Gilead

Foreword

Leto of Miletus was a great warrior. She was the daughter of the great Monika, the great ruler of Gilead, but her mother was a prostitute. Monika's wife, the one legally bonded with her, Dianne, also has several sons and daughters. When these half-brothers and sisters grew up, they chased Leto away. Threatened that she would take her father's inheritance. "You will not get any of our father's inheritance," they said, "for you are a daughter of a prostitute."

In their land and time, it doesn't matter if they are born a girl or a boy. What matters is the birth order, and it so happens that Leto is the firstborn. Sadly, she got driven out by her own family to Miletus. Soon she had a band of lowly rebels following her.

At about this time, the men of their neighboring nation, the Ammonites, waged wars against Gilead. When the Ammonites attacked, the elders sent for Leto in the land of Miletus. The elders said "Come and be our commander! Help us fight the Ammonites!"

But she replied, "Aren't you the ones who hated me and drove me away from your land? Why are you here asking for help in the time of trouble?" she was perplexed, the crumbs of anger that gradually withered as time passed by were starting to get fresh again.

"Because we need you! We will follow whatever you tell us and let our god be the witness of our oath," One of the elders said.

"Ok. Let me get this straight. If I come with you and be the commander, let me do my thing, and you must follow everything that I tell you to do. Swear this in front of our god." Leto said with a firm voice.

That afternoon in Miletus, when the sky was a deep orange, the elders of Gilead swore in front of their god and made Leto their leader.