The Boy Warrior - Season 1 - Episode 8

4 years ago

The Boy Warrior - Season 1 - Episode 8

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“Return back to this camp when you’re finished, you hear me?” David tried his best to look determined. He nodded. “Return.”

The tent flap opened and a man came in, fully dressed in armour with his helmet under his arm. He bore a striking resemblance to King Saul. The king’s son, Jonathan.
“Where is the man who has accepted Goliath’s challenge?” he asked, looking around. David took a knee before the son of the king.

“Your servant has the honour, my lord.”
“Oh, stand up, David,” Jonathan said, helping him up. “Do that to my father, not to me. I’m not that old yet. You are David, son of Jesse? The one who plays the harp?” David nodded as he stood up.

Jonathan was a grown man, perhaps older even than Eliab, who was old enough to be his father.
“You have done what all of us old fools have been too afraid to do. A brave man. And handsome, too,” he said, smiling and looking at David’s face. “Whichever of my sisters who will marry you will be lucky not to have any of the others. Jehovah has annointed you to be king of Israel. Have no fear. He will not let you die.”

The king was standing behind his son, and over Jonathan’s shoulder David thought he saw the king’s face harden at his son’s comment.No, he thought.It’s just the nervousness. The king knows about my annointing. He has always been supportive of me.

“The other men say you’re too young to fight,” Jonathan continued, distracting him from his thoughts. “You know what I say? I say you go out there and show Goliath that the battle line of Israel is not one to be taunted.” He grasped David’s arm. “Prepare to be rich, my man.”
David smiled, in spite of himself.

Abner marched in now. He had his helmet on.
“My king. My lord,” he said, nodding to King Saul and Jonathan in turn. Then, to David, “The men are ready to march. It is time.”

They all went outside, all of them except King Saul. There was a retinue of soldiers just outside the tent. Jonathan and Abner marched in front, David behind, and the retinue fell in behind and around them. They passed the tents again, heading towards the stone wall, and the few soldiers they passed were a lesson in emotion. Some looked at him as if they just couldn’t believe their eyes, while some put on their helmets with newfound purpose.

Most of the tents had no occupants, and they were as silent as they had been when David first arrived. Marching in the middle of all these soldiers, the feeling was surreal. He had come to Azekah to give supplies to Abner and his brothers, and now he was following the chief of the king’s thousand to war. Circumstances did change, and sometimes very quickly.

They passed the row of tents he recognized as the one where his brothers were staying, exactly as he had been hoping they wouldn’t. Now he crossed his fingers for his brothers not to be in.
His wishes were blatantly ignored two times.
All three of his bothers were already suited up with their helmets under their arms, along with the soldier they shared the tent with. The four of them turned around as the group drew closer. David saw Eliab’s eyes go as wide as an owl’s.
“It’s true!” he exclaimed and ran to meet Abner. “Please, don’t let him do this,” Eliab pleaded, holding the chief’s hand. “Please, my father, he’ll die if anything happens to— ” But Abner pushed his hand away. Shammah rushed to meet David instead. Abinadab just stood on and looked, dumbfounded.

“Are you mad, boy?” Shammah bellowed, struggling against the retinue of soldiers holding him back. “Goliath will kill you! He won’t just kill you, he will— ” Shammah’s eyes were wide with desperation, and he tried to touch David, but the guards were not letting him. David was sure of what he was about to do, but his heart broke, seeing his brothers like this. It was all he could do not to cry.

“Enough!” Abner shouted. “We have a contender,” he said, nodding back to David. “He chose to do this himself, so we will not have to suffer Goliath’s taunts anymore. Now, you will join the rest of the men at the battle line, or I will have your heads when I get back.”

The chief turned and continued marching, and the retinue followed, leaving David no other choice.

“David, come back,” Shammah shouted after them. “It’s not too late. Say you don’t want to do this anymore, boy!” His voice dwindled the farther they walked. “David! David!Daviiiiid!”

But they continued marching until the stone wall was just up ahead. Beyound the stone wall, the men of Israel waited. They crossed the wall, and somehow they all joined the ranks. Jonathan marched beside him, while all around them the guards melted into their places. Abner was swallowed up by the men.
They heard his voice from up front a moment later.

“Men, forward!”