Alianora

Alianora was a Swan may that Holger Carlsen fell in love with during the course of Three Hearts and Three Lions, a fantasy novel by Poul Anderson.

Alianora in "The Man who Came Late"
After Holger Carlsen successfully turned the tide against the forces of Faerie in a great war of Order vs. Chaos, he disappeared from the land. Alianora waited for his return but as the years passed, she lost hope and allowed Theodo, a village blacksmith, to woo her and eventually to marry her. The two had four children, two sons Einhard and Nithard who apprenticed with their father at the forge, and two daughters, Alianna and a second who died in infancy. When Alianna came of age, Alianora bequeath her her Swan may garment to wear and so Alianna began to transform and explore the countryside around the village as a flying swan.

One morning, some thirty years after the war, Alianora went to the village well to draw water and to hear the gossip of the other village womenfolk. As one woman was about to describe the latest misadventure of the village drunk, another called out that a stranger had just come out of the woods and was approaching. The group fell silent and watched him come closer. Alianora saw a tall middle aged man, dressed in knightly garb with a sword and dagger on his belt but without armor, draw near and then suddenly recognize him as Holger. She softly said his name and he, in turn, recognized her and replied with her's.