I've haven't updated lately, but I've got a reason! Our computer has shown the 'Blue Screen of Death' twice in the past few months, and I haven't been able to get online! Well, I'm here now and I'm putting up four chapters tonight! :D!

Elizabeth watched as Timothy was carried off. She'd been dropped in front of her house that morning, waking up just in time to hear her child scream as a hawk grasped him in its talons. The bird had shirked in pain when she'd bitten it, but it had simply shaken her off and continued on its way, blood dripping from several small wounds above its left foot.

"Timothy!" she reached out in vain, watching the bird disappear. Cynthia was still asleep, wrapped tightly in her blankets as she blocked out the sounds of the conscious world. The mother mouse sobbed into her arms, screaming in her head, screaming questions that had no answers. Her husband's voice was absent now, replaced by a piercing silence. Her tears ran for what felt like hours, the well running dry when the sun beat fully down upon her. The warmth reminded her of that man from her dreams, his body pressed against hers. It reminded her not to lose hope, that there were still people to help her.

I've got to get to the valley! With that thought she leapt to her feet, going quickly into her tiny house. She woke Cynthia, telling her to pack for a long journey. She then put a mirror in the doorway of her home. Jeremy had given it to her weeks earlier, telling her to signal him with it if she ever needed help. She then went about getting her things together, and had been preparing to seal the house when there was a scratching sound, as though some animal were scarping its claws against the roof of her home. She went out to investigate, leaving Cynthia in her room. Jeremy was there, holding the mirror in one of his big yellow feet.

"Hey, Mrs. B," he said anxiously. "Is everything alright?"

"Jeremy," the mouse's voice was pleading. "You have to take me to Thorn Valley, as soon as possible!"

"What!" his jaw dropped, and he hopped about in agitation. "What for? What's happened?"

Elizabeth fought not to break down. "Three of my children have been kidnapped, and I'm afraid Cynthia's next!"

"I have to tell Tiffany," he said, preparing to fly. He let the mirror fall to the ground. "Use this again when you're ready!" he flew off, promising to be back soon. Elizabeth dove back inside, only to find the bedroom window shattered, her youngest child nowhere to be found. She searched everywhere she could, heart beating wildly. She could taste acid in the back of her throat, but she forced it down, wiping the tears that blurred her vision. She searched until the sun went down, but still there was no sign.

Oh, God, she thought, helpless. Oh dear God! She fell to her knees, sobbing into her hands. She'd wandered all the way to the farmer's house, finding out only that Dragon had been put to sleep, and that the farmer and his family were planning on adopting a kitten from the humane society. The young mother collapsed in the soil beneath the kitchen floor, struggling to keep her sobs quiet. She remained that way until she fainted from exhaustion, lying unconscious until the roar of a motor shook the ground beneath her.

W-Where am I? It was late in the morning, almost eleven, and she was still beneath the farmhouse. The night before came back with roaring clarity, but she forced the tears from her eyes. She was done crying, ready to do something about it. She made her way quickly to the cinderblock, blocking up the entrances and chimney, pulling a dying leaf over her broken window. She then signaled Jeremy, careful to stay hidden until she knew it was him.

"Mrs. B, what happened?" he spoke before he had landed, falling gracefully to his feet. "I was expecting your signal yesterday and-"

"I know, Jeremy," she said, fighting the urge to cry. She climbed skillfully on his back, holding her pack in her teeth until she reached the string tied around his neck. She tied the loose ends around her waist, clutching the sack in her lap, closing her eyes tightly shut as he took off. Once in the air she opened them, seeing the black mountains that circled the rats' new home. She silently began crying again, burying her face in her cape.

(****)

Justin walked with his hands clasped behind him, face tilted to the ground. He was having trouble believing what Teresa had told him, that the Brisby children were being kidnapped one by one. But he didn't think she'd lie about such a thing. The main problem was figuring out who was behind it. The only person he could think of who'd have the motive for this was Jenner, and the creature had been dead for months.

Or has he? His mind switched to another train of thought. Nicodemus had died that night on the farm, but had come back when Elizabeth had used the Stone to save her children. Not only that, he'd become even younger than he had been at NIMH. Had the magic had the same effect on Jenner? But he didn't get a chance to ponder the point.

Steel sang as he drew his blade, seeing a large, dark shape appear over the mountains. It seemed to be preparing to land, gliding to the ground a few yards from where he stood. Justin gripped the handle tightly, sprinting the distance, preparing to fight if he had to. But then his body jerked to a stop. It wasn't a hostile creature at all, but the crow he had met a few weeks before, when he'd received Teresa's note. A breath leapt from his parted jaws, sword falling from nerveless fingers. The resulting thud caused both creatures to freeze, the smaller one gasping in shock.

"Justin!" he knew that voice, running forward as she did. They met in the middle, Justin taking her happily in his arms. She clung to him, burying her face in his chest, shaking.

"Elizabeth," he pulled her away to stare in her eyes, seeing the tears staining her cheeks. His voice instantly failed him. He hadn't noticed until now how much she had changed, how different she felt. He set the mouse back on her feet, keeping his hands on her back. His eyes traveled down her figure, taking in her curved hips, her slim waist, the gentle sweep of dark hair at her shoulders. But then his gaze slipped to her face, and he was struck breathless. Her beauty had increased a hundred-fold, her eyes now the purest blue he'd ever seen. "Y-You've…changed."

She blushed without smiling, staring down at his feet. She'd been equally struck at his appearance, how his dark eyes glimmered so much like the man's in her dream. She ran her hands down his shirt, feeling the contours of his chest underneath; she moved closer to the firm beat of his heart. She felt his hand run through her hair, slip down her cheek, then grasp her chin, tilting her face back until she stared in his eyes.

"Where are the children?" he asked, not seeing them. She started crying again, his touch coming to smooth her tears.

"Th-They're gone," she managed to whisper. "A-All four of them…"

"What?"

"They're gone," she sobbed into his chest, clutching tightly to his shirt. Justin stared at Jeremy from the corner of his eye. The bird was walking slowly toward the lake, as though content to wait as long as he needed to. In another minute he vanished from view, and the young captain turned back to the girl in his arms.

"Come with me," he said suddenly. He held her hands tightly in his. "We'll find them, I promise."

(****)

Nicodemus watched this all from his globe, a smaller version of the oracle that had been destroyed when the scientists discovered to rosebush. He knew at once what had happened, who was really behind this terrible happening. But the lines of fate prevented him from telling them, or anybody. He sighed as the image faded, able to feel every beat of Justin's heart, hear every thought that ran through his mind. The younger rat was the only thing keeping his leader alive, the very forces of their lives intertwined when they'd been exposed to the Stone's power.

The red gem hung around his neck now, the light matching his own pulse. He could still smell Jonathan's scent infused with the gold, recalling what the mouse had done to ensure his wife's future, unknowing of all it would cause.

"Tread cautiously," he whispered to them. Their image had reappeared, with Elizabeth once more in tears. "For this is only the beginning…"

But the real twists come later. You'll see...