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Was Liam’s original name Ezra? I caught a second sentence other than the one hybrid mentioned where you called him that instead:
Sabina kept on doing it, and Ezra relaxed. Sabina pressed gentle fingers against his wrist and then looked up at Joseph. “He’s slipping,” she said softly.
This was a sad scene. Was Liam a Christian? It seemed like there hadn’t been a chance to even share the gospel with him.
I liked Mr. Callan. He was amusing.
“Yes,” Joseph said. “But Beric, Amelia and I have always wanted children. God may yet give us one, but we have been praying, and we believe He has already given us a son.”
Joseph makes it sound as if he and Amelia have been married for quite a while.
I really expected Beric to put up a different sort of resistance to Joseph and Amelia wanting to adopt him. Why doesn’t he even mention wanting to stay with the other orphans, since he sees himself as their guardian?
Good section. Again, you balanced the seriousness with a bit of light-hearted humour well.
Sometimes it is necessary to paint the sky black in order to see the stars.
yes, it was, and then I had another Ezra and forgot about that Ezra and it became a mess.
This was a sad scene. Was Liam a Christian? It seemed like there hadn’t been a chance to even share the gospel with him.
not that I know of. Sadly that’s often the way life works. I feel like it gets redundant if all the characters get to become Christians before something bad happens. You know.
I liked Mr. Callan. He was amusing.
Doctors in books are always so stiff. I wanted to change that trope a little.
I really expected Beric to put up a different sort of resistance to Joseph and Amelia wanting to adopt him. Why doesn’t he even mention wanting to stay with the other orphans, since he sees himself as their guardian?
Well, I think he sees them as safe now that they’re with Sabina and the others. He knows they are better off were they are. He sees himself as a part of that old life and a part of the darkness in that old life.
Man is born for the fight, to be forged and molded into a sharper, finer, stronger image of God
not that I know of. Sadly that’s often the way life works. I feel like it gets redundant if all the characters get to become Christians before something bad happens. You know.
Yes. It’s not always God’s will to save everyone we want to be saved, and I’m kind of glad you included it because of that. Your story could become discouraging to some people if everyone is saved, but the people they love in real life remain unbelievers. It’s still sad though.
Doctors in books are always so stiff. I wanted to change that trope a little.
Changing up tropes is always fun.
Well, I think he sees them as safe now that they’re with Sabina and the others. He knows they are better off were they are. He sees himself as a part of that old life and a part of the darkness in that old life.
Ah, okay.
Sometimes it is necessary to paint the sky black in order to see the stars.
@hybridlore @linus-smallprint @koshka @keilah-h @elishavet-pidyon @grcr
NEXT SECTION
The next morning, Joseph, Amelia, and Beric bade farewell to the orphanage. Noah had spoken with one of the men in the church, and he offered to give the Conway’s a ride in his cart since Beric was still recovering from his injured leg. He arrived early, and Joseph, Asher, and Eric loaded up the small number of things the young couple had brought to the Capital. When they were finished, Joseph stepped back and embraced his friends. “It was so wonderful to see you again.”
“You as well, Joseph,” Eric replied. “I’ll miss you.”
Joseph turned to Asher. “Let me know when you talk to her.”
Asher flushed and smiled. “I will.”
The two shook hands and embraced. Joseph felt his eyes growing hot and he blinked quickly. For a moment he thought of how he had almost lost Asher and Eric when they were still boys. Ardenta was still a very dangerous place, and now the plague had added to that danger. He wondered if he would ever see the two again.
Eric’s hand moved in the corner of Joseph’s vision, and he turned. “What are you doing?”
Eric snapped his hand shut and pulled it back. “Nothing.”
“He’s trying to make sure he’s still taller than you,” Asher chuckled.
Eric grinned sheepishly.
Joseph laughed. He moved to bid farewell to Noah and Darrien.
Darrien stepped forward and gave him a hug. “No matter what happens in the future, remember that you are never alone, Joseph.”
Joseph nodded.
Noah stepped forward and slapped him on the back before pulling Joseph into a tight hug. Then he stepped back and gripped his shoulder. “Whatever happens, stay strong.”
“I will,” Joseph replied.
“Look to Christ, Joseph, he will give you strength,” Noah reminded him.
Joseph nodded and cleared his throat. He turned away, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.
Alicia was next. She hugged Joseph and bid him farewell. “Come and visit us again.”
“I’ll try,” Joseph promised. He looked up and saw Sabina watching him. She smiled and held out an arm.
Joseph stepped forward and hugged her gently.
“I’m so glad you came,” Sabina said quietly.
“I’m very, very sorry about Liam,” Joseph whispered.
Sabina smiled through tears. “He is happy now. Much happier and safer than I could have ever made him, and much more loved than I could have ever loved him.”
Joseph hugged her tighter. “Farewell, Sabina.”
“Until we meet again,” she replied.
At last, Joseph was able to tear himself. If he didn’t believe they would meet again someday, he never could have done it. He walked over to the wagon and gave Amelia a hand up.
Sabina was giving Beric on last hug. She kissed his cheek before patting his shoulder. Beric said something to her, and she smiled. The boy turned and crutched his way over.
Joseph took Beric’s crutches and set them in the wagon bed before helping the boy up. Then he closed the tailgate and clambered over top. The man looked back. “Ready?”
“Yes sir,” Joseph replied.
He nodded and whipped up his horse. The wagon jolted forward, and the three waved until the orphanage was out of sight.
They rode out of the city, and Beric gazed about him, asking constant questions.
“Look at the fields! They’re so wide! I haven’t been out of the city in years!” Beric exclaimed. “The sky is so wide. I wonder what the stars are like! Father––” he broke off. “Can… can I call you that?” he asked shyly.
“Of course,” Joseph replied, a catch in his voice.
Beric looked at Amelia who sat on Joseph’s other side. “And you will be…”
“Mother,” Amelia smiled, her eyes tearing up. “You may call me mother, Beric.”
Beric let out a sigh of contentment.
Joseph squeezed his shoulder. “We’ll be home late this evening I reckon.”
“Home,” Beric tested the word. He smiled. “It’s been a long time since I called anything home.”
***
“Mother!” The call rang through the house, followed by the sound of rapid tapping. Amelia Looked up as Beric came into the room, his nose and cheeks red with the cold, and his hat all eschew on his head.
“Good morning! And where have you been so bright and early?” Amelia asked as she set bowls out on the table.
“I was out with father. See what I can do!” Beric paused and adjusted his crutches. Then he stepped forward, walking on both feet and only using the crutches to help support himself.
“Oh Beric! Well done!” Amelia exclaimed. The door opened and closed, bringing in a gust of cold air and the stamping boots.
“Here comes your father,” Amelia smiled. “Come,” she added, patting the bench with a flat hand. Beric sat and swung his leg up onto the bench and began unlacing his boot. Amelia pulled the bottles of ointment from the cupboard and set them on the table. As Beric reveled the hurt leg, she looked at it critically. “The scarring doesn’t look as bad, and your knee isn’t so swollen.” She opened one of the bottles and began to gently apply the ointment to his knee.
“I’ll be walking soon,” Beric grinned, leaning over her as she worked.
“Not if you don’t get your head out of what I’m doing,” Amelia laughed, gently pushing him out of her way.
“How’s the leg?” Joseph asked as he came into the room.
“Much better,” Amelia replied.
“Good,” Joseph said, squeezing Beric’s shoulder.
“Can I go over and to the Caddicks today?” Beric asked.
“Only if you finish all your chores before you leave,” Joseph replied.
“And you’ll have lessons in the afternoon, so don’t be late,” Amelia warned as she rewrapped his leg.
After breakfast and chores, Beric kissed Amelia on the cheek and snatched his cap and cloak up before crutching rapidly out the door.
Amelia laughed, leaning against Joseph, who wrapped his arms about her. “Only one and a half weeks, and he’s already so perfectly at home.”
Joseph nodded. “Yes, he is, thank God. He is so happy here; I can hardly believe it.”
“He sure has been a ray of sunshine, hasn’t he,” Amelia smiled.
“Yes, he has,” Joseph agreed. “And it has been so wonderful to teach him the ways of God. He is so thirsty for it, and his face just lights up when he finds something knew.”
Amelia nodded. “God has surely blessed us.”
Joseph kissed the top of her head. “Yes, He has.”
***
“It doesn’t make sense!”
“Yes, it does, Beric, you just have to be patient,” Amelia replied.
The two were seated at the kitchen table that evening. Before them was a book Mrs. Caddick had lent to her daughter to help Beric learn to read. Of all his lessons, Beric wrestled the most with words. “It’s not supposed to do that!” Beric exclaimed. “That breaks the rules.”
“Yes, but words do that a lot,” Amelia replied.
“I hate words,” Beric growled.
“Don’t talk like that,” Amelia warned, gently.
Beric hunched his shoulders and pushed his nose against the book that lay on the table. He glared at the words right in front of his face.
“You can’t read when you’re so close,” Amelia told him.
Beric sat up with a jerk.
“Try again,” Amelia said.
“It’s been hours!” Beric wailed.
“One hour,” Amelia replied. “I want you to be able to read this page clearly. You almost have it. Just work a little harder.”
Beric picked up the book and stared at it with narrowed eyes.
The soup began to hiss, so Amelia got up to stir the pot. She could hear Beric muttering to himself under his breath as he tried to sound out the words. “Remember what we talked about. “T” and “H” together can be hard or soft,” Amelia said over her shoulder.
For a long time there was silence. All at once there was a crash as Beric sweat the book off the table and into a stack of kindling. “I’m done! I don’t want to learn to read!” he yelled.
“Beric, you can’t act like that,” Amelia said firmly.
Beric swung his legs over the bench and got to his feet, putting a hand on the table to brace himself. “Why not?” he challenged.
“Because it’s wrong and because I told you so,” Amelia replied. She walked over and stood in front of him. “I need you to apologize and pick up the book.”
Beric drew himself up. He was a few inches shorter than Amelia, but they could almost look eye to eye. “Make me,” he challenged.
“Beric!”
Amelia and Beric both jumped and looked up. Joseph was standing in the doorway, and his eyes held a look of shocked anger.
Beric immediately dropped his gaze to the floor. Joseph glanced at Amelia and then at the book lying among the scattered sticks. Picking up Beric’s crutches from where they rested by the table, Joseph handed them to the boy. “Come with me.”
Beric slid the crutches under his arms and limped after Joseph, his head hanging low. Joseph moved to the door and picked up Beric’s cloak. He handed it to him and then opened the door and stepped outside. Beric looked up, his eyes holding a look of fear. He hurriedly pulled on the cloak and followed Joseph, his head lowing once more.
For a time, the two moved through the quiet streets. Dusk had already fallen, and lamps had been lit. Joseph moved with his head up and eyes straight ahead. His mind, however, was running circles. He had never dealt with something like this before, and he didn’t even know where to begin. He took a side street and Beric fell behind slightly. Joseph didn’t even notice.
Lord, what am I supposed to do? Please help me know how to deal with him. I don’t want to be too harsh; he’s suffered so much already. But I know what he did was wrong.
There was a sound of wood sliding on stone and Beric caught his breath. Joseph turned and looked back as one of the crutches clattered to the ground. Beric braced against a wall and leaned down to recover it. He did and carefully set the crutch back in place before looking up. Joseph saw tears streaking the boy’s face. Beric sniffed and drew a sleeve over his eyes. “Are… are you…” Beric trailed off.
“Am I what?” Joseph asked, more sharply than he intended.
Beric looked at the ground and sniffed again. He swallowed and swiped at his face a second time. Then he looked up. “Are you sending me away?”
“What?” Joseph exclaimed. “No! No of course not! Why would you ever—”
Before he could finish, Beric burst into tears. Joseph stepped forward quickly and wrapped the boy in a tight hug. Beric grabbed hold of him, letting both his crutches clatter to the ground. Joseph tightened his hold on Beric. Oh Lord, help me find a way out of this mess. Give me wisdom!
After a moment, Beric let go and placed a hand against the wall. His face twisted in pain. “I’m sorry, I need to rest,” he whispered before sliding into a sitting position on the cobbled street. Joseph sat down next to him and the two leaned back against the building. Beric wiped his face with the edge of his cloak and swallowed hard.
Joseph put an arm around Beric’s shoulders. “Beric, look at me.”
Beric slowly lifted his head and looked at Joseph.
“Beric, I don’t know what was going on back at the house, but I know the way you were speaking to Amelia was wrong.”
Beric nodded and looked down. “I was angry because the words didn’t make sense. So, I threw the book. Then she told me it was wrong, so I got angry with her.”
“Beric, I want you to know two things. One, When Amelia tells you something is wrong, you need to listen to her. God has given us to you as your parents and He says you must honor us. We’ll make mistakes, and when we do, we’ll have to repent of them, but you need to respect and honor us.”
Beric bit his lip and nodded.
“The other thing is your anger. You are a very strong young man, Beric. If you let yourself act out of anger, you can do a lot of damage and maybe even injure someone. You killed soldiers, Beric. Grown men. You could hurt Amelia very badly, and you could most likely seriously injure me as well. I don’t want to frighten you, but you must understand that you are strong, and you can’t just let your anger take over and do wild things. It’s sinful Beric, and people will get hurt.”
Beric sniffed and blinked several times. He managed a nod and wiped his eyes again with his cloak.
Joseph let out a deep breath. “We had better go back to the house. I need you to talk to Amelia when we get there.”
Beric looked up at him, the cloak’s edge still held tightly in his hand. “You’re letting me come back?”
Joseph shifted so as to fully face him. “Of course I am, Beric. Why wouldn’t I?”
Beric looked down. “Because I did that.”
“Beric no, that’s not how this family works,” Joseph said firmly. “You have been adopted into our family, just as you have been adopted as a child of God. Your goodness didn’t get you adopted, and your sin won’t get you thrown out. You are part of this family forever, just as you are part of God’s family forever. He will never cast you out, for you have been bought by the blood of Christ and you are His son.” Joseph leaned forward and gripped Beric’s shoulder. Beric looked up at him, his eyes pooling with tears. Joseph tightened his hold on the boy’s shoulder. “I will never throw you out either, Beric. You are my son, and you always will be.”
Beric grabbed hold of Joseph and Joseph pulled him close. For a long time, the two sat there and Joseph let Beric cry softly. Finally, Beric looked up. “I’m so sorry for the way I treated mother.”
“I forgive you, Beric,” Joseph replied.
Beric ran the back of his sleeve over his eyes and nose. “Can I go home and tell her I’m sorry?”
Joseph nodded and stood. Holding out his hand, he helped Beric to his feet and picked up the crutches. The two turned and started back down the street together. When they reached the Conway’s home, Joseph opened the door and let Beric go ahead of him. Beric came to the kitchen. Amelia was standing near the fire stirring the soup. The scattered kindling had been picked up and the book lay on the table. Beric glanced at it and then made straight for Amelia. He leaned his crutches against the table and then limped a step forward. Amelia hurried to him and Beric hugged her. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry, Mother, I was wrong. Will you please forgive me?”
“Of course, Beric,” Amelia replied. “Of course I forgive you.” She pulled his head against her shoulder and gently stroked his hair. “I love you, dear boy,” she whispered.
Joseph crossed his arms loosely over his chest and leaned against the door frame, a smile on his lips. Thank You, Father. Thank You for giving me wisdom.
Man is born for the fight, to be forged and molded into a sharper, finer, stronger image of God
Good section! I was going to say, it seems weird that Beric would change so quickly, but now I see he’s still going to struggle.
INTP 🧡 Homeschooler 🧡 Violinist 🧡 Current WIP: TCoH
Also, I just saw what you said to Linus about Liam not being a Christian. Then how does Sabina’s statement make sense?
Sabina smiled through tears. “He is happy now. Much happier and safer than I could have ever made him, and much more loved than I could have ever loved him.”
Also, I don’t know if an orphan who hasn’t had a family for a long time would be so quick to accidentally call Joseph Father. But maybe if he always wanted one.
INTP 🧡 Homeschooler 🧡 Violinist 🧡 Current WIP: TCoH
I was going to say, it seems weird that Beric would change so quickly, but now I see he’s still going to struggle.
Yeah. That new Christian/new place/new family/ thrill has just started to ware off, and now he’s hitting the hard part.
Then how does Sabina’s statement make sense?
Hmm. I’m not sure, I might cut that. In the first draft I think I had him become a believer….. *goes to check through drafts* Yeah, I did. Then I had him like one or two at one point, so too young to have made a choice to believe because he wouldn’t have understood. Then I fixed his age but forgot about this scene. So yeah, I’ll fix that. Thx.
Also, I don’t know if an orphan who hasn’t had a family for a long time would be so quick to accidentally call Joseph Father. But maybe if he always wanted one.
We’ll see what everyone else says. My idea was that he has had a father and this scene was bringing those memories back strong enough that “father” slipped. *shrug* we’ll see if the others read it that way, or if I need to change that too.
Man is born for the fight, to be forged and molded into a sharper, finer, stronger image of God
@hybridlore @linus-smallprint @koshka @keilah-h @elishavet-pidyon @grcr
We’ll see if this works, but I have decided randomly and impulsively that I will have this whole book posted on here by the end of the year.
Expect big sections in the time to come.
However, if I’m going to get this done it means that those of y’all who do make comments will have bigger sections to comment on. If that’s too difficult I can reduce it down to small chunks again. Whatever works best for y’all, because the feedback is worth more then the deadlines I decide to set. 😉
NEXT SECTION
So, the days passed, and soon the weeks melted into a month. Beric only used one crutch occasionally now, and he was beginning to walk on his own. Joseph and Amelia grew closer together as they united to raise up Beric. He brought so much joy and love into the home, and the poured out so much on him. The little family could not have been closer if Beric was their son by birth.
Each day, Beric’s faith strengthened, and his knowledge of God grew, as he sat beside Joseph or Amelia and listened as they taught him. He asked many questions, and some of these questions caused Amelia and Joseph to search the Scriptures deeper before they could answer.
The Caddicks loved Beric, and he frequented their home often, playing with the boys or listening to stories told by Mrs. Caddick.
Joseph returned to teaching in the church and leading the prayer meeting at his home.
The plague continued to sweep over the country and more fell sick and died. Joseph, Amelia, and Beric prayed each night for the safety of those they loved and the safety of the whole country. Sometimes, Joseph wondered what was happening at the border and if the army outside had broken in. He prayed for deliverance if it was God’s will.
One evening, the family was gathered about in the living room as Joseph read from the Bible. Beric was leaning against him on one side–– his crutches abandoned upstairs forever.
Amelia leaned against him on the other side, her head on his shoulder. Joseph read aloud in a clear voice.
“‘Praise the Lord, O my soul!
I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.Put not your trust in princes,
in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
on that very day his plans perish.Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps faith forever;
who executes justice for the oppressed,
who gives food to the hungry.The Lord sets the prisoners free;
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the sojourners;
He upholds the widow and the fatherless,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.The Lord will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord!’”Joseph ended the Psalm and the three sat in silence for a long time. At last, Beric spoke. “I like that part about not trusting in princes but trusting in God. I also liked that bit about Him being a Father to the fatherless.”
Joseph nodded. “Verses like this one were always special to me as well. In fact, this Psalm reminds me of one of my favorites.”
“Will you read it to me?” Beric asked.
Joseph nodded and flipped several pages. “Here it is.” Joseph cleared his throat and read.
“‘Why, O Lord, do You stand far away?
Why do you hide Yourself in times of trouble?In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;
let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised.
For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul,
and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord.
In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek Him;
all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”
His ways prosper at all times;
Your judgments are on high, out of his sight;
as for all his foes, he puffs at them.
He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.”
His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;
under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.
He sits in ambush in the villages;
in hiding places he murders the innocent.
His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;
he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket;
he lurks that he may seize the poor;
he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net.
The helpless are crushed, sink down,
and fall by his might.
He says in his heart, “God has forgotten,
He has hidden His face, He will never see it.”Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up Your hand;
forget not the afflicted.
Why does the wicked renounce God
and say in his heart, “You will not call to account”?
But You do see, for You note mischief and vexation,
that You may take it into Your hands;
to You the helpless commits himself;
You have been the helper of the fatherless.
Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer;
call his wickedness to account till You find none.The Lord is King forever and ever;
the nations perish from His land.
O Lord, You hear the desire of the afflicted;
You will strengthen their heart; You will incline Your ear
to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.’”Joseph looked at Beric. The boy was sitting very still, his face a little pale. No one spoke for a long time. At last, Beric broke the silence. “He was there.”
“Where?” Joseph asked quietly.
“He was always there, every moment of my life. He has always been there. Even when the soldiers had Liam and me, He was there with us. He was the one who set me free, and He was the one who broke the wicked that night. They did think God was far. They thought he wasn’t real. How soon they found out the truth!” He let out a long breath and looked up at Joseph. “I guess I never really thought about where God was in my life, just where God is now. He was there all along.”
Joseph nodded, putting an arm about Beric. “I find that too often I look ahead, and never stop to look back at what He has done.”
“‘Break the arm of the wicked.’ I like that,” Beric mused. “It’s sure the sort of thing I would say. I like the way David says things. He really understood what he was talking about. Only someone who has been through terrible trials with wicked people uses language like that. And yet, he still puts his whole trust in God.”
“I’ve always felt that way too,” Joseph admitted. “What about you, Amelia?”
“Yes,” she agreed. “And I always love that no matter how terrible the times are that he is writing about, or how angry or hurt he is, David always ends his psalms in praise. It helps me to remember to praise God— no matter what is happening.”
At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Joseph started slightly and glanced at Amelia.
“Oh dear, I hope no one is sick,” Amelia whispered.
Joseph got up and walked toward the hall. He paused and looked back. “Stay here, and don’t make any noise until I come back. You never know who it might be.”
Joseph walked toward the hall, pausing to grab his cloak. He came to the door and pulled it open.
“Good evening, Joseph.”
Joseph’s face broke into a wide smile. “Come in, come in!” he cried.
Soon the travelers were in the hall, and Joseph had closed the door and locked it.
“Leon! Julian!” Amelia cried, leaping to her feet when she saw them.
“Hello,” Leon replied, pushing back his hood.
Beric started to his feet with a cry of fright. It was then that Joseph remembered that Julian and Leon were from the Empire.
“Hold on, Beric,” he said. He came to his son’s side and put an arm about his shoulders. “These are two very dear friends of ours, Leon and Julian. They were imperial soldiers years ago, but they came to Christ and have been serving Him ever since.”
Beric looked from Joseph to the two young men. “They are Believers,” he repeated hesitantly.
“Yes,” Joseph replied. He drew Beric closer. The boy’s back and shoulders were stiff, but he let Joseph move him. Joseph looked over at the two travelers. “Leon, Julian, Amelia and I would like you to meet our son, Beric.”
Julian offered a hand, and after a moment’s hesitation, Beric shook it.
“I am so glad to meet you,” said Julian, warmly.
Beric nodded and then shook hands with Leon.
“How old are you?” asked Leon.
“Fifteen,” replied Beric, his voice a little hoarse.
“My word, Joseph! He’s going to be taller than you!” Leon exclaimed. “See here, he’s already my height! Back in my country, I used to be considered tall,” he added dejectedly.
Beric smiled slightly, and Joseph laughed.
“Come into the kitchen and get something to eat,” Amelia said.
“That’s what I love about you. Always know what a lad wants,” Julian grinned.
Leon elbowed him playfully, and the company hurried into the kitchen and gathered around the table, Beric still sticking close to Joseph and watching the young men with a shadow of apprehension.
Once everyone was gathered about the table and the two travelers had a chance to eat, Joseph began asking questions. “How have you been? I feel like the visits have been getting more frequent these past two years.”
“We can leave if you like,” Leon teased.
“We’ve been all over, but mostly down near the border keeping an eye on things,” Julian said in answer to Joseph’s question. “We came because we have news.”
“About the fighting,” Joseph asked, dropping his voice low and leaning forward across the table.
Julian nodded and looked to Leon. Joseph was certain that no matter how long it had been since they were in the army, Julian would never lose that respect he showed to Leon as his former commanding officer.
Leon leaned forward also and dropped his voice to a whisper. “They broke through.”
Joseph sat back hard, a stunned look on his face.
“The Vendailians and the others,” Amelia whispered.
Leon nodded.
“When?” Joseph asked softly.
“A week ago,” Julian replied.
Leon reached for his rucksack and flipped it open, pulling out a roll of parchment. He unrolled it and spread it out on the table, revealing a map of Ardenta and the edges of the countries that bordered it.
“They were here,” he said in a low tone, tracing a long section of the border. “Forces broke through here, here, and here,” he continued, pointing to three different spots. “We saw the flags of Vendailia, Donthanas, and Articara. Julian said he saw Ortogira warriors at one point, but so far, they haven’t shown a flag. The boarder is theirs, and the Imperial army withdrew to Andara.” he pointed to a city on the map. “It looked like the allied army is going to try and march inward. The problem is, there is a sizable force in Ravindra.” he pointed to another city. “With the mountains on the outer perimeters of these cities, they could band their forces and create a sizable blockade across the entrance to the rest of the country.”
“The plague is playing in though,” Julian said softly.
Loan nodded. “Yes, that is true. Most of the soldiers refuse to go into the cities because of it, and that takes away their fortresses. They’ll have to fight on open ground or risk the plague which has heavily infected those two cities.”
“What stops the allied army from entering farther along the border and coming in over here?” Joseph asked, pointing to a section beyond the mountains.
“That would take too long. You see, they only have this strip of the boarder, and they need to capitalize on that and hit fast and hard before the Imperial army has time to regroup and react,” Leon replied.
“And the people? What do they know of this?” Joseph asked.
“I think some know, but you have to pretend you don’t if you want to keep your life,” Julian replied. “The two cities; Andara and Ravindra are completely locked up again. Nothing gets in our out.”
“So, the Empire is busy trying to keep their borders from being breached, create a blockade, and keep two of their own cities under siege?” Joseph asked, eyebrows raised.
Leon grinned tightly. “Doesn’t look too good for them… I hope.”
“Has any Ardentan resistance broken out?” Amelia asked.
“No,” Leon replied, and the same time Julian said, “Yes.”
“So, which is it?” Joseph asked.
“I don’t know,” Leon replied. “What are you referring to, Julian?”
“Cartersville,” Julian said.
Leon sucked in a breath. “Oh… that.”
“What?” Joseph asked.
“A village sheltered a Vendailian spy. The soldiers found him,” Leon replied.
There was a long silence. Nothing more needed to be said for Joseph and the others to know what had happened.
After a moment, Julian spoke. “We weren’t there, thank God, but we heard about it. The spy was questioned and then killed, the rest of the village was massacred and burned to the ground.”
“Oh, dear God,” Amelia breathed.
“Everyone?” Joseph asked. “Even the children?”
Leon nodded and looked down. “It was a warning for anyone who knows the truth, and anyone who would like to find it out.”
“Things don’t look good with the plague, either,” Julian said after a moment of silence.
Leon nodded.
Joseph looked up. “Why? What’s happening?”
“The Empire has started blaming the plague on anyone they can, and the blame falls easiest on us,” Julian said.
“Us?” Joseph asked.
“They’ve started a rumor that the flowers of the One God are using black magic to spread the plague,” Leon said.
Joseph laughed incredulously. “That’s crazy. No one would believe that. We’re Ardentans, not the superstitious fools of the Empire. Not referring to you,” he added hastily.
Leon smiled tightly, but when he spoke his voice was laced with worry. “With a terrified, desperate, hurting people, the best story is often the unbelievable one. They want something to blame and take out their pain and anger on. Well now, they have it.”
“Has… has the Empire made any arrests?” Joseph asked.
“No, not yet,” Julian replied. “But they’re going to.”
“We know their ways,” Leon agreed. “They’ll let the hate grow and the anger simmer. Then, when they have the people, they’ll begin again.”
“After the last streak of killing, the people began to wake up and realize who was evil. Now, they’re ready to forget again,” Julian added. “The time is coming once more when we must bend or die.”
Joseph let out a long breath. “I knew, deep in my heart, that this would come again, but I prayed so hard and so long that it wouldn’t.”
“With such evil over this country, it will never end,” Julian said.
Joseph let out a long breath. “Then I pray that God will set us free before this storm breaks.”
Julian and Leon nodded. “Let us do so now,” Leon said.
They bowed their heads, Joseph taking Amelia’s hand. “Father, we come before You tonight with fear and hope,” he began. “Father, we have lived in the clutches of evil for so long. They do such terrible, cruel things. Oh Father, how long? How long must we endure? We are tired Father. We are weary of this fight and we long for peace. Please, Lord, please give the Vendailian allies strength to win. Fight the Empire on their behalf. Strike down Your enemies and lift up Your children. The Empire is turning the hearts of the people against You once more, and they prepare to destroy us. Death overshadows Your children. Do not abandon us to them! Save us, God! Oh, save us, please! Father, you know what we have suffered, You know we have endured. Give us the strength to continue to stand, and help us to trust You, no matter what happens. It is in the name of Your Son we pray, amen.”
They looked up at one another, the candlelight flickering off their faces and casting shadows about the room.
At last, Amelia spoke; “You both must be very tired. There is a room ready for you.”
“The normal?” Julian asked.
She smiled and nodded.
“Well, good night then,” Leon said, getting to his feet.
Everyone trooped upstairs, and soon the sounds of moving feet and opening and closing doors was still. Joseph and Amelia went to Beric’s room a few moments later to bid him goodnight. He was lying on his back, staring up at the roof, his face showing deep thought. When the two entered, he rolled over to face them.
“Father are we at war?” he asked.
Joseph came and sat on the edge of the bed, Amelia by his side. “Ardenta is not, but there are people fighting over us. You see, the Empire wants to keep us, but Vendailia and her allies are trying to push them out of Ardenta,” Joseph explained in a low voice.
“Will we be free if they win?” Beric asked.
Joseph smiled. “I believe so.”
“Why does the empire want to kill us so much?” Beric asked.
“Us Ardentans?” Joseph asked.
“No, the people who follow God,” Beric replied.
Joseph sighed. “Because they serve the devil, and he wants to wipe all trace of God off the earth. He knows he does not have the power to defeat God, so instead he wages war on the descendants of the woman. The promised Seed of the woman has already come and won the victory, and now all the devil can do is try to take down as many of us as he can with him when he falls. But we are no longer children of the world, for we have become children of God, and co-heirs with the promised Son. That is why he hates us so much, and that is why he seeks to destroy us.”
“God won’t let him though,” Beric said.
Joseph paused to think about this. “Yes, you are correct, God will not let him destroy us. The devil can kill and harm, but he cannot take us from God’s hands. We are safe. So, even if we die here, we are freed from the chains of death by the One who paid the price to ransom us; Jesus Christ.” Joseph reached over and picked up the Bible he had given to Beric, which sat on the bedside table. He flipped through it and paused. “Listen to the words of Jesus in Matthew,
‘Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of Your Father speaking through you. Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for My name’s sake.’
Beric was watching Joseph with a strange look on his face. Joseph turned the page and continued:
“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the Master of the house the Devil, how much more will they malign those of His household? So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges Me before men, I also will acknowledge before My Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies Me before men, I also will deny before My Father who is in heaven.”’”
Beric thought for a long time. At last, he spoke. “Jesus doesn’t want us to be afraid of going against the Empire, even though they can kill us. Instead, we should be afraid to go against God, who can kill us and also decides what happens after death.”
“Right,” Joseph nodded, smiling down at the boy.
“Since Jesus is our Master, and they did such cruel things to Him and killed Him, then we should not expect that the world will not do the same to us,” Beric continued carefully, and Joseph nodded again. “But if we endure, we will be saved. And He will help us endure, even if it is terribly hard,” Beric finished.
“Yes,” Joseph said. He looked up at Amelia, who had tears in her eyes, but was smiling.
Beric let out a slow breath. For a moment he looked as though he was going to say something. Then, he decided against it. He looked up at Joseph. “I’ve read that before. I wish I’d remembered it.”
“It is hard to remember the promises of God when the fire is raging around us,” Joseph said. “That is why we must commit His Word to memory and hide it in our hearts. Then, when the trials come, we have it ready at hand.”
“Could you help me remember where that passage is?” Beric asked.
Amelia pulled loose the ribbon that held back her hair. She untied it and smoothed it out, slipping it in the open pages of the Bible. “There, now you’ll always remember,” she said.
“Thank you,” Beric said. “I love you.”
“We love you too, son,” Joseph smiled. He hugged Beric and then stood. Amelia kissed Beric on the forehead and got to her feet. “Goodnight, dear boy.”
“Goodnight,” Beric replied, settling down under the covers.
Amelia leaned over and blew out the candle by his bed. Then she and Joseph left the room.
***
The next day was the Sabbath, and Leon and Julian joined the church in the Conway’s home. They were greeted with joy by those gathered there, and then everyone settled down to listen to David, who was leading the meeting that day.
After prayer, David opened his Bible and began to teach from the first chapter of James. When he finished the chapter, David paused a moment to collect his thoughts. Then, he looked up. “Be joyful in trials.”
The words hung in the room for a few moments, and everyone grew still, waiting for him to continue.
David smiled sadly. “That wasn’t really the thing I wanted to hear right now,” he said humbly. “Last week, someone I knew died from the plague. He wasn’t a close friend, but still, I had worked with him in the fields, and I knew him as an acquaintance. One week we were talking together, then next he was dead. When I heard the news, I went to my room and opened my Bible. My head was spinning from all the stress and fear, and all I wanted was for this horrible plague to go away and us to be set free. Father always told us boys to never hit a fellow when he’s down. Any of you boys ever been told that?”
There were nods and a few low chuckles.
David let out a breath. “Well, I felt like God was doing a good deal of hitting while we were down.”
Silence greeted those words, and David let it remain. After a time, he continued. “First, we lose our kingdom and are practically enslaved to the Empire. Then we are killed for what we believe, and now the plague. It just didn’t seem right.”
David looked down at the open book in his hands. “I went to the Word of God for comfort, something I have tried to make a habit. Well, I opened my Bible, and this was the passage my eye fell on; ‘Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds’.” David looked up again. “I hate to admit it, but I was angry with God. I felt like… like He was mocking me. Here I am, His tired, hurting child, and I come to Him to be comforted, and He turns around and says, “David, rejoice.” I was angry and confused. “Rejoice? How can I rejoice when You are letting so much evil happen?” I asked Him. “Do You even care?” I paced around the room, and sulked, and paced again, and felt completely sorry for myself.”
David shook his head, a sheepish look on his face. “Finally, I threw myself on my bed and continued to read the passage; ‘For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing’.”
David looked around the room. “There was the reason I should rejoice in trials. I should rejoice because the testing of my faith produces steadfastness, and once steadfastness has its full effect on me, I will be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. The trials are the refining fires. We are golden ore, but not pure gold. Unless we go through the fire, we never will never become pure. It is only after the fire that gold is beautiful and full of value. Only after all the impurity is burned away can it become gold. Only after we pass through the fire will we be ‘perfect and complete.’
Several people had begun to nod, and Joseph caught sight of Mrs. Caddick wiping her eyes.
“Wisdom,” David said, letting the word hang a moment. “If any of you have even begun to read Proverbs, you will know how important God says wisdom is. I would like to be wise, and I believe I possess some wisdom in some areas of life. But I am not full of wisdom— I certainly lack it in places. God says He will give wisdom freely, without reproach, to the one who asks. But there is a warning. If we are to ask for wisdom, we must do so with faith that God will answer that request. If we just go ahead and ask because it wouldn’t hurt to have wisdom if God actually did end up giving it to us, then we will get nothing. The one who asks without faith is unstable, and double minded. We must believe that God will do as He says, for God cannot lie. If He says He will do a thing, He will. To believe any less is to say He’s lied.”
There was a moment of Silence. Then, David continued. “What we gain here on earth will come to nothing. Like the flowers of the fields, our time here is short. We can spend it all in acquiring worldly gain, and then it will be over, and come to nothing. Only what we do in obedience to God will amount to anything. Let us strive to serve Him all our days in every area of life, so that when this short life is over, we will have used it for God’s glory. Not ours. Often when we are suffering through a difficult season, we lose sight God’s plans. This last verse tells us to open our eyes to God’s perspective so we might see the purpose behind the trials we face. ‘Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him.’ Blessed means more than simply being happy or fortunate. It speaks of someone who has been highly favored with grace from God. It describes an inner joy that is undisturbed by outward circumstances because it comes from resting and trusting in the Lord.”
David looked at them all once more. “Experiencing a trial is not a blessing in itself. Instead, it is steadfast endurance through the trial that brings God’s blessed gift— the crown of life. God has reserved an extraordinary blessing for those who serve Him faithfully and suffer for Him. Jesus Himself promised to give the crown of life to those who suffer persecution ‘even to the point of death’. The blessings gained through trials are not only for the distant future but also for here and now. When we face trails and trust God, we can see the opportunities for our own refining, and we can see opportunities to shine God’s light on others.”
David paused a moment. Then, he looked up. “Joseph told me about two young men. One was Aaron. A few of you knew him. The other was Adrian. Both young men died at the hands of the Empire, yet they remained steadfast, and they clung to their faith to the end. Their deaths impacted so many. It was Aaron’s death that first touched Adrian’s life and caused him to question the gods of his nation. And after Adrian died, his death effected Julian, Leon, and many others. We reflect Christ when we obey God. What could be better than touching the lives of unbelievers when we die. We will all die someday, so let our death be a light!”
Joseph found himself nodding to his brother-in-law’s words. It was strange that all these promises and passages concerning trials and faith kept coming up in his life. Hadn’t he just read two Psalms about trials last night? And then the passage in Matthew that he read to Beric. It was certainly encouraging. Then, a chilling thought came to Joseph. Is God preparing me to face something that lies ahead?
***
Later that evening, Joseph sat down at the kitchen table.
Julian and Leon were eating with the Caddick’s and would spend the night there before they took their leave and journeyed to the capital.
Joseph pulled out quill and parchment and sat down in the kitchen to write. Amelia was preparing supper, and Beric was trying to carve wooden animals like the ones Adrian had carved for Joseph, Asher, and Eric so long ago. Sabina still had them, and Beric had loved the small carvings. Now he was determined to make some for Beth and Andrew Caddick. Joseph watched the boy for a few moments. Then he turned to the paper in front of him.
Dear Sabina,
We are all safe and well. I hope this letter finds you the same. The plague is still going through the town, but it’s not rampaging as fiercely as it first did. I have hopes that our family and loved ones will escape it completely. So far, the Lord has kept us safe.Beric flourishes here and grows stronger in body, mind, and spirit each day. Amelia has been working with him and has finally decided to teach him to read by using the Bible. I thought was such a wise idea. The easier books that children are normally taught by are hard to find, and what better book could one learn to read then the Bible. He stumbles over the hard words, but he is grasping the short ones quiet well, and he is more eager to learn when it’s God’s word he’s trying to read. Before he couldn’t see much of a point to it, but now that he has realized he can read the Bible on his own if he’ll learn, he is more motivated. He is also learning to write, and though his spelling lacks in some areas, he is grasping it quite well. He remembers some things he was taught when he was very little, but he has been on his own so long, that Amelia is having a hard time unburying those long-forgotten skills. His faith in God is not at all lacking, no matter what his writing and reading suffers. His mind is quick, and his heart is open. Thanks to God, his leg has healed, and he is able to run and play with the Caddick boy, though he does still limp slightly. The scars are still there, but the ointments Amelia puts on them are helping them soften out, and they don’t give him as much pain as they used to. He just asked what I was doing, and when I told him, he asked me if he could write a note at the end of the letter for you. Amelia will want to add a few lines as well.
Beric has opened my eyes to many things, including how hard you must have worked raising three boys! Oh Sabina, sometimes Amelia and I are overwhelmed with just one! I don’t know how you did it. There have been a few times that Beric has lost his temper and slipped back into his old ways, but I can see that he’s frightened of himself when he does it, and I is working hard to stand against temptation. I often hear him asking God to help him in moments of frustration, and the change in him is clear and strong.
Sabina, I must confess, I have become worried as of late. With the report you will be given you will understand. My mind turns constantly to this matter of blame over the plague. I have a shadow of dread— a feeling I cannot fully chase away— that we are about to face a very hard time. God keeps bringing me to passages and verses concerning trials, faith, and endurance, and I can’t help but feel He is preparing me for something. Oh Sabina, things are so beautiful, even during this plague and our captivity. I am content and we are all at peace. Must it change? That old fear I have always had– the fear of braking when put to the test– has begun to creep through me again. I wish for once that I could see ahead and know what is to come, yet I am also terrified of what I might see! Perhaps I could stand strong, perhaps God would give me the strength to endure. But if harm came to one of those I love– Amelia, Beric, you, Noah, Darrien, Asher, Eric, the Caddicks… oh I can’t bear the thought. The horrors of those things that happened long ago still linger in my mind. The pain of loss is something I don’t think I could go through again. Oh, Father help me! Oh, Sabina, I am the same frightened boy I always have been. I wish I could outgrow these fears and doubts, but I know it is not so simple a thing. Only through God can I vanquish them. Pray for me, dear Sabina. Please pray for me.
I continue to pray for you, Noah, Darrien, Asher, Eric, Alicia, and the children every day. I thank God that those little ones finally came from the alleys. God does work in wonderful ways! To think how Amelia and I were there when they came so we could help as you cared for the sick ones. And we met Beric! I can hardly imagine life without him. He is such a beautifully changed boy! Now that the wall of hardness he built about himself to survive is down, he is loving, funny, imaginative, and all together pleasant to be with. I see now why the children loved him so much! They knew the real Beric.
Well, I had better close this, as I’m sure the others are anxiousness to write.
Your loving son,
Joseph.
Dear Sabina,
It was such a joy to visit you in the capital, even though the times we came in were hard. I am so thankful that God sent us when He did. I hope you, Noah, Darrien, Asher, Eric, Alicia, and the children are well. We are doing very well. Beric is such a joy, and it is so funny to go through reading, writing and spelling with him. He always wants to know why. Why does it sound like that? Why do those letters make that? Why can’t he do it this other way? Sometimes I am at my wits end. But the seriousness of his expression and his funny ideas do me in, and I’ll just sit and laugh helplessly while he blinks at me like a surprised young owl. Oh dear, it’s a surprise he learns anything from me! I am so completely useless at answering “why”. I don’t really know why; I just know that the letters do make that word.
One day I told him that, and he said, “Ah, so we must have faith in the letters to make the words.” I didn’t know what to say. It was so funny I nearly died. We have had a few rough places here and there, but he is learning, and what is even better, he is learning to resist the urge to lose his temper. It is such a joy to see him grow up. His faith is such an inspiration to me. I love Beric like my own son, and nothing will ever change that. Still, deep inside, there is a longing for a baby of my own. Joseph and I desperately want one, and Beric would be such a wonderful big brother. Sometimes it is hard to trust God in this area. I have been praying and learning. Though it is hard, I am starting to find the strength to give this desire to God.
Well, the soup is ready, and Beric is clamoring for a turn to try out his skills in writing. I’ll leave this last section of paper to him.
I love you, dear sister.
With love,
Amelia.
Dear Grandma Sabina, (Joseph said I culd call you that. I Hope you don’t mind)
I’m sorry my ritting isn’t as pritty as the others. I am still lerning. I am doing very well
heerhere. Mother and father are so kind. I am veryhapyhappy, and I have lots of good frends. I hope you are doing well and are safe. Tell the children ones I love them. I can hardly remember the bad times before I came here. Father and mother are teeching me to trust God, even when things are dark. Leon and Julian came to visit and I was able to meet them for the first time. I like them. I hope they come back to visit us soon. I was afraid of them the first time we met because they made me think of the soldiers who injured my leg. But they aren’t like that at all. My leg is much better, but I do limp a little.I hope to see you again soon. And the children too.
Love,
Beric
Beric set down the quill, looking very pleased with himself. Joseph had been watching him as he labored over each letter, the tip of his tongue peeking through his teeth and his hand grasping the quill tightly. Now he looked up, flushed and triumphant. “I only made two mistakes, and they were small,” he said excitedly.
“Well done,” Joseph smiled, taking the letter and blowing it gently to help the ink dry. He folded it up and wrote Sabina’s name on the outside, sealing it closed with the wax of a nearby candle. “Sadly, we won’t receive a reply as Julian and Leon can’t travel back this way. They will be heading out directly from the Capital, unless, of course, something very unexpected happens.”
“Maybe next time,” Beric said. “Are you sure she wants to be called Grandma, or ought I to cross that out?”
“No, she will love it,” Amelia said. “Joseph is her son, and you are his, so it is only right to do so.”
Beric nodded. “I smell supper,” he said, his mind quickly jumping to the next thing.
Amelia laughed. “Coming right up.”
After supper, Beric ran over to the Caddicks to give the letter to Leon, while Joseph and Amelia began cleaning the kitchen.
Joseph stacked his bowl in Beric’s and reached for Amelia’s. He was surprised to find it only half empty. “Amelia?” he asked, turning towards her.
Amelia was leaning on the counter she had been wiping. She looked a little pale and was breathing very deep and slowly.
“Amelia are you alright?” Joseph asked, coming to her side.
Amelia turned and smiled at him. “Yes, I’m fine. I just got a little dizzy for a moment.”
Joseph looked at her in concern and then held out the half empty bowl. “What about supper?”
“Oh…” she laughed slightly and shrugged. “I guess I wasn’t very hungry.”
Joseph set down the bowls and put an arm about Amelia. “Darling, you have to tell me if something is wrong.”
“We have to always been honest with each other, don’t we,” Amelia said, smiling at the memory of the conversation they had before Joseph asked to her to marry him.
“Yes,” Joseph replied, kissing her cheek.
“I haven’t been feeling very well today. I’m sure it’s nothing and I’ll be fine. I haven’t thrown up or anything, and I’m not even coughing. I feel completely fine… I just don’t feel very well.”
“That whole last sentence just contradicted itself,” Joseph laughed softly, trying to lighten the worry in his mind.
Amelia laughed and then choked back a small sob. “I’m perfectly alright,” she said. “I’m not going to be sick, and I am most defiantly not going to have the plague.”
Joseph bit his lip and pulled Amelia closer. “Alright then, if you say so. Do you want to lay down and let me finish up?”
“No, I’m fine,” Amelia replied. She moved toward the counter but then turned and pointed at Joseph. “I’m not sick.”
Joseph nodded. “Alright, you’re not sick.”
“And I’m definitely not going to have the plague. Ever,” she said sternly.
Joseph nodded, but his throat was tight.
Amelia nodded as if she had settled a question. Then she turned and began wiping down the counter.
Man is born for the fight, to be forged and molded into a sharper, finer, stronger image of God
Whoa. Can I ask how much of the book is still left? That seems like it’s going to be a lot of sections.
I don’t mind the longer pieces, though, (🤪) as long as you’re okay with me not being as nitpicky. Im not sure if you’re mainly wanting feedback on bigger things or if you want me to catch all the typos and everything too. If it’s mainly just feedback on scenes, that’s fine with me.
Nice foreshadowing (I’m not sure if it’s the right word). It wasn’t very subtle—now we know that something is definitely going to happen to test Joseph’s faith—but it fills the reader with anticipation and dread. I hope Amelia doesn’t die. To be honest, when she said her symptoms, I thought she might be pregnant, especially after her letter to Sabina. That would be an interesting twist—if everyone thinks she’s going to have the plague, but then she really ends up having a baby. But we shall see.
Anyway. There was a lot of long sections, but I see why you put them in there. It might be worth considering cutting them down to get the main point of the paragraph across, or inserting more dialogue throughout the Scripture passage so it’s easier to read.
Otherwise, good job. 👏 Excited for the next bit!
INTP 🧡 Homeschooler 🧡 Violinist 🧡 Current WIP: TCoH
Mainly just feedback. I have an actually editor who can catch typos, but if you see anything then you can mention it.
Nice foreshadowing (I’m not sure if it’s the right word). It wasn’t very subtle—now we know that something is definitely going to happen to test Joseph’s faith—but it fills the reader with anticipation and dread.
wonderful! That’s what I’m going for!!
I hope Amelia doesn’t die.
Oh dear.
That would be an interesting twist—if everyone thinks she’s going to have the plague, but then she really ends up having a baby. But we shall see.
Hmm, it would be.
Otherwise, good job. 👏 Excited for the next bit!
Thank you!
I don’t want to leave Linus in the dust which is why I’m trying to wait a little bit before posting the next scene as he’s two behind. But we’ll see. I might just post the next set before I get off.
Man is born for the fight, to be forged and molded into a sharper, finer, stronger image of God
We’ll see if this works, but I have decided randomly and impulsively that I will have this whole book posted on here by the end of the year.
Expect big sections in the time to come.
However, if I’m going to get this done it means that those of y’all who do make comments will have bigger sections to comment on. If that’s too difficult I can reduce it down to small chunks again. Whatever works best for y’all, because the feedback is worth more then the deadlines I decide to set. 😉
I do have to work quite a lot in the next week, so I won’t be online every day, but you can still post long sections to meet your goal and I can catch up when I am available. (I also get some longer breaks at work on some of those days, so I can read your chapters from the notification emails during these, which I probably will do.) I’ll see if I can get at least one of your new sections done today.
Sometimes it is necessary to paint the sky black in order to see the stars.
Sounds good!
I’ll see if I can get at least one of your new sections done today.
Wonderful!! Thanks! Looking forward to it!
Man is born for the fight, to be forged and molded into a sharper, finer, stronger image of God
Good section! I was going to say, it seems weird that Beric would change so quickly, but now I see he’s still going to struggle.
I have the same thought as Hybrid here. Beric has not only been independent for a while now, but he is also a teen. I’m glad you included the scene of his struggle to listen.
The soup began to hiss, so Amelia got up to stir the pot. She could hear Beric muttering to himself under his breath as he tried to sound out the words. “Remember what we talked about. “T” and “H” together can be hard or soft,” Amelia said over her shoulder.
What language are they speaking?
For a long time there was silence. All at once there was a crash as Beric sweat the book off the table and into a stack of kindling. “I’m done! I don’t want to learn to read!” he yelled.
Just a thought, my brother is dyslexic, so he struggles with reading and Berics reaction reminded me of him. Is there any chance Beric is dyslexic?
Also, my Grammarly just picked up a typo in this sentence. I think you meant to say: Beric swept the book off the table
Sometimes it is necessary to paint the sky black in order to see the stars.
I have the same thought as Hybrid here. Beric has not only been independent for a while now, but he is also a teen. I’m glad you included the scene of his struggle to listen.
Thanks. It actually wasn’t in the first or second draft. I had a reference made to it in the third, but I thought I should flush it out into a full scene.
What language are they speaking?
The Common tongue. (which is English.)
Just a thought, my brother is dyslexic, so he struggles with reading and Berics reaction reminded me of him. Is there any chance Beric is dyslexic?
No, but think how hard it would be, and how frustrating, to have never learned to read until your a teenager. Plus, Beric has some anger problems.
(I may or may not have considered throwing reading books when i was first learning.)
Also, my Grammarly just picked up a typo in this sentence. I think you meant to say: Beric swept the book off the table
Ah, thanks!
Also, I think it’s sad that fear that Beric had of messing up and being kicked out. But, I think it parallels the fear I’ve seen in some new Christians I’ve talked too, which is why I made that tie there.
Man is born for the fight, to be forged and molded into a sharper, finer, stronger image of God
@hybridlore @linus-smallprint @koshka @keilah-h @elishavet-pidyon @grcr
12/28/24
Section 1.
(hopefully that will make it easier for anyone behind to organize these parts.) 😉
if this section was too long, then I can cut them down. Just let me know.
NEXT SECTION
The next morning, Joseph awoke to the banging of the back door. He sat up slowly, blinking in the predawn light. He rubbed his eyes, wondering what on earth Beric was doing outside. Joseph slowly slid out of bed, still rubbing his eyes, and reached for his vest. He was trying to untangle the leather lacing when the door slammed again, and he heard steps race across the floor. A moment later there was a scream that broke into an anguished sob.
Joseph whirled about and found to his horror that Amelia was not in bed.
Terror lending wings to his feet, Joseph raced along the hall and flew down the stairs. He dashed into the kitchen and found Amelia on the floor, shaking with sobs.
“Amelia,” Joseph cried, running to her.
Amelia flew up, holding her hands out in front of her. “Get back, Joseph!” she yelled.
Joseph jerked to a stop. Never had Amelia yelled at him— or anyone else for that matter. She was shaking now, gasping for breath.
“Amelia, what is going on,” Joseph asked. “I heard you scream, are you hurt?
Amelia lowered one hand but kept the other upraised between them. She covered her face with her free hand, crying quietly. “I… I’m sorry Joseph, I didn’t mean to scream. I just couldn’t help it.”
“What happened?” Joseph asked.
“Oh Joseph, I fought it so hard. Oh, dear God, please no,” Amelia wailed.
Joseph stepped toward her.
“No!” Amelia cried, sliding away. “Joseph, you can’t come to me. You can’t!”
“Amelia, give me a good reason right this minute, or I will,” Joseph threatened, taking another step closer.
“I… I have the plague!” she sobbed.
Joseph felt like he’d been stabbed. He stood still, unable to breath. Amelia put both hands over her face and wept uncontrollably. Joseph slowly shook his head, willing this to be a nightmare. “You can’t! You said you didn’t!” he gasped.
“I was wrong,” Amelia sobbed.
“But how!” Joseph cried. “When did you know? How do you know?” He felt like he was drowning, grasping for anything that would save him.
“Last night I felt very dizzy and sick. I tried to fight it, but I couldn’t. This morning, I woke up. I was laying there when all at once I couldn’t breathe. I got up ran outside. I was throwing up out there, Joseph. I have it.” Amelia began crying again.
As Joseph looked at her, he had no thought for his own safety, only a burning grief and love for her. Before Amelia knew what he was doing, Joseph had dropped to his knees and pulled her into his arms.
“No!” Amelia gasped, trying to pull away.
“Hush, hush,” Joseph breathed, rocking her like a child. “Amelia, if you are going to… going to die, then I am going to spend every moment I possibly can with you. Whether I live or die is in God’s hands. I will not leave you to die alone! Do you hear me?”
Amelia nodded, sobbing against his shoulder. “I’m so, so sorry Joseph!” she wept. “If I had known this would happen, I would have never let you marry me. I never wanted to hurt you!”
“Amelia, listen to me,” Joseph said sternly. “If I had known this would happen, I still would have married you. You are not hurting me. You have done nothing but bring me joy and gladness. You have blessed me and encouraged me in so many ways. Amelia, look at me.”
She did, and he leaned forward and kissed her.
For a moment the two remained that way, then Amelia pulled back. “Joseph, stop it, you’ll kill yourself.”
Joseph tipped her face back towards him and kissed her again. For a moment she seemed ready to resist, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. “I love you,” Joseph whispered, his lips brushing against hers. “I love you so, so much, Amelia. I have never loved anyone so much, and I never will. Only my love for God will ever surpass my love for you.”
Amelia’s eyes were closed, and she relaxed into his arms, tears slipping from under her lashes. “Please be careful, Joseph,” she whispered.
“Oh Amelia, my love, how can I be careful when these are the last weeks, at most a month, that I will ever spend with you,” Joseph choked out. Tears trailed down his face as he bent and kissed her again.
“I love you, Joseph,” Amelia whispered.
“I love you too, dearest,” he replied, his tears dripping onto her.
They heard steps and Joseph turned to see Beric standing in the doorway, his eyes wide with fright and confusion. “What’s wrong with?”
Joseph swallowed his tears back with an effort and spoke in a braking voice. “Your mother is very ill, Beric. She… she has the plague.”
Beric stared at him, his face whitening. Then with a wrenching cry he flew to Amelia and thew himself on his knees beside her, wrapping his arms about her and sobbing.
Amelia opened her eyes and laid a hand on his head. “Beric, please don’t come near! You’ll get sick!” she pleaded hoarsely.
“No, no, no,” Beric gasped. “No, I won’t leave! Don’t let her send me away!” he pleaded, looking desperately at Joseph.
“My poor, darling Amelia,” Joseph whispered. “We love you too much to care what happens to us. We only want to be as near to you as we can for as long as we can. We won’t leave.”
Amelia gave in, opening her arm to Beric, who wrapped his own her about her and laid his head on her chest, sobbing brokenly. Joseph gathered Amelia closer to him, letting his head rest against hers as tears spilled down his face. “Oh Father God, give us strength,” he whispered.
***
No one went in or out of the Conway home after that morning. All over the town, the Believers united in prayer for the little family— who was dearly beloved by all. Food, water, medicines, clothes, and blankets were left in abundance on the doorstep along with messages of love and grief.
Amelia remained in bed, Beric and Joseph hovering about her whenever she was awake and catching brief rests when she slept. There were times when Amelia felt stronger, and then she insisted on getting up and doing what she could to neaten and tidy the house.
She didn’t help cook in the vague hope that Joseph and Beric were not going to get sick, but she did everything else she could, and often gave advise on how to make things taste better.
She was always thirsty and hungry, but only certain things she was able to eat without becoming violently sick.
In terror, all three waited for the day when the coughing would come. Amelia was not in much pain, just more of a discomfort, and for that at least, they could be thankful.
Joseph and Beric spent the days watching, waiting, and praying. Amelia wanted Beric to keep up his reading, so she asked him to read the psalms to her. These brought comfort, and Beric valiantly stumbled and sounded his way through them for her sake.
Joseph found himself driven closer to God each passing day. His faith strengthened, and though his sorrow and pain were deep, he found peace in his heavenly Father.
“Joseph.”
Joseph was sitting by Amelia’s bed, and he started when she spoke. “I thought you were asleep.”
Amelia shook her head.
Joseph stood and bent over her. “Is there something I can get you?”
Amelia thought a moment. “Could I have a slice of warm bread?”
“Of course,” Joseph told her. He turned, but Amelia grabbed his sleeve. “Joseph, where’s Beric?”
“Asleep by the window,” Joseph said, nodding to where the boy rested in a chair. “Should I wake him up?”
Amelia shook her head. “Joseph, take care of him for me.”
Joseph’s throat tightened and his eyes burned. He squeezed Amelia’s hand with both of his. “I’ll go get you the bread.”
Amelia let him go, and Joseph bounded down the stairs. In the kitchen, he searched high and low. Opening the bread box, he found it empty save a few crumbs. Joseph slammed his fist into the table. He closed his eyes and leaned against the table, his shoulders shaking as a sob tore from him. “Oh God, help me! Please help me!” he whispered. “I can’t do this, Father. I can’t watch her die! Please don’t make me watch her die! Please, please, please!”
After a moment, Joseph sucked in a shuddering breath and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. Moving to the stairs he came softly up to Amelia’s room. Amelia had her eyes closed and Joseph bent down close to her. “I will be right back. I promise.”
“Alright,” she murmured drowsily.
Joseph kissed her forehead and then left the room. He hurriedly pulled his boots on and ran outside into the cold winter morning, forgetting his cloak in his haste. He sprinted down the street, his breath clouding in the cold. Reaching the Caddick’s house, he knocked on the door and stepped down into the street.
Stephen answered the door, and when he saw Joseph, his face paled. “Where’s Amelia?”
“At home in bed. She’s alright. For now,” Joseph replied.
“Oh, thank God,” Stephen breathed. “What brings you here? Can we do anything?”
“Amelia wants bread, and we don’t have any. If I could just have a slice—”
Stephen held up a hand. “I’ll get it. Come in out of the cold.”
“I wouldn’t dare,” Joseph replied. “I can’t get your family sick.”
Stephen nodded and closed the door. He was back in only a few minutes, a basket on his arm. “This is fresh bread, and some other things mother got together for her,” he said.
He stepped into the street and handed the basket to Joseph. “We’re all praying.”
“Thank you,” Joseph replied.
Stephen laid a hand on his shoulder, but Joseph pulled away. “Please, Stephen, I can’t let you or your family get sick.”
Stephen nodded, his eyes filling with tears. “God be with you, Joseph.”
“Thank you,” Joseph replied. He turned and hurried away.
When he was out of sight of the Caddick home, Joseph stopped and leaned against the wall of a building. Tears ran down his face, faster than he could wipe them away. “Oh God, I feel so alone,” he whispered. Not only was Amelia dying, but now Joseph and Beric were cut off from all those they loved. They had been left to face this trial alone, and the wight of the isolation was crushing.
Joseph finally got control of himself and forced the tears to stop. Sucking in a breath, he turned and started down the street. When he arrived home, Joseph set the basket on the table and hurried upstairs. When he got to the bedroom, he found Amelia sitting on the bench by the window, hugging Beric and crying.
“Amelia!” Joseph cried, rushing towards her. Oh God please!
Amelia looked up. “Joseph! Oh Joseph!”
Joseph searched her face frantically for any sign of blood, but the next moment she was in his arms, her face buried against his chest.
Joseph stood holding her, his eyes filling with tears. “Oh Father,” he breathed. The images of that horrible cough tearing through Liam filled his mind and he closed his eyes against the memory. God I can’t do this! I can’t!
At last, Amelia looked up and touched his face with her hand. “Joseph, Joseph listen to me, look at me!”
He did and saw the strangest expression in her eyes.
“Oh Joseph! Oh, thank God! Thank God!” Amelia was gasping. “Joseph! I’m going to be alright! I’m not going to die!”
Joseph didn’t know what to say, and he searched her face for signs of delirium.
“Joseph, I’m not sick!” Amelia fairly screamed. “It’s not the plague! I’m not sick at all!”
“Then what on earth is wrong with you!” Joseph gasped, holding her close to him.
Amelia was trembling violently with fear or excitement. “Oh Joseph!” she panted. “Oh God is so, so good!”
“Amelia, tell me what’s wrong!” Joseph exclaimed. She was getting hysterical, and he couldn’t make sense of her words.
“Nothing!” Amelia cried, practically jumping up and down. “Nothing! Nothing! Nothing! Oh Joseph! We’re going to have a baby!”
Joseph reeled away and stared at her in shock. “What!”
“A baby, Joseph! A real live baby of our very own!” Amelia screamed, clasping her hands and bouncing up and down. “If the plague hadn’t scared me out of my mind, I would have seen the signs! I finally thought through this last month, and that’s when I realized it.”
“But… but the sickness!” Joseph stammered.
“It’s natural for a woman to feel extremely sick when she first conceives a baby. It’s completely normal and fine, and I’m not going to die at all,” Amelia replied, laughing wildly and sobbing.
“A baby! A baby of our very own! You have a baby?” Joseph gasped.
“Yes!” Amelia cried, throwing herself at Joseph.
He caught her in his arms and hugged her tightly, spinning her about the room and kissing her. “And I thought that I was about to lose you, but instead, God not only gave you back to me, but He gave me a child as well!” Joseph wept.
Amelia was still sobbing and laughing all at once. Joseph looked up at Beric, who stood by the window, eyes wide. Joseph opened his arm, and the boy ran to them, throwing his arms about them both. “Mother’s alright?” he asked excitedly.
“Yes,” Joseph laughed. “Oh yes, she is very alright!”
“And now you are going to have a baby brother or sister,” Amelia exclaimed, her voice giddy with relief and excitement.
“Oh Father God, thank You, thank You, thank You!” Joseph gasped, clinging to his wife and son and laughing and crying with joy.
A response came, a memory that was almost as clear as a voice. ‘Weeping may last for the night, but joy comes with the morning… You have turned my mourning into dancing; You have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.’
***
The news that Amelia Conway was not going to die, but was, in fact, going to have a baby, spread faster than wildfire, and soon tearful church family was in and out of the house, rejoicing with the Conways as deeply as they had mourned with them.
It wasn’t long before gifts were arriving at the house. Gifts for the new baby, which consisted of anything from a cradle to toys. Amelia, Beric and Joseph set aside one of the spare bedrooms and began preparing it as a room for the baby. Of course, the baby would sleep with Amelia and Joseph when it was first born, but it would eventually need a room of its own, and preparation helped to pass the time.
Beric was thrilled at the prospect of a brother or sister, for he dearly loved little children. He began working harder than ever with the little animals he was carving, eager to have them all finished by the time the baby came.
Amelia laughed and told him it would be nine months before the baby would be born.
Beric thought about it for a moment and then replied that this would give him more time to make more animals. His handwriting was smoothing out, as was his reading, though spelling was still a constant battle.
Winter dragged, making waiting almost impossible. Joseph didn’t think it was possible to stay trapped indoors all winter when he was longing for nine months to come to an end. After what seemed like eternity, one month passed.
Joseph was sure the waiting was going to kill him.
However, the next month brought events that chased the end of nine months to the back of everyone’s minds.
Joseph was walking through the town square with Stephen and David. The three had gone to a gathering of young men in the church. The time had been fruitful, and Joseph was left strengthened and encouraged. Now the three were pushing their way through the market.
If Joseph looked to his left, he would have seen the temple. Not a great affair like the pantheon, but still the most impressive building in the town. He didn’t look to the left though. In fact, he avoided it.
That same sense of deep spiritual evil and warfare hung about the place as it had about the pantheon. Joseph remembered feeling that sense very strong and very often when he was younger. Now, he had grown accustomed to it, after having lived with it for nine years. His senses had dulled slightly, though he still felt it, and he felt it stronger near temples and idols. He new what it was. He could feel the demonic powers in those places, and that feeling gave him the worst chill he had ever known. Something deep within him could sense that this was an evil greater than the Empire itself… and far more dangerous.
Stephen slowed to fall in step with Joseph. “I have a bad feeling.”
“What do you mean?” Joseph whispered.
Stephen shrugged and glanced about. “Something’s not right. I just have this feeling…” he trailed off.
Joseph stepped between to market carts. He glanced behind them, but no one was following, and no one seemed to be even looking at them. “Maybe we’re just all tense.”
“Maybe,” Stephen replied, but he didn’t sound convinced.
“Good sirs!”
Joseph and Stephen both looked up and David turned. A man was standing a few feet away, a wooden tray filled with bracelets and necklaces in his hands. The man came up and stopped right in front of them. “Good sirs, here I have with me talismans of power, blessed by the priests themselves.”
“No thank you,” David said, moving to sidestep him.
“But good sir, you do not understand the danger you are in. These will guard you from the black magic,” the man said, stepping with David.
Joseph’s head snapped up. “What black magic?”
The man looked about him nervously and lowered his voice. “The plague is not a sickness; it is a curse of magic laid on us.”
“By whom?” Joseph demanded.
The man lowered his voice even more. “Those who follow the one God.”
Joseph felt a chill race through him. “How do you know this?” he whispered back.
“The priests have pleaded with the gods on our behalf, asking them to protect us from the plague. They have not listened. Then, finally, the great god himself sent his messenger down to one of the priests. She stood before him in a circle of light and there reveled to him the truth. The gods do not save us because they are punishing us. The plague is created by those who follow only one God. A God from a strange land not our own. They are full of hate and wish to destroy the world. They have created the plague and send it out with magic to strike and kill. The gods are angry that we have let these vile creatures live beside us in our towns and cities. They will end the plague… for a price.”
“What price?” David asked warily.
“The blood of their enemies to be spilled on the temple steps, as it once was in the Capital.”
Joseph felt as if someone had knocked the breath from him. He took a slow step away. He could vaguely tell that the man was trying to sell his charms, and David and Stephen were refusing him. At last, the man gave up and turned away to go after a woman.
David put a hand on Joseph’s shoulder. “Are you alright?”
Joseph looked up at him, sucking in a breath for the first time since those last terrible words. He nodded, but they all knew it was a lie. David looked very strange, and Stephen had gone a little white. The three turned and pushed their way through the crowds, at last reaching to the streets. They hurried along them to the Conway’s home. Joseph fumbled blindly with the door handle. “Please, come in,” he said to the two.
The three stepped into the hall and walked to the kitchen. Amelia was there, laughing helplessly over something Beric had just said, and Beric was slowly carving a horse, grinning mischievously.
Amelia looked up, her eyes watering with laughter. “Joseph, you are not going to––” she broke off, seeing her brothers and the expressions on the three young men’s faces.
“Joseph, what’s wrong? Where have you been?” Amelia asked, taking a slight step back.
Joseph looked up at her. “Where have I been?” he asked slowly, not understanding.
Amelia was looking from one to the other. “The looks on your faces… something’s terrible wrong.” Amelia stepped forward and grabbed Joseph’s hands, drawing him to the bench by the table. “I don’t care what happened, or how important it is, we need to pray; right now.”
Stephen and David joined them on the bench, and Beric came to his father’s side. Amelia took David and Joseph’s hands, leaning her head against her husband. Joseph felt Beric leaning against him on the other side. He drew in a deep breath and spoke. “Father God, help us now. We are under attack in so many ways. Shield us from human enemies, but most importantly, shield us from the devil and his kind. Protect us from his arrows, rescue us from his hands. Pull us up out of this darkness and into Your light. Spread Your wings over us and be our rock and fortress. Be gone, devil! You have no place here. We are children of God, and we do not belong to you. You have no power here. Father God, protect us, and give us peace.”
There was a long moment of silence. Then, Amelia looked up. “What happened?”
Joseph let out a long breath. He could feel a presence of peace and protection, and the dark dread that had clung to him was gone. He turned to Amelia. “What Leon and Julian warned us of is beginning,” he said quietly. “In the market today, we were stopped by a peddler selling charms blessed by their gods or something like that. He said they were to protect us from the black magic. When we asked what he meant, he said that the plague was black magic created by the followers of the one God, and that they were trying to destroy the world. He said that their ‘gods’ spoke to the priests and told them that the gods will stop the plague for a price.”
“What price?” Amelia asked quietly.
“Our blood,” Stephen replied grimly.
“They plan to begin killing us again as they did in the Capital,” David explained.
“The blood of the enemies of the gods must stain the temple steps before the plague ends. That is what they’re telling the people,” Stephen finished.
Amelia sat very still; her hand tight in Joseph’s. Beric looked up; his eyes full of fear. “Are they going to kill us, father?”.
Joseph put an arm about Beric, holding him close. “They might.”
“Do they know who follows Christ?” Amelia asked. “I thought the church was hidden.”
David lifted his shoulder in a slow shrug. “I don’t know. But if they don’t, there are plenty of ways to force us to reveal ourselves or abandon our faith.”
“I had hoped the Vendailians and their allies would have saved us before this day,” Joseph said quietly.
“So did I,” Stephen agreed.
Amelia looked up at Joseph. “What do we do? Could… could we escape?”
“Where?” Joseph asked. “We’ll be charged as spies or something like that if we try to live out in the countryside, and this is going on in every town and city.”
“We just have to hold on and prepare for whatever God has planned for us,” David said.
Amelia squeezed her brother’s hand. “Do you known when it will start?”
“It probably already has,” David replied. “We could expect it to happen any moment now.”
Amelia took a deep breath and got to her feet. “In that case, I had better finish supper. No use going hungry and sitting here full of worry over something that may or may not happen.” She bent and kissed Joseph. Then she turned and went back to making supper. “Are you two staying or going home?” she asked David.
“Though we would love to stay, mother will be worried if we don’t come home,” David said as he got to his feet.
“Very well then, come over to supper whenever you want. I’ve missed you two, it will be good to have you,” Amelia said, coming over to hug her brothers.
After farewells were said and promises made to come over and share a meal sometime, David and Stephen hurried home.
The meal that night was a quiet one, and everyone was on edge, starting at the smallest sound. After their time of evening worship, the three went to bed. As Joseph said goodnight to Beric, the boy reached out and grabbed his hand. “Father are you… are you ready to die?” he asked softly.
Joseph paused. After a moment, he nodded. “Yes, I am. But I don’t want to. Still, if God calls me to lay down my life for Him, then I am ready.”
“I am too,” Beric whispered. “If we both must die, then I hope we’re together. I would be afraid to die alone.”
Joseph pulled him into an embrace, holding the boy close. “You won’t be alone,” he said quietly. “God is forever at your side, and He will bring you through the valley of the shadow.”
Beric leaned against Joseph; his eyes closed. “I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you too,” Joseph replied. “Now go to sleep, and don’t fear; your Father in heaven is watching over you.”
Beric nodded and lay back down. Joseph pulled the blankets up around him, wondering if this was the last time he would ever do this. He smiled at Beric and then blew out the candle.
In his and Amelia’s bedroom, Joseph pulled off his boots, but instead of putting them by the door, he set them beside the bed. Amelia had moved their winter cloaks to a chair beside the bed and had set Joseph’s Bible on top of them. Joseph smiled at her, and she came to him. He put his arms around her and held her close. The two stood alone together, comforted by each other and their heavenly Father. At last, Joseph looked down at his wife. “We should get some sleep.”
Amelia nodded.
It was near the middle of the night when Amelia was startled by Joseph tossing and turning. She sat up. “Joseph?”.
Joseph was muttering in his sleep, though she couldn’t hear what he was saying. Suddenly, he let out a hoarse cry. “Aaron! No, Aaron!” he sat up, gasping for breath.
Amelia wrapped her arms about him, leaning her head against his back. “Joseph, Joseph hush! It’s alright, it was just a dream.”
Joseph covered his face with his hands. “No, Amelia, it wasn’t just a dream! It was real… they killed him, and they will kill again!” he shoulders shook and a sob escaped him.
Amelia held onto him, crying softly against his back. “Oh Joseph, I’m so scared,” she whispered.
Joseph turned and pulled her into his arms, holding her close. “So am I,” he whispered. “Oh Amelia, I don’t know how I lived through all that, and I can’t do it again! I can’t. Oh God help me!”
“He will Joseph, He will help us all,” Amelia whispered.
Joseph continued to cry silently. “I told Beric I was ready to die. I was strong when he was looking up to me. But am I really, Amelia?”
“Maybe not, Joseph,” she said, softly. “I don’t think anyone is on their own. But God will be with you.”
Joseph didn’t reply, and the only sound was their breathing. At last, Joseph spoke. “I’m sorry I woke you.”
“It’s alright,” she replied gently.
Joseph let out a long, shuddering breath. “Beric is so brave, and his faith is so, so strong. I thank God that we were able to help him find Christ. I trust he will not falter if the time comes.”
“Neither will you, if you call on God for strength,” Amelia replied. “So many have died, and it cannot be that all of them were brave and strong. God gave them the strength they needed for the trial they faced. He will do the same for all who call on Him. You and I both know that.”
Joseph nodded and rubbed a tired hand over his eyes. He lay back down, and Amelia lay at his side. Joseph pulled her into his arms and whispered gently in her ear. “I thank God you are mine; you are such a strength and encouragement to me.”
“You are the same for me, Joseph” she replied.
Joseph smiled. “God, protect us this night, and give us peace,” he prayed.
A few moments later, both were asleep.
***
The days passed slowly, and Joseph wondered which would be the last. He struggled to let go of his fear and doubt, but he was slowly learning to cast this great burden upon the Lord.
There was a darkness hanging over the town. It felt like a heavy mist had settled over it— a mist of spiritual evil.
There was still hope that they would be set free before the storm broke… but it was a faint hope. The pressure was building like the pressure before a great storm, and it weighed heavily over the town. Sometimes, Joseph could feel the spiritual battle strongly, other times it was very faint; but it was always there. He wondered how he could have grown so dull to it.
One afternoon, Joseph and Beric were walking home together. Joseph had gone into town to buy more paper for a Bible he was copying, and Beric had asked to come with him. The sky was grey, and the air was cold enough that their breath clouded. Beric was walking well now, though if Joseph looked hard enough, he could tell which was the injured leg, for Beric moved a little stiffer with that one and had a slight limp.
“Well, well, who would have thought we’d run into you!”
Joseph looked up and saw Stephen and David making their way toward them. “Good afternoon, fellas. What brings you out in the cold?” Joseph asked when the two caught up.
“David and I found a few odd jobs today. Not much, but it’ll help us get through the winter,” Stephen replied.
“Is something wrong? Amelia, Beric, and I seem to be alright with just the money from last harvest,” Joseph said.
“Ah, but there’s only three of you,” David winked.
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Joseph replied. “If you need help, please tell us.”
“We will,” David promised. “But so far the Lord has provided for our needs.”
“How are you today, Beric?” Stephen asked, coming alongside the boy.
“I’m doing well,” Beric replied. “Father said that I can help him with the Bibles when my writing is clear. I’m working on it, and I think it’s improving.”
“Good for you,” Stephen said, slapping his shoulder.
“Are you two headed home?” Joseph asked David.
David nodded. “After we grab Quin. Mother’s nervous with the new threat and she doesn’t want him walking home alone.”
Joseph nodded. “I understand that. I don’t want Amelia in town by herself either.”
“How is she doing?” Stephen asked.
“She’s not been as sick, and after that scare when we thought it was the plague, nothing seems bad,” Joseph replied.
David sniffed the air. “Smell that? I think it’s going to snow.”
“Really?” Joseph asked. He looked up at the sky. “It just might. Oh, Amelia said to tell you two to come over to supper next week. I had a few things I wanted to talk with you about, and she’d love to see you.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Stephen grinned.
They came in sight of the inn, and the friends crossed the street and came to the door. They stepped inside, shutting the cold wind behind them. Joseph looked about, but there was no one in sight. Stephen stepped forward. “Quin? Where are you? It’s time to come home.”
There was no answer.
“Where is he?” Joseph asked.
David held up a hand and they all grew quiet.
The sound of a muffled shout reached them, followed by a boy’s cry. David and Stephen rushed toward the bar and dashed behind it. Joseph followed quickly and reached the door leading into the storeroom of the inn just seconds before they did.
Quin was back against several crates. He was shaking his head and tears filled his eyes. “They didn’t, Uncle! They didn’t do it! I promise!”
The Innkeeper was standing in front of Quin, his hands clenched at his sides and his eyes smoldering.
“What’s going on here?” David demanded.
His uncle spun on him. “You! No wonder you’re here. Come to finish the job, have you?”
“What?” Stephen asked in shock.
David moved slowly to Quin’s side and pulled the boy away and behind him. “Why were you yelling at Quin like that? What has he done?”
“Oh, I doubt he’s done anything… yet. But you can’t trick me. I thought you and your brother were fools. Now I see that I was wrong. You’re murderers and sorcerers!” He spun and pointed at Joseph. “And so are you!”
David glanced at Stephen and then looked back at his uncle. “What do you mean? What happened?”
The Innkeeper laughed harshly. “As if you didn’t know!”
“Cousin Mary’s sick,” Quin managed.
Stephen closed his eyes. “Oh dear God.”
The next moment the Innkeeper had him by the collar and had slammed him against the wall. “Keep your mouth shut! Haven’t you already done enough!” he yelled.
David put a firm hand on his uncle’s arm and pulled him back from Stephen. “Uncle, I am so sorry about Cousin Mary. We all are. Please, if there is anything we can do to help, then please tell us.”
The Innkeeper wrenched his arm away from David. “You think I’m fool enough to fall for that? Likely as not I’ll be sick after your visit! Keep away from here, all of you!”
“Uncle, you can’t really believe that,” David said, his voice gently reproachful.
His Uncle glared at him. “Oh I do, David, I do. The priests have spoken, and the gods have spoken to them. It’s clear who the guilty are.”
Stephen was looking at his uncle with incredulous shock on his face. “You really think we’re responsible? Just a few normal people living their daily lives, and suddenly you think we’re sorcerers spreading a plague over the entire country? That’s impossible!”
“We once said many things were impossible and we were wrong,” the Innkeeper growled. “It is because it’s so unlikely that it’s true. I never trusted any of you and your cultish meetings. Now I know my suspicion was right, but I never could have dreamed how cruel you could really be.”
David took a step back, a look of hurt on his face. “Uncle, we’re not cruel. We never did this. Why would we? How would we? It doesn’t make any sense! We never did it, you have to believe us. There will be bloodshed if rumors like this keep spreading. My family could be hurt or even killed. Please don’t keep saying this.”
“People we have known died!” Stephen exclaimed. “Family and dear friends of members of our so-called cult have died! Why would we kill our own if we’re spreading the plague? This is madness!”
“Murderers often make convincing liars,” the Innkeeper retorted.
“They’re not liars or murderers! You can’t say that!” Quin yelled. He lunged forward, but Joseph grabbed the boy and pulled him back.
“Uncle, I understand your pain. I felt it when I thought my sister was dying,” David said, gently. “Your grief is strong, and you want to let it out on something. The pain and anger have blinded you and you are willing to stay blind as long as you can have something to hate. But don’t, Uncle, don’t!”
The Innkeeper looked from David to Stephen, and for a moment it seemed as though he actually saw them for the first time. Then his eyes hardened. “Get out. Keep that boy out too. None of your family will ever set foot in this place again.”
David slowly shook his head. “Uncle, please don’t do this to Quin, he’s done nothing.”
The Innkeeper backhanded David hard across the face. Joseph caught his breath and took a step forward.
The Innkeeper moved close to David so that the two more facing one another squarely. “Mark my words boy,” David’s Uncle growled. “If she dies, you will pay the price, so you had better go home and call your magic off.”
David opened his mouth, but the Innkeeper brought up his hand warningly and David kept silent. He touched Stephen’s shoulder and then turned and walked past Joseph, taking Quin’s hand as he did so.
Stephen, Joseph, and Beric followed. They all stepped out into the street, but no one said anything for some time. At last, Quin looked up. “I’m sorry, David.”
“For what?” David asked, looking down at his brother.
“When Uncle told me about Cousin Mary, I said we should pray.” Quin sniffed and drew his sleeve across his nose. “That’s when he got angry.”
David squeezed Quin’s thin shoulders. “You did nothing wrong. I’m proud that prayer was the first thing that came to your mind. Father will be proud too.”
Quin shook his head. “No, he won’t.”
“Why?” Stephen asked, coming to Quin’s other side.
“Because Uncle took my job away. Now we won’t have the money we need,” Quin said. “I won’t be able to bring him pay like you do.”
Stephen smiled and patted his little brother’s back. “Quin, father won’t mind. Yes, your money helped a lot, but what’s more important is you acted in faith, even at the price of losing something. Father would be disappointed if you kept your job at the cost of your faith.”
“Stephen’s right,” David agreed. “We’ll have to stretch things here and there, but we’ll look for another job, and the Lord has provided for us so far. You did the right thing, Quin.”
Quin smiled and his shoulders straightened. He dropped back a few paces to talk with Beric, and Joseph moved to join David and Stephen. “Do you really think your uncle believes we’re responsible?”
David sighed and lifted his shoulders in a shrug. “Who knows.”
“I don’t think he really does. If he stopped and thought through this, he would know it’s not possible,” Stephen said. “But he’s so angry and scared and hurt that he doesn’t want to stop and think, he just wants to turn to something—anything— he could possibly find to blame, and the priests have given him a slightly convincing target.”
Joseph let out a long breath. “Do you really think he’d cause your family harm?”
“No,” Stephen replied.
David looked more hesitant. “There was real hate in his eyes when he looked at us. Grief and fear are strong, and if a man lets them take control of him, he might just do terrible things.”
“David, this is uncle we’re talking about, not some Imperial soldier,” Stephen argued.
David sighed. “I know, I know. Maybe the last years have made me more wary of people then I should be. I just…” he trailed off and shook his head. “Maybe you’re right. I just think we need to keep a close eye on him.”
The three were silent for a moment. Quin’s laughter drifted up to them, and Joseph glanced back to see Beric grinning mischievously. He smiled slightly and turned back to David. “I’ve never heard you mention your cousins. I didn’t even know your uncle was married.”
David sighed. “It wasn’t always like that, but after we believed in Christ and they didn’t, we began to drift apart. I haven’t seen Mary since she was… I don’t know, seven?”
“She was eight that last time we saw her,” Stephen said.
“Eight then,” David nodded. “That would make her about fourteen now.”
“You haven’t seen her in seven years?” Joseph asked in shock.
David nodded sadly.
“Quin sees glimpses of her now and then, but they never speak to us or come near us,” Stephen said. “Her father thought we were a bad influence.”
“And she’s his only child?” Joseph asked.
Stephen nodded.
“He completely doted on her when we knew them. I can only guess he still loves her dearly,” David added.
Joseph ran his hands over his face. “Oh Lord help our country.”
“Yes Lord,” Stephen murmured.
They came to the end of the street and stopped. “This is where we part ways,” David said.
Joseph nodded.
“Goodbye Quin, see you on the Sabbath,” Beric said.
“I’ll beat you this time,” Quin said gleefully.
“Oh, I’d like to see you try,” Beric retorted.
“Why don’t you two come over the day after Sabbath,” Joseph said to Stephen.
Stephen nodded.
The Caddick brothers waved farewell and then started down their own street. Joseph let out a slow breath and turned the other way. Beric fell in step beside him. “Father.”
“Hmm?” Joseph replied.
“I think that Innkeeper is a dangerous man.”
Joseph nodded slowly. “He might be, Beric. He might be.”
Man is born for the fight, to be forged and molded into a sharper, finer, stronger image of God
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