Then they depart from him, and forthwith they go to [Corp[FN#58] Liath (the Gray),] who was the son of Tassach.  His castle was on the bank of the river Nemain, upon the northern side, he was a champion of renown for the guarding of the men of Munster; longer than his hand is the evil he hath wrought.  To this man also they appeared, and “What are your names?” said he:  “Tecmall and Coscrad (Gathering of Hosts, and Destruction),” said they.  “Gathering of Hosts is indeed good,” said Corp Liath, “an evil thing is destruction”:  “There will be no destruction for thee, and thou shalt destroy the sons of kings and nobles”:  “And what,” said Corp Liath, “is the next thing to be done?”

[FN#58] The Egerton Ms. gives the name, Corb Cliach.

“That is easy to say,” they said;[FN#59] “each son of a king and a queen, and each heir of a king that is in Connaught, is now coming upon you to bear off cows from your country, for that the sons of your kings and queens have fallen by the hand of the men of Connaught.  To-morrow morning, at the ninth hour they will come, and small is their troop; so if valiant warriors go thither to meet them, the honour of Munster shall be preserved; if indeed thine adventure shall meet with success.”

[FN#59] Y.B.L. gives the passage thus:  “Assemble with you the sons of kings, and heirs of kings, that you may destroy the sons of kings and heirs of kings.”  “Who are they?” said Corp Liath.  “A noble youth it is from Connaught:  he comes to yon to drive your cows before him, after that your young men were yesterday destroyed by him, at the ninth hour of the morning they will come to take away the cows of Darta, the daughter of Eocho.”

“With what number should I go?” he said.  “Seven times twenty heroes thou shouldest take with thee,” she replied, ["and seven times twenty warriors besides"]:  “And now” said the woman, “we depart to meet thee to-morrow at the ninth hour.”

At the time (appointed), when morning had come, the men of Connaught saw the horses and the raiment of which we have spoken, at the gate of the fort of Croghan, [even as she (the fairy) had foretold, and as we have told, so that at that gate was all she had promised, and all that had been seen on the sons of kings aforetime], and there was a doubt among the people whether they should go on that quest or not.  “It is shame,” said Ailill, “to refuse a thing that is good”; and upon that Orlam departed [till[FN#60] he came to the house of Dartaid, the daughter of Eocho, in Cliu Classach (Cliu the Moated), on the Shannon upon the south (bank).

[FN#60] Egerton Version has only “towards Chu till he came to the home of Dartaid, the daughter of Eocho:  the maiden rejoiced,” &c.  From this point to the end the version in the Yellow Book is much fuller.

[There they halted], and the maiden rejoiced at their coming:  “Three of the kine are missing.”  “We cannot wait for these; let the men take provision on their horses, [for rightly should we be afraid in the midst of Munster.  Wilt thou depart with me, O maiden?” said he.  “I will indeed go with thee,” said she].  “Come then thou,” said he, “and with thee all of thy cows.”