Scotland's Storybook: stories in English (1.1 - Education Scotland

when they heard that and it was agreed that the most honourable nobleman in
all of Ulster, Fergus MacRoich of the Red Branch, would be sent to fetch the
sons of Usna back home. King Conchobar had no intention of forgiving Naoise,
but now the trap was set.
Fergus, with his sons Illann the Fair and Buinne the Ruthless Red, set off for
Scotland and travelled to the glen where the Sons of Usna were living. When
they met, Fergus made the king’s offer to them; to return to Ulster and be
honoured as they once had been. Deirdre, who had the second sight, warned
them that King Conchobar could not be trusted and that death awaited them if
they returned, but the Sons of Usna were tired of living in exile from the land
that they loved, and they trusted Fergus, a man renowned for his honesty. They
packed their things and returned to Ulster with Fergus and his sons.
Now Conchobar’s trap began to tighten around the necks of the Sons of
Usna, for he had bribed some of his less trustworthy noblemen to help him to
destroy Naoise and his brothers. In those days it was the custom that whenever
a nobleman rode through another chieftain’s lands that he had to accept the
offer of hospitality or bring dishonour on himself. Fergus rode fast to avoid such
offers, but one of the noblemen in Conchobar’s pay managed to stop him on his
road and offered him a feast. Fergus was reluctant to delay his journey, but his
honour was at stake if he refused. King Conchobar had set his traps well, for he
had set the condition that the first food that the Sons of Usna ate when back in
Ulster had to come from his own table. Fearing a trick, Naoise refused to attend
the feast but told Fergus that they would ride on without him. Fergus sent his
two sons to accompany the Sons of Usna, promising them that he would soon
join them.
As they rode on the final part of their journey Deirdre became more and
more worried. She told Naoise that she had had a dream the previous night
where three birds flew towards them with honey dripping from their beaks, but
when the honey dropped onto the Sons of Usna it turned to blood. This, she
interpreted, represented treachery by King Conchobar, and that the honey
dripping from the birds’ beaks were his honeyed words that would end in
bloodshed. As they got nearer to Emain Macha, the king’s castle, Deirdre was
upset to see a halo of blood surrounding Naoise’s head. Despite all the omens
Naoise still refused to believe that the king would bring dishonour on himself by
breaking an oath or be foolish enough to put lies into the mouth of such an
honourable man as Fergus MacRoich.
When they arrived at Emain Macha the Sons of Usna were greeted by their
former Red Branch comrades and were given good quarters for the night. King
Conchobar did not put in an appearance, but remained in his throne room
drinking. His hatred of Naoise was a strong as ever, but he knew that he had to
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