way of war, but I know well King Arthur may not be long from you,
for within a year or two ye shall have great need, and then shall he
revenge you on your enemies, as ye have done on his. For these eleven
kings shall die all in a day, by the great might and prowess of arms
of two valiant knights (as it telleth after); their names be Balin le
Savage, and Balan, his brother, that be marvellous good knights as be
any living.

Now turn we to the eleven kings that returned unto a city that hight
Sorhaute, the which city was within King Uriens', and there they
refreshed them as well as they might, and made leeches search their
wounds, and sorrowed greatly for the death of their people. With that
there came a messenger and told how there was come into their lands
people that were lawless as well as Saracens, a forty thousand, and have
burnt and slain all the people that they may come by, without mercy,
and have laid siege on the castle of Wandesborow. Alas, said the eleven
kings, here is sorrow upon sorrow, and if we had not warred against
Arthur as we have done, he would soon revenge us. As for King
Leodegrance, he loveth Arthur better than us, and as for King Rience, he
hath enough to do with Leodegrance, for he hath laid siege unto him. So
they consented together to keep all the marches of Cornwall, of Wales,
and of the North. So first, they put King Idres in the City of Nauntes
in Britain, with four thousand men of arms, to watch both the water and
the land. Also they put in the city of Windesan, King Nentres of Garlot,
with four thousand knights to watch both on water and on land. Also they
had of other men of war more than eight thousand, for to fortify all the
fortresses in the marches of Cornwall. Also they put more knights in all
the marches of Wales and Scotland, with many good men of arms, and so
they kept them together the space of three year, and ever allied them
with mighty kings and dukes and lords. And to them fell King Rience of
North Wales, the which and Nero that was a mighty man of men. And all
this while they furnished them and garnished them of good men of arms,
and victual, and of all manner of habiliment that pretendeth to the war,
to avenge them for the battle of Bedegraine, as it telleth in the book
of adventures following.

CHAPTER XIX. How King Arthur rode to Carlion, and of his dream, and how
he saw the questing beast.

THEN after the departing of King Ban and of King Bors, King Arthur rode