Chapter 7

Sir Gawain the Once Defeated

As soon as it became known that Sir Gologras would be representing himself the next day, then Sir Gawain knew he was going to have to fight. Who could King Arthur send to face Sir Gologras the Unconquered but Sir Gawain the Undefeated? Still, Sir Gawain tried to argue.

"But, sire, I don't want to fight him," he explained. "I like Sir Gologras."

"I understand, Gawain," the king replied, "but this is for the kingdom. If the people of Britain are ever to live in safety, then all must agree to support one ruler. If I let Sir Gologras refuse to swear loyalty, how can I expect the rest of the people to be true?"

Sir Gawain sighed. "I know. But isn't there anyone else?"

At this moment, King Arthur received some surprising support. Spinagras the dwarf had seemed scornful of the day's tournament, but now he spoke up in favor of the next day's battle. "You must send someone, Your Highness, but don't even think about sending anyone but Sir Gawain. Speaking as one who's seen Sir Gologras fight, I can tell you that only your very best knight stands a chance. He's a demon with a sword, he is."

Sir Gawain frowned at Spinagras, but the dwarf ignored him. King Arthur looked grim, but he only said, "I'm sorry, Gawain. But it has to be you. Be ready at dawn tomorrow."

"Yes, sire," said Sir Gawain, and true to his word, he was.

As on the day before, the great castle's drawbridge began to lower just at the crack of dawn, and when it was down, an armed and armored knight rode across to the field beyond. The knight raised his lance in salute. "I am Sir Gologras the Unconquered, here to defend my home and my family tradition. Where is your champion, King Arthur?"

Sir Gawain rode forward, stopping just in front of Sir Gologras and raising the visor on his helmet. "Here I am. Sir Gawain."

"Sir Gawain?" repeated Sir Gologras. Sir Gawain nodded. "So," said Sir Gologras, "this is your idea of friendship, is it?"

"I vowed obedience to my king, who has sent me. I will keep my vow."

Sir Gologras snorted. "See what comes of all this vow-taking business?"

"We wouldn't have to do this if you would take one yourself," Sir Gawain suggested. "Just promise never to rebel against the king. It isn't so hard."

"I have only made one solemn promise in my life," Sir Gologras said.

Sir Gawain brightened. "You have? You've made one? Then why not make just one more?"

"Because that solemn promise was to my father, on his deathbed. I promised not to make any more solemn promises."

"Well, that's not fair!" exclaimed Sir Gawain. "No, really! Promise me not to make any promises? That's cheating! Either you make promises, or you don't!"

Sir Gologras hesitated. "When you put it that way, it does seem a little irregular. But all the same, do you want me to break that promise?"

Now Sir Gawain hesitated. "No, I guess not. Just as I won't break my promise to King Arthur." He sighed. "So where does that leave us?"

"I think we have to fight," Sir Gologras said.

"Bother," replied Sir Gawain. Then they separated, rode to their positions, pointed their lances, and charged. As had happened the day before with Sir Gandefere and Sir Goliot, both knights' lances splintered, and both knights were thrown from their horses. This time, though, the two knights rose at once and continued the contest with swords.

As has already been mentioned, detailed accounts of battles are curiously dull to read. To do a fight justice, each attacking sword blow and defending parry must be noted. The problem is that the blow and parry together only take a fraction of a second, but it takes much longer than that to read about them. As a result, the poor readers get left behind. By the time they've finished with that first exchange, the knights have already gone on to have three or even four more. After that, there's no catching up at all, but only falling further and further behind, and so readers lose interest. The same sort of thing happens at school sometimes.

So, to make a long (and dull) battle story short: The swift and skillful swordplay of Sir Gawain and Sir Gologras was splendid to watch, and all who were privileged to witness their battle knew that they would never again behold such brilliant knightly warriors. The champions went on without slackening their pace for nearly an hour, but after that they slowed down slightly. They would fight a bit, then back away and circle each other, catching their breath and watching for an opening. During one of these circling times, Sir Gologras said, "I can see why you're undefeated, my friend. You really are a splendid swordsman."

"You, too," Sir Gawain replied, with feeling. "It's an honor to see such skill. After this is all over, you must show me that trick you have of twisting your blade at the parry to drive my sword further off course. I've never seen anything like that."

"Do you like it? I came up with that myself."

"You've nearly had me a dozen times with that trick," Sir Gawain said.

"And what about the way you switch hands?" commented Sir Gologras. "That took me completely by surprise the first time you did it. Do you practice as much with your left hand as with your right?"

"More, actually," Sir Gawain said.

"Amazing," replied Sir Gologras. "We must train together after this."

"Unless one of us is dead."

The two knights circled in silence for a moment.

"Yes," Sir Gologras said at last. "Unless one of us is dead."

They closed again and fought fiercely and brilliantly for several minutes. They each landed several blows on each other, but only on the places that were best protected by their armor. Then they broke apart to circle again.

"I thought you had me there for a moment," said Sir Gologras as soon as he had his breath. "When

I slipped just then, I left quite an opening at my neck. I'm surprised you didn't cut off my head."

"I ... ah ... I thought it might be a trap," Sir Gawain said. "And what about you? When I lunged forward and you stepped aside, you could have brought your sword right down on my back, where my armor's weakest."

Sir Gologras said nothing for a long moment. At last he murmured, "I ... thought it might be a trap?"

They circled some more.

"This is going to go on for a long time, isn't it?" asked Sir Gawain.

Sir Gologras nodded. "And yet it can't end until one of us wins. When it's over, one of us will no longer be unvanquished."

"Does that really matter so much?" asked Sir Gawain.

"That, my friend, is a very good question," replied Sir Gologras slowly. "Ready to go again?"

"Ready," said Sir Gawain.

They charged again, and once more the swords flickered and swung and clanged and thudded. The watchers in the field and on the castle walls could scarcely see the blades, so swiftly did they move, but the knights themselves always seemed able to block each thrust or slash. Then Sir Gawain got his chance. Sir Gologras swung a mighty blow, which Sir Gawain parried, but the force of the two swords striking was such that Sir Gawain's right hand went numb. Realizing that Sir Gologras's sword hand might also be numb, Sir Gawain quickly switched his blade to his left hand and brought the hilt down on Sir Gologras's hand. It worked. Already numb, Sir Gologras lost his grip on his sword. Sir Gawain stepped on it, then laid the edge of his own blade on Sir Gologras's neck.

"Yield, Sir Gologras," he said.

Slowly, Sir Gologras sank to his knees and removed his helmet. "I can't yield," he said.

"What?"

"If I yield, then I'll have to swear loyalty to the king, and I've promised not to do that."

"Then what do we do?"

"You won, Sir Gawain. You'll have to kill me now."

"I don't want to."

"Nevertheless, you have to. Go on. Cut off my head."

"Blister it! Why do people keep asking me to cut off their heads?" exclaimed Sir Gawain, furiously. "I don't like cutting off heads!"

"Well, I don't see what else we can do."

Sir Gawain glared at his stubborn friend for a long moment. Then he said, "Unless this is one of your traps."

"Eh?"

"You could be kneeling in order to take advantage of me. You know that my right hand is numb and probably can't hold my sword very tightly."

"You're holding your sword in your left hand," Sir Gologras pointed out.

Sir Gawain shifted his sword back to his right hand. "As I was saying," he continued, "you could be planning to knock my own sword out of my hand, then shove me back off your sword and get the advantage."

"Seems like a pretty stupid trap to me," said Sir Gologras.

"That's what makes it such a good plan. No one would suspect it. You'd take me completely by surprise."

"Would I?"

"Yes."

With one hand, Sir Gologras knocked Sir Gawain's sword from his grasp. With the other he pushed Sir Gawain a step backwards. Grasping his own sword, Sir Gologras rose to his feet and laid the blade on Sir Gawain's neck. "Yield, Sir Gawain."

"I do yield," replied Sir Gawain. "Gladly."

A minute later, both knights stood before King Arthur, who looked grim. "You have won, Sir Gologras," he said. "And I will keep my word and leave you alone now. You may refuse to swear an oath of allegiance, whatever the consequences to the kingdom may be."

Sir Gologras shook his head. "I may have won, but Sir Gawain has proven himself the better man. Sire, I am not able to swear a solemn oath of loyalty to you. To do so would mean breaking an earlier promise. But would you accept my word as a friend?"

"Am I your friend?" asked the king mildly.

"Not yet, but my friend Gawain vouches for you, so I'd like to be. And I don't take up arms against friends. I've done it once now, and I've decided not to do it again."

King Arthur considered this. "That isn't a solemn vow, though. Is it?"

"No, it isn't. It's just what I say. But you may trust it."

The king smiled. "All right. That's good enough for me. In the end, I'd rather have the word of a friend any day."

Slowly, all the knights began to realize that the whole matter had been resolved, without any bloodshed or any broken promises, and all rejoiced. Sir Gawain grinned happily at Sir Gologras. "Well, you certainly took me by surprise, friend."

"Not half so much as you've surprised me," replied Sir Gologras.