s no kitchen knave, but
one who is sprung from the blood of right champions. Now tell me,
Lynette, I pray thee, is there no one who knoweth this knight who he
really is?" and Lynette replied: "Yea, there is one who knoweth and
that is the dwarf Axatalese. He could tell us who this knight really is,
for he hath followed him for a long time every where he hath gone."

Then Sir Gringamore bethought him for a little while, and anon he said:
"Meseemeth it is needful that we have this dwarf for so only shall we
come to know who that knight is. Now thou and I and Lynette will go down
to the place of those pavilions. And thou shalt go to the pavilion of
the knight and bring the dwarf out thence, for I doubt not he will come
at thy bidding. Meantime, whilst thou are finding that dwarf I shall be
hidden in some secret place, and when thou hast brought him near enough
to me I will leap out upon him and will catch him. Then we will fetch
him hither, and it will go hard but we learn who this knight is."

So it was done as Sir Gringamore said; for he and the damsel Lynette
went to a place nigh to the place of pavilions where there was a hedge.
And Sir Gringamore hid him behind the hedge and so after he was hidden
Lynette went alone to the pavilion of the Red Knight where Sir Gareth
lay. Now at that time they all slept, even to the guard that surrounded
the tent. And so Lynette passed through their midst and none heard her.
And Lynette came to the pavilion where Sir Gareth lay and she lifted the
curtain of the door of the tent and looked within and beheld Sir Gareth
where he lay sleeping upon a couch with a night-light burning very
faintly near by him. And she beheld where the dwarf Axatalese lay
sleeping near to the door of the tent.

Then Lynette entered the pavilion very softly and she reached out and
touched Axatalese upon the shoulder and therewith he immediately awoke.
And Axatalese was astonished at beholding the damsel at that place, but
Lynette laid her finger upon her lips and whispered very low to him,
"Say naught, Axatalese, but follow me." And Axatalese did so.

So the maiden brought Axatalese out of the pavilion and he followed her
in silence. And she brought him through the other pavilions and still
ever he followed her in silence and no one stayed them in their going.
So Axatalese followed Lynette and she led him by a path that brought
them out of the field where the pavilions were and to that place near by
where Si