Mother cooked the midday meal and had me pack it up to take to my brothers out where they were looking after the sheep. I put on my head-covering so I could leave the tent safely, and put their food into a bag to carry to them. Mother yelled at me "Dinah, make sure you take your knife with you! We do not know these lands yet - there may be trouble!"

I thought Mother was being a drama queen again. Not that I could blame her, despite giving Father most of his sons he still only had eyes for Aunt Rachel.

I hoped that one day I would have a man love me like father did Aunt Rachel. My thoughts flitted to Shem. I quickly squashed them though, there was no way Father would allow that being a Canaanite, no matter how handsome or rich he was. Father was very adamant that we follow his God's ways.

As I was saying I rushed out the door, without the knife my Mother had just yelled at me to take.

I felt it unnecessary as I was only going over the hill, toward the Hivite town, to where my brothers were. What harm could possibly befall me doing that?

As I made my way up the hill, I enjoyed the sights of this beautiful land. Canaan could not be rivaled in its lush greenery. Huge rocky outcroppings shadowed the hill, offering me a respite from the heat.

Even with the shade, the strenuous walk made me pause to catch my breath. I bent over and huffed a breath of air. Being the only daughter had softened me up too much. I needed to get back in shape.

A quiet noise caused me to stand upright. Was was that? There it was again. Only this time it was a little louder... And it was a growl. I panicked a little and ran down towards my brothers. I thought that if I got to my brothers they could rescue me. I glanced back up the hill and saw that it was a lion its bright yellow eyes stared back at me full of a lust and hunger. Terror rippled up my spine and I watched the powerful beasts muscles contract, ready to pounce on me. I should have brought that knife I thought too late, knowing deep down that it probably wouldn't have done me much good anyway. There was no way I could fend off such a powerful and clearly DETERMINED animal.

I remembered what my brothers had told me once then - If I ever faced a wild animal, stop, face it angle on, clap and make myself appear big, if that did not work prepare to punch it in its face. "Great!" I thought, as i prepared to face the hungry determined beast.

My concern, besides being supper, was the advantage this animal had over me. How was I supposed to punch something in the face when it towered above me? And if I got lucky enough, would my punch be strong enough to scare it off?

Whatever the case, I was in for a whole world of hurt. Hopefully I would not break my hand punching the thing... assuming that this would work - I had to believe that it would. It was then I remembered then the pot in my bag with my brothers food in it. That could do some damage if I threw it and it was lucky enough to hit it.

The cat was now crouching, it looked like it was preparing to spring. I did not have much time, but I knew I was a good shot from playing hoops with my brothers; but this was a little different to the hoops they were light and my bag heavy. I swung it around and the lion paused, its eyes doubting for a moment whether it should take me on.

I took that moment to calm down, breath and fire. The pot flew perfectly through the air knocking the hungry lion on the head. It paused for another moment, confusion in its eyes at the sudden attack, but that confusion quickly turned to anger as it shook its head trying to clear its vision from the pot attack.

It roared then, and I was full of fear again, at my predicament, the calming brought on by swinging the pot around lost. But I still bravely faced towards the lion, my hands ready to punch. It leapt at me and I felt pain exploding though my hand as I connected my fist to his face.

Punching the lion in reality, achieved nothing much but an angrier but more cautious lion. It had worked in that the lion failed to carry out its initial attack but failed in that I really could not do another punch, this one had already hurt me too much. I could look forward to my arm being in a splint for a few weeks while it healed. The lion prowled back around growling at me.

A sudden noise that sounded an awful lot like pain came from the beast. I instinctively backed up, trying to make sense of the object I now saw sticking out the side of the lion's chest. A stick? No a spear...

A spear?

Where did a spear come from? I blinked in confusion.

"Dinah!" an unrecognizable voice called to me. I looked towards the voice and collapsed on the ground in relief.

"Oh, Thank God!" I sobbed, cradling my hand then.

"Dinah! Are you ok?" Shem (Ok so I am using what his sisters call him here) said rushing over to my collapsed form and squatting down in front of me. "I am impressed though! You punched a lion full on in the face! He looked so funny - like what the?? Hang on that's not what I was expecting..."

"I am not ok Shem," I gasp out between my sobs, "I think I broke my hand, and I still have to get that food to my brothers!" I indicated to the pot which had fallen out of the carry bag. Its lid was still miraculously on and the pot still intact. I was thankful then of the way Mother would nag me about tying string around the pot to hold the lid on. It was now a habit, but one I had never experienced the need for until today.

"May I?" questioned Shem with clear concern in his eyes, indicating to my hand.

I nodded and held my sore arm out to him. He gently probed it eliciting groans and gasps depending on where he pressed.

"It is definitely broken," he declared, "You need to get it splinted or something as soon as possible. What do you want to do? Do you want to go deliver the food to your brothers or go back to camp?"

I thought about it and decided, "I will go on and deliver the food to my brothers, they can look after me. It's not that far away. But what were you doing out here Shem?"

"Well, I heard rumours of a pride etching onto your lands... and I wanted to make a good impression on your family, so..." he laughed nervously and looking rather bashful, "here I am."

"I see," I say starting to pull myself together, and getting up to go to the pot. I felt him watch me as I did this, and I glanced back to see him pivoted around facing me but still in the same position as when he dropped down to check on me. I inwardly grimace as I bent over to try put the pot back in the bag.

I realised quite quickly that I was not going to manage, so I turn back to face a grinning Shem.

It made me a little angry but I shrugged it off, "Could you please help me put this pot back in the bag so I can carry it to my brothers."

"Sure, sorry about my grin, I was thinking of you punching that lion again - it looked really funny. You were amazing by the way, my sisters would not have thought to face and punch the animal." he said more soberly then, "My sisters would have been dead by now if it had faced them."

He got up and put the pot in the bag, then lifted it up so I could carry it on my shoulder. I smiled at him gratefully.

"Can you give me a little bit to prepare a litter to carry the lion home?" Shem asked me.

I nodded. I did not want to risk traveling again without armament, and if this meant I travelled with the handsome Shem, so be it. While he prepared the litter I went back to the rocky shaded seat from earlier and sat and waited.

Shem clearly had made litters before as it only took him 3 shakes of a lambs tail before he had finished. Upon finishing the litter he looked over to me and called "Ready?"

I nodded and headed back down to him, while he picked up the litter and balanced it just so so he could drag the heavy lion out of there.

A/N This chapter written with the aid of @KayCAuthor.

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