As to Finn, the son of Cumal, I will now tell what befell him. When the
king and his guests arose from their sleep at early dawn next morning,
they found Dermat and Grania gone; and a burning jealousy seized on
Finn, and his rage was so great that for a time all his strength left
him. Then he sent for his tracking-men, namely, the Clann Navin; and he
commanded them forthwith to follow the track of Dermat and Grania. This
they did with much ease as far as Ath-Luan, while Finn and the others
followed after; but when they had come to the ford, they lost the track.
Whereupon Finn, being now indeed easily kindled to wrath, told them that
unless they took up the track again speedily, he would hang every man of
the Clann Navin on the edge of the ford.
So the trackers, being sore afraid, searched upwards against the stream,
and found the two horses where they had been left, one on each side of
the river. And going on a mile further, they came to the spot where
Dermat and Grania had turned from the river; and there they lighted on
the south-west track, Finn and the Fena still following. And when the
Clann Navin had pointed out to Finn the direction of the track, he
said--
"Well do I know now where we shall find Dermat and Grania; for of a
certainty they have hidden themselves in the Wood of the two Tents."
Now it chanced that Oisin, and Oscar, and Kylta, and Dering were present
when Finn spoke these words; and they were troubled, for they loved
Dermat. And going aside, they held council among themselves, and Oisin
spoke--
"There is much likelihood, friends, that Finn speaks truth; for he is
far-seeing, and judges not hastily. It is needful, therefore, that we
send Dermat warning, lest he be taken unawares. My counsel is that you,
Oscar, find out Finn's hound, Bran, and tell him to go to the Wood of
the two Tents with a warning to Dermat; for Bran does not love his own
master Finn better than he loves Dermat."
So Oscar called Bran secretly, and told him what he should do. Bran
listened with sagacious eye and ears erect, and understood Oscar's words
quite well. Then, running back to the rear of the host, so that Finn
might not see him, he followed the track without once losing it, till he
arrived at the Wood of the two Tents. There he found Dermat and Grania
asleep in their hut, and he put his head into Dermat's bosom.
Dermat started up from his sleep, and seeing Bran, he awakened Grania,
and said--
"Here is Bran, Finn's hound; he has come to warn me that Finn himself is
near."
And Grania trembled and said, "Let us take the warning, then, and fly!"
But Dermat answered, "I will not leave this hut; for however long we
fly, we cannot escape from Finn; and it is not worse to fall into his
hands now than at any other time. Howbeit, they shall not come into this
fastness unless I permit them."
Then great fear fell on Grania; but, seeing Dermat gloomy and downcast,
she urged the point no further.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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