A Warrior's Redemption (The Warrior Kind)

"You sound like you've experienced the process many times. Tell me does it get any easier?"I asked.

"Yes and no. Having faith is a constant that will always be the same in the surrender and trust that it will require of you, but as time goes by and the more you see of the Creator and how He works in your life the more you will believe. The more you believe the more faith you'll have to see you through your journey. I have a lifetime of the Creator's intervention in my life to attest to His good mercies and blessings. The Creator is always faithful to those who are faithful to Him; this is as much a certainty in regard to your walk with Him as I can tell you of Roric. Now come and help me get these herbs we've picked back to the house. We'll need them for the soup tonight." Samantha said, as she slipped an arm through mine and let me lead her back to the house.

I spent three weeks with the Kurt family in the little valley among the hills that they called home. During this time my wound had almost completely healed up and I was eager to meet up with my companions and learn of their outcome and that of the children, but I was reluctant to leave the generosity of this kind family.

They had shown me what it was like to be part of a family again, but I had to leave. I said goodbye to each of the Kurt family individually over the course of several days leaving Samantha for last. I had talked to Eliak the day before at the horse corral situated behind the barn. Eliak, besides farming also bred horses and not just any kind of horses at that. His horses were among the finest I had ever seen.

He kept two breeding herds. One was ruled over by an older stallion named Ervallion. Ervallion had a stately intelligent manner about him that I liked. The other smaller herd was chaperoned over by a big young stallion named Flin.

I had stood next to the corral fencing the past evening, when Eliak had appeared at my side. He moved as silently as a cat, for being such a big man.

We stood silently for awhile admiring the beauty of the majestic creatures in front of us. Ervallion, upon seeing his master came up to the fence and extended his nose to Eliak, who responded by reaching out his hand to fondly stroke the stallion's muzzle. Hand and nose met in a symbolic gesture of friendship between human and animal that would have been hard to equal in any friendship. One had the sense that there was a long history between them, which Eliak confirmed. "Ervallion and I have traveled far together, haven't we old boy." Patting Ervallion's neck Eliak looked at me, "He was a gift from your father."