The Killing Sword

by Asotir

as you can.’

  So the damsel shrugged free of the furred mantle and stood naked unto him, and Balyn took the sword by the pommel and scabbard.

  The sword leapt into his hand, and the Sun burned on the naked blade and filled his eyes with wonder.

  ‘Truly,’ said the damsel, aloud for all to hear, ‘this is a passing good knight and the best I ever found, the man of the greatest worship, without treason, treachery, or villainy. And many marvels he shall perform.’

  IV. The Lady Perilous

  NOW THE KING COMMANDED that Balyn be taken where he might bathe, and his hair and beard cut, and himself dressed in raiment fit for the best knight in the court. And when all this was done he was feasted on meat and wine, and taken to a privy chamber where the Naked Damsel of the Sword was waiting.

  ‘Now I see what before was hidden,’ she said, and smiled upon him from beneath the veil. She let fall the furred mantle for the third time and said, ‘You have drawn the sword, see now if you may unclasp this belt that has chained me like a bitch-hound for two months, since I took my leave from Avalon.’

  Balyn went upon one knee before her, and set his hands to the Belt of the Strange Clasp. And the Clasp opened to his touch, and he drew the Belt from her waist.

  ‘And now,’ she said, ‘Good knight, lift my veil.’

  He stood and put back the black veil to her brow, and beheld her face. Gray were her eyes and her hair was blacker than night, and her lips were perfect. Balyn touched her cheek with his fingers.

  ‘Will you not kiss me?’ she asked.

  ‘I will do that gladly,’ he answered, and kissed her lips.

  Then the damsel unpinned Balyn’s tunic and let it fall before her feet. And she kissed him mouth upon mouth, upon his chin and on his chest. And Balyn kissed her lips and her breasts and her navel. And they lay on the great bed of silken sheets and long into the night they took joy of each other.

  Late in the night an owl hooted, and Balyn woke from sleeping at the damsel’s side. Moonlight shone in through the window upon the floor and glinted from the strange sword in the Belt of the Strange Clasp. And Balyn rose up without thinking and went to it, and held the naked sword out in the moonlight so that it filled his heart with wonder. He looked on the sword and ran its quick ready sharpness up and down his palm.

  In the bed the damsel stirred and watched him.

  ‘The sword pleases you then, good knight?’

  ‘Truly,’ he answered. ‘Now I have seen it by Sun and by Moon, and I have never held a better sword. By God I will keep it by me always. And I will perform for you what great deed you will, and right your wrongs whatever they may be, that drove you to this strange fate of the sword and the clasp and your seeking of Avalon.’

  ‘Its name is Malison and it was meant for you, by the will of the Lady Lille. And it was for this that I went seeking her, that a strong knight had wronged me, and slew my lord and paramour. But this knight of whom I speak is so worshipful and doughty that none dare fight him. Therefore in Avalon I sought the help of the Lady Lille, who laughed at my seeking, with her cruel dark lips, and told me she would give me all I longed for and more, and maybe more than that.’

  ‘Tell me that knight’s name,’ said Balyn, ‘and no matter who he is or however strong, I will pay him back for your wrong, or die in the attempt.’

  ‘I can well believe you now, that you will do whatever you say you would. But knight, how are you called? For I don’t even know your country.’

  ‘I was born in Northumberland,’ he answered, ‘and my name is Balyn the Wild.’

  Then sorrow and surprise filled her eyes. ‘Ah, Balyn the Wild, is that you, indeed?’ she asked. She crept back in the bed and drew up the sheets to cover her nakedness. ‘Now Balyn the Wild, gentle and courteous knight,’ she said, ‘I pray you, give me the sword back again.’

  ‘No,’ he said, ‘for this is a sword whereby a man might do great work, if only he be steadfast of purpose and not back off the thing he did.’

  ‘I ask it for your sake and not my own.’

  ‘Ask it for what you will. But I shall not give up this sword to you or any man alive or dead, unless he take it from my hands by force.’

  ‘Well,’ said the damsel, ‘you are not wise to keep the sword from me, Balyn, for you shall slay with that sword the best friend that you have and the man that you most love in the world. And this sword shall be your destruction, unless you yield it back to me this night. The Lady Lille forewarned me it might overwhelm the knight who wields it.’

  ‘I shall take the doom,’ said Balyn, ‘that God will ordain for me. But the sword you shall not have yet, by the faith of my body.’

  ‘You shall repent it within a short time. For I would have the sword back more for your sake than for mine, and I am passing heavy for your sake, for you will not believe that the sword Malison shall be your death. And that is a great pity.’

  With that the damsel dressed herself and departed, making great sorrow.

  But Balyn went where the King sat with his barons talking of mustering of men and arms and plans of their battles against King Ryons and the other rebel kings. Balyn asked for leave to go.

  ‘Nay,’ said the King. ‘I don’t suppose you will depart so lightly from our fellowship as this! Good knight, I will not have you displeased that I have shown you unkindness in your time in Camelot. Blame me the less, for I was misinformed against you. If only I had known you were such a knight as you are, of so great worship and strength. Abide in this court among my fellowship, and I shall raise you up the ranks of my trust and love, as high as you could wish.’

  ‘God thank your highness,’ said Balyn. ‘Your bounty and grace go beyond what any man might praise. But at this time I must depart, beseeching you always of your good grace.’

  ‘Truly,’ said the King, looking down, ‘I am displeased you are going. And I pray you, fair knight, that you do not tarry long away from me. For when you return you will find a right warm welcome with me, and I shall make amends for whatever wrong I have done against you.’

  ‘God thank your great lordship,’ said Balyn, and went to find his horse.

  But many knights in the court watched Balyn with angry eyes. They were unhappy that the Northumberland knight had won where they had failed, and could not believe that he was a better knight. When Balyn won the enchanted sword, Sir Kay the Seneschal with wrath struck Sir Brisance his poor spy and said, ‘Fool that you are! First you accused that knight of rebellion, and yet he was set free, and now is shown to be better than all my brother’s knights!’

  ‘He is a rebel, my lord, and before three suns set it will be proven so,’ said the spy.

  So Sir Brisance left Sir Kay, afraid in his heart. ‘For if Balyn is free, he may seek to pay me back, for that I accused him falsely. And if he is so great a knight, I will lose my life and my head both.’

  Sir Brisance wandered the hall, seeking some way out of this trap, and he overheard the knights grumbling about Balyn’s feat. Most outspoken was Sir Lanceour, that was a prideful knight, and a king’s son of Ireland. ‘He achieved that adventure not by might alone,’ said Sir Lanceour, ‘but he helped himself by witchcraft. Or else he never could have done what I myself could not.’

  ‘Truly, Sir Lanceour, you have the right of it,’ said Sir Brisance. ‘You are the best knight in the court, how else could an unshorn knight best you? Only yesterday he abode in the King’s prison as a rebel, and now he is called better than all of us, better even than the King. How else could he do this but by sorcery?’

  So Sir Brisance drew Sir Lanceour and some other knights aside, and they spoke against Balyn and devised among them what they might do to spite him.

  Balyn went unto the stables, and there he saw to his trappings and his horse, and armed him for a journey.

  And meanwhile there came in to the Court a rich procession, led by a lady that was called the Lady of the Lake. She rode on horseback in a rich gown of seven colors, for in that shifting garb were al
l the colors of the rainbow that shines in the mists above the waters. And her fairness surpassed even the wonder of that dress.

  Balyn stared at her.

  The King came out himself to greet this lady, and she saluted him.

  ‘I give you greetings, O King.’

  ‘Ah Lady,’ he said, ‘you are the lady I am most glad to see, for you gave me the best gift ever a knight got, this sword at my side. It is so great a sword that it must have a name, but I don’t know it.’

  ‘The name of it,’ said the Lady of the Lake, ‘is Excalibur, that is as much as to say, Cut Steel. I am glad that you have not forgotten the sword, and hope also that your lordship does not forget the gift you promised me when I gave you that sword.’

  ‘You say well,’ answered the King. ‘Ask what you will and you shall have it, if it lies in my power to grant.’

  ‘Well,’ said the Lady, ‘I ask the head of that knight over there, that won the Sword of the Belt of the Strange Clasp, or else the head of the Naked Damsel, she who brought it. In truth, I wouldn’t mind if I got both their heads. For he slew my brother, a good knight and a true, and that damsel was the cause of my father’s death.’

  The King was filled with dismay to hear this. ‘Truly,’ he said, ‘I may not grant either of their heads and keep my own worship. Therefore ask something else, I pray you, whatever else you will.’

  ‘I will ask for nothing else,’ said the Lady.

  But Balyn all this while was