aid
Caoilte, "to meet the best man that is in it hand to hand." "The two
that are next to him in fighting," they said then, "are Donn and Dubh."
"I will put down those two," said Derg.

Then the host of the Sidhe went out to the battle, and the armies
attacked one another with wide green spears and with little casting
spears, and with great stones; and the fight went on from the rising of
the day till midday. And then Caoilte and Lir met with one another, and
they made a very fierce fight, and at the last Lir of Sidhe Fionnachaidh
fell by the hand of Caoilte.

Then the two good champions Dubh and Donn, sons of Eirrge, determined to
go on with the battle, and it is how they fought, Dubh in the front of
the whole army, and Donn behind all, guarding the rear. But Derg saw
that, and he put his finger into the thong of his spear and made a cast
at the one that was nearest him, and it broke his back and went on into
the body of the other, so that the one cast made an end of the two. And
that ended the battle, and all that was left of the great army of Lir
went wearing away to the north. And there was great rejoicing in the
hill at Ess Ruadh, and Ilbrec took the spoils of the beaten army for his
people, and to Caoilte he gave the enchanted spear of Fiacha, together
with nine rich cloaks and nine long swords with hilts and guards of
gold, and nine hounds for hunting. And they said farewell to one
another, and Caoilte left his blessing to the people of the hill, and he
brought their thanks with him. And as hard as the battle had been, it
was harder again for Derg to part from his comrade, and the day he was
parted from Finn and from all the Fianna was no sadder to him than this
day.

It was a long time after that Caoilte went again to the hill of Ilbrec
at Ess Ruadh, and this is the way it happened.

It was in a battle at Beinn Edair in the east that Mane, son of the King
of Lochlann, made a cast at him in the middle of the battle with a
deadly spear. And he heard the whistling of the spear, and it rushing to
him; and he lifted his shield to protect his head and his body, but that
did not save him, for it struck into his thigh, and left its poison in
it, so that he had to go in search of healing. And it is where he went,
to the hill of the Sidhe at Ess Ruadh, to ask help of Bebind, daughter
of Elcmar of Brugh na Boinne, that had the drink of healing of the
Tuatha de Danaan, and all that was left of the ale of Goibniu that sh