Grail

It seemed as if I had just closed my eyes when Peredur nudged me. I came awake with a start. 'Shh!' he warned, his face close to mine. 'Listen.'

There came a light, buoyant sound – such as the breeze might make of a summer's evening, or a rill as it slips and splashes through the glen – but the sound was made by a human voice, and I found it enchanting. Tallaght and Peredur were sitting all hunch-shouldered, their faces tight and swords half drawn.

'Have you never heard singing?' I said, climbing to my feet.

'Never like that,' Peredur murmured, regarding me strangely. Tallaght, too, appeared unnerved by the sound.

'Put up your blades,' I said, 'and let us find the creature making this delightful sound.'

The two obeyed reluctantly, and I wondered at their odd behaviour. Likely they had fallen asleep and the singing had wakened them out of a dream. However it was, I put the matter behind me and proceeded into the wood. The singing seemed to drift to us in fits and starts, which made locating the source more difficult than it might have been; just when we thought we had found the singer, the sound would stop, only to begin again slightly farther away.

'She is leading us into the forest,' I whispered to Tallaght after we had chased a while. 'You and Peredur go around' – I made a circling motion with my finger – 'I will drive her towards you, and we will catch her between us.'

'She?' wondered Peredur.

'A maid, most certainly,' I asserted. 'I have never heard a man who could sing like that. Now, then, let us see if we can catch this elusive songbird. Ready?'

The two nodded, and I started ahead once more; they waited until I had taken a few paces and then darted off the trail on the run. I proceeded at a slow but steady pace, taking care to make more noise than necessary in order to maintain the illusion that there were still three hunters in the chase. Walking along, listening to the lilting song drifting back to me, and watching the flickering patterns of sunlight on the path, I fell into a reverie. It seemed as if I walked not in dappled forest light in the heat of another dry day, but in the cool dawn of a fine misty morning. I fancied that I could even smell the sweet fragrance of spring flowers as I passed, though these were long since gone.

And then, all at once – so swiftly that it startled me – I stepped into a glade. There, on the grass before me, sat a beautiful young woman, flaxen-haired with tawny skin. She seemed to have fallen on the path, for she lay on one elbow and the mushrooms she had been gathering were scattered about her. Her mantle had risen, revealing a shapely leg. She was bare of foot and head; her golden hair was uncombed, but long and tightly curled, giving her the look of a wild thing.

My sudden appearance seemed to have surprised her, for she glanced up, catching her breath as her eyes met mine. Jesu save me, those eyes! – deep green and ever so slightly slanted, giving her a most beguiling aspect. She was dressed poorly; her mantle was smirched, the hem ragged; there were holes where it had been torn. Clearly, she had been digging with her hands, for the fingers of both were filthy.

She sat in surprise for a moment, her lips half parted, as if uncertain whether to scream. Seeing her agitation, I raised my hands to show I held no weapons and said, 'Peace, sister. I mean you no harm.'

She looked at me curiously, but made no move to stand or speak. I moved a step closer, and we looked at one another for a long moment. I had never seen eyes so clear and so green.

'Are you hurt?' I asked, bending low on one knee. 'Do you need help?'

Still she made no answer.

I was about to repeat the question when Peredur and Tallaght burst into the clearing. They were sweating and breathing hard from their run. They looked first to the young woman and then to me; Tallaght's bewilderment melted at once to relief, but Peredur stared, his expression growing strange.

'We have found our singer,' I said, and motioned the two of them closer. To the young woman, I said, 'You need have no fear. These men appear more fierce than they are.'

Glancing at the warriors, the girl hastily pulled her tattered clothing over her legs and began struggling to her feet.

'Allow me to help you,' I said, leaning forward and offering my hand. She looked at my hand but did not take it. I said to the warriors, 'I think your rough looks have stolen her voice.'

Peredur's odd expression altered; his eyes showed white all around. He appeared distressed and confused, as if in terror for his life.

'Calm yourself, brother,' I said. 'There is no harm. See, we have upset the lady. To disturb one so beautiful is surely a sin.' Addressing the young woman, I offered my hand once more. With a quick glance to the others, she took it and allowed me to raise her to her feet.

'I am Gwalchavad,' I told her, and asked, 'What are you called?' She declined to reply, so I said, 'We are making for Urien Rheged's stronghold. Perhaps you would kindly show us the way?'

She regarded me closely, watching my mouth, then pointed through the trees to the west.

'And is it far?' I asked again. Without a word, she knelt and began gathering the mushrooms she had spilled onto the path. 'Here, men, help her. Perhaps she will lead us to the fortress.'

Tallaght stooped and commenced retrieving the mushrooms; Peredur, still staring, made no move. 'Well? Will you stand there gaping all day? Lend a hand,' I commanded. 'We must be getting on our way.'

He bent to the task with, it seemed to me, extreme reluctance. I could make no sense of the lad's strange behaviour. Had he never met a beautiful girl before? What manner of man allowed himself to be so unnerved by a pretty face and a comely foot?

We made short work of gathering the scattered mushrooms, which she received without a word and secured in a fold of her mantle. 'Now, then,' I told her, 'if you would not mind leading us to the fortress? We have business with your chieftain.'

She turned and started walking in the direction she had pointed. I started after her, advancing only a few paces, however, when Peredur called out, 'Wait! We should not leave the horses behind.'

I suppose that in the distraction of the chase, I had forgotten about them entirely. 'You and Tallaght fetch the horses and join us on the trail. I do not think the settlement can be far away.'

With that I turned and continued on. The young woman walked ahead of me, quickly, but pausing every now and then to glance over her shoulder to see if I was still behind. She moved so swiftly, I found it a chore to keep pace with her.

Gradually, the wood began to thin and the land to rise. And then we stepped from the trees into the full, bright sun. Cleared land lay before us planted in fields; the crops were withered, however, leaves and stalks dry and rattling listlessly in the sun. Beyond the fields, squatting atop the broad crest of the hill, stood the timber wall of the stronghold. A well-used track emerged from the wood not fifty paces from where I walked, and made its way to the fortress gate. I wondered how we had missed such a well-travelled road in our search.

The young woman halted just ahead of me, gazing at the stronghold. I moved to stand beside her, and she pointed to the place.

'I thank you for leading me,' I told her. We started across the field together, and had just reached the trail when I heard a shout behind us and turned; the young woman continued on without looking back.

Peredur and Tallaght emerged from the wood, leading my horse. They rode to where I stood waiting. 'The trail led from the glade,' explained Tallaght. 'I cannot understand how we missed it before.'

'Nor can I,' added Peredur.

'Well,' I replied, 'at least we will not have to search for it on our return.' Taking the reins from Tallaght, I said, 'You can go ahead, if you like. I will walk with our guide.' At this, both warriors exchanged uneasy glances, but I ignored their odd behaviour and quickly joined the young woman on the trail.