He saw a horse grazing: he ran up to it and found that it was the Slight Red Steed that had carried Fedelma and himself from the house of the Enchanter. Then as he laid hold of the steed a hound ran up to him and a hawk flew down and he saw that they were the hawk and the hound that used to be with him when he rode abroad from his father’s Castle.
He mounted and seeing his hound at his heel and his hawk circling above he felt a longing to go back to his father’s Castle which he knew to be near and where he might find out where the King of the Land of Mist had his dominion.
So the King of Ireland’s Son rode back to his father’s Castle—
His hound at his heel,
His hawk on his wrist.
WHEN THE KING OF THE CATS CAME TO KING CONNAL’S DOMINION
I
The King of Ireland’s Son was home again, but as he kept asking about a King and a Kingdom no one had ever heard of, people thought he had lost his wits in his search for the Enchanter of the Black Back-Lands. He rode abroad every day to ask strangers if they knew where the King of the Land of Mist had his dominion and he came back to his father’s every night in the hope that one would be at the Castle who could tell him where the place that he sought was. Maravaun wanted to relate to him fables from “The Breastplate of Instruction” but the King’s Son did not hear a word that Maravaun said. After a while he listened to the things that Art, the King’s Steward, related to him, for it was Art who had shown the King’s Son the leaden ring that was on his finger. He took it off, remembering the betrothal ring that the Little Sage had made, and then he saw that it was not his, but Fedelma’s ring that he wore. Then he felt as if Fedelma had sent a message to him, and he was less wild in his thoughts.
Afterwards, in the evenings, when he came back from his ridings, he would cross the meadows with Art, the King’s Steward, or would stand with him while the herdsmen drove the cattle into the byres. Then he would listen to what Art related to him. And one evening he heard Art say, “The most remarkable event that happened was the coming into this land of the King of the Cats.”
“I will listen to what you tell me about it,” said the King’s Son. “Then,” said Art, the King’s Steward, “to your father’s Son in all truth be it told”—