the tower above. It came from the shadows, the firelight barely illuminating its massive wings until it was almost on top of them. Enoch cowered in fear.
The angel landed quickly and gently upon the floor of the throne room , while the fires moved erratically and threatened to blow out from the sudden rush of wind. Instantly, the dark angel faced the throne and knelt , pulling his wings around himself like a cloak . “ Minn Rada . A g afsokun fyrir a truflun . Vi d hafa nagra ovalkommet gestir ved a ost hlidid. ”
“ Som ar den ?” the one on the throne asked.
“ En Hauta-Lara av a A matru , med ti es k ort. A Hauta - L ara leitar r ad et me d a Pri - Rada .” the winged angel replied.
“What’s happening,” Enoch whispered to Ananel.
The angel inclined his head to the human without taking his gaze from the one on the throne. “A Speaker of the armies of H eaven is at the gate, seeking council with Semjaza .”
Semjaza looked past the winged angel. “You see, Ananel. It is not just the Myndar y m . In fact, He sent only a prophet to you, while he sent an army for me. ”
“ V a d skal ag ger, minn Rada ?” the winged messenger asked.
Semjaza looked slow ly from the messenger to Ananel, then to Enoch and back. “ Se gja da, ag ar senda en mann , e n spaumadurinn ad tala pa minn rakning. Vanta ved a hlidid til han kemur.”
“ J a , Rada m i n ,” the angel replied. Then he rose, unfurled his massive wings, and leaped into the air. As his wings thrust downward, several of the fires set into the walls blew out. In an instant, the angel disappeared into the shadows above the chamber.
“What’s happening?” Enoch asked again.
Ananel kept his eyes on Semjaza and only held up a finger to Enoch, indicating that he should wait.
“Little one,” Semjaza said. “Since you claim to know the voice of the Holy One, and have shown faithfulness in delivering His message, you will now deliver a message for me.”
Enoch looked quickly to Ananel, whose face was now unreadable.
“ Go to the Speaker at the gate. Tell him that I repent of my disobedience. I will need time to meditate upon my actions, but I will take council at the break of daylight. Then I will be ready to accept whatever terms he is offering. Do you understand all of this?”
Enoch nodded.
“Good. Ananel will escort you to the gate. ”
Ananel ’s face still showed no emotion as he descended the steps through the doorway in the floor.
Enoch looked once more at the angel upon the throne and his guards, then hurried to catch up to Ananel .
Once outside, Ananel’s pace quickened and Enoch was running again to keep up.
“Who is this Speaker ?”
Ananel stopped and turned around. Kneeling, he looked straight into Enoch’s eyes. “Prophet , y ou’re going to have to do this on you r own.”
“Wh — You’re not going with me?”
“No. I’m afraid not. I have more pressing matters. Just follow the road the way we came in. When you get to the gate, announce yourself as the prophet who speaks for Semjaza. They’ll be expecting you.”
Before Enoch could reply, Ananel’s form began to dissolve into a multitude of embers, drifting into the air. When they converged, they took the shimmering form of a four-legged animal. Then the radiance subsided and a massive wolf stood in its place. “Good luck,” it growled, then burst into a run along the land bridge, moving faster than at any time during the previous hours.
When Ananel was gone, Enoch looked up to the sky.
What have I gotten myself into? Holy One of Heaven, I am beyond my capacity to understand what Y ou’ve laid before me. Give me Y our wisdom and Y our strength to discern what is right. Give me the words to speak, for fear holds my tongue captive.
With a deep breath, Enoch put one foot in front of the other and began to make his way back in the direction he’d come.
Chapter 9
When Sariel crossed
The angel landed quickly and gently upon the floor of the throne room , while the fires moved erratically and threatened to blow out from the sudden rush of wind. Instantly, the dark angel faced the throne and knelt , pulling his wings around himself like a cloak . “ Minn Rada . A g afsokun fyrir a truflun . Vi d hafa nagra ovalkommet gestir ved a ost hlidid. ”
“ Som ar den ?” the one on the throne asked.
“ En Hauta-Lara av a A matru , med ti es k ort. A Hauta - L ara leitar r ad et me d a Pri - Rada .” the winged angel replied.
“What’s happening,” Enoch whispered to Ananel.
The angel inclined his head to the human without taking his gaze from the one on the throne. “A Speaker of the armies of H eaven is at the gate, seeking council with Semjaza .”
Semjaza looked past the winged angel. “You see, Ananel. It is not just the Myndar y m . In fact, He sent only a prophet to you, while he sent an army for me. ”
“ V a d skal ag ger, minn Rada ?” the winged messenger asked.
Semjaza looked slow ly from the messenger to Ananel, then to Enoch and back. “ Se gja da, ag ar senda en mann , e n spaumadurinn ad tala pa minn rakning. Vanta ved a hlidid til han kemur.”
“ J a , Rada m i n ,” the angel replied. Then he rose, unfurled his massive wings, and leaped into the air. As his wings thrust downward, several of the fires set into the walls blew out. In an instant, the angel disappeared into the shadows above the chamber.
“What’s happening?” Enoch asked again.
Ananel kept his eyes on Semjaza and only held up a finger to Enoch, indicating that he should wait.
“Little one,” Semjaza said. “Since you claim to know the voice of the Holy One, and have shown faithfulness in delivering His message, you will now deliver a message for me.”
Enoch looked quickly to Ananel, whose face was now unreadable.
“ Go to the Speaker at the gate. Tell him that I repent of my disobedience. I will need time to meditate upon my actions, but I will take council at the break of daylight. Then I will be ready to accept whatever terms he is offering. Do you understand all of this?”
Enoch nodded.
“Good. Ananel will escort you to the gate. ”
Ananel ’s face still showed no emotion as he descended the steps through the doorway in the floor.
Enoch looked once more at the angel upon the throne and his guards, then hurried to catch up to Ananel .
Once outside, Ananel’s pace quickened and Enoch was running again to keep up.
“Who is this Speaker ?”
Ananel stopped and turned around. Kneeling, he looked straight into Enoch’s eyes. “Prophet , y ou’re going to have to do this on you r own.”
“Wh — You’re not going with me?”
“No. I’m afraid not. I have more pressing matters. Just follow the road the way we came in. When you get to the gate, announce yourself as the prophet who speaks for Semjaza. They’ll be expecting you.”
Before Enoch could reply, Ananel’s form began to dissolve into a multitude of embers, drifting into the air. When they converged, they took the shimmering form of a four-legged animal. Then the radiance subsided and a massive wolf stood in its place. “Good luck,” it growled, then burst into a run along the land bridge, moving faster than at any time during the previous hours.
When Ananel was gone, Enoch looked up to the sky.
What have I gotten myself into? Holy One of Heaven, I am beyond my capacity to understand what Y ou’ve laid before me. Give me Y our wisdom and Y our strength to discern what is right. Give me the words to speak, for fear holds my tongue captive.
With a deep breath, Enoch put one foot in front of the other and began to make his way back in the direction he’d come.
Chapter 9
When Sariel crossed
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