Upon hearing these words of the Emperor, Huon slipped from the saddle of his horse, putting aside the lance he had borne into the hall. And he drew forth from its scabbard his sword. Taking a quick step to the high table, he raised the visor of his helm so that those there might look upon his face. And then he cried out to Duke Raoul:
“Traitor, false and perjured knight! Look upon that Huon of Bordeaux whom you did plot to send to his death. Bordeaux and my Lady Claramonde are not for you!”
Then raising his sword he did run it through the body of Raoul, slaying him before he could rise out of his seat. Whereupon all those who abode in the hall gave forth cries of fear and anger. And principal among these was the Emperor, who called upon his guards to cut down this murderer.
But Huon turned then upon the Emperor, crying:
“So this be your true practice, Lord Emperor? That since it is a kinsman of yours who is the offender, justice shall not be done. If your justice turns so easily, I want none of it. This shall uphold my case against yours!”
He leaped into the saddle and held aloft his sword still all bedrabbled with the blood of Raoul. Then he went up against those of the guard who tried to stay him and he cut his way through them, fighting as one of the great heroes of old. And many men did he wound and slay before he won free out of the city of Mayence.
By the Emperor’s order all those knights who rode under the banners of Alamayne got to horse and pursued Huon across the plain. And with them rode the Emperor himself, mounted on his charger Amphage—mate to which there was none in the whole world. So great was the rage of the Emperor that he spurred out before his men and so came close to Huon.
Huon, seeing this, stayed his flight a little and waited upon the Emperor. And they came together with such force that the Emperor was thrown from the back of Amphage and his leg was broken in twain. Then did Huon look upon his enemy with pity in his heart, and he raised no sword against him. Instead he left his tired horse and, mounted upon Amphage, rode away. And the Emperor was taken up by those who followed him.
But because Huon did pity his enemy and leave him living on the field, much sorrow and bitterness were to be his portion.
IV. HOW THE EMPEROR BROUGHT WAR TO BORDEAUX AND THAT CITY WAS REDUCED TO SORE STRAIT
Huon came into the encampment of those who had followed him from Bordeaux and he straightway set before them how ill his mission had fared. So( they arrayed themselves for the battle which was speedily brought upon them when the knights and lords of Alamayne, hot with anger, came at a full gallop. But the knights and men of Bordeaux were no green youths entering into their first assay of arms untried. And they were led by Huon and by the crafty Gerames who had grown old in warfare.
So did those of Bordeaux fashion a wall of steel which held fast against the enemies’ charge. And full many of the Emperor’s men were struck from their saddles to their death beneath the iron shod hooves of their own chargers. Huon fought not like one man but as twenty. From one end of the field to the other his sword cleared him an open path and naught was behind him but men newly dead.
Thus at last the Emperor, who had been watching from a litter the manner of this desperate affray, began to bemoan the slaughter of his men, for it was like to be that none of them might survive the field. At the same time Gerames spurred to ride stirrup to stirrup with Huon and say:
“Lord Duke, we have made much grievous slaughter among these proud men of Alamayne. The Emperor himself has been laid low by your own skill and courage. But after the way of battles, we have lost divers good knights and sturdy bow and pike men, too. This be the land of Alamayne and the Emperor can call to him fresh men. But Bordeaux lies many leagues away and how can we summon any to fill the gaps which death has holed in our battle line?”
Huon, thinking upon this, believed that Gerames spoke with his usual wisdom and he answered:
“Let us send a herald unto the Emperor and ask if he will make truce. Then shall we withdraw into our own land where the advantage will be ours. Send forth a herald of your choosing with trumpeters, and have him seek out the leader of the men of Alamayne thus—”
And so was it done. In spite of the Emperor’s great and abiding hate for Huon, he needs must agreed to the truce, thinking to himself the while that when his leg was healed and he could call up fresh liege men he would pursue the Duke of Bordeaux even to the walls of his own city and that he would rive that same city with fire and sword and reduce it to naught in the eyes of all men. But for that he must bide his time. So did he agree to a six months’ truce to hold betwixt them.
Thereafter the armies parted from each other, both licking their wounds—even as a lion and a tiger evenly matched might agree to fight no more, but retreat into their private dens to hoard their strength against another meeting.
Huon came back to Bordeaux with the greatest speed possible and he related to the Lady Claramonde how he had served Duke Raoul and what had come from his vengeance. The Lady Claramonde, greatly fearing of the future/said unto her lord:
“Husband, this Emperor ruleth all the reaches of Alamayne which, it has been said, is even greater than France. He can call to his banner a hundred knights for every man who owes you field service. Mayhap he can crack Bordeaux like a nut between his two fingers. Emperor Charlemagne is lately dead and in his stead ruleth the child* Louis. He hates you for the sake of his dead brother whom you slew by chance, and he will not come hither to aid you with as much as one arrow!”
“True,” Huon made her sober answer. “Therefore we of Bordeaux must trust in the grace and goodness of Our Lord Jesu and do the best that we can against the coming of a dark future.”
“France may not aid us but there is help beyond our borders if we will seek it, my lord. In Tunis is my brother, now the Dey and overlord, and he has a thousand times a thousand men to rally to his battle cry. Think not that he is an unbeliever, for long since did he accept Our Lord Jesu for his own and is a Christian man. In our childhood there was strong love between us twain and I do not think that I am yet wholly forgotten by him. Do you then take ship, husband, and get you overseas to Tunis. There call upon my brother and return with the army he will freely give into your service. So you can meet the Emperor with an equal force!”
But Huon frowned and made dissenting answer:
“Wife, if I slip away now from Bordeaux and sail overseas to secure this aid you speak of, I shall then be deserting those who trust in me, and they may freely name me coward and Yalse knight. Much may chance on such a voyage and I may not return therefrom, leaving my city to a black fate. Nay, here I must stay and share what may come.”
So did he answer all the pleas of Claramonde. And her fear of the future did press upon her heart as if a rock had settled therein.
All the defenses of Bordeaux were made stronger, and food and drink were brought into the city, the carts moving through all gates from sunrise to sunset. Out in the land Gerames had put many watchers and swift messengers to spy upon the coming of the men of Alamayne and all within the city worked with a will to be ready.
At last came the word that the banners of Alamayne were to be seen on the borders of the duchy and that the forces of the Emperor were laying waste—burning and slaying as they came. Then did the men of Huon’s following withdraw within the stout walls of the city. A store of arrows and crossbow bolts were brought up, swords and lances were made ready and they waited. Soon enough the forces of Alamayne came before the city and set up a camp of many tents.