The Knight In The Panther's Skin Poem by Shalom Barel

The story can be divided into two parts: the first part is Avtandil's quest for Tariel, the titular 'knight in the panther's skin', and the second part is Avtandil's quest for Nestan-Darejan, Tariel's love.
Search for Tariel[edit]

Tariel, the knight in the panther's skin.
The King of Arabia, Rostevan, has no sons and confers the kingship on his only daughter, the beautiful and wise Tinatin. She has a tender affection for Avtandil, the knight and commander-in-chief of Rostevan's armies. One day, Avtandil challenges King Rostevan to a hunting competition. They have spent three days shooting game when they encounter a knight crying by a river, dressed in a panther's skin, who kills the slaves sent by the king to contact him before disappearing. Rostevan sends parties across the world to search for the mysterious knight, but becomes disheartened when he fails. Tinatin then asks Avtandil to find the strange knight in three years, promising him her hand in marriage in return. After two years and nine months of searching, Avtandil finally finds the knight in the panther's skin hiding in a cave with only a maiden for company. His name is Tariel, son of the king of the seventh kingdom of India, King Saridan. He had served as heir to King Pharsadan, king of the other six kingdoms, for many years when he fell in love with Pharsadan's daughter, Nestan-Darejan. Tariel wages war with the Khatavians to earn the favor of Nestan, but is dismayed to find she has already been promised to the Khwarezmian prince. Tariel could not bear the idea of marriage, and at the request of Nestan he killed the suitor. The princess was then placed on a boat and adrift on the seas. Despite Tariel's lengthy search for his love he could not find her. Later he met Nuradin-Phridon, ruler of Mulgazanzar, who told him that Nestan was alive but trapped on a distant boat. Tariel retired to a cave to live in the wilderness with Asmat, the former servant and messenger of Nestan. Moved by this story, Avtandil promises his friendship and brotherhood to Tariel and agrees to help him find his love, Nestan-Darejan. Avtandil returns home to Arabia, tells Tinatin the story of Tariel and returns to his new friend, going against king Rostevan's will.[18]