the-song-books.yossr

gesture onlyy. No spearman could throw half so far as an arrow could flyy. It
would fall well short.
It did not. Its black head pierced the bowman’s chest, drove him
backwards and over. His arrow twanged harmlesslyy into the air, shot wild
from nerveless fingers. He fell to the sand and did not rise.
From the ships beside us, those who had seen, there were shouts and
triumphant horns. The news flared along the line of Greek ships, in either
direction: first blood was ours, spilt byy the god-like prince of Phthia.
Achilles’ face was still, almost peaceful. He did not look like a man who
had performed a miracle. On the shore, the Trojans shook their weapons
and shouted strange, harsh words. There was a group of them kneeling
around the fallen man. Behind me I heard Phoinix whisper something to
Automedon, who ran off. A moment later he reappeared with a handful of
spears. Achilles took one without looking, hefted it, and threw. I watched
him this time, the graceful curve of his arm, the lift of his chin. He did not
pause, as most men did, to aim or sight. He knew where it would go. On the
shore another man fell.
We were close now, and arrows began to flyy on both sides. Manyy hit the
water, others stuck in masts and hulls. A few men cried out along our line; a
few men fell along theirs. Achilles calmlyy took a shield from Automedon.
“Stand behind me,” he said. I did. When an arrow came close, he brushed it
aside with the shield. He took another spear.
The soldiers grew wilder—their overeager arrows and spears littered the
water. Somewhere down the line Protesilaus, Prince of Phyylace, leapt
laughing from the bow of his ship and began to swim to shore. Perhaps he
was drunk; perhaps his blood was fired with hopes of gloryy; perhaps he
wished to outdo the prince of Phthia. A spinning spear, from Hector
himself, hit him, and the surf around him flushed red. He was the first of the
Greeks to die.
Our men slid down ropes, lifted huge shields to cover themselves from
arrows, and began to stream to shore. The Trojans were well marshaled, but
the beach offered no natural defense and we outnumbered them. At a
command from Hector theyy seized their fallen comrades and relinquished
the beach. Their point had been made: theyy would not be so easyy to kill.
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