Please Review. Not many people are doing that (besides Fire Luigi08, but he doesn't count. Ha ha, sorry man.)

"They're back!" the joyous cry of Ahinoam drifted from Samuel's house. Ziba smiled, knowingly. Hannah rushed out before Ahinoam had finished. Climbing down from Kish, Ziba gathered her up into his arms. Their eyes welled up with tears. Ahinoam ran to Abiathar, who hugged her in his clumsy way. Zadok vaulted off Mephibosheth and sprinted to the stalls. He jerked open the door of Solomon's stall and knelt down beside his horse. It was sleeping, its breath still coming in ragged breaths. He gently shook the beast awake. It lifted its head, snorting with pain. Zadok fed him the tonic, then left the horse to sleep once more. Back at the house, a disappointing sight met his eyes.

Tamar sat on the porch beside a man he had never seen before, joking and laughing with him. According to the saber strapped around his waist, he was in Sword.

"Oh, Zadok," said Tamar uncomfortably. "This is Nahash. He asked me to… court him."

Zadok felt like he had been punched in the gut. He drooped his head and walked into the house, mumbling acknowledgements as he trudged past. He walked into his room and fell onto the bed. He had lost her. He never had he courage to ask her the question this man had, but he had always wanted to. She and Ziba were the only ones who had befriended him, and he felt lost knowing that now both of them had others to go to. He fought back tears, but they won out in the end and he cried a little. He was completely empty now. When he had dried his eyes, he decided to go speak to Abiathar. He had to tell his brother to court Ahinoam now if he didn't want to lose her. He went back out onto the porch and pulled his brother inside.

"Do you like Ahinoam?" he asked.

Abiathar looked down sheepishly. "Well… ya."

"Ask her out now."

Abiathar though for a minute, then welled up his courage. "Okay," he said. "I'll do it."

He went out to Ahinoam, and it worked like a charm. Great, now I'm the only one in this position though Zadok as he joined everyone. The three couples, Makir, and Abiel were over on the left side of the porch and took up all the seats, so Zadok leaned up against the wall on the right side and stared out over the vast farmland. The sound of galloping hooves met his ears, and he looked to the road. A familiar, yet out of place, figure rode through the gate and jumped off at the step of the porch.

"Ammiel!" cried Abiel quizzically as the man dismounted.

The bridge guard nodded to him, then turned to Zadok and hefted his spear. "You there,"

he said in a fierce voice. Zadok was puzzled at his tone.

"Yes?"

"I was ordered by Doeg to find you. I was the only citizen who has seen you up close. You are to be imprisoned for kidnapping his son. He wants you back, dead or alive."

With his last words, he hurled the spear at Zadok's head. Zadok effortlessly whisked his arm up and caught the shaft a foot from his face. Ammiel rushed forward, but Zadok had flipped the spear around and held Ammiel at bay.

"No further," he said.

Ammiel sighed. "I concede."

"My father ordered you to kill Zadok?" yelled Abiel.

"Yes," replied Ammiel.

"Then I proclaim that you failed your mission and order you to stay here and never return to him."

Ammiel tried to argue, but eventually the mass persuaded him to forget Endor and join them. Zadok returned the spear and resumed his position on the wall. Ammiel talked with the other group for a while, but eventually he noticed the empty, drawn look behind Zadok's usually vibrant blue eyes.

"What's wrong, my friend?" he asked as he approached his ex-victim.

"Tamar found another one," said Zadok without looking at Ammiel.

Ammiel hummed with sympathy.

"She was the only one besides Ziba who accepted me. I loved her…" another tear rolled out of the corner of his eye.

"Well, what are you going to do about it?" said Ammiel.

"Nothing," said Zadok slowly. "Nahash, or whatever his name is, is courting her. There isn't much I can do."

"Just wait. Soon she'll see that she misses you and will come back. Trust me." Ammiel put a comforting hand on Zadok's shoulder. Zadok sighed again and shook his head sadly.

"I just don't know what to do."