There was a fine man,
Lord Samuel of Great Oaks,
In the time before
The plague stretched out its cold hands.
He was beloved
By the rare Lady Fina,
And upright squire
Of fell knight Tristan Sexwulf.
Blackstone was his home,
In fair Sylvan Aethelmearc,
Homeland of heroes,
Son to Baron Cunedda.
To White Hart he went,
There to show his fine prowess.
Samuel stood there
In a shining white surcoat
Made new for this fight
By the dear lady Rannveig,
Who took him aside, saying
"Don't harm my handwork!"
The tourney was joined;
Sword met shield with joyous sound!
Samuel's guard slipped,
He took his blow with honor,
And tasted loss first.
Then his father turned to him,
To his son saying
"Alas my gauntlets are lost!
Son, go and find them."
So Samuel went as bid
To find the shining war gear.
He left the list field,
And went where danger waited-
For a lady came
Crying out in great distress;
Her child had fallen
Into the cold water there,
The brown Guyandotte-
Swift and cold with melted snow.
Forgetting all else,
Armored neck to knees in gear,
He did not tarry
But ran he to the river,
A bowshot or more,
Armor ringing as he went-
Lamellar and all
Bazubands and surcoat fine,
To the cold water
To save the child in peril.
The boy child held fast

To a twisted gray tree trunk
Felled by an old storm
As the water pulled at him.
Samuel jumped down
A spear's length into water;
The cold embraced him
But his courage was flaming.
Samuel struggled,
Pulled himself hand over hand
Until he could reach-
He held the child up on high
Head above water.
Though armor's weight clawed him down,
Samuel held on
Held his breath against the dark
That pulled at them both.
The water drove them along
As fighters came fast
Called from White Hart's list field
To Guyandotte's side.
Alonzio Peacemaker
Cast forth his knight's belt
To draw Samuel and child
From the cold brown grip.
Many hands lifted them then
From the dreadful cold.
Sir Marek saw the ice hand
Help Lord Samuel,
And brought him warmth to save him.
As for the tourney,
All owned that it was over-
For here was courage,
Cheating the long brown serpent
Of the prey it took
In the fury of its flood!
But Samuel went then
All shamefaced before Rannveig,
All apologies
For having stained her surcoat!
Rannveig laughed out loud,
And told him linen comes clean,
But far more than this,
That his honor was stainless.
So Samuel won the day,
Honored his lady,
And truly was champion-
Not by strength of sword,
But by daring and great heart.
Let his wordfame live!