So Ferdiad had to come to answer the Queen, Maeve. She offered him great riches if he would fight against his friend Cuchulain—speckled satins and silver and gold, with lands, horses, and bridles.
But to Maeve Ferdiad replied, "If you offered me land and sea I would not take them without the sun and moon."
For he loved his friend Cuchulain so that there was no wealth which could tempt Ferdiad to go out against him to wound him.
"But," said Maeve, "you shall have your fill of the jewels of the earth. Here is my brooch with its hooked pin and my daughter, Findabair."
"Nay," answered Ferdiad, "these things and all things like unto them shall remain yours, for there is nothing I would take to go into battle against my friend Cuchulain. Nothing shall come between him and me—he who is the half of my heart without fault, and I the half of his own heart. By my spear, were Cuchulain killed, I would be buried in his grave—the one grave for the two of us! Misfortune on you, Maeve, misfortune on you for trying to put your face between us!"
Then Maeve considered how she should stir him up and thus get her own ends.
Aloud she said to her people, "Is it a true word Cuchulain spoke?"
"What word was that?" asked Ferdiad, sharply.
"He said," answered Maeve, "that there would be no wonder in it did you fall in the first trial of arms against him."
Then was Ferdiad angry. "That had Cuchulain no right to say! If it be true he said this thing, then will I fight with him to-morrow!"