The Death of King Arthur Page 5

  Wherein two die from one stroke

  Meanwhile Sir Launceot had armed himself and ridden after his foe at a furious speed. He had travelled into the mountainous region, where the stone is weathered into strange shapes of men and beasts, and there he caught sight of Sir Balin ahead of him. ‘Stay, knight!’ he called out. ‘You must make a stand here, whether you like it or not. Your shield will not help you now! I have come here to cut you down!’

  ‘It would have been better for you to have remained at home,’ Sir Balin replied. ‘It often happens that a man who means harm is himself badly hurt. From what court do you come?’

  ‘From the court of King Arthur. I am here to avenge the crime you committed by killing the Lady of the Lake. It was against all the rules and customs of courtesy.’

  ‘I see, then, that I must fight you. But know this, knight. That lady did great damage to myself and my family. Do you think that I would slay a female for no cause?’

  Sir Launceot was very proud. ‘Prepare yourself. Couch your spear. Only one of us will survive.’

  Then they put their spears in their supports, by the saddles, and rode against each other at great speed. Sir Launceot broke Sir Balin’s shield, but Balin put his own spear through Launceot’s shield and sundered his chain mail. Launceot, fatally wounded, was thrown from his horse by the force of the blow. Sir Balin turned and took out his sword, but then he saw that his opponent was dead. At that moment he heard the sound of another horse, galloping towards him, and he looked around. A young woman was riding in his direction and, when she saw Launceot lying on the ground, she let out a loud wail. ‘Ah, Balin,’ she cried, ‘you have slain two bodies with one heart, two hearts with one body. You have sacrificed two souls.’ She made such grievous sounds of sorrow that he wished to comfort her; she took out a sword, and Balin tried to seize it from her. But she held it tightly and then with a sigh turned it upon herself. She died at once.

  When Sir Balin saw her dead, he despised himself and his deeds that had brought doom to a valiant knight and a fair lady. ‘I repent for breaking the bond of true love between them,’ he said. But he could not stay in that place. He could not bear to see the two bodies lying upon the ground. In his sorrow he stirred his horse and rode on for miles and miles until at last he came to a fair forest; under the boughs of the trees it seemed that time itself was suspended. No wind stirred the leaves, and there was no sound of life. And then who should ride towards him but his own brother, Balan.

  When they met they took off their helmets, wept, and kissed one another copiously. ‘Brother,’ Balan said, ‘I had no notion of meeting you so soon. When I left I presumed that you were still a prisoner, but I met a knight on the way who told me that you had been seen at the court of King Arthur. That is why I rode into this realm.’

  Sir Balin then told him of his adventures at court, of his freeing the sword and of the fate of the Lady of the Lake. ‘The king,’ he said, ‘is angry with me. And the wrath of the king can mean death. That is why he sent a knight to kill me. Now he lies sprawled upon the ground with his young lover. I am truly sorry for that.’

  ‘It is right to be rueful when mortals are slain. But be of good cheer. You must face whatever God has prepared for you.’

  ‘That is why I am riding to Castle Terrible, besieged by King Rience. If I do battle against Arthur’s most bitter enemy, I will prove my prowess in his cause.’

  ‘I will ride with you,’ Balan replied. ‘Brother, we are well met!’

  Wherein Merlin makes a prophecy

  As they were talking here, under the ancient trees, a dwarf from the castle of Camelot came riding up on a donkey. In truth it was Merlin, the magician. ‘Ah, Balin,’ he said to him, ‘you have done yourself great harm. You should have saved that lady from self-slaughter. It was in your power to help her.’

  ‘That is not so,’ Balin replied. ‘She took up the sword so suddenly that I could do nothing.’

  ‘Repentance is ripe for you. Because of her death you will deliver the most dolorous stroke since that which Christ Our Saviour suffered. You will strike down the truest knight in the world, and for twelve years three kingdoms will endure endless poverty and pain.’

  He turned away, but Sir Balin took him by the shoulder. ‘Say it is not so. If I believed that you spoke the truth, I would kill myself here to make you a liar.’

  But Merlin vanished from sight. Balin and his brother then made their way through the forest, but when they moved they made no sound. All was still and silent. After a while Merlin once more appeared before them, but in disguise. ‘Where are you going, young men?’ he asked them.

  ‘Why should we tell you?’ Balan replied.

  ‘And what is your name?’ Balin asked him.

  ‘At this time, I cannot tell you.’

  ‘That is an evil sign. A good man will always give his name.’

  ‘That may be. But I know where you are riding. You are ready to challenge King Rience. You will not succeed until you receive my counsel.’

  ‘Ah,’ Balin said, ‘you are Merlin. Speak. We will be ruled by your advice.’

  ‘Then follow me.’ The magician led them into a glade beside the track, where they rested their horses and waited. Then just before midnight Merlin roused them. ‘Come,’ he said. ‘Make ready. King Rience is riding this way. He has come with sixty of his knights to visit the Lady de Vaunce. He wishes to sleep with her. So you may surprise him.’

  ‘Which one is the king?’ Balan whispered to him.

  ‘There. Coming towards you.’

  So they rushed down upon him, and knocked him from his horse. Then they put to the sword most of his retinue, to right and left, while the rest of them fled into the forest. King Rience lay wounded on the ground, and the two warriors would have killed him if he had not surrendered. ‘Stay your hand, brave knights!’ he called to them. ‘You will win nothing by my death, but by my life you may win much.’ So they took up the king and laid him on a litter.

  Merlin vanished, and then reappeared beside Arthur at Camelot. ‘Your enemy has been taken,’ he told him. ‘King Rience is captured.’

  ‘By whom?’

  ‘By two knights, who would dearly love to serve you. You will know their names soon.’

  On the next day Balin and Balan rode into court with King Rience as their captive. They left him in the charge of constables before riding back to their lodging. On hearing of the arrival of Rience, Arthur came up to his adversary. ‘Sir king,’ he said, ‘you are welcome. How did you come this way?’

  ‘By hard necessity. I was beaten in combat.’

  ‘By whom?’

  Merlin answered for him. ‘By Balin, known as the Knight of the Two Swords, and by his brother, Balan. He is a knight of great virtue but, alas, he will not live long. But this is not yet a time for mourning. He will still do you more service very soon. Look abroad, sire. King Nero, the brother of Rience, is fast approaching with eleven kings in his retinue. Tomorrow morning they and their armies will advance against you. Prepare yourself.’

  So Arthur mustered his troops. Although he was outnumbered by Nero’s men, he was not outmatched by them. The king himself killed twenty enemy knights, and wounded forty more. He killed six of the kings. Balin and Balan were at the forefront of the fighting, slashing furiously on all sides; they killed six kings between them, including King Nero. Those who saw them believed that they were either angels come down from heaven, or devils sent from hell. No one admired them more than Arthur.

  So Arthur caused to be made statues of copper, overlaid with gold, in the image of the twelve kings who had fallen in the field. Each one of them held a taper in his hands that burned night and day. A statue of Arthur himself was set up in gold, with a sword drawn in his hand, and the twelve kings were given gestures of submission. Merlin completed this wondrous work, as a sign of Arthur’s success.

  Then Merlin told Arthur that, after the king’s death, the twelve candles would burn no longer; he also prophesied the adve
ntures of the Holy Grail, and the dolorous stroke that would come from the sword of Sir Balin.

  Wherein a virgin gives up a dish of her blood

  Within a day or so, Arthur fell sick. He pitched his pavilion in a meadow, filled with sweet medicinal herbs, and laid himself down on a pallet to sleep. It was hoped that the sight and the smell of the herbs might cure him. But he could find no rest. As he lay there he heard the sound of a horse galloping towards the pavilion; he looked out and saw a knight going past him with the sound of great mourning. ‘Stop,’ he shouted to him. ‘Why are you in such great sorrow? I may be able to help you.’

  ‘Nothing now can do me any good,’ the sad knight replied before riding on his way.

  Then there came up behind him Sir Balin. When he saw Arthur he dismounted and saluted him with due reverence. ‘You are welcome, Balin,’ the king said. ‘There just came this way a knight in great distress, but I do not know the reason. Can you please ride after him and bring him before me? You may use force, if necessary.’

  ‘I am at your command,’ Balin replied. He was astride his horse in a moment, and rode after the mournful knight. He found him in a forest, by the side of a fair lady, and he greeted him gallantly enough. ‘Sir knight,’ he said, ‘you must come with me to the king and explain the causes of your sorrow.’

  ‘That I cannot do. It will bring down evil on my head, and be of no help to you.’

  ‘Then make ready, sir. I must capture you in battle and bring you by force to the king. But I am unwilling to make a fight of it.’

  ‘Will you be my warrant, if I go with you?’

  ‘Indeed. I will protect you even at the cost of my own life.’

  So the knight named Sir Harleus rode out with Balin, leaving the lady in the forest. Just as they came up to the king’s pavilion, however, Harleus was pierced by a spear from an invisible rider. As he lay dying he whispered to Balin, ‘This is the work of a knight called Garlon. Take my horse. It is better than yours. Ride back to the forest and rescue the fair lady. She will lead you on the quest that I have pursued. Avenge my death.’

  ‘I will follow the road you have taken. In the name of God I will complete your quest.’ So Balin went to Arthur, and told him what had occurred. Then he returned the way he had come. After a while he rode into the forest and found the fair lady. He gave her the shaft of the spear that had killed Harleus, and she greeted his death with sorrow and dismay. Then together they rode from the forest, until they came up to the gates of a great castle. Balin had just passed through the portcullis when it was closed behind him, leaving the lady separated from him. At this point some knights surrounded her with their swords and would have killed her. But Balin mounted the stone steps of the gatepost and flung himself down into the moat, where he drew his sword and challenged them to combat. They refused to fight, saying that they were only following the custom of the castle. They told Balin that their mistress had lain sick for many years; she had been told that she must have a silver dish brimming with the blood of a noble lady, a virgin and a king’s daughter, in order to be healed. So they drew blood from any damsel who came close to the castle. ‘Well,’ Balin told them, ‘bleed her if you must, but do not endanger her life.’ She gave up her blood willingly enough, and filled the silver dish, but it did not bring health to the lady.

  Wherein the dolorous stroke deals death

  They rested that night at the castle, and in the morning went on their way. They rode for four days without meeting any adventure, but then by chance on the fifth day they lodged in the manor house of a rich gentleman. As they sat at supper with their host, Balin heard cries and complaints coming from another room. ‘What is that noise?’ he asked.

  ‘It is my son,’ the host told him. ‘I will tell you what happened. I contended at a joust, where twice I managed to defeat the brother of King Pellam. In retaliation he swore to revenge himself on my best friend. That friend is my son. He is now so sick that he can be cured only by the blood of the man who has injured him. But I do not know his name. And he rides invisible.’

  ‘I know him,’ Balin replied. ‘His name is Garlon. He has killed a knight who was in my safe keeping. I would rather meet him in combat than acquire all the gold of this land.’

  ‘I will tell you how you can achieve that. King Pellam of Liste-noise has proclaimed a great feast, to be held within a fortnight, but no knight may come there unless he is accompanied by his wife or paramour. You will be able to see him on that day.’

  ‘Then I promise to bring you some part of his blood in order to heal your son.’

  ‘We will leave in the morning.’

  At the dawn of the next day they rode out to the court of King Pellam, where they were received with great reverence and ceremony. Balin was taken to a chamber, and clean robes were brought for him. The servant then asked him for his sword. ‘I cannot part with it,’ he said. ‘It is the custom in my country for the knight to keep his weapon.’ So they allowed him to wear it, and with the fair lady he went down into the hall of the castle where the other knights were gathered. Balin glanced around. ‘Is there a knight in this court,’ he asked one of the guests, ‘who goes by the name of Garlon?’

  ‘Indeed there is. He is over there, the knight with the necklace of black jet. He has performed marvellous deeds.’

  ‘Well,’ Balin said to himself, ‘so that is the man. If I were to kill him here, I would not escape this castle with my life. But if I leave him, I may never meet him again. And what mischief might he then make?’

  Sir Garlon had seen that Balin was staring at him, so he went up to him and slapped his face with the back of his hand. ‘Knight,’ he said, ‘why do you look at me for so long? Eat your meat and leave me in peace. Do what you have come for.’

  ‘Sir, this is not the first time you have slighted me,’ Balin replied. ‘So now I will do what I have come for.’ He rose to his feet and, with his sword, he cut off the head of Garlon. As the knight lay dead on the floor, Balin called out to the lady, ‘Give me the shaft of the spear that killed Harleus!’ he cried. She carried the shaft everywhere with her, and handed it to him. With this weapon he opened a wide wound in Garlon’s side. ‘You used this against a good knight,’ he said. ‘I am glad to use it against you.’

  Then Balin shouted to his old host, ‘Now we will fetch enough blood to heal your son!’

  The knights at the other tables arose at once and drew their swords. King Pellam himself was fierce. ‘Why have you slain my brother? Prepare yourself to die.’

  ‘If I am to die,’ Balin replied, ‘let it be at your hand.’

  ‘Precisely so. Brother must avenge brother.’

  So the king thrust at him with his sword; Balin tried to parry the stroke, but his own sword was cut asunder. Now he had no weapon. He ran from room to room of the castle, looking for some form of blade, while all the way Pellam followed him roaring. At last he entered a costly and secluded chamber. Balin could see that a corpse lay here, covered in cloth of gold; beside this bier stood a table of pure gold, supported by silver legs, and upon it lay a strangely wrought spear.

  Balin took up the spear and turned upon Pellam. At the first stroke the king fell down in a swoon. At that moment the roof and the walls of the castle collapsed in ruin. There was a sound as of thunder, and the air became dark as pitch. A large groan issued from the depths of the earth, and the whole land trembled. The dolorous stroke had been delivered and could never be undone. The two men lay beneath the remains of the broken stone for three days, caught in a trance until Merlin came to their rescue. He took up Balin and gave him a new horse. ‘I cannot leave,’ the knight said, ‘without the fair lady.’

  ‘Look at her lying there,’ Merlin replied. ‘She is dead. All the others are dead, too.’

  Pellam lay, wounded and wasted, for many years. He could not be cured until the high prince, Galahad, healed him in his quest for the Holy Grail. Do you wish to know the secret of the spear? It was that which entered the side of Christ as he
lay upon the Cross. It had drawn out the Holy Blood that Joseph of Arimathea later brought to England. It was Joseph himself who had lain upon the bed, covered in cloth of gold, and Pellam was his kinsman. So the dolorous stroke inflicted death and dismay upon the world.

  Wherein two brothers fight and die

  Balin left Merlin in much fear. ‘I will never see you again,’ he said to the wizard. He wandered from land to land, and from city to city, where he found the people dead or dying. ‘What have you done?’ those still alive cried out. ‘You have caused havoc and harm to all of us. The dolorous stroke you gave Pellam will destroy us all. For that deed, you yourself will suffer!’

  He rode onward, away from the lands of desolation, until one day he found himself within a fair forest.

  He travelled for five days through unknown countries until he came upon a stone cross set at the mouth of a valley. It was inscribed with letters of gold and read: IT IS NOT FOR NO KNIGHT ALONE TO RIDE TOWARDS THIS CASTLE. ‘This is a riddle,’ Balin said, ‘that I cannot unravel.’

  An old man was suddenly walking towards him. ‘Balin the Savage,’ he called out to him. ‘This is no place for you. Turn back before it is too late.’ The old man then disappeared, and at that moment a horn blew as at the death of a hart.

  ‘That blast,’ Balin said, ‘has been blown for me. I am the prize. Yet I am still alive.’ There appeared before him a hundred ladies who with music and dancing led him into a castle, at the other end of the valley, where he was greeted by many good knights. The mistress of the castle came up to him, smiling. ‘Sir Balin with the Two Swords,’ she said to him. ‘It is time for you to joust with the knight who holds this place. No man may pass this way without meeting him. It is the custom.’