e hand of
the youth was a mighty lance, speckled yellow, with a newly sharpened
head; and upon the lance a banner displayed.

Fiercely angry, and with rapid pace, came the youth to the place where
Arthur was playing at chess with Owain. And they perceived that he was
wroth. And thereupon he saluted Owain, and told him that his Ravens had
been killed, the chief part of them, and that such of them as were not
slain were so wounded and bruised that not one of them could raise its
wings a single fathom above the earth. "Lord," said Owain, "forbid thy
men." "Play," said he "if it please thee." Then said Owain to the
youth, "Go back, and wherever thou findest the strife at the thickest,
there lift up the banner, and let come what pleases Heaven." So the
youth returned back to the place where the strife bore hardest upon the
Ravens, and he lifted up the banner; and as he did so they all rose up in
the air, wrathful and fierce and high of spirit, clapping their wings in
the wind, and shaking off the weariness that was upon them. And
recovering their energy and courage, furiously and with exultation did
they, with one sweep, descend upon the heads of the men, who had erewhile
caused them anger and pain and damage, and they seized some by the heads
and others by the eyes, and some by the ears, and others by the arms, and
carried them up into the air; and in the air there was a mighty tumult
with the flapping of the wings of the triumphant Ravens, and with their
croaking; and there was another mighty tumult with the groaning of the
men, that were being torn and wounded, and some of whom were slain.

And Arthur and Owain marvelled at the tumult as they played at chess;
and, looking, they perceived a knight upon a dun-coloured horse coming
towards them. And marvellous was the hue of the dun horse. Bright red
was his right shoulder, and from the top of his legs to the centre of his
hoof was bright yellow. Both the knight and his horse were fully
equipped with heavy foreign armour. The clothing of the horse from the
front opening upwards was of bright red sendal, and from thence opening
downwards was of bright yellow sendal. A large gold-hilted one-edged
sword had the youth upon his thigh, in a scabbard of light blue, and
tipped with Spanish laton. The belt of the sword was of dark green
leather with golden slides and a clasp of ivory upon it, and a buckle of
jet black upon the clasp. A helmet of gold was on the head of