And she had the same name as before, Etain; and she was reared as a
king's daughter, and there were fifty young girls, daughters of princes,
brought up with her to keep her company.
And it happened one day Etain and all the rest of the young girls were
out bathing in the bay at Inver Cechmaine, and they saw from the water a
man, with very high looks, coming towards them over the plain, and he
riding a bay horse with mane and tail curled. A long green cloak he had
on him, and a shirt woven with threads of red gold, and a brooch of gold
that reached across to his shoulders on each side. And he had on his
back a shield of silver with a rim of gold and a boss of gold, and in
his hand a sharp-pointed spear covered with rings of gold from heel to
socket. Fair yellow hair he had, coming over his forehead, and it bound
with a golden band to keep it from loosening.
And when he came near them he got down from his horse, and sat down on
the bank, and it is what he said:
"It is here Etain is to-day, at the Mound of Fair Women. It is among
little children is her life on the strand of Inver Cechmaine.
"It is she healed the eye of the king from the well of Loch da Lig; it
is she was swallowed in a heavy drink by the wife of Etar.
"Many great battles will happen for your sake to Echaid of Midhe;
destruction will fall upon the Sidhe, and war on thousands of men."
And when he had said that, he vanished, and no one knew where he went.
Pages:
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132