Cavalier

Chapter Six

David doesn't really pay attention to the news, but he reckons he knows more about what's going on than other kids his age. The war with the Philistines feels like it's never going to end, especially that they're more or less in a deadlock. The Philistines take some of their land and they take some of the Philistine's land and there's always at least one name and face in uniform on the TV at night as a french horn or a trumpet plays mournfully in the background.

Men are dying, the war isn't ending. David goes out to the mansion more; apparently, but to nobody's surprise, Saul's condition prevents him from handling stress well. Between playing and unofficially training under a gruff man named Commander Elias who doesn't smile nearly as much as Jael and taking care of the sheep if, by chance, he doesn't have to go out to the Mansion, he's suddenly sixteen. Life continues much the same after that, his birthday a blip, and he starts getting more comfortable and familiar with the Presidential Guard agents he's entrusted to and Commander Elias refuses to crack a smile and the sheep still respond enthusiastically to his voice and David blinks and he's seventeen.

The war gets worse. The Philistines take Socoh.

This isn't the first time that conscription has been put into place, not even during David's lifetime, but the Philistines are getting closer, close enough to infiltrate the borders in some places, and desperate times call for desperate measures. It's the second time it's happened during David's lifetime; Eliab, Abinadab, and Shammah are once again called back into active service, Nethanel, Raddai, and Ozem are put into the reserves and have to report to the base in the city three times a week for training, and their entire family suffers through a nerve wracking week before Ethan gets his medical pardon.

Ethan hasn't left his bed in more than a week. A cold is wreaking havoc on his already feeble lungs and he's as pale as a sheet, but he musters up a smile when David tells him the news. "They're not stupid," he says, relaxing back into his pillows more. "I'd be a liability."

David startles, like he always has whenever his older brother has so much as hinted at his mortality. "Ethan," he says, "Ethan, no, you don't mean that, if you weren't sick—"

Ethan laughs. It's a harsh sound. "Exactly. If I wasn't sick." His entire body convulses with a bought of coughing, and when he finally relaxes there's blood specking his lips. He wipes them off with a tissue and then makes a face at it when he pulls it away.

"David," he says, voice hoarse, "wanna play some guitar?"

Ethan knows that David's panicking, knows that playing guitar is one of the surefire ways to calm him down, and David knows that his brother knows because Ethan knows him best. He nods shakily and goes to get his guitar.

It's just a cold. Ethan should be able to shake a common cold. One has never stuck around for this long.

"Any requests?" he asks when he gets back, the edge of the guitar a familiar weight on his knee, and Ethan closes his eyes and says, "One of yours."

So David plays one of his. The words are in his head instantly and his fingers start strumming familiar chords. He sings,

"Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
 

I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.


He will call on me, and I will answer him;


I will be with him in trouble,


I will deliver him and honour him.