Chapters I - VI Summary

Lord Arthur has demanded tribute and subservience from Lord Ban. Lord Ban, however, has already sworn his loyalty to King Maelwas. To resolve the dispute, Arthur mounts a surprise attack on Lord Ban, captures his keep, kills the inhabitants, and loots and destroys the surrounding community. In the confusion, the narrator, a young orphan girl named Gwyna, escapes from the burning village and seeks refuge in the countryside. She encounters Medrawt, a young warrior of Arthur, who tries to kill her—she escapes by leaping into a nearby river and swimming away. In Chapter II, Gwyna realizes that her swimming skill, developed over the years by setting and retrieving underwater fish traps, has saved her life. She swims in the cold water as long as she can and then crawls onto the shore. In Chapter III...