Garlon came, invisible, and smote this knight, Perrin de Mounte Belaire, through the body with a glaive. “Alas!” said the knight, “I am slain by this traitor knight who rides about invisible.”
“Alas!” said Balin, “This is not the first offense he has committed against me.”
Then the hermit and Balin buried the knight under a rich stone in a royal tomb; in the morning they found letters of gold on the tomb that said that Sir Gawain would avenge the death of his father, King Lot, on King Pellinore.
Then after this Balin and the damsel rode forth until they came to a castle; Balin dismounted and went inside. As soon as he was inside the gate the portcullis was let down behind him, and many men surrounded the damsel and would have slain her. When Balin saw that, he was sorely upset that he could not help her. But then he went up into a tower and leapt over the walls into a ditch without hurting himself.
Then he pulled out his sword and would have fought with the men, but they all refused, saying they would not fight with him, for they were doing nothing but performing the custom of the castle; they told him that their lady was sick and had been for many years, and that she could not be made well except if she was brought a silver dish filled with the blood of a pure maiden who was a king’s daughter.
“Therefore, the custom of this castle is that no damsel shall pass this way without bleeding a silver dishful.”
“Well,” said Balin, “she shall bleed as much as she may bleed, but I will not let her lose her life while my life lasts.” So Balin allowed her to bleed of her own will, but her blood could not help the lady.
So she and he rested there all night in good cheer, and in the morning they went on their way. And as it tells in the story of the Holy Grail, Perceval’s sister helped that lady with her blood, which caused her death.
Then they rode on three or four days without any adventures, and by fortune they found lodgings with a gentleman. And as they sat at supper, Balin heard someone complaining grievously in a chamber nearby.
CII.14
“What is that noise?” said Balin.
“Truly,” said his host, “I will tell you. I was but recently at a jousting tournament and there I jousted with a knight who is King Pellam’s brother, and twice I smote him down. Then he promised to avenge himself on my best friend; so he wounded my son, and he cannot heal until I have some of that knight’s blood. He rides about invisible, but I do not know his name.”
“Ah!” said Balin. “I know that knight’s name: it is Garlon. He has slain two of my knights in the same manner. Therefore, I would rather meet with that knight than have all the gold in the realm because of the offense he has done to me.”
“Well,” said his host, “I shall tell you how. King Pellam of Listenoise has announced throughout the country that there will be a great feast within twenty days, and no knight may come there unless he brings his wife or his paramour. You shall see your enemy and mine that day.”
“Then I promise you,” said Balin, “some of his blood to heal your son.”
“Then we will set out tomorrow,” he said.
So in the morning all three rode toward King Pellam; the journey took fifteen days, and on the same day that they arrived, the feast began. So they dismounted and stabled their horses and went into the castle, but Balin’s host was not allowed to enter because he had no lady.
But Balin was well received and brought into a chamber where he unarmed himself. He was provided with luxurious robes, and they wished to have Balin leave his sword behind him. “Nay,” said Balin, “that I will not do, for it is the custom in my country for a knight to always keep his sword with him. If I may not, “ he said, “I will depart as I came.”
Then they gave him permission to keep his sword. So he went into the castle and mingled with knights of worship and his lady. Then Balin asked a knight, “Is there a knight in this court named Garlon?”
“Yes sir, yonder he goes, the knight with the black face. He is the most marvelous knight now living, and he destroys many good knights when he goes about invisible.
“Well,” said Balin, “is that he?” Then Balin studied him for awhile and thought, “If I slay him here, I shall not escape. But if I leave him now, perhaps I shall never meet with him again on another such occasion; and he will do much harm if he lives.”
Then Garlon noticed Balin staring at him; he came over and slapped him on the face with the back of his hand and said, “Knight, why do you stare at me so? For shame! Eat your food and do what you came to do.”
“You speak the truth,” said Balin. “This is not the spiteful thing you have done to me. Therefore, I will do what I came to do.” Then he rose up fiercely and struck his head from his shoulders. “Now give me the truncheon,” said Balin to the maiden, “that he slew your knight with.” Then she gave it to him, for she always carried the truncheon with her. Then Balin smote him through the body and said, “With that truncheon you killed a good knight, and now it sticks in your body.” Then Balin called out to his host and said, “Now may you fetch enough blood to heal your son.”
Then all the knights rose from the table to set upon Balin, and King Pellam himself rose up fiercely and said, “Knight, why have you killed my brother? You shall die before you leave.”
CII.15
“Well,” said Balin, “do it yourself.”
“Yes,” said King Pellam, “no man shall have ado with you but I myself, for the love of my brother.” Then King Pellam took up a grim weapon and struck eagerly at Balin, but he put his sword between his head and the stroke, and Balin’s sword broke into pieces. When Balin was weaponless, he ran into another chamber to seek a weapon, and then from chamber to chamber, but no weapon could he find, and always King Pellam followed after him.
At last he entered a chamber that was marvelously and richly furnished, with a bed covered with a cloth of gold (the richest there might be) and a person lying therein. Nearby there stood a table of pure gold, and upon the table stood a marvelous spear, strangely wrought.
So when Balin saw the spear he grabbed it with his hand and turned to King Pellam and felled him, smiting him so surpassingly hard with that spear that King Pellam fell down in a swoon.
Then the roof and walls of the castle broke apart and fell down to the earth, and Balin fell down, unable to stir hand or foot. Most of the people in the castle were killed by that Dolorous Stroke.
King Pellam and Balin lay there three days. Then Merlin came there, and took Balin up and got him a good horse—for his was dead—and bade him get out of the country.
CII.16
“Sir, I would go with my damsel,” said Balin.
“Lo,” said Merlin, “there she lies dead.”
And King Pellam lay sorely wounded for many years and was never healed until Galahad the High Prince healed him in the quest of the Holy Grail. For in that place was some of the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which Joseph of Arimathea brought into this land, and he was lying there in that rich bed. The spear was that which Longinus used to smite our Lord through the heart.
King Pellam was close kin to Joseph, and was the most worshipful man alive in those days; his wound was a great pity, because through that stroke everything turned to great sadness, sorrow, and suffering.
Then Balin departed from Merlin. He said, “never in this world will we meet and part again.”
He rode forth through fair lands and cities and found people slain on every side, and those that were left alive cried out and said, “Ah, Balin! You have gone and caused great suffering in these lands, because through the Dolorous Stroke which you gave King Pellam these three countries are destroyed. Doubt not that vengeance will fall upon you in the end!”
When Balin had passed through these countries he was lacking in courage, and rode eight days