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Updated: May 20, 2025
Near him was a house built of yellow stone, and from it came sweet songs, and Covan listened, and his heart grew light within him. While he was thus waiting there ran up to him a youth, scarcely able to speak so swiftly had he sped; and he cried aloud: 'Hasten, hasten, Covan the Brown-haired, for your cows are in the corn, and you must drive them out!
And further again the path led them by the shores of a lake whereon were floating two boats; one full of gay and happy youths, journeying to the land of the Sun, and another with grim shapes clothed in black, travelling to the land of Night. 'What can these things mean? said Covan to himself, as he followed his cows. Darkness now fell, the wind howled, and torrents of rain poured upon them.
This time they passed over a plain so bare that a pin could not have lain there unnoticed, yet Covan beheld with surprise a foal and its mother feeding there, both as fat as if they had pastured on the richest grass. Further on they crossed another plain, where the grass was thick and green, but on it were feeding a foal and its mother, so lean that you could have counted their ribs.
Another year and a day passed by, when Covan the Brown-haired, youngest son of Gorla of the Flocks, one morning spake to his parents, saying: 'It is more than three years since my sister left us. My brothers have also gone, no one know whither, and of us four none remains but I. No, therefore, I long to seek them, and I pray you and my mother to place no hindrance in my way.
This time it was easy for the young man to carry his prize, and after giving thanks to the raven for his aid, he went on to the river. In the deep dark pool of which the old man had spoken the silver-sided salmon was lying under a rock. 'Surely I, good fisher as I am, can catch him, said Covan son of Gorla. And cutting a slender pole from a bush, he fastened a line to the end of it.
Then came the black raven of Corri-nan-creag, whose eyes never closed, and whose wings never tired; and he fluttered before the face of Covan and told him that he knew of a cranny in the rock where there was food in plenty, and soft moss for a bed.
At the sight of Covan the Brown-haired they walked onwards, Covan following ever behind them, and looking neither to the right nor to the left. All that day they walked, and when night fell they were in a barren plain, with only rocks for shelter. 'We must rest here as best we can, spoke Covan to the cows. And they bowed their heads and lay down in the place where they stood.
'Because you trusted me and took what I had to offer, you have made me your friend, Covan, said Doran-donn. 'And if you should be in danger, and need help from one who can swim a river or dive beneath a wave, call to me and I will come to you. Then he plunged into the stream, and was seen no more.
Covan knew not how far they might yet have to go, or indeed if they were on the right road. He could not even see his cows, and his heart sank lest, after all, he should have failed to bring them safely back. What was he to do? He waited thus, for he could go neither forwards nor backwards, till he felt a great friendly paw laid on his shoulder.
'Trust to me and I will find you warmth and shelter, said Doran-donn; 'and for food fish in plenty. And Covan went with him thankfully, and ate and rested, and laid aside three-thirds of his weariness. At sunrise he left his bed of dried sea-weed, which had floated up with the tide, and with a grateful heart bade farewell to Doran-donn.
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