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Kiri was hiding under a bush, a large grin on his face, as Kytra wandered around looking for him. Kiri had always been good at hiding, and that enabled him a slight leg up in hide-and-go-seek.

Following this, when he was the hunter, he had a sharp nose to aide him. None of the others had a nose quite like his, making him very difficult to avoid.

"Found him yet?" a much younger Ari asked, jogging over.

"Not yet," Kytra answered in frustration. "I've looked everywhere! I don't think there's a single place he could be hiding that we haven't looked."

"But that would mean he's escaped," Wraith commented, dropping out of a tree beside the twins. "And you know it's impossible to escape from the mines."

I doubt it, Kiri thought with a grin, though it could very well be true. As far as he knew, no one had _ever_escaped from the mines, just as no one ever would.

"Tyra!" Ari called, as the ocelot walked over. "Any luck?"

"None," he commented. "It's like he just vanished."

The kids were out playing. Though expected to work when older, eight-year-olds couldn't do too much in the way of hefting a heavy pickaxe. Instead, they did other work, like harvesting food. When finished, or when there was no work to do, the young children were allowed to play about the compound. It made things easier for the older ones, to know that the children could play.

"Do we give up?"

"Ugh," Tyra grunted, rolling his eyes. "Fine. Kiri! We give up!"

"You guys walked right past my hiding place!" Kiri laughed, rolling out from under the bush. "I thought you were going to find me for sure, Kytra."

"You were under there?" Kytra asked in exasperation. "I should've known! Right her, this whole time!"

"Yep," Kiri agreed cheerfully. "So, who was the first caught this time?"

"Me," Tyra answered glumly. "Am I it for the next round?"

Everyone nodded, and Tyra sighed turning towards the wall of one of the huts and beginning his count. Everyone started to scatter, before a Falskin approached them all.

"Wait!" he shouted, the whip at his side making everyone stop to listen. Tyra stopped his count and looked up at the slave driver in fear. Kytra and Ari's mother emerged from her cabin, about to speak, before she noticed the Falskin. She stopped and waited.

"Very good," the Falskin nodded. "Now, I understand it's someone's birthday here?"

Ari's mom winced slightly, and beckoned her children closer. Kiri tilted his head for a second, thinking about it, before he brightened.

"Right!" the young wolf said. "It's my birthday!"

The slaver studied him for a second, before gesturing with his whip for the slave to follow him. Kiri did so, curious what this was all about, while Ari and Kytra's mother herded everyone back in the cabin.

"Where are we going?" Kiri asked the Falskin, trying to spark a conversation.

"You'll see," the reptilian promised, walking over to one of the few buildings Kiri had never been into. It was a short, stout, grey-walled building, where smoke billowed out of the chimneys on the roof. It was the forge.

"Why are we here?"

"You'll see."

Kiri decided he didn't like that answer, but followed the driver inside anyways. There, several massive Ch'kiliil were at work, busy pouring molten metal into molds. A few were busy crafting on the anvils present, but most seemed like nulls. The temperature rose about a thousand degrees stepping through the door, and Kiri had to resist immediately panting.

Unlike the slaves in the mines, or out at the complex, these ones were clothed, in thick clothes with heavy leather aprons. Though undoubtedly hot, this would protect them from fire and sparks. Their feet even boasted Ch'kiliil-styled boots.

"Grey!" the driver called, attracting the attention of a large wolf, who put down what he was working on and walked over.

"Yeah boss?"

"This one turned nine today," the driver said as the wolf reached them. "Prepare the equipment."

"Got it," the wolf said, turning to look down at Kiri with a sneer. His face was heavily scarred, and his right eyes was gone, a milky-white orb taking its place, with a jagged scar running through it. That was a face that would haunt Kiri's nightmares for years.

"Come over here, pup," the driver ordered, taking Kiri to a set of ring clamps on the wall. He shackled Kiri to them, with his back to the rest of the forge and the large wolf, who was just pulling something out of the coals.

"What's going on?" Kiri asked worriedly. He'd never been whipped, but he felt like that was what was coming. All the adults told about the pain of a whip, and he wasn't ready to go through that.

"It's a birthday present," the Falskin sneered. "Happy birthday...slave."

With that, the wolf touched the burning piece of metal to Kiri's neck, making the young wolf howl. With his vision blacking, Kiri felt tears freely flow from his eyes. And it wasn't the pain that made him pass out, but the smell of burning flesh.

"Hey, kid, wake up."

Kiri shifted slightly at the rough voice, and rolled over a tiny bit, before stretching his brand new brand, which made him sit upright, ready to howl in pain. However, he was caught by strong arms, one of which clamped over his muzzle, preventing him from making a sound.

"Hush kid, you don't want to wake the guards."

Kiri looked at the speaker with wide eyes, and found himself looking at the furred visage of a yellow-eyes lynx. The Ch'kiliil waited until he was certain Kiri was calm, before he released the wolf's muzzle.

"Here," the lynx said, reaching out behind him. "Drink this."

He handed the wolf a small, tin cup, with cold water inside. The wolf took it gently, and quickly emptied the contents. Setting the cup down, he looked up at the lynx.

"Thank you," he whispered. "What...what did they do to me?"

"The same thing they do to all of us, kid," the lynx said, releasing him. "It's called a brand. And it shows the world at large that we belong to the Falskin. That we are no more than the property of Man'ahjit."

Kiri reached up to his neck, wanting to massage his brand, but he drew his hand away as he realised that that would probably just hurt it more.

"Where am I?" Kiri asked the lynx, who had half turned away to go sit on a blanket on the floor. "I should be in my cabin. The Masters will be mad!"

"This is your cabin now," the lynx said, crossing his legs and turning to look at Kiri. At this distance, Kiri could only see an outline and the lynx's eyes. "You were in the family cabin before. Once you hit nine, you receive your brand and get moved to the worker's cabin. After that, once you hit eighteen, you're moved out to the adult's cabin. If you live that long."

He sounded bitter.

"And how old are you?" Kiri asked the lynx.

"I'm sixteen," the lynx said, eyes shifting back to Kiri. "Been a slave since I was five. Then I was stolen from my tribe. You have a family, wolf?"

"None," Kiri said, eyes downcast. "My mother died when I was two. I never knew my father. Mother said he and my brother were probably killed."

"Oh," the lynx said, wincing. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cross that sort of line."

He shifted once, before changing the topic.

"I'm K'eyush," Kiri's new friend said.

"Kiri."

"Glad to meet you, Kiri. Though, I wish under different circumstances."

There was a shifting sound from elsewhere in the hut, and K'eyush froze, eyes darting over. However, nobody else seemed to be awake.

"Just filling you in now," K'eyush said. "You get a day of rest to acclimatize and recover from your branding. After that, one of us will give you training in how to swing a pick. The day after that, you're in the mines. Don't worry, I'll watch over you as long as you're here. Well, as long as I'm here."

Kiri looked at the lynx gratefully.

"Now," K'eyush chuckled. "Get some sleep. Tomorrow is a new day. I'll see then about getting you some bandages."

"Thanks," Kiri said, feeling a drip on his shoulder. Evidently, his brand was bleeding.

"No worries Kiri. Enjoy your rest."

When the wolf awoke later, his neck felt like it was on fire. Where he'd been laying on the ground, there was a small patch of dried blood, and a few flakes of skin. His brand was vicious.

The cabin was abandoned, with no sign of the other slaves, besides a few rolled-up blankets. And, sitting right near where Kiri had slept, was a small chunk of bread.

The wolf's stomach growled hungrily, and he seized the load, quickly tearing it to pieces, wasting nothing. Though never fresh, and not nearly as tasty as some of the fruits Kiri and his friends had snitched from the branches, these loaves of bread were essential for survival.

After eating the bread, however, the young wolf had nothing to do except sit around the rest of the day, and try not to think of his burning brand. When the horn rang out for shift work to end, Kiri was excited.

It wasn't too long after the horn before the older slaves started to enter the cabin, each of them giving an appraising glance to Kiri, judging his worth. Apparently, to some, he was a disappointment, while others seemed to think differently. A few had pity/sympathy in their eyes.

Finally, at the end of the line, was K'eyush.

"That was rough," a jackal at the far end of the cavern commented, stretching out a little. "That boulder? Eesh, that thing couldn't be broken up!"

"I know," a rough-looking raccoon agreed. "I had to help you move the thing."

A couple other slaves muttered agreement, with the occasional one glancing over at Kiri. They all appeared curious about their new cabin-mate.

"So," a lean caracal hedged after a moment. "Who's the new guy?"

"This is Kiri," K'eyush said, patting the wolf on the back. "Turned nine just yesterday."

"And how was the branding?" the caracal asked sympathetically.

"Who cares?" a large grizzly said from the corner. "The last thing we need is another wolf. Grouping into their packs, snubbing us others."

"Oh relax, Chach," K'eyush snorted. "He's just a pup!"

"We've all been through his situation, Chach," the caracal agreed. "Suddenly being taken away from everything you'd grown familiar to, being branded and thrown in with a bunch of much-older strangers. Cut him some slack."

"Yeah, at least until he deserves it," another lynx said.

"Fine," the bear grumbled. "But I swear, if he goes and joins up with one of those gods-forsaken wolf packs, I'm never listening to any of you ever again?"

"What's your problem with us?" a wolf asked the bear. This wolf was a she, which set her apart from about three quarters of the cabin. She was sitting amongst four other wolves, all of whom were glaring at the bear. "Do you think you're superior just because you're bigger than us?"

"No. I know_I'm superior, because I don't need to be amongst a whole group to get anything done. I can work just fine alone, which is more than you _wolves."

"Aha," another wolf commented, this one with black fur and green eyes. An unusual combination. "I get it now. He's just jealous that we actually have friends."

The cabin went silent, as the bear looked ready to explode.

"You want a piece of me, wolf? I'll tear you to shreds!"

"You and what army?" another wolf snapped, stepping closer. "Come on bear, back up your words!"

"I'll-"

"Guys!" K'eyush shouted, gathering attention, just as it looked like blood and fur were about to start flying. "This isn't accomplishing anything! Just calm down!"

The bear stood fuming for another moment, before biting out "fine!" and stomping to a corner, where he sat down heavily, glaring at the wolves.

"So...Kiri," the caracal said, looking at the grey wolf again. "You've got a partner for tomorrow? Someone to show you how to run the ropes?"

"We can help," two of the wolves volunteered at the same time.

"Same here," the caracal rejoined, a small smile on his face.

"I've got him," K'eyush said, patting Kiri on the back. "Don't trouble yourselves."

"Fine," the caracal said with a shrug. "If it's good with the wolf himself."

"Well Kiri?" K'eyush asked, looking at the nine-year-old pup. "You want to work with me in the mines? Or would you rather stick with Dakir, or Aida and her band of wolves?"

"I...think I'll stick with you, K'eyush," Kiri answered, grateful to the others just the same.

"Alright, fair enough, kid," the caracal, Dakir, agreed amicably. "Just remember that we're here to help."

The door was flung open, revealing two guards standing there, one of whom had a backpack on his shoulder.

"Eat up," the guard sneered, tossing the bag into the cabin. When it hit the ground, the top of the burlap sack tore open, revealing a bunch of bread chunks, which were quickly snatched up by the half-starved slaves. Kiri, being fast, managed to grab one and withdraw. However, Chach the bear spotted him and went up to him, picking him up heavily.

"Who do you think you are?" he growled fiercely. "Bread is for those who worked."

"Hey, put him down!" K'eyush shouted, lunging and tackling the bear to the ground. "He has just as much a right as you. We were all newbies once, Chach!"

With a ferocious roar, the bear threw K'eyush off of him, and started stalking towards the lynx. His eyes were murderous.

"You'll pay for that, cat," he growled.

"Back!" Dakir hissed, stepping in front of the fallen lynx, whom the jackal from earlier was helping up. "K'eyush might be a good guy, but I have no qualms about killing. And though I may be shorter and thinner than you, all I need is to get my claws up to your throat, to make you drown in your own blood."

Chach stopped and looked at the caracal in astonishment. "You? You think _you_can stop me? Alone?"

"He's not alone!" the jackal said, as he and K'eyush stepped beside him. "We stand with our friends."

"Aye," the other lynx added. Chach growled, and turned around towards Kiri, only to be confronted by a mass of snarling bodies, as Aida and her pack stepped between him and the wolf. Their fur was bristled, and their lips pulled back.

"Guess nobody told you," Aida said, taking a step forwards. "But you mess with the wolf...you get the fang. Back. Down."

Chach glowered, before finally relenting and stepping off to the side. The entire cabin's eyes were locked on him, and he scowled fiercely.

"You won this time, wolf," he snarled. "But remember this; a bear always gets its prey."

With that, the bear lay down and put his head to the wall, resolutely ignoring everyone else.

"You alright, K'eyush?" Dakir asked, turning to the lynx. "That was quite a throw you went through."

"I'll be fine," the lynx grunted, rolling his shoulder. "I only banged my arm a bit. I'll be fine."

"And how about you, Kiri?" Aida asked, turning around to look at the young wolf. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Kiri said, slightly shaken up. "But only thanks to all of you."

"This kid's got tact," Dakir grinned. "Everybody, eat up. We've got a long day tomorrow. That boulder ain't going to finish moving itself."

"Ugh, right," the jackal sighed. "Why'd you have to remind me?"

The group chuckled, as everyone dug into their small piece of food. Kiri's stomach, as empty as it was, was overjoyed at seeing the morsel, but it wanted more. However, Kiri had no more to provide for it.

The lantern was blown out, plunging the cabin in darkness. Kiri felt a bunch of war bodies around his, as he realized Aida and her wolf pack were all around him, keeping him warm and welcoming him to their pack. He heard K'eyush settle down not far from them, and heard him whisper to Aida.

"Keep an eye on him. I have Dakir watching Chach. I don't want any of you hurt."

"Don't worry," Aida whispered back. "He's with a wolf pack."

And safe in the knowledge of his new friends, he fell asleep.

The morning dawned far too fast for Kiri, but he got up with his fellow slaves to go greet the day. K'eyush accompanied him down to the mines, where he showed the young wolf how to properly swing a pickaxe and how to spot where useful ores were.

Once Kiri got into a good rhythm, K'eyush stopped instructing him, but stayed near to help the wolf should he need it. After an hour, the wolf's arm muscles were screaming, but he pressed on as hard as he could. His work in the field had in no way prepared him for the grueling task of mining.

However, Aida and her group were a big help, by occasionally dropping a large chunk of ore into Kiri's cart, to help him keep up. And Dakir was always near as well, though his eyes were constantly roving, looking for Chach, who was quite often, close as well.

By the time evening came, Kiri's arms were dead. As well as the rest of him. He trudged back with the group of slaves to their hut, where he promptly collapsed on the floor.

"Hey Kiri, you alright?" Aida asked, handing him a glass of water.

"I'm fine, thanks," Kiri said gratefully, taking the glass and lightly sipping from it. "Is this what we're going to be doing all day?"

"Every day," K'eyush nodded. "Don't worry, it gets easier as you get used to it. The first day is always the toughest."

"Right," Dakir agreed. The caracal was chewing what appeared to be a stick he'd found outside. He claimed it was a good way to stave off hunger.

Then the food delivery arrived, and this time Chach didn't even protest when Kiri grabbed a piece.

Life continued this way for about six months, when the next oldest from his old cabin came forth. Well, oldests. Kytra and Ari.

The twins were carried to the cavern by two large brutes of bears, members of the smithing slave group. They deposited the twins unceremoniously on the ground and left, the smell of burned flesh hanging heavily in the air.

"Kytra?" Kiri asked, shaking the male otter when the door had closed. "Wake up!"

"Mmm," Kytra groaned, shifting slightly before jolting upright. Kiri, doing what K'eyush had done before him, caught the otter and clamped a paw over his muzzle Kytra's eyes darted frantically, as Aida gently woke Ari. In the months since, several individuals had left, including K'eyush, Dakir and Chach.

Though Kiri was glad to see the bullying bear gone, he really missed K'eyush and Dakir, the only ones aside from Aida and her pack that he could truthfully call friends. Amir, the jackal, kept mostly to himself, claiming that that was the only way to survive Man'ahjit.

"Mmph," Kytra muttered into Kiri's hand, as he looked at the wolf. "Keerwi?"

The grey wolf, seeing that Kytra was calm, lifted his hand from the otter's muzzle. He looked wide-eyed at the grey wolf.

"Kiri?" he asked. "Is it...really you?"

Quickly, the otter grabbed Kiri in a hug and began to sob. "We all thought you were dead! One minute here, the next...gone! Poof!"

"I'm here," Kiri laughed, embracing Kytra back. "Welcome to the senior mines!"

And so it continued until, three months later, Kiri was greeted with the news. When trying to protect a slave in the full adult mines, K'eyush and Dakir had been killed, with Chach being the killer.

The next day, he got his very first lash. Ten of them, to be precise.