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Would you have been angry with him if he did leave her? lol.
I almost wrote a fake scene where he did, just to see how you would react. But I didn’t have time. XD
Hmm, I’ll think about that. I think that Aaron always had it in the back of his mind that this is temperary and he will go home. Only, now he can’t.
Did it not come across that way?
Riker dropped his voice to a soft whisper. “…I’m home.”
Here’s the next section.
In the following days, Aaron let go of all hopes of returning home. He accepted the reality that this was his new home, and would be a place he would never leave. He committed his father and sister to the Lord, trusting Him to watch over and protect them.
It was hard, but Aaron slowly let go of the fond dream he had cherished; the dream of walking through the fields of his native homeland, coming up the path, jumping the fence, and running to the door. He would catch his sister as she flew at him from the house. He would feel his father’s arms around him and hear his voice. They would have sat together and he would have told them everything, and his father would have smiled, pride and joy written on his face. Clorinda would have cried and laughed, and she would have hugged him and told him to never leave her again.
Oh how he had longed for that! Treasuring it in his heart, waiting for that day… Yet now, the only way it would ever happen would be if he abandoned Ardenta forever. With bitter tears he gave that dream to God and let it go, submitting himself to the will and plan of his Heavenly Father.
The Father did not leave His son alone and hurting. In that time, Aaron was given peace, comfort, and the strength to continue on. Aaron became more committed then ever to following the will of his Father in heaven. As each day passed, Aaron grew in his zeal for the Lord, understanding of His word, and strength of spirit and faith.
It was two weeks later that Noah, Sabina, Alicia, and Darrien were sitting together with the children, listening as Aaron lead the Sabbath meeting. The congregation was much smaller after the separation brought on by the governor, and they prayed earnestly for their brothers and sisters spread out over the country. Aaron was teaching from one of the letters to the early church, when they were startled by the door crashing open. An imperial officer and several soldiers stepped into the building, looking at the people gathered there. Aaron watched them approach, darting a glance at Sabina and his two friends. The officer came right up to Aaron and stopped. “Do you have permission to be holding this meeting?” he demanded.
Aaron faced him squarely. “No, was it needed?”
“Yes. No meetings or gatherings are to be held without permission. We will have no uprisings or rebellions,” the officer replied coldly.
“This is no such meeting, we are only gathered for worship,” Aaron explained.
“What of the work that needs to be done?” the officer challenged.
“The work will be done,” replied Aaron. “We meet before brake of day, and we will go to the tasks you have assigned at the time ordered. Have no fear of that.”
The officer looked around at the gathering. “You have no knowledge of the gods of your conquerors. None of you are priests or learned men.”
“We need none,” replied Aaron. “We do not worship your gods, we worship the One True God.”
The officer laughed. “Very well then, continue to worship the weak God that lost your country; but not today. This meeting is over. Now.” he looked hard at Aaron. “Or must we use force?”
Aaron shook his head. He felt it was better to let this meeting be cut short. After all, they were not forbidden to meet, but if they did not comply, that could very well change. For now, the meeting would end–– that is, until he better understood what the governor would and would not forbid. Then it would come to God versus man. Aaron looked over the people. “Go in peace, and may the Lord bless you and keep you. We will meet again soon.”
Aaron walked over to Noah and the others as the people quietly left. They stayed and watched until everyone was gone. The soldiers and the officer waited by the door, and made no sign of leaving until the five companions turned toward home.
Aaron looked at Noah. “I hope I did the right thing. I just didn’t want them to get violent. I will stand up if the time comes, but I felt that this was a moment when the best ting to do was comply. I don’t know though. I thought if we obeyed, then we would be able to explain what we were doing and get permission. Was I right to end it?”
Noah shook his head, letting out a deep breath. “I don’t know, Aaron. But I have the bad feeling this won’t be the last time a decision like this has to be made.”
Aaron nodded. He had the same feeling. A chill crept down his spine, and he shook his head to clear fearful thoughts.
A little ways ahead, Eric stumbled wearily. The sun was hardly up, and he had been awake for three hours. Aaron crouched and pulled the boy up onto his back. Eric laid his head against Aaron, and soon he was asleep, his warm breath brushing against the back of Aaron’s neck and shoulder. “Oh Lord,” whispered Aaron. “Keep these little children safe. Please!”
Riker dropped his voice to a soft whisper. “…I’m home.”
I almost wrote a fake scene where he did, just to see how you would react. But I didn’t have time. XD
Wow… I know it is the job of authors to torcher their readers, but that is mean.
Did it not come across that way?
Not really, sorry. I was under the impression that he had already accepted that he was staying in
It was hard, but Aaron slowly let go of the fond dream he had cherished; the dream of walking through the fields of his native homeland, coming up the path, jumping the fence, and running to the door. He would catch his sister as she flew at him from the house. He would feel his father’s arms around him and hear his voice. They would have sat together and he would have told them everything, and his father would have smiled, pride and joy written on his face. Clorinda would have cried and laughed, and she would have hugged him and told him to never leave her again.
Yes, this is what I would like to see earlier. This shows a sense of longing. Even if it is just a couple of sentences, something like this would help show that Aaron is missing his home. Also, he may occasionally mention seeing his family again before he decides to stay permanently.
This Empire is strict. I do not want to know what they would have done for COVID-19 restrictions. Are meetings allowed if an officer is present? I don’t know what you have planned, but if I was Aaron, I would invite the officer to watch the service to prove that it is not a rebellion meeting (and maybe convince him of the one true God as well), but that’s up to you.
A little ways ahead, Eric stumbled wearily. The sun was hardly up, and he had been awake for three hours.
I’m getting your book and mine mixed up. I imagined a tall, lanky, blond dude of age seventeen here before I realized this was not Eric Humler. Oops.
@linus-smallprint LOL you got your character and hers confused? That’s too funny.
Where'd I get ya this time? The liver? The kidney? I'm runnin' outta places to put holes in ya.
Wow… I know it is the job of authors to torcher their readers, but that is mean.
Oh, you have no idea what I’m capable of.
Yes, this is what I would like to see earlier. This shows a sense of longing.
Got it. Will go through and add.
This Empire is strict. I do not want to know what they would have done for COVID-19 restrictions.
Idk, probably killed anyone with covid symptoms.
I don’t know what you have planned, but if I was Aaron, I would invite the officer to watch the service to prove that it is not a rebellion meeting (and maybe convince him of the one true God as well), but that’s up to you.
So do you think him calling an end to the meeting that day was wrong?
I’m getting your book and mine mixed up. I imagined a tall, lanky, blond dude of age seventeen here before I realized this was not Eric Humler. Oops.
I can almost guarantee my Eric was first.
Riker dropped his voice to a soft whisper. “…I’m home.”
So do you think him calling an end to the meeting that day was wrong?
No. Aaron did not decide on more church services period. But I know the characters are going to try to hold another church service, and this was a possible solution that occurred to me for how they could continue to hold services with minimum conflict. If you have thought of another solution, then that is fine as well. It is your story. What you had Aaron may also make getting permission to meet easier as he mentioned.
I can almost guarantee my Eric was first.
You would have had to come up with him before 2020 then.
okay, that makes sense!
ha!!! I write the first draft of LTBL in 2018!!
I win!!Riker dropped his voice to a soft whisper. “…I’m home.”
Here’s the next section.
Time passed, and for a while things seemed normal. Aaron, Noah, and Darrien worked odd jobs here and there, scraping just enough coins together to pay for the needs of each day. However, that was soon to change.
“Aaron! Play with us!” begged Joseph.
“I haven’t got time,” replied Aaron, sitting down on the steps to lace up his boots. It was early morning and he, Noah, and Darrien were headed out in search of the day’s work.
The minute Aaron bent over, Joel, one of the youngest boys, leapt onto Aaron’s back, wrapping his small arms around the young man’s neck. “Be a horse!”
“I can’t,” Aaron managed as he yanked the laces tight. “I have to go to work.”
“Please Aaron!” cried Joseph.
“I’m going to be a dragon and burn down the house,” threatened Asher.
Aaron laughed.
Asher thought a moment, and then a mischievous grin broke across his face. “I’m going to go capture Sabina.”
Aaron looked up at him, eyebrows raised. “Now listen here Asher––”
“I’m going to go burn her up! You had better come save her!” giggled Asher. He, Joseph, and Eric took off for the kitchen, roaring as loud as the could.
Aaron sighed and stood up. “Okay Joel, here we go.”
Aaron crashed into the kitchen and the little boys howled with delight. They had Sabina surrounded, and she was laughing as she swatted them with her dishtowel. She looked up and saw Aaron and Joel. “Oh brave knight, save me!” she cried, swooning dramatically into a chair.
Joel yelled with delight and kicked Aaron, urging him forward. Aaron grimaced as the boy’s bare feet dug into his ribs. He lent forward and raced at Sabina’s three attackers.
For a few moments it was a tangle of arms and legs. Then Joel, deciding that being a knight was no fun, and dragons were better, blasted Aaron in the back with a wave of fire-breath and squirmed down. All four boys set upon Aaron, laughing and shrieking as he tickled them.
Aaron went down on one knee but broke lose and crawled away from the fight. He grabbed Sabina’s dishtowel and leapt up onto a bench at the kitchen table. “My lady!” Aaron called, holding out a hand to Sabina. She stood up on the chair and took his hand. Aaron swung her gracefully onto the kitchen table. “Stay there, princess. I will fight these cowardly knaves for you!” he cried.
Joseph breathed fire on him.
Aaron set about with the dishtowel, swatting it at the boys right and left, while Sabina laughed and called encouragement to him.
There was a pounding on the door in the other room. Aaron looked up. “I had better get that.”
Joseph had climbed onto the kitchen table, and when Aaron dropped down off the bench, he dove onto the young man’s back and hung on, wrapping his legs about Aaron’s waist.
Sabina laughed. “Go on, brave knight! Go answer the door.”
Joel and Eric each grabbed onto one of Aaron’s legs while Asher followed behind, roaring and breathing fire.
The five of them tumbled into the entry and Aaron pulled open the door.
Two Imperial soldiers stood outside.
Instantly the boys fell silent. Aaron carefully lowed Joseph down off of his back, and the boys retreated down the hall, their wide eyes fixed on the men. Aaron looked at the two soldiers. “Can I help you?”
“Outside, now,” one of them barked.
Aaron stepped outside and one of the soldiers shoved him into the road. “Are there any more men in the house?”
Aaron said nothing. He wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but he wasn’t about to give up Noah and Darrien.
“What’s going on?”
The soldiers and Aaron looked up as Noah stepped outside, Darrien close behind him.
“Are there any more men in the house?” the soldier demanded again.
“No, sir. We are the only ones,” replied Noah.
The soldier nodded crisply. “You three, follow us. Now.”
Aaron glanced back toward the house and saw Sabina down the hall, her arms around Joel. Aaron gave her a slight nod and then he turned to follow the soldiers. Oh Lord. Whatever happens, please protect Sabina, Alicia, and the children, he pleaded.
Noah nudged Aaron with an elbow. Aaron turned and found Noah was taking off his cloak. He held it out to Aaron. “Put this on.”
Aaron took it from him and fastened the cloak around his shoulders, pulling the hood up to hide his light hair.
“Do you know what’s happening?” Darrien asked in a low voice.
Aaron shook his head.
“Do you think it has to do with the meeting?” Noah whispered.
Aaron shrugged. “I don’t know.”
As they walked, Aaron noticed soldiers all over the place, going from house to house. Darrien leaned over to him. “It looks like they are gathering all the men and boys.”
“But why?” wondered Aaron.
Darrien shrugged.
Aaron refused to consider the reasoning behind the soldiers actions. Oh Lord, please keep us safe, he prayed silently.
It wasn’t long before they reached the city square. A crowd of older boys and men were already gathered, and the three were ordered to join them. Aaron stayed close to Noah and Darrien. He stood on tip-toe, trying to see over the soldiers of the tall Ardentans around him, but to no avail. At last he gave up and looked to Noah. “What’s happening?”
Noah shrugged.
Aaron could hear the low voices of those around him. It seemed the same question was on everyone’s mind, and no one had an answer. At last, an Imperial official road into the square on a horse. Everyone grew quiet and all eyes turned on the man.
Imperial soldiers stood around the square, crossbows in hand. Aaron swallowed slowly and glanced over at his friends. This felt very familiar. He remembered the last time they had stood in this square, mere moments after the last fight for the city had ended. It was here that Prince Edwin had been killed.
“Attention, men of Ardenta,” said the official. “Today marks a change in this new state of the Empire. Today we begin to repair and change this city. It is the Emperor’s desire that Ardenta become a beautiful and flourishing jewel in his crown of rulership. The time of war is over. A time of change has begun.”
There was a long silence as the Ardentan men took in these words. Then the Official continued. “I want all former shop owners and merchants to step forward.”
There was a moment of frozen silence. Then, slowly, a few men stepped forward. It wasn’t long before a quarter of those gathered had stepped to one side of the square.
“If any of the rest of you worked for these men or were apprenticed to them, go and join them,” commanded the Imperial Official.
Over half of the gathered Ardentans stepped away to join the shop keepers and merchants, and the man turned to face them. “You will be given places to reopen your businesses. One of the Governor’s men will come to speak to you about it.” Then he turned to the others. “The rest of you will be separated into three groups. The first group will work for the soldiers, the second will clear away the ruble and wreckage from the war, and the last will begin to rebuild.”
His words were met with silence.
The man motioned to several soldiers beside him, and they began to walk through the crowd, dividing up the men and boys. As one of the soldiers drew near, Aaron sent up a desperate prayer. Please Father, put Noah and Darrien somewhere will they will be safe, and if it Your will, don’t let them separate us.
“You and you,” said the soldier, pointing to Aaron and Darrien. “Over there with those clearing wreckage.” he turned and looked Noah over. “You, go with the builders.”
Aaron and Darrien both looked at Noah. He gave them a tight smile before he and turned and walked away. “May God be with you,” Aaron said, quietly.
Noah glanced back. “And with you.” Then he was gone in the crowd.
Aaron and Darrien dodged through the crowd and made their way to the team they had been assigned to. No one looked very happy, and several of the younger men stood in angry, defiant postures, while others shifted nervously. Darrien glanced at Aaron. “Well, how good are you at knocking things down?” he asked with an attempted at playfulness.
Aaron forced a smile. “My sister seemed to think I was pretty good at it,” he said, then inwardly winced at the reminder of what he had given up.
Darrien shifted uneasily at his side. “I hope Noah is alright,” he muttered under his breath.
It was not long before the very exhausting day began. It was hard work tearing down the damaged stone buildings that had once risen gloriously over the streets. Aaron and Darrien dragged away large chunks of stone, sweating as they worked. Their team was guarded by several soldiers with crossbows in hand. When at last, it grew too dark to continue, the men were rewarded with a small amount of money and told to go home.
Aaron and Darrien were almost to weary to walk, and they moved slowly down the dark streets. Half way there, they met Noah coming from another part of the city. The three friends greeted one another wearily. “How was the day?” asked Noah.
“Back braking,” groaned Darrien.
“I got so hot with this cloak on,” added Aaron.
“I’m glad you wore it,” replied Noah. “Those guards are going to get board, and the obvious fact that you aren’t Ardentan will be too plain to miss. They’ll start causing trouble.”
“What he needs is a hat,” said Darrien. “If is hair was covered I think his blue eyes would go unnoticed.
When they arrived home, Aaron, Noah, and Darrien were nearly smothered by the children, Sabina, and Alicia.
Aaron nearly forgot his weariness as he swung Eric in the air and tussled Joseph’s hair. Sabina watched, her eyes shining. When Aaron untangled himself from the boys she stepped forward. “Aaron, I’m so glad you’re safe,” she whispered. “I’ve been so frightened.”
Aaron laid a hand on her shoulder. “Everything is going to be alright, Sabina.” Then he pulled his hand away and dug into his pocket. Pulling out three coins he dropped them into her hand. “It looks like the Lord is going to provide for us in a very unexpected way.”
Sabina laughed, tears of relief filling her eyes. “Oh Aaron, you have no idea how frightened I was.”
“Probably about as scared as I was,” chuckled Aaron.
After dinner had been eaten and the children put to bed, Aaron and his friends gathered around the kitchen table. Aaron, Noah, and Darrien told the girls about their day at work, and Sabina and Alicia weren’t very happy.
“They treat us like slaves,” stormed Alicia.
“I don’t like it. Especially for you, Aaron,” added Sabina. “What if one of the guards noticed you were a foreigner?”
“I have a hood,” shrugged Aaron.
Sabina shook her head. “I don’t like it,” she said again. “Not one bit.”
“I think this is God’s way of answering our prayers,” Noah said.
Alicia snorted.
Aaron leaned forward. “No, he’s right. All these months we’ve been praying that one of us would find a steady job. Now, all three of us have one.”
“But they barely pay you. You’re practically doing it for nothing,” Sabina replied. “It’s so unjust, Aaron.”
“Your right, it’s unjust,” agreed Aaron. “But with the money we brought today, you’ll be able to buy something for dinner tomorrow, and maybe even a pair of shoes for one or two of the children, or some fabric for new clothing.”
Sabina sighed. “I just hate you three being so close to those soldiers. And Noah has been separated from you.”
“God’s ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts,” reminded Darrien.
Noah nodded. “We can’t ask Him for things and then get angry when He gives us an answer just because it’s not the answer we wanted. That’s the way the gods of the Empire work. The priests decide what they want, then they ask for it, and then they tell the people the answer they wanted to hear and put the name of the gods behind it. If that is what we want from God, we had better go to the Empire.”
Sabina looked up. “I understand. It’s just hard sometimes.”
“I know what you mean,” agreed Noah. “I sure wasn’t happy about being separated from Aaron and Darrien. However, God has a purpose for it.”
Riker dropped his voice to a soft whisper. “…I’m home.”
In case anyone is interested, I did a Joseph aesthetic.
Riker dropped his voice to a soft whisper. “…I’m home.”
@ellete-giselle very cool, is that the same one I confused for being from your other character?
Where'd I get ya this time? The liver? The kidney? I'm runnin' outta places to put holes in ya.
Well, that’s one way to get a job. I feared at first that the three guys were all being conscripted and sent off to war.
That’s it? I wait for four days to get a response from anyone and I get one sentence! I am affronted! lol. XD
Nope, not sent to war, though I wouldn’t put it past the Empire. Right now it’s just forced labor. With a teeny, weeny bit of pay.
I should post tomorrow so keep an eye out.
Riker dropped his voice to a soft whisper. “…I’m home.”
That’s it? I wait for four days to get a response from anyone and I get one sentence! I am affronted! lol. XD
Yeah, this is a mix of me being busy/kingdom pen not letting me know that you have posted new stuff despite the fact you properly included my tag. Sorry.
If you post tomorrow, please know I may not comment on it until Thursday and I may not have as much time to spare for longer feedback. I will try to give you something though.
No problem. I’m only a little bit eager for you to read this because as soon as you are done I can send it to me editor……. no pressure. I don’t know why @keilah-h has dropped out of this. I’m guessing she’s still reading…..
Do you want me to tag you again if you have not responded by Thursday, in case for some reason you don’t get the first tag?
Riker dropped his voice to a soft whisper. “…I’m home.”
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