"What would you like to ask me?" he said.
"I would like permission to marry," Illan said softly, blushing slightly.

Finn smiled. He had seen Illan with his aunt over the past few weeks and he had guessed that this might happen.
"Would I know the lady?" he asked innocently.
"Aye," Illan nodded, it is your own mother's sister, Tuirean."
"My aunt," Finn said.
Illan nodded. "Your aunt. I love her you see," he continued, "and we wish to be married as soon as possible. And because you are my commander and since the girl's father - your grandfather - is no longer alive, I thought I should ask you." He paused and added, "What do you say?"

Finn pulled his feet up out of the water and began to dry them on the edge of his cloak. He glanced over at the older man. "What if I should say no?" he asked.

The smile faded from Illan's face. "well," he said uncomfortably, "if you were to say no, then I suppose we would just run away and get married anyway. But I hope you won't say no.

Finn stood up and Illan scrambled to his feet. He put his hands on Illan's shoulder and the young man smiled warmly. "Of course I wouldn't say no, and of course you can marry her - but only on one condition," he added.
"What's that?" Illan asked.
"If I find you are not good to my aunt, or that she does not like living at your fort, then you will allow her to return at once."
Illan smiled. "I will always be good to your aunt, and don't worry, I will be sending a messenger to my fort today with instructions to prepare it for my wife."

Finn laughed then shook Illan's hand in both of his. "I hope you will both be very happy together," he said.
"I know we will be," Illan said.

Even as they were speaking the scouts returned. They had come across fresh tracks further down the river and they had also discovered the remains of a camp-fire, which meant the thieves were only an hour or so ahead of the Fianna. Finn hoped into his sandals while Illan ran to gather up his belongings and pack them onto the back of his horse. Soon the knights of the Fianna galloped off down along the banks of the river. Illan couldn't resist laughing out loud. If they caught the thieves today he could be back home by midday tomorrow and he and Tuirean could begin preparations for their wedding.

The day wore on. Finn and the Fianna always seemed to be just a little behind the thieves, and once they even saw them in the distance just riding over a hill. The Fianna galloped after them, but by the time they reached the hill there was a thin column of smoke rising from behind it and when they rode over the crest they found the thieves had burned the bridge across a deep and rushing river. The Fianna were then forced to ride five miles upriver to find a spot where they could cross without any risk of being swept away, and of course by that time the gang had disappeared.

They spent that night in a small forest not far from the sea shore. As well as the rich, damp smell of the forest there was also the tangy salt smell of the sea. Finn posted guards because the forests then were dark and dangerous places with gangs of bandits and packs of wolves roaming through them.

Illan was one of the guards. He picked a spot a little away from the roaring camp-fire in a thick clump of bushes where he would be able to see anyone or anything approaching.

Back in the camp someone took out a harp and began to sing to it and Illan recognized the delicate voice of Cnu Derceaol, Finn's favourite singer, who had learned to sing in the fairy forts of the Sidhe (pronounced she). The men fell silent, listening to the beautiful voice. Slowly the night creatures in the forest stopped their creakings and croakings and twitterings to listen to the voice and Illan saw more than one pair of small round eyes staring out of the trees and bushes towards the fire.

The night wore on and the fire dies down to glowing embers, flaky pieces of wood crumbling every now and again to send red sparks spiralling up into the night sky. Soon the only noises were the night sounds of the forest, the gentle hissing of the sea and the snoring of the men in camp.

Illan was tired. It had been a long day and he had ridden far. He was eager to return home to tell Tuirean that they could be married. He hadn't really thought that Finn would refuse - but at least he had agreed without an argument and everything was all right now. He began to wonder what it would be like to be married ...

Something white moved through the trees. Illan caught his breath and stiffened. Very slowly he pulled out his sword. He waited, trying to to follow the movements of the white shape through the trees. He wasn't sure what it was but he was not going to call the camp awake until he was sure. He remembered when he was a young man shouting the alarm and it turned out to be nothing more than fog weaving through the tree trunks.

The shape came nearer. Illan was nearly sure now that it was a figure - a human figure - but something stopped him from calling out the alarm. Suddenly the shape seemed to melt into the ground and then someone spoke from behind him.
"Hello Illan."

He spun around, bringing his sword up to defend himself but it got tangled in the bushes' thorny branches and fell from his hands. The pale woman standing before him laughed merrily.
"Dealba!" he said in astonishment.

The young woman smiled, showing her small, sharp teeth. "So you remember me," she said softly, her voice sounding as ghostly as the wind.
"Of course I remember you," Illan said, "how could I ever forget you?" He shivered a little then, because Dealba frightened him and Illan Eachta was afraid of neither man nor beast, but he did fear the fairy folk and Dealba was one of the Sidhe folk. She was a banshee, a fairy woman.

Illan had met her a few years ago when he had been doing coast guard duty, watching the shores for any signs of pirates or bandits attempting to land on Erin's coasts. They had met one stormy winter's night when the seas had been pounding in over the beach, sending foam high into the sky, roaring and crashing like a hungry animal. When Illan had seen the white woman moving up the beach he had thought she was a ghost. When she was closer he realized that she was just one of those very pale people that he sometimes saw in the King's court and her white clothing made her seem even paler. They had become friends sort of a sort then; coast guard was a lonely duty and Dealba was someone to talk to and laugh with. It was not until later that he learned that she was one of the fairy women - the terrible banshee.

Illan suddenly realized Dealba was speaking.
"I'm sorry, what did you say?"
Dealba frowned. "I said that I have heard that you have a new woman in your life now."
Illan nodded. "Yes, her name is Tuirean and we will be married soon."
"And what about me?" Dealba asked.
Illan shook his head. "What do you mean?" he asked.
"I thought we would be married one day!" she said. "You told me so yourself," she reminded him.
"Yes, but that was before I knew you were one of the Sidhe. You know a human and a Sidhe can never marry."
"You said you would marry me."
"I cannot," he said.
Dealba's face grew cold and angry. The air around her grew chill and frost formed on the leaves and branches. "You will marry me," the fairy woman warned.

Illan shivered with the cold. His fingers and toes grew numb and he saw streaks of white ice forming on his armour and glittering on the metal of his sword which was still lying on the ground. He bent down to pick it up and when he straightened he shook his head. "I will not marry you," he said. "I do not love you."

Dealba pointed her hand at Illan and said something in the language of the Sidhe. Immediately the air grew even colder and then the leaves on the bush's around the man froze one by one until they were like glass. The branches hardened and turned to a silver colour and Illan's sword turned so cold that it burned his fingers and he had to drop it. When it hit the ground it broke apart. The fairy woman took a step backwards and began to fade into the night.

"Wait," Illan said. He didn't want the banshee to put a curse on him - he would never be able to get rid of it. He reached out for the woman and his arm brushed against a branch. The leaves immediately shattered and fell apart with a tinkling sound, like small silver bells. Illan stepped backwards with fright and touched against another branch. It too shattered into a fine silvery dust and as the man watched the whole clump of frozen bushes collapsed into dust all around him with the sound of breaking glass.