Cave's End

It was early in the day in the meadowlands. On all sides of the fields tall Oak and Ash trees swayed in a gentle breeze. The fairies and elves swung all about in the branches, leaping onto leaves, swooping and coasting down into the grassland below. In the grass the wild flowers grew. There were daisies, yellow snapdragon, Queen-Annes-Lace, wild rose, tiger lilies . . . and all about them the fairies played.

Busy bees buzzed about the flowers, occasionally a swallow swooped and glided across the fields, jackrabbits hopped about in search of field mice.

At the far end of this lovely paradise there was a blue lake and on it's shore stood a blue glass palace; the home of Sylvan, the Fairy King.

Into this lovely paradise of beauty and joyful play came storming the dragon. Like a monstrous, raging bull he came tearing into the fields intent upon finding the Fairy King Sylvan before the Prince would arrive. With every bellowing roar a stream of fire shot across the sky, setting fire to trees and bushes and grass. The fairies tried to fight back. They gathered drops of water from the lake, carrying them high into the air and dropping them over the burning ground.

The dragon flew upwards towards this cloud whipping his leathery tail about, dispersing the cloud. This was more than the little people could overcome, so they fled to the palace, hoping to be saved by the magic of their King.

Into the blue glass palace the little people swarmed, and at their heels charged the ferocious beast. The dragon whipped his tail against the palace, but it would not break. He breathed fiery fumes but it would not melt. He scratched and beat at all parts of the palace, but he could not even scratch it, for the palace was a thing made by magic.

The dragon stomped around the grounds of the palace looking into the windows and testing the doors. As he returned to the front, the front doors flew open and he walked in. As he entered the inner courtyard, he found no living thing, for all creatures that had run to the palace were now quietly streaming outside, through the back entrance.

When all the little people were safely outside, Sylvan took the magic scepter and spun a magic spell. With a touch of the wand against the palace walls, the palace shrunk to the size of a button. Frozen inside was the nasty dragon.

All the fairies, elves, dwarves, and even the animals roaming about rejoiced at the sight. A mushroom elf thought he would be daring and started to pick the blue stone up. Sylvan stopped him before he could touch it.

"Do not touch the stone!" commanded Sylvan. The dragon is captured as long as none of the little people touch the stone. This is my warning to you. The dragon is imprisoned in this stone by a magic spell. Where there is a spell there is a counter spell and it is thus read: ' Whoever of the fairy folk touches this stone shall be captured within it and the one imprisoned shall be freed!'"

As Sylvan spoke these words, the Prince walked out from the trees leading the unicorn and the sleeping maiden. The Prince approached Sylvan, lifted the maiden from the back of Kai and laid her gently upon the ground. A troll nurse leaned over the maiden and placed a hand on her forehead. "She is so cold," the nurse remarked. "I'm afraid she may sleep for a while."

"I can see," said the Prince, "that I have come too late."

Sylvan reached his hand out and, opening it, showed his brother the blue stone with the Dragon embedded inside. The Prince had hoped that Sylvan would be able to cure the maiden of her ailment by using the magic scepter, but it's power was fading.

"Your time to fight the dragon will come, Prince," he said, " but not yet. You must take the maiden to a safe place where no harm will come to her. Great good will come of this my dear brother, do not be forlorn."

Sylvan then turned to the wee folk of the meadowlands. "I must go and hide this stone," he said. "Remember, if ever any of you should chance to find it, do not touch it. If you do you will become captured within it and the dragon will be set loose. I must go away for a time. Do not forget me, I am always with you. Be not afraid. I will return bye and bye."

The little people were stunned and silent. Why must their beloved King leave them? They watched as Sylvan walked off into the forest, disappearing through the trees. Little did they know what he had done. He had broken the vow he had made to his father the King; never to use the magic scepter to harm any living creature. The magic was fading from the scepter but worse still, Sylvan was becoming as he had been in childhood; a stone person. He had to find a hiding place for the stone, far from his beloved people, and this he had to do before he could no longer move.

The Prince lifted Sophia onto the back of Kai and walked off into the forest. He had to find a place where the maiden could sleep in peace, for what would be her fate if the crafty dragon should escape from the stone? He traveled till he came to a pond. There he stood by the edge of the waters. The pond was the home of a water nixie who lifted her head above the waters and spoke to the Prince.

"I can help you my fair Prince," she said. "I know the one and only place that is safe to keep the maiden. I will take you there and weave an enchantment around the maiden such that no person or creature shall find her. In return for my good work, my dear Prince, you must return here to this pond and remain with me forever."

The Prince believed he had no choice, so he agreed. The water nixie led him to a mountain cave where a river ran through. There he made a raft of fallen logs and upon this he placed the maiden. He bid farewell to Kai, who stood by the cave entrance.

"Go home now Kai," he said to the faithful unicorn. "We will be together again my friend. When it is time I will call you."

Kai watched as the Prince and the water nixie climbed upon the raft, watched as the waters carried them to that mysterious place where Sophia would be kept safe. Then Kai galloped off and, lifting his snow-white wings soared up into the sky and back to his homeland.

The raft carried the silent passengers to a chamber deep in the hollows of the mountain. There the Prince placed his beloved onto a bed in a chamber at the end of the cave, and looked one last time at her lovely countenance. He kissed her, then followed the water spirit out. As they were leaving the nixie touched the waters that flowed near the edge of the chamber door. She said:

"Mists arise! Like the shadowland!
As silent as the space between stars
Should anyone enter these mists
They will be driven to madness!
Nothing shall break this enchantment
Except the dreaming of the fair maiden . . ."

The Prince returned with the Nixie back to her pond. There he was changed into a frog and had to abide as he had promised.

"We have stopped moving, Grandmama," said Asia.

"There are no more stories to tell for now," said Grandmama. "The stories have ended and the new ones have yet to be written."

Asia looked in the direction where they had been floating before the water stopped. The air was dense with mist and a darkness prevailed that sent shivers up her spine. It was frightening to look into such darkness, yet Asia wondered if this was the stream that the Prince had traveled down with the Nixie. She wondered if deep and hidden behind these mists slept Sophia. Asia was about to ask Grandmama if she wondered about this as well. However, there was a flashing through the mists. A sudden wind blew towards the raft and Asia cuddled close to the legs of the old woman.

"Be not afraid, my dear Asia," said Grandmama. "There is nothing to fear from this. It is but a new chapter in the story. You have nothing to fear."

Three dark shapes came screaming out of the darkness. They were witches; cackling and screeching past the old woman and Asia. As suddenly they appeared, as quickly they were gone. Once again the cavern was silent, even more silent than before.

"I want to go home now," said Asia.

"Yes, I believe it is time for you to go, Asia. For a while we will not see each other again, perhaps not until Cave's End."

As Asia drifted back through a window light, she wondered what Grandmama could mean by 'Cave's End'. As she gazed at the old woman on the raft, something flashing caught her eye. It was some golden glimmering letters written on the caves wall.

The voice of Grandmama spoke out as Asia lost sight of the cave, as she drifted onto her bed. The voice spoke the words written on the wall: 'She dreams!"