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Now the Morholt had hoisted to his mast a sail of rich purple, and coming fast to land, he moored his boat on the shore. But Tristan pushed off his own boat adrift with his feet, and said: One of us only will go hence alive. One boat will serve. And each rousing the other to the fray they passed into the isle.
Now that year this King had sent to Tintagel, to carry his summons, a giant knight; the Morholt, whose sister he had wed, and whom no man had yet been able to overcome: so King Mark had summoned all the barons of his land to Council, by letters sealed.
She balanced a moment in doubt, then she went to where she kept the steel she had found in the skull and she put it to the sword, and it fitted so that the join was hardly seen. She ran to where Tristan lay wounded, and with the sword above him she cried: You are that Tristan of the Lyonesse, who killed the Morholt, my mothers brother, and now you shall die in your turn.
It was marvel enough that he beat the Morholt, but by what sorcery did he try the sea alone at the point of death, or which of us, my lords, could voyage without mast or sail? They say that warlocks can. It was sure a warlock feat, and that is a warlock harp of his pours poison daily into the Kings heart. See how he has bent that heart by power and chain of sorcery!
Doubtless because the Morholt came for a tribute of maidens from Cornwall, so you came to boast returning that you had brought back the maiden who was nearest to him, to Cornwall, a slave.
On the day assigned, when the barons were gathered in hall, and when the King had taken his throne, the Morholt said these things: King Mark, hear for the last time the summons of the King of Ireland, my lord.
But among the Irish many knew him again and cried, Tristan of Lyonesse that slew the Morholt! They drew their swords and clamoured for death. But Iseult cried: King, kiss this man upon the lips as your oath was, and the King kissed him, and the clamour fell. Then Tristan showed the dragons tongue and offered the seneschal battle, but the seneschal looked at his face and dared not.
He stayed in Tintagel town and lodged with Gorvenal in a burgess house, and languished oh! more wounded than when in that past day the shaft of the Morholt had tainted his body. In the close towers Iseult the Fair drooped also, but more wretched still. For it was hers all day long to feign laughter and all night long to conquer fever and despair.
Then Tristan said: My lords, you have said it, and it is truth: I killed the Morholt. But I crossed the sea to offer you a good blood-fine, to ransom that deed and get me quit of it. I put my body in peril of death and rid you of the beast and have so conquered Iseult the Fair, and having conquered her I will bear her away on my ship.
The fishermen took him in and bore him back to port, to their lady who was merciful and perhaps would heal him. It was that same port of Whitehaven where the Morholt lay, and their lady was Iseult the Fair. She alone, being skilled in philtres, could save Tristan, but she alone wished him dead. But he was yet strong to hold his own and found good crafty words.
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