by Ralph Smith
David got up, and went over to the bundle on the ground, and began gathering up its spilled contents.
Aurora said to her “I don’t blame you. That was a very brave and dangerous thing to do.”
June said, “I didn’t have any choice. My parents won’t last much longer, I just hope I can get back in time.”
David turned to her, the bundle in one hand, and reached out with the other hand to help her to her feet. “How far is it?”
June said, “It’s a 2 day journey on foot. They took all our horses ages ago I had to walk the whole way.”
David turned to Aurora, and said, “I think we can help.”
June asked “how?”
Aurora looked at her, and said, “We have an extra horse. You can take it to get home to your parents.”
David said, “First, let me cover these men. If anyone comes looking for them, then we’ll have more time to get away from here.”
They quickly pulled the men into a thicket and covered them with brush and branches. Anyone looking hard enough would find them, but it should buy them enough time to get away unnoticed.
As they walked back to the horses, June told them everything she saw in the city. Many of the men were eating and drinking, and while hiding in alleyways she noticed a number of them stumbling from too much ale. David asked her about the council building, and she told them that it only had a few men out front, and did not appear to have anyone coming and going. They moved quickly through the woods, and were pleased to see the horses were undisturbed where they left them.
“How long a ride do you have?” He asked June.
“It’s less than a day on horseback. There’s a family I should be able to reach by nightfall who are friends where I can stay tonight.” June answered, “I can’t thank you both enough for what you’ve done for me.”
“You can thank us by getting home safely,” Aurora said.
“I will. There aren’t any patrols this way. They always take the open roads.”
David gave her one of the spare horses thinking it would be better rested. He said to her “Be careful, and do not lose faith. Perhaps we’ll see you again someday.” He handed her some of their dried meat, and a couple of biscuits. “Here is some food to eat while you ride. You need your strength too.”
She smiled at him “I hope I do meet you both again, and surely our Lord sent you to protect me.”
David and Aurora gave her a smile, and Aurora said, “Now go quickly.” June turned and headed up a small trail. They stood there watching until she was out of sight.
“I guess that’s our cue. We’d better get a move on too. We need to get back to your village before it gets dark.”
Aurora, looking apprehensive, said, “Yes, we should get going.”
David reached out taking hold of her arm. He gently pulled her into a hug, and said, “I’ll be with you.” She squeezed him tight.
They only allowed themselves a few moments to shut out the world, and get lost in each other’s arms. Then they mounted their horses and set off. They moved as quickly as possible while still trying to remain inconspicuous. Once inside the cover of the forest they pushed the horses into a gallop. Soon they were on the other side of the city, and heading towards Aurora’s home. Seeing there was no one in sight they sped on their way, only stopping once to give the horses some rest. As dusk was approaching, they could see the village ahead of them. It was small, made up of a number of brick and mud homes with low roofs. There were a few barns, and what appeared to be a small square in the center with a well. They could see a number of people, horses, and their carriage out by the largest barn. Surrounded by fields with only a few clusters of trees, this place wouldn’t have been David’s choice for a secret meeting. As they approached, a few people came out to meet them, and then suddenly they saw Jotham come running from the barn waving.
Jotham shouted, “David and Aurora, I was starting to worry about you.” Turning to the other men, as David and Aurora pulled their horses to a stop, he said, “These are the two people who saved us this morning.”
The men’s faces changed from looks of concern to happiness at the new arrivals. David and Aurora dismounted their horses, and one of the men walked over, and said, “I’m Eustus. Jotham has told us a little about you, and we have called a meeting of the council of elders to hear what you have to say.”
David said, “Thank you. We’re looking forward to meeting everyone.”
Aurora asked, “Do Miles and Solidad still live here?”
Eustus answered, “Yes they do. They are inside with the others.”
Aurora instinctively grabbed David’s hand, and he gave hers a gentle squeeze letting her know he understood.
David said, “Perhaps we can water the horses before we go in. They’ve been ridden hard today.”
Jotham interjected, “Please. I’ll take care of it, and come in to join you the moment they are settled.”
David and Aurora followed Eustus towards the barn. As they crossed the square David stopped at the well.
“Eustus, do you mind if we take a drink, and wash our faces?” David asked.
“No, of course not, I have been preoccupied with your arrival, and forgot my basic manners.”
“No apologies necessary,” David said with a smile. “We’re all preoccupied these days.”
He and Aurora knelt at the well, and scooped up water to drink and rinse the traveling dust off of their faces. The water felt refreshing. David stood enjoying the cold breeze against his wet skin, surveying the village. Suddenly something stirred in him, and he spoke “have you changed this place since the siege?”
Eustus asked, “What do you mean?”
David turned to look at him, and asked “have you added buildings and plantings since the siege?”
Eustus looked at him curiously, and said, “Yes we have, how would you know that?”
David looked Eustus in the eyes with a penetrating stare. Eustus met his gaze with a patient calm expression.
“Eustus you are a servant and you turned this place into a seal.”
Now Eustus was examining David, looking past his eyes, and after a moment of silence said, “My, my, that is interesting. Yes, young man you are correct. I think there is more to you than Jotham realized. He said you did miraculous things, but there is something more, I think.”
“My father is a servant, and our home is part of a seal. It struck me that this village is out in the open, and seemed a strange place to have secret meetings. I guess the seal protects you now, but when it was raided years ago it did not have that protection.”
Aurora took hold of David’s arm to steady herself he moved closer and put an arm around her. He saw Eustus give her the same penetrating gaze then smiled at them knowingly, and said, “It seems there may be more to both of you. Come inside. We have some food. It isn’t much, but you must be hungry after this long day.”
“Thank you. We would appreciate that.”
They entered the barn, and David and Aurora were taken aback by the amount of people. It was far more than the 50 they expected. It looked as though everyone’s entire family was there, men, women, and children of all ages. Jotham had clearly convinced them all that this was a significant event.
The barn was tall and thankfully large enough to accommodate everyone, even if the quarters were a little close. The dark-hand hewn wood had a warm feel, and the massive timbers gave the place a look of simple grandeur.
Eustus led them to the opposite side of the room where there was a table with some food set out. It was simple fare, some bread, cheese, and a random assortment of items from a few carrots to a couple of apples. It struck David that these people had brought what little extra they had, and it wasn’t much. He felt overwhelmed with compassion for them, touched by their generosity.
Aurora leaned close to him, and said, “These people must be starving.”
“I know.”
Eustus said, “Please help yourselves. We have all brought w
hat we were able to.”
David, “I don’t know what to say. Thank you.”
Aurora added, “Yes thank you, you’re too generous.”
Eustus said, “It is our privilege to serve.” Then he walked off.
If David and Aurora hadn’t been so hungry, they probably would have felt too guilty to eat at all, but after the rigors of the day, and not having eaten since the morning they each took a piece of bread, and a small piece of cheese. They thought about the supplies in the carriage, but did not want to offend these people by refusing their generosity. David, taking a bite, turned to see a small girl looking up at them.
He knelt down, and said, “Hello, young lady, and who might you be?”
“My name is Sarah.”
“I’m David. It's nice to meet you, Sarah. Do you live here in the village?”
“We live on the other side of the river, my mommy, my brother, and me. The soldiers took my daddy away.” Sarah said as she stared longingly at the cheese in David’s hand.
David noticing asked her, “Would you like some cheese Sarah?”
Her eyes going wide, she nodded her head “oh yes, please, I’m awful hungry. We haven’t eaten today.”
David handed her his cheese as she began to grin from ear to ear. Then David said, “Why don’t you have a piece of bread too, and go share it with your brother?”
Sarah said, very enthusiastically, “oh yes, David, I will. Thank you very much.” Then she ran over to a little boy sitting by the wall, and turned pointing at David as she was talking to her brother.
David stood to find Aurora looking at him smiling when she said, “Here have some of mine.”
He smiled back at her, and said gently “you eat it, I’m suddenly not very hungry.” Then his grin faded, and she could see a fire burning in his eyes as he said, “God willing, we’re going to put an end to this.”
Aurora looked at him with that fierce determination in her eyes “yes we will.”
Eustus returned, and seeing the intensity of their expressions asked, “is everything all right?”
David turned to him and said, “We were sent here by the Lord, and we don’t know why, but what you people are enduring is intolerable, and if there’s anything we can do about it we will.”
Eustus said, “That is very kind of you to say, but the Dark One has a vast army, and as brave as the two of you might be I’m not sure that it would be enough.”
David suddenly felt that sensation again; only it was not driven by rage. It was like energy washing through him, imbuing him with that sense of clarity and certainty he had during their previous council meeting.
“Where I come from there’s a story about a man called, Gideon. The Lord asked him to lead an army against a vastly superior force. Gideon asked the angel of the Lord, ‘how can I defeat this vast army?’ The angel told him that the Lord would defeat them. Gideon had to have faith. Then he told Gideon to take his small force to the edge of the city, and to blow his horn alerting the enemy to his presence. When he did, the enemy went into such a panic that they slaughtered each other to a man. It is not for us to defeat his army, the Lord has asked us to be faithful, and he will deliver us.”
Eustus listening to David attentively suddenly went wide-eyed, and said, “In the city council hall there is a secret chamber protected by a seal. Inside the chamber is a blade said to be forged from the horn of an Angel, a horn that was said to have defeated an entire army with a single blast. The men at the time were told to forge the horn into a blade, and that when the hour of darkness was at hand the Lords anointed one would come to retrieve it.”
David and Aurora looked at each other understanding now this was the reason they were sent to Roktah. David turned back to Eustus, and asked, “Do you know the prophecy?”
Eustus asked, “Which prophecy?”
Even though David had only heard it spoken once he knew it by heart, and said, “When the hour of darkness is at hand, a son of David will be anointed to lead his people, and he will find favor with the Lord. A child of equal measure from the house of Roktah will rise-up to awaken the Lion, and together they will face the Evil One. They will be bound at birth by our Father, separated until the time of fulfillment when they will unite in his cause.”
Aurora gave him a quick glance she knew he left off the last line.
Eustus asked, “What are you saying?”
“The hour of darkness is at hand. I’m from the house of David, and Aurora is from the house of Roktah. In fact, she comes from this very village. We have been anointed to lead the battle against the evil one. It is time for us to act. It is time for the people of Roktah to stand.”
Eustus looked at him, stunned by his words, then his face became resolved, and he said, “It is time to talk to our people.” David nodded in agreement.
Eustus led them around to a platform where they could stand above the crowd, and then he spoke. “Brothers and sisters,” he paused for the crowd to quiet, “Brothers and sisters, we have come here often for many years to pray for our deliverance. The time has come. We are in the final hours. This is David, and our own daughter Aurora. I ask you to listen to them.”
David stepped forward. He wasn’t sure what he was going to say, but knew the words would come. He looked out at the crowd. Many faces held a look of rapt attention, and others looked uncertain. He had never spoken before a crowd before, he was a simple farmer, but all that had changed. Everything that had happened to him during the past week, everything he had seen, and all he had done humbled him. Who was he that the Lord should find such favor in him?
Without thinking David spoke “Brothers and sisters of Roktah, I stand before you today your humble servant. The Lord came to us” he looked at Aurora standing tall and confident by his side, “he told us to come to Roktah, and seek his will. He has filled our hearts with compassion for your plight, and determination to end your suffering. Tomorrow together we will retake the city, and purge it of His enemies.”
The crowd burst into chatter, Aurora took hold of his arm indicating her surprise. David looked at her reassuringly then turned back to the crowd, and spoke, “Brothers and sisters,” he paused for a moment allowing them to quiet, then went on “the hour of darkness is at hand. If we do not stand now, the suffering you have seen will pale in comparison to what lies ahead.”
A man in the crowd spoke “how can the few of us and the two of you defeat this vast army?”
David answered, “It is not for us to defeat the enemy, the Lord will if we stand faithful to him. Anyone who has any doubts must not come. I tell you that, as long as one man amongst you has unwavering faith, you will be delivered. But any man who is afraid or has doubts must not come.”
Jotham standing in the back of the room said in a loud clear voice “I have seen the power of the spirit in these two, and I will stand with them in the name of our Lord.” Then he made his way to the front of the room, the silence was deafening. When Jotham reached the platform, David extended his hand helping him stand up next to him. Jotham turned to face the crowd standing tall with an expression of fearless determination. At that, six more men made their way to the front and stood before David.
One of the men looked side to side at the others who had joined him then said, “We will stand with you too.”
David looked out at the crowd, and said, “So it is clear our victory tomorrow is by the Lord’s hand and not our own, let no one else join us. I ask all of you to stay here in this village where you will be safe inside the seal. When we return it will affirm for you the truth of the prophecy. ’When the hour of darkness is at hand, a son of David will be anointed to lead his people, and he will find favor with the Lord. A child of equal measure from the house of Roktah will rise-up to awaken the Lion, and together they will face the Evil One. They will be bound at birth by our Father, separated until the time of fulfillment when they will unite in his cause’. Once the prophecy has been affirmed to you, the people of Roktah will inspire all the other cities
to unite against our enemy, and drive them out of their homes.“
David turned to Eustus, and asked, “is there somewhere we can go to discuss our plans for tomorrow?” Gesturing to the men standing with him.
“Yes, come this way.”
As they all began to walk off a man and a woman approached, and the woman said, “Aurora is it really you?”
Aurora turned, and exclaimed “Solidad, Miles, I’m so glad to see you! I was looking for you in the crowd but didn’t see you.” She rushed to them and hugged Solidad.
David turned to meet them, and Aurora said, “David these are the people who saved me after my parents…“ She still had trouble saying the words “they helped me escape to the south.”
“It’s an honor to meet you.”
Miles said, “We always knew she was exceptional. Now tell us, Aurora, what is this young man to you besides the fearsome warrior Jotham has described?” He added with a knowing look.
Aurora blushed taking David’s arm, and said, “we were married a couple of days ago. He’s my husband.”
She looked at David beaming, and he returned the look with a loving smile of his own.
Solidad, nearly in tears, said, “Oh, that’s wonderful! To see you happy again fills my heart with such joy.” Then she leaned in, and asked with quiet excitement looking at her dress “are you with child?”
Aurora and David both blushing fiercely, now stammered until David finally found his voice “no, she isn’t, we haven’t had a honeymoon.”
Solidad said, “I apologize for prying. I feared the worse for her when she left, all those years ago. I’m so happy to see her well again. The boys will want to see you too.”
Miles said with a sly grin “yes, although I’m afraid they’ll be quite disappointed to know you are married.” Then he chuckled.
Aurora was blushing so brightly David thought she might explode, so he put his arm around her, and said, “Perhaps we can come visit you tomorrow, unfortunately, tonight we need to talk with Eustus and the others.”
