o-morrow,' said Balan, 'and try our prowess. King
Rience lieth at the siege of the castle Terabil, within ten leagues of
this place.'

'I will well,' said Balin, 'and if we slay King Rience, his people will
go astray and King Arthur shall easily make them yield.'

Next morning early they rode away through the gay woods, drenched with
dew, which sparkled where the sunlight lit upon it. Long and lonely was
the way, until towards the evening they met with a poor old man on
foot, ragged, lame, and dirty, and bearing a great burden. It was in a
narrow ride of the forest, and there was but room for one person to
pass, and though the brothers were making great speed, since they
doubted they had lost their way, they would not ride down the poor man,
as many knights would do.

But Balin, with a cheery call, said: 'Old man, give me thy pack, and do
thou climb up and sit behind me. For it is late and lonely that such
poor old bones as thine should be abroad.'

The old man, either from fear of the two great knights in their black
armour, or from suspicion, mumbled out a few words and refused the
offer, while yet he would not budge from the narrow path.

'Well, then, tell us thy name, old man,' said Balin, laughing at his
obstinacy.

'At this time I will not tell you,' croaked the old fellow, stumbling
under his pack.

'I doubt that great pack hath many rich things that never owned thee
master,' said Balan with a laugh.

'It is full evil seen,' said Balin, 'that thou art a true honest man,
when thou wilt not tell thy name.'

'Be that as it may,' snarled the old man, 'but I know your name, my
lordlings, and why you ride this way.'

'By the faith of my body, but ye are some wizard if ye know that,' said
Balan mockingly.

'And who may we be?' asked Balin. 'And whither do we ride?'

'Ye are brothers, my Lords Balin and Balan,' answered the old man. 'And
ye ride to pull King Rience's beard. But that ye shall not do, unless
ye take my counsel.'

'Ah!' cried Balin, 'I know thee, Merlin! We would fain be ruled by thy
counsel, old magician.'

So it came about, with Merlin's aid, that Balin and Balan came upon
King Rience that night with but a small band of his knights, and with a
sudden attack out of the dark wood the two brothers seized the king and
slew many of his men that tried to save him. And when they had ridden
some way towards Camelot with the king, wounded and bound, between
them, Merlin vanished from beside them