# VI: Atra Tells of How They Three Came Unto the Isle of Increase Unsought explained — The Water of the Wondrous Isles > Chapter companion for The Water of the Wondrous Isles by William Morris. ## What happens Atra recounts the story of how she, Aurea, and Viridis were born and raised in a land southwest along the Great Water, became childhood friends, and grew into maidenhood and womanhood. They were wooed by many but loved only three knights: the Golden Knight (Aurea's man), the Green Knight (Viridis's man), and the Black Squire (Atra's man). Due to old feuds, their love was perilous. At a royal court, they pleaded with the king, who ordered the weddings, but turmoil erupted. The king then declared a trial by combat after two months. Before the combat, the three ladies were lured by a witch (the Witch Wife) into a Sending Boat and taken to the Isle of Increase Unsought, where they were given to the witch's sister. They lived there as captives, unable to depart, until Birdalone arrived. Atra ends her tale, expressing hope that Birdalone will carry their errand to their champions. ## Themes in this chapter ### Female Agency and Autonomy The three ladies actively plead their case before the king, but their fate is ultimately decided by male authority and the witch's magic, illustrating limited agency. ### Love and Desire The central conflict revolves around the love between the ladies and their champions, which is endangered by feuds and sorcery. ### Power and Sorcery The witch uses the Sending Boat to abduct the ladies, demonstrating magical power that overrides human will and social structures. ### Class and Servitude The ladies become thralls on the Isle of Increase Unsought, serving the witch's sister, highlighting themes of captivity and subjugation. ## Character check-ins ### Atra Narrates the story of how she, Aurea, and Viridis came to the Isle of Increase Unsought, describing their love for the Black Squire and their capture by the witch. ### Aurea One of the three ladies, beloved of the Golden Knight; present during the events described by Atra. ### Viridis One of the three ladies, beloved of the Green Knight; present during the events described by Atra. ### Arthur the Black Squire Atra's beloved, one of the three champions who were to fight in the trial by combat. ### Hugh the Green Knight Viridis's beloved, one of the three champions. ### Sir Baudoin Aurea's beloved, the Golden Knight, one of the three champions. ### The Witch Wife The witch who lured the three ladies into the Sending Boat and brought them to the Isle of Increase Unsought. ### Birdalone The guest and sister to whom Atra tells the story, and who is hoped to carry their errand to the champions. ## Key lines > We were born and bred in the land that lies southwest along this Great Water, and we waxed happily, and became fellows when we were yet but children, and thus grew up dear friends into maidenhood and womanhood. Atra explains that she, Aurea, and Viridis grew up together as close friends from childhood to adulthood in a land southwest of the Great Water. _Establishes the origin and bond of the three ladies._ > We were wooed by many men, but our hearts turned to none of them save unto three, who were goodly, kind, and valiant; and thou mayst call them the Golden Knight, who is Aurea’s man; the Green Knight, who is man of Viridis; and my man, the Black Squire. Many men courted them, but they only loved three knights: the Golden Knight (Aurea's), the Green Knight (Viridis's), and the Black Squire (Atra's). _Introduces the three champions and their respective loves._ > But in this was unhap, that because of certain feuds which had endured from old time, this love was perilous unto them and us; so that we lived in doubt and unrest. Their love was dangerous due to long-standing feuds, causing them to live in uncertainty and anxiety. _Explains the central conflict of the chapter._ > Came a day, now three years ago, when the king of the whole land brought his folk into our lakeside country, and there held a court and a mote in a fair great meadow anigh to the water. Three years ago, the king held a court and assembly in a meadow near the lake. _Sets the scene for the pivotal court event._ > But even as the mote was hallowed, and the Peace of God proclaimed at the blast of the war-horn, came we three woeful ladies clad in black and knelt before the lord king, and prayed him hearken us. During the sacred assembly, the three ladies, dressed in black, knelt before the king and begged him to listen. _Highlights the ladies' desperate plea._ > The king looked on us kindly, and said: Who be the swains for whom these lovely damsels make such a piece of work? So we named them, and said that they were there in the mote; and the king knew them for valiant men who had done him good service; and he cried out their names, and bade them stand forth out of the throng. The king kindly asked who the young men were, and upon learning their names, he called them forward, recognizing their valor. _The king's initial favorable response._ > So the king looked upon us and them, and laughed and said: Fair ladies, ye have got me by the nose, so needs must my body follow. Do ye three knights, whom I know for valiant men and true, take each his love by the hand, and let the weddings be tomorrow. The king laughed and agreed to the weddings, ordering the knights to take their loves and marry the next day. _The king's decree to resolve the conflict through marriage._ > But even at the word the king spake arose great turmoil in the mote, for they smote the feud and contention awake, and men thronged forward against each other, and swords were drawn and brandished. The king's words sparked chaos as old feuds erupted, with men drawing swords and pressing against each other. _The violent reaction to the king's decree._ > Then spake the king: What is this, my thanes? I had deemed that my foemen were far away, and that ye that here are were all friends unto me and unto each other. But now must we try another rede. The king expressed surprise at the turmoil and decided on a different plan. _The king's shift in strategy._ > Therewith he turned unto our men and said: Ye champions, are ye so much in love with Love that ye will fight for him? They all yeasaid that, and then the king said: Then do I declare that these three will hold the field against all comers from matins till high noon, and that he who vanquisheth any one of them shall have his lady and wed her if he will, and, if he will, shall ransom her. The king asked the champions if they would fight for love, and upon their agreement, declared a trial by combat where any victor could claim the lady. _The king's declaration of trial by combat._ > And this field shall be foughten after two months’ frist in these fair meadows, when I return from the outermost marches of the south, whereto I am now wending. The combat would take place in two months in the same meadows, after the king's return from the southern borders. _Sets the timeline for the combat._ > But when the battle is done, then let all men bow to the judgment of God, whether he be well content or not, and this on peril of life and limb. After the battle, everyone must accept the outcome as God's judgment, on pain of death. _Emphasizes the religious and legal finality of the trial._ > And now let there be deep peace between all men meanwhile; and if any break the peace, be he high or low, rich or unrich, churl or earl, I swear it by the souls of my fathers that he shall lose nought save his life therefor. The king commanded peace until the combat, threatening death to anyone who broke it. _The king's enforcement of a truce._ > Now our coming hither betid three years ago, and a month thereafter comes thy witch hither in her ferry, and she greeted us when we met, and asked us, grinning, had she not been kind to win us such good days? The ladies arrived on the isle three years ago, and a month later the witch visited, sarcastically asking if she had been kind to give them such good days. _The witch's taunting visit._ > Yea, and over kind, said she, ye would deem me, knew ye what would have betid you save for my good word. The witch claimed they would think her even kinder if they knew what fate she had saved them from. _The witch's cryptic threat._ > She went away in two days, but came again many times thereafter, till we won the secret of the Sending Boat, and her spell therewith; but we knew not that was banned against us. The witch visited often, and the ladies learned the secret of the Sending Boat and its spell, unaware it was forbidden to them. _The ladies' acquisition of the boat's secret._ > Wherefore on a day in the grey of the morning, when we had been on this isle somewhat less than a year, we went down to it and stepped in, and reddened stem and stern and said the spell-words. Less than a year after arriving, they attempted to use the Sending Boat, performing the ritual and speaking the spell. _The ladies' attempt to escape._ > But straightway arose an hideous braying and clatter, and thunder came therewith, and trembling of the earth, and the waters of the lake arose in huge waves; nor might we move from our seats in the boat till the two witches came running down to us, and haled us out ashore, and had us up into the house, and into this very prison-chamber, wherein we are now sitting so merry. A terrible noise and earthquake occurred, and the witches dragged them from the boat and imprisoned them in the chamber where they now sit. _The failed escape and imprisonment._ > And here we bore what was laid upon us, whereof, dear guest, we shall tell thee nought. They endured punishment, but Atra refuses to describe it. _Atra's reticence about their suffering._ > But this came of it, that never thereafter durst we try the adventure of the Sending Boat, but have lived on in lazy sorrow and shameful ease, till thou, dear guest and sister, wert sent hither by heaven for our helping. They never dared use the boat again, living in sorrowful ease until Birdalone arrived as a heaven-sent helper. _The ladies' resignation and hope in Birdalone._ > Now what became of the king’s court, and the hazelled field of our champions, we wot not, or whether they be yet alive we cannot tell thee; but if they be alive, it is to them that we would have thee do our errand, and thereof will we tell thee closely tomorrow. They do not know what happened to the king's court or their champions, but if the champions live, they want Birdalone to carry a message to them, which they will reveal tomorrow. _Sets up the next chapter's mission._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_water_of_the_wondrous_isles_se/chapters/vi-atra-tells-of-how-they-three-came-unto-the-isle-of-increase-unsought - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_water_of_the_wondrous_isles_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_water_of_the_wondrous_isles_se/chapters