Sir Tristan the Taintless: a knight adorned in silver —
no, make that a knight made of silver —
allied in argent, unalloyed in spirit,
undefiled in aspect, and undefeated in battle.

Coin-hungry tournament challengers were quick to calculate
the worth of a pure-metal champion such as Sir Tristan,
but rarely the cost of testing his mettle.

Even King Richard the Iron-Hearted — crowned in gold,
dressed in steel, and yet low on magnesium,
per his latest checkup with the alchemist —
would not bet a single copper from his coffers
against this fine, refined foe.

It is said by reliable cowards that, after the Battle of Sterling,
Tristan lingered beneath Abbey Craig,
looking into the waters of the River Forth,
reflecting upon his victories, as well as the sun,
and forcing other knights to lower their visors
before doing battle with Sir Tristan’s mirror-bright glare.