Even as he spoke there came a damsel riding hard on a palfrey, and she cried with a loud voice on Sir Tor to grant her a boon. He answered that he would.
“Then,” said the damsel, “I ask the head of this false knight Abellius, for he is the worst knight that liveth, and the greatest murderer.”
“That is a gift that I should be loath to grant,” replied Tor. “If this knight has committed any trespass against you, let him make amends.”
“Alas!” she said, “he cannot make amends, even if he would. Lately he fought with my brother, who was a good knight and a gentle, and got the better of him; and though I kneeled half an hour in the mire, entreating him to spare my brother’s life, he would have no mercy, but struck off his head. Therefore, as thou art a true knight, I require thee to give me my gift, for he is the man of most cruelty living, and a destroyer of good knights.”
When the damsel had spoken thus, Abellius was afraid, and he yielded, and began to beg for mercy. But Tor said that he could not now grant it, after his pledge to the damsel, more especially as Abellius had refused mercy before when he might have had it. So he unlaced his helmet and took it off; and then Abellius rose up suddenly and fled. But Sir Tor ran after him quickly, and struck off his head from behind. After that, the damsel made much of Sir Tor, and took him to her husband’s castle hard by, where he had good entertainment till the next day. Then he rode to Camelot, where he was joyfully received; and when he told his adventures, the king and all the court gave him great praise. But said Merlin—
“These things are nothing to what he shall do; he will prove as noble a knight as any now living, and gentle, and courteous, and full of good parts, and passing true of his promise, and he shall never do any outrage.”
When King Arthur heard this, he gave Sir Tor an earldom of lands that had fallen to him. And so ended the quest of the hound.
In the meanwhile, King Pellinore had followed the knight that carried away the lady. As he was passing through a forest, he saw a damsel sitting by a well, and a wounded knight lying in her arms. When she saw Pellinore, she cried to him, “Help me, Knight, for Christ’s sake!” But he was so eager in his quest that he would not stay. And when the lady saw that, she prayed that God might yet send him as much need of help as she had. Presently the wounded knight died, and the lady, for pure sorrow, slew herself with his sword.
King Pellinore rode on, and presently he came to a valley where were two pavilions. One of the knights of the pavilions was fighting with him that had carried off the lady; for he said she was his kinswoman, and she should not be carried off against her will The lady was standing the while in charge of two squires. Pellinore went to her and said,—
“Fair lady, you must come with me to King Arthur’s court.”