MEANWHILE--advancing another subplot without disrupting current action:
Sir Holgar the Swift had come to Northumberland.
Son of a sister of Uther Pendragon, thus a cousin to King Arthur, he had never troubled himself to fight for OR against Arthur in the wars over Arthur's right to rule. Holgar was not afraid to fight; but he preferred single combat, whereby he could win fame--and such wealth as he could plunder from the losers. He had avoided those wars of succession by adventuring in Ireland and Gaul; now, unaware of the new trouble stirred up by King Lot of Orkney, he deemed it safe to resume looking for fights he could win on British soil.
Sir Brent the Vigilant was reputed to have sons old enough to wield spear, Sir Balin and Squire Balan. A cheap victory over Balin, the elder son (Balan was not yet allowed to adventure independently) might bring Holgar a fine new horse and suit of armor--perhaps even Balin's ransom-oath to enrich the victor further.
So Holgar abducted a maiden among Sir Brent's tenants when Balin was near. As expected, Balin pursued, calling on Holgar to defend himself like a man. As expected, Balin held back to avoid harm to the peasant until Holgar tossed her aside as an encumbrance no longer needed. As expected, Balin was outraged at the mistreatment of a defenseless maiden--and was the more determined to defeat the kidnapper fairly and honorably, the better to put him to shame. Congratulating himself on his cleverness, Holgar levelled his lance and galloped at his inexperienced foe....
But one thing was unexpected: Sir Balin had been fighting Saxons by necessity since he was fourteen, and had by now slain _more_ men that Holgar had.
Or ever would.
Holgar the Swift fulfilled his appellation, dying so swiftly by Balin's lance that he knew not what had happened until he found out about it in the eternal flames.
The rescued farm girl was witness to the rightness of Sir Balin's actions. But it still was royal blood that he had shed. The royal judge for Northumberland had to impose at least a nominal punishment for slaying any person of royal blood who was not branded a traitor. So Balin was flogged, and spent a month in a dungeon. This meant further that he was not free to take part in fighting the latest Saxon incursion, the one linked with Lot's offensive.
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