The first day of the month is marked by warm weather, moderate but growing humidity, and gentle or no wind.
Having received their marching orders, the Squadron of Perceurs-des-Boeufs prepare to ride away from Toubel. However, it becomes apparent that one of the knights, Sieur Bespin has lost his horse the knight before. Inquiries with him and his stablehand offer little in the way of an explanation. Both were drunk, and claim that a commoner strode up to the horse and rode away on it. Bespin claims that he was common-looking and not particularly tall, whereas the stablehand describes him as agile and taller than the stablehand.
After some discussion, Jean-Patric suggests that Bespin will stay behind as a scullion while the rest ride to war. Bespin challenges him to a duel after he fails to apologize forthright. Jean-Patric chooses the lance as his weapon, leaving Bespin flustered. He appeals to Banneret Balthazar for the lance's help in regaining the horse. Balthazar agrees, secretly suspecting Bespin of having "stolen" his own horse in order to trick money out of his fellow knights.
As the lance splits up to search in pairs, Balthazar and Jerome make a show of heading out to search the countryside like the others, but soon turn back towards Toubel, and, leaving their horses at the eastern end of the bridge, they enter the city and begin searching for Bespin's stablehand, whom Balthazar suspects of having "stolen" the horse, possibly at Bespin's command. They find the stablehand