Ferdiad, dear, to fight with thee!"

[1]After this colloquy, Ferdiad spake:[1] "How much soever thou findest
fault with me to-day," said Ferdiad, [2]"for my ill-boding mien and evil
doing, it will be as an offset to my prowess." And he said,[2] "To what
weapons shall we resort to-day?" "With thyself is the choice of weapons
to-day till night time," replied Cuchulain, "for it is I that chose on
the day gone by." "Let us resort, then," said Ferdiad, "to our heavy,
hard-smiting swords this day, for we trow that the smiting each other will
bring us nearer to the decision of battle to-day than was our piercing each
other on yesterday." "Let us go then, by all means," responded Cuchulain.

[1-1] Stowe, Eg. 106.

[2-2] Eg. 106.

Then they took two full-great long-shields upon them for that day. They
turned to their heavy, hard-smiting swords. Each of them fell to strike and
to hew, to lay low and cut down, to slay and undo [3]his fellow,[3] till as
large as the head of a month-old child was each lump and each cut, [4]each
clutter and each clot of gore[4] that each of them took from the shoulders
and thighs and shoulder-blades of the other.

[3-3] Stowe, Eg. 106.

[4-4] Eg. 106.

[W.3708.] Each of them was engaged in smiting the other in this way from
the twilight of early morning till the hour of evening's close. "Let us
leave off from this now, O Cuchulain!" cried Ferdiad. "Aye, let us leave
off, if the hour has come," said Cuchulain. They parted [1]then, and[1]
threw their arms away from them into the hands of their charioteers. Though
it had been the meeting of two happy, blithe, cheerful, joyful men, their
parting that night was of two that were sad, sorrowful and full of
suffering. [2]They parted without a kiss a blessing or aught other sign of
friendship, and their servants disarmed the steeds, the squires and the
heroes; no healing or curing herbs were sent from Cuchulain to Ferdiad that
night, and no food nor drink was brought from Ferdiad to him.[2] Their
horses were not in the same paddock that night. Their charioteers were not
at the same fire.

[1-1] Stowe.

[2-2] H. 2. 12.

They passed there that night. It was then that Ferdiad arose early on the
morrow and went alone to the ford of combat, [3]and dauntless, vengeful and
mighty was the man that went thither that day, even Ferdiad son of
Daman.[3] For he knew that that would be the decisive day of the battle and
combat; and he k