He told them then the whole story of the tree, and of the Searbhan, the Surly One of Lochlann, that was put to mind it by the Tuatha de Danaan.  But Aodh, son of Andela, spoke then, and it is what he said, that he would sooner get his death looking for those berries than to go home again to his mother’s country.  And he said to Oisin to care his people till he would come back again, and if anything should happen himself and his brother in their journey, to send them back again to the Land of Promise.  And the two said farewell then to Oisin and to the chief men of the Fianna, and they went forward till they reached Dubhros.  And they went along the wood till they found a track, and they followed it to the door of the hunting-cabin where Diarmuid and Grania were.

Diarmuid heard them coming, and he put his hand on his weapons and asked who was at the door.  “We are of the children of Morna,” they said, “Aodh, son of Andela, and Aonghus, son of Art Og.”  “What brings you to this wood?” said Diarmuid.  “Finn, son of Cumhal, that put us looking for your head, if you are Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne,” said they.  “I am indeed,” said Diarmuid.  “If that is so,” they said, “Finn will take nothing from us but your head, or a fistful of the berries of the quicken-tree of Dubhros as satisfaction for the death of his father.”  “It is not easy for you to get either of those things,” said Diarmuid, “and it is a pity for any one to be under the power of that man.  And besides that,” he said, “I know it was he himself made an end of your fathers, and that was enough satisfaction for him to get; and if you do bring him what he asks, it is likely he will not make peace with you in the end.”  “Is it not enough for you,” said Aodh, “to have brought his wife away from Finn without speaking ill of him?” “It is not for the sake of speaking ill of him I said that,” said Diarmuid, “but to save yourselves from the danger he has sent you into.”

“What are those berries Finn is asking?” said Grania, “that they cannot be got for him?”

Diarmuid told her then the whole story of the berry the Tuatha de Danaan had lost, and of the tree that had sprung up from it, and of the man of Lochlann that was keeping the tree.  “And at the time Finn sent me hiding here and became my enemy,” he said, “I got leave from the Surly One to hunt, but he bade me never to meddle with the berries.  And now, sons of Morna,” he said, “there is your choice, to fight with me for my head, or to go asking the berries of the Surly One.”  “I swear by the blood of my people,” said each of them, “I will fight with yourself first.”