CHAPTER VII.  FIGHTING AND PEACE

And after a while Finn bade his people to make his ship ready, and to put a store of food and of drink in it.  They did that, and he himself and a thousand of his men went into the ship; and they were nine days between sailing and rowing till they came to harbour in the north of Alban.

They bound the ship to the posts of the harbour then, and Finn with five of his people went to the dun of the King of Alban, and Finn struck a blow with the hand-wood on the door, and the door-keeper asked who was in it, and they told him it was Finn, son of Cumhal.  “Let him in,” said the king.

Then Finn and his people went in, and the king made them welcome, and he bade Finn to sit down in his own place, and they were given strong pleasant drinks, and the king sent for the rest of Finn’s people and bade them welcome to the dun.

Then Finn told what it was brought him there, and that it was to ask help and advice against the grandson of Duibhne he was come.

“And you have a right to give me your help,” he said, “for it was he that killed your father and your two brothers, and many of your best men along with them.”

“That is true,” said the king; “and I will give you my own two sons and a thousand men with each of them.”  Finn was glad when he heard that, and he and his men took leave of the king and of his household, and left wishes for life and health with them, and the king did the same by them.

And it was near Brugh na Boinne Finn and his people came to land, and Finn sent messengers to the house of Angus to give out a challenge of battle against Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne.

“What should I do about this, Osgar?” said Diarmuid.

“We will both go out and make a stand against them, and we will not let a serving-man of them escape, but we will make an end of them all,” said Osgar.

So they rose up on the morning of the morrow and they put their suits of battle on their comely bodies; and it would be a pity for those, be they many or few, that would meet those two men, and their anger on them.  And they bound the rims of their shields together the way they would not be parted from one another in the right.  And the sons of the King of Alban said that they themselves and their people would go first to meet them.  So they came to shore, and made a rush to meet Diarmuid and Osgar.  But the two fought so well that they beat them back and scattered them, and made a great slaughter, and put great terror on them, so that at the last there was not a man left to stand against them.

And after that, Finn went out again on the sea, and his people with him, and there is no word of them till they came to the Land of Promise where Finn’s nurse was.  And when she saw Finn coming she was very joyful before him.  And Finn told her the whole story from beginning to end, and the cause of his quarrel with Diarmuid; and he said it was to ask an advice from her he was come, and that it was not possible to put him down by any strength of an army, unless enchantment would put him down.  “I will go with you,” said the old woman, “and I will do enchantment on him.”  Finn was very glad when he heard that, and he stopped there that night, and they set out for Ireland on the morrow.