Stories of King Arthur and His Knights | Page 9

the
messenger departed.
Among those who, at Arthur's call, gathered at Camelot to withstand
King Ryons' invasion of the land was a knight that had been Arthur's
prisoner half a year and more for some wrong done to one of the court.
The name of this knight was Balin, a strong, courageous man, but poor
and so poorly clothed that he was thought to be of no honour. But
worthiness and good deeds are not all only in arrayment. Manhood and
honour is hid within man's person, and many an honourable knight is
not known unto all people through his clothing. This Balin felt deeply
the insult of King Ryons, and anon armed himself to ride forth to meet
with him and mayhap to destroy him, in the hope that then King Arthur
would again be his good and gracious lord.
The meanwhile that this knight was making ready to depart on this
adventure, there came to Arthur's court the Lady of the Lake, and she
now asked of him the gift that he promised her when she gave him his
sword Excalibur.
"Ask what ye will," said the King, "and ye shall have it, if it lie in my
power to give."
Thereupon she demanded Balin's head, and would take none other
thing.
"Truly," said King Arthur, "I may not grant this with my honour," and
Balin was allowed to make ready for the adventure with King Ryons.
But ere he had left the court he saw the Lady of the Lake. He went
straight to her, and with his sword lightly smote off her head before
King Arthur, for he knew her as the untruest lady living, one that by
enchantment and sorcery had been the destroyer of many good knights.
"Alas! for shame," said Arthur. "Why have ye done so? Ye have
shamed me and all my court, for this was a lady that I was beholden to,

and hither she came under my safe conduct. I shall never forgive you
that trespass. What cause soever ye had, ye should have spared her in
my presence; therefore withdraw you out of my court in all haste that
ye may."
So Balin,--called Balin the Wild for his savage and reckless
nature,--departed with his squire, and King Arthur and all the court
made great mourning, and had shame at the death of the Lady of the
Lake. Then the King buried her richly.
In sorrow over the evil he had wrought and the disfavour of his king,
Balin turned his horse towards a great forest, and there by the armour
he was ware of his brother Balan. And when they were met, they put
off their helms and kissed together, and wept for joy.
Anon the knight Balin told his brother of the death of the Lady of the
Lake, and said: "Truly I am right heavy of heart that my lord Arthur is
displeased with me, for he is the most honourable knight that reigneth
on earth, and his love I will get or else I will put my life in adventure
with King Ryons, that lieth now at the castle Terrabil. Thither will we
ride together in all haste, to prove our honour and prowess upon him."
"I will gladly do that," said Balan; "we will help each other as brothers
ought to do."
So they took their way to find King Ryons, and as they rode along
together they encountered him in a straight way with threescore knights.
Anon Balin and Balan smote him down from his horse, and slew on the
right hand and the left hand more than forty of his men. The remnant
fled, and King Ryons yielded him unto their grace as prisoner. So they
laid him on a horse-litter, for he was fiercely wounded, and brought
him to Camelot. There they delivered him to the porters and charged
them with him; and then they two returned to further adventure.
And Balin rode towards the castle of King Pellam to revenge the
wrongs of knights and ladies on a treacherous knight named Garlon. He
had a fifteen days' journey thither, and the day he came unto the castle
there began a great feast. Balin was well received, and led to a chamber,

where he laid off his armour. They also brought him robes to his
pleasure, and would have had him leave his sword behind him.
"Nay," said Balin, "that do I not, for it is the custom of my country for
a knight always to have his weapon with him, and that custom will I
keep, or else I will depart as I came."
Then they gave him leave to wear his sword, and so he went unto the
hall and was set among the knights of honour.
Soon he saw the false