From Alba’s strand I ne’er had roved
Save at the call of my beloved,
Farewell, dear Land!”
The next day they reached the shores of Ireland not far from the fort of Borrach. And as they landed there, messengers from Borrach met Fergus, saying, “Borrach hath prepared a feast for the King, and it is the King’s command that the honour of this feast be given to thee. Come therefore and spend this night with me; but the King desires to hasten the sons of Usna that he may welcome them, and he bids them press onward to Emain this very night.”
When Fergus heard that, sudden fear and gloom over-shadowed him, lest in very truth Conor had evil designs towards the sons of Usna. “It was not well done, O Borrach, to offer me a feast in Conor’s stead this night, for I was pledged to bring the sons of Usna straight to Emain without delay.” “It is the King’s command,” said Borrach; “needs must a true vassal obey the King.” Still was Fergus loth to stay and he asked Naisi what he ought to do about this. “Do what they desire of thee, O Fergus,” said Deirdre, “if to partake of a banquet seems better to thee than to protect the sons of Usna. However to me it seems that the lives of thy three friends is a good price to pay for a feast.”
“I will not forsake them,” said Fergus; “for my two sons, Illan the Fair and Buinne the Ruthless Red will be with them to protect them, and my word of honour, moreover, with them; if all the warriors of Erin were assembled in one place, and all of one mind, they would not be able to break the pledge of Fergus.”
“Much thanks we give thee for that,” said Naisi, for he saw that Fergus feared to fall foul of Conor more than he cared for their safety; “never have we depended on any protection but that of our own right hands alone; we will then go forward to Emain Macha, and see there if the word of Fergus will be sufficient to protect us.”
But Deirdre said: “Go not forward to-night; but let us turn aside, and for this one night take shelter with Cuchulain at Dundalk; then will Fergus have partaken of his feast, and he will be ready to go with you. So will his word be fulfilled and yet your lives will be prolonged.” “We think not well of that advice,” said Buinne the Ruthless Red; “you have with you the might of your own good hands, and our might, and the plighted word of Fergus to protect you; impossible is it that ye should be betrayed.” “Ah! that plighted word of Fergus’; the man who forsook us for a feast!” said Deirdre. “Well may we rely on Fergus’ plighted word.” And she fell into grief and dejection. “Alas! Alas!” she cried. “Why left we Alba of the red deer to come again to Erin? Why put we trust in the light word of Fergus? Woe is come upon us since we listened to the promises of that man! The valiant sons of Usna are destroyed by him, the Lights of Valour of the Gael. Great is my heaviness of heart to-night! Great is the loss that is fallen upon us.”
In spite of that the sons of Usna and their two friends went onward towards the White Cairn of Watching on Sliab Fuad; but Deirdre was very weary and she lingered behind in the glen, and sat down to rest and fell asleep. They did not notice at first that she was not with them, but Naisi found it out and he turned back to seek Deirdre. He found her sitting in the wood on the trunk of a fallen tree, just waking from her sleep. When she saw Naisi she arose and clung to him. “What happened to thee, O fair one?” said Naisi, “and wherefore is thy face so wild and fearful, and tears within thine eyes?”
“I fell into a sleep, for I was weary,” she replied; “and O Naisi, I fear because of the vision and the dream I saw.” “Thou art too apt to dream, beloved,” said Naisi tenderly, “what was thy dream?” “Terrible was my dream,” said Deirdre; “I saw thee, Naisi, and Ainle and Arden, each of ye three beloved ones, without a head, thy headless bodies lying side by side near Emain’s fort; and Illan lay there too drenched all with blood, and headless like ye three. But on the other side among our enemies, fighting against us, was the treacherous Buinne the Ruthless Red, who now is our protector and our guide; for he had saved his head by treachery to thee.” “Sad were thy dream indeed,” said Naisi, “were it true; but fear it not, it was an empty vision grown out of weariness and pain.” But Deirdre clung yet to him, and she cried, “O Naisi, see, above thy head, and o’er the heads of Ainle and of Arden, that sombre cloud of blood! dost thou not mark it hanging in the air? All over Emain lies the heavy pall; but on thy head and theirs red blood-drops fall, big, dusky, drenching drops. Let us not go to Emain.” But Naisi thought that from her weariness the mind of Deirdre had become distraught, and all the more he pressed them onward, that she might have rest and shelter for the night. As they drew near to Emain, Deirdre said, “One test I give you whether Conor means you good or harm. If into his own house he welcomes you, all will be well, for in his own home would no monarch dare to harm a guest; but if he send you to some other house, while he himself stays on in Emain’s court, then treachery and guile is meant towards you.”