they drank bowls of milk
and ate oaten bread together, and then went to the gate of the town to
watch the notable people who were coming in.

And with the bards and harpers and Kings' envoys who came in, the King's
Son saw his two half-brothers, Dermott and Downal. He hailed them and
they knew him and came up to him gladly. The King's Son made Flann known
to them, saying that he too was the son of a King.

They looked fine youths, Downal and Dermott, in their red cloaks, with
their heads held high, and a brag in their walk and their words. They
left their horses with the grooms and walked with Flann and the King's
Son. They were tall and ruddy; the King's Son was more brown in the
hair and more hawk-like in the face: the three were different from the
dark-haired, dark-eyed, red-lipped lad to whom the Old Woman of Beare
had given the name of Flann.

No one had seen the King who lived in the Red Castle, Dermott and Downal
told the other two. He was called the Wry-faced King, and, on account of
his disfigurement, he let no one but his Councilors see him.

"We are to go to his Castle to-day," said Dermott and Downal. "You come
too, brother," said he to the King's Son.

"And you too, comrade," said Downal to Flann. "Why should we not all go?
By Ogma! Are we not all sons of Kings?"

Flann wondered if he would see the King's daughter, Flame-of-Wine. He
would surely go to the Castle.

They drank ale, played chess and talked until it was afternoon. Then the
grooms who were with Downal and Dermott brought the four youths new red
cloaks. They put them on and went towards the King's Castle.

"Brother," said Dermott to the King's Son, "I want to tell you that we
are not going back to our father's Castle nor to his Kingdom. We have
taken the world for our pillow. We are going to leave the grooms asleep
one fine morning, and go as the salmon goes down the river."

"Why do you want to leave our father's Kingdom?"

"Because we don't want to rule nor to learn to rule. We'll let you,
brother, do all that. We're going to learn the trade of a sword-smith.
We would make fine swords. And with the King of Senlabor there is a
famous sword-smith, and we are going to learn the trade from him."

The four went to the Red Castle, and they were brought in and they went
and sat on the benches to wait for the King's Steward who would receive
them. And while they waited they watched the play of a pet fox in
the courtyard. Flann was wonderi