So here we are, the grand finale. I was given a guide to take me to the chapel, but he freaked out about the knight and ran away shortly after we reached the forest. That wasn't a great sign at all. The woods were dense and thick with foliage. I was having a difficult navigating my horse, Gringolet, to move forward. I didn't know where I was going, but was hoping I would stumble upon the area eventually. Thankfully, after a while, I happened upon an area surrounded by tall grass. I waded through and found a cave, which I assumed to be the Green Chapel.
As I proceeded towards the cave, I couldn’t shake this feeling that something evil was lurking. It was then that I heard the sound of a weapon being sharpened. It was otherworldly. It seemed like the Green Knight was already here.
“I have come to finish our challenge,” I called out. The sharpening stopped. He appeared before me in what felt like the blink of an eye.
“Ah, Gawain! You’re just on time,” the lumbering figure said, hands clasped around a terrifying axe. It was very nice actually. If I was to be beheaded, at least it was going to be in style by the glinting blade of a green axe.
I dismounted Gringolet and stepped towards the Green Knight. I saw no reason to prolong fate, so I knelt down, neck exposed, and waited for him to strike. I didn’t have much hope, but I could at least act like I did.
“This is it. It’s time to repay your debt,” the Green Knight said. I heard the air whip as he quickly lifted his axe and swung. I still didn’t want to die. My body flinched on instinct, but the blade didn’t come down. I looked up at the knight who had propped one hand on his hip, the axe resting in his other. “You can’t flinch like that. Aren’t you a knight of Arthur’s?”
“You’re really going to accuse me of cowardice right now? Can’t this be over?”
“I’ll try again, but don’t move this time. Let me know if you’re going to chicken out again.” It sounded like he was scolding a small child. I was obviously not a kid, but fine. Even my beheading was growing to be an annoyance.
“Fine,” I grumbled as I waited for him to strike me again. He lifted up the axe and brought it down, again with no connection. I could feel the coldness emanating from the blade. It was narrowly avoiding my skin. He lifted it away and I sat up. I had no idea why he was insisting on not just getting it over with.
“I have to say, you did much better this time. You didn’t even flinch! You are a brave knight indeed.” I didn’t see much bravery in my actions. I definitely should’ve felt more nervous than I did, but the first two times had just been for fun. He lifted the blade again and said, “One last time. I’m going to hit you so be prepared.”
“Hurry up!” I said, losing my patience.
The knight made an affirming noise and he lifted the axe. I lowered my head for the incoming strike. I felt the blade thinly slice my skin, but no more. “We’re done here,” he said.
I was confused. We were very much not done here. “What do you mean?”
“You’ve been struck by me. You’ve fulfilled your quest.”
“Then you must fight me,” I said, grabbing my sword.
“Oh, I mustn’t do anything,” he said, waving me away. “You’ve proven yourself an excellent member of Arthur’s court, the best if I may add. I have to ask though, where did you get that sash? Certainly, you wouldn’t try and fool me, would you?”
“What do you mean?”
He stopped walking and turned around. “I’ll explain. I have spared you because you fulfilled your game at the castle. The first two times correlated with your honesty with Bertilak. The last was punishment for your failure to be honest about the girdle.”
“How could you possibly know that?”
“It seems you aren’t the brightest candle in the church. I am Lord Bertilak and he is me. I work for your aunt.” Morgan le Faye, the kingdom’s troublemaker. I should have known. “I was only supposed to scare Guinevere to death a year ago, but I got you instead.” Of course, she was behind it. I could only assume that she was the creepy old woman that I hadn’t been paying attention to. We had been introduced when I first had arrived, but I never saw her after that. It seemed all of my senses had failed me in some way. I should've been paying better attention...
I untied the girdle and threw it onto the ground. “I failed!”
“Listen, kid, you’re not always going to do the right thing. Don’t get so hung up on being perfect. Don’t let my compassion for you go to waste,” he said. His kindness reminded me of Bertilak in some way. He picked up the green sash and tossed it back to me before departing.
Later on, I told Arthur of my little misadventure when I got back to the castle. I was met with a glorious party; all of my friends and family were waiting for me. I knew that I had no reason to be disappointed, but the girdle on my right shoulder felt like a reminder of all the ways I had failed the knight's challenge. I was undeserving of the pentangle on my shield. I had failed every point.
“You shouldn’t be upset about this. You’re always so hard on yourself,” Arthur said, after everyone had mostly gone. A few of his men were left and lingering around. “If you’re so keen on wearing that thing as a reminder of your challenge, I think we should all wear one in solidarity. There's no reason to be embarrassed.” I didn’t know what to say to that and he could tell. “I know it’s not as easy to stop worrying about it, but it’s in the past. Better things are still to come.”
He was right. I didn’t want to forget, but I was ready to move on. I would do better next time.
Source: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight translated by Jessie Weston
Header Source: Sunrise at Dunnottar Castle (Wikimedia Commons)
Author’s Note: It is finished! This part opens with Gawain being escorted to the Green Chapel by a man who is scared of the Green Knight. He leaves him to go into the forest alone and even tells him that he wouldn’t tell anyone if he were to leave. Our hero makes the choice to stay. I wrote that into my first draft, but it turned out way too long, so I cut it for word count. I thought it was a nice moment to mention though! The Green Chapel gives more of a foreboding feel in text. The Green Knight sharpens a different axe than the one he had the first time they met. It’s Danish. The main differences lie in the way I structured their meeting. There’s a lot of chatter and the Green Knight is very serious and justice-oriented. They have a talk about honesty and trust. The Green Knight is fine with everything that has happened. Gawain mentions how women are deceitful and lists biblical examples, which I cut because it was weird, and I didn’t like it! The story ends with Arthur and his men embracing Gawain’s failure and they live happily ever after. I felt inclined to write this because the themes of mistake-making, and failure are applicable to a modern setting. I wanted to have a less serious narrator with moments of genuine reflection and I hope that translated well!