by Fiona Tarr
David was awake in the early grey light which came before the dawn. There was a hive of activity and the sunrise saw his brothers heading west towards the Holy War which King Saul was leading against the Philistine army. The Philistines were not bad people they just did not follow the One True God. Sometimes David found this difficult to understand. He accepted that everyone had a destiny. He believed in his God with all his heart, yet he had seen the ruins of war as men fought over his God. Not that he would not fight if called; protecting your beliefs was important, it was just tricky business. A man without faith is just an animal existing in the world, at the whims of his circumstances. Faith was more than simple belief. Faith meant you believed in a purpose, that your existence, whether good or bad was not of your own doing, it was a matter of destiny. David did not pretend to understand God, yet he did believe that God sometimes allowed things to happen which did not appear good at the time. There was always a purpose beyond human understanding he reasoned. David was content with this, although he knew many who were not and would often try to manipulate destiny. What they did appeared to work for a time, then it would all come crashing down around them. It amazed David that God even bothered with humans. He would not if he were God.
Chapter 2
Jerim was not happy about going to war and leaving his betrothed behind. He had finally managed to earn Amelia’s hand through hours of difficult labour and what seemed like insurmountable challenges. He would never have worked so hard, giving up his pride and bending his knee to his uncle had he not wanted Amelia so much. Now here he was on his way to turmoil, having missed the opportunity to take his wife and consummate his marriage. The frustration was building. It was not that he did not want to defend his King, it was just that fighting over matters of faith seemed ultimately pointless, particularly in light of what he was missing out on. Matters of faith were neither here nor there as far as Jerim was concerned. God could be there, but he was not doing him any favours. Unlike his brother David, he held no deity in high esteem, he would forge his own way in this world and his destiny was in his own hands. That is how he earned Amelia for himself and it was how he would handle his time in this Holy War. He intended to make himself available to the King’s envoy in whatever way possible to ensure he got what he wanted out of the situation and could return quickly to take his bride.
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Martinez was not impressed with any of these peasant shepherds, the only one of any worth appeared to have been the boy he was forced to leave behind in the encampment. There was something about him which had radiated strength. Not his stature for he was only a small lad, but his nature simply reassured anyone in his presence and he seemed wise beyond his years. Most boys his age would have become involved in the conversation regarding whether he would stay or go, but this lad had just listened quietly and wisely left the conversation to his elders. It was this in part which had swayed Martinez to let him stay on with his father. He would have liked to take the boy under his wing and train him, yet he also would not have liked to see him slain at the end of a Philistine sword. No, he really quite liked the boy and leaving him had been the best decision he reassured himself. If he were to train him, then their paths would cross again, Martinez was sure of it.
His brothers on the other hand were spoilt, lazy and self-serving men who were yet to prove they possessed any honour to their King or their God. Martinez’s thoughts were interrupted by one of the brothers, Jerim thought Martinez, yes that was his name. He was riding up to the lead on his camel, which he rode alone, leaving his brother to walk, something not missed by Martinez, who eyed the man suspiciously as he approached. He was almost hawk-faced, his nose fine and hooked at the end, the eyes dark and squinted as if deep in thought or scowling all of the time. Martinez made no attempt to hide his distaste, yet Jerim seemed to be oblivious to his mood and continued to interrupt.
'Excuse me sir, King’s envoy, I was wondering if I could speak with you a moment?'
'I have no inclination for idle chatter shepherd. Is it a matter of importance?' Martinez made no attempt to hide his contempt. He was annoyed, yet he had a sense of anticipation, wondering where the conversation might lead.
'I believe it is sir. I wish to offer my support for your cause and advise that my brothers will do as I ask, as I am their elder.'
Jerim’s manner disturbed Martinez, the way the words seemed to ooze from the man’s mouth, the sound like a whimpering dog. Martinez was now sure he disliked the man, his initial impressions now substantiated. He reserved his opinions on the remainder of the brothers for now.
'What made you believe you had a choice and that compliance and service was an option?’ Martinez was enjoying watching the man squirm.
'I did not mean to upset you sir, I just meant we are willing to serve in whatever way you feel is best, I wish to assure you that we are at your disposal.' Jerim was confused. His flattery always worked, yet this man appeared to actually dislike him. It made no sense. He must be mistaken he thought to himself, his father often said his tongue was as smooth as a pebble. Jerim decided the envoy must simply be tired and stressed. He would persist and continue to work his way into the man’s favour.
Martinez waved him away with the flick of his hand and Jerim decided not to continue the conversation. It was obvious he would have to reconsider his approach. Just then Martinez called for his first officer to find a campsite and instructed them to make camp for the night, as it would be another very early start.
Nate awakened Jerim; having already packed up all his belongings except his bedding and quickly mounted the camel ready to go. Jerim was close to insisting his brother walk again, but decided he would need to relieve himself shortly so he could walk, at least a little way. By mid-afternoon the convoy crested a ridge and Jerim was now looking over a valley which stretched as far as the eye could see until it reached the ocean. The brothers had never ventured this far from their homeland and did not realize the ocean was relatively close. The valley before them was the birthplace of their faith and forefathers. It represented the birth of their nation beginning with their ancestor Abraham, hundreds of years before. God had promised to reward him for his faithfulness and vowed that his ancestors would number more than the stars in the sky. Jerim remembered the story from his childhood but as he looked out over the Philistine army laid out on the other side of the valley, he was sure that their God must have made the same promise to the Philistine forefathers. The Gods could not be trusted; if they existed they had a very warped sense of humour and he was sure it was usually at his expense.
The troop was almost half way down the ridge slowly picking their way into the valley, when a roar burst from the armies collected below. Jerim and his brothers were mortified as they watched the carnage. A man’s head flew through the air as blood sprayed across the warrior who swung the sword, droplets landing on his face. Men were going down under foot and others were fighting in formation with shield and spear, making their way gradually to a tall warrior with a sword as long as Jerim’s little brother David was tall. Jerim had never experienced anything like it in his life. Nate, who was once again walking alongside the camel, now began to empty his stomach and his other brothers looked equally pale. They were gripped with fear at what they were about to face and Jerim prayed for the first time in years to any God who might be listening. He prayed to be spared from this gruesome war and that if death was to come, that it would be swift.
Martinez had seen this sight many times and was not amazed at the reaction from the shepherds. War was a foul business and he never understood how any ruler could be arrogant enough to decide his ideals and beliefs were worthy of another man’s death. Martinez’s faith was strong, but he had no wish to force it on others. However King Saul was God’s anointed leader, therefore who was he to question God? He might not agree with war, yet he had to believe it served a purpose.
The battle had begun to subside and only the dead and maimed littered the field below. The group continu
ed their descent until they reached the valley floor. On his way to consult with the King and report on his mission, he ordered the new recruits to make themselves useful tending the injured and dispatching the enemy wounded. He had no desire to see men slowly die while their entrails rolled in the dust, no matter who they were or what they believed.
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Jerim was not looking forward to murdering wounded soldiers, he could not believe the lack of mercy from the King’s envoy, whose name he was yet to discover. What kind of a monster orders shepherds to murder defenceless soldiers? This was going to be a long campaign and Jerim was going to have to work hard to earn this man’s favour. He diligently rallied his brothers to the work ahead.
Nate was still pale. Always a sickly boy, he did not take well to the sight of blood. Jerim remembered when their father had cut off a finger while butchering a goat. Nate was the only one present and had fainted immediately, leaving father bleeding and trying to raise the alarm for someone to help him. Fortunately Jerim had heard his father’s calls and had assisted, then he beat Nate for his weak stomach and womanly resolve. He felt this time though he quite understood how Nate must have been feeling. The sight before them was like nothing they had ever witnessed. They had always lived in their sheltered valley with very few adversaries except the harsh environment, which was manageable. Much of the community was related and very unlikely to ever inflict this type of injury and violence upon each other. They had never expected to bear witness to this carnage. He thought, not for the first time, that he might just slip away from all of this in the night, and then quickly dragged his thoughts back to reality. The King’s envoy would see him whipped or worse, crucified before the entire army as an example. No, he would have to work his way off the battlefield and into the service of the King’s envoy or better still, the King himself.
Chapter 3
Dusk was beginning to settle on the day and David was tending the goats in the field of rocks and grass near a running stream. He loved watching the stream trickle slowly, while he daydreamed of the exciting adventure his brothers must have been having. He prayed, not for the first time, to be given a chance to make his mark on the world and to fulfil a destiny he knew was not here and now. He had thought this war might bring this opportunity, but it was becoming more likely his destiny was to watch his father grow old while his brothers gained fame and the respect of their people.
He had spent the last month since his brothers had left, tending to his chores, helping his father wherever possible and fending off the affections of his cousin Amelia who seemed to think his brother Jerim was not coming home, and he was the only viable option left. David hid often to avoid contact with her however she had this uncanny ability of turning up in the most unexpected places. Once David had been way off in the field with the herd, camping over-night as the days were long and the help was scarce. Amelia just happened to appear in the clearing he was camped in. How she found him, he still did not understand. He had felt like a trapped rabbit, with nowhere to run. She claimed to be passing through on her way to his father, but David knew well it was definitely not on the way. He tried to remind her of her betrothal to Jerim, but she had tried very hard to persuade him to forget such things. He was a young man and the heat in his groin must have showed on his face. Thankfully she decided to be amused by his shyness, rather than annoyed with it. She had eventually left him alone again and he had vowed to make sure he kept his movements with the goats to himself so that she would not track him down in such a vulnerable position again.
He was yet to fathom women. They were peculiar beasts. They smelt so wonderful and felt so soft, but they were as prickly as the thorns on a palm tree and he always felt like a trapped wild animal when a woman came close. He never knew where to look. Thankfully most of the women in his community, young and old, kept their bodies covered, including their heads. He was yet to decide if that was just to keep the hot sun off, or if at some stage men had decided women were too much of a confusing temptation to show themselves outside to the world of men. As he got older he was beginning to believe it was the latter.
David made his way back to the encampment for the night. He met his sister Nina as she brought in her herd from the fields from the opposite direction. Nina was a few years younger than him, but was growing up to be a very charming young woman. Nina and David had always gotten on very well and he would miss her when her father finally decided to give her into marriage. Thankfully that time had been delayed as all the available unmarried men were away at war leaving only the young boys behind. It always confused David that men did not marry until after their twenty-fifth year, while women were married before their fifteenth year. In times of war though, there were many young women who would go unmarried until they were quite a lot older, making them an unattractive marriage option when the men returned. The war usually reduced the number of eligible men and meant there were plenty of younger women left to choose from. David secretly hoped this would be the case for Nina. However he knew this was a selfish thought as she would be mortified to never marry and have the opportunity to have children. Nina loved babies.
They finished settling the animals in for the night and both headed back for supper. David was starving, having only eaten a handful of nuts and dried dates since breaking his fast at dawn. The days were long since his brothers had left, with only himself and Nina to tend the goats by day. As he approached the tent in which he would share his evening meal with the remainder of his family, he paused to take in the view. He saw his mother preparing the meal with his father's other wives. His mother was his father's first wife and this put her in charge of all those who followed. She stood at the back of the open-air tent which served as a common meeting area for the family. It was open on three sides so as to allow the cooling breeze to flow through in the heat of the day. The rest of the encampment was made up of smaller sleeping tents in a half circle around the main tent. Some tents were smaller than others with his mother’s tent holding pride of place closest to the meeting tent. It was not there just for looks or status. It was positioned inside a protective perimeter while the other tents further to the outer edge were for the servants. If anyone were to raid the community, mother's tent would be furthest from danger and easiest to defend.
After supper Nina asked David to play his harp. He needed very little persuasion, as he loved to play. It took him into another place... a place where he felt an almost spiritual meditation. It was a time to connect with his humanity and was much the same as how he felt when he stared up at the night sky and all the stars. It was a magical and spiritual feeling and a reminder of human existence and his place in the greatness of creation. His mother had taught him to play after she realised he enjoyed music and had a heart for it. He had played her harp without her knowledge and when he realised she had caught him, he expected to receive some sort of punishment from his father. Instead his mother had gently taken the harp from his hands and motioned for him to sit with her. He had been only four and took to the instrument with great talent and excitement. His skill was not only well known amongst his kinsmen, but he was also gaining a reputation for playing when merchants and traders visited. They would then travel on to the King’s court and spread stories of his wonderful playing and poetry. David was not a weak young man, but he had always considered himself a sensitive one. It probably had something to do with his intuition, but the world had so many beautiful parts which fascinated him and led him to play and write lyrics and poetry.
His playing finished, David’s father called him aside to talk.
'I think that the war would be making life quite difficult for your brothers David. I would like to send them some extra provisions to make sure they are not going hungry.’
‘I can take the supplies father.' David’s mind was racing, his excitement building. His father was smiling now.
‘I was thinking just that. You could also bring back word of how they are going and if they are all safe. It has been sometime sin
ce we have heard anything and my heart is heavy with concern. Their mothers will not stop bothering me trying to discover their fate.
‘You can understand their worry father. Strange that we have heard nothing. I would have expected at least Nate would have sent word by now.’
‘It is strange. Yet they would be very busy. The war has affected regular traders who usually bring news. We do not want to offend the King, asking after your brothers. I will have you take some of our goats as a gift for the King and his officers. You can then sneak some dried meat, fruit and nuts to your brothers and check on them. I might finally get some peace from the women if you can bring back word. They are beginning to drive me to distraction. What possessed me to take so many wives, I will never understand. I guess the need to spread my seed, overcame any common sense I had to begin with. I must have been temporarily insane, all nine times,' he smiled.
David chuckled quietly to himself. He had often wondered the same thing and promised himself he would never have so many wives. Women were too much trouble he decided long ago and he doubted he would ever marry. One woman seemed hard enough to handle, let alone nine or ten.
'How will you manage the herds while I am gone father?' asked David with a mixture of excitement and genuine concern. The idea of finally joining his brothers on an adventure was making David feel like his destiny might be unfolding, but to leave his father with only women and servants was of grave concern to him.
'You always take charge David, working tirelessly to tend our herds. Do not worry the servants can manage the workload. I prefer to have my family in charge, however these circumstances are more pressing and we will manage just fine.' David’s father was smiling at the obvious excitement in his youngest son. ‘I think it might be time to let you grow up. As much as I would like to keep you close at hand, you were always destined for much more than life as a shepherd boy.’
