would be severely limited by the fact that he – Merlin – had the renegade queen’s voice with him, locked in a box. Hence, why she could not speak to us.

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.