After spending the evening lobbying John’s supporters to make sure they do not fold when Richard returns, Fitzurse returns to Ashby castle to find Bracy dressed like an English yeoman. He tells Fitzurse that he and Bois-Guilbert are planning to kidnap Rowena in disguise, after which Bracy will change back into his regular outfit and “rescue” Rowena, thereby (he hopes) winning her love and her hand in marriage. Fitzurse cautions Bracy against implementing such a reckless plan, but Bracy ignores his warning and leaves. Fitzurse complains to himself about the difficulty of supervising childish men like Bracy and John.

The Black Knight, meanwhile, is wandering lost in the forest. Eventually he arrives at an isolated hermitage, where he finds a single hermit who identifies himself as the Clerk of Copmanhurst. The hermit initially refuses to give the knight shelter, and the two nearly come to blows before the hermit finally agrees to let the knight in. The hermit gives the knight some food and soon the two are drinking and singing together. The knight, finding a harp in the hermit’s hut, sings a song about a Crusader who returns to his lady after fighting in the Crusades.