Chapter Seven

Moses' Crossing was the largest man-made structure Gideon had ever seen in his life. The previous holder of that record was the house of Mettledown's leader, Samson the third. Compared to the Crossing, the house was an anthill; both in size and splendor. 

The Crossing spanned the entire breath of the Euphrates. The river raged beneath the stone bridge roaring its way east towards the sea. The bridge was built from smooth white stone that had lost some of its splendor over the years. The builders had built it in such a way that it was impossible to tell each individual stone apart. Tall piers made of the same stone with wooden covers rose out of the water below to hold the walkway above it and high parapets framed the sides of the walkway to prevent anyone from falling over.

At the south entrance of the bridge was a gatehouse that caused a large traffic of people waiting to pay the toll and cross the bridge. The guards at the gatehouse wore the same grey surcoat with the Rushford insignia on it that the guards at the town gates wore. These ones were however more vigilant that their peers.

It was while waiting in line with Elias that Gideon finally caught sight of the hooded stranger once more. This time, she was with a horse and although the cloak remained, she had pulled down the hood. He couldn't blame her. It was uncharacteristically hot for early spring so much so that he had forgone his jerkin and only wore a light tunic.

The stranger was only a few paces in front of them. Like them, she was on foot choosing to lead her grey mare by its reins. She wasn't very tall and her black hair was done in thick braids and fell to her lower back. Her skin was a dark chocolate color and when she turned, her brown eyes scanned the crowd like she was looking for something before she turned away.

Gideon nudged Elias. "It's a girl"

"What's a girl?" 

"The stranger from yesterday" He replied trying to gesture surreptitiously at her. 

Elias completely ignored the signal to be subtle and his head started moving around in a swivel looking for her. "Where?" He eventually caught her black cloak just as the line began to move. "Deus! She is a girl. Why is she going around looking like that? I mean a dark hood like that literally screams suspicious"

Gideon shrugged but kept his eyes trained on her even as she passed the gate entrance. Soon enough, it was their turn.

The man at the gate was a small man with wispy red beard and freckles all over his cheek. His light blue eyes were sunken on his face and he looked very bored with his job. The guards with him on the other hand looked vigilant, their backs were ramrod straight and the tip of their spears looked shiny and dangerous.

"Three coppers for the bridge" The man said, his eyes lazily shifted from Gideon to Elias. "Per person"

Gideon dug into his coin sack and dug out the required amount and handed it out to the man.

"You can pass" The man said and swept the coin below his table.

The gates opened and they were let onto the walkway. 

"What do you think she was doing up there last night in front of our door?" Elias asked as they led Midnight and Chestnut across the bridge.

"Maybe she was a customer looking for her rooms" He replied.

"Then why the cloak and dagger routine? Why the black cloak and the hood?"

"Maybe she just likes the color black. Maybe she's shy and doesn't want people to know her face. She hasn't really done anything wrong."

A wagon passed beside them, its rider was loudly complaining about the bridge toll. "Twas just two coppers last month. Deus!!" Gideon shifted aside to let the man pass even though the bridge was wide enough to comfortably let four horsemen ride across at the same time.

"My gut says otherwise" Elias continued. He hadn't even paid attention to the wagon. "And my gut is always right"

Gideon smirked. "Remember when we were younger and your guts told you to climb that tree and it had a beehive in it"

Elias flushed and he spluttered as he tried to deny it, "that was only one time. Name another time when it happened"

"That time you thought it would be a good idea for us to sneak into Old Man Sean's hut and scare him in the middle of the night" Somehow Elias' face grew even redder. "Or when your gut assured you that you'll be fine if you swallowed a spoonful of Norish pepper. To be fair, that last one made for good comedy. I swear your face was red for days." 

He laughed as Elias tried to come up with a reply and failed woefully. 

The trip across the bridge was pretty normal after that. Gideon spent most of the time watching the river flow through the little windows in the parapet while Elias regaled him with tales of his adventures in Rushford until eventually, they got to the other side of the bridge.

Upper Rushford, as the northern part of the town was called, was different than its south side. The buildings here were larger and seemed richer. The streets were cleaner and less rowdy. There were still quite a few shops but there was an air of sophistication around them and the owners did not stand outside trying to draw customers. Instead, they stayed inside and let their customers come to them.

The people that were on the streets wore clothes that were clearly more expensive than their southern neighbors. The women wore a host of stylishly designed dresses, the men looked more pompous in coats of increasing bright colors to an extent that Gideon found ridiculous. There were even a few knights riding in full armor suits. A particular trio of them in similarly armored horses rode down the street at full gallop scattering people to the left and right before turning full trot doing an adjoining street.

"Who are those?" Gideon asked as he watched people return back to normal like nothing had happened.

"Knights from Rulem, I think" Elias scowled. "Most knights you see here are from there. And they tend to think everything belongs to them"

"Really?"

"It's terrible" A voice cut in their conversation. The two boys jerked around to see a bald-headed pot-bellied man standing in between their horses like he had been there the whole time.

"Who are you?"

He smiled and pointed at the store that they were standing beside "I'm the owner of this wonderful store" His store was a fruit store that was mostly a collection of boxes containing fruits of every kind. Some of them were purple and as big as Gideon's head, others were small enough to fit in his hands. Gideon recognized some of them from his father's farm but most of them were foreign to him.

"Have you ever tasted a watermelon?" The man asked. Gideon shook his head automatically. The man beamed and took off to a particular stack of large green fruits. He picked one from it and held it out to Gideon. Elias simply shrugged and Gideon approached to hold the fruit but before he could, a young boy crashed into him and they both fell to the ground. The boy was quickly on his feet bowing down to Gideon.

"I'm sorry, my Lord." He said. "It's just that I was looking for my sister and wasn't paying attention to the road."

"No, it's fine" Gideon said as he stood up and dusted himself. "It was just an accident"

"Thank you, my Lord," The boy said and took off down the streets. He was gone before Gideon could even get a proper look at him.

"You should probably check for your coin purse" The fruit seller said. "Those urchins are quite common on these streets"

Gideon patted himself down and realized that his purse was missing. "Deus" He cursed. He turned back down the street and caught sight of the boy just as he was rounding a corner into another street.

"Wait here" he told Elias and took off after the thief. 

"Gideon!!" He heard his friend call behind him but he paid him no attention. The boy was getting farther away with each moment lost. The people on the street simply stood out of his way as he gave chase but none of them lifted a finger to help. If anything, they watched and whispered excitedly among themselves like it was a new form of entertainment. Gideon scowled annoyed at this. People were much kinder in Mettledown, he thought but continued his chase.

The little thief was fast and knew the streets better than Gideon did. Anytime Gideon gained on him, he would duck into another side street and disappear until Gideon caught sight of him again. And he had lungs on him. Gideon could already feel himself tiring but the boy was laughing and whooping and performing unreal stunts; flipping over wagons and docking around corners. 

Eventually, he rounded around another corner and Gideon hurried to catch up with him. As he turned the corner, he saw that someone else had beat him to his prize. Another man held the little thief by the scruff of his shirt high above the ground.

Gideon allowed himself to rest against the wall as he caught his breath. The heat plus the chase had combined to turn him into a sweating mess. He could feel his tunic plastered to his back and his hair fell over his eyes dripping of sweat. As he composed himself, he observed the other two occupants of alley.

The boy was young, probably a few years younger than Elizabeth. His dark hair was chopped unevenly and reminded him of when Elizabeth had attempted to cut his hair. His face was covered in mud and dirt and his clothes looked tattered. He didn't even wear boots.

The man who had caught him was a lanky man, even slimmer than Gideon but he was slightly taller. His clothes were better than the boy's but not by much but he wore old brown boots. However, what caught Gideon's attention was the shiny blade he held to the terrified boy's neck.

"Hey" Gideon called carefully. "It's alright. I'm the one the boy stole from. There's no need for the knife"

The man scoffed but didn't even look at Gideon. "Please. This little thief has been stealing since before he could walk" He dug the blade closer to the boy's neck. "And just last week, he stole from me. Nobody steals from me and lives to tell the tale"

Gideon unsheathed Singer. "I think you should drop the boy sir"

Gideon had no idea what he was doing. He had never even swung Singer except from when he and Elias had played with it in the Mettlewood. There was no time to ponder on the foolishness of his actions once the man turned to him, his blue eyes glinting dangerously in the sun. In one swift motion, he twisted the knife in his hands and slammed the metal hilt into the boy's temple. The boy dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes. 

Now the man's full attention was on him. His face was a mask of calm but his eyes promised untold pain. 

"Well, I've dropped him now." he gestured at the groaning boy, "so what next?"

Gideon didn't know. He hadn't thought that far and it must have shown on his face because the man sneered at him. "Let me tell you something boy. It's a lesson I learnt when I was much younger. Every time you hold out a blade at another man, you must be ready to take full responsibility for what comes next"

He dug his hands into his coat and pulled out another blade, identical to the first one. He twirled both blades in his hands with such ease and familiarity that made Gideon gulp but he stood firm, Singer held out in front of him. He was drawn once more to the strange metal that the blade was made from. It looked dull and did not reflect the light like his assailant's polished blade. Gideon wondered idly if it would break under an attack but he did not have much time to think before the man attacked.

"Now get ready to take responsibility"

With that warning, he rushed at Gideon.

Deus Gideon cursed inwardly and stepped backwards as the man attacked in a flurry of blades. He was faster than him and clearly more experienced. He never truly attacked; he only tested him let his knives clash against Singer. The sword held its own against the onslaught but Gideon was holding on by a thread. After a minute of pushing Gideon backwards, the man disengaged from him and stepped backwards. 

He frowned and stopped to look at Gideon's panting form. "You've never been in a fight"

Gideon gritted his teeth but didn't reply.

"Then you must be a bigger idiot than I thought" 

"He might be but at least, he's not a wanted criminal"

The cloaked girl from the inn stood on the other end of the hallway behind the man. The man twisted his body slightly so that she was in his peripheral vision, but not too much that he couldn't keep an eye on Gideon. "And who are you?"

"Not important." she said shrugging before taking a step forward "But you are Barrabas" 

The man, Barrabas arched a brow. "What's it to you?"

"Posters with your face on it are everywhere since I crossed into Upper Rushford. I passed a mounted town guard a few streets away and he seemed to be looking for someone. I reckon if I scream from here, he'll hear me." Barrabas sneered at her but she continued. "I hear they take the safety of travelers and guests seriously in Rushford. Do you really want to add assault and possibly murder of one of them to your long list of crimes"

Barrabas lifted a knife in her direction. "I can throw this knife in your throat faster than you can scream"

"Do you want to gamble on that?" Her brown eyes stared unflinching at his blue. She would not budge.

Barrabas' eyes narrowed. "What do you want?"

The girl smiled, deceptively sweet. Beautiful an errant part of Gideon's mind whispered but he squashed it quickly. "Nothing, all you have to do is leave this place and nothing has to happen. No one needs to know about this"

Barrabas looked at Gideon. "You're lucky, boy" He took slow measured step towards Gideon's end of the alleyway. When he got closer, he lowered his voice. "Never forget today boy. If I ever see you again, I'll cut off your head." He flipped a hood over his head and disappeared into the street.

The threat lingered even after he had gone. However, Gideon had no time to dwell on it. Without Barrabas in the alley, the cloaked girl turned her full attention on him. He gulped as she observed him. She didn't seem to have any weapons but she had just disarmed Barrabas without lifting a finger. A voice at the back of his head that sounded suspiciously like Elias whispered She's dangerous. 

"Are you just going to remain standing there like a fool?" She finally asked.

Gideon cautiously kept his sword up. He really couldn't do anything even if she decided to attack. His hands were heavy from the earlier bout with Barabbas and he could feel exhaustion seeping into his bones. 

"Who are you?" He asked.

"Who wants to know?" 

Gideon lowered his sword and straightened up. "My name is Gideon. Son of Jesse. From Mettledown"

"Good for you, Gideon, son of Jesse. From Mettledown" She replied, her tone mocking.

"And what is your name?"

"Why should I tell you that?" she asked.

"Because I just gave you mine" Gideon retorted

"I never asked you to" 

Gideon huffed. She was playing with me. "I saw you at the Crossing Inn. You were looking at me. Why?"

"There were dozens of people there. I wasn't looking at you"

"Yes, you were" He replied. 

They were interrupted by a soft groan from the young thief. Somehow, he looked even smaller curled up in a ball on the cold floor of an alleyway. The cloaked woman gently approached the young boy and knelt by his side.

"What's his name?" She asked him.

"I don't know"

"You don't know his name?"

"No, I don't." Gideon said. "He stole from me, so I chased him and I found him with Barrabas holding him up"

She turned to face him sharply. "You risked your life for someone who stole from you"

"He's just a boy," said Gideon.

"Yes," She said softly and turned back to the boy. "Yes, he is"

"Where do you think his parents are?"

"Probably dead." she said.

"We don't know that" Gideon said

"No one does this kind of job if they have parents" Her voice remained just as soft and her gaze remained entirely on the boy. Her hands reached to touch his face but he suddenly jerked awake. Immediately, he jumped to his feet but he struggled to stand properly.

"Who are you?" He asked as his eyes scanned her and then jumped to him and widened in recognition.

"So you remember me" Gideon said. 

The boy nodded and his eyes moved to his sword. 

"I'm not going to hurt you" Gideon said and sheathed his sword. The boy nodded.

"I'm sorry for the …." He gestured awkwardly.

"It's fine" Gideon replied waving his hands. "My purse?"

The boy pulled aforementioned purse out of his pocket and handed it over to Gideon. 

"I'm sorry my Lord" he said again and before Gideon could do anything, the boy dashed away leaving him and the cloaked girl alone in the alley.

"My lord?" the girl asked. "I thought you were Gideon, son of Jesse from Mettledown"

"I am. The boy is just confused" 

"Where are you headed, Mettledown?"

He bristled at the nickname but answered her question nonetheless. "I'm headed to Kanaan"

"Why is a Mettledown boy looking for in Kanaan?" She asked with an arched brow.

"None of your business" He replied.

"At least you know how to keep some things to yourself." She almost looked impressed. "I'm also headed for Kanaan"

"Where are you coming from?" He asked

"Rulem." She replied. 

"Oh" he said. There was an awkward bout of silence that followed. Gideon didn't really know much about Rulem except for the fact that it was the closest Aldarian city to Valar, so a lot of its inhabitants were soldiers. They were a hard breed in Rulem. "Do you want to join my friend and I on the road. Three is safer than one and there might be bandits on the road."

"I don't know how safe I'll feel with you." She said and pointed at his belt where Singer was sheathed. "You can barely use that sword"

"Then you'll just have to talk us out of any issues we face"

That elicited a smile from her, albeit a tiny one but a second later, it was gone replaced by a mask of indifference. "So where is this friend of yours?"

Gideon pointed behind him. "That way"

"My horse is this way" she said turning in the opposite direction. "We'll get that first"

He nodded and followed her hoping Elias would be okay with his decision to invite her to join them, especially after all his talk about his gut feeling concerning her

"Rahab" Her voice interrupted his thoughts

"Excuse me?" He asked confused.

"My name is Rahab"

Elias was not at the fruit shop when they got back there, neither were their horses.

"He left a few minutes after you" The shop owner said looking somewhat peeved. "He didn't buy my watermelons even though he promised he would. I only went to the back of the store to get some lemons for another customer and by the time I came back. He was gone and he took my other customer with him. So, thanks to your friend, I sold neither watermelon nor lemons. No profits!" 

The man spoke so passionately that Gideon felt guilty that he found him comical. There was a pulsing vein on the side of his head and his nose seemed to get redder the more he spoke. 

"I can't believe it" The man continued. "I just got those watermelons yesterday too. All the way from Nazar." He grabbed a watermelon from the pile and held it up. "It's the best you'll find in all of Rushford. I only get the best. I know what Hezron says but it's not true. That second-rate fruit seller wouldn't know good fruit if it hit him in the head"

Rahab interrupted him before he could continue. "Who was the other customer that he left with?"

"Who are you?" The man asked suspiciously as he looked her up and down. 

"An acquaintance. Look, we have somewhere we have to be and we need to find his friend so we can go" Rahab said.

The man's suspicion remained clearly etched on his face. "I don't give personal information on my customers"

Gideon sighed. "Please, sir. We really need to find my friend"

"I'm sorry. It's policy" The man remained resolute. He even seemed almost remorseful.

"What if we buy a lemon?" Rahab said. 

An eyebrow rose. "How many?"

"How many can twenty coppers buy?"

The shop owner's entire demeanor changed all of a sudden and a wide smile split his face. "Excellent. I promise you won't be disappointed. My lemons are the best of the best. Fresh too. I just got them this morning"

"And the customer? His name?" Rahab asked as she held out the coppers to him.

"I don't know his name" Rahab's hand drew backwards but he was quick to stop her. "Wait! I don't know his name but I know where you can find him"

"We're listening?" 

"He's one of the priests of the church. I saw both of them talking like they knew each other" 

"A priest?" Gideon asked surprised. "Are you sure?"

"I swear on my cucumbers" the shop keeper said solemnly. 

The church was located at the end of a street that was cleaner than any other even in Upper Rushford. There were a few shops but it seemed mostly to have residential houses. The church had a gated courtyard and there were a few men dressed in white robes with red linings rushing around, attending to one matter or the other – priests. The church itself was a large imposing building made of beautiful white stone blocks, similar to the bridge. It looked older than any other building in Rushford but it was even more beautiful. Ornate stone steps led up to huge wooden double doors framed with tall pillars made of the same stone as the rest of the church. The 

Gideon stood marveling at the structure until Rahab cut him out of it. 

"So, your friend is a priest?" Rahab asked as they stood in front of a small gate. It took them a few minutes to get from the fruit shop to the church and she had spent the majority of it in silence except for a few throw-away comments. She had paid more attention to her horse than him. It was a beautiful grey mare with dark mane and even darker tail named Wind. He thought of his own horse, Chestnut and Elias' own Midnight. Chestnut, Midnight and Wind entered into a tavern. It sounded like the start of a terrible joke. 

"Well. Is he?" She asked again bringing him out of his thoughts once more.

"He's not. He's a blacksmith's apprentice" Gideon replied.

"Then maybe he's not here. Maybe the fruit seller lied to us" she said.

She was right. The man seemed very flaky and didn't seem like the best source of information. He sighed and scanned the courtyard through the low walls that fenced it. There was nothing but the priests milling around. He was about to give up when he spied two horses tied down in the corner - Midnight and Chestnut.

"He's here. Those are our horses" he pointed out to her. 

"Then we need to get in and talk to one of those priests"

As though he could hear them, one of the priests standing next to the doors of the church started walking briskly towards the gate where they were standing. He was dressed similarly like his mates and his head was cleanly shaven but unlike most of the stoic looking priests that roamed the yard, he had a wide smile on his face even as he made his way towards them

"You must be Gideon" he said as he reached them, standing on the other side of the low gate. 

"And you are?"

"My name is Jabez" He replied. "I'm a humble priest serving here in Rushford."

"And how do you know our names?"

"I was with your friend, Elias earlier. He told me about you." He replied, then looked at Rahab. "He didn't say anything about her though"

"Where is Elias?" Gideon asked.

"He's with Bishop Ananias" Jabez replied. He opened the small gate and gestured for them to come in. "Come, I'll show the both of you in. One of the acolytes will take care of your horse," He looked at Singer. "And your sword. I'm afraid no weapons are allowed inside the church"

Gideon unbelted his sword and handed it over an acolyte that Jabez waved over. He was younger and just as cleanshaven as Jabez. He grabbed Wind's reins and led him away in the same direction he could see the other horses tied down in.

"Alright then. Let's go see the bishop"

Jabez led them up the stairs and through the two pillars that framed the entrance. He knocked twice on the large double doors and to Gideon's surprise, the door pulled open on their own accord. He couldn't see anybody on the other side.

"How did you do that?"

Jabez smiled, "Church secret. You only find out if you become a priest"

The doors opened up into large hall. Tall pillars held up the roof and framed a large walkway that led deeper into the church. Sunlight beamed into the hall from high windows but most of it would have been cast in shadows if not for torches mounted on the walls at intervals. The stretch of the walls in-between each torch depicted one image or the other drawn in intricate details. The people depicted in the images seemed to be taking one form of heroic action or the other. A man standing holding apart the jaws of a lion with a bare hand. A boy standing before an armored giant holding nothing but a sling. A man kneeling in a field, head down and spear held tightly in his hands. Gideon realized with a start that he recognized the scene

"Eleazar" He whispered stopping in front of the motif. Then his eyes skipped to the next one, a man standing in a cave with lions standing next to him. "Daniel. I know these stories. That is the bard king and Ser Samson the lionslayer. Elias and I used to pretend we were him." He turned around with wide-eyed wonder "These are the heroes from the Age of Heroes"

Jabez came up next to him. "Yes. You're correct. Men and women with the blessing of Yachwah that did incredible things. People that singlehandedly changed the course of history"

"They are works of fiction" Rahab said. The two boys turned to see her standing in front of an image of a woman standing at the top of a tall wall, holding a red cloth. 

"The story of Rahab" Jabez said looking at the same image and Gideon realized this was the woman that Rahab was probably named after. Jabez turned to them. "She was a brave woman. These stories are facts of history. To think otherwise would be a disadvantage to yourself"

Gideon did think otherwise but he kept it to himself. Jabez was clearly a man of faith and would not be convinced otherwise. Rahab seemed ready to try but stopped and instead she looked away from the picture of her namesake and instead settled on another. This one was a passage written in a language that Gideon could not read, yet he found himself drawn strangely to it.

"What is this?" He asked as he stepped closer.

"It's from the time of the Forgotten King" Jabez replied. "Many believed him to be a great teacher. These were from his teachings on prayer"

"What does it say?" Gideon asked transfixed on the writing.

"I actually can't read it but Bishop Ananias once read it to me. I can never forget it." Jabez said quietly. "It reads, Yachwah in Heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom Come. Thy Will be done on Earth. As it is in Heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread. And forgive us our transgressions as we forgive those who transgress against us. Lead us not into temptation. Deliver us from evil. For thine is the Kingdom. The Power and the Glory. Forever. AMEN"

There was a silence that followed. It was deeper than the absence of sound. It felt like a presence greater than any of them could explain had stepped into the room with them and was watching them. The feeling was alien yet familiar and Gideon racked his brain trying to remember when he had ever felt like this. It came to him in a flash – the man with the golden eyes. And just like that, the presence was gone but the feeling remained with him and the words were etched in his brain.

"I think it's time for us to see Elias" Rahab said.

"Of course," Jabez said. "Come with me"

The young priest led them deeper into the hall and finally through a side door that opened into winding stairs that led down into basement levels. They passed a few other priests on the way but none of them stopped them except to exchange pleasantries with Jabez. Eventually, they got a wooden door. Jabez knocked twice firmly on the door and a muffled voice came from the inside. "Come in"

Jabez opened the door to a small office. The office was dark and lit only by a torch hanging on the side wall and a candle on the table. Behind the table was a short and grey-haired man. His face was wrinkled and stretched like old leather and his lips were drawn in a crooked smile. His nose was small and narrow and looked like it had been broken and reset a few times but his eyes were the deepest shade of green Gideon had ever seen. Opposite him was another man who Gideon could not see.

"Bishop" Jabez said with a bow while Gideon and Rahab simply stood there awkwardly.

"Oh great" the bishop said. "You're all here" 

"Where is Elias?" Gideon asked. The man sitting opposite the bishop turned and Gideon found his best friend smiling at him. "Elias?!" He breathed with a sigh of relief.

Elias stood up and pulled his friend into a hug. 

"I love it" The bishop clapped delightedly. "I love to see such comradery among such like you. So young, with your whole lives ahead of you. Come in then Gideon. Sit. You too, young lady. Sit" Elias followed and sat down.

For the first time since he met her, Rahab looked unsure of what to do but the bishop was quick to assure her. "Don't worry I don't bite"

Rahab nodded and let herself into the now cramped office. She took the seat beside where Elias had been seated while Gideon sat on a small stool behind her. Jabez simply stood by the closed door. 

"Elias was just telling me about you" The bishop said to Gideon. "You've never left Mettledown he says" Gideon glared at Elias and he at least had the decency to look embarrassed. The bishop, on the other hand, seemed to find it funny as he laughed. "No need to blame young Elias. He was only answering my questions. You know he's such a good lad. I always see him come in here at least once a month to offer prayers"

Gideon was shocked at that. He had never known that Elias was a man of faith. It was one thing to believe Yachwah existed and it was another thing to take active interest in the religion. Gideon had always stopped at the former, it seemed like the safer option. To become a devout follower would require him to start to believe in fairytales. And while the stories were fun and good, there were not real. They were probably exaggerated myths told in order to pass a message.

"So, tell me Gideon, how is your father?" The bishop asked.

"He's fine." Gideon replied. "He's still back at Mettledown"

"Ah yes. I met him once many years ago." Gideon's surprise must have shown on his face because the bishop laughed. "I am very old, Gideon. I've met a lot of people. Don't be too surprised. He had his eyes on a young lass back then. Elsa, I believe was her name. Is she your mother?"

Gideon froze at the question. He had not thought of his father's wife since he got to Rushford. The question reminded him of her final command to him. Don't come back. He shook himself out of it and answered the bishop's question. "No, she is not"

"Ah, so he married someone else?"

"No, she's his wife" He took a deep breath. "He is my father but she is not my mother. Which makes me a bastard"

His proclamation brought an awkward pause to the room. Elias looked exasperated. Rahab had her eyes on him and her eyebrow arched surprised. Jabez registered no expression on his face and the bishop seemed to study him more intently before he spoke.

"Interesting turn of events." He said lacking the usual cheer in his voice. "Personally, I've never believed in holding the sins of the father on the son. Each person is free to make their paths and choose their own destiny. It doesn't matter what happened in the past . What matters are the decisions you make here and now in the present" His gaze swept across the room settling on each of them and pausing on Rahab for a time before coming back to Gideon. "Moreover, bastards can rise high in the world" 

He held his gaze on Gideon as though he was trying to communicate something to him telepathically. Eventually, he looked away and instead focused on Rahab. "And you, young lady. I take it you're from Rulem"

If Rahab was surprised, she did not show it. "How did you know that?"

"I meet lots of people. After a while, you learn to decipher where people are from just by looking at them" He replied. "What is your name?"

"Rahab"

"Ah. After the brave woman of Jericho" He said. Gideon was not familiar with the story but he took the bishop's word for it. "Did you know Rulem was built on the ruins of Jericho. And now it stands as a defense against Valar and its threats. Most curious, is it not?"

"Is there a point to all this?" Rahab asked impatiently. "I only just agreed to join them on their journey a less than two hours ago. If I had known it would involve all of this, I might as well have just gone on my own"

"Yachwah works in mysterious ways" The man proclaimed in reply. "You might have thought whatever journey you wish to undertake a solo one but Yachwah has worked it so that you three would find each other"

"I don't believe in Yachwah" Rahab spat.

"Well, he believes in you" The bishop said almost too joyfully before his voice settled into his earlier serious tone. "The task that lies ahead for the three of you is one that will require strength and a force of will beyond what any of you can muster on your own" He leaned closer "and I dare to say it that it could determine the very fate of Aldar as we know it"

Gideon swallowed. He could feel his heart beating hard against his chest. "What task?"

"Ah." The bishop said with a large smile. "It is not my place to tell you. You must discover it on your own. One of the great joys of life. What fun is anything if I just tell you about it"

Rahab stood up enraged. "If Aldar hangs in such a balance, then why do you sit there smiling? Why not do anything to change it?"

The smile on the bishop's face remained. "It is not my place. We all have our role designated to us by Yachwah. I am fulfilling mine. It is up to you discover and fulfill yours. It is what gives life meaning"

Rahab remained fuming. "I'll be by the horses if you need me" With that, she swept out of the room, her black cloak trailing behind her."

"She's feisty" He remarked. 

"Look. I'm sorry" Gideon said as he stood. "I don't know anything about any task or any role designed by Yachwah. I'm simply traveling to Kanaan to attend my brother's wedding and after that I will return to Mettledown to live the rest of my life" He looked at Elias. "I'll be with the horses when you're ready to go"

He followed after Rahab.