Chapter X.
OF THE LADY AITHNE, AND OF THE GIFTS THAT SHE HAD FROM HER BIRTH.

Now leave we Ywain to his fighting and turn we to the lady, that was there heavily cast down to be so left and benothinged. For she was of all earthly women the most beautiful and the wisest in magic: yet she had great need of such as would serve her truly, for her life was full of pain and perplexity, being divided in a strange manner between two realms. And this came of no sudden hap, but it fortuned so to her from her birth, and was according unto her nature, as I shall show you.

First then, she was of a high lineage and descended out of faery: for her father was Sir Ogier, Lord of Kerioc, that lies over beside Broceliande, and her mother was called the Lady Ailinn of Ireland, and she came of the kindred of Fedelm of the Sidhe, that was called Fedelm of the Nine Shapes, by reason that she could take on her nine shapes, and each more beautiful than other. Therefore the Lady Ailinn would have called her daughter Fedelma, but Sir Ogier named her with the name of Aithne, and she was called thereby all her life-days, as for her earthly name: but of her elfin nature she had other names, as was but reason, and in especial one name she had that none ever knew but Ywain only. So of that name I shall make no more matter.

Now when the Lady Ailinn had been some while wedded, and was looking for her child to be born presently, upon a night she lay abed in the castle of Kerioc: and midnight was two hours past and there was none waking but that lady alone. And in her chamber was a fire of wood burning, for the year was still cold and hard: and the fire was bright and cast upon the wall of the chamber both light and shadow. And Ailinn lay so upon her bed that she saw not the window, but the wall only, and she perceived that the shadow upon it was the shadow of her nurse, that was fallen asleep beside the hearthstone.

Nevertheless though the nurse slept, yet were there voices in the chamber, as of two women beside the fire: and Ailinn knew well that they were fays, or women of the Sidhe, seeing that there were upon the wall no shadows of them but only of the nurse. So she lay still to hearken what they would say. And one said: The child shall be a woman, and I give her the gifts of womanhood: for her skin shall be white as the swans of Aengus, and her eyes grey like the dawn, and the colour of her cheeks soft like the sunset. And she shall be loved by a hundred knights and one, and her love shall be to her true lover both meat and madness, like the wild honey of Arroy: and so is my giving done. And the other said: The child shall be a fay, and I give her the gifts of faery: for she shall hold of me the realm of Aladore, that was the Rhymer’s heritage: and of her own magic she shall come thereto and therefrom, all her days. And so is my giving done.

Then the two voices fell silent, and Ailinn turned her upon her bed that she might see after what likeness they were that had spoken. And she saw no one by the fire save the nurse only. But in that moment came the moon, going downwards to the sea, and a beam of her shining entered into the chamber and lay upon the floor, and so moved across the floor and came to the hearthstone. And in that beam Ailinn saw plainly how there stood two shapes of women between the bedside and the hearth. And they were grey shapes and thin as air, for she saw behind them the fire burning and the embers of it, but she saw it some deal faint, as it were behind two wisps of smoke. Then those two fays drew near to her and stood by the bedside, and the one of them touched her head and the other touched her hand. And at the touch of them her blood was made heavy, and she slept deep, beyond voice or vision. And in the morning when she awoke she found in her hand a golden key, and upon her head she found also a golden comb that she knew not: and by the tokens of the key and the comb she had certainty of that which she had heard and seen. But of the meaning thereof she held great debate with herself and might not be satisfied. And she thought to take counsel of her kindred, when she should come again into Ireland: but to Sir Ogier, that was her husband, she said nothing of the matter, for he was a man that had no dreams, neither by night, neither by day.

Then in short space thereafter the child was born, that was called Aithne, and she was heir to her father and her mother both, for other child they had none, man nor maid, but this one only. And she was a wise child and a beautiful, but always she made for herself a way and walked in it. And when she was come to seven year, and it was the day of her birth, she played in the Castle of Kerioc all such games as she would. And at the last she came into her mother’s chamber and there found a little chest, and opened it, and in the chest was a comb of gold and a key of the same. And the key she left there lying, but the comb she laid into her hair, and stood before a mirror and preened herself. Then came her mother suddenly and took the comb from her, and gave her instead the key of gold, to make her a game therewith. And right so the child was gone from the place, and she was seen no more in Kerioc for the space of three hours. Then before night she came again with the like swiftness, and she was no whit weary or hungry or afeared, but she greeted her mother dearly as one that had been long gone from her into a far country. And afterwards the child said how that she had been in Aladore, and the time that she had been there was by her deeming three years, for she said firmly that she had seen the cowslips there three several times, and three times had gathered them all fresh in their springing. And thereat her father laughed out, as a man will laugh that hath the better knowledge: but the Lady Ailinn perceived that she spoke truth. And as the child had said, so it was with her many times thereafter: for she came and went by her own magic, and that was by the gift that she had of faery.