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If she weren’t as stubborn, would he care for her as much as he did? He would never know for she was as stubborn as they came, at least she had been until they had met up with his family. What had happened to his bold, courageous Mira? Had it something to do with his family? Or was it something he had done?
The donkey screeched, rising up on all fours he turned toward camp and hoofed at the ground.
Ari lifted his eyes into the distance. The sight of his father and Jesse, along with another man, approaching on horses, left his chest thundering in fear.
Had something happened?
Dust and sand kicked up as they halted their horses. Ari eyed the Philistine he recognized from the spring. His hand slid to the hilt of his sword.
“Let not your heart be troubled, my son.” His father slid from the horse. Jesse jumped to his feet, while the Philistine remained seated, staring down at Ari.
“You ride as if a great wind is nipping your heels, with a Philistine no less, and you tell me to not be troubled?”
“I am surprised you had not made it farther, brother,” Jesse teased.
Ari glared at his brother. “The beast would not cooperate.”
A look passed between his father and brother. “What? What is it that brings you here?”
“Your brother and I surveyed the area surrounding the camp. No—” his father held up his hand “—we did not find anything. When we returned to the camp your brother paced.” He paused. “He tends to do that whenever he is troubled.”
“I was not troubled, I am never troubled,” Jesse argued.
“You were.” Ishiah turned his eyes back to Ari. “I myself had a stirring deep within my gut. An uneasiness.”
Ari’s eyes flicked to the warrior who had yet to speak. His discomfort grew under the man’s watchful gaze.
“I decided to check the area once again.” Jesse crossed his arms over his chest. “Not because I was troubled.”
“And you found him?”
“No,” Jesse answered.
What did he mean by no? “Then why is he with you?” He wished his father would say what was to be said and halt the churning in his stomach.
“He came upon us when we decided to seek you.” Jesse said.
Ari shoved his fingers through his hair. “You mean to tell me you thought to travel to Jerusalem with me when you came upon a Philistine and decided to bring him along?”
“No.” His father and Jess answered together.
He scrubbed his hand over his face. His level of frustration rose, his virtue of patience sunk to the ground.
“You must return to your camp.” This came from the Philistine.
Ari glared up at the man. A sharp warning stabbed him in his chest. His gaze bounced between his father and Jesse. “Has something happened to Mira? To Joash?”
“No, not as of yet, but we,” his father said, motioning between himself and Jesse. “And—” he waved toward the warrior “—he feel the danger is imminent.”
“Since when do you listen to a Philistine, Father?” Their people may have helped train the men of Manna, but that didn’t mean they trusted them. And Ari would not trust this one, especially since he’d seen him with the queen’s soldiers.
“After I listened to what he had to say, Ariel.”
The donkey brayed as if to laugh. Ari’s cheeks flamed with embarrassment. He knew better than to judge a man, even a Philistine, without cause. He nodded toward the man. “What is it you had to say, Philistine?”
The warrior dismounted his horse and removed his helmet. He stood a head taller than Ari. He tucked his helmet beneath his arm, his bald head glistening in the setting of the sun. “My name is Ianatos. I was with the queen’s guard when the child and your woman slipped into the waterfalls.” His hard eyes settled on Ari. “I killed several when they followed in the tunnels.”
Air whooshed from Ari’s lungs, relieved at having an ally in the enemy’s camp. “My thanks, Ianatos.”
“None needed if we do not return to camp and save your Hebrew king. Suph, the captain of the queen’s men is determined to kill the child. A man came into our camp shortly before I found your brother and told Suph of the child’s whereabouts.”
Ari’s jaw slid open. He wanted to ask about the man who dared betray the rightful king of Judah, who betrayed Ari’s trust, but there was no time. “Then we should not waste a moment. Let us return with haste.”
“First, we must build an altar and make sacrifices,” his father said.
Jesse, Ari and even the Philistine gathered up a pile of dry brush and some wood. Ianatos retreated to his horse as they gathered up three stones, one for each of them. They laid them together and waited for their father to prepare the grain offering.
