Flight of the Swan

97 7 2

by permafrost

by permafrost

Written on 21 Nov 2011.

Flight of the Swan

Warrun watched his last man fall to the ground with a thud. He cursed under his breath and wiped perspiration off his eyebrow. Though exhausted, he was still going to carry on with the fight. Gripping his sword tightly, he stood tall and awaited for the Enchantress' next command.

Then came a cackle. "Well, well, aren't our little Prince determined. You still have a chance to give up, do you know that?"

"No, I will not let go of Fionn. Stop with the talk and tell me what I have to do next to get her back, Witch," Warrun spat. Yes, there was no way, no way he could let his betrothed get captured by the Enchantress for all eternity.

This scheme was a way for her to get revenge. The King and Queen had made a terrible mistake by deciding to send all magic wielders into exile, but they had thought it was necessary as they deemed magic as something evil. For that, they would have to pay.

"Oh, it's just one last round to go, dear Prince."

The scene immediately changed. Dead soldiers disappeared, and so did the room. All of it seemed to be sucked into a dark abyss of nothingness. For a time, Warrun was engulfed in shadows, but then suddenly came light.

Alas, it was a place filled with sunshine and many wild things. Deers skipped, horses galloped, and in the distance, Warrun could hear the sound of pounding -- a waterfall. For once since three days ago, he felt at peace as he listened to the birds warble their own melodies.

Warrun shook his head. This is not the time to be tricked by her artifice. "Why did you bring me here?" he called out.

There was a bright purple light as a figure formed right in front of his eyes. Brighter the orb did become, until finally, with one last flash, there she stood -- the Enchantress. She had bright, purple eyes which seemed to be able to captivate anyone under her gaze. Her long, blonde hair reached down to her ankles, and her white dress with swirls of royal purple made her look all the more the most beautiful lady any man could ever lay their eyes on.

Warrun got into his ready position and held his sword in front of him, looking threateningly at the female. Fionn would always be the prettiest girl alive to him.

"Now, now, don't be too rash." She glided towards him. "We'll just have a little test." She moved her opened palm elegantly to her side. "Shall we?" With that, she moved forward. Warrun followed cautiously behind.

They entered a clearing, and up front was a huge lake, the place where the waterfall's plunge pool was located. Waddling about in the waters were two swans -- one as white as the moon, the other as black as the darkest of nights. They continued on with their business, not seeming to have noticed the presence of the two intruders.

Warrun looked to the Enchantress with a puzzled look. She laughed. "Aww, don't you look just adorable with that expression of yours?"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Stop wasting time and tell me what I have to do!" he shouted through clenched teeth.

After giving a sigh of pure annoyance, she said, "Fine." The Enchantress pointed to the two creatures. "One of them is your lover. You only have one chance, my Prince. Choose either one of them. However, if your first choice goes wrong, -" She smiled wickedly. "- you'll have to say goodbye to her. You have until dusk to ponder upon this." And with a snap of her fingers, the Enchantress vanished.

Prince Warrun stared at the two swans swimming about on the surface of the sparkling waters. He sat down, laid his sword beside him, and started to think, his eyes darting from the white, to the black and back to the white again repeatedly.

It was difficult for him. Once he had made up his mind on one, new doubts started to form in his mind, which then caused him to change his choice again. He wanted to shout out to the sky and ramble aloud, but it was inappropriate for a person of such high status to do so. Moreover, Fionn was there. Making a bad impression was not wise. Then, something caught his eye: the white swan had done something, and the thing it did allowed Warrun to finally make up his mind on which swan Fionn was.

When the Enchantress finally appeared at dusk, the time when the first star started to shine, she asked him mockingly, "So, which one is she, Prince Warrun?"

With one deep intake of breath, he uttered confidently, "The black swan."

"Why? The white swan looks more beautiful, doesn't it? So why the black swan?"

Warrun looked over to the black swan. Why, really? "The white swan is definitely one of a kind. Its feathers are so bright and it constantly reminds me of the wings of an angel. If I want to compare Fionn with either of the swans, certainly, I will compare her with the white swan. However, -" He turned to face her. "I do not believe in choosing on something based on its beauty. I saw it, when the white one tried to attack the black one just now, once, and the black did not retaliate through violence but just swan away. Even though the white swan is beautiful, it does not have a good heart, and Fionn has a good heart."

The Enchantress hurramphed and grinned. "And for that, you are right, my dear Prince. You can have your lover back." She gave her hand a small movement. On cue, the black swan grew taller and thinner until finally, Fionn, a girl with black hair and green eyes appeared in place of the black swan. She was not beautiful. Many years ago, she was caught in a fire, and the fire had burnt her face, leaving an ugly mark. The girl stared at her fingers, not believing that she had returned to human form.

Warrun's heart beat rapidly at the sight of her. "Fionn!" He ran towards her, lifted her, and twirled her around in circles. Both of their laughters rang out musically throughout the forest.

"Prince Warrun, you do not have a bad heart like your parents," the Enchantress declared suddenly. The couple stopped to look at her. She smiled. "I look forward to the day you become King, my dear Prince." And once again, she was gone.