It was too cold to go outdoors for recess so the students were brought into the recreation room. Some of smaller children tumbled on the mats or skipped rope but Hero found a spot next to Awash. He had only been in the basement room twice since he attended the school. Those times were during air raid drills. The sirens had been set off and the students formed two single file lines and marched down to the cellar.

                     As Hero watched the other kids he sighed. He remembered when their voices called out in different languages as they struggled to understand each other in games. Now the clipped words of Mount were all that could be heard. Hero thought the language sounded angry, even when complementing someone.

                     Maringa flopped down next to them on the mat and leaned her head against the wall. Hero hadn't really seen much of her since the pearl jubilee three days ago. They had recently found out they would be receiving new names. This troubled Hero but he could tell it bothered Maringa even more.

                     "Curse this weather," She mumbled. "What's the point of being in the cellar, it's still cold."

                     "Here take my scarf," Awash offered.

                     "Don't be silly, Awash, you'd be cold." She wrapped her scarf tighter around her. "I'll be alright."

                     Hero, sitting between them leaned his head back, "I can't wait for spring," he said.

                     Maringa smiled at him. "What was spring time like in Nagoray?"

                     "Wonderful." Hero sighed. "There's hardly a winter." His mind drifted back. "Some years it didn't even snow at all. I remember my brother and I sleeping in the windmill when we were small during those icy nights. We used to pretend we were adventurers charting the unknown world." Hero shook his head. "Kiva used to be so much fun...he doesn't believe in anything anymore." With a shrug he looked at Maringa.

                     "What was spring like in Tangia?" He asked

                     "Where do I start?" Maringa said. "Most of our trees are bloomers and the cherry blossom is very popular in the palace city. They had one outside the garden once and I was caught climbing it. None of the guards would climb up and get me down. Then King Heilong himself came out the palace and climbed up the tree. Everyone protested for his safety but he ordered tea be brought up." She smiled, "I came down for him."

                     "Yeah, and we spent the whole day looking for you," Awash said, "She got a tour of the palace after that. The rest of us kids only pats on the heads for our endeavors."

                     "Oh shut up, Awash." Maringa laughed. "I brought you back cookies." She suddenly jumped up. "I had so much fun that day. The King even gave me my own little tree to plant so I wouldn't climb the one in the city." She laughed. "I loved my king. Long live King Heilong!" She cried out and the room fell instantly silent.

                     Before the red panda could turn around she was thrown to the ground viciously. "What did you say?" Head Mistress boomed in her ear. Then struck her with a rod.

                     Maringa sat up trembling only for Head Mistress to grab her ear.

                     "Answer me!" the emu demanded. Maringa stayed silent and hauling her out by her ear Head Mistress dragged her up the steps. "Bring the other children."

                     The teachers gathered the other children and hurried them outside after Head Mistress where she tossed Maringa into the snow.

                     Hero felt the icy wind pierce his flesh and burn his nose. All the children and teachers were trembling, still being far under dressed for the weather.

                     "This child has disrespected the Emperor; she has brought shame to this school and upon all of you!" She seldom spoke and her shrilled voice across the snow was terrifying. "So I shall make an example out of this one so none of you do the same." With that she brought the rod down across Maringa's back. The girl yelped and curled up in the snow. Again and again she was hit with the rod. No amount of crying could make Head Mistress stop.

                     Hero looked at the wolf next to him. The one who had asked what a pearl jubilee was. Their teacher was holding his face and forcing him to watch. Hero couldn't take seeing Maringa suffer anymore. He felt his body move forward then a tight grip on his arm. He looked to his other side and saw Awash warning him with a look.

                     Looking into his eyes his own filled with tears at the sound of the rod striking Maringa's body. When it stopped he finally looked out into the school yard again. Head Mistress was making her way back, leaving Maringa lying motionless in the snow, her pink scarf fluttering in the wind.

                     "Back to class," Head Mistress said and the students scrambled. "Awash, bring her to the infirmary." With that Head Mistress disappeared into the school until the next day when she would once again make an appearance at recess.

Hero could not concentrate on his lesson and made several reading mistakes. That night he climbed under his bunk and took out his letter. He had long run out of people to write and now could only read over what he had written. In most of the letters he had talked about old times and places he used to visit with different individuals.

                     Closing his eyes it was as if he was flying over Nagoray. He could see the golden field shinning in the sun as the wind blew through it. Rising high above the palace he circled around the tower up to its highest point. He flew along the river pass the cypress and the windmill where his boat bobbed on the water. He flew over the village towards the temple where flames danced in their bowls and the temple family waved from the courtyard.

                     Hero Hero

                     "Hero."

                     Hero opened his eyes when he realized someone was shaking him. He sat up when he saw one of the agents. He had seen the goat a lot with Head Mistress. She raised her candle over his bed and looked at the letters strewn across the sheets.

                     "What are these?" She asked reaching for one.

                     Hero quickly kicked off his blanket, enfolding the letters. "Does Head Mistress want to see me?"

                     The goat suddenly remembered why she had come. "No," she said. "It's your little friend, I saw her this morning and she looked gravely ill." She pulled her robe closed tighter and looked critically at the drafty window.

                     "Really?" Hero crossed his arms. "And why should I believe you, you work for Head Mistress."

                     The goat looked caught between hurt and horrified. "I don't work for her" she said looking down. "I just do what I can to survive."

                     "so do we," Hero said, "But we aren't her agents."

                     "Her agents?"

                     "Yes," Hero said. "That's what all the kids call you and the other two. You rat us out and get us into trouble."

                     "Please," The goat said and Hero realized that she was younger than he realized. "I'm not bad. I do what she says because I have no choice. I've been in this place for five years. I should have been sent to The Quarry but Head Mistress kept me. If I upset her she'll throw me out."

                     Hero looked into her pleading eyes. He could tell she was telling the truth. "Where did you come from?"

                     "My family moved here when I was small," she said, "My father got into dept with the Emperor and couldn't pay. So the Empress made him give up me instead. Next thing I know I'm in this forsaken place."

                     "What became of your father?"

                     "Selected," she said, "For the Quarry of Special Purpose." She covered her mouth to suppress her sobs.

                     Hero got out of bed, careful not to make too much noise. "Let's help Maringa."

                     The floor boards creaked as they made their way to the infirmary. Hero declared they weren't this noisy during the day.

                     When they reached the infirmary on the first floor Hero was surprised to see that it wasn't guarded. Maringa was the only ward. She lied on a cot on her stomach. bandaged and she was feverish.

                     "Why did you bring me?" Hero asked the goat who was keeping watch at the door.

                     "I've seen you with her often." Was her answer. "I didn't think the other boy would believe me. There was just something different about you."

                     Maringa moaned in her sleep and Hero felt his throat constrict. "But there's nothing I can do. She has a fever...I'm not a doctor."

                     The goat glanced into the hallway then came into the room. "But we must try."

                     "What?" Hero gasped.

                     "I've seen Head Mistress hold a grudge. She'll die without help." She went over to one of the cupboards. The front of them had glass and she read of medicines.

                     Hero stood around for a few minutes then he helped her. They changed Maringa's bandages and gave her a blanket and something to numb the pain.  When they had finished they closed the door gently.

                     "What is your name?" Hero asked the goat.

                     "Siloam." She answered with a smile. "Maringa is my people, Hero. I fear Head Mistress, but never will I let one of my own kind suffer. And now..." She smiled at Hero. "I won't let any of yours either."

/

                     The following night Hero and Siloam did the same as well as the night after that. By then Maringa was able to sit up and talk to them. Awash wasn't sure if he trusted Siloam and gave Hero and Maringa a hard time about it even when Maringa was grateful to her.

                     As Hero walked to class the next morning her saw Head Mistress and Nurse, a crane standing in the doorway to the infirmary. "It just doesn't make sense." Nurse was saying.

                     Head Mistress grumbled. "Indeed." The emu said, "I had that one marked for The Quarry."

                     "Better this way perhaps," Nurse said. "They are the Emperor's property."

                     Hero covered his mouth to stop a laugh then skipped up the hall to his classroom. Today the younger kids received their new names and Hero and the kids in his age group had to help them practice. It had been decided that the younger ones would go to auction before the others who had to wait until spring. Hero couldn't argue with this. He was helping a young cheetah when the teacher suddenly jumped up.

                     "Head Mistress to what do we owe the pleasure?" The stork stammered.

                     Head Mistress strolled into the room with her yard stick under her wing. Siloam and another agent flanked her. The emu's eyes went from student to student as she positioned herself before the class. "Someone here has broken he rules." She said walking along the desks and running her stick over them. "Someone here has been writing letters...and not in Mount." She looked at the students, waiting for one to flinch.

                     "But Head Mistress." The teacher spoke up. "I can assure you it isn't any of my students. "I've trained them all well."

                     "I'll judge that." Head Mistress said. She pulled out a note pad that looked blank and held it up. "Someone wrote in a foreign language on this notepad," "But as you can see the page has been torn out."

                     Hero didn't recognize the notepad as his but he still had letters hidden in his bunk. He suddenly felt very stupid.

                     "You will line up in the hall with the others according to your assigned room." Head Mistress said, "We will search the school and if anyone is found to be guilty then the wrath of Bellum be on them!"