"
When he climbed to the roof, as his manner was, to gaze at the
mountain, he thought that Slieve Fuad nodded to him and beckoned.
He broke fast with his mother and the women that day and ate and
drank silently with bright eyes, and when that meal was ended he
donned his best attire and took his toy weapons and a new ball and
his ashen hurle shod with red bronze.
"Wherefore this holiday attire?" said his mother.
"Because I shall see great people ere I put it off," he answered.
She kissed him and he went forth as at other times to play upon
the lawn by himself. The king sat upon a stone seat hard by the
door of the grianan. Under the eaves he sat sunning himself and
gazing upon the sea. The boy kneeled and kissed his hand. His
father stroked his head and said, "Win victory and blessings, dear
Setanta." He looked at the lad as if he would speak further, but
restrained himself and leaned back again in his seat.
Dectera sat in the window of the upper chamber amongst her women.
They sat around her sewing and embroidering. She herself was
embroidering a new mantle for the boy against his next birthday,
though that indeed was far away, but ever while her hands wrought
her eyes were on the lawn.
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