Ammer, Cree, and Mae climbed aboard the tottering carriage.

"Everybody set?" The aged coachman whipped the hurried steeds into motion without waiting for the children to respond.

"What if I said no?" Cree muttered under his breath.

"Quit it, Cree. We have much to discuss." Ammer straightened. He enjoyed being the one in charge. "This is a Delmont carriage. Since the Rogues know we're in Delmont, there's a possibility they're searching the carriages along the way to the sea."

"If we get caught, we tell them the truth." Cree stated matter-of-factly.

"But we agreed to lie!" Mae threw her hands up in exasperation.

"Cree, this is serious. Our lives are in danger, and if we tell them the truth our lives will be over." Sometimes, Ammer wished he had been born with a more sensible twin.

"I don't see the point in lying. The Rogues will only believe what they want to believe. They'll question us until we tell them what they want to hear," Cree crossed his arms, satisfied that he had won the argument. "And they know what we look like."

"Ammer," Mae began. "I hate to say it, but Cree does have a point. We need a better plan."

"There is no other plan. The best we can do is hope we aren't caught." Ammer groaned, annoyed that Mae had taken Cree's side. _He_ was supposed to be in charge, not his careless, savage brother.