As Pren and Gwennol walked through the thick forest of the Mournshaws, the birds chirped in the canopy above and the leaves rustled calmly in the wind. Many hours have passed as they walked on following paths made by derudh before, until they came to a crystal clear lake in a small little glade. Even though trees surrounded this, not a single leaf floated in these mystical looking waters.
Pren trudged forward, his one arm bound up tight and he went to his knees and put his mouth to the water, taking a few gulps from the cool water.
"You are drinking from a magical lake, Pren. Not everyone can say that.”, Gwennol spoke out before she chuckled, sitting herself down on a rock to rest as she brought out a lynx kitten from her robes and stroking him.
"Magical?” Pren spoke out, sitting back as he looked over to her. All he got in return was a nod and a smile, before she started to tell the tale of the Lady of the Lake.
Many years ago, when Pren's grandfather, Clogynaur Gawr, was still alive. A farmer named Gwyn of the Stag-Clan ventured into the Mournshaws after his cattle had ran off in the middle of the night. He got lost in the woods, and was missing for a few nights. He had wandered through thick bushes until he fell into a crystal clear lake before he crawled out onto the bank, spluttering out water before he heard a soft voice.
He turned around and saw a beautiful water spirit staring at him who was combing her hair using the lake as a mirror. At the sight of him, she dove into the water and disappeared from sight and so Gwyn left with sorrow. He camped nearby the lake, and the next morning when the sun rose he went back to the lake to see the fair spirit once again standing on the surface of the lake. He approached her with his rations of bread and offered her some, and she slowly walked out onto the land with the sweetest smile that Gwyn had ever seen and he was even more smitten in her.
They spoke before he asked her to wed her, and at first, she didn't agree until a deal was made, if he was to strike her three times then she would leave him forever and ever. Gwyn agreed on this, before he maiden suddenly disappeared into the lake once again.
Suddenly, out came a large man with antlers high on his head, it was the Hunstman with two water spirits who looked exactly the same behind him. One of these was the one the man was to wed.
"Choose, Gwyn of the Stag-Clan! If you choose rightly, you will marry the woman and I will gift you all the animals you will ever need! If you choose wrongly, you will leave this place with the same you arrived with and you shall never see the maiden again!”, the Huntsman spoke out, before the two identical women stepped forward.
Gwyn looked between them for a long time, and he almost gave up in despair before one maiden stuck her foot out. It was enough for Gwyn, and he stood forward and took her hand.
“You have chosen correctly! And now you two shall be wed, but remember! If you strike her three times she will leave you forever!”, the Huntsman spoke out again before he and the other maiden disappeared into the lake.
Gwyn and Nelferch -– the name the Lady of the Lake gave herself -– , lived happily together and had three sons. When they were farming, she suddenly stood still and looked out to the fields where she was working, and Gwyn went over and playfully slapped her arms with his working gloves, “Go on you, farm.” She suddenly started to weep, and he asked her why she wept and she replied. “You have struck me without need once.”
Years later, they were at a gathering to celebrate the Brenin's son being born, and she started to weep as she saw the babe, “This poor innocent babe is so weak and frail that it will not enjoy its life.” Gwyn then tapped her arm to console her, before she looked at him. “You have struck me now twice without need. You have one last chance, husband.”
A few years later, at the funeral of the brenin's infant son who died of disease, Nelferch started to laugh merrily and Gwyn took her arm and squeezed it, asking her why she laughed. “He is now free of the suffering of his lands, and husband. You have now struck me needlessly for the third time. Farewell.”
She walked out to the farm and started to sing, and every single animal looked to her and started to follow her. Through the Mournshaws they walked before Nelferch and every animal disappeared into the waters. In mourning, Gwyn went to the lake before he plunged himself to his death in the deep waters, weighing his boots down to bring him to his death.
The three sons also in sadness and grief wandered the lake like Gwyn did many years ago, before one day Nelferch appeared and taught them how to heal. They became the best healers in all of Dunland, and helped greatly to every clan.
As Gwennol finished her story, Pren pushed himself up and sat next to her and placed his arm around her. “I wonder. If Nelferch is in those waters right now listening to us.” He chuckled slightly as he looked over the waters of the Lady of the Lake.
