Meanwhile the people of Logres have been rescued from their captivity by
the other knight, whose name is Lancelot. They are gaily returning home to
King Arthur's kingdom. 
The
Queen is safe, and King Bademagu of Gorre has given his word that she shall
be allowed to leave his country. The people are eager to give this news to
King Arthur, and also to find Gawain - for nothing has been heard of him since
he left to follow the path to the Water-bridge. Lancelot too has been riding
with the people, hoping to find Gawain - but a dwarf has persuaded the knight
to go with him, and when he does not return the people fear he has been tricked.
They decide they must go on without him, for if Gawain is in difficulties at the Water-bridge they are afraid he may drown before they reach him. Sure enough, they find him bobbing among the waves. One moment he rises and the next he sinks. With branches, poles and hooks they manage to get him out, and to untie his helmet and loosen his mail hauberk.
At first they are certain he is dead, for his body is full of water and he does
not speak. Yet as soon as the water is gone and he can breathe, he asks about
the Queen.
They tell him she is waiting at the court of King Bademagu to be taken home, and that Lancelot has disappeared. The people agree to take Gawain back to Bademagu's court. The Queen goes very pale when she hears that Lancelot is nowhere to be found, for she loves him just as he loves her. Yet it is clear that Guinevere must be taken safely home as soon as possible, and that since Lancelot is gone, Gawain is the best person to be trusted to do it.
King Bademagu agrees, and promises to do all he can to search for Lancelot. So the Queen and Gawain and the people of Logres set off, and the King escorts them to the border of his country with all courtesy.
As they approach Camelot, a great shout goes up:
'Blessings on the noble Gawain for saving the Queen!'
And the King rides out to greet them. Gawain explains that it is Lancelot,
and not he, who has rescued Queen Guinevere, but the King is so happy to have
his wife again he hardly cares about anything else. He is not listening when
Gawain and the people tell him about Lancelot's disappearance. 
He
throws his arms about the Queen, who is glad to see him. Yet she keeps her real
thoughts hidden - for she can think only of Lancelot somewhere far away.
As for Gawain, he rides back towards Gorre in search of Lancelot - no-one he asks has even seen him pass by. Gawain is angry and ashamed. Not only did he not rescue the Queen but the brave knight who did it has been tricked and probably lies in prison and he cannot even find him. Gawain returns to court determined to take up some cause in which to fight and win. He means to show everyone what kind of knight he is, and recover his good name.
