Samson's Arc

Chapter 2 of 2

Samson woke before dawn and headed straight for the nearest honey tree. They needed to learn the patterns of the forest. When did bees arrive? When did other animals come searching for sweetness? Samson sat cross-legged at the base of the trunk and waited. The first bees arrived when the sky turned pink. They buzzed in slow circles, landing on branches heavy with honey. Samson pulled out the Book of Protection for the Honey from their satchel. The golden honeycomb patterns on the cover caught the morning light. Inside, diagrams showed how honey trees grew and how their roots spread deep. Other pages explained which animals helped the trees and which ones caused harm. Samson traced the drawings with one claw, memorizing each detail. A squirrel scurried up the trunk at midday. It grabbed at the dripping honey, knocking chunks of bark loose. Golden drops splattered onto the ground, wasted. Samson stood and placed a bucket beneath the heaviest branch. The honey collected there instead, filling the container with amber sweetness. The squirrel watched, chittered once, then moved to a different tree. As the sun dropped low, Samson attached a small bell shaped like a bee to a thin rope. They tied the rope between two trees near the honey tree's base. Anyone walking through at night would bump it. The bell would ring and wake them. Samson settled against the trunk, the book resting on their lap. Tomorrow they would learn more. But today, they had begun to truly understand what protecting meant.