The story saith that Perceval went his way through the forest. He saw
pass before him two squires, and each carried a wild deer trussed
behind him that had been taken by hounds. Perceval cometh to them a
great pace and maketh them abide.
"Lords," saith he, "Whither will you carry this venison?"
"Sir," say the squires, "To the castle of Ariste, whereof Aristor is
lord."
"Is there great throng of knights at the castle?" saith Perceval.
"Sir," say the squires, "Not a single one is there, but within four
days will be a thousand there, for Messire is about to marry, whereof
is great preparation toward. He is going to take the daughter of the
Widow Lady, whom he carried off by force before her castle of Camelot,
and hath set her in the house of one of his vavasours until such time
as he shall espouse her. But we are right sorrowful, for she is of most
noble lineage and of great beauty and of the most worth in the world.
So is it great dole that he shall have her, for he will cut her head
off on the day of the New Year, sith that such is his custom."
"And one might carry her off," saith Perceval, "would he not do well
therein?"
"Yea, Sir!" say the squires, "Our Lord God would be well pleased
thereof, for such cruelty is the greatest that ever any knight may
have. Moreover, he is much blamed of a good hermit that he hath slain,
and every day desireth he to meet the brother of the damsel he is about
to take, that is one of the best knights in the world. And he saith
that he would slay him more gladly than ever another knight on live."
"And where is your lord?" saith Perceval, "Can you give me witting?"
"Yea, Sir," say the squires, "We parted from him but now in this
forest, where he held melly with a knight that seemeth us to be right
worshipful and valiant, and saith that he hath for name the Knight
Hardy. And for that he told Aristor that he was a knight of Perceval's
and of his fellowship, he ran upon him, and then commanded us to come
on, and said that he should vanquish him incontinent. We could still
hear just now the blows of the swords yonder where we were in the
forest, and Aristor is of so cruel conditions that no knight may pass
through this forest, but he is minded to slay him."