As the boat glided into the shallower water around the island,Oran could see, below in the clear water great forests of dulse, the red-brown seaweed that he loved to munch, and little crabs scrambled about hiding under stones and fish lost in the seaweed as the shadow of the boat disturbed them.

Jumping into the shallows Lugh began to pull the curragh up the shore."Get out you too and give me a hand, you get the fish and the bundles while I'll tie the boat up." The cold water, gave way to warm in the shallows, as they shoved and heaved the boat out of the sea and over slimy wet stones and seaweed. Lugh was quick and sure in his movements, as he tied it round a bent thorn tree, growing on the edge of the shore, its roots exposed by the last storms of winter.

Oran splashing behind him was suddenly engrossed in the pink spiky shell of a huge sea urchin left sitting on a large rock by the retreating tide."They look so strange; when I was small I had a collection of them that I found on the beach, till me Ma made me throw them away when they began to stink".
Lugh had crossed to stand beside him, taking the fish from Maél, he said "When I was wee, I found this stone that had an insect in it, since then I have collected stones, that had strange shapes in them, some looked like leaves, some had spirals, I still have some, I'll show them to you, when we get back", he said.

"Let's swim, the water is warm, my Ma never lets me, says it's too cold to get in, but my brother Bres, was never out of it. I wonder where he and my Da is, the last time they went to sea they went as far as the middle sea, he brought me a drum, and the stories he told about giant black men with gold teeth,strange animals with stripy fur and great big teeth", said Maél, pulling his clothes over his head, and racing down the beach and into the water splashing and shouting. “Hoi, race you to that rock out there", he called plunging and splashing through the shallows, with Oran wading after him, Lugh stood for a moment before, throwing off his tunic and tearing after them.
The cold water was s a shock as he plunged in; he could hear Oran and Maél splashing beside him, as they raced through the sparkling water. He reached the rock just as Maél caught him up, "Isn't this great, being here instead of having to dig or look after sheep, I love the water", and he dived under, kicking off hard from the stone, he sped away and nipped Lugh under water, "Got you, bet you thought that was a jelly fish". It was wonderful floating side by side, as the sun beat down on them, as high overhead, birds swooped and dived, thought Lugh behind he could hear Oran and Maél splashing and laughing as they raced each other back to the shore. Suddenly he was pulled under, a mouth full of seawater filling his lungs. He spluttered to the surface to see Oran speeding off, " You little rat, just you wait till I catch you" he choked and he started after him as fast as he could swim, catching him, just before Oran was about to stand up and pulling him under " Got you". Maél was already on the shore, rubbing himself dry. " When can we eat, I'm starving, if we climb to the top of the island can we look for a place to light the fire", Maél said. Oran had joined then and was sitting on a stone squeezing the water out of his hair, " Yeah I’am famished too” he said " and cold, now I know why my ma never lets us in the water" his teeth chattered as he pulled his tunic over his head.

"Its not that bad, come on we will be warm by the time we get to the top of the bank, let's get a fire lit and cook the fish", said Lugh, as he pulled on his clothes, gathering their bundles, they climbed through the scrub and trees to reach the highest point of the island, and stood surveying, all the land and sea around them and the wooded slope below.

The day was so still, the water of the Lough was a giant mirror, with everything reflected perfectly in it , spirals of smoke meandered in the water as they trailed into the sky, from small rath's dotted along the far shore. Clouds drifted in the shallows as they rose in the sky. Looming large, the dark brooding mountains filled the skyline in the distance at the southern reaches of the lough. The boys had never been that far, only heard, strange tales of the wild mountain men of Beanna Boirche.

"It is just so perfect when it is like this, only birds and seals making any movement. I could stand and watch them all day, it is wonderful to see them swoop and dive. You two gather some wood for the fire, I'll clean the fish".
"Lugh was bending down to pick up a small branch at his feet, "Here is as good a place as any for our fire".
He knelt and made a small hearth of stones, filling the centre with dried leaves and twigs. From his bundle, Lugh brought out some wood shavings wrapped, in an oily cloth, these he set in the centre of his hearthstones. Then he brought out, his prize possession, a small flint and an iron nugget, he used for lighting fire. After a few strikes, the sparks ignited in the kindling, and a small yellow flame flickered into life, this he carefully fanned, nurturing it with the kindling that Oran and Maél gathered, until it grew strong enough, to pile the sticks and branches in preparation for the fish.
Lugh was busy with his knife preparing the fish, skewing them unto sticks
" We will have a real feast for our selves, that fish could feed about ten of us, I bet Kian will never believe us, if I wasn't’t so hungry I would keep it just to make him green with envy, at its size he never gives over about fishing" Lugh said as he pilled more sticks on the bright flames.

Oran was unpacking his bundle "I brought some cider, its in my bag, my ma had a new vat opened, I heard her say that this was a really strong batch so we better be careful, as he lifted out a leather pouch filled with cider, he could smell its sharp tang against the musty odor of the hide. The barley bannocks baked yesterday and some new cheese that my aunt Et ai made”, as he stretched across, and began to lay his feast on his cloak.

The boys had been friends since Lugh had rescued Oran from a tree he had been stuck up when he was four, he had clung terrified until Lugh climbed up and carried him down. Since then Oran had been his shadow, waiting on his every word or deed. Maél was a little older and more boisterous, and got into more scrapes than Oran, who was a bit of a dreamer. It was not often that the boys could escape from the work they had to do; they had to fish, look after live stock, train with weapons and when the harvest was ripe, everyone had to gather in the fields. Oran had to go and gather herbs and mosses for his mother who was the chief weaver and whose dyes where prized by the tribe and beyond.

Maél, was apprenticed to Forgall the blacksmith, he knew that learning this trade was a great art and one that was honored, but he hated it, the dirty black fumes that coated your throat and eyes with soot. The heat that burnt you, inside and out, he hated the horrible smells of the metal as they melted and pooled in the crucibles, that ran as red as the heart of the fire, down a channel cut into moulds in the floor; that made the long swords, that were then beaten and polished, to make the shiny swords that the fighting men prizes so much. He wanted to go to sea, or anything but the smithy, he hoped that when his father returned from his voyage over the sea, that he would let him find a different path, but for now, he was bonded to the Blacksmith. So a day out in the clear fresh air, with no jobs he had to do in the dark smelly hell. was heaven for Maél.

Lugh was lucky, because his father was one of Baetain battle chiefs, and was at an age where he had started his training to be a warrior, with his friends Kian and Ferdi, and they had some great times. It had been mostly fun, stalking the deer, and hiding out in the woods, as a band of warriors, 'just like Fionn and the Fianna'; he smiled as he thought of Ferdi, he had climbed up a tree and hidden, only to jump on him and Kian and capture them as they where out on one of their expeditions. Even the hard stuff like drilling and target practice was fun because his friends where there to share it with him.

Maél crossed to where he had left his bundle and brought out a fine slab of honeycomb wrapped in dock leave, “Look what I got, I found it, by chance near the big oak at bottom of the hill near the stream, you know where I mean", he said. “Remember where I got stung last year, this is going to be a banquet, Oran could sing us ancient songs of the Red Branch, if only we had a harp and a flute". He laughed at this, as he took off his brat and laid it on the ground. "I wish we could build a shelter and stay the night, it would be wonderful, no one to call us to work, no mother to scold us to look after the children. To be able to lie here, watch the stars and listen to the seals sing that would be magic to me."
Oran was filling some small wooden cups with cider; he crossed to Lugh side and handed it to him. "My Ma said this was really strong, she doesn't’t know I took some, it is very sweet, I added more honey when she wasn't looking".
Lugh looked up and grinned at him, taking a long swallow, " That is quare stuff, hope there is more for later, your Ma makes a great drink", Lugh bent to his task of turning the fish which by now was spitting and sizzling, above the glowing embers.

Maél broke off a piece of the honeycomb and passed it to Lugh. "It’s not often that you can keep a piece that big, it was not easy keeping that piece secret from my mother, felt badly about keeping it for us, but it is so rare to get out on our own, that I wanted this to be a feast, just hope she does not hear about it. I would never hear the end of it" Maél laughed and licked his sticky fingers. "We need a few more sticks to finish these, Oran can you get us some", called Lugh, as he put the last remaining few twigs on the smoldering fire.

Oran strolled down the slope until he came to a thicket of hazel and birch, was bending down, filling his cloak with the twigs and small sticks that littered the undergrowth, when he happened to glance out to sea. He stood up, momentarily frozen to the spot by alarm. Dropping his cloak and sticks in panic, he turned and fled back uphill, tripping on tangled roots, he sprawled head first into a patch of nettles, the sting making more urgent his flight. Picking himself up, he ran up the slope and threw himself into the clearing shouting out to the boys.

"Lugh, Maél !. Raiders!. I saw a long ship, coming into the Lough". Breathless he hurled him self at the fire, grasping a handful of soil flinging it over it.
"Quick, get the fire out, I don't know if they have seen us, it is just coming into the Lough at Carricknashannagh, do you think that they are the ones that raided Bangor last year? “
Lugh jumped up, knocking what was in his lap unto the ground, "Was it one ship or more, what about the curragh, do you think it could it be seen, quick let us get the fire out".
Together they scraped handfuls of soil over the flames, making sure the fire was, smothered, so no telltale smoke would give them away, then they went down the hill to the small clearing, where Oran had seen the ship.

Hiding in the dense undergrowth, they looked through ferns and bracken that towered above them, as they lay looking down the slope and he lough beneath them.
"I can see only one ship, but there may be others. What can we do, how can we get home and warn them all, is there anyway we could get past them first?”, Lugh’s voice was low and urgent as he stared at the long boat as it steadily sailed down the lough.” If we could get over to that island, and then make for home, maybe there would be a horse that I could ride home and warn them".
He pointed westward, to an outcrop of trees on a hill, across the open expanse of water.
"But how do we do that, with out being seen? Lets get our things together and be ready, wait until they get a bit further on, see what direction they take", said Oran.

The boys gathered their bundles together, clearing any sign of their presence, wrapping the fish in leaves, and stowing it away in the bundle.
Fumbling in his bundle Maél brought out the drink, " We might as finish this and think of what we will do". He handed Oran the cup with the last of the cider.
He took it, and sat down beside him.

They watched as in the distance the long boat steadily rowed into the Lough and turned south, away from where they were on the island, but sailing in the direction of their home. It had not veered to the rath on western shore or to the Temple Cormac on the eastern shore. Steadily it rowed passed all the islands on its left as if it knew exactly where it was going.

"When it clears the head of Salt Island, we will make a dash for it, and make for the shore over there and hope, we will get help. I'm sure that someone on shore would have seen the raiders, and raised the alarm ".
The boys scrambled down the steep incline, through the brambles and nettles that caught at them mercilessly, their feet sinking deep into the spongy grass, tripping them up as they tried to race across the shoreline.
The tide had risen, so they only had a short distance to drag the small curragh, into the shallows. Oran and Máel threw the bundles into the bottom and jumped in, as Lugh pushed the boats further out into the tide, springing in after them and taking the oar, he pulled hard as they moved out into the current. Máel sat beside Lugh taking an oar each, they pulled together, dip after dip, stroke after stroke, the curragh, gaining speed, as the rhythm between them increased; soon they were skimming quickly over the surface of the Lough towards the western shore.

They did not look around them just bent to the task, keeping focused on the distant shore that was fast approaching. Máel could feel his heart pound in his chest, his arms strained, but he kept on, dipping the oars, he could feel Lugh beside him, every muscle taut with the effort, as they matched each other stroke for stroke.