Deichtine gives birth to a son, whom she names Setanta. The boy grows up strong, brave and smart. Laird Fergus is proud of the boy and considers him his son. Life in the Dundalk fortress goes on as usual.
Laird Fergus is awaiting the arrival of his half-brother King Conchobar. Setanta also awaits this event and climbs a tall tree to be the first to see the royal cortege. When, at last, a cortege of horsemen appeared, the boy climbed down from the tree and was attacked by a mad dog. A boy in a fight defeats a mad dog.
Soon, Setanta gets his nickname Cu Chulainn, which means Culann's Hound. At Dundalk, everyone was already actively preparing for the Imbolc celebration. Laird Fergus, his wife Deichtine, Setanta, the Druids, and the laird's retinue travel to the ancient sanctuary to perform the proper ritual. The next day, Setanta and King Conchobar go horseback riding in the forest. There they meet a deer; it is the God Cernunnos. The boy gets off the pony and walks over to the deer. The king realizes that this is a meeting between father and son.
Setanta often goes hunting in the plains where he shoots small prey with a bow. One day he rides away on his pony very far and he falls into the hands of strange little people. First, Setanta thinks of the worst possible outcome and tries to escape. But then he realizes that the little people that live inside the hills on the plain will not harm him. He spends several days with the inhabitants of the hollow hills. The boy learns a lot about them and is imbued with sympathy for them. The local population believes that small people are ancient supernatural beings. The boy is counting on their friendship and support, which may be useful to him in the future. To be continued.