Chapter 11
The Sling's Song
David expertly swings his sling, a blur of motion. The stone flies true, striking Goliath with incredible force and precision.
The air in the Valley of Elah thrummed with a silence so profound it felt like a held breath. It wasn't the peaceful quiet of the hills David knew, where the rustle of leaves and the bleating of lambs were the only sounds. This was a silence thick with anticipation, laced with the metallic tang of fear. Below, the Israelite army, a host of men clad in bronze and linen, stood frozen, their faces turned towards the monstrous figure who had become the embodiment of their dread.
David stood a little apart, the rough wool of his tunic scratching against his skin, a familiar discomfort now almost a comfort. He could feel the eyes of his brothers, the stern gaze of Saul, and the myriad of other eyes, all fixed on him, on the impossible task he had set himself. But his