Intriguing...

I worked this up as a bridge, late in the section telling of the beginning of the curse at Darian's Point. The clau Ui Briuin and the Tautha De Danann have joined forces to fight the terror of the harpies. They have killed four of the seven, but only at a cost of a great many men. Both sides are exhausted, so Morriggan, who brought the harpies to life, brokers a truce and carries peace terms to the beleaguered creatures.

Now comes the one who gave us birth
And sorrow fills her every step 

Then soon her voice, with little mirth, 

Will say, "Agree or die." We wept. 

This end was seen so long ago 

In how she joined with men despised 

Once by her, but her heart will show 

She cares not. War will be reprised 

If we contend our fault was pure 

And did but only what she wished. 

"That claim," she said, "will but ensure 

You three no longer will exist."

"You made us whole," did we reply.

"Female times seven, built with wing 

To roam the earth and own the sky. 

But in each heart let sadness sing. 

No one for us to live and breathe 

In harmony. No male to join 

With each of us. And so we grieve 

As you then forbid us to coin 

Our depth of pain and suffering. 

To loneliness should we submit 

And hide our lives. Let each day bring 

New joy to worlds we must forget."

"The fault is mine," said she. "I know 

That I have done to you great wrong. 

And punishment is now the goal 

Meant for myself. And so, ere long 

I give to you one simple right 

So long as you will hold this pact 

When storms approach in dead of night 

Then fly you will, not be attacked. 

No foe approach. You will stay free 

To dance as waves crash to the shore 

And feed upon fish in the sea. 

And thus it shall be, evermore." 

"What pleasure comes from such a choice 

As to have no full life?" we cried. 

"And let those creatures then rejoice 

At how our four sisters have died?" 

"That is not all," our mother claimed. 

"Each hundred years at harvest moon 

A young man of my line is named 

And given as your feast. He soon 

Is readied at Point Dar Rian 

To seal this promise with his life 

Once rich and full." Thus it began. 

And they pronounced the end of strife. 

But unsaid in our mother’s claim 

Was how someday this pact would end 

With the last death of he whose name 

And blood from her line did extend. 

Now soon will we join with our foes 

To give our promise to them all. 

In cliffs we live so no one knows 

Of our existence, but to call 

Forth myths and tales of years gone by 

When king and queen of great renown 

Did walk the land and own the sky, 

Where now none more shall wear the crown.