Cúchulainn had for 4 months been single-handedly defending Ulster from all takers, and had not slept during that whole span except for brief naps, usually at midday, leaning upon his spear. When word reached Medb about this weakness, she held a council with her retainers to see how she might set a trap for him. This is the design that they arrived at, namely, to send a party of nine warriors to lure Cúchulainn away from his post so that she might invade Ulster and retrieve the Brown Bull of Cooley.
Medb consulted with her chief druid, Cailitín Dána, to see if Cúchulainn had begun to rest.
"Canst thou forecast how we will fare in this day's fight?""I prophesize that any warriors who take arms today will obtain the sovereignty of all Ulster."
"Dost thou see whether Cúchulainn is asleep and unaware presently?"
"I do. He is in sleep."
Medb bade the party of warriors to set their ambush. And so the warriors attempted to lure the hound of Culainn away from his post.
As Cúchulainn slept, a missile was hurled at him by a warrior of that party. Cúchulainn woke and parried the missile with his shield, so that it burst into a great many pieces in every direction. Without delay he sent him his spear in reply, so that the spear went through the skull of the warrior and lodged in a nearby tree.
As he went to retrieve his spear, three missiles were hurled at him by three warriors of that party. In like fashion Cúchulainn dodged the missiles, and he killed these attackers with a throw of his spear, so that the spear went through the skull of each warrior and lodged in a nearby tree.
As he was going to retrieve his spear, five missiles were hurled at him by the fierce warriors of that party. Though great were the casts, little was the effort required of him to defend against them. He parried the five missiles, and then let fly his spear so that it went through the skulls of the five warriors and lodged in a nearby tree.
As he went again to retrieve his spear, he deemed it too far that he had gone from the ford where he was accustomed to defeating the warriors of the host of Medb. As he pulled his spear out of the tree, he saw a man approaching. He was decorated thus. He had a large green flowing tunic with gold embroidery that fell to his shapely, strong-binding knees. His hair was like the color of red gold in the evening light, and each hair was as thin as a ray of light. In each of his hands he held three spears, and at his right he had the sword of truth. He had 4 pupils in each eye, and a cheerful, powerful warrior's countenance. He addressed him thus.
"Chuchulainn, I am the Fairy King, Fiachna. Wherefore have you injured this sacred oak tree?""I swear by the gods my people swear by that I did not know this tree was sacred."
"It is a cause of great contention and strife that you should have done so, for you have desecrated our sacred tree fort, the penalty for which is death."
"If it is my life that you require, then that will be yielded."
"Indeed, for this offense, we must hold you to your word. Yet we are aware of your hardship in the defense of mighty, ancient Ulster. Even now Queen Medb plots traps and snares and plies injury and injustice against you."
"That is indeed true."
"However, betwixt now and the day of Doomsday, there will come a greater cause of distress to the soul, to the mind, and to the sovereignty and sanctity of Ulster than that of which you presently are mindful."
"I swear by my gods that I will take arms against any taker, if only you show me the way."
"Not hard to tell, but beware, for a warrior to take that path it would be better for him to wear a grindstone round his neck and cast himself to the bottom of the ocean. Compared to that path your present defense of Ulster will seem as soft and leisurely as the entertainment at my palace in Magh meall."
"Truly, there is nothing that frightens me so much as an uncharitable act or an injustice."
"That is why I have guided your training in the defense of Ulster against Queen Medb, and have brought you here to a place from whence you may complete your mission."
A great white horse approached them then, and bore them hence across the Western ocean.