quickly. Tavor slid the door closed on the glow-stone lantern closest to him, muting the light in the tent. Jonathan closed the other lantern, but it still spilled faint streams of light onto the floor through its bent door. He reached for a tunic left behind by previous occupants and covered the lantern.
Soon Eli snored like a bear in hibernation. Even after Tavor’s breathing became deep and regular, Jonathan lay thinking about his father. He was troubled by the painful memory of finding Samuel on the floor of the Council Hall.
I am alone.
He had certainly not expected to lose both his parents before he was even married.
Now, neither will see their grandchildren grow up.
A tear rolled down behind his ear. He sighed.
Thank the heavens above Rachel still has her parents. I look forward to seeing them play with our children.
He forced himself to reflect on happier times. He remembered wonderful days full of sunshine, the outdoors, and talking about the simple things of life with his parents. Jonathan had learned so much from both of them as they worked together in the gardens of Hasor.
As he began drifting off to sleep, he could almost smell the beautiful rose bush Samuel had planted in the gardens for Jonathan’s mother, Rachel.
I will do the same for my Rachel. I will plant her a rose bush. It will be a tribute to both my mother and my wife.
Jonathan rolled over and slept.
Sometime in the middle of the night, near morning, before the sister suns began to paint the horizon in brilliant blue, Jonathan dreamed-a dream that seemed very real to him.
He saw Jasher in a field, standing beside his wife, Abigail. There were many Gideonite, Danielite, and Uzzahite soldiers gathered around, all gazing upon the admired military leader with great sadness. Pekah stood in the group, and Jasher called him out of the crowd. As Pekah approached, Jasher kissed his wife, then took her hand and placed it in Pekah’s hand. Jasher then removed his armor and sword, placed them at Pekah’s feet, waved to those gathered, and walked away, disappearing into the distance. Jonathan then noticed three small children next to Abigail, all of them tugging at her skirts. Pekah continued to stand next to her, and all the soldiers present in the scene took one knee before him. They stretched forth their hands as if to receive what he would have them do.
The dream broke, and Jonathan jerked upright. Darkness still reigned outside the tent, and he could barely discern the heaving chest of Eli or the smaller form of Tavor near the tent wall.
He mused over the dream and wondered at it. It made no sense to him.
Why would he leave his wife and his armor in Pekah’s care?
He reviewed the dream again in his mind, surprised by the vividness of the mental images left behind. He noticed that Jasher had been very deliberate in placing Abigail’s hand in Pekah’s, almost as if he were giving her to him in marriage. And then there were the children…
This bothered Jonathan. Apart from a formal divorce-which was quite rare, and usually only in a case where a spouse had been unfaithful-the only way Abigail would be released from her husband’s claim was if Jasher had died. And yet the dream did not necessarily indicate such a thing. Jasher was alive and well when he walked away.
Jonathan lay back down. He tried to close his eyes, hoping for sleep to come again, but it did not. He gave up, and rose to dress for the day. Pulling his boots on as he stumbled toward the exit, he grabbed his gray cloak and his weapons, including the Gideonite breastplate he had obtained the day before, then left his slumbering companions behind.
He stepped out into a morning with scattered signs of a gray storm lingering in the valley. Low clouds threatened moisture, the air cool and somewhat damp. Traces of water from a quiet midnight rain remained on the ground in small pools.
The yawns and grunts of waking soldiers came from various tents around him. Jonathan could see faint traces of smoke rising from stone chimneys behind the Gideonite encampment. The pungent smell from the fires drifted in ribbons across the great plaza. Not far away, Jonathan could hear the sprays and gurgles of the central fountain of Ain. Turning his head, he could just make out the bulky shapes of three pedestals holding the bowl, and the round basin below where numerous lions guarded the water.
Jonathan pulled his cloak around himself as he shuffled toward the women’s tent. To his surprise, Rachel and Abigail were already awake and sitting outside in chairs, chatting gleefully-their hand gestures exaggerated, and both of them laughing like lifelong friends in the pre-dawn air. Seeing him approach, Rachel ran to greet him with a hug, then led him the rest of the way. Abigail rose from her seat too, and bowed slightly. Seeing the wife of General Jasher brought Jonathan’s dream back to him in a most vivid manner. He wondered again at the meaning of it.
“It gives me pleasure to again meet the heir of Daniel and to know that my new friend Rachel will truly be blessed by your union.”
Jonathan smiled and bowed back to her. “It gives me pleasure to make the acquaintance of the wife of a very brave and wise general of Gideon.”
Abigail thanked Jonathan for his kind words. With a hand on Rachel’s arm, she asked, “Would you both join me in Jasher’s tent? Even though it’s early, I am sure breakfast is ready. I know he wants to leave soon.”
“We would love to,” Rachel eagerly accepted.
Jonathan didn’t mind her speaking for him. He almost chuckled, thinking he had better get used to it.
She moved over to him, looping her arm in his as they followed Jasher’s wife to the officers’ hall.
They attempted to hurry through the meal, but before they could finish, the commotion of an army on the move already buzzed furiously around them. As they rose to leave the tent, Jasher greeted them at the door. They exited, and, once outside, could see the women’s tent had already been taken down. Abigail’s belongings were stacked in a couple of crates, ready to be loaded onto a wagon.
Jonathan noticed a sudden change in Rachel when she sighed and looked away. He gave her a concerned frown.
“I will be all right.”
“Are you sure?”
“I lost everything I purchased in Saron… but that’s not important. Remembering my capture made me think of Asah again. It makes me sick that I will have to tell Father about Asah’s death.” Rachel grabbed for his hand and held it tight, her brown eyes looking up into his.
“He was a very faithful steward. Uzziel will miss him greatly.”
“Yes, he will. Asah has been a lifelong friend to Father. The news will break his heart. How will I tell him?” Rachel’s lip quivered.
“I’ll go with you.”
Rachel squeezed his hand tighter.
Their conversation was interrupted as Jasher approached. He acknowledged Abigail with a brief touch of her arm. “Jonathan, I would like to march soon. Are you ready?”
“I am. We need to get to Ramathaim as soon as possible. I’m worried about Eli’s family-and for that matter, the entire city.”
“Agreed. I’ve arranged for mounts for you and all your companions. After you have gathered your contingent together, will you join me at the fountain?”
“I will.”
Shortly thereafter, the entire group assembled near the lion-guarded pool. The wagon loaded with items belonging to Jasher and Abigail caught Jonathan’s attention. It looked vaguely familiar. He motioned for Eli and Pekah to take a look. Eli grinned wide.
“Yes,” Eli said. “That’s the same cart.”
“I thought so! It looks as though your gift to the late emperor will get some proper use.”
Pekah laughed.
All around them in the central plaza, groups of tens and fifties made final preparations to leave, some with horses, some with wagons of supplies and weapons. Jonathan marveled at the sight. Never had he witnessed a mixing of the tribes-groups of fifties being comprised of tens of Gideonites and tens of Danielites, with occasional
