The Army of Ravens.
The knight came to the place where Arthur and Owain were seated at chess. And they perceived that he was harassed and vexed and weary as he came towards them. And the youth saluted Arthur, and told him that the ravens of Owain were slaying his young men and attendants. And Arthur looked at Owain and said, "Forbid thy ravens."
"Lord," answered Owain, "play thy game." And they played. And the knight returned back towards the strife, and the ravens were not forbidden any more than before.
And when they had played a while, they heard a mighty tumult, and a wailing of men, and a croaking of ravens, as they carried the men in their strength into the air, and, tearing them betwixt them, let them fall piecemeal to the earth. And during the tumult they saw a knight coming towards them, on a light-gray horse, and the left foreleg of the horse was jet-black to the centre of his hoof. And the knight and the horse were fully accoutred with huge heavy blue armor. And a robe of honor of yellow diapered satin was upon the knight, and the borders of the robe were blue. And the housings of the horse were jet-black, with borders of bright yellow. And on the thigh of the youth was a sword, long and three-edged and heavy. And the scabbard was of red cut leather, and the belt of new red deerskin, having upon it many golden slides, and a buckle of the bone of the seahorse, the tongue of which was jet-black. A golden helmet was upon the head of the knight, wherein were set sapphire-stones of great virtue. And at the top of the helmet was the figure of a flame-colored lion, with a fiery-red tongue, issuing above a foot from his mouth, and with venomous eyes, crimson-red, in his head. And the knight came, bearing in his hand a thick ashen lance, the head whereof, which had been newly steeped in blood, was overlaid with silver.
And the youth saluted the emperor. "Lord," said he, "carest thou not for the slaying of thy pages, and thy young men, and the sons of the nobles of the Island of Britain, whereby it will be difficult to defend this island from henceforward forever?"
"Owain," said Arthur, "forbid thy ravens."
"Play this game, lord," said Owain.
So they finished the game, and began another; and as they were finishing that game, lo, they heard a great tumult, and a clamor of armed men, and a croaking of ravens, and a flapping of wings in the air, as they flung down the armor entire to the ground, and the men and the horses piecemeal. Then they saw coming a knight on a lofty-headed piebald horse. And the left shoulder of the horse was of bright red, and its right leg, from the chest to the hollow of the hoof, was pure white. And the knight and horse were equipped with arms of speckled yellow, variegated with Spanish laton. And there was a robe of honor upon him and upon his horse, divided in two parts, white and black; and the borders of the robe of honor were of golden purple. And above the robe he wore a sword, three-edged and bright, with a golden hilt. And the belt of the sword was of yellow goldwork, having a clasp upon it of the eyelid of a black seahorse, and a tongue of yellow gold to the clasp. Upon the head of the knight was a bright helmet of yellow laton, with sparkling stones of crystal in it, and at the crest of the helmet was the figure of a griffin, with a stone of many virtues in its head. And he had an ashen spear in his hand, with a round shaft, colored with azure-blue. And the head of the spear was newly stained with blood, and was overlaid with fine silver.
Wrathfully came the knight to the place where Arthur was; and he told him that the ravens had slain his household, and the sons of the chief men of this island, and he besought him to cause Owain to forbid his ravens. And Arthur besought Owain to forbid them. Then Arthur took the golden chessmen that were upon the board, and crushed them until they became as dust. Then Owain ordered Gwres, the son of Rheged, to lower his banner. So it was lowered, and all was peace.