The boys sat with their heads together, carefully laying their plans. They would have to be wily. The adults would not have approved of their plans. In some sense, the boys had been hatching this plan all winter. Their people, the Dardani, had moved their horses and cattle to pastures along the Gna River last autumn. The grazing elsewhere on the plains had dried up after an exceptionally dry summer. Now that fresh grasses could be seen sprouting everywhere following the winter rains, the herdsmen were already talking about moving the herds, and the people, back to their traditional grazing grounds. That meant that the boys would have to act soon if they were to achieve their goal.
[This message has been edited by satate (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 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).]
[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 . . . .”
“There’s no reason he should ever find out. It’s almost our only chance, Fenar. The herdsmen are already talking about moving back to the plains. If we’re going to explore the river, we have to do it now. Don’t you want to see it? Who knows when we’ll get another chance?”
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.
Torkaz and Vatar had been scheming all winter to get a closer look at the river, which was something entirely new in their experience.