Prize of War

by Carole Towriss

  He couldn’t stop the joy that bubbled up from deep within his chest. A baby. Maybe a son.

  The sound of a braying donkey drew his attention to the road.

  “Othniel!” Caleb waved as he alighted, then helped his sister down.

  He sprinted to embrace them. “Uncle Caleb, Aunt Leah. I’m so glad you’ve come. Welcome to Debir. And who is this you’ve brought with you?”

  “This is Rapha, a friend of mine.” A young man with a strong build stood beside him holding the reins to Leah’s donkey.

  “Welcome, Rapha.” Othni smiled at the young man, but Rapha only looked at the ground. Strange.

  “Could you take the rope?” Caleb offered his reins to Rapha.

  A slight smile appeared on a face surrounded by a mass of untamed curls. He guided the animals a few steps ahead of them.

  “Acsah will be delighted to see you.”

  Caleb placed a hand on Othni’s back as they strolled toward the open gates. “I’ve missed her very much. Now that the rains aren’t quite as heavy I thought we could spare a quick visit before harvest begins.”

  “Excellent. Since she won’t be traveling any time soon.”

  “Wait—are you saying?” Leah’s grin could not be contained.

  Othni laughed. “Go. First house on the left. But she might still be asleep.”

  “I don’t think she heard you.” Caleb waited until Rapha was several paces ahead. “I want tell you why I have brought Rapha. He and his abba often worked for me at harvest times. Shemer died a few months ago of the coughing sickness. It came on him quite suddenly, though as I recall now, through the years he often would be taken by coughing fits. His wife died long ago, and Rapha was their only child.”

  They fell back even further behind the younger man. “Rapha is old enough to marry but he has the mind of a child. An older child, but nonetheless, he will not marry.”

  Othni stroked his beard. “I think Acsah has mentioned him. She was quite fond of him.”

  “Yes, she was one of the only people he would talk to. He has come to live with me, but I really don’t have anything for him to do. He needs to keep busy.” Caleb lightly touched Othni’s arm and halted. “I was wondering if he could stay here with you. I thought in Debir there should always be plenty of work, if not in your house then in the city. He has the strength of two men. And when the baby arrives …”

  There was always something that needed to be done. “I think that might be a very good idea.”

  “It could help Acsah as well. This would give her someone to look after.”

  Othni looked toward their home as he pondered the notion. “I’ll want to ask her, of course, but yes, I like the idea very much.”

  Caleb smiled broadly they entered the gates. “That is a weight off my mind. He may think like a child, but he likes to be of use to someone. He doesn’t want to be a burden, and though I certainly did not see it that way, I think he felt like one.”

  “Not such a bad trait to want to be useful.”

  “True. He is not a sluggard. I always hired him and his abba for the harvests, and I would use him whenever I had something that needed a strong back. I tried to find extra work for him whenever I could so they could have some extra silver, since they would accept no other help.” He boxed off a square in the air with his hands. “They had a small plot of land where they raised just enough wheat and vegetables to live off of. They seemed to be content with just the two of them. It was truly a joy to see. All they needed was each other.”

  Caleb’s face darkened. “But Shemer caught the sickness last winter, and he wasted away to nothing. Rapha took care of his abba for weeks while he was dying. Came into town for medicine.” He raised a finger. “That is the only time he ever took silver from me. I’m surprised he didn’t catch the sickness himself. Shemer died just after the rains started. Rapha was inconsolable. He cried for days. I didn’t know what to do.” He rubbed a hand down his face. “Leah cared for him.”

  “How is he now? It’s been only a few months.”

  He sighed deeply. “Not much better. Which is why I think he needs to keep busy all day. Right now he just sits and thinks about his abba. And trust me, he can tell the difference between work I make up and work that really needs to be done. I took him to Shechem with me and he was a great help, but I think he prefers to stay at home. Perhaps he and Acsah could help each other.”

  Othni nodded. “Certainly, there is always work to be done here. And Acsah would be happy to have me around more.”

  “Now, he is a delightful young man, but he does need to be defended from some of the more, shall we say, mean spirited among us.”

  Like Enosh. He would take great delight in belittling him.

  “He may not always understand what is being said, but he somehow always realizes he is being made fun of. He will not fight back physically. He would never strike at someone. He will just get his feelings hurt. And someone can only take so much of that. You must protect him from that as much as you can.” He placed a hand on Othni’s shoulder.

  “I will do my best.”

  He grinned. “I know you will. I trusted you with my daughter, after all.”

  Acsah laughed through her tears. “I wish you could be here.”

  Leah smiled as she pulled a comb through Acsah’s hair. “I can try, but there might not be enough time. How would you get word to me in time for me to get here? Yahweh will provide for you a wonderful helper. I promise, while you are in the midst of your labor you will not care if it’s me or someone else.” She chuckled softly. “You will only care if your baby is coming, and if he is safe.”

  Acsah nodded. How could she face one of the most difficult, most important moments of her life without Leah? Without Rahab?

  “You will be fine, I promise.” She set the comb aside. “Now, let’s go see your abba.”

  Acsah put on her headcloth and followed Leah down the ladder into the courtyard, where Othni and Abba waited.

  “Abba!” She let herself fall into his embrace. “I’ve missed you so.”

  After a few moments he held her at arm’s length. “You are to be an imma.” He smiled, his eyes moist.

  “And you will be a sabba. Again.”

  “Being a sabba is even better than being an abba.” He laughed. “Let’s sit.”

  He led her to the low wall of their courtyard and explained the situation to her.

  Acsah glanced at Rapha. He held a short knife in one hand and a block of acacia wood in the other. His blade hand moved deftly along the wood.

  She leaned into her abba. “Do you think this will be all right with him? He won’t know anyone here except me.”

  “I think he’ll be happy as long as he is helping someone who cares for him.” Abba took her hand in his rough, gnarled ones. “Maybe having Rapha around to help will allow Othni be home more often. That would be nice, yes? And I know you were always fond of Rapha.”

  “I’d love to help him. Let me go talk to him now. I know what it’s like to try to avoid thinking about someone. If I can help him, I’ll be glad to.”

  She crossed to the young man. “Rapha, can I talk to you?”

  Smiling, he looked up and nodded. He tucked his knife into his belt and rose.

  She beckoned him to follow her, and they walked along Debir’s main road. She proposed Caleb’s idea. “How would you like that? You’ll live with us, and you will be a great help to me and to Othni.”

  Rapha thought for a moment, looking at his sandals. Then his gaze met hers, and he nodded.

  “Oh, thank you, Rapha! This will be so nice. Now, I have two requests of you, all right? First, you must talk to me. You don’t have to talk to anyone else, but you must talk to me. It would be nice if you could eventually talk to Othni, but you don’t have to. All right?”

  He nodded.

  She grasped his bicep. “No, talk to me. You used to talk to me in Hebron.”

  “Yes, Acsah.” His words were soft but firm.

&nb
sp; “Excellent. Now, you must allow Caleb to give you a cloak and an extra tunic and sandals. We don’t have them for you, and life is a little harder here. Yes?”

  He frowned.

  She tilted her head. “Rapha? You need them. We don’t have any way to get them once he leaves. You have to accept his help.”

  He hesitated. She raised a brow.

  He smiled as he looked at her from under long lashes. “Yes, Acsah.”

  She grinned. “All right, let’s go tell everyone our news.” She looped her arm through his and they continued their stroll.

  Maybe having him around would be a good idea. At least he wasn’t a soldier. She would always have someone around.

  Enosh watched Acsah stroll past his house with a young man. Who was he? Why was she holding so tightly to him?

  He looked closer. She was doing all the talking. He hardly spoke at all, seemed almost confused at times.

  Was this a new servant? Was Othniel really going to prove how much better he was than the rest of them by having a servant? This was going too far.

  And Caleb approved of this? Obviously. He had brought the boy with him.

  Unbelievable. Flaunting his wealth and position like this.

  Enosh followed the couple further up the street and ducked into an alley between two houses. He stalked them as they ambled a few houses further north then turned around. He pulled himself deeper into the shadows.

  The woman placed a hand on her belly.

  No. It couldn’t be.

  She was with child? That would explain the sickness.

  He suppressed a laugh.

  A baby. A servant.

  Now perhaps he could do something to ruin Othniel’s life without involving Dania.

  Enosh waited until they passed his house, then sprinted home. He needed to think. He needed to plan.

  Then he needed to talk to Gilad.

  This opportunity was precious and could not be squandered. This was his chance to take Othniel out of the way for good. Then Kiriath-Sepher could be ruled the way it was meant to be ruled, by the man who was meant to rule it.

  Othni squatted as he smoothed the plaster over the gaps in the stone wall surrounding his yard. The rains this winter had caused some damage, and he was finally getting around to repairing it. With no wheat harvest, the trip to Shiloh for the Feast of Weeks over, and Enosh no longer stirring up the people, the last few weeks had given him time to catch up on a lot of things at home, which made Acsah happy and allowed him to keep close.

  Someone whistled. He sat up and glanced down the street but saw no one. He returned to his work.

  Another whistle. He looked up again. One of Jedediah’s sons beckoned to him from across the road with one hand while holding a finger to his lips with the other.

  Othni stood and slapped his hands together to dislodge the plaster. He peeked over his shoulder at Acsah slicing vegetables with Dania. He stepped over the wall and followed the boy home.

  Standing in his courtyard with Siah, Jedediah nudged his oldest son. “Tell them what you told me, Joel.”

  “I heard the Anakim have been causing trouble in Anab.”

  “Where did you hear this?” asked Siah.

  “From a shepherd who lives there. I was grazing the sheep between here and there.”

  Not now. “What kind of trouble?”

  “They’ve blocked the well,” Joel continued. “They’ve been threatening people on the roads. Ripped up the vineyards. Pulled down some olive trees.”

  Jedediah flailed an arm toward Anab. “They want their city back. They’ll be here next.”

  “You don’t know that.” Othni kept his voice calmer than he felt.

  “Anybody been hurt yet? Killed?” asked Siah.

  “Not so far,” Joel said. “Not that I’ve heard.”

  “It won’t be long,” Jedediah added.

  Othni massaged his temples. This was bad. And now? Could this come at a worse time? The baby was coming soon. There was no way he could leave Acsah.

  He had to keep everyone calm. He couldn’t let Jedediah stir up panic. “Look, they’re probably just seeing how much they can get away with. There can’t be many of them left after the battle here. I doubt they’ll do much more than they already have.”

  “You don’t know that! Not for sure.” Jedediah’s face was turning red.

  “No. I don’t. But I’m using my best judgment, and I don’t want to start panic if there is no need.”

  “I agree,” Siah added.

  “Of course you do. You’re his brother!”

  “We need to think about this. I need to consult Yahweh. Until we have a plan, let’s not tell anyone else about this. Understood?”

  Jedediah pursed his lips, moved his gaze from brother to brother.

  “At least give me time to gather more information.” Othni grasped Jedediah’s arm. “Please?”

  “All right. I’ll keep quiet for now. But if Joel brings news of any more damage, I’ll tell the whole city.”

  Chapter 15

  “And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God.”

  Leviticus 23.22

  Waves of nausea crashed over Acsah as Othni drew the knife under the yearling’s jaw. Crimson streamed from its neck into the bowl placed on the packed earth floor of their courtyard, and the plop-plop-plop of the blood echoed the roiling of her stomach.

  She hadn’t felt sick in several weeks. Why now? The smell of the blood? Or the sight. Or both. They hadn’t eaten meat since … the wedding? Thank Yahweh spring was finally here.

  And so was the hard work. There had been hoeing and sowing, but that was nothing compared to reaping and threshing. The barley harvest would last for weeks, which meant they would be in the fields morning till night. After she’d just gotten used to having Othni around more. Though she could help in the fields as much as possible—she’d be expected to, carrying a baby or not.

  A touch on her shoulder caused her to jump. “Are you all right?” Dania’s soft voice came from behind her.

  “Just a little queasy.” She closed her eyes against the view before her, hoping to alleviate her nausea, but her relief was slight.

  When Othni picked up the carcass and carried it to the side of the house to finish draining the blood, the tension drained from her body as well. Siah followed, along with Amram and Gilad.

  Dania, Eilah, Simona, and her girls broke from the circle and gathered around the querns. The rest of the barley from last spring was poured onto the stones, and they began grinding. The steady scratch of stone on stone soothed her stomach as did the chatter of the women.

  “When did you say the baby was coming, motek?” Simona patted Acsah’s belly.

  “He should be here when the grapes first ripen. I think.”

  “You think? You’re not sure? When was your last flow?”

  “When the rains started.”

  “Stand up.”

  “Why?”

  “I have delivered many, many babies. Stand up.” She rubbed Acsah’s gently rounded belly, up and down, side to side, pressed gently, frowned, pursed her lips, and stepped back. “Are you sure you are in your fifth month?”

  “I just haven't been eating. I’ve been sick quite a bit. It’s been only the last month or so that I’ve been eating much at all. And there’s been so much going on …” Enosh, Dania, Rapha …

  Her brow furrowed. “If you are truly in your fifth month, your baby is quite small. You must take better care of yourself. You must eat. You must rest.” She placed her hand under Acsah’s chin and raised her face until she caught her gaze. “Or your baby will not survive.”

  Acsah felt as if the walls of her home had fallen in and crushed her. Lose her baby? How could she have let this happen? All her worrying had possibly led to some very real consequences.

  The naus
ea returned.

  “Acsah? Acsah!”

  Simona gently shook her shoulder.

  Simona cupped her face. “Motek, you will be fine if you start taking care of yourself and your baby. Now, Yahweh has graciously blessed us with a good harvest this year so we will have plenty of bread. If you don’t have any raisins or dates left, we have some. Right, Eilah?”

  “Yes, of course, we have plenty. My husband hates them.” Eilah cackled.

  “And if we run out, I am sure your husband can get you some from Hebron.”

  They would give her the last of their dried fruit? Why? She stared at the woman.

  “For now just sit while we start the bread. You care for others all the time. Now we shall care for you. Tomorrow we’ll use the first of the new barley … What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “Why would you do that?”

  “What? Use fresh barley?”

  “Give me the last of your raisins? Or dates?”

  “I’m not giving them to you. I’m giving them to the baby.” Simona chuckled as the others sat and began working again.

  Acsah’s throat burned. “You know what I mean.”

  “I remember what it is like to be newly married. It’s hard enough to begin a new life with someone in a new house in a new village. And my husband was not the leader, and it was not a large city, and I had many relatives there. New relatives, my husband’s, but still, many people, many women around me to show me the way.”

  Acsah tried to slow her uneven breaths as Simona sat closer and took her hands.

  “I imagine this has all been very difficult for you. I think you’ve done very well for someone who grew up without an imma to teach you so many things.”

  Her heart panged. “I did have an aunt. A wonderful aunt. You are very much like her.”

  “Just concentrate on getting well, motek. It’s lonely without family. Normally you would have your husband’s family around, a mother-in law, sisters-in-law…. In this new place we have to create our own family. But your husband has a brother, no?”