Daughter of Light

Suddenly, out of nowhere, the darkness is broken and the forest canopy is lit by a hundred shining lights. Each one a faierie, the ælfen court.

None of them speaks to her. She can hear their chatter, but not understand their language. The horse, Tambling is distressed, he tries to put himself in between Gretta and the faieries. It is no good, they are surrounded. The lady, however, has no fear of what the faierie folk will do. As long as she has him by her side, she will accept whatever fate they have in store.

The first thing the ælfen do is transform Tambling into a huge, fat, spotted toad. They expect her to be repulsed by the creature and to shrink back in disgust. Instead she holds him too her breast and sees only the man she loves.

The faieries' chatter grows louder. She has angered them. Again they alter him, this time into a loathsome, hissing adder. He creeps on his belly. He slithers under her dress and up her legs. He slides his vile, scaly body all over her soft, supple skin. He shows himself again at her neck and coils around her throat. Gretta does not flinch from the snake, but allows him to crawl where he will. She knows he is one of god's own make.

The ælfen are enraged They want her to flee in horror and shame. They mutate the young man a third time. Now into a great, snarling hound with fierce, sharp, white teeth. She holds him fast and fears him not, for he is her bairn's father.

The faieries are not beaten yet. The final thing they turn him into is a simple bar of iron. Bright red and burning hot! Our lady can feel a ferocious heat radiating out from it, yet she refuses to back away. That piece of scorching metal is her own dear spouse. She grips it tight, fears no ill and it does her no harm.

With a deafening crack, the forest plunges into pitch black darkness. Lying in the lady Margaret's lap is a bare and naked man, her young Tambling. She covers her beloved with her cloak to protect him from the cold.

"We've won, my love. We've won," she sobs as he regains conciousness.

Their ordeal is not quite over yet. A cry, a shriek that would chill the hearts of men to ice, rings out through the trees. A scream no mortal thing could produce.

"I should hae taen out thy twa grey een, Tam Lin, put in twa een o tree! I should hae taen out that heart o flesh, Tam Lin, put in a heart o stane!"

The wrath of the faierie queen is dreadful and menacing, but a terrible noise is all it is. Once she has said her piece, the forest is silent, but for the sound of two beating hearts. The daughter of light and her human mate. The curse has been broken, a soul condemned to the fires of hell is now free.

As they carefully make their way through the dark woods, back towards her ancestral home, they are left alone. No faierie, sprite, nymph nor goblin molests them. They have beaten the ælfen for tonight and they are free to leave in peace. Should they ever return, they will not be so fortunate.

Gretta and Tambling's life together may not be so easy. They will have to make their moves and play the great game of chess. Still, they are happy, they have each other and a child on the way. For now, all they think of is their wedding day.

****

So I warn all you ladies and young gentlemen, who are so sweet, handsome and fair, never go into the Chaster's wood, for the fairie folk will be there.