The waves surged around me and the lion changed into a fish that bore me on its back to a rock in the middle of the sea, and there it left me. The storm which had pursued me now broke with fury upon the rock. The gale screamed and raised the sea; water crashed and waves beat upon me, but I gripped the rock with all my strength, lest I be torn away to drown in the whelming flood.

I clung to the rock, cold and wet, and sick with sorrow – for all my good companions had gone from me and my death drew near. I trembled and began to shake, so that I thought my very bones would break. My body began to burn as with the flames of fire.

A shining mist came down over my rock, and out of the mist I heard a voice that called me by name. 'Aneirin,' the voice commanded, 'leave off your trembling, neither be afraid. I have seen your miserable plight and will help you. Stand up! I will show you what is to be done.'

I stood on my rock and it became a mountain, strong and high. And though the storm-flood raged, the angry water could not overwhelm it. An ancient oak grew atop the mountain. I took one of its branches and struck the earth, and out from among the roots a spring appeared and began flowing down the mountainside.

The spring poured forth, cold and clean. And wherever the water flowed forests and meadows appeared to clothe the barren slopes, giving food and shelter to the beasts of the field and to the eagles that soared in the heights.

The old oak fell down, but the spring flowed on and became a stream, and the stream a mighty river. I picked up my branch and began to walk. Grass grew up in the places where my feet touched the earth, so that my tread was easy and the path clear. I came eventually to a green meadow – the same meadow that I had known before. And I saw that the mountain was in Avallon.

The stone cross was there, and the leather pouch of tools. But now I saw what I did not see before. Inscribed on the cross was a name: ARTORIVS REX QVONDAM REXQVE FVRTVRVS.

Arthur, king once and king to be… Though well begun, the carving was unfinished.

The voice which had spoken to me from the cloud hailed me again. 'Arise, Gildas. Finish that which has been set before you.'

'My name is Aneirin,' I replied. 'And I know nothing of stonecraft.'

The voice answered me, saying, 'Aneirin you were, Gildas you shall be, True Bard to the High King of Heaven.'

The dream ended and I awoke at once. It was dawn, the time between times had given way to daylight and I was back in the world of men. I rose and hurried to look out upon the sea. And behold! As the sun rose above the eastern hills I saw a ship coming towards us. I ran and told the queen and we went down to the shore to await its arrival.

'He must have ridden through the night,' I remarked, as the ship put out a coracle to meet us. The queen nodded, but said nothing. Her eyes were red-rimmed from lack of sleep or weeping, I know not which.

Closer, I saw that it was Bedwyr come to fetch us. 'I am sorry,' said Bedwyr as he helped the queen into the small boat, 'I would have returned sooner, but the horse foundered and I had to walk some of the way.'

Gwenhwyvar opened her mouth to make a reply, but her gaze slid past Bedwyr to the others standing behind him: Rhys, Bors and Cador, looking repentant and stubborn at the same time, with their arms folded defiantly over their chests.

'I could not get the ship without them knowing,' Bedwyr explained, 'so I brought them with me.'

'All respect to the Emrys' wishes,' put in Cador, 'but we would in nowise be left behind.'

'I see,' replied Gwenhwyvar. 'Since that is the way of it, I grant you leave to accompany me – in pledge for your silence.'

'That you shall have,' said Bors, 'and gladly.'

'Swear it on your fealty to Arthur,' the queen said.

'Lady,' protested Cador, 'have we lived so long in Arthur's service that we must be treated this way?'

'Swear it!' the queen demanded. 'Or I will put you over the side myself.'

The three swore as the queen directed, and she gave the order to sail. Bors, who had spent fully as much time aboard the heaving deck of a ship as astride a galloping horse, acted as pilot. But since he had never been to Ynys Avallon, I stood with him to guide him as best I could from my memory of previous voyages.

The day was clear, the sea-wind strong. We fairly flew over the water like the gulls that soared above our mast. And it seemed that the dun-coloured cliffs of Rheged had just fallen away behind us when I saw the faint blue smudge of the island on the horizon away to the south-west. 'There it is!' I cried. 'That is Ynys Avallon.'

Bors adjusted his course and steered for it. I settled in the bow and fell asleep listening to the slap of the waves against the hull. I awoke some time later, thinking to see the isle directly ahead. Instead, I saw nothing but a grey sky and grey sea all around.

My shipmates were all asleep, save for Bors, so I crept back to sit with him at the tiller. 'Where is it?' I asked, sliding onto the bench beside him.

He pointed ahead. 'Rain is blowing in from the east and it has come over misty. But the island is just before us, never fear.'

It was true. The island was before us, though I could not see it. That is the peculiar nature of the isle – which is why the men of Ierne consider it an Otherworldly island: it appears and disappears, seemingly at will.

But Bors proved a good pilot and we reached Avallon after midday. 'Where is the best place to put to shore?' he asked, scanning what we could see of the coastline through the mist.

'We must go round the southern point to the western side,' I told him. The harbour is not so good there, but Avallach's palace is on that side. That is where Myrddin has taken Arthur to be healed.'

So we made our way round the southern end of the island and round to the western side. It was difficult in the mist, but the queen helped, for she had visited the island and remembered where to look for rocks below the surface, and where to find harbourage.

Nevertheless, it was late when we finally came into the harbour and drew in beside the boat Barinthus had used. We made landfall and tied our boat beside Barinthus' vessel, and gathered on the red rock shingle below Avallach's towered stronghold. We looked up at the cliffs rising before us, their soaring tops lost in the mist above. 'They will not have seen us coming,' Bedwyr said. 'You had better lead us, Aneirin.'

I turned to the queen, but Gwenhwyvar said, 'Go ahead, Aneirin. You know the way better than anyone here.'

I did as I was bade, and found the winding, rock-cut steps that led to the palace. They were wet with mist and slippery, which made the going slow.

By the time I reached the top, I could scarce make out the contour of the ground before me as it rose slightly before fading into the grey obscurity of shifting cloud. I walked a few paces forward over the curled, wet grass to the path leading to Avallach's fortress, feeling all the while as if I had crossed one of those invisible boundaries and entered the Otherworld. For, even as my foot touched the path, the mist grew luminous and bright, all gold and glittering, shining with the westering sunlight through it.

The sudden brilliance dazzled my eyes for a moment, I admit. But only that. Even so, mist or no mist, I know we would have seen the Fisher King's palace if it had been there.

But it was gone. Neither tower, nor wall, nor gate, nor hall remained. There was nothing left at all.