7

As night fell, Mahlah hammered the last tent peg into place. War? Hadn’t her people seen enough of death in their wandering? What would be said of the line of Zelophehad since they had no warrior to send into battle?

Nemuel and Abishua had treated her like a lost child in front of other men. No respect had been shown to her as the firstborn of her father’s lineage. What was to become of a family that did not have a son who could spill enemy blood? How could they inherit conquered land?

She brought her mallet down for one last strike.

Noah trudged closer. The mother goat hobbled at her side. The kids followed their mother’s lead in earnest. “If you hammer that peg any harder it will disappear into the earth.”

“Better this peg incurs my wrath than others.” Mahlah stood. “Forgive my harshness. I cannot bear to be treated like Nemuel’s servant. Are we not descendants of Joseph, former ruler of all Egypt?”

“We are.” Noah pressed her lips together and let out a sigh. “I guess this is not a good time for me to ask you to help care for our goats. I can’t ask Jeremiah to mind them. His father made a fuss about me interfering with his tasks. Is it my fault our flocks are fertile?”

“And you believe Abishua might make this into something?” Mahlah tapped the mallet head into her palm. Why were ordinary concerns weighing on her like millstones?

“Men trade favors all the time.” Noah tugged her hem from a curious kid’s mouth. “Ask any shepherd and they will tell you I have cared for their sick ewes more than anyone. Our goat limps, and I cannot stay with her and let the sheep wander far.”

Mahlah scooped one hungry kid. “I will take them into the tent with me.”

“Really?” Noah bit her lip. “Father would never allow it.”

“No, he would not. But I do not want another visit from our elders.” Mahlah jiggled her hammer to herd the mother toward the tent flap. “I have already found our goat once today.”

“Hoglah can herd them inside the tent,” Noah said. “I will return after I check on our herds.”

“If it were only that easy. Hoglah has grumbled about her responsibilities more than anyone lately. Besides, I don’t believe there is an open eye to be found inside.”

Noah inspected the mother’s stiff leg. “Life will be easier once we get our land.”

“It cannot come too soon.”

Mahlah grasped the goat’s belly and nudged the tent flap with her shoulder. Her sisters, asleep on their mats, did not move a limb to assist her. The mother teetered inside with her young close behind. Mahlah dragged jars and baskets to create a corral for their goats. She unfurled her mat and reinforced the enclosure, so the nesting ground couldn’t be easily breeched.

“Lord, give us rest.”

The mother goat bobbed her head as if she agreed with Mahlah’s plea.

Reaching over the lopsided pen, Mahlah rubbed the mother’s nose. “It is tiring taking care of others, isn’t it? At least, I do not have to feed my sisters. God has seen to that need.”

In an instant, gasps invaded the peacefulness of the tent. Milcah thrashed. Frantic whines escaped from her lips.

Rushing to her side, Mahlah smoothed her hair.

“Shhh. You are safe,” Mahlah whispered. “You’re dreaming.”

Milcah’s eyes flew opened. She bolted into a sitting position, breaths fleeing her chest.

“He’s coming for me.”

“Who?” Mahlah hugged her sister. Was she dreaming of their father returning from the grave? Or—

“That thief. He was chasing me.” Milcah’s body trembled as she burrowed into Mahlah’s chest.

“Do not worry. He was so afraid of us, he fled.” Mahlah wrapped her arms tight around her sister. “We will never see him again. And if we do, our kinsmen will protect us.”

“He had blood on his feet.” Milcah’s words rumbled into Mahlah’s robe.

“In your dream?”

“No, by the rock. I saw blood stains.”

Mahlah envisioned the craggy alcove, the thief’s sneer, and his obsession with their goat, but her focus had stayed on the man’s chest and arms, lest he lunge in her direction. She had ignored the state of his feet.

“I didn’t see any blood.” She stroked Milcah’s long, soft hair. “Perhaps he stubbed his toe, or better yet, our goat stepped on it.”

Even with her comforting words, Milcah’s body stayed stiff. Mahlah drew back and stared into her sister’s face. Milcah’s brown eyes glistened in the lamplight.

“What does God say about stealing?” Mahlah asked.

“That we shouldn’t.” Milcah’s voice grew emboldened as she answered.

“Yes, and God heard our prayers and gave us back our goat. He watched over us, just as he will watch over us tonight.” Mahlah smiled reassuringly. “I’ve brought the goats inside with us, so everyone is safe.”

Milcah hesitated. She cast a glance at Hoglah and Tirzah’s resting bodies and stared at the mismatched barricade Mahlah had built.

“Where will you lie?” Milcah asked.

“In front of the tent flap so no one will join us. But I must lace it first.” Mahlah freed herself from her sister’s embrace. “You must sleep, for I pray this battle is swift, and we are on the move once more. When we get our land, all this marching will be done.”

Nodding, Milcah settled back down on her mat.

“I love you, Mahlah.”

Her sister’s wisp of a confession caused Mahlah’s heart to ache and then blossom. She could not remember the last time she had heard those words.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she whispered, “I love you, too.”

Mahlah turned and scooted toward the tent flap to secure their dwelling for the night. She reached and took hold of the ramskin.

As she did, a man’s rough hand took hold of hers.