Once again, the evil cesspool of knowledge (college) made this update come slowly. Sorry for the delay, but better late than never, right?

Also, Vilya made an excellent point about thinking it unlikely that the Valeans would be this heartless. I have only one thing to say in response to that; humans, as a general rule, irrationally fear what they cannot understand. That irrational fear can in turn lead to irrational behavior, and we have glowing examples of this in our own history. Events like the Salem Witch Trials and the Red Scare/McCarthyism are quite similar to what's going on in Vale in this story. So while I too would like to think the Valeans are more reasonable than this, I don't believe their behavior is that off course.

*Taking Flight*

Isaac opened his eyes to a room lit by a single candle burning low in its holder. He recognized it as his parents' bedroom on the main floor of his house. The door was only slightly cracked, but he could hear faint noises beyond it. Part of him wanted to get up to see, but the rest of him just wanted to stay put and sleep some more. He still felt chills running through his body, albeit not nearly as badly as earlier, and he was still quite tired, though at least his arm didn't hurt anymore. He had no idea how long he'd been asleep; only that it hadn't felt like long enough. At least now he was safe and warm, unlike when he'd been at the bottom of the well.

He had almost dozed off again when he heard the door creak open, prompting him to move slightly to see who was there. The moment he did, his mother was at his side and had swept him into her arms, hugging him tighter than he could ever remember.

"Oh, Isaac, thank Venus you're awake!" she said, kissing the top of his head. "You had us so worried!" She was so relieved that she had to struggle to refrain from crying. Isaac settled against her contentedly, having missed her greatly during his stay in the well, and also because her body heat helped stave off the chills. Dora pulled one of the blankets tighter around him. "My poor little boy--spending a cold night all alone in a well! I'm so sorry, Isaac!"

Isaac couldn't believe how frazzled she looked, totally unlike how he usually saw her. Her hair was a mess, half of it still up in a bun and the rest of it falling in limp bunches down her back. She was also wearing the same dress she'd had on yesterday, indicating that she'd been up all night. She must've been really worried. He smiled at her, happy to be home and happier still that she had apparently missed him at least as much as he'd missed her. Dora kissed him again, one of her stray tears dropping into his hair.

"Oh, Isaac. Please don't ever scare me like that again. I could never forgive myself if I lost you!"

The door of the house opened and shut just then, and more familiar footsteps vibrated on the wooden floor. "Dora?" came Kyle's voice. "I'm back."

"In here," she called. "He's awake."

A moment later, Isaac saw his father, his hero, standing in the bedroom doorway. Kyle exhaled a sigh of total relief, a huge weight visibly falling off of his shoulders. Isaac looked considerably better--much of his color had returned and his eyes were bright and alert. Kyle somewhat cautiously sat down on the bed, unsure of what he wanted to say. This whole incident never would've happened in the first place if not for the things he'd said. How does one go about apologizing for something like that?

"I'm so sorry for everything, Isaac," he began. "This was all my fault! I--" He was cut short by his son's hand over his mouth. Isaac had never had much need for words, and he just beamed broadly and hugged Kyle. He knew that his father wouldn't have gone to the trouble of getting him out of that well if he hadn't cared. As far as he was concerned, that made up for every infraction./P

"I think you're forgiven," Dora said with a small smile of her own.

"There needs to be more like you on this earth, Isaac," said Kyle half in jest and half in earnest as he returned his son's embrace. "Thank you."

Dora's smile widened and then she stood up. "Well, now that you're back with the things from the market, I can make dinner. I know that at least one of us could do with a hot meal."

Dinner? Isaac stole a glance out the window and saw that it was indeed that late after all. He'd slept the entire day! And at that moment, the memory of what he'd seen in the woods last night came rushing back to him. The thieves and their awful plan--he had to tell them! He sprung from the bed but immediately fell over, his legs unwilling to hold his weight just yet.

"Woah, slow down there, son," Kyle said. "You're still not strong enough to be up and around." He bent down to pick him up, but Isaac vehemently shook his head, pulled himself to his feet, and started wobbling out to the living room. He had to get to the writing desk--it was the only way…

Kyle caught him and lifted him up. "Come on, Isaac. You'll catch another chill."

Frustrated, Isaac squirmed as roughly as he could manage in his weakened state. He had to warn them. Those thieves might hurt people, including his mother, father, and his friends. Kyle had never seen his son so animated before, and it confused him enough to set him down.

"What is it, Isaac?" he asked.

Isaac went the rest of the way to the desk and rummaged for paper and a piece of charcoal. Both of his parents watched him curiously as he began to scribble. Being so young, he wasn't much of an artist, but he couldn't think of any other way to explain what he'd seen. First, he drew a set of little houses clustered together and then pointed to it.

"Is that the village?" his mother questioned. He nodded and started drawing stick people on the other side of the page. He took care to make them look mean, giving them big teeth and crude-looking swords in their hands.

"Who are they?" Kyle asked. "The villagers?" Isaac shook his head. He added some scraggly trees next to the stick figures to indicate the woods. "These people are in the woods?" his father continued. "You saw them last night?" Isaac nodded.

"People in the woods?" Dora was puzzled. "What would anyone be doing there?"

Kyle studied the doodle. "These obviously weren't friendly people." Isaac drew an arrow from the stick figures to the village and pointed at the weapons he'd drawn. "My bet is that they mean some sort of harm to Vale, like robbery. Am I right?"

Isaac nodded vigorously. Thank goodness his father had understood!

"Oh no!" his mother exclaimed. "What are we going to do? They could be here at any moment!"

Isaac drew a crescent moon above the rest of his picture. "Moon…" his father trailed. "High moon?" Another nod. "Tonight?" Isaac desperately nodded again. Kyle thought a few moments to take it all in, then he turned for the door.

"Kyle, where are you going?"

"We have to prepare for this. I'm going to warn the Mayor while there's still time. Go ahead and start dinner without me--I shouldn't be long." He smiled at his son. "Thank you, Isaac. You did very well." And he exited the house.

Isaac smiled a bit, happy to have helped but scared of what might happen tonight when the thieves came. He started to shiver again, partly from the nervousness and also from being exposed to the draft. His mother saw this and picked him up, carrying him back to the bedroom.

"You won't get better if you stay out here," she said. She set him back on the bed and wrapped him in the blankets again, kissing his forehead. "Don't worry, Isaac. Your father will warn the Mayor about those people and everything will be fine. Nothing bad is going to happen."

************

Garet had not had the best of days. First, he'd been scolded for sleeping late, which he'd naturally been inclined to do after his all night search. Then he, Jenna and Felix had been forbidden to play in their spot for fear that the "demon" would find them. And now he'd accidentally crushed some of his mother's beloved flowers. If she found out, he'd really be in hot water. So he was in the process of burying the evidence when he saw Kyle coming up the path. He immediately finished filling in the hole and went to greet him.

"How's Isaac? Is he OK?"

"He'll be fine, Garet, thanks to your help. Is your grandfather home by chance? I need to speak to him."

"Inside," Garet replied. "Um, I know that he and my Mom and Dad don't like the idea, but do you think I could still come by and see him sometime? I'll keep it a secret!"

Kyle smiled. "I'm sure he'd like that." He went and knocked on the door.

"Back again, Kyle?" George asked. "I'm still not going to help you find that little beast."

"He's already been found," Kyle said as politely as he could manage. "I'm here on another matter."

"I see." George motioned him inside and Garet slipped in behind them. "What is it this time?"

"I have reason to believe that there are thieves lurking in the woods around Vale, and that they intend to strike tonight."

"Thieves in the woods?" the Mayor questioned. "How did you learn this?"

"What does it matter?" Kyle returned. "I think the mere prospect of such a thing is enough to warrant a full alert in the village. We can't just sit back and let them rob us--or worse."

George eyed him cautiously. "Does this new knowledge have anything to do with that boy's disappearance?"

"Let my son be my concern. It's obvious that none of you care about him unless he's done something you don't like."

"Really!" Garet exclaimed. "You're always so mean to Isaac!"

"Garet, don't interrupt," said his grandfather crossly. "What evidence do you have of this story?"

Kyle faltered. "Well…I didn't see them myself, but I…"

"The truth!" the Mayor pressed.

"Isaac saw these people in the woods last night when he was gone," Kyle said reluctantly. Now they'd never believe that this threat was real. "He told Dora and I through a drawing he made."

The Mayor paced for a few moments, the room so silent that everyone's breathing resonated like drums. "We will have to prepare for this. George, get out an alert to the villagers."

"Of course." He exited the house.

"Thank you, Mayor," said Kyle in relief.

"I am going to inform the elders of this matter," the Mayor said as he headed for the door. "And then we will put a stop to all of this madness. We have let this go on for far too long."

Kyle didn't like the menacing overtones in this statement. "What do you mean by that, Mayor?"

"It is obvious to me who has summoned these outsiders to Vale. I will not have this village put at risk any longer, especially by someone from the inside. I will see to it that our real threat is disposed of permanently."

"You can't be serious!" Kyle exclaimed, grabbing the Mayor by the arm. "You can't honestly think that Isaac is the one who brought those thieves here?!"

"Certainly," the Mayor replied. "We've never had any trouble from outsiders before, so what am I supposed to believe? No doubt that boy ran off yesterday to find these people and lead them straight to Vale."

"He can't even talk! How or why would he ever tell other people to attack his own village?"

"I do not care about his motives. All I know is that he is, and always will be, a threat to this village as long as he is alive." He headed for the door. "I am not completely without compassion. You may be allowed to say goodbye to your son, Kyle. We will come for him shortly."

"Grandpa, no!" Garet cried. "You can't hurt Isaac! You can't, you can't, you can't!"

"That's enough, Garet," the Mayor said firmly. "This is not your problem."

Kyle left the house in a bit of a daze, unable to believe what he'd heard. Was that really the voice of a lawmaker--the supposed voice of reason and rationality? It all seemed so completely ridiculous! How could they think that a little boy could convince a bunch of grown men to lay seige to their village? It was simply absurd! Why wouldn't they open their eyes? Why, why, why?!

He forced himself to shake it off and focus on the matter and hand. Reasoning with the people obviously wasn't going to work. That meant that there was only one option left. With his heart racing as he realized the course of action he had to take, he burst back into his house, startling Dora enough to drop one of her dishes.

"Kyle!" she exclaimed. "What's going on?"

"Grab only what's needed and what can be carried," he said briskly as he rummaged for their few valuables. "We have to leave Vale now."

"Leave Vale?!" Dora was shocked by the very idea. "You know that it's forbidden to leave Vale! It's written in the laws!"

"To hell with their stupid laws! I am not going to let those superstitious fools lay one hand on our son!" He continued furiously stuffing various items into a pack. Dora watched him, visibly confused.

"What happened at the Mayor's house, Kyle? I've never seen you this upset."

"Dora, if you don't want to come with me, I'll understand. But I have to get Isaac out of here no matter what the cost."

This only confused her more. "Isaac shouldn't be out in the cold air so soon. He's still not well."

"I know, but there's no time," Kyle said quietly. He looked to his wife and she saw the complete terror in his eyes. "They think he summoned the thieves, Dora. They're coming to take him."

She was stunned. "My god…" It took a moment for the words to sink in, and then she too started packing.

Isaac was half-asleep when his mother was suddenly at his side, coaxing him to get up. She helped him get dressed and then bundled him up in the warmest quilt they had. He didn't protest, but he was puzzled and frightened by the way his parents were acting. He'd never seen them like this before.

"Ready?" Kyle asked.

"No," Dora replied honestly. "But let's go before they get here."

Kyle nodded in agreement and picked up his trembling son. "Don't worry, Isaac. Your mother and I aren't going to let anything happen to you." And together, the three of them left their house and fled into the night.

---------------------------------------------------

Hehe…now things are getting interesting, aren't they? What's going to happen now, I wonder? ^_^