The heavy shower stopped when the children waded out. They swam with their jerseys on as they didn't want to give their pursuers an unnecessary clue. At the same time, the emperor's men were riding round the country telling the people that two fairhaired children, a girl and her younger brother, were being searched for. They rode as far as the front line, which was still held by some of King Jomar's soldiers. Of course they didn't say that the children were going to be executed immediately! On the contrary, people were told that they were going to be returned to their anxious mother.

After an unpleasant swim over pitch-black water, Luna and Midar came ashore on an unknown beach. The barking of dogs and the voices of soldiers tormented their consciousness. But now they must take a short rest.

Luna had swum with the amber in her mouth to prevent losing it. The sky had cleared up; the stars appeared and the moon shone on the wild strawberry leaves and white wild strawberry flowers. That white wild strawberry flower, the symbol of their native land, which meant love and called for patriotic courage. But the army was being crushed and there was hardly any native soil left to defend. The white petals were all that remained of independence, Smirgul's soldiers had seized nearly all the land. He could compel people to lower the Hilonian flag, but he couldn't prevent the white wild strawberry flowers from gleaming on the slopes every year. Princess Luna was convinced that nature stood on the side of the good people.