And the next that came to fight on the strand was the King of Lochlann himself, Caisel of the Feathers.  And he came to the battle having his shield on his arm; and it is the way the shield was, that was made for him by the smith of the Fomor, there were red flames coming from it; and if it was put under the sea itself, not one of its flames would stop blazing.  And when he had that shield on his arm no man could come near him.

And there was never such destruction done on the men of Ireland as on that day, for the flames of fire that he sent from his shield went through the bodies of men till they blazed up like a splinter of oak that was after hanging through the length of a year in the smoke of a chimney; and any one that would touch the man that was burning would catch fire himself.  And every other harm that ever came into Ireland before was small beside this.

Then Finn said:  “Lift up your hands, Fianna of Ireland, and give three shouts of blessing to whoever will hinder this foreigner.”  And the Fianna gave those three shouts; and the King of Lochlann gave a great laugh when he heard them.  And Druimderg, grandson of the Head of the Fianna of Ulster, was near him, and he had with him a deadly spear, the Croderg, the Red-Socketed, that came down from one to another of the sons of Rudraighe.  And he looked at the King of Lochlann, and he could see no part of him without armour but his mouth that was opened wide, and he laughing at the Fianna.  Then Druimderg made a cast with the Croderg that hit him in the open mouth, and he fell, and his shield fell along with its master, and its flame went out.  And Druimderg struck the head from his body, and made great boasts of the things he had done.

CHAPTER XI.  LABRAN’S JOURNEY

It is then Fergus of the True Lips set out again and went through the length of Ireland till he came to the house of Tadg, son of Nuada, that was grandfather to Finn.

And there was great grief on Muirne, Finn’s mother, and on Labran of the Long Hand her brother, and on all her people, when they knew the great danger he was in.  And Tadg asked his wife who did she think would escape with their lives from the great fighting at the White Strand.  “It is a pity the way they are there,” said she; “for if all the living men of the world were on one side, Daire Donn, the King of the World, would put them all down; for there are no weapons in the world that will ever be reddened on him.  And on the night he was born, the smith of the Fomor made a shield and a sword, and it is in the prophecy that he will fall by no other arms but those.  And it is to the King of the Country of the Fair Men he gave them to keep, and it is with him they are now.”  “If that is so,” said Tadg, “you might be able to get help for Finn, son of Cumhal, the only son of your daughter.  And bid Labran Lamfada to go and ask those weapons of him,” he said.  “Do not be asking me,” said she, “to go against Daire Donn that was brought up in my father’s house.”  But after they had talked for a while, they went out on the lawn, and they sent Labran looking for the weapons in the shape of a great eagle.