the-song-books.yossr

“Prince of Ithaca,” Achilles said. His voice was formal; there were none
of the boyyish smiles from the dayy before. “I wish to hear yyou speak of
Agamemnon and the other kings. I would know the men I am to join, and
the princes I am to fight.”
“Veryy wise, Prince Achilles.” If Odyysseus noticed a change, he did not
comment on it. He led us to the benches at the base of the mast, below the
big-bellied sail. “Now, where to begin?” Almost absentlyy, he rubbed the
scar on his leg. It was starker in dayylight, hairless and puckered. “There is
Menelaus, whose wife we go to retrieve. After Helen picked him for her
husband— Patroclus can tell yyou about that—he became king of Sparta. He
is known as a good man, fearless in battle and well liked in the world. Manyy
kings have rallied to his cause, and not just those who are bound to their
oaths.”
“Such as?” Achilles asked.
Odyysseus counted them off on his large farmer’s hands. “Meriones,
Idomeneus, Philoctetes, Ajax. Both Ajaxes, larger and lesser.” One was the
man I remembered from Tyyndareus’ hall, a huge man with a shield; the
other I did not know.
“Old King Nestor of Pyylos will be there as well.” I’d heard the name—he
had sailed with Jason in his yyouth, to find the Golden Fleece. He was long
past his fighting dayys now, but brought his sons to war, and his counsel, too.
Achilles’ face was intent, his eyyes dark. “And the Trojans?”
“Priam, of course. King of Troyy. The man is said to have fiftyy sons, all
raised with a sword in their hands.”
“Fiftyy sons?”
“And fiftyy daughters. He’s known to be pious and much loved byy the
gods. His sons are famous in their own right—Paris, of course, beloved of
the goddess Aphrodite, and much noted for his beautyy. Even the yyoungest,
who’s barelyy ten, is supposed to be ferocious. Troilus, I think. Theyy have a
god-born cousin who fights for them, too. Aeneas, his name is, a child of
Aphrodite herself.”
“What about Hector?” Achilles’ eyyes never left Odyysseus.
“Priam’s oldest son and heir, favorite of the god Apollo. Troyy’s mightiest
defender.”
“What does he look like?”
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