Tammy’s Reviews > King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table > Status Update

Then Balyn jumped up and chopped off her head. King Arthur is outraged for this violates the rules of hospitality and he will never forgive Balyn who says that it is the Lady of the Lake that is the false duessa.

The damsel was impressed. She asked Balyn to return the sword and he refused. She warned him that this sword will cause him to kill his best friend and cause much sorrow. He still refused. She protested and asked for it but he refused so she left in sorrow. The Lady of the Lake appears and tell Arthur she has come with a request. It’s too late to cute off the head of the false duessa but he must cut off Balyn’s head.

A damsel comes in wearing a large sword that is a token of her sorrow. She says it belonged to the Lady of the Lake but the damsel is using it to see if there are any worthy knights. None of King Ryon’s men could pull it out of the scabbard. All of Arthur’s men tried and none could do either. They didn’t think of asking Balyn who was recently freed from jail for killing Arthur’s cousin. He had no problem with it.

Ch. 2 More knights gather at the tower in Wales to prepare for the battles to come to drive out all the Saxons. King Ryon of North Wales threatened other kings: either they swear allegiance and cut-off their beards or he will come and kill the king. So far he has sewn eleven beards into the hem of his mantle and he would like Arthur’s to be his twelfth. Arthur refuses and threatens him right back.

Arthur wants to fight him but Merlin counsels him and the king listens this time. The scabbard has the power of keeping him alive no matter how much blood he loses. He warns Arthur to keep tabs on it for there is a lady seeking the sword and scabbard for she knows its power. They pass Pellinore who cannot see them because of his quest. When Arthur arrives at home, everyone cheers.

She told him that she has been guarding Excalibur and she will only give it to him if he gives her what she requests but he doesn’t know what it is. He agrees. Is that a rash vow? They get on her barge. She takes him to the arm and Arthur takes the sword. The arm disappears. Arthur goes back to Merlin who warns him that they will see Pellinore who has given up combat and is looking for the questing beast.

They passed through the place where Arthur will fight his last battle and will lose to an evil knight. Merlin told him to go to the lake so meet the Lady of the Lake. Arthur went on his own and he saw an arm covered in white samite holding a sword with a golden hilt set with jewels and a jewel-encrusted scabbard. He watched a beautiful lady in pale blue silke with a golden girdle walk across the water.

Arthur told Merlin he had no sword so the latter talked about Avalon and Excalibur. He should get it because, with this sword, he would never lose as long as he draws in humility and does only to defend others. They traveled a long way and went through the forests and weave through mountains and valleys. Merlin explained where they were and what things were. They are in Wales. They pass the Lake of the Fairy Place.

Arthur refused. Pellinore ripped off his helmet and was about to strike off his head and Merlin stayed his hand. He told the knight that this was King Arthur and all hope of peace and Logres would disappear if Arthur died. Merln put him in a deep sleep and Athur thought he was dead. Then Merlin said you have a greater chance of dying because of your wounds. He took Arthur to a leech and in THREE DAYS he was cured.

Arthur and Pellinore meet and joust because words have no impact on Pellinore. In the first round, both spears shivered. In the second round, both shears broke. In the third, Arthur’s broke and Pellinore’s hit the shield squarely and pushed him off to the ground. They fought with swords on the ground and Arthur’s shattered. Then they wrestled and Pellinore was the stronger man. He commanded Arthur to admit defeat.