horse than she passed him. And he turned after her and followed her.
And he let his horse go bounding playfully, and thought that at the
second step or the third he should come up with her. But he came no
nearer to her than at first. Then he urged his horse to his utmost
speed, yet he found that it availed nothing to follow her. Then said
Pwyll, "O maiden, for the sake of him whom thou best lovest, stay for
me." "I will stay gladly," said she, "and it were better for thy
horse hadst thou asked it long since." So the maiden stopped, and
she threw back that part of her headdress which covered her face.
And she fixed her eyes upon him, and began to talk with him. "Lady,"
asked he, "whence comest thou, and whereunto dost thou journey?" "I
journey on mine own errand," said she, "and right glad am I to see
thee." "My greeting be unto thee," said he. Then he thought that
the beauty of all the maidens, and all the ladies that he had ever
seen, was as nothing compared to her beauty. "Lady," he said, "wilt
thou tell me aught concerning thy purpose?" "I will tell thee," said
she. "My chief quest was to seek thee." "Behold," said Pwyll, "this
is to me the most pleasing quest on which thou couldst have come; and
wilt thou tell me who thou art?" "I will tell thee, Lord," said she.
"I am Rhiannon, the daughter of Heveydd Hen, and they sought to give
me to a husband against my will. But no husband would I have, and
that because of my love for thee, neither will I yet have one unless
thou reject me. And hither have I come to hear thy answer." "By
Heaven," said Pwyll, "behold this is my answer. If I might choose
among all the ladies and damsels in the world, thee would I choose."
"Verily," said she, "if thou art thus minded, make a pledge to meet
me ere I am given to another." "The sooner I may do so, the more
pleasing will it be unto me," said Pwyll, "and wheresoever thou wilt,
there will I meet with thee." "I will that thou meet me this day
twelvemonth at the palace of Heveydd. And I will cause a feast to be