Hi! This is Astievia here. I just couldn't resist writing a story for Davaid and Jonathan.
Flames make me laugh, so that won't work.
Disclaimer: How do you do a disclaimer for the Bible? No, I am not God, but I am his child.
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Jonathan rode through the city, his back straight, smiling and waving to the crowd that gathered. The girls tried to get his attention, but Jonathan had his mind set on one thing, seeing his father again. It had been three years since he had seen him for more than ten minutes. He was always doing things. The war had kept him away from home for so long. All the prince wanted was to see his father again and talk and practice sword fighting or archery. He remembered before the war when the king had always had Jonathan in his courtroom with him. It was sometimes boring, but the prince loved just being with his father.
Jonathan rode through the city and came to the barrens. Mile after mile passed by of just pasture and farm land. Jonathan amused himself by stopping suddenly and trying to get away from his royal guards. They were less than amused. The hours dragged by and soon they had to stop for lunch. They had rye bread and cheese. Not a princely meal, but Jonathan liked eating normal food once in a while. They were heading to the battle front and Jonathan knew that it would not be with his father very much, but the king was putting him captain of a small army of men. The perks of being royalty.
After two days travel they finally came upon the camp. There was a festive spirit in the air and the people were full of their victory. 'I missed it.' Jonathan thought. He was mad at his father for calling him to war when it had already finished. He handed a boy the reigns of his horse and stormed to his fathers tent.
The guards at the front let him in immediately when seeing who he was and he tried to calm himself before going into the inner chamber. It was never princely to be angry before knowing the full story.
"Father, may I come in?" he asked
"My son, you have arrived, come in, come in. There is someone I would like you to meet."
Jonathan entered the camber and looked around. The only other person he saw was the harpist that had been brought to his fathers palace a year ago to help sooth him from the things that haunted him. 'What is he doing here?' He thought.
"My son, I would like you to meet David. Under my instruction he helped defeat the philistines and drive them out of our lands." The king motioned to the harpist.
'How did he do that?' Jonathan wondered, but he figured he would learn the full story later.
"Thank you." He said with a smile.
King Saul went back to talking with David and Jonathan decided to talk to his father later, right now he would go to his tent.
"Oh, Jonathan, you have been moved to a different tent with the men. A servant will show you where it is."
"Sir?"
There was question in his voice.
But the king had already gone back to talking to the young harpist.
Jonathan tried not to show his anger, but it was hard. Who was the boy anyway? To take his place by his fathers side. He was just a boy, not even supposed to be here. He called one of his fathers servants. He recognized this one as a healer that had many times fixed him up when he had gotten in scrapes.
"Amminadab, where are my quarters? I would like to go freshen up."
"I'll show you sire, right this way."
The servant led him to a big tent that had sleeping mats lying in neat rows everywhere. At the back there was a place where it looked like some mats had been moved to make room for a larger mat and a basin filled with water.
"That is it sire." Amminadab said.
Jonathan could hardly hold his anger. Where was his private tent and why was he moved! He asked Amminadab.
"Well sir, your tent is in the same place, but King Saul has put the hero David in it for saving us."
At this Jonathan exploded.
"DAVID! Why must it always be David, David this, David that. Oh sorry, you've been kicked out of your room to make a place for DAVID. I was just sent for from some skirmishes to them saying 'We don't need you, DAVID has already won our war' Why doesn't David just become King!"
Jonathan knew he needed to calm down. He decided to take a walk. The servant had apparently snuck out of the room when he threw his tantrum, so he did not have to worry aboHe lifted the back flap of the tent and went out that way. He did not want any guards following him to make sure he didn't get into trouble. He was ninteen, he could take care of himself. The young prince wandered out of camp, sneaking by the centuries posted there till he found a climbable tree. He easily climbed to the top and watched the sun go down. While he was he decided to think logically was he decided to think logically
'David was there when our people needed him. Father sometimes gets overly enthusiastic about a person. Maybe he can teach me a few things.'
Jonathan decided to actually talk to David tomorrow and see what was going on. Then he walked back to camp, much calmer and more contented.
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The next day dawned bright and very warm. Jonathan had awoken later than he normally did and the camp was already bustling with people getting ready for the day.
"Your highness! Your father wants to see you immediately." A young servant came up to him
"He has asked me to escort you to his tent."
"I don't think that will be necessary, I can walk to it by myself, you go about your duties."
"But sir-" The servant hesitated.
"I'll get there fine, go along." Jonathan smiled at the lad.
"Yes your highness."
When he got to his fathers tent he was met by another servant. He did not say a word, just showed him to the inne etherr chamber. David was just leaving, he did not say a thing, only bowed to the prince.
"Your here." The king looked impatient.
"Yes sir."
"Good, sit down and have some breakfast. I need to talk to you."
The king motioned to a mat that was near him.
Jonathan sat down but did not start to eat.
"The philistines have fled. I have sent some men to pursue them and kill them."
The king informed his son.
"Yes sir, some of the men were talking about it."
"Well they have sent for reinforcements. I am sending you to command a small army to help them." The king handed him a parchment.
"And what about David." Jonathan had to ask.
"He is coming with you as one of your guards. You will leave by noon today."
"Sir, can the men get ready that fast?" Jonathan inquired.
"Yes, I have already sent orders for fifty of the men to go with you."
"Then sire, I shall go get ready myself." Jonathan started to get up.
"Finish breakfast first." The king laughed.
"Yes sir." Jonathan finished his breakfast and then went to see to his stuff being packed.
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Jonathan dodged the blow intended for his head and drove his sword into the philistines abdomen. The large philistine fell forward and Jonathan jumped out of the way. He shouted some commands to his men.
"Forward attack! Keep them on the retreat!"
Them men seemed encouraged by this and charged again.
Jonathans royal guards were all scattered and only none remained near him, Jonathan did not mind though. He could take care of himself.
Another philistine came up to him with the intent of taking his head off his soulders. Jonathan ducked and the with an upward sweep of his sword cut the mans head off.
The battle continued like this for a while. Jonathan was a good fighter and only got a few cuts and scrapes.
They were on the road to Ekron, only about a mile from that city. The philistines had fled far and wide and they were now just doing clean up work mainly. This group was the last big group and most of them had already been utterly decimated.
David was in the back using his sling to pick off some that had become problems for them. Jonathan had to admit that he was quite good with his sling. Soon the philistines had all been killed. When the counts came up Jonathan had only lost one man and only three were injured.
David was the one to tell him this, for Jonathan had put him in second command. He might have not liked him at first, but he wasn't stupid, the men loved him.
"Jehovah is with you." Jonathan told him.
"Jehovah is with all who serve him." David replied to the greeting.
"You did good with your slingshot." Jonathan complemented him, then he asked,
"Can you teach me?"
"If you want me to, your highness." David grinned.
"Jonathan is just fine, I've always hated royal titles." The prince started his men walking.
"Ok... Jonathan."
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They talked a little while longer and then Jonathan decided to go back to the place where they had left the king and only leave a few of his men for cleanup. He appointed a leader for them and told him to get fifteen men and search the area for philistines before returning to base camp. David offered to stay with them, but Jonathan declined saying;
"You're the hero, you should be with the people."
With David's counsel Jonathan made sure that the men who went to clean up would get some of the plunder found in the philistine camp. Then they headed back. Jonathan drew David close and talked to him. David showed Jonathan how to use a sling. It was harder than it looked and in the end Jonathan decided that he liked using a bow and arrows better. Though David and the prince had not hit it of right away, Jonathan soon found himself liking this boy. He had a spirit about him that Jonathan had seen it few. It was like God was his best friend. Jonathan wanted that and he spent many an hour talking with David about the Lord.
When they got back to the camp it was almost dark. Abner, the kings general met them.
"David, you are summoned before King Saul. Your highness, you come to, I'm sure your father would like to have a report on how you did."
"We will come." Jonathan said.
On the way to the tent David stopped by the giant goliath and picked up the rotting head of the giant by the hair and brought it with him to see the king. The king was waiting for him.
"Your highness, you wanted to see me." Said David kneeling and resting the head on the floor.
"Yes I did. You may rise. Whose son are you, young man?" The king asked.
"I am the son of your servant Jesse the bethlehemite." David answered him.
And it was so when he had finished speaking with Saul ,that the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
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