Free The Chronicles of Gan: The Thorn by Daron Fraley Page B

abruptly. “I was
there on the day my people attacked Hasor. I wanted so badly to
stop them, but I could not find the strength to try. I witnessed
the murder of innocents. A little boy was killed for no
reason.”
    Pekah hesitated, and then
without regard to what he was saying, he spat out, “I saw other
things. The man you killed yesterday, Captain Sachar—I saw him kill
the judge. He threw his dagger into the judge’s back, like a
coward. That is
the knife.” Pekah stiffened, fully expecting some sort of
retribution.
    How incredibly stupid. I’m alone in the
woods with these two, and either one of them could kill me without
a second thought.
    Nate’s face went pale as he leaned forward
to stare at the gilded sheath on the ground. Surprised at himself
for what he had confessed, Pekah remained fixed and motionless,
pointing at the weapon. Nate was still.
    Should he not be angry? The leader of his
people was murdered! Why doesn’t he threaten me?
    Pekah saw the tears well up in Nate’s eyes,
then pour down his cheeks.
    “Please excuse me,” was all Nate said. He
got up after placing his breakfast on top of his shoulder sack, and
left the camp to go sit where he had the previous evening.
    Pekah lowered his arm to his side, his eyes
once again finding the ground. Grieving, he wiped tears from his
face as the stresses of the night began to release.
    What was I thinking?
    He peeked over to where Eli sat, but did not
make eye contact with the Uzzahite.
    Eli rose like he was about to get up and
follow Nate, perhaps to comfort him, but he did not leave, sitting
down again instead.
    Pekah set his bread aside. “I don’t
understand, Eli. Why was he not angry?”
    Eli did not answer, but moved closer.
“Pekah,” he said as he sat down, “Nate was not the only person in
his family defending Hasor when your army arrived. He has not
mentioned it yet, but Nate’s father was killed during the fight.
Last evening when Nate and I talked about the fall of Hasor, we
shared information with each other about the events of that day. I
feel terrible about what has happened to Nate’s father. I have
always felt like one of Nate’s family, and I feel his loss as if it
were my own.”
    Pekah’s chest tightened. Once again, a
feeling of intense guilt for his part in the skirmish made him
tremble. He folded his arms, his hands squeezed into tight
fists.
    “And I’m actually quite
surprised that you shared the information about the knife and the
death of the judge. Pekah, why did you tell him?”
    Pekah did not stir, but raised his brows and
blinked the water from his eyes.
    “Pekah, I need to tell you something. I know
of your army’s mission. We had been told by a Danielite spy that
the armies of Manasseh were marching, and of the emperor’s intent
to capture the judge so they might find his son and either bring
him into captivity or kill him. I also know they were searching for
the king’s scepter. Is this true?”
    Pekah found the strength to speak again.
“Yes. Our orders were to find the judge’s son.”
    “You didn’t find him, did you?”
    “No, we did not. And after
what happened in Hasor, I’m glad he was not found.”
    Eli smiled. “I, too, am glad.”
    They both looked toward the old log in the
distance where Nate sat with his bowed head resting in his
hands.
    “Pekah,” Eli continued in a calm and
reassuring voice. “Nate is not just any ordinary Danielite. Nate
is, in reality, Jonathan, son of Samuel the Judge of Daniel, true
heir to the throne, and now the only living member of his
family.”
    Pekah’s heart skipped,
shocked by Eli’s revelation. He again glanced over to see Nate in
the distance. By telling Nate about the blade he had taken from
Captain Sachar, Pekah realized he had just thrown a javelin of pain
into his new friend’s heart. The old man
was Nate’s father?
    “Why did I ever pick up Sachar’s weapon?”
Pekah moaned.
    “War is a terrible thing. Those who started
this attempt at