The Thorn tcog-1

by Daron Fraley

  He groaned. But I didn’t do it! Jasher did. I was just as surprised as anyone else.

  Pekah couldn’t wait. He walked a little faster and tapped Jonathan on the shoulder, and they all stopped.

  “Jonathan,” Pekah said, mustering courage, “I feel terrible about last night. Why did Jasher do that?”

  “Do you mean, his words to Abigail?” Jonathan asked.

  “Yes.”

  “I certainly don’t know all his reasons, Pekah. I can guess, however, that Jasher saw something in you he hadn’t seen in others. How well did you know him?”

  “We had never met before I arrived in Ain.”

  Jonathan frowned thoughtfully. “Pekah,” he said, “Think on the events of the past week. Nothing we have experienced has been anything less than a miracle. Perhaps this event is also part of our Creator’s plan.”

  “I feel guilty about it. He pressed his wife’s hand into mine. I felt like… like I had sinned.”

  “I understand how you might feel that way, but we don’t judge you in that manner, Pekah. We were there. Jasher’s whole intent was for Abigail’s welfare.”

  “And I agree with it,” Eli added. “Jasher did the right thing.”

  Pekah was stunned. This was not the reaction he had expected. “You agree with what he did? How can that be?”

  Jonathan put a hand on the young Gideonite’s shoulder and gave him a quick pat of reassurance. “What Jasher did showed incredible love and respect for Abigail. Even as his life ebbed away, he was concerned for her-not his pain, not his life- her. Personally, I think that was one of the most compassionate things I have ever witnessed.”

  The blast of a horn sounded from the other side of the Council Hall.

  “Pekah, remind me later to tell you something else pertaining to Jasher. This is not the right place, but I think you should know what I have to say.”

  “Thank you. Thank you both. I do feel a little better knowing you don’t think less of me for what happened, but I will need some time to think this through.”

  “We’re here to help,” Jonathan said.

  As they walked toward the assembling army, Pekah felt grateful for their understanding and support. These were the best friends he’d ever had.

  When they arrived in the western courtyard, Pekah saw that all the tents had been packed, and most of the company of Amon stood together. Others arrived about that same time, including Tavor and Ezra, captains of Uzzah and Daniel. Jonathan and Eli moved to stand next to Amon, and Pekah took his place with his fifty of Gideon. All present greeted the newly appointed general.

  Amon acknowledged their salute and then spoke to the entire crowd.

  “My brethren, you are gathered as part of an army that never has been assembled before. The Brothers march together…”

  His deep voice trailed off, almost with an echo. Amon looked all around at the eager faces, each soldier waiting for orders. Standing tall, he spoke with a powerful, drum-like inflection.

  “A terrible thing happened outside these walls last night as the sister suns sank below the horizon. I made a promise to my general.. ” Amon paused. “… my friend. I promised him I would find all others who might be of Rezon’s covenant. Before we travel together today, I must be certain that I am among friends. For that reason, I am asking every one of you to remove your weapons where you stand. Lay them on the ground. That is an order!”

  Pekah saw that a few soldiers present hesitated at first, but in the end they all did as commanded-even the captains.

  “Ezra, Tavor, Pekah, my friends Jonathan and Eli… retrieve your weapons and stand with me.”

  The five men did as requested, and moved to stand next to Amon.

  Amon then raised his voice again. “Earlier today, I made a covenant with these five men, a vow that will not be broken. They have placed their hands under mine. And now I wish you to do the same.” Amon’s expression was one of determination. “Are there any here who are part of Rezon’s covenant?” he bellowed.

  Not a soldier moved. None responded.

  Like the other leaders, Pekah searched to and fro, watching every face for signs of distress. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

  “Come forward then. I want to see your hands!”

  A line started to form in front of the general. In an orderly fashion, soldiers presented themselves and offered their right hands, palms upward. The first man stepped forward, and the captains examined his palm, looking for the tell-tale scars. Passing the test, the man then placed his hand over Amon’s.

  “Do you swear by your honor that you will serve your tribe, renounce Rezon’s war, and join with all Three Brothers in peace?” Amon asked.

  “Yes,” the soldier said.

  Amon then committed each man present, whether of Gideon, or Daniel, or Uzzah, to the same oath, each one in turn. Every Danielite and Uzzahite swore it, and nearly all of the Gideonite soldiers did the same. But then Amon came to a soldier of mixed descent whose features reminded Pekah of Eli. He appeared to be very nervous.

  At first, the man did not approach. But all those who had passed through the line previously were now armed, and Amon’s entourage stood there with swords glinting in the morning suns-light. After a short hesitation, the soldier cleared his throat and stepped up to Amon, pride in his countenance.

  Amon held the man’s palm open, and Pekah could see marks on the soldier’s hand. The scars overlapped, causing a wide, white, jagged trail across his palm, evidence that he had been part of Rezon’s covenant for quite some time. A hush came over the entire company.

  “Please stand over here,” Amon ordered with a gesture.

  The man complied, and the remaining soldiers were checked. To the surprise of all, one additional soldier with dark, wavy hair presented a scarred palm. Amon made the two of them stand together. They seemed to recognize each other, but Amon did not ask their names.

  Pekah watched the general with interest. Amon stood in silence, grinding his teeth and breathing hard. The expression on his face reminded Pekah of the pain caused by betrayal. When Amon spoke again, his voice was harsh.

  “Where did you get these scars?”

  Neither of the men answered.

  “Your presence here has endangered the safety and peace of all around you. A very good man died last evening because of the wicked acts of your associates. The Brothers have banded together to end this war. You cannot stop it. I suspect that your leader, General Rezon, will not wish to join us. Do you agree? ”

  Both men again refused to answer. Each man’s gaze was intently focused on the toes of his own boots.

  With a deep, almost mournful sigh, Amon said, “You will forfeit your lives for the covenant you have made. That is what you swear, is it not? You swear by your throats? Well, that time has now come.”

  Four captains stepped up at the order of the general to bind the hands of the two men. Amon’s entire contingent then marched the traitors through the home-lined streets north of the Council Hall, out of Hasor through the north gates, and around the village to the western side, not far from Izri’s former camp. Rezon’s men were placed up against the village wall. The rising suns shone brightly upon their faces.

  “Bowmen at the ready!” Amon ordered. “Take your aim! Fire!”

  Both of the traitors fell with three arrows each.

  Amon shook his head. He directed the captains to have the men buried.

  Pekah studied the crumpled bodies before him. What a waste, he thought. If they had only spent some time among the Danielites, maybe they wouldn’t have listened to Rezon’s lies. Instead, they would have seen that Jonathan’s father had no intention of attacking Gideon. Pekah sighed, suddenly very grateful he never had been given the opportunity to join with this group of wicked men who had pledged their lives to Rezon’s service.

  “We ride within the hour!” Amon thundered.

  Chapter 29

  United

  As the company dispersed in order to prepare for their depart
ure, Jonathan, Eli, and Pekah stayed behind with those digging the graves for the executed men. Jonathan watched in silence for a few minutes before asking Eli and Pekah to come with him. “Before we leave for Ramathaim, I want to visit the gardens of Hasor.”

  A lump in his throat, Jonathan squared his shoulders and started around the village wall in the direction of the gardens. The smooth flagstone path hugging the wall made their way easy. Rounding the southwest corner of the stone wall, Jonathan could now see the olive groves, vineyards, and vegetable gardens nestled between the guard towers.

  He glanced up at the southwest tower platform above him as they entered the gardens, remembering his escape in the dark. It seemed like a long time ago. His boots now clicking on the cobblestone path, he fought to control his emotions. When the olive grove came into view, he looked at Eli. Eli’s nod confirmed the place. Walking the rest of the way into the grove, Jonathan left the path and passed trees with numerous grafts, many of their branches looking like the tail of a porcupine. Ducking under one limb as he went, he touched the coarse bark as he passed, remembering that he had worked with his father on that very tree the previous fall.

  Avoiding another branch, Jonathan noticed that Eli and Pekah were no longer behind him.

  He did not need to be led to the burial site of his father, a spot intimately familiar to him. This had been his and Samuel’s favorite olive tree-tall, full, grand. No other tree in the garden was as impressive. Although olive trees were somewhat rare for this part of Gan, trade winds from the East Ocean blew sufficiently inland to moderate the climate around Hasor. This transplanted tree had prospered. With nearly perfect symmetry, it looked more like an aging oak displaced from the nearby forests than an olive tree.

  As Jonathan drew near to the east side of its massive trunk, he found the mound of backfill from a recently dug grave several paces away. He removed his sword, bow, and quiver, and then knelt at the edge of the mound. Fists resting on the ground, he poured out his soul in prayer. At first he could only think of the scene within the Council Hall-the glow of his sword, the vandalized book shelves and debris piles, and his father clothed in blood-stained robes. But with everything that had changed in the past few days, his thoughts refocused on the miraculous turn of events since he had met Pekah.

  Instead of pleading for comfort, he gave thanks. He reviewed each of the miracles he had witnessed, and conversed with his God and King as if He were there beside him. As he did so, he realized that being driven from Hasor had been a great blessing. His father’s sacrifice had been turned to good. As he prayed, he felt certain that Samuel was a guiding participant in all of it.

  Unaware of how much time had passed, Jonathan once again became cognizant of his surroundings. He wiped tears from his cheeks with the back of his hand and then ran his fingers through the soft dirt, churning the soil in his hands before dropping it and retrieving more. He looked for Eli and Pekah, but they still held back to give him some privacy. They were silent.

  Jonathan patted the dirt firm, then grabbed his belongings and turned to rejoin his friends. His eyes were bleary, but surprisingly, he found the strength to put a smile on his face.

  “Are you going to be all right?” Eli asked.

  Jonathan thought for a moment, and nodded. “Yes. I’m fine. Do you mind if we go into the Council Hall for a few minutes before joining Amon in the courtyard?”

  “We have enough time,” Eli said. “But why?”

  “You shall see.”

  They left the gardens to enter the village by way of the south gates, broken down by the invading army of Gideon just days before. Following the cobbled roads that led to the temple and Council Hall, the three men passed the barn where Jonathan had hidden during the siege. Arriving at the Council Hall, they found that Amon was nearly ready to depart. Jonathan hurried them inside and shut the door.

  Jonathan drew in his breath at the sight before him. He had expected the same mess of torn books, overturned tables, spilled candles, and broken furniture that he had left the night of his escape, but the room was now tidy and clean. A few pieces of furniture were missing, namely several of the chairs from around the Council Table, but everything else seemed to be in its proper place.

  The table held a few damaged books, hand-inked pages previously torn from their bindings now stacked in neat piles next to the volumes. Other than those awaiting restoration, the books had been placed back on the shelves. Jonathan examined the floor where his father had lain between the judgment seat and the back door. Even the blood stains had been removed from the smooth stone. He wondered who had cleaned up the hall.

  Walking over to the books on the northern wall, he saw they were all correctly filed. “Someone from Daniel placed these in their proper locations,” he observed. He looked around the room again and remembered his purpose for coming.

  “Pekah,” Jonathan said as he turned to look at the new captain of Gideon, “I haven’t asked for The Thorn to be returned to me. I gave it freely. But I would rather not take it with us into battle with Rezon.”

  Pekah appeared to be embarrassed. “I forgot I still had the pouch around my neck.” He removed the pouch, then opened it to retrieve the cloth bundle, which he handed to Jonathan. “I’m sorry.”

  “No apology needed. I considered you the steward of the scepter.” Jonathan grinned, and then repeated, “Steward of the Scepter-I like that.”

  Pekah smiled.

  “Eli, Pekah, I want you to see where this is stored, but I don’t want anyone else to know. Would you mind locking the doors, please?”

  Eli hastened to the back of the hall, and Pekah went to the front. They locked both doors, then returned to watch.

  Jonathan looked at Pekah and said with amusement, “And this, my dear Gideonite captain, is why you and the late Sachar never found The Thorn!”

  He went to the judgment seat and sat down, and while firmly pressing his left heel against a small protruding piece of stone at the base, he twisted the right armrest outward. Placing the cloth-wrapped scepter in the revealed compartment, he slid the armrest back into place until it clicked, then rose from the seat. He looked up to see shock on Pekah’s face. Eli simply laughed out loud.

  “Please keep this a secret,” he asked. “I don’t believe any other living person knows about this hiding place, and I would prefer to keep it that way for now. But we are going into battle, and if something happens to me, I don’t want to be the only one who knows where it is.” Then with feeling, he added, “I trust you both with my life.”

  Eli grabbed Jonathan up and squeezed him hard, making Jonathan choke out a laugh before he let go.

  “You are my very dearest friend, Nate. I would do anything to protect you. And…” Eli paused momentarily as if to be sure Pekah was listening. “… Pekah already has.”

  Pekah glowed. Eli gave a small bow of respect in his direction, making him redden even more.

  Jonathan thanked Eli for his sincere loyalty. Turning to Pekah, he said, “Your humility is evident, but Eli’s right. You have done some amazing things in the last week. I thank you again for saving my life.”

  Pekah stumbled over his words. “You are welcome.”

  The three men then left the Council Hall.

  They found Amon’s company ready to ride, and it was apparent that Amon had been waiting for them. Even Rachel and Abigail were on their mounts next to the general. Rachel threw Jonathan a look of disgust, but then broke into a smile.

  “I hope I won’t have to wait this long for your letter of marriage to arrive,” Rachel teased.

  Jonathan shrugged, pretending not to know what she meant. “Am I late? I am so sorry. Please forgive me.”

  This made Rachel laugh, and Abigail managed a smile.

  Amon called for attention, then asked Tavor if he would pray to their Creator and Protector for deliverance. Tavor graciously accepted. The priest of Uzzah stayed on his horse, but bowed his head and loudly offered a prayer that all could hear-a humble petition, h
eartfelt, and sincere. On behalf of the united army, he requested protection and success, then closed with tokens of gratitude, all of which were echoed by a communal “amen.”

  The general thanked Tavor for his petitions. With a waved command, they left the walls of the village of Hasor and started down the northern road.

  Blinding dust clouds rose from the wide and well-traveled road to Ramathaim as the thundering hooves of more than two hundred horses hastened on their way. Pekah, Ezra, and Tavor all rode near Amon, each at the head of their fifty, and Jonathan, Eli, the women, and all of Amon’s support staff traveled in the rear. Many of the mounts in the final group were burdened with provisions, tents, and other supplies. As they began to fall behind, Amon gave the order for them to catch up later. The distance to Ramathaim was normally a very full day by donkey-drawn cart or by foot. But with the horses, Jonathan calculated that Amon’s company would make it to the Holy City sometime after Azure and Aqua were high overhead, well before the cool of the evening set in.

  Dirt that had turned to powder testified of the thousands who recently marched that way. Jonathan suspected Captain Mehida’s host had traveled far during the night. Feeling sure they would not find the army until they were nearly to the Holy City of Uzzah, he hoped Mehida’s army would not be exhausted by their forced march.

  Those hopes were bolstered a few hours later when they found signs Mehida had camped sometime before dawn. Amon called for the company to halt. The gurgle of a familiar stream promised an opportunity to water the horses. On their way to the stream, they passed an abandoned fire-pit. The general bent down to check its warmth with his palm.

  “The coals are still alive. I expect we will catch up with Captain Mehida within the next hour or two.”

  “Ramathaim isn’t far,” said an Uzzahite soldier in their midst, his tone anxious.