(A sample chapter from the Arthurian tale The Killing Sword.)
© 2011 asotir.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License.
XIV. The Dolorous Stroke
ALL THE KNIGHTS AROSE from their tables to set upon Balyn when they saw him slaughter Garlon at their feast. And King Pellam himself rose and said, ‘Knight, you have killed my brother, so you shall die therefore before you leave my hall.’
‘Well,’ said Balyn, ‘then do it yourself if that’s what you have in mind.’
‘Yes,’ said King Pellam, ‘hold off you others. There shall no man have ado with him but myself for the love of my brother.’
Then King Pellam caught in his hand a great club from the firewood, for he had no weapon by the rules of his feast, and struck at Balyn. But Balyn put his sword between his head and the stroke, so that the club swept aside the blade but left Balyn’s head whole. But the club caught the sword against the stones of the hearth, and therewith Balyn’s blade broke asunder. And King Pellam laughed and raised the club again.
‘Your other sword,’ cried his lady, and Balyn clutched at the magic pommel of the Sword of the Naked Damsel. But at that time the Strange Clasps would not let go the Sword to him.
Balyn ran to find some other weapon and so he passed from chamber to chamber, and yet could find no weapon. And always King Pellam chased after him.
At last Balyn came to a chamber that was marvelously well and richly furnished. There before him stood a bed arrayed with cloth of gold, the richest a man might dream, and one lying upon it. And beside the bed stood a table of pure gold with four pillars of silver that upheld it. And upon the table stood a marvelous spear strangely wrought.
And when Balyn saw that spear, he took it in hand and turned to King Pellam, and smote him with that spear. King Pellam leapt up to avoid that stroke, but Balyn was as strong that day as any in his life, and he drove the spear through King Pellam’s hips and thighs. So King Pellam fell in a faint.
But with that the castle roof and walls broke and fell to the earth. And Balyn fell down under the broken stones and mortar, so that he might not stir. In his ears he heard the cries of knights and ladies that lay dying, and beasts in the stables crushed under the stones.
‘Now I know what the damned souls hear when they are caged in the Pit of Hell,’ thought Balyn.
And for three days the castle lay upon Pellam and Balyn.
