The wise druid Cathbad predicts in a mild night in autumn, that the daughter of Fedlim and his wife Derdriu will be the most beautiful and bravest woman Erin has ever seen, but she will also bring sorrow and doom over the men of Emuin Macha because of her beauty. At King Conchobar's behest Derdriu raises under the charge of the magician Leborcham to marry the king, when the time comes. But Derdriu has other plans: When she heard about the druid's prophecy, she gets Noisi, a handsome peasant's son, with whom she falls in love, to abduct her and to flee. Together with Noisi's brothers Ardan and Annli they go on a journey, on which they get in extreme danger again and again and meet the king's soldiers but also get in trouble with the king of Alba and some other curious guises, from which they never know if they can trust them or not.—Ingo Hillenbrand