Ruth: Reimagined

Arrows

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Arrows
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Boaz strictly told Ruth to keep what they had found out to herself. He also instructed her, with worry swimming in his eyes, for her to go nowhere near that forest or river. The next few days, Boaz wasn't at Tikvah. Abel kept watching, seeming more on guard than ever.

Ruth pondered over all that had happened and the message- eighteen years. For the first time, in a long time, she thought of King Eglon, and chills ran down her spine. Surely, it was he at work in this. In Moab, it had been known that the King operated in the spirit of divination, so those eighteen years meant something, something surely was coming for Israel in those eighteen years.

Boaz wasted no time and met with the commanders and elders of Israel. They visited the forest in numbers, tying threads around the marked trees, searching for more, and it was confirmed that the message was 'eighteen years'.

It was while they'd been in a meeting for hours, discussing strategies and tactics, as well as their weaknesses that the door burst open. In came running, a young levite man, distraught, torn clothes and mud splattered face.

All the men in the meeting stood, alarmed at the intrusion. In a haste and a jumble of words the young levite spoke of the war that broke through- Moab and Ammon, fighting against them in the outskirts of Israel.

It was while preparing for battle, loading their carriages, recruiting all the soldiers, and the rest of them heading onwards that Boaz secluded within his soul.

He had done this a thousand times. He had the scars to prove. This war, it was unexpected, it was abrupt. And while, arming up, he thought of Ruth. Boaz hoped and prayed that the war didn't get to where she was. When thousands upon thousands of the army of Israel made it to the outskirts of the country, they witnessed something they hadn't expected. The land that stretched beyond them was empty, and quiet.

"What is going on?" One of the leaders yelled, from his horses, heart hammering against his chest.

Boaz was just as scared, his heart practically leaping out of his chest, a few soldiers looked to him for answers. He urged his horse onwards, moving through the crowds of soldiers, there was not even the scent of blood in the air- only the stillness of midday, only the sun' held in the horizon, and a few birds that glided across the sky.

"What sick joke is this?" Joshua remarked, a distasteful look on his face. "That levite man, the one who came with the news.Where is he?"

A chorus of 'I don't know' rang out.

Boaz recalled, the man and the memory played out slowly. His clothes were torn, yes- but the tears were on peculiar parts of his clothes. There was mud on his forehead, but not even a hint of blood, or even a scratch. The man had said the war had just broken out, yet it would've taken him about a day's journey to get to them. He seemed exhausted but not that exhausted.

"It was a trick," Boaz said, and his voice captured the attention of many. "It was a trick and we fell for it. Listen, we need to find that levite man, and..." his breath hitched, it all came to a pause.

He thought of where the marked trees were found, by a river in Bethlehem. A river near Tikvah. That was where the enemy had sneaked through. That was where the message was sent, so wouldn't that be where they would attack?

"It was a distraction," he said under his breath. And then without explaining himself, he urged his horse onwards, and rode fast.

It wasn't long before Joshua followed after him, riding just as fast, along with the other leaders, and the soldiers followed suit.