ing of a perfect love, and so sure were they
of that love from the very first moment that it seemed as though they
must have been born loving one another.

Of that love they talked, of the anger of Conor when he knew that his
destined bride was the love of Naoise, and together they planned how
it was best for Deirdre to escape from the furious wrath of the king
who desired her for his own.

Of a sudden, the hands of Naoise gripped the iron-pointed javelin that
hung by his side, and drove it into a place where the snow weighed
down the bracken.

"Is it a wolf?" cried Deirdre.

And Naoise made answer: "Either a dead man, or the mark of where a man
has lain hidden thou wilt find under the bracken."

And when they went to look they found, like the clap of a hare, the
mark of where a man had lain hidden, and close beside the javelin that
was driven in the ground there lay a wooden-hilted knife.

Then said Naoise: "Well I knew that Conor would set a spy on my
tracks. Come with me now, Deirdre, else may I lose thee forever."

And with a glad heart Deirdre went with him who was to be her lord,
and Naoise took her to where his brothers awaited his coming. To
Deirdre, both Ainle and Ardan swiftly gave their lifelong allegiance
and their love, but they were full of forebodings for her and for
Naoise because of the certain wrath of Conor, the king.

Then said Naoise: "Although harm should come, for her dear sake I am
willing to live in disgrace for the rest of my days."

And Ardan and Ainle made answer: "Of a certainty, evil will be of it,
yet though there be, thou shalt not be under disgrace as long as we
shall be alive. We will go with her to another country. There is not
in Erin a king who will not bid us welcome."

Then did the Sons of Usna decide to cross the Sea of Moyle, and in
their own land of Alba to find a happy sanctuary. That night they
fled, and with them took three times fifty men, three times fifty
women, three times fifty horses, and three times fifty greyhounds. And
when they looked back to where they had had their dwelling, they saw
red flames against the deep blue sky of the night, and knew that the
vengeance of Conor had already begun. And first they travelled round
Erin from Essa to Beinn Etair,[16] and then in a great black galley
they set sail, and Deirdre had a heart light as the white-winged
sea-birds as the men pulled at the long oars and sang together a
rowing song, and she leaned on the stro