They all make ready and prepare. In the
early morning, when they awake, the saddles are placed upon the
steeds. Before he leaves, Erec goes to bid farewell to the
damsels in their rooms; and Enide (who was glad and full of joy)
thither follows him. When their preparations for departure were
made, they took their leave of the damsels. Erec, who was very
courteous, in taking leave of them, thanks them for his health
and life, and pledges to them his service. Then he took one of
them by the hand she who was the nearer to him and Enide took the
other's hand: hand in hand they came up from the bedroom into the
castle hall. Guivret urges them to mount at once without delay.
Enide thinks the time will never come for them to mount. They
bring around to the block for her a good-tempered palfrey, a soft
stepper, handsome and well shaped. The palfrey was of fine
appearance and a good mount: it was no less valuable than her own
which had stayed behind at Limors. That other one was dappled,
this one was sorrel; but the head was of another colour: it was
marked in such a way that one cheek was all white, while the
other was raven black. Between the two colours there was a line,
greener than a grape-vine leaf, which separated the white from
the black.
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