Strange though the lands had been across which Prince Radiance had
journeyed since he left his father’s kingdom, the one through which
the flame now led him was the strangest of all. At one time he thought
himself to be approaching a great palace, not brilliant and glittering
like the Palace of Burning Coals, but looming dark and forbidding
before his eyes. He wondered what manner of danger might await him
there; yet when at last he stood before it, it dissolved from before
his sight as though it had never been. And beyond him, hastening toward
a gloomy forest the flame of his Princess still seemed to lead on.
He reached the forest, and it, too, vanished into thin air, while
before him the pale flame steadily pursued its way.
A great black cave became visible in the distance. Soon the flame
reached it and disappeared into its mouth, yet when the Prince arrived,
no cave was there, and flitting on in silence went the unresting flame.
Thus he was deceived again and again, for whatever he saw was found to
be naught as soon as he reached it.
“Saw I never so curious a land!” murmured the Prince. “Surely but a
moment since I seemed to see a strange grey woman close by my side; yet
now she is gone.” He turned to assure himself of it, and as he did so,
a faint laugh echoed through the air.
“Ah! I was not mistaken after all,” he whispered. “Someone laughed!”
Again, yet farther off, he heard the same echoing laugh, but though
he looked sharply in the direction from whence it came, he still saw
nothing. Paying no further heed to it Prince Radiance traveled onward
with greater speed. Now at last he found that he was truly overtaking
the flame. At times it stood still, then went slowly on, but finally,
as if it meant to go no further it burned steadily in one spot.
“She waits!” exclaimed Radiance. “My Princess waits!” He ran to her,
his heart filled with dread lest she should again take flight. He
reached her, and opened his box in haste. He took the magic Veil from
its shelter, and shook its transparent folds over the waiting flame.
Instantly the flame vanished, and Radiance watched with eager eyes for
the appearance of his Princess in her true form.
But moment followed moment, the Veil drooped limp from his hand, and
though the flame was gone, the Princess did not become visible.
Perceiving that he had been deceived once more, Prince Radiance cried
aloud in his grief, “Alas! This also is nothing! I have followed a
false flame!”
Overcome with pain and discouragement, he dropped the Veil unheeded to
the ground, and buried his face in his hands.
A long grey shadow crept toward him from the gloom, and once more a
faint laugh broke the stillness. It was so near that it startled the
Prince, plunged though he was in distress. He took his hands quickly
from his eyes, and saw the creeping shadow, saw that with long arms
outstretched it sought to reach and steal the mystic Veil that lay
unprotected at his feet. Swiftly he bent, and snatched the Veil to
himself. He restored it to the golden box, and fastened the box safely
beneath his cloak.
“Ah!” breathed a voice from the shadow, “you were too quick for me.
I so much longed to see closely this wonderful Veil that Flying Soot
tells of.”
Prince Radiance, looking, saw the creeping shadow rise up and up until
it became a tall woman, young and beautiful, dressed in long grey robes
that swept in trailing webs from her arms and shoulders to her feet.
Her black hair fell straight to her knees; her eyes were very dark,
and looked as though they never smiled, although even now, the Prince
heard that strange laughter floating from her lips that had echoed in
his ears as he had pursued the flame that he had believed to be his
Princess.
He turned indignant eyes upon her. “Who are you that mock me thus?” he
demanded, wondering as he spoke whether this could be the Earth Fairy
in disguise.
The woman did not answer, but looked at him intently.
“Speak,” commanded the Prince. “Are you the wicked Earth Fairy, that
you laugh so heartlessly?”
“No Earth Fairy am I,” replied the grey woman. “I am the Shadow Witch,
and with me are all my servants.” She waved her arms, and out of the
gloom, as she herself had done, sprang a host of pale grey figures who
stood behind her murmuring, “Yes, we are her servants--her servants
the Shadows, who come and go at her behest.”
“And you it is, then, who have so cruelly deceived me, and lured me by
your false flame from following my Princess,” cried Prince Radiance to
the Shadow Witch.
“True enough,” she declared, “and why should I not?” She tossed her
black hair from her face, and continued. “I grow so weary in this Land
of Shadows, with none but my creeping servants about me, naught but my
own grey magic to fill my hours. Seldom does a stranger cross through
my land; more seldom have I a chance to look upon the magic of others.
All the tricks of my brother, the Wizard of the Cave, I know by heart.
I am tired of watching him play them day after day. Why should I not
lure you from your path if it gives me an hour of pleasure?”
“Surely you are the friend of the Earth Fairy,” exclaimed the Prince,
“and you have led me here to steal my fairy Veil if you can, but be
assured you will never obtain it in spite of all your craft.”
The Shadow Witch, who had bent her eyes upon the ground, raised them
now, and turned upon the Prince an earnest gaze as though she rejoiced
to look upon him. “I am no friend of the Earth Fairy,” she answered
quietly. “She is nothing to me. I will tell you fully if you wish
to know, why it is that I have brought you here. Of late as I sat
unobserved in a corner of the Wizard’s Cave, where my brother dwells,
I saw Flying Soot come in, and heard him say that he had work for my
brother to do, if he was willing. What could that mean but mischief? I
crept close, yet taking care lest I should be seen, and listened keenly
that I might lose nothing. Thus I learned all that Flying Soot had to
tell him concerning yourself and Princess White Flame, and about the
Veil that the Earth Fairy claims that you have stolen from her.”
“Nay,” interrupted the Prince indignantly. “If she says that she tells
a wicked falsehood. The magic Veil is a gift to me from the Wise One.
The Earth Fairy has never even beheld it.”
“However that may be,” answered the Shadow Witch, shaking out her
grey sleeves, “she means to wrest it from you, and my brother has
promised to help her. You may take my word for it that his help is not
to be despised. I heard Flying Soot suggest also that he should get me
to assist in the matter, but the Wizard replied, ‘Nay, you need not
trouble yourself to ask her. She can do nothing that is really worth
while.’ When he said that, I determined to cheat them both, and as you
see, I have done so.”
“Alas, that you should have succeeded,” cried Prince Radiance. “It may
be that even now my Princess is in the hands of your wicked brother.”
“Is then this Princess so dear to you?” asked the Shadow Witch softly.
“Ah, yes. So dear that no witchcraft of yours shall be able to keep me
from her,” exclaimed the Prince.
“Yet she is no more than a flame, and a voice,” murmured the Shadow
Witch.
“But such a voice as none have ever heard before, and such a flame, so
pure, so white, that I wonder how I could have been deceived by the
false flame of your contriving that has lured me here.”
The lips of the Shadow Witch curled in a smile. “I have much skill with
magic,” she said. “Beautiful may be the flame of your Princess, of
wondrous sweetness may be her voice, yet if you would consent to remain
in my land, I think I should be able to make you forget them both.”
“Nay,” replied Prince Radiance firmly, “that would never be.” Turning
from her, he sought to depart, but the Shadow Witch would not have
it so. She waved her long arms to her servants, and instantly they
surrounded him in so dense a barrier that he could not pass.
“You must hear me yet further,” cried the Shadow Witch. “I am not so
cruel, perhaps, as you think. It was not alone that I desired to cheat
my brother and Flying Soot, for when I saw your face so full of hope
and courage it cheered me as none had ever done before. Because of this
I would have saved you from his evil power. Well did I know that he
had promised not to harm the Princess, but I feared that you might not
escape in safety, and therefore I led you here. And then--besides--I
am so lonely in my kingdom.” She drew nearer, and held out her hands
beseechingly. Her pleading voice spoke on. “Oh if you would but stay
with me. I long for brightness, for light, for cheer. These you can
give me. Stay, ah stay with me, Prince Radiance. In my land you shall
be prince and ruler. Stay, and teach me to forget my witch’s tricks;
stay, and help me to learn nobler ways.”
Prince Radiance looked into the face of the Shadow Witch, and saw that
her eyes overflowed with tears. Gently he took her hand, gently he
answered her. “Though you have drawn me away from my beloved Princess,
I bear you no malice. Yet I cannot stay with you, for my heart follows
the Princess White Flame. I have sworn to deliver her, and to my vow I
give my life. You tell me that you are not cruel. Prove it then. Lead
me back to my Princess quickly; show me where to find this Cave where
your brother dwells.”
The Shadow Witch sighed bitterly and drew her hand away. “If I let
you go, you will never come again.” Silent she stood, wavering in
indecision, but at length she spoke quickly, “Yes--yes--I will let
you go. I will even do as you ask, and take you to the Cave myself,
for in this Land of Shadows you would wander long, and never find your
way.” Turning to her band of servants, she waved them back. “Go,” she
exclaimed. “Go, till I summon you again.”
With a flutter of grey garments they dissolved like mist at her
command. Then the Shadow Witch stretched her hand to Prince Radiance.
“Come,” she said. “Follow where I lead you, and you shall learn that I
spoke truly when I said that in this land there is one at least who is
not altogether unkind.”
Gratefully the Prince obeyed her, and before he could have believed it
possible, they stood together at the spot where he had begun to pursue
the false flame. A high black cliff rose before them. The Shadow Witch
pointed to it and said, “My brother’s Cave lies yonder. Enter that
wide opening in the cliff-side. Pursue the narrow way that leads from
it, and erelong you will reach the Cave Hall where he sits. Gladly
would I give you some weapon to use against him, but there is only one
that he fears, and alas, I do not possess it.”
“What weapon may that be?” inquired the Prince.
“It is the Sword of Flames,” she answered. “He has never seen it, but
its fame has reached him, and he knows well that before it his power
would be shattered.”
Prince Radiance smiled, and laid his hand upon his scabbard. “Then am
I well assured of victory,” he told her, “for the Sword of Flames is
here.”
“The Sword of Flames? You have the Sword of Flames?” exclaimed she.
“Ah, now you may meet him safely. And yet----” she warned him, “he is
clever, very clever. Beware lest he steal your strength from you and
overpower you before you are aware.”
“I will be watchful,” he promised.
“Farewell then,” she murmured, “and forget not the Shadow Witch.”
“Always will I remember you and be grateful,” replied the Prince. With
a wave of his hand he left her. Rapidly he mounted the cliff, and found
himself at the entrance to the Wizard’s Cave.
The Shadow Witch, who had remained below, watched him sadly until she
saw him disappear in the Cave’s mouth. Then she turned away to go back
to the Land of Shadows. But suddenly she changed her mind. Silently
she, too, climbed the cliff wall, trailing her long grey robes behind
her, and entered the Cave.
“My brother is so clever,” she muttered to herself, “and none know
his tricks so well as I. He shall not harm this Prince, no--nor the
Princess that he loves. I will go to make sure of it.”
[Illustration]