Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race - Knowledge Rush

168 Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race[200]O King.” Then the king dismissed her, and sat drinking again.But after a while he called to him a servant named Trendorn, andbade him go to the Red Branch House and mark who was thereand what they did. But when Trendorn came the place was boltedand barred for the night, and he could not get an entrance, andat last he mounted on a ladder and looked in at a high window.And there he saw the brothers of Naisi and the sons of Fergus,as they talked or cleaned their arms, or made them ready forslumber, and there sat Naisi with a chess-board before him, andplaying chess with him was the fairest of women that he had everseen. But as he looked in wonder at the noble pair, suddenlyone caught sight of him and rose with a cry, pointing to the faceat the window. And Naisi looked up and saw it, and seizing achessman from the board he hurled it at the face of the spy, andit struck out his eye. Then Trendorn hastily descended, and wentback with his bloody face to the king. “I have seen them,” hecried, “I have seen the fairest woman of the world, and but thatNaisi had struck my eye out I had been looking on her still.”Then Conor arose and called for his guards and bade thembring the sons of Usna before him for maiming his messenger.And the guards went; but first Buino, son of Fergus, with hisretinue, met them, and at the sword's point drove them back; butNaisi and Deirdre continued quietly to play chess, “For,” saidNaisi, “it is not seemly that we should seek to defend ourselveswhile we are under the protection of the sons of Fergus.” ButConor went to Buino, and with a great gift of lands he boughthim over to desert his charge. Then Illan took up the defenceof the Red Branch Hostel, but the two sons of Conor slew him.And then at last Naisi and his brothers seized their weapons andrushed amid the foe, and many were they who fell before theonset. Then Conor entreated Cathbad the Druid to cast spellsupon them lest they should get away and become the enemies ofthe province, and he vowed to do them no hurt if they were takenalive. So Cathbad conjured up, as it were, a lake of slime that