Gods and Fighting Men, Lady I. A Gregory [best e books to read TXT] 📗

a game with you now on this." They sat down then, Oisin and Osgar

and Lugaidh's Son and Diorraing on the one side of the board, and Finn

on the other side.

 

And they were playing that game with great skill and knowledge, and Finn

pressed Oisin so hard that he had no move to make but the one, and Finn

said: "There is one move would win the game for you, Oisin, and I defy

all that are with you to show you that move." Then Diarmuid said up in

the tree where he was, and no one heard him but Grania: "It is a pity

you be in straits, and without myself to show you that move." "It is

worse off you are yourself," said Grania, "to be in the bed of the

Surly One of Lochlann in the top of the quicken-tree, and the seven

battalions of the Fianna round about it to take your life."

 

But Diarmuid took a berry of the tree, and aimed at the one of the

chessmen that ought to be moved, and Oisin moved it and turned the game

against Finn by that move. It was not long before the game was going

against Oisin the second time, and when Diarmuid saw that he threw

another berry at the chessman it was right to move, and Oisin moved it

and turned the game against Finn in the same way. And the third time

Finn was getting the game from Oisin, and Diarmuid threw the third berry

on the man that would give the game to Oisin, and the Fianna gave a

great shout when the game was won. Finn spoke then, and it is what he

said: "It is no wonder you to win the game, Oisin, and you having the

help of Osgar, and the watchfulness of Diorraing, and the skill of

Lugaidh's Son, and the teaching of the grandson of Duibhne with you."

"That is a great sign of jealousy in you, Finn," said Osgar, "to think

Diarmuid would stop in this tree, and you so near him." "Which of us has

the truth, Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne," Finn said out then, "myself

or Osgar?" "You never lost your good judgment, Finn," said Diarmuid

then; "and I myself and Grania are here, in the bed of the Surly One of

Lochlann." Then Diarmuid rose up and gave three kisses to Grania in the

sight of Finn and the Fianna. And a scorching jealousy and a weakness

came on Finn when he saw that, and he said: "It was worse to me,

Diarmuid, the seven battalions of the Fianna to see what you did at

Teamhair, taking away Grania the night you were yourself my guard. But

for all that," he said, "you will give your head for the sake of those

three kisses."

 

With that Finn called to the four hundred paid fighting men that were

with him that they might make an end of Diarmuid; and he put their

hands into one another's hands around that quicken-tree, and bade them,

if they would not lose their lives, not to let Diarmuid pass out through

them. And he said that to whatever man would take Diarmuid, he would

give his arms and his armour, and a place among the Fianna of Ireland.

 

Then one of the Fianna, Garbh of Slieve Cua, said it was Diarmuid had

killed his own father, and he would avenge him now, and he went up the

quicken-tree to make an end of him.

 

Now, about that time it was made known to Angus Og, in Brugh na Boinne,

the danger Diarmuid was in, and he came to his help, unknown to the

Fianna. And when Garbh of Slieve Cua was coming up the tree, Diarmuid

gave him a kick of his foot, and he fell down among the hired men, and

they struck off his head, for Angus Og had put the appearance of

Diarmuid on him. But after he was killed, his own shape came on him

again, and the Fianna knew that it was Garbh was killed.

 

Then Garbh of Slieve Crot said it was Diarmuid had killed his father,

and he went up to avenge him, and the same thing happened. And in the

end all the nine Garbhs, of Slieve Guaire, and Slieve Muice, and Slieve

Mor, and Slieve Lugha, and Ath Fraoch, and Slieve Mis and Drom-mor, went

trying to take Diarmuid's life and lost their own lives, every one of

them having the shape and appearance of Diarmuid when he died. And Finn

was very sorry and discouraged when he saw that these nine men had come

to their death.

 

Then Angus said he would bring away Grania with him. "Do so," said

Diarmuid; "and if I am living at evening I will follow you." Then Angus

said farewell to Diarmuid, and he put his Druid cloak about Grania and

about himself, and they went away in the safety of the cloak, unknown to

Finn and the Fianna, till they came to Brugh na Boinne.

 

Then Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne, spoke, and it is what he said: "I

will come down to you, Finn, and to the Fianna. And I will do death and

destruction on you and on your people, for I am certain your mind is

made up to give me no rest, but to bring me to my death in some place.

And I have nowhere to go from this danger," he said, "for I have no

friend or comrade under whose protection I could go in any far part of

the great world, for it is often I fought against the men of the great

world for love of you. For there never came battle or fight, danger or

trouble on you, but I would go into it for your sake and the sake of the

Fianna; and not only that, but I would fight before you and after you.

And I give my word, Finn," he said, "you will pay hard for me, and you

will not get me as a free gift." "It is the truth Diarmuid is speaking,"

said Osgar, "and give him forgiveness now, and peace." "I will not do

that," said Finn, "to the end of life and time; and he will not get

peace or rest for ever till I get satisfaction from him for every

reproach he has put on me." "It is a great shame and a great sign of

jealousy you to say that," said Osgar. "And I give the word of a true

champion," he said, "that unless the skies come down upon me, or the

earth opens under my feet, I will not let you or any one of the Fianna

of Ireland give him cut or wound; and I take his body and his life under

the protection of my valour, and I will keep him safe against all the

men of Ireland." "Those are big words you have, Osgar," said Goll then,

"to say you would bring a man away in spite of all the men of Ireland."

"It is not you will raise them up against me, Goll," said Osgar, "for

none of them would mind what you would say." "If that is what you are

saying, you champion of great fights," said Goll, "let us see now what

you can do." "You will have to go through with the fight you have taken

on yourself," said Corrioll, son of Goll, in a loud voice. And Osgar

answered him fiercely: "If I do I will shorten your bones, and your

father's bones along with them. And come down now, Diarmuid," he said,

"since Finn has no mind to leave you in peace, and I promise on my body

and my life there will no harm be done to you to-day."

 

Then Diarmuid stood up on a high bough of the boughs of the tree, and he

rose with a light leap by the shaft of his spear, and lit on the grass

far beyond Finn and the Fianna. And he himself and Osgar went towards

one another, in spite of the Fianna that went between them, and Diarmuid

struck down those that were in his way; and as to Osgar, the throwing of

his spears as he scattered the Fianna was like the sound of the wind

going through a valley, or water falling over flag-stones. And Conan,

that was always bitter, said: "Let the sons of Baiscne go on killing one

another." But Finn, when he saw Diarmuid was gone from him, bade them

put their weapons up, and turn back again to Almhuin.

 

And he sent those of his men that could be healed to places of healing,

and the nine Garbhs, and the others of his men that were killed, he put

into wide-sodded graves. And it is tired and downhearted and sorrowful

he was after that, and he made an oath he would take no great rest till

he would have avenged on Diarmuid all that he had done.

 

CHAPTER V. (THE QUARREL)

And as to Osgar and Diarmuid, they went on, and no cut or wound on them,

to where Angus and Grania were at Brugh na Boinne; and there was a good

welcome before them, and Diarmuid told them the whole story from

beginning to end, and it is much that Grania did not die then and there,

hearing all he had gone through.

 

And then she and Diarmuid set out again, and they went and stopped for

a while in a cave that was near the sea.

 

And one night while they were there a great storm came on, so that they

went into the far part of the cave. But bad as the night was, a man of

the Fomor, Ciach, the Fierce One, his name was, came over the western

ocean in a currach, with two oars, and he drew it into the cave for

shelter. And Diarmuid bade him welcome, and they sat down to play chess

together. And he got the best of the game, and what he asked as his

winnings was Grania to be his wife, and he put his arms about her as if

to bring her away. And Grania said: "I am this long time going with the

third best man of the Fianna, and he never came as near as that to me."

 

And Diarmuid took his sword to kill Ciach, and there was anger on Grania

when she saw that, and she had a knife in her hand and she struck it

into Diarmuid's thigh. And Diarmuid made an end of the Fomor, and he

said no word to Grania, but ran out and away through the storm.

 

And Grania went following after him, and calling to him, but there was

great anger on him and he would not answer her. And at last at the break

of day she overtook him, and after a while they heard the cry of a

heron, and she asked him what was it made the heron cry out.

 

"Tell me that," she said, "Grandson of Duibhne, to whom I gave my love."

And Diarmuid said: "O Grania, daughter of the High King, woman who never

took a step aright, it is because she was frozen to the rocks she gave

that cry." And Grania was asking forgiveness of him, and he was

reproaching her, and it is what he said: "O Grania of the beautiful

hair, though you are more beautiful than the green tree under blossom,

your love passes away as quickly as the cold cloud at break of day. And

you are asking a hard thing of me now," he said, "and it is a pity what

you said to me, Grania, for it was you brought me away from the house of

my lord, that I am banished from it to this day; and now I am troubled

through the night, fretting after its delight in every place.

 

"I am like a wild deer, or a beast that is astray, going ever and always

through the long