“But one person only will go with me.”  “Heaven counsel thee, my son,” said Erbin, “and may many attach themselves to thee in Loegyr.”  Then went Geraint to the place where his horse was, and it was equipped with foreign armor, heavy and shining.  And he desired Enid to mount her horse, and to ride forward, and to keep a long way before him.  “And whatever thou mayst see, and whatever thou mayst hear concerning me,” said he, “do thou not turn back.  And unless I speak unto thee, say not thou one word, either.”  So they set forward.  And he did not choose the pleasantest and most frequented road, but that which was the wildest and most beset by thieves and robbers and venomous animals.

And they came to a high road, which they followed till they saw a vast forest; and they saw four armed horsemen come forth from the forest.  When the armed men saw them, they said one to another.  “Here is a good occasion for us to capture two horses and armor, and a lady likewise; for this we shall have no difficulty in doing against yonder single knight who hangs his head so pensively and heavily.”  Enid heard this discourse, and she knew not what she should do through fear of Geraint, who had told her to be silent.  “The vengeance of Heaven be upon me,” said she, “if I would not rather receive my death from his hand than from the hand of any other; and though he should slay me, yet will I speak to him, lest I should have the misery to witness his death.”  So she waited for Geraint until he came near to her.  “Lord,” said she, “didst thou hear the words of those men concerning thee?” Then he lifted up his eyes, and looked at her angrily.  “Thou hadst only,” said he, “to hold thy peace as I bade thee.  I wish but for silence, and not for warning.  And though thou shouldst desire to see my defeat and my death by the hands of those men, yet do I feel no dread.”  Then the foremost of them couched his lance, and rushed upon Geraint.  And he received him, and that not feebly.  But he let the thrust go by him, while he struck the horseman upon the centre of his shield, in such a manner that his shield was split, and his armor broken, so that a cubit’s length of the shaft of Geraint’s lance passed through his body, and sent him to the earth, the length of the lance over his horse’s crupper.  Then the second horseman attacked him furiously, being wroth at the death of his companion.  But with one thrust Geraint overthrew him also, and killed him as he had done the other.  Then the third set upon him, and he killed him in like manner.  And thus also he slew the fourth.  Sad and sorrowful was the maiden as she saw all this.  Geraint dismounted his horse, and took the arms of the men he had slain, and placed them upon their saddles, and tied together the reins of their horses; and he mounted his horse again.  “Behold what thou must do,” said he; “take the four horses and drive them before thee, and proceed forward as I bade thee just now.  And say not one word unto me, unless I speak first unto thee.  And I declare unto Heaven,” said he, “if thou doest not thus, it will be to thy cost.”  “I will do as far as I can, lord,” said she, “according to thy desire.”