The fire crackled and an wizened old man sitting on a hollow log cleared his throat loudly and announced "who knows the tale of bran the red?" silence insued. "know one? well let me see...... when i was a boy there was word of a young warrior named bran who was praised for his wit and agility, although he was unfortunately very brash.....

bran had only walked for a few hours from home and by then it was well after moonrise when he heard a voice calling him as he walked down the road, he knew he was supposed to be fetching turnips from the village but the voice called to him.... it seemed to be the voice of the wind itself, yet it was soaked with a powerful femininity that tingled through brans body. he wanted to know more that voice.. that voice was pure honey.. the idea came to bran that this may be a trap from his powerful enemies in connaught, the ghost of maeve long dead perhaps, ready to take vengeance on any young warrior of ulster to show cuchullan that he would pay? so bran was cautious like a fowl he timidly stalked toward the voice that called his name as he drew nearer he came to a moonlit clearing, in it a beautiful white dog stood next to a woman of beauty, so radient was she that bran knew she was not of this world. so he wasn't suprised when she told him he could come from hiding for their was nothing to fear. the womans name was Rhia she told bran her husband had been turned into a white dog by a fairy named Maeve…. Brans fears were confirmed Maeve was a part of this after all but not the way he thought. The lady pleaded bran for help and as any ulsterman would he agreed. So she told him that when the moon was directly overhead Maeve would come to take her husband from her on a silver leash and that if she went unchallenged Maeve would take Rhia’s husband away for all eternity. “Bran” Rhia said, “she will give you three challenges and on the last she will turn into a huge black raven you must not fear her but cut off her silver feet and she will be powerless”.

By now the moon hung directly overhead like giant fingles eye whch would take the time watching Brans life and death struggle as if it were a spectacle.
Before bran a voluptuous women appeared so beautiful was she that bran had to shield his eyes from being blinded. “come man why do you sacrifice yourself for another’s fate?” maeve said seducingly “I would give you eternal life if you let me pass”. But bran remained calm although he was nearly drawn to her and her offer “what I pray is his fate is now mine my lady”. Maeve shrieked and turned into a crone she pointed a large knarled finger and ran it down bran’s cheek “do not try to be what you are not little boy” she cackled “I see through you to the frightened child within, let me pass and go about your life”. Bran stood calm, “I will stay here for eternity if I have to” with that Maeves skin melted away and black feathers were revealed underneath. The razor sharp beak of a raven lunged towards him, with his life before him bran drew his dagger and swung at Maeves legs with that she howled and disappeared until only three black feathers remained. Rhia and her husband returned although he was no longer a dog but the mighty cuchulain himself. Who said “Bran you have shown true courage for you have beaten maeve at her own game of wit, for this I give you three feathers one for when you need a friend or aid it will bring me, two for when need to escape certain danger, and three when you lack wisdom.” And with that he was gone.

The old man got up from the stump and looked to the eager eyes of the children. One of which said “but what happened to bran?” the old mans eyes gleamed “he had many more adventures before he became an old man who could tell of them”.