Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race - Knowledge Rush

182 Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race
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Cuchulain had now overcome all the mightiest of Maev's men,
save only the mightiest of them all after Fergus, Ferdia son of
Daman. And because Ferdia was the old friend and fellow pupil
of Cuchulain he had never gone out against him; but now Maev
begged him to go, and he would not. Then she offered him her
daughter, Findabair of the Fair Eyebrows, to wife, if he would
face Cuchulain at the Ford, but he would not. At last she bade
him go, lest the poets and satirists of Erin should make verses on
him and put him to open shame, and then in wrath and sorrow
he consented to go, and bade his charioteer make ready for tomorrow's
fray. Then was gloom among all his people when they
heard of that, for they knew that if Cuchulain and their master
met, one of them would return alive no more.
Very early in the morning Ferdia drove to the Ford, and lay
down there on the cushions and skins of the chariot and slept till
Cuchulain should come. Not till it was full daylight did Ferdia's
charioteer hear the thunder of Cuchulain's war-car approaching,
and then he woke his master, and the two friends faced each
other across the Ford. And when they had greeted each other
Cuchulain said: “It is not thou, O Ferdia, who shouldst have come
to do battle with me. When we were with Skatha did we not go
side by side in every battle, through every wood and wilderness
were we not heart-companions, comrades, in the feast and the
assembly did we not share one bed and one deep slumber”
But Ferdia replied: “O Cuchulain, thou of the wondrous feats,
though we have studied poetry and science together, and though
I have heard thee recite our deeds of friendship, yet it is my hand
that shall wound thee. I bid thee remember not our comradeship,
O Hound of Ulster; it shall not avail thee, it shall not avail thee.”
They then debated with what weapons they should begin the
fight, and Ferdia reminded Cuchulain of the art of casting small
javelins that they had learned from Skatha, and they agreed to
begin with these. Backwards and forwards, then, across the Ford,
hummed the light javelins like bees on a summer's day, but when