The Fairy Diary Day 559 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

The rest of us had our instructions also. While Tinadell and Merlin remained in the chamber to monitor the strand as it paid out, we were each assigned to a dragon with our own tasks. 

Dunfallon left on Conjil with the assignment to meet Gibley when he emerges at the other end of the tunnel. Tinadell said it comes out at a lower level than the cavern from which we staged our searches. 

Noralei, on Rayjil, was appointed to retrieve the other strand anchored to the rock on the other side. I was to accompany them on Cluyjil and while she minded the loose end I was to make sure that it was not in danger of severing back along its exposed length. 

It was a quick transit without the constant harassment of the wind. Our two dragons grew somewhat frisky as they did not need to battle its turbulence at the mouth of the rift. I let Cluyjil have his head as he showed off for Rayjil by orbiting her and Noralei. But then reined him in the closer we approached the secured end of the other strand. 

After reaching our destination, Noralei pronounced the strand intact and sent me off to follow it back up to its source. This Cluyjil and I did. 

However, at the mouth of its small tunnel, I found a lot of slack in the line. Concerned I tugged on it and was glad when it at last pulled taut. 

I mounted Cluyjil to return to Noralei but stopped when my pendants signaled danger. I drew my bow and notched an arrow and shot into the dark opening. A worm slid out and died at my feet. 

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The Fairy Diary Day 557 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Finding Tinadell’s former domicile proved quicker than anyone thought it would be. Then, of course, we did have him with us. He even surprised himself by the ease with which he located it. 

The chamber with his weaving machines was large enough to accommodate all of us. And there mounted in a prominent place on the back wall was a gigantic spool with the most beautiful thread I have ever beheld – a match in color to the other end of the strand. 

Tinadell explained that by design – when the strand snapped, one end rewound onto this spool. We realized that we would never have found it on our own. 

We were excited to move on to the next step, but the master weaver reined us in and pointed to the other side of the chamber where the opening to a small tunnel lay. He said we must first thread this strand through the tunnel down to the rift. 

Gibley strode over and stood inside the opening, and seeing that he fit easily, volunteered to run the strand through the tunnel down to where it can be reattached. 

When we all heartily endorsed our friend’s bravery, the goblin snatched up the one end and would have set off right away if not for the intervention of Merlin. 

The wizard said we must first order our steps properly with a full understanding of how to go about this task. So he commanded us to sit down under Tinadell’s tutelage before setting things in motion. 

The Fairy Diary Day 556 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Our forays out to search for the other strand was cut short by the return of Dunfallon and Tinadell on Rayjil. Noralei on Conjil and I on Cluyjil spotted them as they came through the rift. We left off our searches and followed them into the enclosure where Merlin and Gibley waited. 

Before we could properly greet one another, Merlin separated Tinadell from the group, asking us to stay back. There with Tinadell the focus of our attention – the wizard examined him from the crown of his head to sole of his feet and then out to his very wingtips. 

Merlin then shared the substance of my dream and asked him directly if his evil self had attempted to contact him. 

Clearly, Tinadell was struck with horror at the thought and emphatically denied it. And after a moment’s further thought he asked a question himself – having heard from Dunfallon that the search was on for the strand with which he is to repair the gap – what was the current status of that search. 

I spoke up and told him we had one end but not the other. 

He turned to Merlin and said it was imperative that we find his former stone chamber for he believes the other end of the strand would have rewound into it. 

The wizard replied that it will be exceedingly difficult to find as the topography of this world has so changed. 

The Fairy Diary Day 555 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

I have had troubling dreams – always commencing with the sound of cackling reverberating off of stone walls. And I found myself inside the stone box inside the stone room that was Tinadell’s. And I could see both inside the box and outside as well – and Tinadell was pacing back and forth, wringing his hands.  

And I am left wondering what it all meant. 

It lingered with me each time I ventured forth on a dragon in search for the strand. It was becoming so distracting that I had to force myself to focus only on the task at hand. 

After my fourth trip, Gibley was just returning too. He brought tremendous news – he had found one end of the strand. The goblin left it anchored to a rock on the other side where he discovered it flailing in the wind. He reports that it is much smaller than he had imagined. So he feels the other end will be equally as hard to locate. 

Still we are all mightily encouraged by Gibley’s discovery and hold out hope that we will have the other end before Tinadell returns. 

When I was alone with Merlin I took the opportunity to converse with him about the details of my dream. Although he assured me that all my concerns in that matter were in the past, I could not shake the sense that his concern for them was reborn.