The heat of the sun was very great, and so when Geraint and Enid had ridden a little further, his wounds began to pain him more than they had done at first, and to escape the sun’s rays he went into a wood and stood under a tree. Enid followed after, and stood under another tree. Suddenly they heard a great noise, the reason of which was that King Arthur and many knights and ladies of his court were come into the wood. A foot-page of Sir Kay the seneschal saw the knight and lady standing silent under the trees, and he hastened to tell his master, who took his spear and shield, and rode to where Geraint was.
“Ah, knight,” said Sir Kay, “what dost thou here?”
“I am standing under a tree to avoid the rays of the sun.”
“Wherefore is thy journey, and who art thou?”
“I seek adventures, and go where I list.”
“Indeed,” quoth Kay. “Then come with me to King Arthur, who is near at hand.”
“That will I not,” answered Geraint curtly. He knew Sir Kay well, but Sir Kay knew him not.
“Thou must needs come,” said Kay; and therewith he couched his spear and attacked Geraint, who, becoming angry, smote him with the shaft of his lance, and rolled him headlong on the ground. Sir Kay got on his feet again as well as he could, and rode back to the tents, where he met Sir Gawaine.
“There is yonder in the wood,” said he, “a wounded knight, with battered armour. Will you go and ascertain who he is?”
Gawaine assented, but Kay warned him to take his spear and armour, because the knight was not over courteous. This Gawaine did, and then he went to Geraint, and asked him who he was, and whether he would go with him to King Arthur; but Geraint would not tell his name, and refused to go to the king. “I will not leave thee,” said Gawaine, “till I know who thou art.” Then he charged Geraint with his spear, and it splintered on his shield, and their horses stood front to front. Gawaine gazed fixedly at the other, and saw who he was.