Andrew's POV

Andrew looked at Anne as she worked. She hadn't complained once since they'd been in this mine., precisely five days and six nights. The whole time, Andrew watched the guards, and for an opportunity to escape. Anne had also done the same and they discussed how they might escape.

Later, as they were eating their dinner, bread and cheese, he looked her in her eyes and said, "Tonight, when the guards think everyone is asleep, we'll escape, I'll find a way to steal a sword. Once I get the sword, I'll fight the other guard, and then get you the second guard's sword."

"I have another idea," said a voice behind them.

Andrew spun around to face the older boy who had been staring at them since they'd arrived. 

"My name is Jack. My friend Rose and I have a plan."

Anne's arm brushed Andrew's arm as she leaned forward to get closer to Jack. 

"There are fifty-two of us, but the others are not far from here, digging in that passageway." He pointed behind him. 

"What's your plan?" Andrew asked.

"Down the hall, there's a pit when you turn right. It's where we dump stones. If the children in the passageway create a lot of noise and force the guards to come see what's happening, we can trip them and push them in the pit. There are too many of us for them to kill us all."

"That sounds dangerous," Anne said.

"It's less dangerous than you two attacking the guards by yourselves. Besides, it will work. The guards have become less cautious with us. After all, we're only children. They din't expect us to do anything."

Andrew shook his head. "I can't let you put yourselves in danger. I can kill the guards, and Anne can help me. While we are fighting the guards, you and the other children can escape. Are there any other ways to get out here?"

Jack shook his head. "No. Only the entrance."

"After we've laid down for the night, I'll attack. So listen for the commotion and stay where you are and wait for us to come and get you."

"We can help," Jack said. 

"I don't want you getting hurt. Do you understand?"

Jack stared back at him. "We want to fight for our freedom."

"You're just children. Let me and Anne defend you."

Jack didn't say anything.

"Be very careful," Anne said. "Watch over the younger ones and make sure they get out. Andrew and I will do our best so we can escape."

Andrew was struggling to breathe. He knew why. Jack reminded him of the shepherd's boy. He couldn't let these children die.

"You stay alive," he told Jack. "All of you, stay alive."

"What's going on?" A guard stepped towards them. "You, boy. What are you doing? Go back to the other children. And you two." He pointed at Andrew and Anne. "Stop talking or I'll make sure you won't get any breakfast in the morning."

He turned around and went back to his station. The guards didn't believe it was possible for the prisoners to escape, and hopefully that will give Andrew and Anne an advantage.

Anne's POV

Anne lay on her blanket and held her breath, watching Andrew stare in the guard's direction. 

The guard who always stared lustfully at Anne was there. He was short, and Anne suspected he was the weakest out of all the guards. She hoped Andrew would pick him to attack first.

The guards were standing close together, talking in low voices. She heard Arthur's name a couple of times.

Finally, the shorter guard stepped away from the other guards. Andrew jumped on his feet and leapt at him.

Anne jumped to her feet as Andrew reached behind his back for his sword. Anne held her breath. Don't let him get his sword out before Andrew reaches him.

Andrew grabbed the sword handle as he knocked the guard on his back. Andrew was on top of the guard, but who has the upper hand?

Andrew raised the sword and stabbed downward. 

The other two guards shouted, unsheathing their swords as they ran towards the fighting duo. 

The children were out of bed, yelling war cries.

Andrew straightened to meet the other two guards, the guard who laid on the floor didn't move. Andrew seemed taller as he met the other two guards. He slammed his sword into the first one and shoved. The first guard stumbled into the second guard, knocking them both over, and Andrew quickly grabbed the first guard's sword. 

The sound of the children screaming came from the passageway behind them as Anne snatched up the sword, then kept back so she wouldn't be in Andrew's way.

He clashed swords with the last guard and yelled, "Go help the children!"

Should she not listen to him and stay and help him defeat the guard he was fighting? But he was a good swordsman, and someone needed to get the children to safety.

She turned and ran towards the passageway. She followed the sound of yelling and screaming and entered the dark hallway.

It was too dark to see where she was going, but as long as she could hear the yelling, she would head in that direction.

A man's voice ahead made her pick up her pace. He was cursing and yelling. 

A light flickered. Finally she was able to see where she was going, and the voices were getting louder. 

As she rounded a corner, she saw a guard with a child clinging to his back. The child was slapping the guard's face, while other children pushed at his legs. 

The guard got his hand around the throat of a little boy, probably six or seven years old. The boy fought pounding at the guard's arm, but the guard showed no sign of letting go.

Anne rushed forward. Should she hit the guard with her sword and risk hitting a child? Because now the other children were hitting at his arms to make him let go, and pushed him. Then Anne saw where they were pushing him. There was a large hole in the floor.

The guard continued to get closer to it, and the children finally managed to let the boy go.

Two more steps.

One more step.

Anne reached out and grabbed the child on his back just as the man fell. The child let go at the right moment and Anne snatched him away from the edge.

Jack and Rose appeared beside her.

"Are all the guards in the hole?" Anne asked.

Jack and Rose nodded.

The children around her yelled, "We did it!", hugged each other, and jumped up and down. Anne hugged Rose and then Jack.

"Is everybody here? We have to hurry," Anne said.

"Are we leaving anyone behind?" Rose looked like a mom as she turned her head and counted children. "Everybody is here. Let's go."

Anxious to see if Andrew was okay, Anne led the children out.

When they entered the room where she left Andrew, her eyes looked around for his tall form. When she didn't see him, she called, "Andrew!"

No one answered.

Where was he?

Anne ran forward and searched the ground.

Then she saw a body lying facedown against the wall. Was it Andrew? She ran towards it. No, it was the guard Andrew was fighting. 

"I'm here," a muffled voice came from above her.

"Where?"

"Up here." 

She looked up and there was Andrew's face in a hold in the wall.

"What are you doing up there?"

He didn't answer as he disappeared for a few seconds before his feet reappeared as he lowered himself down. 

"Making sure we have money if we need it." He held out a bag filled with coins. 

"Did you find where Arthur was storing the money he was making?" Anne asked.

"How badly are you hurt?" Rose asked behind her, making Anne turn from Andrew and to the child Anne was talking to, the little boy who was being choked by the guard. 

Anne knelt besides him, "Are you okay?"

The boy nodded. "Was I brave?"

"You were so brave. I'm sure your mother will be very proud when I tell her."

"I don't have a mother."

"What's your name?"

"Spencer."

"Well, Spencer, you will have to be brave even more. We have to escape from a very bad man."

"The piper?"

"Piper?"

"The man who plays the pipe. He's the one who took us away to the mine."

So that was how Arthur managed to take the children away without leaving any tracks. She knew he was responsible for taking them, but luring them away by playing a pipe... He would play in the town from time to time. People would always smile and compliment him, assuming he was kind-hearted for wanting to entertain the children. 

"Yes, we have to go now so the piper can't get us. Are you ready?"

Spencer nodded.

She turned to Rose.

"Is everybody here? Is anyone hurt?"

"Everyone's here. Not one seemed badly hurt, just a couple bruises."

Andrew came up behind her. "What do we do with them now?"

Anne opened her mouth, shut it, then said, "I guess we forgot to talk about that. But we have to get them far away from Arthur."

"We should take them to Dawnridge. Let go." Andrew looked at Jack and Rose. "Can you get them to the entrance."

"Yes." Jack turned and spoke to the children. "We're leaving this place, but all of us have to stick together. Do you understand?"

All of them nodded.

"This is Anne and Andrew. They're helping us."

They all started walking to the entrance.