Kiva was jarred out of his daydream by the blaring camp sirens. He quickly grabbed his pick axe and hooked it too his belt. "Blizzard coming!" He shouted down the shaft. All around him the prisoners were rushing out of the shaft to take shelter in the dorms.

Kiva limped out after Elim. His paws seemed to stay cut and sore as he made the daily laborious trek across the camp. The snow didn't help the pain. When he reached the dorm he made sure everyone was in then closed the door tight. Already the wind driven snow was scratching at the roof tops.

As the sirens sounded he leaned against the door rubbing his paws together. Outside the storm winds increased, drowning out the wailing sirens.

Saber coughed and rubbed his paws together. "Well this beats work," he said as he climbed onto his bunk exhausted. "We had all better rest while we can."

The others in the dorm listened to him and climbed into their bunks. Kiva sat at the door listening to the howling storm as it ripped apart the camp. All they had mined today would be buried. What more the Emperor would complain for the lack of coal.

"Kiva," His father said from the bunk. "Get some rest."

Kiva just wrapped his arms around himself and closed his eyes. Sleep was not so kind and as the others drifted off, Kiva had nothing to do but listen to their ragged breaths. He knew that tomorrow would come and they would return to work as if the storm hadn't happened. He once thought it kind that the Mounts had an alarm to warn them out of the storm but then he reconsidered that someone had to be alive to be driven in slavery.

/

The next morning he was the first awake. It was quiet out and he could hear muted voices that sounded like they were coming from over head. Someone stomped on the roof and he heard a scrapping sound.

"There's another one here, Sergeant," a voice said.

Kiva quickly woke the others. "Something is happening," he said to his father.

King Saber got out of bed and looked up to the noise on the roof. He then went over to the door and tried to push it open. "It's stuck."

He was quickly joined by Desono and the two struggled to get the door open. The wolf howled in frustration. "Buried alive!"

Kiva tried to help his father and they were able to get the door open just a crack. He tried to fit his head through it but could only get his snout. Adrenaline filled him. He wasn't sure why but he was suddenly determined to get the door open despite knowing that a wall of snow awaited him.

Soon the other prisoners were helping them and they got the door open wide enough for Kiva to get his head through. Using his paw her clawed some of the snow away so he could breath. Wiggling, he maneuvered the rest of his body out and pushed more snow aside. "I think I can dig to the surface."

"No." Saber said and Kiva frowned at him. If they didn't get fresh air they would suffocate. Saber went back into the dorm and sent out Elim, Hyxoes and Wessex.

"Pa, what are you doing?"

"Kiva, you know the direction to the fence." Saber said. "Tunnel your way out!"

Kiva shook his head but his father was nodding. "I won't leave you."

"Yes you will," Saber said firmly. "They won't notice a few of you missing. I'll simply tell them you were caught in the blizzard. Me, they'll want to make sure I'm dead. "Now, I want you to tunnel under the fence. We've got to be under six feet of snow. No one will see you."

"But Pa, what will I do when I get out?"

"Run, Kiva." Saber said. "Run and don't look back. Now you must hurry. The sun is rising and the snow will get soft. Go, my son. Go for me."

Kiva wanted to disobey. He wanted to go back into the cabin and hug his father come what may but something else took over him. "Yes, Father." He then looked into the faces of his three friends. "Let's go."

The four set of digging. They could hear the Mounts plodding through the snow above as they carved their way through the deathtrap of snow. Kiva looked over his shoulder. Wessex was at the rear of the line and behind him the snow was already falling in their tunnel. He could only see very little of the dorm door.

"We can do it," he said to himself breathlessly. "We can do it!" He went forward. "One, two, one ,two..." He counted under his breath. He wasn't keeping track of time but he quickly became tired. He stopped and rested on the cold hard ground to sooth his aching arms.

"We can't stop here, Kiva," Hyxoes said from behind him.

Kiva nodded and tunneled on. Every time he grew tired Hyxoes nudged him on. When he reached his paw out for the some hundredth time it struck something hard. Hastily he cleared the snow away from the post. "It's the fence!" He said elated. Using it as a guide he dug on a few more feet before resting.

Hyxoes joined him and looked into his eyes. "It's up from here," He said.

Elim joined them next. "Once we are out there is no going back." He pointed out. "If we do we'd give our fathers away."

"I know," Kiva said. "Guys, if we are caught, we die in silence," he said. "No one helped us escape." They all nodded. "Alright, then." Kiva began tunneling upward. The higher he went the more light streamed into the tunnel. He felt his arms growing tired but thoughts of freedom drove him on. He knew very well he didn't have enough energy to go back the way he had come. "Almost!"

When he felt the icy wind on his paw he knew he had broken out. Quickly he stuck out his mouth to snatch a fresh breath of air. He sighed with pleasure as it went down and filled his tired lungs. After drinking his fill he stuck his head out and looked around. The camp was a lot further off then he had expected. As it turned out, the wooden post was the sign with the camp name on it.

After looking up the road he ducked back inside. "We're out and there's no one coming," he said. "Everyone is busy trying to dig out the camp. You should see it, there's not a building in sight!"

"Well get your big butt out of the way so we can!" Elim said. "I'm suffocating down here!"

Kiva went back up his shaft. His heart was racing. He suddenly feared stepping out into the open. They would stand out like beacons against the fresh white snow. Nevertheless he took a deep breath and pushed his way through. Once he was out he turned back and helped Hyxoes knowing he could be spotted and shot at any moment.

Wessex was the last one out and though they wanted to stop and rest they quickly ran to take shelter behind the bank on the opposite side of the road. Once there, the four of them collapsed into heaving heaps. They waited, waited for Mounts to come with crossbows and bayonets. 

"Now what?" Elim said. "We can't very well walk into town like this."

"Shhh!" Kiva suddenly said when he heard something. Carefully he peeked over the bank. The camp gates were open and a sleigh had left. The guards at the gate saluted the passenger then sealed it back. As the sleigh came up the road he ducked back down. "Someone is coming."

"Great," Elim said. "I should have taken my chances suffocating."

Kiva ignored him and peeked back over the bank as the sleigh drew closer.

"Do you think they'll dig the place out in time before the prisoners suffocate?" The passenger asked the driver.

"Of course," the driver said. "I've seen the same thing happen before, Sergeant Kassel."

Kiva's ear perked up at the sound of the familiar name. Suddenly he realized this was their ticket out. He passed the plan on to his friends then quickly made a snow ball. Waiting until the sleigh had passed and that the horse driver was looking forward he pitched it at the sergeant, hitting him square in the head and knocking off his hat.

"Stop the sleigh!" Munich called to the driver as he jumped down to pick up his hat. He grumbled to himself as he waded through the snow and retrieved it. As he was dusting it off he was struck by another snowball in side. When he looked around and didn't see anyone so he grabbed his crossbow and made his way over to the bank. Ready to shoot he stepped over the bank but froze.

"Is everything alright back there?" the driver called from ahead.

"Yeah." Munich said knowing he couldn't see around the sleigh. "Everything is...fine." He returned his crossbow to its place as he looked into Kiva's face. The easy thing to do would be to march them all back into the camp unseen but his conscious wouldn't let him send them back to that awful place. He glanced toward the camp then toward the sleigh.

/

                Kiva and his companions didn't care about manners. They greased on the food, stuffing it down their throats with their fingers and wiping their mouths with their arms. "You can sleep by the fireplace if you want," Munich said as he watched the four of them slop. "I'll get you...blankets." He handed Wessex a napkin to dab his face.

                Kiva didn't care how terrible he looked. He was starving and food had been set out before him. He now saw the snowstorm as a blessing, and Munich being in the camp that day was also a blessing. And this food... He picked up his bowl and drank down the broth.

                Munich sighed and looked at Ortensia next to him. "Get him some more soup."

/

After everyone had eaten their fill and Ortensia had gone to bed Munich sat in the kitchen with the four. "If only you had come sooner you could have left with General Capricorn," he said. "However, you can't remain here, that's the bottom line."

                "I understand that," Kiva said. "But could you help us escape?"

                "I could." Munich said, "But it's a high risk and once you are seen you'll have to run and not stop."

                "Running is one thing we've gotten good at." Wessex said.

                "I'm glad," Munich said. "It will take a few days but I can try to make contact with the Blue Army to help you in the dessert."

                "Thank you." Kiva said. "Is there some way we can repay you?"

                Munich studied the four of them. In their health it was clear they were very strong. More fit for a long journey than Pompeii Capricorn, what more the Archduke wouldn't have to spare any of his troops. "There is one thing." He found himself saying. He looked into each of their faces. "Mount Lions has prepared a terrible weapon that they plan to use on Recomine. We don't know when this is supposed to take place but the Emperor is sending all his military force. He has withdrawn from Carn and for the time being all his army is here." He jabbed the table.

                "I don't follow," Elim said.

                "Carn has time to invade," Wessex said.

                "Not simply that." Munich said. "If the Emperor sends his whole army to fight Recomine then the Archduke's army will be able to invade Mount Lions. Only we must send someone ahead to warn Recomine and pray they will listen. I am a Mount and they will hang one of us before they believe us. You are a Crown Prince, members of the Nagorin court and a Metian. You are the perfect package to dispel doubt."

                "You want us to go all the way to Recomine?" Elim said in disbelief. "That's impossible."

                "I know it looks that way," Munich said. "But we won't get another chance like this. The Emperor and Empress are boasting, their pride will be their crash. They revel with opened gates. Now is the time, the fate of our world rest in it!"

                Kiva looked around the table. "The Archduke will receive us?" he asked.

                "He'll receive anyone willing to help. He will also be proud that there are still other royals left to fight. I know...we are different and that this uniform makes us enemies but once upon a time we were all brothers...we can be that way again, or we can let evil prevail."

                Kiva closed his eyes. He thought of his family, of Lahar and Hero, of a life long left behind but refusing to be forgotten. He knew he would never have it back but that didn't mean he couldn't make the world a better place for future generations. He opened his eyes and he and his friends exchanged glances then he nodded.

                "We'll do it."

                "What?" Munich was so surprised by his answer he nearly jumped up. "You will warn Recomine about the Emperor's cannon? You will fight for Old Mount Lions?"

                "No," Kiva said. "As you said before, we will fight for our world!" He held out his paw and Munich looked down at it. Slowly he reached out and shook it and a smile came to his face.

                "I shall make arrangements immediately!" he said standing. "Eat all you need, my house is your house!"

                Kiva looked at his friends and smiled. He felt a chance at redemption. A chance to make right all he had done. Maybe completing this mission would be a way of forgiving himself. Recomine or bust!