"By Carriage and with a lot of coins," Ralph says.
"We don't have any of that." Miya points out.
"So we steal them?" Kidaya says, and when everyone turns to look at her, she shrugs.
"Kidaya!" Ralph rebuked. "Watch your language. A Lady does not speak that way." Although he was okay with keeping the two kids with them as friends, he didn't want Kidaya getting mingled with their way of life and words. She was a Lady, an Heir, and he would not have her behave otherwise.
"She is right, we steal them," Sam says.
"How do we steal that many coins and still be able to leave today before other faceless men discover some of their men are dead and begin searching for us more seriously?" Ralph asks.
"If we all do it, we can make such an amount on time," Sam says. "I don't know how far Mulrine city is, but I suspect we will need lots of coins. What do you say, Ralph, we all break out and steal?"
"No," Ralph says immediately. The siblings look up at him, confused. "All of us except Kidaya." He states.
Disappointed. "But why? I want to come too." Kidaya says.
"No." Was his firm reply. "A Lady must never do that," Ralph says to her.
"I am not a Lady." She shrieks.
"You are a Lady, and you will always be a Lady. I will make sure to return you to your status no matter what, so endure with me for the main time and have patience. You will live as a Lady again. Whether once we get to Mulrine city, or we have to go somewhere else."
Sam heaves. "As patriotic as that sounds, it's not going to feed us and get us a carriage and a coach to Mulrine City." Sam says picking up a stick from the ground and putting it into his mouth.
Ralph looks at him with distaste. That was exactly the kind of lifestyle he didn't want Kidaya getting from them. "I will come along too. If you tell me what to do and how, I think I'll be successful. Kidaya stays here."
"Alone?" She questions.
"I'll try not to go too far. Not only do I not want you soiling your hands with this kind of habit, I want to keep you safe too. We never can tell where a Faceless man is waiting for you."
"I wish I had a brother like you." Miya says smiling at Ralph.
Ignoring his sister's words. "I agree with your brother Kidaya. Stay here." Sam says. Turning to Ralph. "Now listen very closely because we don't have much time." Ralph moves closer. "Target the tourist. They are the ones who keep patting their wallet or pocket or wherever to make sure his or her coin is still intact. They think they are being alert and cautious, but they are actually attracting attention to where their coins are with that action, telling every thief around that he has coins and where they are."
"Not everyone does that." Miya cuts in.
"That's why I said the tourist." Sam fired back.
"I am a tourist, but I'll never do that." Miya says.
"That is because you have no coins on you. Are you going to let me tell him how or will you?" Sam asked eyes on his sister.
She rolls her eyes. "Go ahead." Miya says.
From the side, Kidaya listened. She paid attention to every detail and instruction. When Sam was done talking, they all left in different directions and decided to be back in the next thirty minutes at the same spot where Kidaya was waiting.
"Do not go anywhere," Ralph says to her as he is about to leave. "Stay hidden, okay? Remember the Faceless Men could be anywhere. I'll be back soon whether I steal a coin or not. Okay?"
She nods her head. "Okay." And after slowly placing his hand on her head, he left.
Just like they promised, they all arrived at the spot again in the next thirty minutes.
"What did you get?" Sam asks Miya.
"Not a lot." She says pulling out two purses of coins and placing them on the floor. When everything was counted, there was a total of twelve coins.
Sam pulls out his own purse of coins, he had a total of seven. Sighing, he turns to Ralph. "Did you get anything?" Sam asks Ralph because he doubted Ralph would be able to get anything if he himself got only seven coins.
Ralph pulls out four purses and dropped them on the floor.
"Twenty three coins." Miya says when she is done counting the coins. Eyes widened. "How did you do it? I thought the market was particularly dry today, so how did you?"
He shrugs. "Just stick to everything you two told me."
Clearing his throat. "That's a total of forty-two coins. If we manage it well and the carriage isn't very expensive, it should do." Sam says beginning to pack all the coins.
Bam! Came the loud noise as a bag suddenly dropped in the middle of everyone. The children freeze, believing they may have been caught. Raising their heads up, they saw Kidaya smiling down at everyone.
"Guys!" Came Miya's low voice calling their attention back to the bag in front of them.
Following the direction of Miya's eyes, Sam and Ralph both looked at the bag. Sam slowly untied the bag and inside it was a whole lot of coins.
"Kidaya!" Ralph called not believing his eyes.
Smiling. "I got it from the warehouse two streets from here." Kidaya explained.
"How did you know they had money there?"
"How did you get in and get out without being seen?"
"I thought I told you to stay here and wait while I do the dirty work?"
They all asked simultaneously and Kidaya smiles. "Is that enough to take us to Mulrine?" She asks Sam.
"Even to the ends of the earth." Sam says cheerfully. "Now let's go find something good to eat, and then we can get on the most fanciful carriage out of here," Sam says.
Ralph snatches all the coins from Sam. "I'll stay with the coins. I can't trust you won't run with it at any chance you get and leave us stranded here."
Shrugging his shoulders. "Whatever works for you," Sam says smiling.
Turning to Kidaya. "We are not done talking about this." Ralph says to her.
~
They were on their way to find a carriage when Sam immediately saw two men approaching them with swords. Sam looked at their swords and discovered they were the same swords the other men that had been chasing the girl had held. "Ralph," Sam whispers to the boy beside him.
"I know, I have seen them. But if we turn and run now, they will chase us. Let's hope they don't recognize her. Keep your eyes down Kidaya." Ralph says forcing himself to walk faster with his still sprained leg.
The men walk past them without realizing who they are, and as soon as they walk past the men, Miya and Kidaya grab their hands and begin to run while Sam helps Ralph run.
"Take us to Mulrine city," Sam says to the first empty carriage they saw at the end of the road, helping the two girls inside, before helping Ralph and then jumping in himself.
"Do you have the coins? It will cost you-"
Ralph throws a purse of coins to him. "Is that enough or do we need to add more? Take us to Mulrine city." He says to the man.
"Where in Mulrine city?" Asked the coachman.
"The market square. We will take it from there." Ralph says not seeing the need to mention Count Tegha's house. He will take another carriage down there from the market.
"I saw some kids run this way, search everywhere!" Came the loud voice of a man.
The children all froze when they heard this.
"Sir!" Ralph yelled, more like a command, and without waiting a single more minute, the man drove away.
Sam and Ralph peep out from the side of the carriage and see the Faceless Men begin to chase their carriage on foot. Sam smiles because he knows they could never make it to them on time.
"Let's hope they don't find a horse anytime soon." Ralph says leaning back inside the carriage.