Cynfor, Chief of Lhanuch and the Uch-Luth, wished to go hunting, and it pleased him to ride towards Carreglyn. In that steep, dark valley he heard the baying of hounds which were not of his pack, and soon he saw them circling for the kill a stag which he himself had hunted. And they were the strangest hounds he had ever seen, with shining white bodies and glistening red ears. A hunter came towards him on a light grey horse, and they exchanged wary greetings. It turned out they were both Chieftains, but whereas Cynfor’s land was of this world, that of the other was in Arallfyd, which is the Other World. He called himself Arawn, one of the lesser hunters of the Arallfyd under Rhi Helvarch himself, and he and Cynfor soon became friends.
“There is a Chief called Hafgan,” said Arawn, “who is always at war with me. If you will go to the Arallfyd in my stead and in my likeness, which I will have happen by enchantment, and rule there for one year, you will be able to rid me of this problem. Likewise, in your stead and in your likeness, I will rule over your lands. A year from tonight in a battle at the lake, you will be victorious and you will overthrow Hafgan. But you must not deliver the final stroke which will kill him, for whenever I have done in the past, he has recovered and rose up as strong as ever.”
Arawn led Cynfor to his new halls, through thick woods and over high mountains, which he found was the most beautiful place he had ever seen. There Cynfor ruled for one year, living in great comfort in a spacious halls, well supplied with meat and drink, and no shortage of bards or good cheer or the pleasures of hunting.
Then the time came for the battle at the lake. Hafgan was there with all his warriors. Hafgan’s son stepped forward to proclaim the fight between two great chieftains. In the guise of Arawn, Cynfor struck so grand that the enemy’s shield was shattered. Then Hafgan implored him, “For the sake of my life, since you’ve started to kill me, finish your work.”
“I may regret dealing you a death blow,” said Cynfor. “Let anyone else kill you, for I will not do so.”
“Then so it is!,” said Hafgan, with mortal wounds, his blood draining from him. No killin blow was dealt, and so Hafgan could not regain his strength, “My death has come.”
And so Cynfor took possession of all that belonged to Hafgan, and received the loyalty of his warriors also.
Then Cynfor returned to Carreglyn and again met Arawn. They rejoiced to see one another, and each was restored to his proper self.
“There is now but a few chiefs in the whole realm of Arallfyd,” said Cynfor, “and it is Rhi Helvarch and his hunters.”
So the two men took leave of one another, and Cynfor rode back to Galtrev.
