Once again forced to abandon their home, the remaining survivors regroup in the woods away from the fallen fort. They are joined by the few surviving members of the fort's army. Once they know the situation in the fort, they hatch a plan to launch a counter attack at midnight to rescue their friends and kill the emperor before he can execute his captives in the morning. If they succeed, they plan on returning to an island in a lake they discovered on the way. If they don't succeed, they will all die.