The dream of Rhonabwy
part 5
"Iddawc," said Rhonabwy, "who are yonder pure white troop?"
"They are the men of Norway, and March the son of Meirchion is their prince. And he is cousin unto Arthur."
And further on he saw a troop, whereof each man wore garments of jet-black, with borders of pure white to every scarf; the tops of the shoulders and the knees of their horses were pure white. And their banners were jet-black with pure white at the point of each.
"Iddawc," said Rhonabwy, "who are the jet-black troop yonder?"
"They are the men of Denmark, and Edeyrn the son of Nudd is their prince."
And when they had overtaken the host, Arthur and his army of mighty ones dismounted below Caer Badou, and he perceived that he and Iddawc journeyed the same road as Arthur. And after they had dismounted he heard a great tumult and confusion amongst the host, and such as were then at the flanks turned to the centre, and such as had been in the centre moved to the flanks. And then, behold, he saw a knight coming, clad, both he and his horse, in mail, of which the rings were whiter than the whitest lily, and the rivets redder than the ruddiest blood. And he rode amongst the host.
"Iddawc," said Rhonabwy, "will yonder host flee?"
"King Arthur never fled, and if this discourse of thine were heard, thou wert a lost man. But as to the knight whom thou seest yonder, it is Kai. The fairest horseman is Kai in all Arthur's Court; and the men who are at the front of the army hasten to the rear to see Kai ride, and the men who are in the centre flee to the side, from the shock of his
horse. And this is the cause of the confusion of the host."
Thereupon they heard a call made for Kadwr, Earl of Cornwall, and behold he arose with the sword of Arthur in his hand. And the similitude of two serpents was upon the sword in gold. And when the sword was drawn from its scabbard, it seemed as if two flames of fire burst forth from the jaws of the serpents, and then, so wonderful was the sword, that it was hard for any one to look upon it. And the host became still, and the tumult ceased, and the Earl returned to the tent.
"Iddawc," said Rbonabwy, "who is the man who bore the sword of Arthur?"
"Kadwr, the Earl of Cornwall, whose duty it is to arm the King on the days of battle and warfare."
And they heard a call made for Eirynwych Amheibyn, Arthur's servant, a red, rough, ill-favoured man, having red whiskers with bristly hairs. And behold he came upon a tall red horse with the mane parted on each side, and he brought with him a large and beautiful sumpter pack. And the huge red youth dismounted before Arthur, and he drew a golden chair out of the pack, and a carpet of diapered satin. And he spread the carpet before Arthur, and there was an apple of ruddy gold at each corner thereof, and he placed the chair upon the carpet. And so large was the chair that three armed warriors might have sat therein. Gwenn was the name of the carpet, and it was one of its properties that whoever was upon it no one could see him, and he could see every one. And it would retain no colour but its own.
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Pwyll