lightly to the ground, and they
embraced each other with great gladness, and the king told his tale.

"Sir," said Sir Tristram, "for your good grace to me, and for the sake of
your daughter, Belle Iseult, I will fight this battle, but you must grant
me two requests. The first is, you must give me your own word that you
were not consenting unto this knight's death; the second, that if I win
this battle you shall give me as reward whatsoever reasonable thing I
ask." Whereupon the king swore to both of them, and then went to tell his
accusers that he had a knight ready to fight Sir Blamor. Then King Arthur
commanded Sir Tristram and Sir Blamor to appear before the judges, and
when they came many kings and knights who were present recognized Sir
Tristram as the young unknown knight who had fought and conquered Sir
Marhaus of Ireland, and the excitement grew intense, for two lustier
knights than Sir Tristram and Sir Blamor could not have been found.

So the time was fixed, and the combatants retired to their tents to
prepare for battle.

"Dear brother," said Bleoberis to Blamor, "remember of what kin you are,
and how Sir Launcelot is our cousin, and suffer death rather than shame,
for none of our blood was yet shamed in battle."

"Fear not," answered Sir Blamor stoutly, "that I will ever disgrace our
kin. Yonder knight is a goodly man, but I swear I will never yield,
nor say the loth word. He may smite me down by his chivalry, but he shall
slay me before I say the loth word."

So the two champions rode to meet each other from opposite sides of the
lists, and they feutred their spears and charged each other with so great
force that it sounded as though the heavens were sending forth loud
thunders, and then Sir Tristram by his great strength bore Sir Blamor to
the ground, and his horse under him.

He was quickly clear of his horse, though, and on his feet again.
"Alight, Sir Tristram," he cried, pulling out his sword, "my horse has
failed me, but the earth shall not."

So together they rushed, and lashed at each other in fury, slashing and
tearing, foining, and making such fearful strokes that the kings and
knights held their breath in horror and amazement that two men could use
each other so, and neither give in. But so fierce were they that their
stabs and cuts might have been falling on men of wood, so little heed did
they pay. So fast and furiously they fought, that the wonder was they had
breath to keep on;