The Mammoth Book of Celtic Myths and Legends (58 page)

Time passed. The daughter of Godolphin soon grew bored with her morose and elderly husband, and the isolation of Castle Pengersick. Marec and his companion seldom visited the castle, preferring
always to be hunting or visiting at other palaces. Neither was there any sign of her becoming pregnant. This vexed the lady Pengersick and one day she called Venna, her maidservant, and asked for
some advice. Venna went to her aunt, the witch of Fraddam.

When she returned, she said this: “My aunt says that you are to seek out Marec and invite him here and be kind to him. The kinder you are, he and his comrade might visit more regularly and
cheer you in your solitude.”

“Marec!” snapped the daughter of Godolphin. “He is an uncouth boy who would rather chase hounds and ride wild horses than pass an hour in a lady’s bower. As for his
companion Utar, why, he is only a miller’s son and not fit for my company.”

But Venna, the witch’s niece, knowing what her mistress truly felt about Marec, promised that she would prepare a potion which, if Marec took it, would soon turn him into her humble slave
who would pine for her love.

So it came about that Marec was invited to a dinner, on the pretext that he should repair the relationship between his father and his father’s new bride. Marec came and Venna, who waited
on the table, was able to slip the potion into his drink.

Now it so happened that Venna, in her eagerness to please
her mistress, had forgotten one important thing. The potion had to be given by the person who wanted the attention
of him to whom it was given. So Marec turned love-sick eyes on Venna, who was a comely enough young girl. And Marec, as was the custom with youths in that day, pressed Venna to share a drink from
his wine, so that she, too, flustered as she was, was forced to wet her lips and the tip of her tongue with the potion. It was a strong potion and it was enough to make her immediately forget her
duty to her mistress; she went strolling on the sea shore with Marec where they dallied in amorous embraces.

Now the lady Pengersick’s love for Marec turned to hatred and her hatred into vengeance.

Next morning, over breakfast, she told the lord of Pengersick that she wanted to return to Castle Godolphin, because she was pining for fresh air. Pengersick pointed out that there was plenty of
fresh air in his castle but she answered coyly that she dared not leave her room, because his son Marec was about the castle, and she went in fear of being insulted by his ungentlemanly behaviour.
By subtle hints, she gave old Pengersick to understand that Marec had discovered a passion for her and was trying to make her unfaithful to his father.

Gwavas, the lord of Pengersick, raged and raved and swore that his upstart son would suffer banishment before many hours were passed.

“He does not deserve that, my lord,” smiled the daughter of Godolphin. “He cannot help his ardours.”

“Nevertheless, I shall have him removed from this house and put so far away that it would be years before he found his way back here.”

“Nevertheless, I shall have him removed from this house and put so far away that it would be years before he found his way back here.”

“Let him tarry here a while longer,” said his young wife. “But remember that I warned you of his intentions, so that if anything happens in future you may be
prepared.”

Having planted this seed of distrust between the old lord Pengersick and Marec, Godolphin’s daughter went straight to Venna’s room. The maidservant had returned and she grabbed the
luckless girl and was about to thrust a knife into her breast, vowing to make her heart pour forth its life-
blood that moment for her treachery. It so happened that Venna had
already come to her senses, only having wet her lips and tongue with the potion and not drunk it. So its effects had worn off.

“Have patience, my dear mistress,” cried the girl. “You may plunge your dagger into my heart, if you wish, but first let me explain what happened.”

Venna then told her mistress what had befallen her and that it was all a mistake. There was another way in which the lady Pengersick might now gain Marec’s love. If she could induce him
into the garden in the dead of night and climb the outer stair to her chamber, Venna would then make certain arrangements. The daughter of Godolphin listened carefully and approved the plan.

The plan was to poison the lord of Pengersick that very evening at dinner for, having excited him to jealousy against Marec, they realized that he might have him abducted or sent from the
country or even killed before they could act.

What they did not realize was that their plan was overheard by Gillis, the steward. Gillis had long suspected the daughter of Godolphin and it was his custom to keep a wary eye upon her and her
maidservant, Venna. There were many secret passages in Pengersick Castle, and such places were known only to Gillis, who had frequented them while the lords of Pengersick had forgotten these
mysterious hiding holes. Thus it was that the faithful servant overheard the diabolical plan.

That evening, as was his custom, he stood behind his master’s chair to attend to his wants. The hall was dimly lit and the fading twilight was only enhanced by the sparkle from the fire on
the hearth. In this twilight, while the daughter of Godolphin was suggesting that it was high time that the lamps were lit, Gillis managed to remove his lord’s glass of wine, which he knew
had been prepared with poison, and switch it with the lady Pengersick’s glass of wine.

It happened that the poisoned draught had little effect on her, because she had long accustomed herself to imbibing poison in increasing doses, until she could withstand a quantity which would
be fatal to anyone else. This custom
she had started in order to guard against attempts to poison her because, as we have already said, she was feared and disliked by those who
accused her of being a sorceress. So she felt only a slight discomfiture and nothing else.

When supper was over, Gillis went to search for Marec and warn him of the entire plan.

Marec, meeting the daughter of Godolphin in the corridor, showed his loathing.

“Know this, woman, I detest you and your shameful intentions. Know also that you can neither hurt me by your witchcraft nor with the blight of your evil eyes.”

In anger, she hurried directly to the lord of Pengersick and told him that his son had grossly insulted her.

“Indeed, my lord, frail woman that I am, I had to defend myself with all my might to preserve my honour even to the point that I had to threaten to plunge a dagger into Marec’s heart
until he desisted and left my bower.”

Her fabrications so incensed the lord of Pengersick that he decided to dispose of his son without another day’s delay.

That evening, the wind rose across the sea and a storm blew in from the east. Marec and Utar were walking on the shore and saw a vessel in trouble on the sea.

“She will be on the rocks in a moment,” observed Utar.

The two young men did not delay but went down to the shore and launched their boat, rowing towards the endangered vessel with all their might. As they drew near, they were able to warn the
vessel of the approaching rocks. Thus they saved the vessel and turned back towards the shore.

Now a sudden sea mist had come down and they could scarcely make out the shore. Out of the mist they saw something floating in the water. They rowed nearer and found a sailor, exhausted, and
near to drowning. They pulled him on board and Marec realized that they had only just saved him.

They rowed back to the shore and bore him to Marec’s chamber, where they removed his wet clothing, rubbed him dry and placed him in sheepskins. They dropped brandy in his mouth and
gradually restored him to warmth. Finally, the man fell into a deep sleep of exhaustion.

In the morning, he was awake and well and thanking his rescuers when they told him how they had taken him exhausted from the sea.

The seaman told them his name was Arluth and recalled that he had fallen from the swaying masthead of his ship into the sea. He had tried to keep himself afloat and endeavoured to raise his
voice and shout for help. But no one had noticed his fall and he had despaired of ever being picked up. He said that his father was the captain of a ship from the east, which frequently traded at
Cornish ports. He feared his father would be in great distress, fearing him drowned, and he wondered how he could find a sea-going ship which would catch up with his father’s vessel.

Marec and Utar found him clothes, for he was a young man like themselves, and also provided him with a good breakfast.

“We will find a ship, such as you seek, at Marazion. There is a market there, Maraghas Yow, or Tuesday’s Market. That is where we shall go.”

So they set out over Tregonning Hill with the sailor riding one of the hunters from the Pengersick stable. As they passed over the hill, a strange thing happened. The hunter suddenly took off,
as if chasing hounds. At the top of the hill, a sudden thick mist descended and the horse reared in fright and threw its rider. The sailor, unused to riding, was thrown to the ground and winded. He
sat up and looked about. He found himself alone in a thick mist.

He moved towards some rocks. He was startled when a sudden flash of lightning came out of nowhere and split the rock asunder. Arluth reeled backwards. Then it seemed a voice came out of the
depths of the rock.

“Fear not, Arluth, beloved son of mine,” came a sweet feminine voice. “Fear not, but seize the sword of your ancestors and win back the kingdom that is rightfully
yours.”

There was no one near him and he looked round in astonishment. Near the rock which had been split sat a great white hare, which gazed lovingly upon him and then turned and disappeared into the
crack made by the lightning. He went to the rocks, still puzzled, and where they had been severed, he found a naked sword with sparkling
jewels in the hilt. It was, of course,
the
Cledha Ruth
, the Red Sword.

Having recovered from his surprise, he picked up the sword. All at once the mist disappeared and he glanced up and saw Marec and Utar nearby, obviously in the process of looking for him. They
held his horse with them. He told them what had happened and Marec and Utar were amazed. Now Marec, inheriting some of his mother’s wisdom, for she had been the daughter of a druid, said that
Arluth had discovered a magic weapon, which meant that he was destined to achieve great things.

Arluth, however, was more concerned in finding his father and the ship’s company, who would think of him as dead. So they continued on to Marazion, to the great market there. In Marazion
harbour, there was the very ship which had nearly been wrecked on the previous night. It was the very ship that Marec and Utar had saved and the very ship from which Arluth had been cast
overboard.

However, Marec and Utar did not want thanks and so left their new friend, Arluth, to go his way while they returned home to Pengersick. Once on board, Arluth greeted the captain as his father.
There was great joy on the old captain’s face and those of his crew, for poor Arluth had been given up as dead. After they had all celebrated, Arluth told his father the tale of his rescue by
Marec and Utar and how he had discovered the sword.

The captain’s face grew sad as he examined the
Cledha Ruth.
“The time has come to tell you the truth, my boy. I am not your father. I am no kin to you that I know. However, I
served your mother, Berlewen, the Gwelhevyn of our sad land. She was murdered by your father, whom she had trusted. Indeed, she had trusted him with this sword of power and he had deceived her, and
thus she lost her kingdom to Cadarn the Strong.”

“Who, then, is my father?” demanded Arluth in wonder.

“My son,” said the old captain, “I feel that I must call you son still, though I am only a poor captain and you are, truly, a great prince . . .”

“I would have it no other way,” insisted Arluth, “for you
are the only father I have known. But I must know who is responsible for the murder of my
mother.”

“So you shall. Your half-brother is Marec, the young lord of Pengersick. The same young man who you now tell me rescued you from the sea. The other was his foster-brother, Utar the
miller’s son.”

When Arluth went to speak, the old man held up a hand. “No blame to him. His mother was likewise betrayed and driven to an early grave by the father you share. That same man still plots
the death of Marec, his own son.”

Arluth shook his head in bewilderment. “This must not be.”

“It is true, but your duty now lies in returning to your land, the land of Berlewen, now that you have the magic sword which will overcome Cadarn the Strong. You must liberate your
people.”

“I cannot leave Marec and Utar if they are in danger. They saved my life and now I must save their lives.”

“It is your duty to save your kingdom, which has been for so long rent by civil war and with no one powerful enough to overthrow the tyrant Prince Cadarn. You must take the magic sword and
return,” insisted the old sea captain.

Coincidence is an amazing thing. It was while the old captain and Arluth were thus engaged that none other than Gwavas, the lord of Pengersick, came on board and demanded to see the captain.

When they heard who it was, Arluth hid in a closet and the captain invited the old lord into his cabin.

Pengersick came straight to the point of his journey. He offered a large sum of money to the captain if he and his crew would kidnap Marec and Utar, who he said were a youth and his servant who
were lazy and plotting to take his castle from him. He asked the captain to take them to an eastern land and sell them as slaves. For that he would be well rewarded.

The captain, in his rage, fell on old Pengersick and threw him off the ship before he realized that he could have used the coincidence to his advantage and the advantage of Arluth. However,
righteous indignation won the day over subtle scheming.

Angered, the lord Pengersick went to the next ship whose captain had no scruples and, indeed, a deal was struck.

It was when they saw lord Pengersick coming from that ship with an evil smile on his face, that the old captain turned to Arluth and expressed his regret. “Had I but thought of it in time,
we could have taken the evil lord Pengersick and given him a taste of the sea instead of his son.”