“Ben, how is our Hope doing?” Brutus asked.
“He is still alive, but you hurt him badly.”
“It appears it was just enough. He is still living.” Brutus oozed sarcasm. He turned to a guard. “Soldier, let me know when he awakens. I need to talk to him.” Brutus departed while Ben continued to look after Christian.
***
“Curtis, are they still on our trail?” Joseph asked as they rode north.
“It appears that way. There are about twenty-four soldiers riding after us. I do not think it is any type of greeting party. I am sure something happened to Christian. He saved us. Let’s keep riding north. We’ll have to find a place to fight or lose them.” Curtis raised his arm and motioned for his men to keep on going.
***
The next morning, Christian woke up disoriented. He could barely move. “You need to eat, Hope. You need to keep up your strength. Here have some of this food,” said Ben. Christian ate the food slowly and drank some water. “That is good, Hope. Keep it up. You will get better.”
“Thanks for helping me. Please call me Christian. Right now, I am no one’s hope.”
Ben did not like to see Christian giving up. “Don’t give up so easily. In the darkest days, a light can pierce through. Do not give up.”
Christian seemed to light up a little as he felt his fighting spirit stir. “I remember my dad saying something like that when I was young. He talked about the Lord being the light and that darkness can never put it out. I will not give up.” Christian turned his head away. “I caused the death of a few of my people because of the way I handled my anger and pain. I thought of myself only. I should have worked with the news that the king ordered the death of my parents and kept my composure.”
Ben eyes teared. “We are human and make mistakes.”
Christian turned to Ben. “Again, I remember my dad telling me about the Bible and mistakes.” Christian paused for a moment. “I remember my dad telling me about the most important message in the Bible: You should love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Christian tried to move a bit. “Before I came back, I used to have another wristband that had the words God loves me embroidered on it. Something happened in my life that opened my eyes and took all the pain away from my heart. I let God’s love in. Because of that, I felt I had a purpose to come back and free our people. Looks like I am not doing that well.”
Ben put his head down because of his shame. Then he turned his head and looked at Christian. “You are still among us. God can make anything happen. Just stay strong and fight.”
Christian looked around at the bowls of food. “Ben, you need to stay strong as well and eat as I do. I figured out that you gave me your portion of food and water when I was so weak.”
The two prisoners heard Brutus enter the dungeon and approach their cell. “A soldier told me you have eaten and you have been talking. That was a good show you put on for us.” He smirked. “I think we are going to continue that for a while till it sinks in with the people that there is no Hope. They are under someone’s control.” Brutus paused; his expression was serious. “Do you want to tell me where King William’s soldiers are headed?”
Christian felt hope because he now knew that the men had got away. His heart was comforted in that knowledge. “I have no idea,” he told Brutus. “I just told them to leave and ride right away. So, you have not caught up with them yet?”
Brutus stood tall. “In time, we will get them. You may have helped give them a little extra time to live, but I promise you that the soldiers I sent after them will take care of them.” Brutus looked at Ben. “Ben, how is Christian’s back coming along?”
Ben looked back at him in disgust. “It is not bleeding anymore, but you can see how raw the skin is.”
Brutus said, “We will give him a little more time to heal. Then we will do it again. I will let you know when we get those soldiers. Maybe they can join you.” He looked right at Christian. “That would be something to see. It would put fear in the hearts of many people.” Brutus looked at Christian’s right wrist and focused on the wristband. “Did you find some inner peace finally to believe that God loves you? With all that you have been through, do you still feel that God loves you? Look at where you are! Look at what you have done! I heard about what you did when you were away … the men you killed with no mercy. Do you believe that God still loves you? He did not protect you from me. You are on your own and will die like that.” Brutus turned and left the cell.
Ben turned to Christian. “God does not leave us. It is we who leave God. God wants us to be with him. I know that taking another life is a sin. I know you fought in the arena. You did not have much choice. God’s people fought to survive, and right now we do need a savior.”