“GET MOVIN’, GET movin’!” the guard dragged his wooden cudgel against the wooden bars of their cage.

  Bert rolled over, pulling the cloak from his face. He took a moment to take note of where he was and what was happening. He had been dreaming of riding the back of Yellow over Wyrmgate during a feast, Cat behind him cuddling up against him. It had been a good dream.

  Now, he realized he desperately needed to use the chamber pot…something this cage didn’t have. Oh, and he was a prisoner in a slave work camp, picking a drug that would be used by his enemies to poison his friends or force others to fight in slavery as well.

  Still the whole needing to use the chamber pot really took priority.

  Shaking the sleep from his head, he turned to see Reed chatting with Sana quietly. She was eating, and seemed much better than when Bert had nodded off, but her eyes were still squinted despite being in one of the few places offering shade. Bert looked up to see the sun beginning to make its way down. Still a few hours of daylight. He nodded a greeting to Reed, who gave one back, but Sana didn’t look up. He made his way over to the corner of the cage that seemed to have been designated for relieving oneself.

  Bert did his business and realized how dehumanizing it made him feel. Being forced to live in a cage and work or die was a horrible blight no person should have to suffer, but there was something about sharing what should be a private moment with strangers that made him feel more animal than man.

  After cleaning up, he made his way to Sana and Reed, sitting with them quietly. He watched as the guards opened the gate and began to take people out in smaller groups to work. They were handed rough tools depending on the jobs they would do. Wooden spades with thin iron edges were given out, along with woven baskets to collect berries and canvas seed bags.

  “Up you three,” a guard said to them.

  Bert and Reed took an arm each and raised Sana with them.

  “Your quota will be the same with or without her,” the guard said, uncaring. He wasn’t especially evil, just a guy doing his job. “Probably work faster if you leave her behind.”

  Bert looked to Reed and shook his head. He knew Sana would be a burden, but he didn’t want to leave her behind. Despite a few bruises and aches, he felt pretty good. He could make up for her.

  Reed nodded his agreement. “We’’ll keep her with us. She might shake out of it.”

  “Your decision,” the guard said simply, handing Bert three small knives and a large woven basket. “Leave the full baskets at the end of the rows and take an empty one.”

  Bert nodded his understanding as the guard pointed the three of them to a field not far away.

  “Wait,” the guard said and reached into his pocket. “Willow bark. Have her chew it. Now, move on.”

  Bert felt like the guard didn’t want to be spotted sharing anything, so he took the bark and nodded quickly, keeping his eyes down.

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  As the three walked away, Sana finally spoke. “You should have left me. This pain in my head won’t fade. Everything I look at is moving, and so bright.”

  “Rest and chew this bark, Sana,” Bert said, passing her the bark. “If you feel like you can join us, do so. Otherwise, rest. We’ll need you to help get out of here. We can help you heal before then.”

  “Thank you, Bert. Reed,” she said quietly.

  Bert knew how fierce the woman was, and how much it must be grating on her to accept help, but the fact was she needed it.

  They arrived at the field and found her a spot where the solhara grew tall enough to create some shade. They placed their waterskins with her and left he awake, but still not quite herself.

  Reed and Bert fell into a rhythm, chatting and working. Their role was to cut the berries from the branches without doing too much damage to the bushes. Since they were both taller, they were tasked with getting higher berries that others had missed. They found a battered ladder discarded with other junk and made some quick repairs to reach even higher. Sana joined in at times, mostly just holding the baskets so they could drop in their berries, but it was clear it took a lot out of her to offer even that much. As the sun came down, they were given the same bland food as before, and a torch to continue working. Sana had improved enough to hold the torch and add the odd bit of conversation. Bert didn’t know how much they had been expected to collect, but the guard had grunted at them at the end of their shift, which Bert took to mean they had done enough.

  Back in the cage, the trio saw their spot from before was taken, but it didn’t matter with the sun down. A small fire burned in the center of their cage and the three settled down near it.

  “So, Bert,” Reed began. “What did you notice?”

  Bert had been considering how to respond to this all day. Reed had asked him to see what things might be useful to a possible escape. “The guards are slack, even with Sana’s recent escape. Getting to the walls or even the gate would be easy.”

  Reed nodded.

  “Getting over or through them would be very difficult. The archers were up there even in the night. They have created that open gap to spot anyone. Even with no moon, there is enough brightness that anyone walking it would be spotted easily. Then, to climb up the wall, fight whoever is there without alerting the whole camp, and then to get down and outside the killing field…I don’t see how it can be done.”

  “I agree,” Reed said simply.

  “That leaves some sort of diversion. The entire camp rebelling at the same time. Some sort of major disturbance. An attack from the outside that we can take advantage of. Something like that.”

  “It seems the only way to me as well,” Reed agreed.

  “The guards,” Sana said quickly. “They are just men. They have the same desires as any other. Food, money…” she ran a hand down her leg. “Women.”

  “Is that how you did it?” Reed laughed.

  Sana nodded. “I kneed him in the groin on the way out. I don’t think it was what he had planned. Ran for as long as I could, all the good it did me. The dogs found me sleeping under a fallen tree.”

  Bert shook his head at this. “I don’t think they’ll fall for that one again, and I don’t think Reed or I have quite the same appeal.”

  Reed laughed at this.

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself, pretty boy,” she smiled, suddenly seeming much more like herself. “I was told I was lucky I hadn’t killed him and only bruised his knee, and ego. Had he died, I would never have been brought back at all. I’m not sure if I would have preferred that.” She smiled, baring her teeth. “Still, thanks to the two of you for watching over me. I will not be a burden any longer. I give you two days.”

  Reed noticed Bert looking confused and shrugged.

  “What do you mean,” Bert asked. “Two days?”

  “In two days, I will break for the gate when they release us, using whatever tool they offer us to work in the soil as a weapon, even if it’s just a basket. I will fight and kill any who stand in my way and die at the point of an arrow if that’s what fate has in store for me. I cannot live like this and I will not.” She rolled over, back to the fire and said no more.