saddle, his hand on his sword hilt, and said, "Do not contradict a lady, boy, else you shall taste my blade." Terence stared at him, shocked. No knight of Arthur's court would ever have threatened a squire.
"See? He doesn't even teach his squire well," Lady Alisoun declared, pink with pleasure.
The knight turned back to her. "It is indeed a pity that so entrancing a lady should be bound to so wanting a knight."
"Oh, I'm not
bound
to him, exactly," she said, her eyes downcast.
"No? Ah, but perhaps it is best that you should have such a knight to follow. He will do his best to avoid danger, and thus you shall be spared the sight of pain and suffering."
"I don't mind pain and suffering," she said earnestly.
"Do you not? But then you have not seen the sort of bloody battles which I fight every day. I promise you, it is no sight for a lady."
"Really?" Lady Alisoun's eyes shone. "Very bloody?"
"Horribly," he replied promptly.
"I wish I could see them," she responded rapturously.
"Why, you can, if you choose to ride away with me, now, my lady," the knight said. "Since you have plighted no troth to this knight, of course."
Lady Alisoun did not hesitate, "Yes, let's!"
Terence could not believe it. Before he could decide whether to say anything, they were gone. He turned back toward the sparring knights, wondering if Gawain would be angry with him for letting her go.
About half an hour later, panting and wheezing with exertion, the fair knight held up his hand and said, "Enough! You're just playing with me, aren't you?"
Gawain raised his visor and grinned. "Well, yes. A bit."
"It's too hot to continue. What do you say to a tankard of the best home-brewed in the country? There's an inn just over the way where they take real pride in such things."
"Sounds wonderful." Gawain smiled. "I'm Sir Gawain, from Camelot."
"Camelot? Really? Do you mean I fought a knight of the Round Table?"
"You did."
"Well, won't father be tickled! I'm Sir Carados. My father's the Earl hereabouts, and—I say, where's your lady? And that other knight?"
"Don't you know that other knight?" Gawain asked.
"No, we'd just met when we came up to you. Where are they?"
"They left some time ago," Gawain replied, unperturbed. He smiled at Terence and said, "My only fear was that you would interfere, lad, and convince her to stay. You don't mind losing her, do you, Terence?"
Terence sighed happily.
***
An hour later, seated around a table with three tankards of smooth, warm beer in front of them, Gawain turned to his new companion and asked, "Say, Carados, as the Earl's son, you must know most of the people in the area."
"All of them, I expect," Sir Carados said, wiping froth from his lips.
"Today we saw an interesting sight: one knight fought ten, defeated them, and then let them tie him up and take him away. Now who—"
"Odd, isn't it? He does it all the time," Sir Carados interrupted.
"Why?"
"Sad, really. Those knights belong to the lady he loves, the Lady Ettard. You probably saw her castle on your way in, on that hill to the east. He lets them take him captive, because that's the only way he can see her."
Gawain blinked. "I see," he said. "Then I could find him at Lady Ettard's castle tomorrow?"
"I doubt it. She usually throws him out after a night in her dungeons."
"Where might I find him, then?"
"Dalinbrook Castle, hard by the forest, not two hours from here," Sir Carados said. "His name's Sir Pelleas."
8. Pelleas the Stupid
At nine o'clock the next morning, after a pleasant evening spent with Sir Carados's family, Gawain and Terence arrived at Sir Pelleas's Dalinbrook Castle. The gate was open, and a few servants stood around, listlessly sweeping the path.
"Seems he's not home yet," Gawain said.
They waited outside the gate for about twenty minutes before Sir Pelleas arrived, carrying his helm on his saddle. His armor was dusty and stained, and his face drawn and weary. When he saw Gawain and Terence, though, he stopped abruptly,
"See? He doesn't even teach his squire well," Lady Alisoun declared, pink with pleasure.
The knight turned back to her. "It is indeed a pity that so entrancing a lady should be bound to so wanting a knight."
"Oh, I'm not
bound
to him, exactly," she said, her eyes downcast.
"No? Ah, but perhaps it is best that you should have such a knight to follow. He will do his best to avoid danger, and thus you shall be spared the sight of pain and suffering."
"I don't mind pain and suffering," she said earnestly.
"Do you not? But then you have not seen the sort of bloody battles which I fight every day. I promise you, it is no sight for a lady."
"Really?" Lady Alisoun's eyes shone. "Very bloody?"
"Horribly," he replied promptly.
"I wish I could see them," she responded rapturously.
"Why, you can, if you choose to ride away with me, now, my lady," the knight said. "Since you have plighted no troth to this knight, of course."
Lady Alisoun did not hesitate, "Yes, let's!"
Terence could not believe it. Before he could decide whether to say anything, they were gone. He turned back toward the sparring knights, wondering if Gawain would be angry with him for letting her go.
About half an hour later, panting and wheezing with exertion, the fair knight held up his hand and said, "Enough! You're just playing with me, aren't you?"
Gawain raised his visor and grinned. "Well, yes. A bit."
"It's too hot to continue. What do you say to a tankard of the best home-brewed in the country? There's an inn just over the way where they take real pride in such things."
"Sounds wonderful." Gawain smiled. "I'm Sir Gawain, from Camelot."
"Camelot? Really? Do you mean I fought a knight of the Round Table?"
"You did."
"Well, won't father be tickled! I'm Sir Carados. My father's the Earl hereabouts, and—I say, where's your lady? And that other knight?"
"Don't you know that other knight?" Gawain asked.
"No, we'd just met when we came up to you. Where are they?"
"They left some time ago," Gawain replied, unperturbed. He smiled at Terence and said, "My only fear was that you would interfere, lad, and convince her to stay. You don't mind losing her, do you, Terence?"
Terence sighed happily.
***
An hour later, seated around a table with three tankards of smooth, warm beer in front of them, Gawain turned to his new companion and asked, "Say, Carados, as the Earl's son, you must know most of the people in the area."
"All of them, I expect," Sir Carados said, wiping froth from his lips.
"Today we saw an interesting sight: one knight fought ten, defeated them, and then let them tie him up and take him away. Now who—"
"Odd, isn't it? He does it all the time," Sir Carados interrupted.
"Why?"
"Sad, really. Those knights belong to the lady he loves, the Lady Ettard. You probably saw her castle on your way in, on that hill to the east. He lets them take him captive, because that's the only way he can see her."
Gawain blinked. "I see," he said. "Then I could find him at Lady Ettard's castle tomorrow?"
"I doubt it. She usually throws him out after a night in her dungeons."
"Where might I find him, then?"
"Dalinbrook Castle, hard by the forest, not two hours from here," Sir Carados said. "His name's Sir Pelleas."
8. Pelleas the Stupid
At nine o'clock the next morning, after a pleasant evening spent with Sir Carados's family, Gawain and Terence arrived at Sir Pelleas's Dalinbrook Castle. The gate was open, and a few servants stood around, listlessly sweeping the path.
"Seems he's not home yet," Gawain said.
They waited outside the gate for about twenty minutes before Sir Pelleas arrived, carrying his helm on his saddle. His armor was dusty and stained, and his face drawn and weary. When he saw Gawain and Terence, though, he stopped abruptly,
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