Marcus dug in with his boots, and they returned to fighting, this time on the ground. The broad-shouldered Protector brought his blade to the ready and waved his apprentice forward, encouraging him to go on the offensive. With a surge of golden light, the younger angel charged. Prissie thought it strange to see a guy who’d just been slouching through the halls at school with a backpack hanging from one shoulder now lunging and slashing with a blade that looked sharp enough to do some serious damage.
Jedrick remained calm in the face of the attack. His muscular arms made the large sword with the blue gem in its pommel seem light, even though Prissie knew it had to be heavy. Marcus’s sword was neither as long nor as broad, but it was a deadly enough weapon, reminding her once again that there were enemies outside of this place, dangers she could only imagine … and didn’t want to think about.
The memory of a starry sky filled with warriors flittedacross her mind’s eye, but Harken chimed in then, inquiring, “So is that what you wanted to talk about today? The future?”
She slowly shook her head. “No, not really. It was something about Milo’s message.”
“Was my apprentice unclear?” the Messenger inquired lightly.
“I understood
him,
” Prissie quickly assured. “It’s the
message
I don’t understand.”
Harken gestured for her to continue. “What was the message?”
“Trust, listen, and remember,” she listed.
The old man tapped his chin. “Listening may be the most difficult of the three.”
“I’d think it was the easiest!”
“Yes, it
sounds
easy enough,” Harken agreed. “It’s like … have you ever had trouble paying attention in class? Your mind strays, but the teacher hasn’t stopped talking. Their words flow right past, but in your distraction, you’re tuning them out.”
With a faint blush, she replied, “I guess.”
“That’s the difference between
hearing
and
listening
,” he explained.
Koji interjected, “Shimron says it is as important to listen wisely as it is to listen well.”
Prissie’s brow furrowed, but Harken nodded. “It can be difficult to sift the truth from lies.” With a searching look, he restated, “You’re unsure what you should be listening for … and what you’ve forgotten … but do you know whom you can trust, Prissie?”
Shrugging a little, she mumbled, “I trusted Adin.”
“May I ask about him?” Harken inquired.
“I guess.”
“What kinds of things did Adin say to you?”
She needed to think that over. It wasn’t so much that she didn’t remember what the fallen angel had told her; it was embarrassing to admit that she’d believed him. Adin had seemed so perfect. Very reluctantly, she confessed, “He said I was special, chosen by God.”
“Arguably true.” Harken nodded encouragingly. “What else?”
Prissie fiddled with her skirt, pleating the fabric between her fingers. “He talked about Ephron … and Ransom … and he asked questions I couldn’t answer.”
“Like?”
“Like … why doesn’t God hurry up and tell you where Ephron is? And why am I letting Ransom take my place next to Dad? And he asked me which of my brothers is my favorite.”
Harken’s expression grew solemn. “Did he, now?”
To Prissie’s surprise, Koji grabbed her hand, pulling it into both of his own. “Adin stirred doubts, planted seeds of contention, and sought to divide Prissie from those who love her. I am grateful to God that we are Sent to her defense.”
She didn’t miss the subtle emphasis. “Who’s been Sent? You two?”
“The whole Flight,” Harken replied. “We’re supporting Tamaes, which means looking out for you. Now! If you’ll excuse me, I have a store to mind.”
“Oh! Of course,” she exclaimed, feeling bad for taking up his time. Prissie could see why her father had confided in Harken when he was her age. “Thank you for listening.”
“Any time,” he replied, making his reply a promise.
Jedrick remained calm in the face of the attack. His muscular arms made the large sword with the blue gem in its pommel seem light, even though Prissie knew it had to be heavy. Marcus’s sword was neither as long nor as broad, but it was a deadly enough weapon, reminding her once again that there were enemies outside of this place, dangers she could only imagine … and didn’t want to think about.
The memory of a starry sky filled with warriors flittedacross her mind’s eye, but Harken chimed in then, inquiring, “So is that what you wanted to talk about today? The future?”
She slowly shook her head. “No, not really. It was something about Milo’s message.”
“Was my apprentice unclear?” the Messenger inquired lightly.
“I understood
him,
” Prissie quickly assured. “It’s the
message
I don’t understand.”
Harken gestured for her to continue. “What was the message?”
“Trust, listen, and remember,” she listed.
The old man tapped his chin. “Listening may be the most difficult of the three.”
“I’d think it was the easiest!”
“Yes, it
sounds
easy enough,” Harken agreed. “It’s like … have you ever had trouble paying attention in class? Your mind strays, but the teacher hasn’t stopped talking. Their words flow right past, but in your distraction, you’re tuning them out.”
With a faint blush, she replied, “I guess.”
“That’s the difference between
hearing
and
listening
,” he explained.
Koji interjected, “Shimron says it is as important to listen wisely as it is to listen well.”
Prissie’s brow furrowed, but Harken nodded. “It can be difficult to sift the truth from lies.” With a searching look, he restated, “You’re unsure what you should be listening for … and what you’ve forgotten … but do you know whom you can trust, Prissie?”
Shrugging a little, she mumbled, “I trusted Adin.”
“May I ask about him?” Harken inquired.
“I guess.”
“What kinds of things did Adin say to you?”
She needed to think that over. It wasn’t so much that she didn’t remember what the fallen angel had told her; it was embarrassing to admit that she’d believed him. Adin had seemed so perfect. Very reluctantly, she confessed, “He said I was special, chosen by God.”
“Arguably true.” Harken nodded encouragingly. “What else?”
Prissie fiddled with her skirt, pleating the fabric between her fingers. “He talked about Ephron … and Ransom … and he asked questions I couldn’t answer.”
“Like?”
“Like … why doesn’t God hurry up and tell you where Ephron is? And why am I letting Ransom take my place next to Dad? And he asked me which of my brothers is my favorite.”
Harken’s expression grew solemn. “Did he, now?”
To Prissie’s surprise, Koji grabbed her hand, pulling it into both of his own. “Adin stirred doubts, planted seeds of contention, and sought to divide Prissie from those who love her. I am grateful to God that we are Sent to her defense.”
She didn’t miss the subtle emphasis. “Who’s been Sent? You two?”
“The whole Flight,” Harken replied. “We’re supporting Tamaes, which means looking out for you. Now! If you’ll excuse me, I have a store to mind.”
“Oh! Of course,” she exclaimed, feeling bad for taking up his time. Prissie could see why her father had confided in Harken when he was her age. “Thank you for listening.”
“Any time,” he replied, making his reply a promise.
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