Then Cú Chulainn went on that road across the Plain of Ill-luck and through the Perilous Glen as the youth had taught him. This was the road which Cú Chulainn took, to the camp where the scholars of Scáthach were.

He asked where she was.
"In yonder island," said they.
"Which way must I go to her?" said he.
"By the Bridge of the Cliff," said they, "and no man can cross it before he has achieved valour."

For on this wise was that bridge. It had two low heads and the mid space, and whenever anybody would leap on its one head, the other head would lift itself up and throw him on his back. This is what some versions relate here, that a crowd of the warriors of Érenn were in that dun learning feats from Scáthach, i.e. Ferdia, son of Daman, and Noise, son of Usnech, and Lochmor, son of Egomas, and Fiamain, son of Fora, and an innumerable host besides. But it is not told in this version that they were there at that time.

Cú Chulainn then tried three times to cross the bridge, and could not do it. The men jeered at him. Then he grew mad and jumped on the head of the bridge, and made the hero's salmon-leap so that he got on its midst. And the other head of the bridge had not yet fully raised itself when he reached it, and threw himself from it, and was on the ground of the island. He went to the dun, and struck the door with the shaft of his spear, so that it went through it.

Scáthach was then told.
"True," said she, "someone who has achieved valour somewhere else."

And from her she sent her daughter to know who the youth was. Then Uáthach, the daughter of Scáthach, went forth. She looked at him, but did not speak to him, so much did the striking shape which she saw on the youth move her desire. She went back to where her mother was, and praised to her the man whom she had seen.

"The man has pleased thee," said her mother, "I see it by thee".
"It is true," said the maiden, "He has pleased me," said she, "but sleep thou with him to-night; if that is what thou askest."
"It is indeed not unpleasant to me," said Scáthach, "if it be thy own will."

Then the maiden served him with water and food, and looked to his pleasure. She made him boldly welcome in the shape of a servant i.e., profiting by it. Cú Chulainn took hold of her, and broke her finger. The maiden shrieked. The whole household came to help, and the people of the dun also. Then arose also a champion against him, i.e. Cochar Cruifne, a warrior of Scáthach's.

He and Cú Chulainn attacked each other, and fought together for a long time. Then the champion remembered his feats of valour, and Cú Chulainn returned them as if he had been taught them from his youth, and the champion fell by him, and he struck his head off. Sorrowful was the woman Scáthach at this. Then Cú Chulainn said to her he would take upon himself the work and service of the man that had fallen, so that he was the leader of her host and her champion in his stead. And Uáthach then came and conversed with Cú Chulainn.

On the third day the maiden advised Cú Chulainn, that if it was to achieve valour that he had come, he should go through the hero's salmon-leap at Dun Scáith, where she was teaching her two sons, Cuar and Cett, in the great yew tree, when she was there; that he should then set his sword between her two breasts until she gave him his three wishes, i.e., to teach him without neglect, and that he might wed her (Uáthach) without the payment of the wedding gift, and to tell him what would befal him; for she was a prophetess.

Then Cú Chulainn went to the place where Scáthach was. He placed his two feet on the two edges of the basket of the cless, and bared his sword, and put its point to her heart, saying:
"Death over thee!" said he,
"Thy three wishes from me!" said she, i.e., "thy three wishes as thou canst utter them in one breath,"
"They shall be taken," said Cú Chulainn.

He then pledged her. Other versions say here Cú Chulainn took Scáthach with him to the shore, and lay with her there, and slept with her, and that it was then that she sang this, prophesying to him everything that would befal him. But that is not told thus after this account. Uáthach then slept with Cú Chulainn, and Scáthach taught him skill of arms.

During the time that he was with Scáthach and the husband of Uáthach, her daughter, a certain famous man who lived in Munster, i.e. Lugaid, son of Nos, son of Alamac, the renowned king, and fosterbrother of Cú Chulainn, went eastward with twelve chariot-chiefs of the high kings of Munster, to woo twelve maidens of the men of Mac Rossa. All these were betrothed to men before. When Forgall the Wily heard this, he went to Tara, and said to Lugaid that the best maiden in Érenn, both in shape and chastity and handiwork, was living with him unmarried. Lugaid said it pleased him well.

Then Forgall betrothed the maiden to the king; and the twelve daughters of the twelve lords of land in Bray besides to the twelve under-kings that were together with Lugaid. The king went along with Forgall to his dun for the wedding. When now Emer was brought to Lugaid to sit by his side, she took in both her hands his two cheeks, and laid it on the troth of his honour and his life and confessed that it was Cú Chulainn she loved, that Forgall was against it, that it was loss of honour for anyone to take her to wife. Then, from fear of Cú Chulainn, Lugaid did not dare to sleep with Emer, and he returned home again.

Scáthach was at that time carrying on war against other tribes over which the Princess Aífe was ruling. Then the two hosts assembled to fight. Cú Chulainn was put in bonds by Scáthach, and a sleeping potion had been given him before, that he might not go to the battle lest anything should happen to him there. As a precaution she did this. Then forthwith out of his sleep started Cú Chulainn after an hour. While anybody else would have slept twenty-four hours with this sleeping potion, it was only one hour for him. He then went with the two sons of Scáthach against the three sons of Ilsuanach, i.e., Cuar and Cett and Cruife, three warriors of Aífe's. Alone he met them all three, and they fell by him.

There was a meeting in battle on the next morning, and both hosts went until the two arrays were face to face. Then went the three sons of Esse Enchinde, i.e. Cire and Bire and Blaicne, three other warriors of Aífe, and began combat against the two sons of Scáthach. They went on the path of feats. Scáthach uttered a sigh at this, for she knew not what would come of it, first, as there was no third man with her two sons against those three and then she was afraid of Aífe, because, she was the hardest woman-warrior in the world. Then Cú Chulainn went up to her two sons, and sprang on the path, and met them all three, and they fell by him.

Aífe challenged Scáthach to combat, Cú Chulainn went up before Aífe, and asked what it was she loved most. Scáthach said:
"What she loves most," said she, "is her two horses and her chariot and her charioteer."

Cú Chulainn and Aífe went on the path of feats and began combat there. Then Aífe shattered Cú Chulainn's weapon so that his sword was no longer than his fist.
"Ah," cried he, "the charioteer of Aífe and her two horses and her chariot have fallen down in the glen, and have all perished!"

At that Aífe looked up. Then Cú Chulainn approached her, seized her at her two breasts, took her on his back like a shoulder-load, and carried her with him to his own host. Then he threw her from him to the ground, and placed his bare sword over him.

And Aífe said: "Life for life, oh Cú Chulainn!"
"My three wishes to me!" said he,
"Thou shalt have them, as they come with thy breath," said she.