asleep with his hand in m ine and his words of comfort filling my heart.
When I woke, my hand had been returned to my side, and Gideon was not in camp. Ethanim was on a knee in the center of our tents and bedrolls building a fire.
“Is there food?” I asked him, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.
He pointed to a sack of what was probably grain and grinned.
It had to be corn flour.
Cumeni hadn’t had much in the way of stores when we had taken it, and even though I was hungry and grateful for the food, I did not feel victorious taking spoils from the enemy.
That day Gideon commanded us to walk the perimeter of the city to look for weaknesses in the walls. We found none, but it took us much of the morning and afternoon. Then we tried to sleep because we were assigned to the gates again that night.
When twilight was falling, Lib woke us, and we began to make our way together toward our post.
“Gideon stopped by earlier,” Lib said to us. “The spies came in this afternoon . Helaman has been spotted on the back trail.”
“The treacherous one?” I asked, but my heart lifted.
Lib sent me a commiserating smile. “I don’t know, but they are coming.”
They arrived just after full dark. Reb ran to inform Teomner and Gideon. I searched the ranks as the others in my unit heaved open the heavy gates.
The striplings had been marching since I had heard them pass by the ravine two mornings before. They must have been exhausted, but the noise they were making made it clear that adrenaline was still running high.
I w anted to run through the ranks to locate Micah and Zeke, to see if Kenai had returned with the army. Darius and Jarom had likely arrived that afternoon, but if I knew Kenai, he would still be out keeping a studious watch on the enemy.
I watched the troops for a few moments as they marched through the gates, and finally I thought I saw Micah in the moonlight.
“Micah!” I called softly.
He turned toward my voice, and I saw it was him.
“Ket!” he said. “You’re safe! You look well.”
I nodded. “I am fine. The takeover went peacefully.”
“Good. That is what I’ve heard.”
“And you?” I asked. “Did you have to engage the enemy?” I knew they hadn’t. The Lamanite army was so large there was no way Helaman could have fought long enough to defeat them and return.
“No. We led them on a chase halfway to Zarahemla. When the first evening fell, we made like we would camp for the night. And when darkness fell, we took the back trails to return to Manti by moonlight. By morning, we had a good lead on them. Some of it was slow going in the darkness, but we made it.”
“Where is the enemy army camped?” I asked. Most of the men had passed by us now, and we stood alone in relative quiet.
“They are a full day’s march away. We’ll have time to sleep and rest before they arrive here, and we’ll fight them if we have to.”
“Gid says they won’t attack us,” I said. “He says the city is well-fortified.”
“They probably won’t then. But their numbers are many. Their leaders may yet feel they have enough of an advantage to take the city back. They know we are but few.”
I bit my lip. “Where’s Zeke?”
Micah put a hand on my shoulder and smiled. “He’s making camp. Wait until morning.”
I nodded slowly.
Micah squeezed my shoulder and bid me goodnight.
I went back to leaning against the wall as the boys closed the gates behind Micah. I could hear the guards on the other side slide the bars home.
I looked at the moon , obscured by the heavy clouds, and let the relief wash over me.
Chapter 9
The next afternoon, the other men were not in camp when Lib walked me back from the forest. Gideon was the only one who remained, and he seemed to be waiting for us.
“ You’re to tend to the needs of the women and children here,” Gideon told us as he headed off in the direction of the government building. “You will find the men working their way through
When I woke, my hand had been returned to my side, and Gideon was not in camp. Ethanim was on a knee in the center of our tents and bedrolls building a fire.
“Is there food?” I asked him, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.
He pointed to a sack of what was probably grain and grinned.
It had to be corn flour.
Cumeni hadn’t had much in the way of stores when we had taken it, and even though I was hungry and grateful for the food, I did not feel victorious taking spoils from the enemy.
That day Gideon commanded us to walk the perimeter of the city to look for weaknesses in the walls. We found none, but it took us much of the morning and afternoon. Then we tried to sleep because we were assigned to the gates again that night.
When twilight was falling, Lib woke us, and we began to make our way together toward our post.
“Gideon stopped by earlier,” Lib said to us. “The spies came in this afternoon . Helaman has been spotted on the back trail.”
“The treacherous one?” I asked, but my heart lifted.
Lib sent me a commiserating smile. “I don’t know, but they are coming.”
They arrived just after full dark. Reb ran to inform Teomner and Gideon. I searched the ranks as the others in my unit heaved open the heavy gates.
The striplings had been marching since I had heard them pass by the ravine two mornings before. They must have been exhausted, but the noise they were making made it clear that adrenaline was still running high.
I w anted to run through the ranks to locate Micah and Zeke, to see if Kenai had returned with the army. Darius and Jarom had likely arrived that afternoon, but if I knew Kenai, he would still be out keeping a studious watch on the enemy.
I watched the troops for a few moments as they marched through the gates, and finally I thought I saw Micah in the moonlight.
“Micah!” I called softly.
He turned toward my voice, and I saw it was him.
“Ket!” he said. “You’re safe! You look well.”
I nodded. “I am fine. The takeover went peacefully.”
“Good. That is what I’ve heard.”
“And you?” I asked. “Did you have to engage the enemy?” I knew they hadn’t. The Lamanite army was so large there was no way Helaman could have fought long enough to defeat them and return.
“No. We led them on a chase halfway to Zarahemla. When the first evening fell, we made like we would camp for the night. And when darkness fell, we took the back trails to return to Manti by moonlight. By morning, we had a good lead on them. Some of it was slow going in the darkness, but we made it.”
“Where is the enemy army camped?” I asked. Most of the men had passed by us now, and we stood alone in relative quiet.
“They are a full day’s march away. We’ll have time to sleep and rest before they arrive here, and we’ll fight them if we have to.”
“Gid says they won’t attack us,” I said. “He says the city is well-fortified.”
“They probably won’t then. But their numbers are many. Their leaders may yet feel they have enough of an advantage to take the city back. They know we are but few.”
I bit my lip. “Where’s Zeke?”
Micah put a hand on my shoulder and smiled. “He’s making camp. Wait until morning.”
I nodded slowly.
Micah squeezed my shoulder and bid me goodnight.
I went back to leaning against the wall as the boys closed the gates behind Micah. I could hear the guards on the other side slide the bars home.
I looked at the moon , obscured by the heavy clouds, and let the relief wash over me.
Chapter 9
The next afternoon, the other men were not in camp when Lib walked me back from the forest. Gideon was the only one who remained, and he seemed to be waiting for us.
“ You’re to tend to the needs of the women and children here,” Gideon told us as he headed off in the direction of the government building. “You will find the men working their way through