Joab opened the scroll, now wet and stained with water and blood

His eyes scanned over all of it, quickly.

Abishai and Asahel walked forward.

"Abner escaped," Asahel said.

"Let him go," Joab responded.

"Is is true? The kingdoms are united?" Abishai asked.

Joab nodded.

"These are the assignments. The king and outcast king, Abner, a bunch of others, then me. Riches and royalty and land divides. I guess I get moved up with their king dead."

Joab chuckled at the back stabbing and pursuit of power.

"Did our king know?" Abishai asked, cleaning his spear.

"Well, he sent us three here to die," Joab responded. "But no. He didn't have the outcast king killed. That was within their own house. Abner is many things. Not that."

Asahel didn't believe any of it.

"I will take Abner myself!" Asahel declared.

"No," Joab warned. "You will do no such thing."

Asahel's speed kicked in before his brothers could grab him.

He splashed away from the pool, and then jumped and lunged and climbed from wall to broken wall, out of the pool, in a parkour like series of moves.

The two brothers couldn't help but watch as their brother crawled out of the hole they were in like a monkey, and disappeared.

"We must get him," Abishai said, with a worried tone in his voice that he rarely used.

"Good luck," Joab responded.

"Joab, he will kill Abner. The peace that was just made would collapse."

"Let it collapse. The Mediator, whom you killed by the way, had instructions if Abner and I survived. We did. They could've announced all of this yesterday. I'm done with all of it."

"You don't mean it."

"I do."

"So, you are refusing your place in the new kingdom?"

"My place? Behind my sworn enemies? With all of my conquests and exploits forgotten? What do you think they will have me do, brother? Lead some rogue group of bandits against giants? Hunt Philistines? Send me to some remote fort for the rest of my days? They will play nice, and then do away with me."

Abishai did not argue. His brother was right. But their newly formed kingdom falling? Blasphemy.

Joab was done speaking, and decided to end this last Swordfall.

He looked the pool of death before him, now destroyed. Joab then whispered a prayer of deliverance and forgiveness and wisdom and mercy, while kneeling.

After the prayer was done, he took his sword and swung it and broke it against the wall in two. Joab then grabbed the two pieces and tossed it into the pool, and slowly walked away.

Beniah helped the ailing Abner on to his horse, then mounted his own.

They they took off into the now evening sun, into the dark forest.

Asahel pulled himself from the hole after climbing with all of his might.

He saw a glance of the two riding off, and ran to his horse, mounted it, and took off as fast as he could into the darkness.

Larkin waited by the wooden gate, wondering when they would come back.

Swordfall should've been over by now. It was quick.

She was still dressed in her best ceremonial robes.

I will look my best when he returns.

Asahel was alive.

She felt it.

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