holding my gaze.
“That stone is in no way a promise,” I said.
“I didn’t think it was,” he replied and finally did turn to catch up with my brother.
“What do you think it is then?” I called quickly, for I did not know when I would see him again.
“A stone waiting to be slung!” he called back over his shoulder.
Then what was this stone I felt sharp in my hand? This broken stone that he had picked up in the aftermath of a fight and saved.
I stared after him for as long as I dared. He walked next to Darius with confident, easy strides. I turned my eyes to Lib and Reb, both waiting , both wearing speculative looks.
“You can wipe those dumb looks off your faces,” I said as I approached them.
“But what would we replace them with?” Reb asked.
“That does present a problem, ” I laughed.
We walked together in the direction Gideon had directed us. As we passed through the camps of the Lamanite army, I couldn’t help staring at all the tents. Their army was huge, and I knew that if they overtook Helaman, the striplings could not stand against them.
Josh ua and Zachariah made the evening meal out of spoils we took from among the Lamanite provisions and then, as our captain had commanded us, we settled down to sleep. I slept deeply, despite all the unknown scenarios that had been racing through my mind, until the first watch when Lib called from outside my tent.
“Are we on all night?” I asked him as we walked through the city.
“The first and second watches.”
We waited and watched half the night in a weighty kind of silence, but our army did not arrive. No spies came through the gates, either.
“You worried?” Corban asked me.
I spit out the nail I had been gnawing off. We were next to each other, leaning back against the wall of the city.
“I don’t mind being outside the gates,” I said. “It doesn’t bother me.”
“I meant about your brothers and, you know, Zeke.”
“Yes,” I said simply, and we left it at that. They were out there running from a large and angry army, and I had no way of knowing yet if they would return to the city safely or go to their eternal glory. I couldn’t think about them, but not thinking of them on that cool, dark night seemed like a dishonor.
The watch passed uneventfully, and when our replacements came, we made our way back toward our tents inside the city. Teomner and Gideon had established guards to enforce the curfew for the residents of the city, and we waved to the guards as we passed. There were also soldiers manning all the towers and watch posts. At least half our army was awake, but all was quiet as we walked through the city.
We approached a fire at the head of our army’s camp and saw that Gideon sat with Teomner. Their heads were bent together, but as we neared, I could see they were in fact bowed, and the two men were in prayer.
Gideon joined us as we passed. All the boys hailed him a greeting, but he fell in next to me. I didn’t know how he wanted it to be between us now, but I was tired and scared for the others and grateful for his concern.
“What are you doing?” I yawned as he dragged his bedroll from the other side of the fire to the door of my tent.
“It’s the third watch.”
He meant to guard my tent while I slept.
“Gid, you can’t,” I said. “You need your sleep. One of the others will do it.”
“ Stop calling me that.” He sighed. “Now is not the time for me to be disobedient to the commands of the Holy Spirit. Get some rest, Kanina.”
I got into my tent, putting my head near the door, and as the others were settling in to their tents and bedrolls, I said, “I’m afraid for them.”
He peered in at me. “I know. ” Reaching in, he took my hand in his. I shouldn’t have, but I reached toward him to accommodate his gesture. “Your fear will not help them, but your faith will.” He squeezed my hand. “They are worthy of the highest blessings of protection, and so are you.”
I fell
“That stone is in no way a promise,” I said.
“I didn’t think it was,” he replied and finally did turn to catch up with my brother.
“What do you think it is then?” I called quickly, for I did not know when I would see him again.
“A stone waiting to be slung!” he called back over his shoulder.
Then what was this stone I felt sharp in my hand? This broken stone that he had picked up in the aftermath of a fight and saved.
I stared after him for as long as I dared. He walked next to Darius with confident, easy strides. I turned my eyes to Lib and Reb, both waiting , both wearing speculative looks.
“You can wipe those dumb looks off your faces,” I said as I approached them.
“But what would we replace them with?” Reb asked.
“That does present a problem, ” I laughed.
We walked together in the direction Gideon had directed us. As we passed through the camps of the Lamanite army, I couldn’t help staring at all the tents. Their army was huge, and I knew that if they overtook Helaman, the striplings could not stand against them.
Josh ua and Zachariah made the evening meal out of spoils we took from among the Lamanite provisions and then, as our captain had commanded us, we settled down to sleep. I slept deeply, despite all the unknown scenarios that had been racing through my mind, until the first watch when Lib called from outside my tent.
“Are we on all night?” I asked him as we walked through the city.
“The first and second watches.”
We waited and watched half the night in a weighty kind of silence, but our army did not arrive. No spies came through the gates, either.
“You worried?” Corban asked me.
I spit out the nail I had been gnawing off. We were next to each other, leaning back against the wall of the city.
“I don’t mind being outside the gates,” I said. “It doesn’t bother me.”
“I meant about your brothers and, you know, Zeke.”
“Yes,” I said simply, and we left it at that. They were out there running from a large and angry army, and I had no way of knowing yet if they would return to the city safely or go to their eternal glory. I couldn’t think about them, but not thinking of them on that cool, dark night seemed like a dishonor.
The watch passed uneventfully, and when our replacements came, we made our way back toward our tents inside the city. Teomner and Gideon had established guards to enforce the curfew for the residents of the city, and we waved to the guards as we passed. There were also soldiers manning all the towers and watch posts. At least half our army was awake, but all was quiet as we walked through the city.
We approached a fire at the head of our army’s camp and saw that Gideon sat with Teomner. Their heads were bent together, but as we neared, I could see they were in fact bowed, and the two men were in prayer.
Gideon joined us as we passed. All the boys hailed him a greeting, but he fell in next to me. I didn’t know how he wanted it to be between us now, but I was tired and scared for the others and grateful for his concern.
“What are you doing?” I yawned as he dragged his bedroll from the other side of the fire to the door of my tent.
“It’s the third watch.”
He meant to guard my tent while I slept.
“Gid, you can’t,” I said. “You need your sleep. One of the others will do it.”
“ Stop calling me that.” He sighed. “Now is not the time for me to be disobedient to the commands of the Holy Spirit. Get some rest, Kanina.”
I got into my tent, putting my head near the door, and as the others were settling in to their tents and bedrolls, I said, “I’m afraid for them.”
He peered in at me. “I know. ” Reaching in, he took my hand in his. I shouldn’t have, but I reached toward him to accommodate his gesture. “Your fear will not help them, but your faith will.” He squeezed my hand. “They are worthy of the highest blessings of protection, and so are you.”
I fell
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