Vatar sat with his head close to the other two boys'. They were carefully laying their plans to defeat the watchfulness of the adults.
“Do you think we can get away with it?” Fenar asked anxiously.
“We can if you don’t lose your nerve,” Torkaz said. “It depends on you. You have to get us good horses so we can ride far enough that they won’t see us turn back to the river.”
“Vatar?” Fenar turned to his older brother.
“It’s almost our only chance, Fenar. The herdsmen are already talking about moving. If we’re going to explore the river, we have to do it now. Don’t you want to see it?”

[This message has been edited by Meredith (edited January 02, 2009).]

Vatar sat with his head close to the other two boys’. They were carefully laying their plans to defeat the watchfulness of the adults.

“Do you think we can get away with it?” Fenar asked. He was the youngest of the boys by a year.

“We will if you don’t lose your nerve,” Torkaz said.

“Vatar?” Fenar turned to his older brother. “If Father finds out . . . .”

Vatar could not contain his elation as he rode away from the herd with the other two boys. They were going to get away with it! This time they were going to succeed.

Torkaz, riding beside him, returned his grin. He was confident, as always, that his plan would work.

Fenar reflected their joy. He was the youngest of the boys by more than a year. But he would go anywhere they went, especially anywhere his older brother, Vatar, went.

As they got farther from the herd, Torkaz took the lead. He led them in a wide arc that brought them back to the river well beyond the sight of the herdsmen.