When news reached Zal and Mehrab that King Manuchehr and the grand general Sam had resolved to lay waste to Kabul and root out the line of Zohak, a storm of fury raged within the white-haired hero. Zal departed from Kabul in bitter grief, his heart burning with indignation as he rode swiftly toward his father's encampment. When word came to Sam the Bold that his lion-hearted son was approaching, the hosts of Zabulistan were summoned; they raised the blessed banner of Fereydun, beat the drums of welcome, and marched forth to receive him with war elephants adorned in banners of violet, yellow, and scarlet.
Upon beholding his father, Zal dismounted from his charger and pressed his face to the earth. The chieftains and realm-holders of both sides dismounted as well. Zal kissed the ground and, after exchanging grave greetings with Sam, mounted his golden-hued steed and rode beside the nobles, who urged him to show humility and seek reconciliation. Yet when they reached the royal pavilion, Zal stepped before Sam, bowed low, and poured forth the agony of his soul. Tears welled in his eyes as he reminded his father of how he had been cast away upon Mount Alborz in infancy merely for his snow-white hair, abandoned to the elements until the Simorgh took pity on him. He recounted how he had faithfully held the realm of Kabul in obedience to Sam's commands, only to find his own father now marching to destroy the land of his beloved Rudabeh. Zal declared that if Kabul was to be put to the sword, Sam must first cleave Zal's own body in twain.
Hearing the piercing truth of his son’s words, Sam hung his head in sorrow, acknowledging the injustice he had committed against Zal throughout his youth. Moved to compassion, the ancient champion vowed to champion Zal's cause before the Great King. He summoned his scribes to draft a magnificent, poetic letter to King Manuchehr. The letter opened with profound praises of Yazdan, the Creator of sun and moon, and exalted Manuchehr's glorious crown. It then recounted Sam's own titan feats—most notably his duel with the monstrous dragon of Kashaf River that had laid waste to entire realms—before humbly presenting Zal's devotion to the crown and entreating the King to grant the youth his heart's sole desire.