out of the corner of his eyes he saw them shuffle forward , stab , shuffle forward ; but in the phalanx it was n't sight that counted ; he could almost feel what the veteran was doing from the way their shields locked together , the way the sides grated as the men moved , and he could feel the man on his left pushing into him , as the line shifted as a phalanx always did , no matter how well you trained always towards the right , further and further right .