"A great deed is what we have done," says Medb. "We repent," says Ailill, "of what we have done to the man; the daughter however," he says, "her lips shall perish [common metaphor for death] to-morrow at once, and it shall not be the guilt of bringing of the sword that shall be for her. Let a bath be made by you for this man, namely, broth of fresh bacon and the flesh of a heifer to be minced in it under adze and axe, and he to be brought into the bath." All that thing was done as he said. His trumpeters then before him to the dun. They play then until thirty of the special friends of Ailill die at the long-drawn (or plaintive) music. He goes then into the dun, and he goes into the bath. The female company rise around him at the vat for rubbing, and for washing his head. He was brought out of it then, and a bed was made. They heard something, the lament-cry on Cruachan. There were seen the three times fifty women with crimson tunics, with green head-dresses, with brooches of silver on their wrists. A messenger is sent to them to learn what they had bewailed. "Fraech, son of Idath," says the woman, "boy-pet of the king of the Side of Erin." At this Fraech heard their lament-cry. Thirty men whom King Ailill loved dearly By that music were smitten to die; And his men carried Fraech, and they laid him In that bath, for his healing to lie. Around the vat stood ladies, They bathed his limbs and head; From out the bath they raised him, And soft they made his bed. Then they heard a strange music; The wild Croghan "keen"; And of women thrice fifty On Croghan were seen. They had tunics of purple, With green were they crowned; On their wrists glistened silver, Where brooches were bound. And there neared them a herald To learn why they wailed; "'Tis for Fraech," was their answer, "By sickness assailed; 'Tis for Fraech, son of Idath,[FN#29] Boy-darling is he Of our lord, who in Erin Is king of the Shee!"[FN#30] And Fraech heard the wail in their cry; [FN#29] Pronounced Eeda. [FN#30] The Fairies. "Lift me out of it," he says to his people; "this is the cry of my mother and of the women of Boand." He is lifted out at this, and he is brought to them. The women come around him, and bring him from them to the Sid of Cruachan (i.e. the deep caverns, used for burial at Cruachan).