The Mammoth Book of Celtic Myths and Legends (59 page)

Arluth nodded thoughtfully. “He has persuaded the other captain to take Marec and Utar as slaves and sell them in some distant land. Send one of our crew to mix with the crew of the other
vessel, and see what plans are afoot.”

The crewman eventually reported back that the plan was that at dawn, when Marec and Utar went fishing in their small boat, the slave-ship crew would head off by longboat and attack them, with
the view of taking them prisoners.

Arluth ordered that some of the crew arm themselves and make ready in their own longboat. As soon as it was twilight, they saw a raiding party leaving the slave-vessel in their boat. Arluth
urged his men to strike out after them and he unloosed the
Cledha Ruth,
which he now wore strapped in a scabbard at his side.

“May the gods be my guide, for I will use this magic sword to save my brother and foster-brother.”

The boat of Arluth gave chase. They were not able to catch up with the slave-ship until after the slavers had captured Marec and Utar and had them bound. But it was only a moment later when
Arluth and his men rammed the slave-vessel and came board. The victory over the slavers was easy and every evil one of them paid the price of his folly.

Marec and Utar were surprised to see their companion of the previous night, and even more surprised when Arluth told them what the old lord of Pengersick had intended for them. He told them to
come away back to the old captain’s ship and sail with him. The only thing he did not tell them was that he, too, was the son of the lord of Pengersick.

“Come with me and never more put foot in this evil place whilst your crafty stepmother’s head is above ground,” he urged.

Marec felt that he could not leave without taking with him
something of what rightfully belonged to him, for he and Utar were without any money or resources to make their
way in the world.

“Don’t touch anything in that accursed castle,” Arluth instructed. “I’ll tell you why. We go to a distant land to the east. There you have a brother, Marec. A
brother who will give you gold, silver and share his last coin with you. He would shed his heart’s blood for your safety. This brother of yours will soon be king in that country to which we
go. Neither you nor Utar will want for anything. My word on it.”

Marec and Utar were astonished at how assertive Arluth was.

“We shall seek out this brother of mine,” agreed Marec, “but I wish that gods would grant that you were my brother, Arluth. I would more willingly go with you to any
land.” Marec was greatly fond of the young sailor.

Utar nodded agreement. “And I. I will go willingly, even now, without a brother to look after me.”

“You have your foster-brother,” Arluth pointed out. “And, in me, you have another foster-brother.”

The three young men then swore allegiance to each other which neither men nor gods would break.

The old captain welcomed Marec and Utar on his ship and they set sail eastwards. And it fell to the old captain to tell of the adventures of lord Pengersick when he was younger and how it was
that Arluth was his son. They all embraced now and swore again that they would fight for Arluth’s kingdom.

On the high seas they met the slave-ship, whose captain had agreed to kidnap Marec and Utar, and Arluth led a boarding party, killing the slavers and rescuing the enslaved, who willingly agreed
to form a new crew and come with Arluth to fight for the freedom of his country. Arluth took command of the new ship, with Marec as his mate and Utar with them. So now the two ships made sail for
the lost kingdom of Berlewen.

In Pengersick Castle, the old lord Pengersick was told that his son and Utar had been out that morning fishing. Neither had returned but their empty boat had been washed ashore with blood in it.
Gillis, the steward, who brought the news,
was greatly distressed, for he knew that his master had been on board two eastern vessels the day before, and that both had
sailed.

Now it was that Gillis came before the lord Pengersick and his lady and accused them of destroying Marec and Utar or worse. The daughter of Godolphin he accused of conspiring with her
maidservant, Venna, to destroy not only her stepson but her husband as well. Venna was summoned and, to save herself, she turned against her mistress and confessed all. Old lord Pengersick,
realising how he had been fooled, ordered both women to be thrown into the deepest dungeon at Pengersick. Then he mounted his horse and rode in haste to Marazion in search of the slave-ship which
he had hired.

It is curious but he felt some link of blood kinship to his son, even though he had sought his death and ordered his kidnapping. Finding the vessel had sailed and finding no other ship to go
after it, he rode back to Pengersick at nightfall in a drunken rage, fuelled by his remorse and guilt. He fully determined that at dawn, his wife, the daughter of Godolphin would hang from the
tallest tower of the castle and by her side would be her maidservant Venna.

As he rode along the coast road on his hunter, there sprang from a thicket a great white hare, with flaming coals for eyes. It leapt straight into the face of his horse. The horse, terrified,
turned and galloped towards the cliff top, and in seeking to escape the pursuing hare, leapt over the cliffs, down into the turbulent seas.

That was the last anyone saw in this world of Gwavas, the lord of Pengersick.

Now it happened that the daughter of Godolphin was rescued from her dungeon by her father’s servants. She had developed a scaly leprous skin; some said it was the result of taking her own
poison, others that it was some contagion from the dungeon, while others that it was a retribution for her evil life. None wished to look upon her and so her father had her shut in a dark chamber
of Godolphin Castle, where no one would gaze on her.

As for Venna, she used magic arts and escaped back to her aunt, the witch of Fraddam.

Gillis told the people of Pengersick how his master had confessed how he had disposed of Marec, his son, and Utar. The people gave them up for lost, thinking them sold to
some slave market far in the east. But Gillis refused to believe that there would be no lords left in Pengersick, and so he took care of everything. He looked after the castle and spent frugally,
hoping to use the money to pay a ransom for Marec’s release if he could be found alive.

Far to the east, Arluth’s ships approached the shores of Paganyeth. It was noticed that, since setting sail from the coast of Cornwall, a beautiful great white bird had followed them all
the way. It had often come within bowshot, but no one had dared to aim a shift at it for sailors, being superstitious folk, believed it to be the spirit of a seafarer who followed to keep them from
harm. And during this voyage, Marec and Utar used to listen to all the tales of Paganyeth, which Arluth and the old captain would tell them to pass the long hours of the voyage.

On arrival in the country, they found it in great disorder, racked by wars. Few people liked the harsh rule of Cadarn the Strong. The old captain began to tell people of the birth of Arluth, and
of his recovery of the
Cledha Ruth
, and soon people began to flock to his standard until he had a fair-sized army. He was proclaimed the Gwelhevyn, rightful ruler of Paganyeth.

Soon, indeed, did Arluth topple Cadarn the Strong, who died under the bright flashing blows of the
Cledha Ruth
. In truth, however, Arluth, while a good king, would have preferred the
command of a good ship at sea than the cares of running his kingdom. Indeed, he regulated his rule as if he were a captain of a ship and saw to it that there were no idle hands in his kingdom, that
stores were gathered and the kingdom was well provisioned.

Arluth wanted his brother, Marec, and Utar, to live with him in the palace and be his
Cusulyer
or chief advisers. But Marec had heard from the old captain that there was a part of the
kingdom, high up in the mountains in a small corner, in which a people dwelt called the Pystryoryon, who were wizards of great skill and learning. He ardently desired to
visit
their country and learn what he could of their arts and so Arluth, with some regret, provided him with horses and warriors to go and seek them out. Utar, of course, went with him.

Marec remained a long while with the Pystryoryon, studying with them and learning many curious things. While he was there, he fell in love and married the daughter of their chieftain, a lady
named Skentoleth. She was as accomplished as she was beautiful. Utar married her chief handmaiden. For some years, Marec and Utar dwelt happily in their land.

Now the old captain had returned on a voyage to Cornwall, to Marazion. He had discovered that Gwavas, the old lord of Pengersick, was dead, that the daughter of Godolphin was incarcerated in her
room at Castle Godolphin and that Castle Pengersick was being looked after by the faithful Gillis, longing for the day when he might have word of Marec. Further, the old captain heard that the
people of the estates of Pengersick wished for Marec’s return to his rightful place and were willing to pay a ransom for that return.

When Marec heard this, his heart yearned to return to Cornwall, to his own people. He told Skentoleth all about his land to the west under the setting sun. He warmed as he told her about this
land and praised its climate, its inhabitants and scenery.

“I have a strong and beautiful castle by the sea, with a green valley beyond where I will build you a bower by the murmuring shore, and where you may wander in tranquil gardens and your
pleasure will be my will.”

“Say no more, sweet husband,” smiled Skentoleth. “As great as the delights of your land are, I would heed them not when you are by me. Your home is my home, wherever you choose
to dwell. Whatever pleases you is my will. When do we depart for the west?”

So it was decided that Marec and Skentoleth and Utar and his lady would leave for Cornwall. Marec ensured that he took many books of great learning from the country of the Pystryoryon. On their
way back, they stayed with Arluth, the Gwelhevyn, and his grateful brother sent seven ships to accompany him, all loaded with great bales of brocade,
pearls, precious stones,
gold and silver and spices from the east and so many precious things that the telling of them made people weary.

Soon this rich fleet came in sight of Cornwall and sailed for Pengersick. Marec and Utar’s hearts leapt as they saw Trewavas Head and their fleet beat along the shoreline, coming into the
great bay between Rinsey Head and Hoe Point. There was the great stretch of Praa Sands, with Pengersick Castle up on the hill beyond.

When the young lord of Pengersick landed with his beautiful bride and the news was spread, everyone rushed down to the shore to greet him. Bonfires were set alight on every hill to the north,
east and west, and weeks were spent in feasting at Pengersick. No one could remember a time when the brooding castle had been so alive with laughter and good music. For days, contests were held in
the castle grounds: contests of archery, hurling, slinging and wrestling. Minstrels and bards of all degree and description entertained.

The Lady Skentoleth was delighted in her new home and fell to with a will, learning the pleasant language of Cornwall. In the morning she would accompany Marec on the hunt, riding over the moor
and hills with a hawk on her wrist or a bow in her hand. In the evening, people would flock to hear her playing the
telyn
, or harp. Such sweet music was never heard and beyond Praa Sands, in
the bay, even the dolphins gathered to bask and play to its joyous strains; even fishermen, out to catch the shoals, would rest their oars and listen; even the sea birds, forgetting their hunting
tasks, would seek rest and stand entranced around the castle.

The Lady Skentoleth brought joy where there had been suffering and brooding evil, for she was kind and generous and ignorant of fraud or flattering and told people truly, treating them as she
found them.

Marec set to work to build the bower he promised, building two lofty towers united by a gallery on the seaside of his castle. He laid out a pleasant garden and took pleasure in improving his
great castle and chasing away the ghosts that had dwelt there before.

But ghosts are strong.

Soon after Marec had returned, the daughter of Godolphin, his erstwhile scheming stepmother, had fretted herself to death in her dark chamber in Castle Godolphin. No sooner
had the breath left her body than her unquiet spirit returned to Pengersick to haunt the rooms which she had formerly occupied. The howling and wailing of her ghost could be heard throughout the
castle.

The young lord of Pengersick, in desperation, had that part of the castle buildings razed to the ground, but the hideous ghost continued to wander the place. So it was that Marec turned to the
great books of learning and lore which he had brought with him from the wizards of the Pystryoryon. Using the forbidden knowledge of those books he captured the unquiet spirit and imprisoned it in
the body of a large
nader
, a viperous snake, which he further imprisoned in a hole on the headland of Hoe Point. So beware, walking the Point, for the large adder is often seen there, even
to this day, for spirits never die.

Because of that success, the young lord of Pengersick grew more and more attached to his books of magic lore. He became obsessed, indeed impassioned, by the pursuit of forbidden knowledge and
time changed his character. The years passed and he was seldom seen outside his castle. He often locked himself in a tower-room for weeks on end. He could never be approached by anyone except
Skentoleth or Utar and his lady, all of whom often assisted him in his experiments.

It was rumoured that he sought how to turn base metals into gold and silver and had prepared an alchemist fire which burnt all day and all night, having been lit by sparks drawn down from the
sun by means of a magic crystal. It was said that, with this same crystal, he could view the events that were taking place in many distant lands.

Marec no longer paid attention to his farms and estates, which were left to Utar’s management. Nor, indeed, was Marec particularly bothered, for through his magic he could now obtain
riches in abundance. Then he found the ultimate forbidden knowledge. He was able to make a magic elixir, the
eva hep deweth
, which made him immortal, preserving his
youthful vigour. He gave the drink to Skentoleth, and to Utar and his lady.