Chapter 8

Saying Goodbye

The king's party stayed several more days at Sir Gologras's castle, enjoying themselves very much. Sir Gandefere and Sir Goliot became fast friends, and after big meals were often to be found side by side on adjacent armchairs, sharing a nap. (Sir Reynold and Sir Regal never did really hit it off, though.) At the end of a week, the royal caravan set out for Camelot. As Sir Gawain took his leave of Sir Gologras, his friend smiled broadly and said, "Do not say goodbye. We are friends now. I look forward to many years of good times together. I'm sure I shall see you again soon."

Sir Gawain smiled automatically, but said nothing. He had not told Sir Gologras about the Green Knight and the beheading trial that he was to face on New Year's Day. He didn't want to distress his friend. Sir Gologras pointed them in the right direction, and the knights of the Round Table set off for home.

They had gone hardly a mile when a new rider approached the cavalcade, and Sir Gawain was pleased to recognize Spinagras the dwarf. "Well, where in the world have you been, Spinagras?" he called out. "I haven't seen you since the day of the useless tournament."

"I had some business to take care of back home—I told you I was a steward, didn't I? Yes, I

thought I had. And besides, I thought you'd be killed and didn't want to see it. But here you are, alive and well. Did you really beat the great Sir Gologras?"

"Oh, no," Sir Gawain replied. "I was defeated, but he spared my life. Then he and Arthur made friends, which is better than making promises, so everything worked out in the end. Why have you come back now?"

"I thought that King Arthur might need a guide to Camelot."

"How did you know we were leaving today?" Sir Gawain asked, curiously.

"Lucky guess, I suppose," Spinagras replied airily. "So do you know how to get where you're going?"

"Sir Gologras pointed us southwest."

"Hmm," said the dwarf. "That's right, but you'll still need someone to show you the best places to cross rivers and all that. I'd better ride along."

"That's kind of you," Sir Gawain murmured.

"Not at all," Spinagras said. "I enjoy showing people the way to go. It's what I do best."

Sir Gawain thought about this for a moment. "So you must know England pretty well."

"Better than any map," Spinagras said promptly.

"I don't suppose you know a place called the Green Chapel, do you?"

Now it was Spinagras's turn to be silent, but after a moment he said, "Yes, I know it. Why do you ask?"

"I need to go there in a year on New Year's Day," Sir Gawain replied.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Spinagras said bluntly. "It's an eerie place, not pleasant at all. I could show you a lovely beach near Brighton, if you like."

"All the same, I have to go there. I took a vow."

"See what comes of all this vow-making business," Spinagras muttered under his breath. Sir Gawain looked at him curiously, but Spinagras only said, "Yes, I'll take you there. I won't go to it myself, mind you, but I'll take you near enough that you can't miss it."

Spinagras led the king and his knights to Camelot, then disappeared again, and for the ensuing months, life went on very much as normal in the court. The only thing, really, that disturbed the pleasant Camelot routine over the next year was the fact that every now and then people would remember that when winter came Sir Gawain would be riding away to die. The court still held the usual balls and banquets, but Sir Gawain stopped attending them, because he could see that his presence put a damper on the festivities. Sir Gawain began taking long rides, just to get away, and twice tried to go visit Sir Gologras, but without Spinagras to show him the way, he never could find his friend's castle, and no matter where he looked or who he asked, no one else seemed to know where to find it.

On Christmas Eve, when Sir Gawain had just eight days to live (he tried not to keep count, but it was impossible not to), the castle gates opened to admit a visitor, and Spinagras the dwarf rode into the central court. Sir Gawain was almost relieved to see his guide, even if he was coming to guide him to the Green Knight. Things had gotten very bad at court. For weeks now, ladies had been bursting into tears at the mere sight of him, which was very distressing. Sir Gawain never had figured out what to do with a weeping lady.

Sir Gawain said his goodbyes that evening, and the next morning he and Spinagras left before dawn. As soon as they were past the castle gates, Sir Gawain asked the dwarf, "I say, Spinagras, will this journey take all week? Because I'd really love to stop by and see Gologras on the way."

Spinagras looked at Sir Gawain for a long moment. His eyes were hard to read, though Sir Gawain thought he saw sympathy in them. But he only said, "Sorry. The road to the Green Chapel is hard going. If we don't go straight there, we'll never make it by New Year's."

Sir Gawain sighed. "Then will you take Gologras a message from me? Tell him I really wish we'd had more time together."

"You sound as if you'll never see him again," the dwarf said.

"I won't," Sir Gawain replied. He didn't try to explain, and Spinagras didn't ask.

Spinagras had been right about the difficulty of the road. They climbed over harsh crags and rode across frozen, windswept moors. They pushed heavily through dense forests, crept delicately across treacherous frozen lakes and marshes, and ploughed shoulder-deep through thick snowdrifts. At last, two days before the new year, as they made camp in a little hollow out of the wind, Spinagras said, "We're almost there, Sir Gawain. Tomorrow morning, if you ride to the top of that hill over there, you'll see the castle of Sir Bredbaddle the Huntsman. He can take you the rest of the way."

"Where will you be?" asked Sir Gawain.

"I told you last winter. I won't go to the Green Chapel myself. It's not a healthy place. But don't worry. Sir Bredbaddle may not be the cleverest fellow in creation, but he can get you where you need to go."

Sir Gawain thanked the dwarf, and they both rolled over in their blankets by the fire. When Sir Gawain awoke the next morning, Spinagras was gone.