Renaud was indignant at the insult offered his brother, and went to the emperor with his complaint.  The umpires reluctantly testified that the prince had forfeited his head, so Renaud cut it off in the emperor’s presence, and effected his escape with his father and brothers before any one could lay hands upon them.  Closely pursued by the imperial troops, Aymon and his sons were soon brought to bay, and fought so bravely that they slew many of their assailants.  At last, seeing that all their horses except the incomparable Bayard had been slain, Renaud bade his brothers mount behind him, and they dashed away.  The aged Aymon had already fallen into the hands of the emperor’s adviser, Turpin, who solemnly promised that no harm should befall him.  But in spite of this oath, and of the remonstrances of all his peers, Charlemagne prepared to have Aymon publicly hanged, and consented to release him only upon condition that Aymon would promise to deliver his sons into the emperor’s hands, were it ever in his power to do so.

The four young men, knowing their father safe, and unwilling to expose their mother to the unpleasant experiences of the siege which would have followed had they remained at Pierlepont, now journeyed southward, and entered the service of Saforet, King of the Moors.  With him they won many victories; but, seeing at the end of three years that this monarch had no intention of giving them the promised reward, they slew him, and offered their swords to Iwo, Prince of Tarasconia.

[Sidenote:  Fortress of Montauban.] Afraid of these warriors, yet wishing to bind them to him by indissoluble ties, Iwo gave Renaud his daughter Clarissa in marriage, and helped him build an impregnable fortress at Montauban.  This stronghold was scarcely finished when Charlemagne came up with a great army to besiege it; but at the end of a year of fruitless attempts, the emperor reluctantly withdrew, leaving Montauban still in the hands of his enemies.

Seven years had now elapsed since the four young men had seen their mother; and, anxious to embrace her once more, they went in pilgrims’ robes to the castle of Pierlepont.  Here the chamberlain recognized them and betrayed their presence to Aymon, who, compelled by his oath, prepared to bind his four sons fast and take them captive to his sovereign.  The young men, however, defended themselves bravely, secured their father instead, and sent him in chains to Charlemagne.  Unfortunately the monarch was much nearer Pierlepont at the time than the young men supposed.  Hastening onward, he entered the castle before they had even become aware of his approach, and secured three of them.  The fourth, Renaud, aided by his mother, escaped in pilgrim’s garb, and returned to Montauban.  Here he found Bayard, and without pausing to rest, he rode straight to Paris to deliver his brothers from the emperor’s hands.

Overcome by fatigue after this hasty journey, Renaud dismounted shortly before reaching Paris, and fell asleep.  When he awoke he found that his steed had vanished, and he reluctantly continued his journey on foot, begging his way.  He was joined on the way by his cousin Malagigi, who also wore a pilgrim’s garb, and who promised to aid Renaud, not only in freeing his brothers, but also in recovering Bayard.