The driver nodded and clicked his tongue. He had heavy bags under his eyes, every inch of him looked exhausted. When the second fellow returned, Elena took the box from him. It was full of short picks for horse hooves and fruit paring. These pathetic little tools and the words we have knives almost got them all killed.

Then Elena was out the back door, to find the others in case they still thought there was danger. The last thing they needed now were swords drawn. She found them by the wagon, Alan sitting on its lip, mouth agape and trying not to laugh.

“‘Excuse me, where should we drop off all this coin?’ You two are the luckiest sons of bitches I’ve ever known.”

He grabbed Elena by the neck and shook her playfully, so hard she almost dropped the knives on their feet. John joined them a moment later, walking out the back door and shaking his head numbly.

“God’s knees,” Elena said, “you should have seen John almost spear them with a pitchfork.”

“I hope we stole a box of breeks somewhere,” John planted his finger on Will’s chest, “because I think I shit myself back there.”

“I’d say we have enough.” Arthur smiled. “Time to get out of here?”

Will giggled. “Don’t forget the chest or two of coin.”

“It’s all yours,” Elena said. She’d had her brush with danger for the day. Will slipped back inside to fetch it, while John untied the horses from the sidepost.

“You think we’ll get it moving?”

“She’ll move.” John nodded, patting the horses on their haunches. “If they can carry me all the way here, they won’t even notice the rest of it.”

Elena gave a quick look over the wagon, trying to count what they’d taken, and what it meant to those that would receive it. She couldn’t help but wonder. If they kept even a fraction of the haul for themselves, they could start to turn their camp in the woods into a real village. They could live off the land rather than what they stole, they could govern and defend themselves. It was what they were growing toward, stability. A central point where they could live freely, from which they could branch out in time.

For only a moment, her mind touched on John’s sermon. That everything they were taking had been taken from others already. This promise of prosperity relied on someone else, somewhere else, going without. It was only a split second, but the dream was sour now. She chose not to think of it.

Arthur was on top of the wagon with the reins in hand. John was behind ready to give it a push. Elena ducked back inside to hurry Will, who was standing in the middle of the room with one small chest in his arms, unmoving, just staring.