Aucassin and Nicolette were thus debating, when the soldiers of the count came marching down the street.  Their swords were drawn, and they were seeking for Nicolette to slay her.

“God, it were a great pity to kill so fair a maid!” said the warden of the dungeon.  “My young lord Aucassin would die of it, and that would be a great loss to Beaucaire.  Would that I could warn Nicolette!”

And with that, he struck up a merry tune, but the words he sang to it were not merry.

    Lady with the yellow hair,
    Lovely, sweet and debonair,
      Now take heed. 
    Death comes on thee unaware. 
    Turn thee now; oh, turn and flee;
    Death is coming suddenly. 
          And the swords
    Flash that seek to murder thee.

“May God reward you for your fair words!” said Nicolette.

Wrapping herself in her mantle, she hid in the shadows until the soldiers went by.  Then she said farewell to Aucassin, and climbed up the castle-wall where it had been broken in the siege.  But steep and deep was the moat, and Nicolette’s fair hands and feet were bleeding when she got out.  But she did not feel any pain, because of the great fear that was on her lest she should fall into the hands of the count’s men.

Within two bow-shots from Beaucaire was a great forest; and here Nicolette slept in a thicket, until the herd-boys came in the morning, and pastured their cattle close to her resting-place.  They sat down by a fountain, and spread out a cloak, and put their bread on it.  Their shouting aroused Nicolette, and she came to them.

“God bless you, sweet boys!” said she.

“God bless you, lady!” said one that had a readier tongue than the others.

“Do you know Aucassin, the brave young son of Count Garin?” she said.

“Yes, lady,” they said.  “We know him very well.”

“Then tell him, in the name of God,” said she, “that there is a beast in this forest that he must come and hunt.  If he can take it, he will not sell a limb of it for a hundred marks of gold.  Nay, not for any money.”

“I tell him that?” said the boy that had a readier tongue than the others.  “Curse me if I do!  There’s no beast in this forest—­stag, boar, wolf or lion—­with a limb worth more than two or three pence.  You speak of some enchantment, and you are a fairy woman.  We do not want your company.  Go away.”

“Sweet boys,” said Nicolette, “you must do as I tell you.  For the beast has a medicine that will cure Aucassin of all his pain.  Ah!  I have five pieces of money in my purse.  Take them, and tell him.  He must come and hunt within three days, and if he does not, he will never be cured.”

“Faith,” said the boy, after consulting with his fellows, “we shall tell him if he comes, but we will not search after him!”

III.—­Aucassin Goes in Quest of Nicolette

Nicolette took leave of the herd-boys, and went into the forest down a green way that led to a place where seven paths met.  Close at hand was a deep thicket, and there Nicolette built a lodge of green boughs, and covered it with oak-leaves and lily-flowers, and made it sweet and pleasant, both inside and out.  And she stayed in this lodge to see what Aucassin would do.