So Conan went then to Liath Ard, and Aodh Beag and Finn’s hounds along with him.  And as to Finn, he lay down to sleep, and it was not long till he saw through his sleep Aodh Beag his son, and he without his head.  And after that he saw Goll fighting with a very strong man.  And he awoke from his sleep, and called the Druid of the Fianna to him, and asked him the meaning of what he saw.  “I am in dread there is some destruction coming on the Fianna,” said the Druid; “but Aodh Beag will not be wounded in the fight, or Goll,” he said.

And it was not long till Finn heard a great shout, and he sounded the Dord Fiann, and then he saw Conan running, and the hounds after him.  And Finn sounded the Dord Fiann again before Conan came up, and when he came, Osgar asked him where was Aodh Beag.  “He was at the door of the cave when I left it,” said Conan, “but I did not look behind me since then,” he said; “and it was not Aodh Beag was troubling me.”  “What was troubling you then?” said Osgar.  “Nothing troubles me but myself,” said Conan; “although I am well pleased at any good that comes to you,” he said.

Osgar went then running hard, till he came to the cave, and there he found Aodh Beag with no fear or trouble on him at all, stopping there till he would hear the noise of the shields.  And Osgar brought him back to where the Fianna were, and they saw a great army coming as if in search of them.

And a beautiful woman, having a crimson cloak, came to them over the plain, and she spoke to Finn, and her voice was as sweet as music.  And Finn asked her who was she, and who did she come looking for.  “I am the daughter of Garraidh, son of Dolar Dian, the Fierce,” she said; “and my curse upon the King of Greece that bound me to the man that is following after me, and that I am going from, Tailc, son of Treon.”  “Tell me why are you shunning him, and I will protect you in spite of him,” said Finn.  “It is not without reason I hate him,” said she, “for he has no good appearance, and his skin is of the colour of coal, and he has the head and the tail of a cat.  And I have walked the world three times,” she said, “and I did not leave a king or a great man without asking help from him, and I never got it yet.”  “I will give you protection,” said Finn, “or the seven battalions of the Fianna will fall for your sake.”

With that they saw the big strange man, Tailc, son of Treon, coming towards them, and he said no word at all of greeting to Finn, but he called for a battle on account of his wife.

So a thousand of the Fianna went out to meet him and his men; and if they did they all fell, and not one of them came back again.  And then another thousand of the best men of the Fianna, having blue and green shields, went out under Caoilte, son of Ronan, and they were worsted by Tailc and his people.  And then Osgar asked leave of Finn to go out and fight the big man.  “I will give you leave,” said Finn, “although I am sure you will fall by him.”  So Osgar went out, and he himself and Tailc, son of Treon, were fighting through the length of five days and five nights without food or drink or sleep.  And at the end of that time, Osgar made an end of Tailc, and struck his head off.  And when the Fianna saw that, they gave a shout of lamentation for those they had lost of the Fianna, and two shouts of joy for the death of Tailc.