battle," he said, "and let you go
out and answer them." "In my opinion," said the King of the World,
"there is not a man of them is able to fight against me; and how many
are there left of the Fianna of Ireland?" "One battalion only that is in
good order," said Fergus. "And how many of the armies of the World are
there left?" he said. "Thirty battalions came with me to Ireland; and
there are twenty of them fallen by the Fianna, and what is left of them
is ten red battalions in good order. And there are eight good fighters
of them," he said, "that would put down the men of the whole world if
they were against me; that is, myself, and Conmail my son, and Ogarmach,
the daughter of the King of Greece, that is the best hand in battle of
the whole world after myself, and Finnachta of the Teeth, the chief of
my household, and the King of Lochlann, Caisel Clumach of the Feathers,
and his three sons, Tocha, and Forne of the Broad Shoulders, and Mongach
of the Sea."

"I swear by the oath of my people," said the King of Lochlann then, "if
any man of the armies goes out against the Fianna before myself and my
three sons, we will not go at all, for we would not get the satisfaction
we are used to, unless our swords get their fill of blood." "I will go
out against them alone," said Forne, the youngest son of the King of
Lochlann. With that he put on his battle suit, and he went among the
Fianna of Ireland, and a red-edged sword in each of his hands. And he
destroyed those of their young men that were sent against him, and he
made the strand narrow with their bodies.

And Finn saw that, and it was torment to his heart, and danger of death
and loss of wits to him, and he was encouraging the men of Ireland
against Forne. And Fergus of the True Lips stood up, and it is what he
said: "Fianna of Ireland," he said, "it is a pity the way you are under
hardship and you defending Ireland. And one man is taking her from you
to-day," he said, "and you are like no other thing but a flock of little
birds looking for shelter in a bush from a hawk that is after them. And
it is going into the shelter of Finn and Oisin and Caoilte you are," he
said; "and not one of you is better than another, and none of you sets
his face against the foreigner." "By my oath," said Oisin, "all that is
true, and no one of us tries to do better than another keeping him off."
"There is not one of you is better than another," said Fergus. Then
Oisin gave out a great shout