It was nightfall when they arrived at the Quarry and Head Mistress showed her identification at the tall gates before they were let in.

                Hero looked through the window up at the words above the gate writing in Mount. "His Majesties Charity."

                "That was what we used to call it." Head Mistress said as the coach rolled in through the second gates. "That was before we found better use for it."

                Head Mistress set up her things in a spare room at the officers' quarters. "You will sleep in the hall," she told Hero. "And don't think about trying anything." She looked him in the eyes. "This place is heavily guarded; you'd never make it to the gate."

                "Yes, ma'am," Hero said. Head Mistress waved him away and Hero stepped into the hall pulling the door shut behind him. He could hear Mounts laughing through the walls and the smell of a warm meal. He hadn't eaten since lunch. Curling up on the floor he pushed the thought of hunger out of his mind.

/

                Hero was kicked awake the next morning. "See, they are completely lazy." He heard Head Mistress say. He opened his eyes to her standing over him next to an important looking emu who must be Commandant Amsterdam.

                "I told you my pet," the commandant said. "They are only good for hard labor." He lowered his neck to Hero's level. "Savage. Why don't you make yourself useful and fill a bucket with water." He nodded to a mop and bucket in the corner by the hall exit.

                Hero looked down at the emu's feet and followed the mud tracks out.

                "Don't just lie there, get busy!" Head Mistress snapped, kicking Hero in the hip.

                Hero staggered to his paws still feeling the gnaw of hunger at his insides. Taking up the mop and bucket he walked out into the morning. He could smell the breakfast of the officers in the air as the sweet scent pumped from the chimney.

                He took in a deep breath and gagged. Another smell, one far less pleasant wafted up his nose nearly making him vomit. He pulled his bandanna over his mouth and went over to the guarded water pump.

                The stork soldier laughed at him. "Well it looks like Amsterdam's lady friend finally found another creature," he said stepping aside so Hero could use the pump. "Did the other one kill over?"

                Hero worked the pump up and down until water gurgled out. "What is that awful smell?" He asked.

                The stork laughed again. "That will be the soot glen." He pointed with his beak and Hero craned his neck to see. "You see that puff of smoke there?" The stork asked and Hero nodded. "Well that will be the glen's fire, we keep it burning all night and day."

                "Why?" Hero asked pumping more water into the bucket. "Isn't that a waste of coal...to burn a fire for nothing?"

                The stork exploded with laughter. "You sure are a daft son. It's where we put the dead."

                "You mean..."

                "Well we can't bury them all. The ground is too hard. Stay here long enough and you'll get used to the smell."

                Hero shook his head and looked around at the prisoners hammering away in the quarry with pick axes and tossing reasonable sized rocks into a pile. "Why work them so hard?" He asked. "Why not let them die in peace?"

                The stork scoffed. "This isn't a retirement home," he said. "Most that come through that gate come to die. Some are gassed in the moon hole as soon as they arrive."

                Hero grabbed the bucket of water spilling most of it across the ground. Once he was inside the officer quarters he slammed the door behind him. The air inside the building wasn't fresh but it didn't stink of the burning.

                He mopped the floor as he was told but Mounts kept coming in and out and tracking the dust from the quarry inside. Afterward he had nothing else to do but pace the halls and wait for further orders from Head Mistress.

                It was hours later when she peeped her head around the corner from one of the other rooms. "A wagon just arrived with a few things for me.. Get them and bring them to my room. I'll be spending the rest of the summer out of town."

                Hero didn't know where out of town was or if he and the others would be forced to come along but he obeyed the order and returned to the heavy rancid air. He found the wagon out front and the driver, an old mule complaining about the weight of it.

                "You would think they'd already have all she needed in the High Lands," he said untying the belts that held the luggage in place.

                "The High Land?" Hero asked as the donkey tossed him a suitcase.

                "Yeah," the donkey said. "Commandant Amsterdam has family there. It's way beyond the glens, the third county."

                "County?" Hero questioned and the mule gave him a quizzical look.

                "Mount Lions, used to divided into four parts. You had the capital, which is the Imperial City, Manor town and their suburbs and all the way to the far mountains, you should know them, since you're with the Head Mistress." The donkey tossed down another bag.

                "Aside from this there were three small counties, each governed by a royal relative of the throne. Well when rebellion broke out in one the Emperor decided it best not to have the counties and he cut down the borders. How else do you think they have such a strong army?" He tossed down the last bit of luggage. "War mongers."

                Hero was surprised to see Head Mistress still had so many things but even more surprised at the donkey. "Where did you come from?"

                "Eshkope. They only let me live so I could help carry the spoils." He hitched himself back to his wagon. "What about you?"

                "Nagoray." Hero said.

                "Well, son. I'm afraid there's not much of our kind here. The cold is not agreeable."

                "I didn't think you could be a Mount." Hero said. "I haven't met a nice one yet."

                The donkey laughed. "If only I could disagree." He nodded to Hero and turned his wagon to the gates. "Keep your head up, little leopard." With that he reached into a pouch around his neck and tossed Hero an apple.

                "Thank you," Hero said when he caught it. The donkey did not turn around and Hero watched him until he had gone through the gate. When he looked down at the red apple his mouth instantly began to water.

                He decided to tuck it into his bandanna until her could eat it out of sight. Securing it in the folds he faced the prisoners hammering away at the rocks and loading a wagon. He watched one prisoner examine the weight of a rock before tossing it until a pile.

                Hero trailed his eyes up the rocks. A female leopard with dark fur walked on the stones as if in a daze. Hero walked closer to the prisoners, keeping his eyes on her. The guards were too busy making trouble for the other workers to notice him.

                When he was a couple of yards away he squinted his eyes as the panther turned around and blundered down the rock pile. Her eyes seemed hollow and her mouth was agape as she walked obliviously around the rock pile.

                "Edelweiss?" Hero said when he recognized her at last. He could feel his lungs trying to keep up with his heart as his dead relative walked out of the grave of his memory. "Edelweiss!" He shouted and ran to her. The hammering was very loud and she must not have heard him for she kept walking.

                "Edelweiss!" Hero shouted again and the young panther turned around. Hero gasped when he saw her face and the quarry seemed to fall silent. A horrendous scar cut deep through her dark face from right ear, down her nose and over her mouth, stopping on her neck. "Edelweiss?" Hero said as the wind stirred dust between them.

                Edelweiss ran to her cousin throwing her arms around him. Hero felt her bones through her fur and how light she was.

                He held her at arms' length. "Are the others here?"

                Edelweiss shook her head solemnly and used her paws to shut her eyes.

                Hero couldn't understand why she was using gestures. "What's wrong, why can't you speak?"

                Edelweiss rubbed her throat sorrowfully then reached out her scarred paw and touched Hero's face. A smile slowly came to hers as she traced his bone structure. She then pointed to his eyes then pointed to his then back to her own.

                "You're watching me, I'm watching you?" Hero said. "Yes, Nagoray."

                Edelweiss nodded.

                "Gone." Hero said. "Kiva is dead...I'm the only one here." Hero suddenly reached into his bandanna and took out the shiny red apple. He gave it to her and closed her paws around it. "Eat."

                "Get back to work!" A mount snapped to a prisoner and Hero pulled Edelweiss behind the rock pile so she could eat in peace. He watched her eat the most of the apple, refusing the bits she offered him.

                When she had half left she suddenly jumped up and ran off.

                "Edelweiss!" Hero shouted after her but she was already gone. He sat behind the rocks wondering where she could have gone and covering his nose.

                A few minutes later Edelweiss came back around the rocks but she wasn't alone. Hero was frozen when he saw the ocher stallion. His usual neat white mane was matted and dirty.

                "Ambassador," Hero said.

                "My Prince," Akra bowed unsteadily. "Oh my prince." He grabbed Hero up in a tight hug then set him down.  "What happened, you should be in Recomine."

                "I was kidnapped," Hero said. "Kiva tried to save me but they killed him. I don't know what happened to everyone else but they were heading for the Glimmer Mountains...in the winter."

                Akra looked up at the sky for a long time before looking at Hero.

                "What about my father?"

                "I don't know," Akra said. "I got sick and they sent my away. But he was alive the last time I saw him."

                "That doesn't mean much here," Hero said.

                "You are right." Akra said giving Edelweiss back the rest of her apple.

                "What happened to her?" Hero asked as she walked about nibbling the fruit.

                "She saw your aunt and uncle as well as her siblings die." Akra said. "I reckon the ordeal was so traumatizing it stole her voice."

                "Mounts again." Hero said through clinched teeth.

                "That is why you must get her out of here," Akra whispered. "She won't last much longer."

                "That's impossible," Hero said. "I'm a slave to Head Mistress, she watches every move I make."

                "No, Hero." Akra said sternly. "You must get out, out of Mount Lions."

                "I can't." Hero cried. "If I was strong enough then those bandits would have never been able to take me."

                "Look at me, Hero," Akra said and Hero raised his teary eyes. "You can do it. The sun fights on their side but the wind fights on yours and the wind is much more nearer."

                Hero closed his eyes then opened them. "What if fail?"

                "Don't tell yourself you can," Akra said. "Instead see yourself in Recomine. You must do it. Do it for Edelweiss."

                "What about you?" Hero asked.

                Akra looked up in time to see a soldier coming their way. "We had better not be seen together. Autumn is fast approaching. We shall meet then, the Harvest festival." With a swish of his tail he was gone with Edelweiss and Hero made his way back to Head Mistress' things and carried them inside. As he sat alone in the hall he thought. He could either give the rest of his life to this or risk it on an escape. Awash and Maringa were ready and Siloam had been enslaved for six years.

                Mount Lion summers were short so they would have to plan now. Hero suddenly felt a surge of adrenaline. They would escape.