In the far away lands of Terra Auri a small figure can be seen sneaking around, making sure to keep out of sight and hiding in the shadows, the figure moves through the treeline before cautiously scurrying along the foundations of a small bridge taking rest underneath it.

A look of deep concentration upon his face, monitoring intently the large circular castle a short distance away, he is just over the border between Ferrum and Terra Auri.

'Mouse are you there?' An excitable voice can suddenly be heard asking from a radio strapped to his waist, quite literally scaring the living daylights out of him as he rushes to grab it.

'Keep it down would ya Pheonix' Mouse replies quietly.

'Word from the COTAF, he wants you to withdraw asap' Phoenix informs him quietly.

'Gotta go, I'll head out as soon as I can' Mouse replies whilst pressing himself up against the underside of the bridge as he hears the commotion of people up above.

"Ferrum scum!" He hears someone say and without warning a young lad is thrown into the water.

Struggling to get up out of the water and gasping for air, Mouse watches impatiently, knowing that he mustn't do anything to draw attention to himself. The lad getting to his feet with the water at waist height half choking and tears streaming down his face finally realises that Mouse is under the bridge, but he has no time to call over for any kind of assistance as a wooden plank is thrown at him from above, striking him on the head.

"Come on, let's just leave him to drown" Mouse hears someone say from above the bridge and the individuals appear to walk away.

The lads body floats close enough to Mouse providing an opportunity to drag him over to where he is hiding, laying the lad next to himself, he assesses the damage.

"Hey kid, kid can you hear me?" Mouse asks trying to ascertain if he is still conscious or not.

Putting his head against the lads chest he realises that he isn't breathing properly and begins to do CPR.

After a few compressions he opens the lads mouth and breathes air into him, choking and spluttering the lad regains consciousness.

"Hey it's ok, you're alright" Mouse reassures him, the lad just cries and whimpers into his own hands.

Mouse pulls out a blanket from his rucksack and wraps it around the young lad.

"Who are you?" The lad asks, still very distressed.

"Names Mouse" Mouse replies.

"I nearly died ... Ach uhh chh" the lad points out before choking a little.

"Take it easy, here, have a drink of this" Mouse instructs him and hands over a small metal canister.

The lad takes it gratefully and has a drink before realising that it isn't water and spluttering it out.

"Are you trying to kill me?" The lad asks.

"It's brandy, look it's perfectly safe, it will warm you up" Mouse explains and takes a swig from the bottle himself.

"Why are you helping me?" The lad asks.

"Well it's not like anyone else is going to help you" Mouse replies before taking a look up the river.

The trees overhanging either side make it almost impossible to assess the distance as the river meanders.

"What's your name?" Mouse asks.

"Callum" the lad replies.

"Let me take a look at that head wound" Mouse tells him softly and gently adjusts Callum's head so he can have a look.

"It's not a deep wound, I think the impact just caused a bit of shock" he informs Callum and takes out a bandage before pressing it against the wound.

"You're not from Ferrum" Callum points out.

"No, no I'm not" Mouse replies whilst taking a look in the other direction of the river.

"Where are you from?" Callum asks.

Mouse takes Callum's hand and presses it against the badage getting him to hold it in place himself, standing up and taking a few steps back Mouse removes the overcoat he is wearing to reveal his Haven uniform.

"H ... Haven" Callum stutters with disbelief in his eyes.

"I heard the rumours, but I didn't think it was true" he mutters quietly.

"Don't get too excited, it's just me I'm afraid, Haven's citizens still need to agree to stepping into the war, in the meantime, you've just got me" Mouse tells him with a big cheesy grin on his face whilst pointing to himself with his thumbs.

"Thank you for saving my life" Callum states softly.

"Hey, it's what I do" Mouse replies, shrugging his shoulders cheekily.

Mouse suddenly puts a finger to his lips indicating for Callum to keep quiet as he can hear commotion above the bridge.

"Callum" a voice calls out quietly, the sound of desperation in the person's voice.

"A friend?" Mouse asks quietly, slightly confused.

"I'm down here!" Callum yells up much to the annoyance of Mouse who rushes to hide behind a pillar.

The sound of scrambling can be heard as the person rushes across the bridge and down the riverbank, wading through the water close to the foundations of the bridge, popping their head around slowly Callum sees who it is bringing out a beaming smile on his face, another lad around the same age as Callum but wearing a Terra Auri soldiers uniform.

"Callum, are you ok? Are you hurt?" The lad asks but getting up onto the foundations but immediately stops in his tracks hearing the sound of a firearm being loaded.

Turning slowly he sees Mouse leaning against a pillar aiming the firearm directly at him.

"Don't move" Mouse instructs him.

"Wait! Don't shoot him please! He's my friend" Callum pleads with Mouse.

"Go on then" Mouse indicates to this new stranger hinting with the firearm.

The lad rushes over to Callum pulling him into a hug.

"I was so worried about you" he says softly.

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Mouse lowers the firearm placing it beside him resting against the bottom of the pillar and sits down next to it, he takes off the cap he is wearing to reveal that he has bright orange hair.

"Short, ginger, Mouse" the new lad states looking over at him.

"You know him?" Callum asks.

"He's number four in the top six they want dead" the lad replies.

"Number one being the COTAF, number two being the Admiral, number three being the Air Chief and number four being me" Mouse explains.

"They won't be killing me anytime soon, I'm heading back now anyway" he mutters to himself and looks up the river again.

"Please ... Please take Callum with you, please take him to safety" the lad pleads with him.

Mouse looks over with a strange expression on his face clearly not expecting this sudden request.

"I'll ... I'll do anything" the lad continues to plead.

"Sam" Callum says softly and Mouse's eyes widen as the lads name is revealed.

"Anything huh" Mouse mutters.

"Yeah I'll do anything you ask" Sam replies sorrowfully.

Mouse thinks for a moment before scratching his face.

"Come with us" he suggests much to the shock of Sam and Callum.

"Really? But ... No one will accept me ... Being from Terra Auri" Sam remarks bitterly and slouches down next to Callum.

"Sam" Callum says again softly.

"We don't discriminate in Haven, all are welcome, even you" Mouse tells him quite casually with a smile.

"Really?" Sam asks in disbelief.

"You're not evil Sam, just because you're from Terra Auri" Mouse replies.

"I'm so cold" Callum states whilst leaning into Sam.

"There's nothing more I can do about those injuries, I'm not a medic, we're leaving now Sam" Mouse instructs him and puts his cap back on before picking up his firearm again.

"Come on Cal, up you get" Sam tells him and helps him to his feet.

As Sam turns around he realises Mouse is already back on their side of the bridge peering around to check the coast is clear.

"He's fast" he mutters to himself.

"Right, come on" Mouse instructs him, beckoning the pair of them to come over to him.

"We need to do this as quickly as possible he should warm up in the sunlight" he explains as they lean next to him before lowering himself into the water.

Sam helps Callum down into the water with Mouse before slowly getting into it himself, all of them making as little noise as possible.

They move as quickly as they can clinging to the side of the bridge, Callum becoming even more fatigued before staggering out of the river and up the bank towards the treeline.

"i can't walk any further" Callum states clearly exhausted and losing stamina.

"Here, I'll carry you" Sam tells him and places Sam's arms around his shoulders before picking him up.

"Let's go" Mouse tells them and Sam nods.

The rescue ships are now halfway to Haven and should arrive tomorrow morning, but that still leaves today and tonight during the crossing of open water, which is an increasing concern for Blackcroft who appears to be constantly on edge at the situation.

"Media attention is picking up back home and abroad" Anna states.

"Damn secretary has been nagging me all morning" Nathan points out whilst rubbing his face.

"Regardless of what he thinks, Heaven's Gate needed retrieving, in, or out of this war" Anna replies to his whinging.

"Apparently Terra Auri are trying to take the high ground, claiming we have 'broken the rules of the treaty' and they were 'unprovokingly attacked'" Nathan remarks using his fingers to create quotation marks.

"They are trying to turn the narrative of this war" Anna points out.

"Good morning your majesties" Phoenix greets them all appearing on a large screen in the room.

"What news do you have for us Phoenix?" Blackcroft asks.

"COTAF has ordered Mouse and the other two to withdraw, he wanted me to keep you updated on the situation." Phoenix informs them.

"For the love of God keep those two apart when he gets back" Nathan mutters whilst putting his hand to his face.

"This weird feud the pair of them have going on is annoying and increasingly unprofessional" Anna remarks.

"I couldn't agree more" Nathan states.

"The four of them are the best all round soldiers we have" Blackcroft points out.

"You should have a clear run back to Haven now, no enemy fleets are in the vicinity" Phoenix informs them.

"Things are getting a little edgy back here in Haven, people's patience is starting to wear thin, there are already people campaigning for us to stay out of the war" he continues to explain.

"Thank you for giving us the heads up Phoenix" Anna tells him gratefully.

"No problem, I'll see you all when you get back" he replies and disappears.

Making their way through the thick forest Mouse along with Sam who is still carrying Callum take a moment to rest at a large boulder.

"How's he doing?" Mouse asks, indicating at Callum.

"Not good" Sam replies.

"We're nearly at the rondevu point" Mouse explains as he scours the forest for any kind of movement.

"Come on, let's keep going" he instructs Callum and he does so following close behind him.

The forest is alive with the sound of wildlife, birds singing and insects buzzing about, in any other circumstance this would be a lovely place to be.

Suddenly Mouse turns quickly after catching something in the corner of his eye and immediately throws a blade in the direction, it wedges into a tree where a figure is peering around.

"Oh it's you" Mouse mutters Sam completely bewildered as to what is going on.

"Here" a lady replies, throwing the blade back to him as she walks over.

She walks over to Callum and Sam and begins to take a look at Callum, Sam a bit reluctant to let her go near him looks over at Mouse.

"It's ok, she can help" he reassures him and he gently lowers Callum to the ground.

"Head abraition, he's very cold, scrapes and scratches, not a lot of damage" she states as she checks him over.

"Mouse" she says calmly whilst patching Callum up.

"Yeah I know" he replies holding the blade and observing the area around them.

"Stay here" he instructs Sam quietly and wanders off into the forest.

"Where ... Where's he going?" Sam asks the lady.

"We are surrounded by six heavily armed soldiers, he's gone to take care of them" she replies quietly.

Callum watches her bandaging up Callum before taking a look all around them, he can't see anyone and he can't hear anyone.

"AH" he yelps and places his hands up to his mouth to keep quiet, having been startled by the sudden appearance of Mouse standing in front of him again.

"All sorted" the lady tells them.

"Is the boat ready?" Mouse asks.

"it's ready, but we're running out of time, they're fast on our heels" she replies.

"Come on Sam, let's get Callum out of here" Mouse instructs him.

Sam picks Callum up again and starts to follow Mouse, feeling much safer now this lady is walking behind him offering some protection, he has worked out that she is probably another spy like Mouse is.

"This is Sam by the way, Sam, this is River, she's number five on that list of yours" Mouse informs him.

"Nice to meet you River" he says to her politely.

"Likewise, I take it you're fleeing your home?" She asks, indicating at the uniform he is wearing.

"Yeah, it's not home anymore" he replies glumly.

"River's an unusual name" Sam points out.

"It's because I'm a water specialist" she explains.

"And Mouse is...?" He asks unsure.

"Basically a ground specialist" Mouse replies with a smile.

"We're what you might call Elite soldiers" River explains.

They hear the sound of wind picking up and the atmosphere changes in the forest, thick black rain clouds have moved in overhead and a downpour has started, the sound of rain on the river nearby is a great relief to all of them, looking down at the river they can see a small wooden boat and make their way over to it.

River helps Sam to get Callum onto the boat, taking him inside a little hut area and placing him down on a bed, the boat is wedged into the riverbank and he watches as Mouse grabs hold of the edge of the boat, with ease Mouse pushes it into the river before hopping onboard, clearly a lot stronger than he looks.

"The Mouse and the River" Sam mutters and sits down as the boat begins to drift into the water, and into the rain.