The Fairy Diary Day 645 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Captain Goff joined us for the morning meal in the inn. The only one not with us was Dunfallon, who could not bring himself to leave the ship unprotected by his absence. 

And probably for good reason. The captain had some disquieting news. Rumors were rampant around Corbelin stemming it is believed from factions sympathetic to our prisoners. He fears that an attempt will be made to seize them from us. He advised us to depart as soon as possible.

We sent Rumble off to see if he could buy back one of the wagons he had sold here. Noralei went off to see to the needs of our dragons. And I took a meal down to Dunfallon and recounted the news and our decisions to him.

When Merlin came aboard, he immediately went below to visit the prisoners. After he emerged he went to Noralei who was then feeding Clemjil, and asked her to fashion cages for the renegade queen and the Caretaker, like those she had made for the Will’o’the Wisp.

By the afternoon, Rumble returned and he had with him the very wagon we had used before to transport Dunfallon’s “army.” It should handle the bell and the prisoners with no problem. And the pixie intends to keep his soldier-less weapons out of their boxes, ready and moving under their own power.

I pointed out a couple suspicious characters to Rumble and Dunfallon, whom I had seen repeatedly pass back and forth by the ship. They gave a wide berth around Cluyjil who was snoring in the late afternoon in his place on the quay. He startled awake once, and I was amused to see the suspect pair scatter.

Before we prepared for the evening meal, Noralei returned, bearing one newly fashioned cage. She gave it to the wizard for his approval. He did and she will make the other tomorrow.

I could not bring myself to stay in the inn overnight but decided to stay aboard the ship with Dunfallon.

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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 623 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Revellers filled the streets throughout the day for the moon flower bloom festival. Dunfallon asked permission to join his elvish friends in the celebration. But I asked him to hold off until our preparations shipboard were complete – at least those of his responsibility – seeing to it that his “army” was safely stowed aboard. I wanted to have everything prepared for our departure tomorrow, pending of course, the return of Noralei and Gibley and the dragon, Conjil.

 The pixie soon completed his task in record time – and was about to go off to seek his friends, when I thought of another important task. While Rumble went off to dispose of the wagons, which we no longer needed, I asked Dunfallon’s help to fashion a dragon harness to pull our vessel. He agreed as it was rather a simple task, for he just recovered the harness used with the wagons, and rigged up a device to which it could be attached to the ship.

Dunfallon was putting the final touches to this, when Merlin returned with a sailor in tow. We both recognized our former shipmate, the elf Goff. The wizard announced that he would be the captain of the ship. And for his part Goff declared that he was encouraged to have such an experienced crew as Dunfallon, Rumble, and myself. And when I told him that Noralei would also be in our crew, he smiled with satisfaction.

After looking over the ship, our new captain declared it ready and dismissed us all to partake in the celebration of the moon flower festival.

Rumble and Dunfallon gladly went off, accompanied by Goff. As Merlin was staying with the ship, I chose to stay with him and talk over the coming voyage.

The Fairy Diary Day 618 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

I wrote to Merlin that we would be underway as soon as preparations were completed. And informed him that we had taken precautions to protect Conjil from being summoned from us. 

I closed with a rundown of our accomplishment here and all that it will mean for the future relations between the Dromadil pixies and the Sprites. 

Today we bid farewell to Nora. He left with some of the Sprites who wanted to continue their exploration. In a short time they have become fast friends. Noralei did tell him before parting, that we will be headed for the coast around Corbelin and that it would be wonderful to see him there. 

Conjil was overjoyed to see us. So much so that she did not mind being harnessed to the wagons again. With everyone in place we were about to set out, when the Dromadil king stopped us – but only to thank us and to bid us farewell too. 

Gibley started her out but then she headed straight for the rainbow on her own volition and mounted that color-filled road. 

It felt good to be in the air and not knocking around underground. 

We came down off the rainbow in the hills above Corbelin. But there was no wizard in sight – nor anywhere around. 

We decided to pass the night here and I tried to contact Merlin through my scroll. 

The Fairy Diary Day 607 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

We settled on all our arrangements last night. Since Dunfallon and I wanted to take Conjil to retrieve Willie it had to be with Gibley. Noralei and Rumble were to remain behind with the wagons. 

After we had presented our plan to the Dromadil king he heartily endorsed it. And was even more elated when he learned about Noralei’s skills. With the promise of a good reward, she accepted his offer to refit his dungeon cells while waiting. 

I do believe that Conjil was most happy to be on the wing again and unencumbered by the wagons. When Gilgorgon’s mountain came in view I noticed our pixie cast a longing glance in its direction, but to his credit it did not linger long. 

It’s strange to admit to a similar longing once we landed near Willie’s domain. Being so close to Nonin-gal-dith and not stopping in left me with pangs of longing. Something that I had not experienced in quite some time. I had more time to reflect on this while Gibley and I waited for Dunfallon to return with word that we were welcome within the Wisp’s sanctuary. 

As for Gibley he was struck by the beauty – and the melancholy of the place. And he was eager to see more once we were called in.  

Willie was glowing quite healthily and looked quite contented with himself upon first view. But then surprised us completely when he said, “I’m not going!”

This before we even asked him. 

The Fairy Diary Day 601 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Since we completed our tasks, we have little to do until Merlin’s return. Dunfallon had his ’army’ back in their boxes and on the wagons. The wound on Conjil’s foreleg looked better but had yet to close. Noralei kept a poultice on it. There was a concern that she will not be ready come time to pull the wagons. 

Rumble and Navril recovered a good deal of our arrows and restocked our quivers. I helped a bit at the end. 

We did not see Gibley much around the camp. I believe he was off by himself to deal with his indigestion in private. 

I wanted to be alone too, so I wandered down to the edge of the abyss and sat there staring into its depth – hoping to catch sight of the wizard returning to us. Merlin caught sight of me first instead. He sat down beside me and handed me a scroll.  I recognized it as belonging to the High Fairy. Merlin told me he had found it in the area beneath the village of the Sprites. And besides a few broken mining tools that is all he found. 

He accompanied me back to our camp and there announced to us that he must find out what has happened to his excellency. We all wanted to go with him, but he would only accept Navril’s offer – as there was a possibility that the High Fairy was somewhere in the territory of the elves. 

As for the rest of us, he asked us to travel to Dromadil and inform the Sprites in exile there that it was now safe to return to their homes. 

Then after acceding to Noralei’s request to look at Conjil’s foreleg and treating and closing the wound, the wizard and the elf departed. 

The Fairy Diary Day 594 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Merlin joined me in the Caretaker’s office and retrieved the seers stone and secreted it somewhere within his robe. I had nothing further to report from my monitoring. He told me to get prepared for he had chosen me to accompany him as soon as the dragon and wagons were got underway, we would go on ahead. 

Navril with Noralei’s help, finished up their work on a harness for Conjil with which to pull the two fully loaded wagons hitched together in line. It took just a short while to acclimate the dragon to this new arrangement. Then she seemed quite eager to proceed.  

Gibley and Noralei took their positions on Conjil. Navril climbed aboard the first wagon behind them; and Rumble and Dunfallon clambered aboard the second. The wizard instructed them to make for the base of the rainbow that had touched down on the road ahead. He waved his staff over the wagons as they passed by and they began to float behind the dragon. Merlin told Gibley to follow the rainbow all the way to the village of the Sprites where he and I would meet them. 

Satisfied when they were off, Merlin turned to me, tapped my shoulder and in the blink of an eye we were standing at the other end of the rainbow – somewhere to the north of the Sprites’ village. 

The wizard proposed that we look around until our friends arrive. 

The Fairy Diary Day 84 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

We were stuck for quite some time waiting under cover while a caravan of humans passed by on a road. They were traveling with all their possessions in wagons and carts and some with just packs on their backs. Looking at the great number of them caused me to wonder what had them on the move. 

We crossed the road during a long break in their column and once on the other side I had Rumble wait with the guards while Dunfallon and I shadowed the next group of humans. 

That is how I satisfied my curiosity. We learned that the poor creatures have been run off of their lands by an enemy that may be the same as ours. 

If so, that may mean the darkness has changed fronts.

The Fairy Diary Day 15 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

My pendant has glowed brighter and warmer today. So I am confident I am closing in on Rumbletwist. 

There have been no further messages from the High Fairy which makes me happy. Another indication that I am where I need to be. What I would like is a little more direction as to what to do when I catch up with Rumble. 

At least I know he cannot evade me with that cloak of his. And because he does not know that, I should be able to surprise him. 

At one point my progress was held up by the passage of some humans in wagons and on horseback. 

I would have chanced flying above them if not for the archer picking off birds in that vicinity.