And when he
came to the dun, all his people came out to meet him, but they had a
very downcast look. "Where is the flower of Almhuin, beautiful gentle
Sadbh?" he asked them. And it is what they said: "While you were away
fighting, your likeness, and the likeness of Bran and of Sceolan
appeared before the dun, and we thought we heard the sweet call of the
Dord Fiann. And Sadbh, that was so good and so beautiful, came out of
the house," they said, "and she went out of the gates, and she would not
listen to us, and we could not stop her." "Let me go meet my love," she
said, "my husband, the father of the child that is not born." And with
that she went running out towards the shadow of yourself that was before
her, and that had its arms stretched out to her. But no sooner did she
touch it than she gave a great cry, and the shadow lifted up a hazel
rod, and on the moment it was a fawn was standing on the grass. Three
times she turned and made for the gate of the dun, but the two hounds
the shadow had with him went after her and took her by the throat and
dragged her back to him. "And by your hand of valour, Finn," they said,
"we ourselves made no delay till we went out on the plain after her. But
it is our grief, they had all vanished, and there was not to be seen
woman, or fawn or Druid, but we could hear the quick tread of feet on
the hard plain, and the howling of dogs. And if you would ask every one
of us in what quarter he heard those sounds, he would tell you a
different one.
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