The Chronicles of Gan: The Thorn (22 page)

“And you, my prince.”

Both went away smiling, Rachel into her tent
with Abigail, and Jonathan to his.

Chapter 18

Symbols

K
issing my sister again?” Eli asked with a low chuckle when
Jonathan entered the tent.

“Guilty.”

“You’re a lucky man,” Tavor said. “I have
not kissed the love of my life for more than two weeks.”

“How long have you been married now? Four
years, right?” Jonathan asked.

“Almost five.”

“I still remember how hot it was that day.
How is your family?”

“The twins have been very
. . .
busy
lately. My Sarah is a wonderful mother, but the two boys
really test her strength. I wish I were there to help.”

“I’m sorry you’re not home,” Jonathan
said.

“I am too. Eli and I have been scouting
about longer than I would have liked, and I worry about her.”

“I understand completely—I would feel the
same way.”

Tavor’s gaze fell to the ground. He cleared
his throat. “Jonathan, I’m very sorry to hear about your father.
Samuel was one of the best men I have ever known.”

Jonathan briefly looked away. “Thank you,
Tavor. I think so too.”

Eli’s loud yawn caused the others to do the
same. Each man arranged his things by his cot and bedded down
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 tens of Uzzahites scattered here and
there. Before him, a sea of raven-emblazoned breastplates covering
the green tunics of Gideon was accented by the humble browns and
grays of Daniel, and garnished with the coarse whites and browns of
Uzzah.

Above them, Azure and Aqua were hidden
behind a tapestry of gray, causing the morning to be cool, yet
slightly humid, as the mists of the previous night lifted from the
damp cobblestones of the plaza. Jonathan peered heavenward, hoping
to catch a glimpse of the blue suns, but could not make them out.
Now three days since the Sabbath, the two sisters were surely as
far apart as they could be.

His neck ached. He rubbed it, noticing his
own fatigue. Aimlessly scanning the crowd, his gaze fell on Jasher,
who whispered to his next in command. Amon nodded, and Jasher
lifted his hands until all chatter died.

“I wish to make good time in our travel
today, so we are going to leave at once. We will take five hundred.
Others are still gathering, and will bring up the rear with the
supply wagons. I have arranged for horses for our group, especially
on account of the women who will be traveling with us.”

A particularly rotund Gideonite shouted from
the back of the crowd, “Will the emperor’s chamber be loaded up and
brought with us?” His deep voice rumbled across the plaza, and
those who heard him turned to look at the platform. Jonathan could
see the dark wood flooring, once part of the portable stateroom of
the emperor, and right next to it, a pile of broken beams,
splintered lumber, and other pieces of ruin.

Jasher hesitated, but then responded
gravely, “No. We will leave it. Let the Danielites of Ain have it.
Perhaps they wish to save it for a memorial, so their children will
remember what happened here yesterday when a very brave man named
Pekah came to visit the emperor of Gideon . . .” Jasher’s voice
trailed off, and then with a tremor in his voice, he exclaimed,
“And remember today, when Gideon rides with Daniel and Uzzah. May
our peoples never war again!”

A cheer went up from the group. Jonathan
felt Jasher’s humble words pour into his own heart, and he was
thrilled by the joy and excitement shining in faces all around him.
Many in the group shook hands in friendship, and a break in the
clouds spilled light across the city.

Rachel squeezed Jonathan’s hand, but he
hardly noticed she had done so at first. She tugged a little
harder, finally getting his full attention. He turned to see tears
of joy in her eyes, apparently also deeply touched by Jasher’s
pronouncement. Grateful for her sensitivity, he pulled her close
and felt her warmth.

Daniel. Uzzah. Gideon.

Jonathan soaked up every detail—the crowd,
the fresh smell of the light fountain mist floating in the air, the
blast of a horn as Jasher waved the troops out of the plaza,
Rachel’s hand in his. Everything about the experience made his skin
tingle.

“I will remember this forever, Rachel.”

“Which part will you remember most?”

“The tribes, all together. Our children will
hear the story of this day until I’m too old to tell it, or they
are too tired of hearing it.”

“You will be a wonderful father, Jonathan.”
Rachel pulled him close and kissed him.

Chapter 19

Assassins

T
he next day Jonathan awoke to the warm glow of both suns and
heard the enthusiastic chirping of birds in the trees all around
him. They had camped in the Geber Pass, their tents filling every
level spot next to the road that hugged the Saron River, winding
between craggy cliffs and sheer rock faces. Gurgling from the swift
water echoed against the nearby rock walls on the east, while the
clangs, scrapes, and voices typical to any breakfast scene for
several hundred soldiers bounced through crevices and cracks on the
west.

Jasher’s company, led by Amon, had been
joined by three other captains of fifty during the previous day,
and the smoke from fires belonging to two thousand others was
strung out as far as they could see toward the valleys and
mountains of Ain—the city itself no longer visible in the distance.
Most of the men in Amon’s camp had eaten and darted about in
preparation to march once again.