And now Kilhuch’s hair was cut by the hand of Arthur. Then all the champions and warriors in the hall gathered around them to hear what boon the youth would ask of the King. “Whatsoever boon thou mayest ask, thou shalt receive it, be it what it may that thy tongue shall name,” said King Arthur. “Pledge the truth of Heaven and the faith of thy kingdom thereof,” said Kilhuch. “I pledge it thee, gladly.” “I crave of thee then, that thou obtain for me Olwen, the daughter of Yspaddaden, and this boon I seek likewise at the hands of thy warriors. I seek it from Kai and Bedour, and the hundred others who are here.”
Then said Arthur, “I have never heard of the maiden of whom thou speakest, nor of her kindred, but I will gladly send messengers in search of her. Give me time to seek her for thee.” The youth then said, “I willingly grant from this night to that at the end of the year.”
King Arthur thereupon sent messengers to every land to seek for the maiden who was named Olwen. At the end of the year the messengers returned without having gained any more knowledge or intelligence concerning her than on the day they went forth.
And when the year had come to its end Kilhuch said: “Everyone has received his boon, and yet I lack mine. I will depart from this place, and the blame for my going will be upon King Arthur.” Then said Kai: “Rash youth! Dost thou lay blame on Arthur? Go with us, and we will not part from each other until thou dost confess that the maiden exists not in the world, or until we obtain her for thee.” Kai rose up, and thereupon King Arthur called upon Bedour, who never shrank from any enterprise upon which Kai was bound. None was equal to him in swiftness throughout the Island. And although he was one-handed, three warriors could not shed blood faster than he on the field of battle. Another quality he had: his lance could produce a wound equal to those of nine opposing lances. And Arthur called upon Gwalchmai, because he never returned home without achieving the adventure of which he went in quest. He was the best of footmen and the best of knights. He was nephew to Arthur, the son of his sister and his cousin. And Arthur called upon his guide to go with them; as good a guide was he in a land which he had never seen as he was in his own. And he called upon one who knew all tongues to go with them also, and he called upon another, who, if they were in a savage country, could cast a charm and an illusion over them, so that none might see them whilst they could see everyone. And so, with Kai, and Bedour, and Gwalchmai, with the guide, and the one who knew all tongues, and the one who could cast a charm and an illusion, the youth Kilhuch went forth from Arthur’s Court in quest of Olwen, the daughter of Yspaddaden.
They went on until they came to a vast open plain. They saw a castle in the middle of it, and it seemed to them to be the fairest castle in the world. They went toward it; that day they journeyed until evening, and when they thought they were nigh the castle, they were no nearer to it than they had been in the morning. And the second and third day they journeyed, and even then scarcely could they reach so far. But at last they came nigh it. And when they were before the castle they beheld a vast flock of sheep, a flock boundless and without end. And upon the top of a mound there was a herdsman keeping the sheep.
They went nearer, and they saw that a mantle of skins was upon the man, and that by his side there was a shaggy mastiff, larger than a steed of nine winters old. And all the trees that were dead and burnt on the plain that mastiff had burnt with his breath down to the very ground.
Then said Kai to the one who knew all tongues: “Go thou and salute yonder man.” “Kai,” said he in reply, “I engaged not to go further than thou thyself.” “Let us go together then,” said Kai. Said the man of spells who was with them: “Fear not to go thither, for I will cast a spell upon the hound, so that he shall injure no one.” And this he did.
They went up to the mound where the herdsman was, and they said to him: “How dost thou fare, O herdsman! Whose are the sheep that thou dost keep, and to whom does yonder castle belong?” “Stupid are ye, truly,” said the herdsman. “Through the whole world it is known that this is the castle of Yspaddaden.” “And who art thou?” they asked. “I am Custennin, and my brother is Yspaddaden,” said the herdsman, “but he oppressed me because of my possessions. And ye, also, who are ye?” “We are men on an embassy from King Arthur, and we have come to seek Olwen, the daughter of Yspaddaden.” “O men, the mercy of Heaven be upon you, do not do that for all the world. None who ever came hither upon that quest has returned alive.”
Then Kilhuch went to the herdsman and told him who he was, and told him who his father and mother were. Also he gave unto him a ring of gold. The herdsman sought to put it on his finger, but it was too small for him, so he put it in his glove. When he went into his house he gave the glove to his wife to keep; she took the ring from the glove that was given her, and she said: “Whence came this ring? Thou art not wont to have good fortune.” And he said: “Kilhuch, the son of the daughter of Prince Anlod, gave it to me; thou shalt see him here in the evening. He has come to seek Olwen as his wife.” When he said that the herdsman’s wife was divided between joy and sorrow, joy because Kilhuch was her sister’s son and was coming to her, and sorrow because she had never known anyone depart alive who had come on that quest.
They came to the gate of Custennin’s dwelling, and when she heard their footsteps approaching, the woman ran with joy to meet them. They entered the house, and they were all served, and soon after they went forth to amuse themselves. Then the woman opened a stone chest that was before the chimney-corner, and out of it arose a youth with yellow curling hair. Said one: “It is a pity to hide this youth. I know that it is not his own crime that is thus visited upon him.” “This is but a remnant,” said the woman, Custennin’s wife. “Three and twenty of my sons has Yspaddaden slain, and I have no more hope of this one than of the others.” Then said Kai: “Let him come and be a companion with me, and he shall not be slain unless I also am slain with him.” It was agreed that the youth would go with Kai; then they ate.
Said the woman: “Upon what errand come you here?” “We come to seek Olwen for this youth,” said Kai. Then said the woman: “In the name of Heaven, since no one from the castle hath yet seen you, return again whence you came.” “Heaven is our witness, that we will not return until we have seen the maiden,” said they.
Said Kai: “Does Olwen ever come hither, so that she may be seen?” “She comes here every Saturday to wash her head,” said the woman, “and in the vessel where she washes, she leaves all her rings, and she never either comes herself or sends any messengers to fetch them.” “Will she come here if she is sent for?” “Unless you pledge me your faith that you will not harm her, I will not send for her,” said the woman. “We pledge our faith,” said all of them. So a message was sent, and Olwen came.
The maiden was clothed in a robe of flame-colored silk, and about her neck was a collar of ruddy gold, on which were precious emeralds and rubies. More yellow was her head than the flower of the broom, and her skin was whiter than the foam of the wave, and fairer were her hands and her fingers than the blossoms of the wood anemone amidst the spray of the meadow fountain. The eye of the trained hawk, the glance of the three-mewed falcon, was not brighter than hers. Her bosom was more snowy than the breast of the white swan, her cheek was redder than the reddest roses. Whoso beheld her was filled with love. Four white trefoils sprang up wherever she trod. And therefore was she called Olwen, the Maiden of the White Footprints.
She entered the house, and sat beside Kilhuch upon the foremost bench; and as soon as he saw her he knew her. And Kilhuch said unto her: “Ah! maiden, thou art she whom I have loved; come away with me. Many a day have I loved thee.” “I cannot go with thee, for I have pledged my faith to my father not to go without his counsel, for his life will only last until the time of my espousal. But I will give thee advice if thou wilt take it. Go, ask me of my father, and that which he shall require of thee, grant it, and thou wilt obtain me; but if thou deny him anything, thou wilt not obtain me, and it will be well for thee if thou escape with thy life.” “I promise all this,” said Kilhuch.