THE MUSIC BOX, THE STAFF AND THE MIRROR

CHAPTER 4

Suddenly he realised that the tunnel was higher and wider than the entrance to it had been. Those horsemen could never get through it running the way they were. Marc decided there could only be one reason for their mad dash towards destruction and started to walk towards them. The noise of their hoofbeats echoing around the tunnel was deafening. They were now so close that Marc could smell the horses. He closed his eyes and walked on. Then the noise was on top of him. He could feel the warmth of bodies, hear the shouts of men. He felt dust tickling his nose and in an instance all was quiet. He opened his eyes and looked around him. Not a horse to be seen, nor a horseman neither. They had been just images or ghosts, just as Marc had thought.

He came to the end of the tunnel and walked through the doorway into the next room. It was oval, with tunnels radiating from it on all sides. In the middle of the room stood a pedestal with a small box on top of it. Marc wondered if the tiny box really was the thing he sought. He had imagined something bigger. He looked around but none of the entrances had a musical instrument on them. The little black box on the pedestal had to be the music box. Marc went toward the pedestal. The moment he stood next to it the box opened and started playing and the deep, booming voice said, "You have proven yourself worthy. Take your prize and go back through the portals with a tree above them. Good luck."

Marc closed the box, took it down and put it in the game bag Belladonna had given him. He found the tree carved above a doorway and went through into the corridor beyond. It was only faintly lit but there was a brightness at the end of it. When he walked into the chamber beyond the tunnel Marc was stunned. The whole place was filled with jewellery: armbands, rings, necklaces, crowns with and without precious stones but all gold. Lying on top of the jewels or half stuck underneath were rolls of cloth in silk, satin and lace that vied in colour with them. Marc thought of taking some for his sweetheart but as he reached out his hand he thought he heard Granny's voice again, "… and the prince stuffed his pockets full of gold coins and precious stones and was turned into a golden statue to stand there for eternity. Jessamina cried. Another rescuer had failed. She was still imprisoned."

Before it could touch the gold, Marc pulled back his hand with a quick movement, as if he was stung.

"No, I'll only take what I came for," he said and left the treasure chamber.

He often remembered Granny's stories since meeting Belladonna. It was not that she was 'like' Jessamina; she 'was' Jessamina in everything but name. And he was her hero, just like he'd always imagined. It was as if Granny's tales were coming true for him. He passed two more rooms filled with even richer, more beautiful treasure and twice he ignored it. Running through the corridor to the next room, he wondered how many more chambers he would have to pass. He went through the doorway thinking he would enter another chamber filled with treasure and recognised the place where the voice had first spoken to him. He'd barely realised it when he heard the voice rumble, "Well done. You've won your prize. Good luck with it."

Marc saw the tree carving on top of the largest entrance. As he went through he heard the sound of stones scraping as the carvings slid back into position. Soon he was back underneath the hollow tree. The rope was still hanging down and Marc started climbing, shouting, "I've found it! I'm coming!"

While Marc had been searching for the music box, hours had passed and Belladonna had become impatient. She had been pacing up and down in front of the tree, had kicked it a few times and had muttered to herself, "Why isn't that fool coming back? It's not that difficult to find. Why do I have to rely on idiots like him?"

Then a noise came from the tree, "I've found it! I'm coming!"

"That accursed thing!" said Roughus. "It had been better if he'd never found it. Now he's going to give it to the sorceress and the moment he does he'll lose the youth of his voice. He'll sound like an age-old man, wheezing and croaking."

"No! Let it happen to me!" cried Hannah.

Marc crawled out of the hollow yew tree and gave the music box to Belladonna.

"Here you are, my love," he said. "What else can I do for you?"

His voice hadn't changed a bit but for a split second he felt a shiver when he looked at Belladonna.

She stroked his hair and said, "Will you help me find the staff that belonged to my father once? It is very precious to me."

"But of course my only, true love," Marc answered.

The magic that had ensnared him was back to its full strength. Marc was as smitten as ever.

When Hannah said to the bird, "Let's follow them again." her voice was old and cracked. It was painful too. Her throat ached with every word she spoke; as if she was swallowing needles and pins.

Hannah didn't complain about it, but Roughus heard her moan in her sleep that night and every night afterwards.

For days they walked on through the forest. They forded another narrow stream and entered a different place again. After the gnarled, old, hollow trees they had come to a very mixed forest. The forest floor was covered in ferns. Everywhere grew trees in all sizes, tall old trees and small young trees, waiting for an older tree to fall, so they could take its place. This was a thick forest full of life.

After a few days the terrain changed. It became rougher and rockier. The dense forest became lighter and lighter until trees became sparse. Hannah and Roughus could only hide behind the odd boulder or thorny bush. Although it was easier to follow Marc and Belladonna in this open country, it was impossible to get close enough to hear what they said to each other.

Finally, one day, towards the evening, a fortress could be seen on a hill in the distance.

Belladonna cried out, "Look, my love, our goal is near!"

It was loud enough for the echo to repeat it and Hannah and Roughus to hear it. The little bird flew up and saw Marc and Belladonna following a path that wound its way to the entrance of the fortress, but it also saw something more interesting.

"Hannah, the fortress is only a ruin," Roughus said; "There is a way for us to get there first. Come, follow me."

The bird led Hannah to left of the fortress, away from the road that Marc and Belladonna took. He showed her a more difficult but much shorter route to the fortress. More climbing than walking, Hannah reached the top of the hill. There she saw that the wall of the fortress had crumbled down and she entered the ruin unnoticed. Roughus had found a good hiding place for Hannah. She'd only just settled down comfortably when Marc and the witch entered the roofless room.

With a honey-voice Belladonna said, "Will you really get me my crystal staff, Marc? I would do it myself, but I'm afraid of the darkness in the dungeon. I couldn't bear it!" then she sobbed.

Marc held her and kissed her on the head.

"Don't worry, my love, I'll soon be back with your staff. You'll see."

"It's in the bottom cellar at the far end of the corridor. Go now, quickly." Belladonna, no longer sobbing, conjured up a lit torch and pushed Marc towards the dark, foul smelling entrance to the dungeons.