Chapter Three
A N E W P R I D E
“Find Jerith.” Nehemiah spoke quietly. I need you both to hide along the path to the dragon’s den. If you see anyone, detain him. And Bakuk, let no one know where you are going.”
“I will do as you ask, but…”
“I’ll send word to you later.”
Bakuk struck his chest with his fist and hurried off.
Nehemiah scanned the bustling village for his wife. He headed toward the smell of cooking food. The sight of roasted lamb made his stomach rumble. Ezria, along with Sara, Mary, and a few other elder women of the village worked tirelessly to make a communal feast to fill the bellies of those working to repair the damages to the village. Nahorim, despite his injured ankle, was eager to be of use to the village. He and his grandfather spent much of the morning down at the river. Just as Ezria hoped, upon their return they contributed a healthy amount of fish to be steamed. Tables with dishes of assorted food and drink were set around the village square for all to rest and receive nourishment. Nehemiah tore a small piece of steaming meat off the bone, and approached his wife. Ezria had a stack of plates that were gathered from the homes of many of the women. She was setting them along the tables preparing to call the young children to eat first, allowing the adults to eat while discussing the tactics of rebuilding.
Nehemiah placed his hand on the small of Ezria’s back as he popped the piece of meat into his mouth and chewed quickly.
“Ezria, we need to talk.”
“Funny, I was thinking the exact same thing.” She placed the final plate onto the table and motioned for Sara to call the children over to eat.
“What is this I hear about you planning an attack on Netiro?”
she asked in a hushed voice as Nehemiah led her away from the village square.
“It has to be done, Ezria. We’ve lost two people, many of our sheep are lost, Mettal’s home is beyond repair, and almost half our crops are destroyed. Many are injured and there is so much damage. We’ve put up with this far too long. It ends tonight.”
“How?” she demanded. “How does a man kill a dragon? You have mere swords and spears against the dragon’s strength, fire, claws, and fangs. He has conquered this village before. You said yourself that magic was the only thing that would defeat him. What do you hope to accomplish?”
“He needs to know that we will not take his abuse any longer. Even if we are unable to kill him, at least we can teach him a lesson.”
“What lesson?” Ezria exclaimed.
“Shh, not so loud.” Nehemiah warned, and then they both looked around to see if there was anyone within earshot.
“How easily you can be killed?” she continued. “Nehemiah, you are a dreamer. You have many great ideas. You are brave and charming; you’re a wonderful leader and everyone looks up to you. But sometimes you don’t use good sense. You get so caught up in your ideas and plans that you cannot see their flaws. You cannot defeat the dragon without at least a strategy or a trap…Yes, that’s it! A trap! Trick him! Postpone the battle for a day or two while we come up with…”
“There is no time. I spoke with your grandfather. He advised me to act quickly. I should have the support of the elders and most of the men. I didn’t come here to fight with you Ezria. I need your help.”
“My help? What could I possibly do?”
“Do you remember that smell on the side of Bakuk’s hut that just would not go away? I still don’t know what those boys got into, but he tried everything to get rid of it. Then you made that concoction and cleared it right out?”
“Yes, but what..?”
“Do you think it could remove the scent from a man?”
“Perhaps, but only temporarily. Why?”
He smiled and kissed her forehead. “Wonderful. I need you to make enough to cover every able man in the village. In the dark of night he won’t see us, and with your herbs he won’t smell us. We will fill his belly until he is heavy, and attack as he sleeps in his cave!”
Ezria didn’t like it, but his mind was made up, and his plan seemed reasonable.
“What of Elijah?” she asked. “Helen is nearly out of her mind with fear.”
“I have no intention of allowing that fool to join this battle, despite what he is telling everyone.”
She nodded. In her mind she began a list of ingredients.
“It will take hours to make that much. I’ll need every available pot brought to a boil. As soon as Demetrius has finished eating, tell him to come home and bring along a few other children as well. He knows the herbs I need. There might not be enough this time of year, but there may be something better.”
Nehemiah cocked his head and watched her counting on her fingers.
“There is a flower that works to relax the mind. I’ve…mixed it with your tea on occasion when you are a bit too, uh,…”
“You poison me?”
“You’re still alive,” she smiled. “If I can find enough, and mix it with his food in such a way that he won’t smell or taste it…”
“Woman, you are brilliant.” He grabbed her and kissed her again.
“Well, one of us has to do something to keep you alive.” She pulled away, her eyes wide and brow furrowed with a new idea.
“Why not give him enough to kill him? I’m not sure it can kill or how much it would take. If we had more time I…”
“No, it must be done tonight.”
“I still don’t understand the hurry. I could test it on some of our livestock. It may waste good meat, but save many men’s lives.”
“Ezria, your grandfather fears Netiro may strike again soon, very soon. I can explain later, but trust me when I say time is against us. Gather your herbs quickly. We will put him to sleep and strike while he is helpless.”
She nodded. His mind was made up; there was no deterring him. He was following the words of her own grandfather. She must do everything she could to insure their success.
“I love you, Ezria.”
“I love you, too.”
He squeezed her hand before they hurried to complete their tasks. Ezria ran to Sara and instructed her to start boiling as much water as possible, while Nehemiah found Demetrius and told him that his mother had a very important task for him and a few friends.
As the children finished their meal, Sara and the other women quickly cleared the tables and prepared for the adults. The elders, seven men chosen to guide Nephram by their vast experience, congregated around the head table. The oldest of them called for attention.
“Let us first give thanks,” he said in his raspy voice.
The crowd fell silent and the work stopped so he could be heard. They were grateful for the break. The day had been long, and they were weighed down by their losses.
“Thanks to our God for protecting us. Yes, there is much lost, but our losses must not overshadow what has been spared. Thanks also, to our beautiful women who prepared this meal for us to share. Let this be a testament to what can be accomplished when we pool our resources. Come, let us enjoy.”
People flocked to the tables. Sara could hardly serve the food fast enough. Nehemiah pushed his way through the crowd to stand with Zakaria. Zakaria stood looking amongst the crowd with his scroll in one hand. His lips moved behind his thick beard as he counted the people.
“What name do you have for me?”
“Thus far, Nehemiah, your friends Bakuk and Jerith are the only men unaccounted for. No one has seen them in quite some time.”
“They are guarding the path to Netiro’s den,” Nehemiah whispered.
“Ah. This is wise.” Zakaria found their names and checked them off. “The elders will support you. We have a bit to say during dinner, but then it will be up to you.”
“How did you convince them?”
“Quite easily actually.” Zakaria smiled. “I told them the sooner we allow you to attack the dragon, the sooner we’d be rid of you.”
Both men burst into laug
hter.
“Yes, I suppose that would do it.”
During dinner there was no mention of the planned attack on Netiro. However, Ezria and Nehemiah were both well aware of the glances towards them. The elders spoke of the progress made and what still needed to be done. Their prayers for those lost and their words of encouragement became background noise as Nehemiah and Ezria discretely discussed their plan.
It wasn’t until a nudge from the man sitting beside him, that Nehemiah brought his attention to the meeting. Nearly everyone was finished eating and Zakaria stood before the village, holding up his arms to quiet the whispers and mutterings.
“As I’m sure you have already heard,” Zakaria began, “we don’t believe we can live like this any longer. After much thought, we have come up with a plan to defeat the dragon. Nehemiah has agreed to lead the attack.”
Zakaria paused to allow the people to digest his words. The mutterings turned into outrage.
“How can we possibly defeat the dragon?” one man yelled out.
“Nehemiah will lead us to our deaths!”
“Coward! Why should we wait for the dragon to come and kill us all?”
“Quiet! Quiet down!” Zakaria commanded. “We understand your fear, for we share it. But we owe it to ourselves to at least hear his plan.”
All eyes turned to Nehemiah. He took Ezra’s hand under the table and gave it a slight squeeze before he rose to speak.
“It upsets Netiro when we have little to offer, yet he comes during the night and destroys what little we have. How can we ever please him? How much more suffering must we endure? How long before we are forced into famine? Then what? Will he begin killing us all one by one? Will we be forced into the wilderness where there is even less food and water? How many more will die then? I say we have sacrificed too much already. The women were able to find enough food for us today, but what about tomorrow?” He paused and looked over the crowd. His eyes stopped on one of the men who objected.
“You ask how can we defeat the dragon? He is too big, he is too powerful, no one can defeat him. But have you really looked at the dragon? On his side, along his belly, there are scars. Have you noticed? Scars like those from an animal. Maybe they are a hundred years old, but they are there.”
“Yes!” another man shouted. “I have seen them, and more on his wing!”
“Yes! And how does one receive a scar? Only by being wounded! The dragon is not immortal; he is not all-powerful. Any creature that can be wounded can be killed! Yes he is big, yes he is strong. But he is one and we are many! Look to the lions that kill an elephant. One solitary lion is easily crushed under its powerful tusks and feet. But together, as a pride, they can destroy those thick-skinned giants. The lion does not want to face such a powerful opponent, but when his survival and the survival of his pride depends on the meat the beast would provide, it does not cower before those mighty tusks. No longer are we rabbits that burrow into the ground in the face of danger. No longer shall we cower at the sound of his roar, or shy at the sight of his shadow. We are lions and our survival depends on being free of the dragon!
“No more sharing our hard-earned food with a lazy dragon! No more living in fear, lying awake in our beds worrying that he will burn our homes to the ground. Enough suffering! I don’t want to live the rest of my days like this! I don’t want our children and their children to live like this! We must end it now! Tonight we slay a dragon!”
Most stood up and cheered. Nehemiah looked at Ezria and saw her pride. When the people settled down, he continued.
“We will feed Netiro tonight with a large helping of whatever leftovers we have and more. He will think we are willing to do anything to please him. Ezria has found an herb that will make him sleepy. I’m sure it will make a nice seasoning for his food.” He smiled at his wife. “While he sleeps, his belly heavy and full, we sneak into his cave and destroy him!” His voice rose when he asked, “Who will march with me?”
All of the men shouted their eagerness to volunteer. He watched their faces, looking for a few in particular. He found Elijah cheering near the front of the crowd and stepped close to him.
“My friend Elijah, I would not ask this of many. I need someone I can trust to stay behind and watch after my wife and son, as well as the other women and children. There is still much to be done here; much is still left in shambles. Would you please do me that honor?”
Elijah looked stunned; he was clearly disappointed that Nehemiah wanted him to stay behind. He studied the ground for a moment trying to think of a response.
“I think I would be of more help to you in battle. Don’t you think? I am ready to fight the dragon. I am not afraid.”
“I realize how eager you are to join me in battle, but someone whom we all feel is very trustworthy and resourceful should remain behind. I can’t think of anyone better than you. Your task is just as important as being in battle. Life must continue. The women and children must be looked after. The sheep need protection from the wolves. Mettal’s home needs to be rebuilt. Someone must stay, just in case.”
“What about Mettal?” Elijah asked. “He is also a good man. He would do well taking charge of the women and children.”
“I agree. I was hoping that you would take charge, and that Mettal, since his son is injured, would also remain behind as your assistant.”
He turned to Mettal for support. Elijah also met Mettal’s eyes through the crowd. Mettal nodded at Elijah in acceptance of the task assigned to him. Helen held her breath. The entire village was waiting for a reply. Finally, after a long moment of silence, Elijah turned back to Nehemiah.
“If you feel it is best, I would be honored to look after the women and children.”
“Thank you my friend. I feel much better knowing that my wife and son will be well cared for while I am away.”
He discreetly glanced at Helen and gave her a smile. Without even having to ask, Nehemiah knew that Mettal would look after his family should he fail to return.
Next, he turned his gaze to look for yet another amongst the crowd. He found him far in the back.
“Yamin!” he shouted. “Your children have lost their mother to the dragon. It is unacceptable for them to loose their father to the same fate. I am sure everyone would agree that your place is with your children.”
“I have been troubled with this decision all day. Should I avenge my wife’s death? Or stay behind to make sure my little girls will have their father around to watch them grow?” Yamin spoke quietly and avoided eye contact with anyone.
“Will you not trust us to avenge your wife’s death? I promise you, Yamin, I will cut three claws from the dead body of the dragon. One for you, and one for each of your girls. This I will do or die trying.”
Yamin would have been more than willing to go into battle with the others; but he loved his little girls, and he knew they needed him more than he needed revenge.
“We will get him for you,” Josef said, patting Yamin’s back.
Others crowded around Yamin, offering condolences and promises of revenge for him. Yamin was overcome with too many emotions; he needed to get away from everyone. He waved at Nehemiah and slowly walked away.
Nehemiah was relieved things had gone exactly as he had planned. He watched Yamin walk away before speaking again.
“Now, now! I’m not quite finished yet. Anyone else choosing to remain behind may do so. All others will follow me; we will discuss our plan in detail.”
He sat next to Ezria and leaned close.
“How did I do?”
“You were magnificent, just as I knew you would be. I am very proud of the way you handled Elijah. I’m sure Helen is very pleased with you as well.”
“But is my wife pleased?” he asked tenderly.
“Of course I’m pleased. I always am. I’m just afraid for you. It is a comfort that Mettal will be here, too. I couldn’t bear to have Elijah lurking around my home, trying to take care of me when he can barely take care of his own fami
ly.”
They both chuckled at the thought.
“That’s why I asked him to stay behind as well. It would do no good to have a fool try to lead a village full of our wise elders, our beautiful women, and our precious children. No, no. With Mettal and Yamin around, Elijah will stay in his place.” He leaned in again; this time to kiss her.
“This shouldn’t take too long. I’ll be home as soon as I can.”
Ezria watched her husband walk away. Several men soon joined him as the group headed for the stream. She watched until he disappeared in the crowd, then got up and began clearing the dishes.
Helen watched from the other end of the long table as Ezria and Nehemiah talked. When he left, she rose and began helping Ezria. For a while, the two women worked in silence. Soon they were joined by other women in cleaning up and packing the food to be taken to Netiro this evening.
Finally, Helen approached Ezria.
“Thank you, Ezria. I feel so much better now knowing that Elijah will be safe.”
Ezria just grunted as she fussed over the dishes, not even looking at Helen.
“That was so cleaver of Nehemiah—giving him an important responsibility like that. Don’t you think?” When Ezria didn’t respond, Helen inquired, “What’s wrong Ezria?”
The bowls were slammed onto the table. Ezria turned to face Helen.
“Yes, I suppose you would feel better. You will have your husband in your bed every night. What about the rest of us?”
Helen was surprised by Ezria’s reaction.
“But Ezria, Nehemiah and the other men are so strong and so brave.”
“They are just men, Helen. Do you think because they are stronger and braver than your pitiful husband they are made of more than just flesh and bones? Even if they do succeed in killing Netiro, how many of our men will not return? How many will be severely injured? Nehemiah has saved your husband. Who will save mine?”
“I…I am so sorry, Ezria. I…wasn’t thinking. Is there anything I can..?”
“No. I don’t need anything from you or your husband. Demetrius and I will be fine all by ourselves.”
“You speak as if Nehemiah is…already…”
“He is going to fight a dragon, Helen. An evil, vicious dragon!”
Helen’s eyes filled with tears as she watched Ezria storm off without as much as a glance back. She wiped them quickly when she saw Mary and Sara approach.
“She needs to be alone right now,” Sara explained. “There is so much left to do.”
“Come on, Helen. Help us pack up this food,” Mary said.
“But, I’ve been so selfish—so worried about my husband—not even thinking about anyone else,” Helen admitted through sniffles.
“Well, that’s done,” Sara said, “and we have no time to cry over something that hasn’t happened yet. Our men are doing what they have to do to protect us all. Some may not survive. We will deal with that when the time comes. And I don’t need you pitying me as if my husband and brothers are already dead.” She turned and began cleaning up where Ezria left off.
“Hurry now,” Mary urged. “Ezria needs many pots of water for the poison she’s making.”
Helen did as she was told; she wiped her face on her sleeve and worked as fast as she could.
Ezria returned to her home to find Demetrius sorting through his basket of herbs. She wiped her eyes and smoothed her robes when she saw him. She would have preferred a few minutes alone, but wanted the boy to be here when his father came home. Nehemiah would have to explain to his son what he was planning to do. Ezria didn’t feel she could tell him without crying.
“Mother, I gathered as much as I could find. What are you making?”
“Your father wants to get rid of some odors.” She pulled out her mortar and pestle and sorted through Demetrius’ pile of herbs. “Here, separate the seeds like this. Are these herbs bothering your eyes? You’re squinting again, and your eyes are watery.”
“No mother, I’m fine.” Demetrius could tell she wasn’t in the mood for talk. He blinked hard a few times then wiped the water from his eyes. He then quietly followed her instructions. She sent him outside frequently for more boiling water as she taught him how to make the special tea.
With Demetrius busy with the tasks given to him, Ezria focused on the more problematic potion. The flowers used were sweet and aromatic. She didn’t know if Netiro knew of their power, but she could not risk raising his suspicion. It was not difficult to hide the smell, but eliminating the taste would be a challenge. She mumbled to herself as she worked, often tapping her finger as she thought. Finally, she took a piece of meat and dipped it into the steamy liquid.
“Here, taste it,” she said, offering it to her son.
Demetrius popped the morsel into his mouth and chewed. He smiled. “It’s good.”
“It’s not supposed to be good!” She slammed her fist on the table. She shook her head and poured out her failed attempt. “Take your tea out to Sara if you are finished mixing it. Tell her I said it needs to simmer for a while.”
Demetrius carried the heavy pot out to Sara as instructed while Ezria rested her face in her hands. She went over everything in her mind. She searched her deepest memories of the lessons her grandmother taught her; every recipe she learned and every flower and herb she ever tasted. There must be a way. She took a drink and her eyes opened. The beverage was one of the first her grandmother taught her to make. It wasn’t tasteless, but she used it to refresh her tongue when perfecting a new recipe. She quickly gathered the ingredients to make more. If she modified the recipe slightly, maybe she could extract the cleansing power of the drink to remove, or at least weaken, the taste of the sleeping tea. She worked quickly; her hope restored.
Demetrius returned with a fresh pot of hot water. He didn’t know the plan, but he could tell it was important. He had no intention of disappointing her. He worked as quickly and quietly as he could so as not to disturb her. Though he could tell she was worried, he was enjoying this time in the kitchen with her. He thought of how proud she would be of him when she tested his tea. He felt privileged to be a part of such an important task; after all, not everyone’s mother knew such recipes. In fact, as far as he knew, she was the only one with the skill to make so many medicines and concoctions.
The two worked in near silence, except for Ezria’s occasional mutterings, Demetrius’s occasional questions, or Ezria sending Demetrius for more water or herbs. It took many a trial and error, and a lot of wasted herbs, but she finally came up with something that sufficiently masked the taste of the sleeping tea. She mixed the two in the large pot and added a large chunk of leftover lamb. The concoction would require a slow boil to allow the meat to absorb as much of the poisonous liquid as possible. Four hours would be ideal, two might be good enough, but Ezria only had slightly less than one hour for her potion to boil before she and Demetrius would have to take the poisoned meat out to be packed with the leftovers and the freshly slain sheep that would be delivered to Netiro.
Demetrius deeply inhaled the steaming brew, and despite the fact that he assisted in the preparations for his mothers’ potion, was enthralled at how odorless the cooking meat was, especially given the variety of aromatic herbs that was used as the stock. He unexpectedly found himself very intrigued by the power one could wield with the knowledge to manipulate simple herbs and spices. He decided that he would invest a considerable amount of time investigating the properties of plants.
Ezria set about doing other various tasks while worrying that the meat hadn’t sufficient time to absorb enough of the poison. And even if it had, she had no idea how much was required to put the dragon to sleep. She could only hope.
When Nehemiah returned home from the meeting, he found Ezria searching for extra kitchen utensils to give Mary. He walked up behind her and gave her a hug. When she didn’t return the hug, he realized she was still concerned about his plans.
“The food is on its way to Netiro,” he said. ??
?He should be sound asleep soon.”
“We don’t know that. If I had more time, Nehemiah.”
“Zakaria warned me that Netiro may be using one of us as his spy.”
“What? That is absurd! Who would betray the entire village to the dragon?”
“Sadly he was right,” Nehemiah sighed. “Bakuk and Jerith intercepted him on his way to inform the dragon.”
“Who?” She was flabbergasted.
“Josef. The dragon threatened to kill his mother, his sisters and brothers, as well as his wife who is with child. I cannot hate this man. He is young and terrified. Any one of us would be willing to do anything to keep our loved ones safe.”
“Poor Josef, the burden he must have born…that is why you must attack tonight?”
Nehemiah nodded. “We didn’t know who the spy was. I just pray there is only one. We have him restrained for now, but he is deeply sorry. He will join us in battle. He wants to; he needs to be redeemed for his betrayal.”
“There seems to be no end to our troubles. I look forward to the morning this nightmare ends.”
“It ends tonight, Ezria.” He pulled her close and kissed her lips. “Tomorrow, when you wake up, you’ll wipe your eyes and crawl out of bed; and all of this will be a memory.”
“I wish I had your confidence, your faith. Whatever it is that makes you think you can do anything.”
“When I was young, my mother told me to do what I thought was right, and do it the best I could. God will take care of the rest.”
“She is a wise woman,” she hugged him tightly. “Nehemiah, you need to be the one to tell Demetrius of your plans.”
He kissed her again, and then went into Demetrius’ room. The boy sat in the middle of his bed, entertaining himself again by directing objects to float around the room.
“You are really getting good at this. All that practicing has paid off.”
Startled by the unexpected interruption, Demetrius lost his concentration. The objects crashed to the floor.
“It’s easy. All I have to do is think about it and it just happens. Watch this!”
Demetrius stood and looked at the blanket on his bed. On its own, it floated across the room. It passed just above Nehemiah’s head and landed back on the bed, just as it was before it took flight.
“I am surprised at how easy it is for you to learn this magic without a teacher.” Nehemiah bent to pick up some of the objects from the floor.
“You don’t have to pick those up. I’ll get them in a minute. Want to see me do something else?”
“No, not right now, son. I need to talk to you about other things. Tonight, I will be leading most of the men of the village into battle. We are going to kill the dragon and end this curse upon our village.” He watched the boy’s face for some type of reaction. When he saw none, he continued.
“Your mother doesn’t think it’s a good idea, but as men, protectors of our village and families, we feel it is our responsibility to put an end to our enemy. We must act before Netiro attacks again.”
“I already heard about it. Some of the children were talking earlier today. But I don’t understand. You said the only way to kill Netiro was by magic. So I was thinking that, maybe I should go with you and I could…”
“No, my son. Don’t even think such a thing.” Nehemiah sat down on his child’s bed. “You have progressed so much and I am very proud of you, but you are not ready to face a dragon. There is still so much for you to learn about your talent. You can’t possibly have the control or command of power to be successful. At least not yet. Moving objects around is a great beginning, but I fear it will require much more than that to kill this dragon.”
“But I can do more. Let me show you. Maybe if I can show him that I have magic, he will run away and never come back!”
Nehemiah held his son by his shoulders.
“Demetrius, listen to me. If and when Netiro discovers your magic, he will do everything in his power to kill you. If we fail tonight, your magic must be kept a secret. Practice as much as possible until you are absolutely sure you are ready. Then you will be able to face Netiro and defeat him. But not before. Promise me that if I fail, you will bide your time until there is no doubt in your mind and no fear in your heart.”
“I understand, but I already feel that…”
“No, Demetrius. Netiro has been around for a very long time. In addition to being big and powerful, he is also very smart. He knows all about magic. You have but the slightest understanding of it. Why do you think he banned magic so long ago? What do you suppose happened to those who once had and used magic? Did he kill them all, did they just go away, or are they too hiding their talents? I don’t know what happened. I don’t have all the answers, but I do know that you are not ready yet. We will take care of Netiro tonight so you will not have to worry about it.”
“But what if you can’t?”
“We will do the best we can, Demetrius. Now that’s the end of it. I have given you instructions. I expect that you will follow my wishes and keep your promise in the event that we are not successful.”
“Yes Sir. If you should fail, I promise to wait until I am certain that I have control of my powers and no fear in my heart before I challenge him.”
“Will you look after your mother while I’m gone?”
“Of course. I always do when you are gone hunting.”
“I know you do.” Nehemiah ruffled the boy’s hair and smiled at him.
“I better get to bed if I intend to be well rested before I go.” He got up and started toward the door.
“Good night, Father. And good luck. I will say a prayer for you before I sleep.”
“Thank you. You are such a good boy. I am so proud of you.”
He looked at his son as if for the first time. Hiding behind the innocence in Demetrius’ eyes, was an abundance of wisdom and power gaining strength, just waiting to burst forth. Had it always been there? Or was this something that came with the magic? He didn’t know. But he was sure that, regardless of this night’s outcome, Demetrius would be a great man one day.