Part 1
The Knight of
The Sparrow Hawk

Part 2
Sir Geraint
& The Knight
of the
Sparrow Hawk

Part 3
Sir Geraint
& Lady Enid

Part 4
Geraint & Enid
In the
Land of the
Evil Earl

Part 5
Encounter
with the
Little King

Part 6
The Three
Giants

Only Love Counts: Part 5

Enid and Geraint encounter the Little King

When the portals to ida, pingala and shushumna open, it sometimes happens they don't all three open concurrently. This malfunction is described by many who experience it as being total hell. Certainly, it is nothing to take lightly and can result in madness, even suicide. When this blockage occurs, kundalini shakti shoots up through only one of the subtle nerves, for example, ida, channel for the energies associated with mortality. Then, there is an energy imbalance such as we see in Geraint, who is expressing only the physical and nothing spiritual. The more Geraint becomes stuck on himself, on ego, the more he becomes the tyrant of his own personal hell.

When the imbalance occurs the other way, and it is ida and the energies associated with mortality that are blocked, the complete ungrounding of the individual can occur, and the physical world and physical life and all they encompass are rejected. The transpersonal dominates, resulting in a refusal to allow the love energy of chakras 1, 2 and 3 to express naturally, particularly chakra 2, sexuality, and then we have men refusing to be men and women refusing to be women.

Lady Enid exemplifies the love balance of shushumna, for she is open and expressing from chakra 1 to heart chakra 4 and to throat chakra 5. Although Geraint would like to blame Enid and her beauty for his problems, to Enid is due equal credit with Geraint for keeping them both alive and free. But the brighter Enid shines, the darker Geraint becomes.

---

Enid and Geraint encounter the Little King

Geraint follows Enid as she rides forth until at last they see before them a beautiful valley with meadows and fields, and in the center of the valley a wide river. Not far from there is a large town. All around the town is a fortress castle, tall and forbidding, that looks down upon the town and the road. They cross a bridge over the river and enter the town, and on either side of the bridge are two tall towers that guard it. Geraint and Enid sit for awhile and admire the scenery, and from the town rides a horseman out to meet them. Geraint rides forward and they salute and Geraint asks, "What town is that in this beautiful valley?" The horseman says, "It is the town of Redlands, and the lord of this country is a brave, famous Earl called the Little King. He is called that because he rules this place as though he were a king."

Geraint asks permission to pass by the bridge and into the country, but the horseman tells him the Little King has forbidden anyone to the enter his land without his permission. Geraint tells the horseman he will enter anyway. The horseman says Geraint will come to shame and disgrace if he does. Geraint says he will take that risk. The horseman laughs, they salute each other and the horseman leaves.

Enid rides forth and Geraint follows. They come to the bridge and Geraint tells Enid not to cross the bridge but to continue into the Little King's land. They go past the bridge and past the two towers at the bridge head, and ride along beside the river. After awhile they realize someone is galloping toward them. Sir Geraint turns about and sees an armed knight coming at a fast gallop. Geraint waits and the knight stops near to him and says, "Sir Knight, is it through ignorance or presumption that you travel my dominions without my permission?" Geraint replies, "Sir, how would I know this road is forbidden to travelers?" "No," says the strange knight, "You do know it is forbidden and you have broken the rules of my land. You shall come with me to court." "I will not come with you to court," says Geraint. "This is a free road and anyone may travel on it." Each knight makes ready for battle and takes post for a tilt. Shouting at their horses they drive their spurs into the flanks of the animals and meet head on in a loud crash.

Their lances hold and the horses sink back on their haunches shaking from the shock of that assault.

They throw down their lances, leap from their horses and draw their swords, rushing against the other like to wild bulls. They lash at each other, several severe strokes, and both are wounded. Geraint's wounds begin to hurt and he becomes enraged, raining blow after blow upon his opponent, striking him with a terrible violence again and again, until he drives down the shield of the Little King and smashes him upon the crown of his helmet. The blow is so powerful it splits the helmet apart and the iron cap beneath and cuts into the bone. The Little King loses his wits and also his strength. He sinks to his knees as Geraint snatches his helmet from his head and pulls his head forward by his hair, whirling his sword to chop off his head. The Little King cries out, "Spare my life!" "I will spare you," said Geraint, "on one condition. You must swear to be a true friend to me hereafter and be faithful to me as I will be faithful to you. For you are the noblest knight I have ever fought." The Little King agrees and asks, "Who are you?" Geraint says, "I am Sir Geraint, the son of King Erbin."

"I have heard of you," says the Little King. "If I had known it was you, I would not have challenged you. I see you are hurt in many places, I am sorry for that. Blood is flowing from your wounds and running down your armor. You're not fit to travel in this hot son. You and the lady return with me to my castle where you can recover from your wounds." But Geraint refuses, saying, "I will not go to your castle, but instead I will go on my way." The Little King looks at Enid, seeing how fragile and beautiful she is and how much she suffers because Geraint is injured, and he feels pity for her. "Sir," he says to Geraint, "You do yourself injury. Your wounds need attention. What if someone attacks you along the way, you will not be able to defend yourself adequately. What will happen to your lady?" Geraint cries out fiercely, "I have told you, my lady and I are going on our way!" and mounts his horse, takes his spear in his hand and rides away, telling Enid to ride on ahead of him as before, and they leave.

The day grows hotter and the blood inside the armor of Geraint begins to dry and glues his wounds to his armor, so that his pain is very bad. But he says nothing and rides along, until at last he can stand it no more and gets off his horse to rest under some Oak trees. Lady Enid tries to help him dismount but he says to her, "Go and stand under that tree. I am in terrible pain and I want to be alone, now." So Enid does as he says and stands under her tree and cries as Geraint dismounts and stands under his tree. Suddenly, they hear voices and horses approaching, and it is King Arthur and his court out hunting. Before Geraint can hide, the foot-page of Sir Kay the Seneschal sees him.

The page goes to Sir Kay and tells him of a knight and a lady under some trees. Sir Kay goes to see, and Enid hides behind her tree ashamed of her tears. Geraint is so bloody Sir Kay does not know him, but Geraint knows Sir Kay. "Who are you?" asks Sir Kay. "It doesn't matter. I am in search of adventure," says Geraint. "You appear to have had one adventure too many," says Sir Kay. "I will take you to King Arthur, who is near by." "I will not go," says Geraint. "I am not fit to stand before the King." "Come with me," says Sir Kay, and he lays hold of Geraint's arm. This makes Geraint terribly angry, and he lifts his spear and hits Sir Kay on the head with the butt of his spear, knocking him unconscious. After a little while, Sir Kay comes to and goes away, leaving Geraint where he is standing.

Sir Perceval is nearby and Sir Kay goes to him, telling him of the wounded knight under the tree. "Where is he?" asks Sir Perceval. "Over yonder. But be careful. He has a bad temper." Sir Perceval does not recognize Geraint because of all the dried blood, but Geraint knows Sir Perceval. "Sir Knight, " says Perceval, "Will you not come to the tent of King Arthur and have your wounds attended?" "No," says Geraint, "I will not." Lady Enid recognizes Sir Perceval's voice and comes forward from behind the tree, her face all wet from weeping. She calls out to Perceval, "Sir Perceval, make him go to King Arthur." Then Perceval knows Lady Enid and that the wounded man must be Geraint. "Sir Geraint, is it you?" "No, I am not Geraint, " he responds.

"What condition are you in and where will you go with your lady? If you go forward, you will die, and if you stay here you will die," says Perceval. "I will go forward," says Geraint, and at those words Enid begins to cry. Perceval tells the page near by to find King Arthur and tell him Sir Geraint is standing here wounded. The page runs away and then Perceval says to Lady Enid, "How is it you and your lord came to this place?" "I don't know, " says Enid, "I just do what he tells me to do, and he told to ride forward while he followed." Sir Perceval says, "I think he might have gone crazy."

Soon King Arthur appears and some of his court and Queen Guinevere and several of her court. King Arthur says to Lady Enid, "Lady, how came you here to this place." Enid says, "Lord, I do not know, only that whatever he tells me to do, I do it, and wherever he tells me to go, I go." King Arthur says to the Queen, "Take Lady Enid and care for her. I will take Sir Geraint and put him under the care of my physicians." Sir Geraint calls out, "Lord, I beg of you, let me go on my way!" "I will not," says the King. "You appear to me to be crazy, and if I let you go it will certainly be to your death. You can't live with wounds like that." "They are not so bad," says Geraint, but the King ignores him. He makes Geraint lay upon the couch in his tent and he has his physicians bind up the wounds and make Geraint comfortable. Meanwhile, the Queen brings Lady Enid to her pavilion, gives her fresh clothes and has Enid tell of their adventures, while the Queen and her ladies all marvel as Enid tells of all she and Geraint have done together.

Geraint and Enid remain at the woodland court of King Arthur for nearly a month. Geraint's wounds heal and he grows jealous again of Enid's joy at being in the company of so many others, and he asks the King's permission to leave. "Where will you go?" asks the King. "I don't know, " says Geraint. "I go in search of adventure." "Then let the lady stay here, "says the King. "She cannot stay here," says Geraint. "She must travel with me." "This is crazy," says the King. "Her body is too soft and fragile to endure these hardships you bring upon her." "No matter," says Geraint. "She must travel with me wherever I go." The King thinks for awhile and then says, "You may leave if the physicians say your wounds are healed." "Call the physicians," answers Geraint. The physicians come and say his wounds are healed. So the King gives Geraint permission to leave and he and Enid depart. That is to say, Enid rides forward ahead of Geraint, and Geraint rides some distance behind Enid.