Page:Celtic Stories by Edward Thomas.djvu/55

 soul and with all her body. She did but lay her hand on the red mane of his horse to hold its mouth away from her hair, and he loved her back again. They thought nothing of the commands of Conachoor. He loved her and she him. She asked him to take her out of the solitude, away from the king, and so saying she leapt up on to Naisi's horse and they rode away to the castle of the sons of Usna.

When Ainley and Ardan, the other sons of Usna, heard that this was Deirdre and that she was Naisi's wife, they were troubled. They knew that she was to have been queen, and they remembered the prophecy of Cathbad, that she would be the cause of death and calamity. Because they were afraid, Naisi told them that he and she were sailing to Alba and had no wish to damage others by their adventure. But the brothers, though troubled, would not hold back from the company of Naisi and their wondrous sister. Naisi and Deirdre rode off. Ainley and Ardan followed them to the shore. Once the brothers turned back to see why the silver of the horse ornaments was gleaming long after sunset, and they saw the fire of the burning of their castle. They looked at one another and were thinking to turn back and dispute the castle with Conachoor. Before they had spoken their thoughts they turned to consult with Naisi. Instead of Naisi they looked at Deirdre. She was laughing, but this did not anger them in spite of the burning castle. It was not the laughter of a fool, but of one who was wiser and stronger than they, though they were warriors and counsellors of a great king. They could not see her face, but only her small head, her long hair, and her bright sandalled feet as she rode, and yet they forgot their other thoughts and became silent, and continued to ride after the lovers.