As the hour waxed late Huon took from his neck the chain of the Fairy horn and gave the wondrous gift into Gonder’s keeping with these words:
“Take thou this horn and treasure it well, that it may not be lost no matter how merry we become. For it is the chief of all my holdings and it must not be taken from me.”
Gonder did hang the horn about his own neck and swear to Huon that he would hold it from all harm.
Now Macaire, the Lord of Tonnont, sent into the market place the servants of his palace to buy meat for his table. Shortly they did return to him saying that there was no meat left to be boughten, for a stranger had purchased it all for a feast to be given to the city beggars. And even now all the poor of the town were eating it in the house of Gonder.
Much astonished at such tidings Macaire thought that he must see for himself this outlander who was feeding the beggars of Tormont. So he did put on him a long cloak of dusty black, such as the poorest of the town did wear, and, with his knights, he went down into the town. Leaving his men without in the street, he went into Gonder’s house and seated himself humbly at one of the far tables, looking about him slyly at all that passed.
Now it chanced that shortly after the Lord of Tormont crept in among them, Huon came to the table where Macaire had seated himself, bearing the Fairy cup which he offered to all who sat there. But when the cup came into Macaire’s grasp and he raised it to drink—lo—the wine was gone and he held only an empty cup!
“What manner of man art thou?” cried Huon. “For no honest man does this cup go dry!” Reaching forth his hand he pulled from Macaire’s head the hood of his beggar’s cloak.
And Gonder shouted: “He is Macaire, Lord of Tormont!”
Before they could lay hand upon him Macaire rushed to the street door and called to his men to come and take these outlanders. But Huon and the other French knights were not to be so easily captured. They fought their way out and through the crowded streets until they won to a strong watchtower which stood in the very heart of Tormont. There they did set upon the few guardsmen at its portal and put them to the sword, thus gaining the protection of strong walls.
Outside this tower, Macaire gathered all the might of Tormont, thinking that in time hunger and thirst would drive its defenders into his hands. Huon saw that this might come, for there was no escape from this hold save through the forces drawn up against them.
Then did Duke Garyn urge him thus:
“Sound now the horn which King Oberon did give you—for this is so great a peril that he will grant your call a rightful one.”
Huon put his hand to his breast and in that moment recollected that he had given the horn into Gonder’s keeping and had it not. When he told this to the others they did reproach him for his great folly and he answered them not, for he knew that what they said to him was true.
But meanwhile Gonder remembered the horn and how this stranger, now pent within the watchtower, had said that it was the chief of his treasures. So he determined to take it to him, since secretly in his heart Gonder hated the Lord Macaire for the many evils he had wrought,
He went openly to Macaire and said:
“Lord, let me go and speak unto these outlanders. Since they trust me, mayhap I can counsel them into surrender by pointing out in what dire straits they now lie.”
Macaire agreed, for he was minded to win the tower with as little bloodshed as possible and these strangers had already proved themselves stout warriors.
XI. HOW HUON DID CALL UP THE ELF KNIGHTS AND OF THE DOOM OF MACAIRE
Gonder went openly to the gate of the watchtower, unarmed and bearing no weapons, but carrying in his hands a scarf of white silk that those within might know that he came in peace. At Huon’s order the way was unbarred and he came in, to address the Lord from Bordeaux thus:
“Macaire will have thy heads from thy shoulders if ye surrender to him, therefore listen not to any promises which he may make thee, for they will be as false as river quicksand which entrapeth the traveler to his doom. Ye can expect no mercy from him and I can truly see naught before ye but death. But I have brought hither this horn which he did entrust to me, saying that it was the greatest of thy treasures.”
Huon fairly snatched the magic horn from Gonder, crying aloud:
“Good Steward, with this horn you have brought us our deliverance, as you and all of Tormont shall now see!”
And putting horn to lip he blew such a blast as echoed from the towers and walls of all the city, into the very heart of Heaven itself. With that sounding came a wind like unto the tempest they had known in the wood of Fairy.
A sword of fire clove the sky above Tormont and out of that light came the bat-winged horses of the Hills ridden by Oberon’s forces. Each Elf knight’s sword swung loose in his hand and as they rode down the wind into the city they cried aloud the battle cries of their own world which lies beyond the rim of mortal earth.
At this dread sight those who followed Macaire were greatly afeared and some fled. But others, of a stronger breed, stood fast. And Huon and his men issued forth to do battle with these.
Then began such a clamor as was never before heard upon this earth. Red streams of brave men’s blood did fill the gutters of the streets and bodies lay within every doorway and upon every threshold. For there was no stopping the vengeance of the Elf knights. Nor were the men of France behind them in the harrowing of Tormont. Mighty were the deeds done by Huon and Garyn and Gerames and those who followed them.
At long last there remained none in the whole city to stand against them. And chief among the slain lay Macaire who, evil though his life had been, fought valiantly against all comers and did not fall until the very end of the battle. So did Huon mourn that so brave a man had lived so ill. When Tormont was cleansed of this false lord and those who had done his wicked will, Oberon came to Huon and said:
“As we promised, we came to your aid and now this city has fallen and lies within your hand to do with as you will. What is your plan for Tormont?”
Huon looked upon this once fair city now torn and brought to deep suffering through battle, and he considered before he answered.
“Tormont I do not want, nor do I think that any of those in my train will wish to reign here, so far from our native land. Therefore let Gonder, who is an honest man, rule as Torment’s lord. And we shall go our way.”
All those with Huon agreed and thus did the Steward Gonder become Lord of Tormont. And so well and long did he rule that in later years Tormont became one of the greatest cities of the Saracen land, to the glory of its people. But never more did Huon or those with him behold its towers again.
Rather did they go out into the countryside where Oberon and his Elf knights bid them farewell, only first did the Fairy King lay upon Huon another warning, namely:
“So far upon your quest have you come without hurt and may it so continue with you. But I fear that it will not be so for long, for you are a rash youth and have little knowledge of the world. Forget not this warning which I give you now, for your remembrance of it will mean much good or ill in the future. Speak always the full truth and let no manner of falsehood pass your lips. For if you lie you will lose my aid and be your need ever so great, I shall not come to you.”
Huon swore loudly that he would do as Oberon wished, that no falsehood would he utter. But the Fairy King still looked with sorrow upon him as if he saw ill coming in the future.
Before he went out from the mortal world Oberon raised up out of the wilderness a fine pavilion to house all the French company, and brought out of the air by his magic a goodly banquet for their feasting.