family quarrel. I've got a dozen men with me, skilled knights all. It should make for a good turn up, don't you think?"
Terence smiled. "What do you say, milord? Shall we?"
Sir Gawain nodded and handed Terence his shield. "Here, lad, don't take any chances. You've no armor on, after all. Well, fellowsâCharge!"
And then the battle began. Piers, watching from the castle wall, could see little of what was going on. Occasionally he caught a glimpse of Sir Gawain's mountainous black horse, but he was not a very skilled observer of knightly combat, and most of the time he couldn't tell who was fighting whom. A few of the knights from inside the castle opened the castle gates and strolled out to watch. One was munching on some bread and cheese.
"You know, lads," the knight said between bites. "This is the best siege I've ever been part of."
"Hear, hear," the others replied. A few of them stretched out in the grass, so as more comfortably to watch their would-be besiegers fight each other.
Above Piers's head, on the wall, a female voice said, "I think my fishmonger has just knocked your betrothed off his horse again."
"He's not my betrothed, and you just shut up! This is all your fault, Obilot!" Lady Obie retorted.
"
My
fault! Well of all the poisonous cats!
I'm
not the one who sent Malchance off with a bug in his bottom. If you ask me, you don't know what you want, sister."
Lady Obie responded by bursting into tears.
The fight in the meadow seemed to be less confusing than it had been a few minutes before, and Piers realized that Malchance's "knights" were sneaking off and riding away in groups of two and three. Before the battle had gone half an hour, there were only a score of knights left on their feet, and most of those were the knights with Sir Gawain. Piers saw Malchance approach Sir Gawain, waving his sword. Sir Gawain nodded and dismounted, and the other knights backed away. Evidently they had decided to settle matters with single combat.
"I hope my fishmonger doesn't get hurt," young Obilot commented.
"Shut up, I tell you!" Obie snapped.
"Sir knight!" called Duke Lyppaut from the wall. "I'll give you a hundredweight of Roman gold if you promise not to hurt Malchance!"
Then the two knights fought. Even to Piers it was clear that Sir Gawain was never in any danger, although Malchance certainly attacked with great
vigor. At last, Sir Gawain knocked Malchance to the ground, stepped on his sword, and then pointed his own sword at Malchance's throat. Malchance yielded.
All the knights walked slowly back across the field toward the castle, just as Duke Lyppaut and his daughters stepped out of the gates. Malchance, who had led the way, fell to his knees before Lady Obie. "You were right, Obie. I'm only a child. I'm not worthy of you."
"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Sir Gawain said bracingly. "You fought well out there, and most important, you kept getting back up when I knocked you down. Best thing you could do."
"But you should never have knocked me down to start with."
"Oh, there's no shame in that. Everyone can take a fall. Even those of us from the Round Table."
Malchance looked up. "You're with the Round Table?" he asked.
"That's right. My name's Gawain."
In the hush that followed, only one voice spoke. "I guess that means you're not a fishmonger, doesn't it?" said Obilot.
Sir Gawain grinned, but turned his attention to Malchance. "So you see, you fought a famous knight, and you did well. I think you've proven yourself now. Perhaps the Lady Obie will consent to your request now."
Then, to everyone's surprise, Duke Lyppaut interrupted. "No, I say! She can't marry him!"
"What?" asked a dozen voices at once.
"How can I give my daughter to the man who attacked her family? No, no. It is impossible." Duke Lyppaut turned an ingratiating smile on Sir Gawain and continued. "It is much more fitting that she should marry her rescuer. Sir Gawain, I believe I've never heard that you were married."
Piers looked
Terence smiled. "What do you say, milord? Shall we?"
Sir Gawain nodded and handed Terence his shield. "Here, lad, don't take any chances. You've no armor on, after all. Well, fellowsâCharge!"
And then the battle began. Piers, watching from the castle wall, could see little of what was going on. Occasionally he caught a glimpse of Sir Gawain's mountainous black horse, but he was not a very skilled observer of knightly combat, and most of the time he couldn't tell who was fighting whom. A few of the knights from inside the castle opened the castle gates and strolled out to watch. One was munching on some bread and cheese.
"You know, lads," the knight said between bites. "This is the best siege I've ever been part of."
"Hear, hear," the others replied. A few of them stretched out in the grass, so as more comfortably to watch their would-be besiegers fight each other.
Above Piers's head, on the wall, a female voice said, "I think my fishmonger has just knocked your betrothed off his horse again."
"He's not my betrothed, and you just shut up! This is all your fault, Obilot!" Lady Obie retorted.
"
My
fault! Well of all the poisonous cats!
I'm
not the one who sent Malchance off with a bug in his bottom. If you ask me, you don't know what you want, sister."
Lady Obie responded by bursting into tears.
The fight in the meadow seemed to be less confusing than it had been a few minutes before, and Piers realized that Malchance's "knights" were sneaking off and riding away in groups of two and three. Before the battle had gone half an hour, there were only a score of knights left on their feet, and most of those were the knights with Sir Gawain. Piers saw Malchance approach Sir Gawain, waving his sword. Sir Gawain nodded and dismounted, and the other knights backed away. Evidently they had decided to settle matters with single combat.
"I hope my fishmonger doesn't get hurt," young Obilot commented.
"Shut up, I tell you!" Obie snapped.
"Sir knight!" called Duke Lyppaut from the wall. "I'll give you a hundredweight of Roman gold if you promise not to hurt Malchance!"
Then the two knights fought. Even to Piers it was clear that Sir Gawain was never in any danger, although Malchance certainly attacked with great
vigor. At last, Sir Gawain knocked Malchance to the ground, stepped on his sword, and then pointed his own sword at Malchance's throat. Malchance yielded.
All the knights walked slowly back across the field toward the castle, just as Duke Lyppaut and his daughters stepped out of the gates. Malchance, who had led the way, fell to his knees before Lady Obie. "You were right, Obie. I'm only a child. I'm not worthy of you."
"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Sir Gawain said bracingly. "You fought well out there, and most important, you kept getting back up when I knocked you down. Best thing you could do."
"But you should never have knocked me down to start with."
"Oh, there's no shame in that. Everyone can take a fall. Even those of us from the Round Table."
Malchance looked up. "You're with the Round Table?" he asked.
"That's right. My name's Gawain."
In the hush that followed, only one voice spoke. "I guess that means you're not a fishmonger, doesn't it?" said Obilot.
Sir Gawain grinned, but turned his attention to Malchance. "So you see, you fought a famous knight, and you did well. I think you've proven yourself now. Perhaps the Lady Obie will consent to your request now."
Then, to everyone's surprise, Duke Lyppaut interrupted. "No, I say! She can't marry him!"
"What?" asked a dozen voices at once.
"How can I give my daughter to the man who attacked her family? No, no. It is impossible." Duke Lyppaut turned an ingratiating smile on Sir Gawain and continued. "It is much more fitting that she should marry her rescuer. Sir Gawain, I believe I've never heard that you were married."
Piers looked
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