Author's Note:
Wow, it's been ages, hasn't it... I've had so much to do, exams to sit, and other fanfics to write. I've been writing a fair share of Harry Potter stuff recently; feel free to check it out, I'm quite happy with some of it. Thanks to everyone who's stuck with me none the less. A review I recieved today reminded me to wrap up this chapter and give you want you want, so thanks for that, Maeve!Here it comes, all done and fixed up, chapter four, Joseph's Defeat!
MaiaMadness
Chapter Four
Joseph's Defeat
No, had the Elders said. No one new had showed up in the village. There was no one here whom Baruch had not met. So Baruch went to the fireguards and asked if any of them had seen someone go out in the middle of the night. But they had seen nothing, not even the angels conversing by Baruch's hut. Baruch was puzzled. No one went out into the forest at night. It was dangerous, and everyone knew this.
But then came the day's chores, and Baruch forgot his worries. Today was not a hunting day; they had caught a large animal the day before and today the men were to prepare the meat and carry water, and help the women prepare the night's feast for the entire village. These feasts and the preparation for them were the only times men and women were on equal terms, they way they were before they reached adolescence.
The men usually either hunted in the forest or worked in the fields. The women cooked and cleaned and picked berries and milked the goats and watched the children. Without the men to bring home the food there would be nothing for the women to cook, but without the women to cook the food, the men would not be able to hunt or plough. It was all perfectly balanced.
This feast was to celebrate the end of the draught. The rain had come earlier than expected, and the feast was delayed, but it was a tradition that must be upheld. They celebrated the life-giving rain, but asked the Lord Yahweh not to wash away their crops.
Baruch enjoyed watching the activities that always went on at the day of the feast. Men and women who had been friends as children came together and laughed and joked, and there was no taboo over it at all. Balthamos also saw this, and took some pleasure in feeling the loose, happy spirit among the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve. People rejoicing in the name of the Lord was the greatest happiness for Him.
Balthamos spent the day staying next to Baruch and watching out for him, but the evil thought was not present today. So he followed Baruch around, watching the people, curious. He was a watcher. His job was to read people's emotions and thoughts. Yet he could not begin to understand the way they worked. Each of these people had a story. Each of them had sorrows, worries, pains. But on a day like today all of these feelings went away and were replaced by contentment and happiness.
"Do you eat, Balthamos?" came the quiet question out of the corner of Baruch's mouth. "Can you consume food?"
"In small amounts," Balthamos replied in a whisper. "But I do not need it the way you do."
"Then you must taste the feast tonight," whispered Baruch. "It will be heavenly."
That evening, the entire village gathered in the square. Instead of sitting in small family groups, they all sat around the large fire. Soon a large group of children had gathered around Baruch, begging him to tell them stories.
"Tell us about when your father saw the angel!" said one, and Baruch smiled.
"Haven't you heard that many times before?" he asked, but the children would not give up. "Hush," said Baruch. "Let me instead tell you the story of a man, this time. A man named Enoch."
Balthamos, once again in the shape of a bug, had been nibbling on a piece of meat, but upon hearing this name, he stopped, and turned his attention to Baruch.
"My father told me this story, and his father before him," continued Baruch. "It is an old story. Older than any living man. Hundreds of years old. Enoch was the son of Jared, a rich man. When Enoch was a boy he would play hide and seek with his siblings, but none of them could ever find him. This was because Enoch had angels watching him always. When he wished to go unseen, the angels would make it so. When Enoch grew older he had many wives, and he was a wise man, who taught the people many things. He taught them the cycles of the moon and the ways of the world. But then, one day, when Enoch was an old man, he disappeared for good and nobody ever saw him again."
"What happened to him?" piped one of the children
"Nobody knows," said Baruch. "But they say that the angels took him with them and showed him the secrets of the world, and then the lord Yahweh took him to heaven and gave him powers beyond anybody's wildest dreams."
The children began to talk excitedly amongst themselves, and Balthamos took his chance to crawl up on Baruch's shoulder and whispered, "How did you learn these things? Who told you?"
"My father told me, like I said," whispered Baruch. But before Balthamos could pry further, he felt something through the happy crowd. It was not the evil thought, but a rather desperate feeling. Anger. Fear. And it was directed towards Baruch. Balthamos looked around, and saw Merriam and her youngest brother Joseph, Baruch's fellow hunter, whispering in a corner. The fear came from Merriam, and the anger from her brother.
"Baruch," whispered Balthamos more urgently still. "You may have to fight!"
"Baruch!" came a voice. "Stand! Face me!" Baruch turned his head to where the voice came from, and saw Joseph, two spears in his hands, with his sister tugging fearfully at his sleeve. He stood up, slowly. "Fight me, Baruch!"
Baruch looked at the man. No, he was hardly a man. A boy still. Small and fast, but not particularly strong. "May I ask as to how I have offended you, Joseph?" he asked kindly.
"You have offended my sister!" spat the other, rage clearly visible in his eyes. "You have offended her honour by not taking her for a bride when she was offered by our father. You have offended our entire family! To protect her honour, I want to fight you to the death!"
Balthamos tried to read Baruch, but something prevented it. Something would not allow him to see what the man thought. What his actions would be. But his expression was mild and kindly still.
"Joseph," he said. "Is this necessary, friend? I am not a violent man. I have no wish to fight." He saw Merriam whisper something in her brother's ear, but Joseph shook her off.
"Are you a coward, Baruch?" growled Joseph. "You, who fought off the Babylonians; can you not fight me?"
"Enough!" His father, the Elder, stood up. "My son, this is a feast to honour the Lord. You cannot fight this night. Baruch is an honourable man who has done nothing to deserve your challenge; there are other young men who can wed Merriam. Take back your challenge and return to our home!"
The square grew silent. Everyone was watching the scene now. The only sound to be heard was the crackling of the great fire.
"No!" cried Joseph. "I will have this fight, and I will have it now!"
"Then you are no son of mine," said his father and sat down again. Merriam threw herself to the ground and wept.
"Baruch!" said Joseph again. "Accept my challenge!" He threw one spear at him, which Baruch caught expertly.
"I will accept," said Baruch. "My condition is we go away from this place and do not interrupt the feast."
He grabbed a piece of wood from a stack by a wall, and lit it as a torch. Then he marched away, and Joseph followed. Some men, including two of Joseph's brothers, lit torches and followed after them to watch. Balthamos took his regular form and walked next to Baruch, playing his shadow.
"You will fight him?" he asked quietly.
"If that is what it takes to show him the error he is making, then yes," replied Baruch. "I won't kill him. He is only a boy."
They reached the end of the village and the meadow. Baruch set his torch in the ground, and the other men carrying torches followed suit. They placed the torches in a circle. Baruch and Joseph stepped inside. Balthamos stayed outside the circle, hoping he would not be seen. The other men there seemed too busy to notice a shadow in the air.
Joseph and Baruch raised their spears. Baruch stood tall and proud, his spear at his side, but ready to strike, should it be necessary. Joseph crouched, his spear in both hands. They stood that way for a moment, watching each other. Then Joseph lowered the tip of his spear and gave a savage cry as he lunged at Baruch. Baruch dodged the attack, and Joseph stumbled past him. He turned around and glared furiously at his opponent.
"You mock me?" he growled. "You, watched by angels, sworn to Yahweh, lousy excuse! You dare!"
He lunged again. This time, Baruch only evaded the attack by sidestepping it, and as Joseph came rushing past, he reached out, grabbed the spear and wringed kit from his hands. Joseph stared at him in surprise as he tossed the spear out of the circle. Then he walked calmly towards him. Joseph fell to his knees and stared at the ground. He had lost, and now he would pay. But Baruch threw his spear onto the ground before him.
"Go home, Joseph," he said quietly.
"You are leaving me to live with this shame?" said Joseph hoarsely, looking up at him.
Baruch did not answer his question. Instead he looked kindly down at the boy, and said, "Go to your father and reconcile. Tell your sister you did wrong. Your life is my gift to her."
Baruch picked up one of the torches. He stepped out of the circle and left Joseph on his knees. As he set off towards the village, one of Joseph's brothers rushed into the circle to help his brother to his feet. Balthamos followed Baruch away from that place.