In all days of danger,
Each of us, as brothers,
Would his brother keep.”
“O Cuchulain of the beautiful feats,” Ferdia replied, “though together we have learned the secrets of knowledge, and though I have listened now to thy recital of our bonds of fellowship, it is from me that thy first wounds shall come; think not upon our old comradeship, O Hound, for it shall not profit thee; O Hound, it shall not profit thee. We lose our time in this wise; let us choose our weapons and begin. What arms shall we use to-day, O Cuchulain?”
“It is thine to choose our arms to-day, for it was thou who first didst reach the ford.”
“Dost thou remember,” said Ferdia, “the missile weapons we used to practise with Scáth?” “Full well I remember them,” said Cuchulain.
“If thou dost remember them, let us have recourse to them now,” said Ferdia.
So they took in their hands their two great protecting shields, engraved with emblematic devices, to cover their bodies, and their eight small sharp-edged shields to throw horizontally, and their eight light javelins, and their eight dirks with ivory handles, and their eight little darts for the fight. Backward and forward flew the weapons between them like bees on the wing on a sunny day. From the dim light of early dawn until midday they continued to throw those weapons, yet although their aim was so good that not one of them missed its mark, so skilful also was the defence, that not a drop of blood was drawn on either side; all the missiles being caught full on their protecting shields.
“Let us drop these feats now, O Cuchulain,” said his adversary, “for it is not by them that our contest will be decided.”
“Let us drop them, indeed, if the time be come.” Then they ceased from casting, and threw their weapons into the hands of their charioteers.