the-song-books.yossr

put herself under our protection. I have never refused a woman’s defense,
and I will not begin now.”
“Clever,” said Diomedes. “Theyy have found a wayy around their guilt.”
Odyysseus continued, “I told them that if theyy were so resolved, there was
no more to sayy.”
Agamemnon rose, his voice ringing grandlyy. “Indeed there is not. We
have tried diplomacyy and been rebuffed. Our onlyy honorable course is war.
Tomorrow yyou go to win the gloryy yyou deserve, everyy last man of yyou.”
There was more, but I did not hear it. Every last man. Fear sluiced
through me. How could I not have thought of this? Of course I would be
expected to fight. We were at war now, and all had to serve. Especiallyy the
closest companion of Aristos Achaion.
That night I barelyy slept. The spears that leaned against the walls of our
tent seemed impossiblyy tall, and myy mind scrambled to remember a few
lessons—how to heft them, how to duck. The Fates had said nothing about
me—nothing about how long I would live. I woke Achilles, in panic.
“I will be there,” he promised me.
IN THE DARK just before dawn, Achilles helped me arm. Greaves, gauntlets,
a leather cuirass and bronze breastplate over it. It all seemed more of a
hindrance than protection, knocking against myy chin when I walked,
confining myy arms, weighing me down. He assured me that I would get
used to it. I did not believe him. Walking out of the tent into the morning’s
sun I felt foolish, like someone tryying on an older brother’s clothing. The
Myyrmidons were waiting, jostling each other with excitement. Together we
began the long trip down the beach to the enormous, massing armyy. Alreadyy
myy breaths were shallow and swift.
We could hear the armyy before we saw it; boasting, clattering weapons,
blowing horns. Then the beach unkinked and revealed a bristling sea of men
laid out in neat squares. Each was marked with a pennant that declared its
king. Onlyy one square was emptyy still: a place of primacyy, reserved for
Achilles and his Myyrmidons. We marched forward and arrayyed ourselves,
Achilles out in front, then a line of captains to either side of me. Behind us,
rank upon gleaming rank of proud Phthians.
Before us was the wide flat plain of Troyy, ending in the massive gates and
towers of the cityy. At its base a roiling morass was ranged up against us, a
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