Travelling over the mountains was slow. The nights were cold. The food situation was deteriorating. The raiders could only carry so much food. With the addition of the children and so many extra mouths to feed, the food did not go far.
It took them two days to cross over the mountains. They camped at the foot of the mountain on the second day. The next stretch was flat grassland. Dust eddies came dancing across the plains. The children would scream and duck their heads as the little whirlwinds bore down on them. The raiders drove their mounts hard. The horses didn't seem to mind. They could somehow sense they were near home. The road they were travelling led to Damascus but their destination was the extensive army base situated about 25 kilometres outside Damascus. There the captives would be washed, fed and issued with sackcloth tunics before being delivered to the slave master on the day of the auction in Damascus. When they camped that night, they were only about half a day's ride from the army base.
After supper, when the children were shackled together and the men were relaxing around the fire, Jaden took a walk and found himself where the horses had been tied. Finding his horse, he stroked it's neck and scratched behind it's ears. Softly he apologised, "We're nearly home. Sorry you have to carry two. Luckily she's not heavy."
"You could have swapped out with someone else." A voice came out the dark.
Jaden spun round and immediately relaxed. The voice continued, "Seems like you've taken a shine to the little miss."
"Now you sound like all the others " Jaden answered.
"Just saying it, as I'm seeing it." The voice from the shadows said. The old hostler moved forward where Jaden could see him better, even though Jaden had recognised his voice from the start.
"It's not what you think, old man. I admit I'm a bit protective of her but she makes me think of my sister. My sister is older than me but she has the mind of a child. Still plays with dolls. My mother looks after her when I'm not there. But my mother's getting old. I worry when we go in to battle that I might not return. My sister has the body of a woman. I fear when I'm not there some scumbag will take advantage of her. She knows nothing of men."
The hostler said," I've seen you here with her a few times"
Jaden continued, "Yes, like any child she loves animals, especially horses. Whenever I have free time I bring her here, she loves to touch them. They seem to sense her situation, never once have they responded wildly towards her, even the stallions."
"And the Hebrew child....?" The hostler asked.
Jaden remained quiet for a short while, lost in thought....or so it seemed. Eventually he answered.
"I don't quite know. The similarities are there. She also loves horses. She's also kind and generous. She has the same childlike innocence, but there's just something about her when you learn to know her that just makes you know she's special. My sister has that same quality. She's just special."
"I know what you mean, son. That little Hebrew girl was in my cart the first day and at the end of the day I found myself apologising to her for what we were doing. I think if the day was two hours longer I would have turned around and taken her home. I just hope she finds someone who will give her a good home. I know that's a bit much to hope for, her being a slave and all." The old hostler finished speaking, slapped the soldier on his back and waddled off to his tent.
Jaden's mind was in a turmoil. Their were so many questions and so few answers. Sleep would not come easy tonight.
