The Fairy Diary Day 673 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

We almost passed by the cutoff to the repository. Its approaches hidden by design, have been further obscured by the rampant growth of the neighboring vegetation since its abandonment. Merlin helped by close observation of the images supplied by the seers stone.

Thankfully, once we were on its track, Rayjil was instrumental in muscling the wagon and us forward. Noralei directed us right up to the entrance, and Merlin addressed the two monarch trees which bowed to his command and opened to allow us in to the close grown forest that is the repository.

The quiet within lasted about fifty wingbeats, long enough for its new protectors – Clemjil and Torjil – to enter and race about in a frenzy of discovery. Gibley sighed in resignation and added his opinion that it was best not to rein them in, but indulge their curiosity.

I was thankful that neither was yet fitted with igniter stones.

The first order of business was to set the Crack of Doom back up into its place high above. The fairy troops were effective in guiding the bell, preventing it from falling afoul of other structures – but the wizard – staff in hand – was the one to do the heavy lifting.

Once the bell rested in its place, we began the task of setting all else in order. The fairy troops tidied their barracks and Dunfallon’s “army” were welcomed back into their place of origin.

For now Merlin and Gibley set up in the former Caretaker’s chamber. Noralei and I saw to the care of the dragons and will seek places near them for our time here.

Tomorrow the next project begins.

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The Fairy Diary Day 671 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

It has been a long and grueling day. A day full of surprises. The outcome was satisfying but I am glad it is over. The trial is now history. It will now join the archives.

Normally the High Fairy would have heard and decided this case. But with no current fairy holding that position, Tinadell revealed his decision this morning that he had called upon Merlin to oversee the proceedings. 

So, I completely misread the wizard’s expression when we were discussing witnesses the other day. 

Rumble spoke first and laid out the evidence from the records. It gave a complete outline for the last year. And in conjunction with the High Fairy’s journal all could follow the state of his excellency as realization dawned upon him that everything his queen was ordering him to do was against the best interest of the kingdom. (The queen’s conspiracy to deny the throne to Tinadell was brought in only tangentially, but it served a vital context as supplying the motive for her actions). 

And surprise of surprises the Caretaker testified against her former majesty, filled in the gaps for when they held the High Fairy captive up until the time when their ally the then King of the Blue Fairies executed his excellency at the order of the queen. 

Dunfallon and I testified last – just to tie everything together from things we observed via the seers stone and what we later observed directly. 

And the biggest surprise of all followed. For the renegade queen confessed to everything and threw herself upon the mercy of the tribunal. 

The question remaining now is what will be done with the prisoners. Who will make that decision is yet a mystery. 

The Fairy Diary Day 653 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

I had my talk with Merlin about my concerns regarding the tenseness in Dunfallon’s “army.” The wizard stopped to consider my statement and after a passage of silence he told me that I was right. And he called for Navril. 

Merlin’s solution was simple. He asked the elvish Captain to move both of his contingents further away from the wagon and to have them maintain that distance for the time being. 

Navril was quick to comply and almost immediately I noticed that that sense of tension drained from the soldier less weapons surrounding the wagon. 

In one sense I was relieved – but a thought nagged at me – was this a confirmation that there were traitors amongst the elves?

The return of Dunfallon on Cluyjil interrupted my meditation. He brought with him another worry. Not for anything he had seen, but the voice from his ring had again spoken. It warned of danger ahead on this road and told him that safety lay only if we took the right hand road at the next fork. 

We called Rumble over and he consulted his map. All he could tell us was that it indeed will bring us around to a different approach to Gilgorgon’s mountain but we would lose a day. 

We laid the matter before Merlin. He told us that his seers stone had already confirmed this to him, but he added that we needed to send Dunfallon on to Gilgorgon to advise him on our change of route. 

So, at the fork, the pixie left us to take our request to the dwarves and Noralei directed Rayjil to follow after Navril’s elves who were already ahead on the chosen road. 

The Fairy Diary Day 647 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

I traded off with Dunfallon taking Cluyjil up to look out for ambushes ahead on the road. I remember thinking on my first stint what a motley collection we must seem – the dragon Rayjil pulling the wagon under Noralei’s direction – Merlin seated up front with her – little Clemjil, walking along with them – the floating presence of Dunfallon’s army flanking both sides of the wagon, (most heavily grouped around the box containing the bell) – Navril’s forces split in two, (he was in the lead with one half and the other brought up the rear).

Anyone considering challenging us would have to be mad.

In my estimation we had the road to ourselves through the mountains. Though I could see some movement ahead coming across the plains, and headed towards us. Most likely merchants on their way to Corbelin.

During those times when Dunfallon’s turn on Cluyjil came around, I sat atop the box containing the Crack of Doom. It gave me a better view than when riding forward with Noralei and the wizard. Though I did trade places with Merlin on those occasions when he wanted to consult his seers stone.

It was on one of those occasions that I heard humming coming from the inside of the renegade queen’s cage. Noralei had created cloth covers for the cages, to keep them away from the prying eyes of passersby.  I lifted one edge of the cover and the queen stopped her humming, stared at me and stuck out her tongue. I dropped the cover back in place.

The look on my face drew a chuckle from Noralei and she told me that I needed to ignore her – and to guard myself from any incantations.

The Fairy Diary Day 638 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

I escorted the renegade queen up into the tower. Once there Merlin offered to look at her wings, and while she submitted I took over monitoring the seers stone for the wizard.

I could see that Captain Goff was maintaining his lead over the approaching line of ice crystals. I winced with the thought that if it were to catch up, the ship would be crushed under the pressure of the burgeoning ice. Then, I saw that Nora was lending a hand. He was circling the ship constantly, churning up the water and preventing it from going solid, and seemed to be enjoying himself immensely.

Then, that thick line of blue fairies halted its forward movement and came to rest on the ice floes. 

With the morning they were still motionless. They looked exhausted. And one lone Frost Fairy stepped out of the pack and with ceremony sheathed his sword.

I told Merlin that we needed to go out there to meet with them. He gave me permission and added that we should take the dragons. I had turned to leave, but he called me back. 

“I think you should go under your own guise,” and he removed all of our blue disguises.

We left Clemjil with Gibley (still recovering) as he guarded our prisoners. Dunfallon selected Cluyjil, who then led Noralei on Rayjil, and myself on Conjil out to the waiting blue masses. (It was good to be back in our own skins).

We passed over our ship, then outdistancing the static line of frozen water. Nora broke off and began to follow behind us.

One by one we landed on the ice floe in front of that lone figure. He asked us directly, “Where is our king?”

With those thousands of eyes on us, we were silent for about sixty wingbeats. Then, I answered him, “Your king is no more.”

They answered us with silence also, but then cheers erupted from the front and carried all the way back into the distance, culminating in a unified shout of exultation.

I proposed that this fairy, their new choice for leader accompany us back to the tower for a conference. And I had him mount up on Conjil behind me. The warmth from my pendants has me expecting a fortunate outcome to this new development.

The Fairy Diary Day 631 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Captain Goff was unrelenting in his drive to save his ship. Before we could seriously examine our surroundings all hands were called to save her. 

Most manned the pumps to expel the water weighing her down. Gibley remained atop Conjil and together could do nothing other than pull on the ship to keep it on the surface. In sympathy Nora swam by their side. 

As we kept at the pumps, Merlin seemed curiously unconcerned for our plight. When I went to his cabin to check on him, he turned to me and said, “Carry on. I have total faith in your abilities.” Then he resumed his study of his seers stone. Curiously I noticed that he had my scroll and my diary open on the table beside the object of his study. 

As we gained momentum on the flood, Dunfallon asked to be relieved to check on his “army.” He was fearful some may have been lost overboard. The Captain released him from his station at the pump, and the pixie called a muster roll for his troops. 

After Gibley secured Conjil back aboard, Merlin returned my items to me with the request to check the latest message on the scroll. Emminie had written that the Frost Fairies were in retreat and the two dragons that had appeared in their support had flown away to the west. 

So, the wizard’s guess had proven right. 

And off in the distance was an island like I had seen in the seers stone. With a tower atop a mountain. 

The Fairy Diary Day 630 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

We arrived at what we believe to be the passage through this endless barrier of islands and shallow water. All indications – the voice from Dunfallon’s ring – my pendants- and the seers stone – agreed that this is the way we are to go. 

This time Gibley took Conjil up and scouted ahead. Upon his return the goblin pronounced the middle of the channel adequate for the passage of our vessel. He also reported a strange reflection on the face of the water – a series of rungs on a ladder that continued up the expanse of the sky. 

Merlin sprang up at this news and called for Conjil to be harnessed to the ship. And said simply, “We are going up!”

Gibley and Noralei saw to that task. And Dunfallon went to check on his “army.”

I do believe that Conjil divined what was expected of her, and submitted readily. 

Captain Goff pointed the ship into the channel with the help of Rumble and me. Gibley atop Conjil went over the side and they swam to the front. And like the time before with the wagons, the wizard waved his staff and the dragon and the ship slipped from the water and rose into the sky on the ethereal ladder which we could then see was a flow of water cascading down from above. 

A cry came from behind us, “Wait ! Take me too!”

It was Nora the water horse. And Merlin with Noralei’s help roped him along side. 

We passed through some rain, then a cloud, and then an absolute deluge before surfacing upon another vast ocean.

The Fairy Diary Day 627 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Gibley has declared himself over his seasickness. He has also learned “the ropes,” as it were. Captain Goff is pleased with his progress and is doubly pleased that he can pull his own weight about the ship. 

Since the goblin could fill in for me on the watch with Dunfallon, I was free to take Conjil up to reconnoiter the islands ahead. However, the pixie came to me and asked permission to go in my place. The voice from his ring was insistent about going up for a look around. 

I put him off by telling him he could go up tomorrow. Last night, I had a sighting from the seers stone that I felt I had to look for. There was a high tower-like rock atop a mountain that looked to be a perfect spot for the Crack of Doom. 

So, with the Captain’s blessing and another cautionary word from Merlin, I took the dragon up. 

It was a perfect day for flying. From the deck of the ship it had been beautiful, but from above it was glorious. Conjil soared with exhilaration, yet remained responsive to my touch. 

We maintained a high altitude. I thought it best, given Merlin’s instruction. The islands we came over first were numerous. And may prove a problem to navigate through. And none of them possessed anything like the mountain from the seers stone. I turned back in frustration. 

The Fairy Diary Day 626 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

I thought that Conjil was going to be the next victim of seasickness. She looked a little unsteady to me and had no appetite- even for some fresh fire plants. But Noralei thought she only needed to spread her wings. And after she got permission from the Captain, she took her up. (Gibley was still getting over his malady, so he gladly gave place to Noralei). 

Upon their return Conjil looked fine and folded herself back into her space on the deck. Noralei then met with Merlin and me to tell us that from above they could make out a string of islands about three days away, and an even larger landfall about triple that distance away. 

This was welcome news. And was an indication of a better use of the dragon’s abilities rather than towing the ship. It should prove helpful in locating our former queen as with the seers stone we only have a general direction. 

I want to go up on her tomorrow to see if I can recognize anything I have seen via the seers stone. Merlin has reservations about getting too close and will allow it only if I exercise extreme caution. 

The Fairy Diary Day 622 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Dunfallon looked a might bleary eyed to me after a night of staring into the seers stone. I can only wonder what I look like today. 

We did come up with some interesting observations to report to Merlin. But we could not find him. According to Rumble he had gone out to hire some crew for the ship, but a check by Dunfallon with the tavern where he was holding a rendezvous for sailors revealed no wizard. The proprietor confirmed that Merlin had indeed been there, but had gone off with the only sailor who had showed up. 

We did not think anything further about it, believing that the wizard would return soon. Instead we applied ourselves to plotting out our discoveries on maps with the help of Rumble. 

This definitely served to solidify our thoughts about the location of our former queen. So, when at last Merlin returned to the inn we were able to share our discoveries with him. 

I allowed Rumble to make the report for us.  And he meticulously pointed out that the various sightings of the queen coincide with the movements of the Frost Fairies in their incursions. And though we were certain that she is in the western isles we should not overlook the evidence of that foul alliance.