And the King answered: 

“Yes; let her live that life, for it is better justice and more terrible.  I can love those that gave me such a thought.”

And the lepers answered: 

“Throw her among us, and make her one of us.  Never shall lady have known a worse end.  And look,” they said, “at our rags and our abominations.  She has had pleasure in rich stuffs and furs, jewels and walls of marble, honour, good wines and joy, but when she sees your lepers always, King, and only them for ever, their couches and their huts, then indeed she will know the wrong she has done, and bitterly desire even that great flame of thorns.”

And as the King heard them, he stood a long time without moving; then he ran to the Queen and seized her by the hand, and she cried: 

“Burn me! rather burn me!”

But the King gave her up, and Ivan took her, and the hundred lepers pressed around, and to hear her cries all the crowd rose in pity.  But Ivan had an evil gladness, and as he went he dragged her out of the borough bounds, with his hideous company.

Now they took that road where Tristan lay in hiding, and Gorvenal said to him: 

“Son, here is your friend.  Will you do naught?”

Then Tristan mounted the horse and spurred it out of the bush, and cried: 

“Ivan, you have been at the Queen’s side a moment, and too long.  Now leave her if you would live.”

But Ivan threw his cloak away and shouted: 

“Your clubs, comrades, and your staves!  Crutches in the air—­for a fight is on!”

Then it was fine to see the lepers throwing their capes aside, and stirring their sick legs, and brandishing their crutches, some threatening:  groaning all; but to strike them Tristan was too noble.  There are singers who sing that Tristan killed Ivan, but it is a lie.  Too much a knight was he to kill such things.  Gorvenal indeed, snatching up an oak sapling, crashed it on Ivan’s head till his blood ran down to his misshapen feet.  Then Tristan took the Queen.

Henceforth near him she felt no further evil.  He cut the cords that bound her arms so straightly, and he left the plain so that they plunged into the wood of Morois; and there in the thick wood Tristan was as sure as in a castle keep.

And as the sun fell they halted all three at the foot of a little hill:  fear had wearied the Queen, and she leant her head upon his body and slept.

But in the morning, Gorvenal stole from a wood man his bow and two good arrows plumed and barbed, and gave them to Tristan, the great archer, and he shot him a fawn and killed it.  Then Gorvenal gathered dry twigs, struck flint, and lit a great fire to cook the venison.  And Tristan cut him branches and made a hut and garnished it with leaves.  And Iseult slept upon the thick leaves there.

So, in the depths of the wild wood began for the lovers that savage life which yet they loved very soon.