King Arthur awoke, he found himself in a dark prison, and about him he could hear the laments of many woeful knights.
“Who are you who lament so?” said King Arthur.
CIV.7
“We are twenty knight-prisoners. Some of us have been here for eight years, and some a longer time, and some less time.”
“For what reason?” said Arthur.
“We shall tell you,” said the knights. “The lord of this castle is named Sir Damas, and he is the falsest knight alive—full of treason, and the greatest coward living. He has a younger brother, a good knight of prowess, and his name is Sir Outlake. This traitor Damas, the elder brother, will give him no part of the lands to which Sir Outlake is entitled, except those which he can defend through the prowess of his hands. So Sir Outlake keeps a fair, rich manor, where he dwells worshipfully and is beloved by his people. This Sir Damas, our master, is strongly disliked, for he is without mercy, and he is a coward, and there is great war between the brothers. Outlake is the better knight, and he always challenges Damas to fight for his inheritance, body for body, but he will not do it unless he can find a knight to fight for him. So Sir Damas has said he would find a knight, but he is so ill-liked that there is no knight who will fight for him.
“Since Damas has seen that there were no knights who would fight for him, he has lain in wait many a day—with many knights with him—and has captured all the knights in this country to learn of their deeds and adventures. He has taken them by force and brought them to this prison. So he captured us one at a time, as we rode on our adventures, and many good knights have died of hunger in this prison—eighteen in total. If any of us here had fought with his brother Outlake, he would have freed us. But because this Damas is so false and so full of treason, we would never undertake to risk our lives in a battle for him, and we are so weak from hunger that we can barely stand on our feet.”
“God deliver you in His great mercy!”
Then a damsel came to Arthur and asked him “What cheer?”
“I cannot say that I have any,” said Arthur.
“Sir,” she said, “if you will fight for my lord you will be delivered out of this prison; and if you do not you shall never get out alive.”
“Now,” said Arthur, “that is a difficult choice. But I would rather fight with a knight than die in prison, and if I do this,” said Arthur, “I may be delivered, and all these prisoners as well. I will fight the battle.”
“Yes?” said the damsel.
“I would be ready,” said Arthur, “if I had horse and armor.”
“You shall lack for nothing,” said the damsel.
“It seems to me, damsel, that I have seen you in the court of Arthur.”
“Nay,” said the damsel, “I have never been there. I am the daughter of the lord of this castle.” But this was a lie, as she was one of the damsels of Morgan le Fay.
Then she went to Sir Damas and told him how he agreed to do battle for him. So he sent for Arthur. When he came, he saw that he was in good health with strong limbs; all who saw him said it was a pity that such a knight should die in prison.
So he and Sir Damas were agreed that he should fight for him on the sworn condition that all the other knights would be delivered out of prison. Sir Damas swore to that, provided that Arthur would fight to the best of his ability. So with that the twenty knights were brought out of the dark prison into the great hall and given freedom. They then waited for the beginning of the battle.
Now we turn to Accolon of Gaul. When he awoke he found himself beside a deep well—just a half foot away from the edge—and thus in great peril of death. Out of that fountain came a pipe of silver, and out of that pipe water ran onto a tall marble stone. When Sir Accolon saw this, he blessed himself and said: “Jesus, save my lord King Arthur and King Uriens, for the damsels on the ship have betrayed us; they were fiends, not women. If I may escape this misadventure, I will destroy them, and all other false damsels I may find who work enchantments such as this.”
CIV.8
At that moment a dwarf appeared. He had a large mouth and a flat nose, and he greeted Accolon and told him that he had been sent by Morgan le Fay. “And she greets you well and admonishes you to be of strong heart, for you shall fight tomorrow with a knight at the hour of prime. For this reason she has sent you Excalibur, Arthur’s sword, and the scabbard. She bids you that, as you love her, you will do battle to the uttermost without any mercy, just as you promised her when you last spoke together in private. Whatever damsel brings her the head of the king that you shall fight, she will make that damsel a queen.”
“I understand,” said Accolon, “I shall do as I promised her, now that I have the sword. Sir, when did you see my lady Morgan le Fay?”
“Just recently,” said the dwarf.
Then Accolon embraced the dwarf and said, “Commend me to my lady the queen and tell her that all shall be done as I promised her, or else I will die trying. Now I suppose,” said Accolon, “she has worked all these crafts and enchantments for this battle.”
“Sir, you may well believe it,” said the dwarf.
At that moment there came a knight and a lady with six squires; they greeted Accolon and asked him to arise and come and rest at his manor. So Accolon mounted a riderless horse and went to the fair manor, which was near a priory, and there he had passing good cheer.
Then Sir Damas sent word to his brother Outlake and bade him be ready in the field the next day at nine o’clock to fight with a good knight, for he had found a knight who was ready to do battle for him.
When this message came to Outlake he was somewhat upset, because he had been wounded just recently through both of his thighs with a glaive, and for this he made great sorrow. If he had not been wounded he would have eagerly taken on the battle.
So it happened that at that time, through the means of Morgan le Fay, Accolon was staying with Sir Outlake. When he heard of that battle and how Outlake was wounded, he said that he would fight for him, because Morgan le Fay had sent him Excalibur and its scabbard to use in a fight against a knight on the following morning. So Accolon took the battle upon himself, and Sir Outlake was very glad and thanked Accolon with all his heart for doing so much for him. Then Sir Outlake sent word to his brother Sir Damas that he had a knight who was ready to fight with him in the field at nine o’clock.
So in the morning King Arthur was armed and given a good horse. He asked Sir Damas, “Sir, when shall we go to the field?”
“Sir,” said Sir Damas, “you shall hear mass first.”
So Arthur heard mass, and when it was over a squire came and asked Sir Damas if his knight was ready, “for our knight is already in the field.” Then King Arthur mounted upon horseback. And all the knights and commons of the country were there, and by their advice twelve good men of the country were chosen to assist the two knights.
Just as Arthur had gotten on horseback, a damsel came from Morgan le Fay and brought to Arthur a sword very similar to Excalibur along with a scabbard. She said to Arthur, “She sends here your sword out of her great love.” He thanked her and believed that it was just as she said; but she was false, for the sword and scabbard were counterfeit and weak.
Then they positioned themselves on opposite sides of the field and let their horses run toward each other so fast that each smote the other in the middle of the shield; but their spears held, so both horse and man fell to the earth. Then they both jumped up and drew their swords.
CIV.9
While they were fighting, the Damsel of the Lake who had put Merlin under the stone arrived at the battle. She came thither out of love for King Arthur, for she knew that Morgan le Fay had arranged it so that Arthur would be slain that day. Therefore, she came to save his life.
So the men went eagerly to battle and gave each other