Thoroughly disgusted with Cathbad, Concubar could not bear to sit on his throne and think.  He did not wish to wait for Cathbad and the Brehon to return and berate him anew, so he rose from his throne and walked out to the hurley pitch to have another look at the Little Fellow, Son.

He saw Fergus standing above the pitch and chuckling to himself.  “What is so amusing Fergus?  Please tell me, I could do with some good humor after that horrible wizard Cathbad.” said the king.

“Well,” said Fergus, “Having beaten the boys and sending them away with their tails between their legs, the Little Fellow is playing with the hounds.  They’re not much for the rules, but they are very entertaining.”

“Playing the hounds?  I thought I told you to make sure the boy came to no harm?”  Concubar looked down on the field and saw nothing but a mass of writhing dog flesh in a scrum in the middle of the pitch, “Are you mad?  I don’t even see him in all that.  Have they eaten him?”

“No, the lad is too good with that cam.  Add to that the dogs seem to love him.”

“Are you sure?  I don’t even see him.”

“See there?  He’s the red haired hound in the middle.”

“Cu Ruada you say?” The king tugged his whiskers in thought, “Now that’s a fine name for the boy.”

“CuRuada?” Fergus nodded, “aye, I think it would serve.”

“The lad is good with the cam.  Let’s see what he can do with the sword.  Take him to the field and see how he is with shield and spear and . . .  Well, you know the training of the boys.  I think you may need to train him to be careful of his mates, so at first would you see to him alone Fergus?  I don’t need a lot of angry Red Branch Warriors bellowing about Cu Ruada’s  mistreatment of their sons and too we must consider Fand and Muirthemne.  The boy must come to no harm.”

“Well, if they’d complain about that, they should know they were better served to take a switch to any boy who would complain about being bested by that little hound.”

All the same, you see to the boy.  Let me know what you learn of CuRuada’s skill.

Concubar sat brooding on his throne with Cathbad hovering close, ”The Little Fellow is my son as strange as that might seem.  Perhaps time is not the same in Muirthemne, perhaps Fand is no human woman, though she seemed to have all the parts and no extras. . .”

“Is that what concerns you Concubar?” hissed Cathbad, “Really?  Her parts?  Do you realize your situation?  Now you have a son, but no wife.  This, this is a catastrophe!”

“Don’t you think that he’ll do well enough in the boy’s troop?” Asked Concubar.  “He seems a canny enough lad,” Concubar beamed proudly.

“Do you know nothing of the law then, oh king?” Cathbad fumed, “You have no wife, no marriage contract, and yet you have a son?  Tell me, what proof have you that this son of yours was not the product of rape?  Hmmm?  Have you thought about what he can demand of you?  What his portion shall be?

“Come now, you don’t think the Little Fellow is such a schemer, do you?”

“It is not the boy, it is the mother, the fairy woman, this Fand.  Who knows, what do you know about Muirthemne?  What will he ask for dishonoring his daughter?  What will you give for it?”

Concubar growled, “Do you think me a raper?  Look, she offered.  If this Muirthemne says otherwise it is he that lies.  Say, if he is a king then all the better.  It was a union of equals.  Look, you know me, it was freely offered and freely taken.”

Cathbad sighed, “It is not what he says or she says or you say or most particularly what actually was or was not in fact.  It matters not.  What matters is this Son, it is that he is.  What will he cost you? 

“He is just a boy. . .”

Have you thought what it will cost us?  You have no idea nor can you, and we your people all stand in the balance.  It is not wise to meddle with fairy folk. . .”

“Don’t I know it!  Why do you insist on beating me about the head with it Cathbad?  I know it!” 

“You should not have. . .”

“Get out!  I don’t need to know what I should not have done.  Now I need to know what’s to be done.  Find the brehon and figure it out.  Do your job and figure out what’s to be done now.”

“As you say. . .”

“Now get out!”

Cathbad bowed and scurried for the door.

“Don’t come back without the wisdom you say I lack Cathbad, and not one more word about Fand to me.”