Meeting and Tea...

Arnie was beginning to think that maybe she was in over her head.  "Oh, for the old days of just being a Borrower," thought Arnie.  With all of the talk about how to stop the Dragons from whatever their purpose was in returning to the Realm of Wymsy and what was Aralt's goals was making her almost wish for those days again.  "Be quiet and try not to be noticed," she  thought to herself as she stood in the tea room at the Baron's Mansion.  

​"As a Borrower, I would never had been invited into such a grand place like this," she knew.  "As a Finder, the others actually want me around."  It was a good feeling but with that feeling came a responsibility.  Now others relied on her and asked her opinions and thoughts.  "That is better and I like this feeling of being needed," she finally decided as her attention returned to what the others were talking about.

"... and then Nutmegg told us that he would try to bring his leader, named Allspice, here to meet with you," Dree finished telling the Dowager and Baron.  "That would be very good," Griselda answered.  "Hopefully King Dulbbe and Queen Ffion will arrive before they do."  Nodding his head, the Baron agreed with his mother.  "Maybe this will give us another advantage over the Dragons," he said.  "With Dree's Oracle and the help from SPICE, we might just be able to outmaneuver Siate' and her herald."   

As they waited, tea and cookies were served while the Dowager sat with Arnie telling her what she needed Arnie to find.  "I have things that have been missing for a long time, and anything you can help me find would be greatly appreciated.  Since the Goodie sisters gave you their cottage, you won't be so far away and can visit when you want," the Dowager was telling her. 

​ The others were looking over the Oracle and discussing what questions to ask it and what more could they learn from the Moon Dragon who created it.  "I feel that we don't have much time before Siate' and Aralt do whatever they are planning," Dree told the others, "So I think we need to decide what questions to ask the Oracle otherwise we might end wasting a lot of time.  As much as I would like to know my kin's past, we need to focus on what is happening now."  The others agreed and as they continued their discussion, Fiddlefaddle entered the tea room with King Dulbbe and Queen Ffion.  Shortly they were brought up to date on what was found in the Gooblin King's treasures and the meeting with Nutmegg.  As Fiddlefaddle was refreshing the tea, the other guests arrived and were shown into the tea room.

"Hello.  I am Nutmegg," said the Hobb-goblyn as Dree and Drat nodded their heads in greeting.  "This is my boss, Allspice." 

​It was the Dowager who started the conversation.  "Greetings Nutmegg and Allspice.  Welcome to our home.  Dree tells us that you are SPIs whose goal is to return those who suffer from a Wish Dragon's mis-enchantment." 

​"I am not sure I understand what might cause mis-enchantments as we did not have that problem when the Wish Dragon's were here before.  We just had to watch how  literal they could be was our problem with the Wish Dragons," the Dowager said.  "If someone asked for a gold mine, they might find themselves in the middle of a mountain somewhere surrounded by gold but not able to return with it.  What is a mis-enchantment?" she asked.

"That is a good question, madam.  Let me see if I can explain," answered Allspice.  "With a mis-enchantment, a wish granted by the Wish Dragon may be successful but sometimes others in the area of where the wish was granted just up and disappear.  We just recently recovered one of these victims who described the place he was transported to as the World of Whispers.  Apparently it is a white glistening world that time does not hold.  As Lil' Boots was there for a long time and never had to sleep or eat.  Those trapped there could be heard but only as a whisper on the wind.  We don't know why there are mis-enchantments, but we have found a way to bring them back.  Sometimes when they return they are changed in some way but after visiting one of our Fae healers, they usually return to how they were before."

"And how do you bring the mis-enchanted back?" asked Drat.  Allspice and Nutmegg looked at each other and it was Allspice who decided to tell the others their secret.  "We provide the Dragons with Ambrosia.  They love the taste and when a Wish Dragon belches, we usually get someone back.  The only problem is that it takes a lot of Ambrosia to make it work and that takes time to brew."  

​After the silence that followed the explanation, it was Drat and Dree who started laughing first.  Soon the laughter was infectious and everyone was snickering.  "Imagine, a burping Dragon," laughed Drat.  "Now I know what to get you to drink the next time you start those bad knock, knock jokes," the rat said to Dree.

When the laughter was contained, Dree spoke.  "I think it is time to ask the Oracle our questions and now I think I know what to ask it," he said as he started to open the bag that held the magical trinket.