IV.
On the morning of the second day after their arrival, a great fleet anchored in the harbor. The men immediately began landing in great numbers. At their head was the son of the High King, and with him was his sister, Teasa, who wanted to see her brother capture the castle.
Finn placed his men in battle array; giving to the Knight of Valor and his warriors the defense of the right wing, and to Avarta and his army the duty of holding the left wing. With his Fenians, Finn took the center, where the fighting would be the heaviest.
The two armies met in deadly combat. The two wings held their own with difficulty, being about evenly matched with the enemy. But the Fenians, with desperate valor, overwhelmed the enemy center with great slaughter. It was a great surprise to the High King’s son. He rallied his men bravely and gave them an example of valor, but it was useless. Finn was everywhere, now engaging and defeating a score of warriors, now helping with one division of his men and now another. Dermot, the pride of the Fenians, was always in the thick of the struggle. His flashing sword made a circle of steel about him. No man could stand against him.
Teasa, who had come to see the prowess of her brother, forgot all about him in watching the deeds of Finn. She admired his fair hair and manly bearing, and his bravery appealed to her even more strongly. It was while watching him drive back her father’s army that she fell deeply in love with him. When her brother gave orders for his men to fall back from the unequal struggle, Teasa left her own side and went over to the Fenians. She found Finn and said to him:
“I have watched you in the fight today, O Finn, and my heart called out to you, even against my own brother. I pray you take me to Erin and make me your wife.”
“That I cannot do, fair maiden,” said Finn. “I have no need of a wife.”
“You cannot refuse me,” she cried. “No true champion should refuse a maiden when she offers herself to him.”
Finn was honest in his refusal. He still mourned for Saba. Anyhow, he knew that to take the daughter of the High King would cause a great deal of trouble.
“You had better go back to your father while there is still time,” he told her kindly.