Page 59 of The Guardian's Promise

His father laid a small dish upon the stones and then they each added a portion of grain. They knelt around the altar with their heads bowed. “Father God, maker of the Earth. You alone are God. Grant Thy servants protection and wisdom. Divert our enemies. Amen,” his father prayed.

“Amen,” he and Jesse repeated.

No second thought entered Ari’s mind about whether or not the cantankerous donkey would move with haste. He doubted the beast would so he rode with Jesse. The closer they drew, the more anxious he became. “Father God, forgive Thy servant for my obstinacy. I pray it has not caused harm to my king and my love,” he muttered beneath his breath.

Soon the camp’s firelight rose in the distance, yet he hesitated to breathe a sigh of relief. They drew ever closer, and Ari could hear the song lifted up to God in praise. He closed his eyes and thanked God. If his family and friends were in such joyous celebration, then naught could be wrong, could it?

Ianatos pulled on his reins, bringing his horse to a halt. His father’s and brother’s beasts did the same.

“Wait here.” Ianatos disappeared into the darkness, leaving Ari to wonder if they’d misplaced their trust in the Philistine.

An uneasy feeling turned in his stomach as they waited in the shadows of camp. He was about to demand Jesse ride on when the clop of horses’ hooves pressed into the desert. He peered into the darkness as one shadow after another appeared, all with Philistine helmets on their heads.

* * *

“What is it I can do for you, Sh’mira?” Elam asked. The tone of his voice and the way he watched her sent chills chasing down her spine. It was no more than she expected being that she was imperfect in many ways.

She bowed her head to the elder, keeping her eyes firm on her toes and her hands folded in her tunic. “Tama is busy. I would take Joash to the spring for his evening cleanse, if you approve.”

From the corner of her eye she watched him run his fingers over his beard. “I will take the boy,” he responded.

“Forgive me, as Ari has asked me to meet the child’s needs and to not leave his side. For anything,” she added. She would not shirk her duty to Ari, not even for his uncle who scared her, even if Ari did hold him in high regard.

“I see.” Elam rose from his seat and said something to his companion, a man she hadn’t seen before but assumed him to be from Manna. “After we’ve broken our fast, we will go.”

Sometime later, Mira took Joash by the hand and followed Elam. Twilight beckoned in its pale darkening beauty as the sun dipped beyond the western sky leaving it cloaked in pinks, yellows and blues. Thousands of white lights twinkled in the east, along with that of the moon. It was as if she stood in a canyon, dividing day and night. And although they remained within hearing distance of camp, a sense of unease warned her to beware. She tossed a glance over her shoulder where the evening campfire glowed less and less with each step away. She could make out Lydia and Anna as they cleared away the dishes and folded the tables.

“Sh’mira,” Joash whispered as he tugged on her hand. She leaned her ear low. “I am frightened. Shall we return to camp and cleanse on the morrow?”

Normally she would have thought the boy was seeking a way out of his bath, but she, too, would have liked to return. Yet, she allowed her feet to continue on their path behind Elam, taking a reluctant child king with her. “Have faith, all will be well,” she soothed. “Besides, we leave for Jerusalem even as the sun will rise.”

“If you say, Sh’mira,” he responded.

The trickling sound of the spring brought a semblance of relief. It was as if their destination brought peace, although she knew it best to keep a watchful eye.

“Joash, you may remove your tunic and lay it on the ground beside the stream.” Elam watched the boy move away, then he turned his eyes fully on her. “You should not coddle him. It will only make for a weak king.”

“Yes, of course,” Mira responded.

“You may sit at the edge. I will be over by yon rock if you need something.”

He walked away and then knelt beside the indicated rock. His example of diligent prayer did not pass her. Guilt gnawed at her stomach. His love for the Lord was evident in the time he spent in prayer. Much more than the others, proving she had no reason to fear him.

She ensured herself of Joash’s safety as he entered the brook. Seeing that the water did not pass his knees she began to relax and focused her energies on praying for Ari’s protection.

“Lord, if You will, I ask Thee to grant Ari wisdom with each step he travels. Hide him from his enemies that he may carry out Your will.” A sense of overwhelming fear gripped her body. Perspiration beaded on her brow, her stomach churned. She shook off the feeling. “Forgive Thy servant for my lack of faith, my Lord God.”

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