The Village

Who'll pinch me to wake me up?

Who will laugh at me when I fall?

Whose breath will I listen for...

...so that I may sleep?

Whose hand will I hold...

...so that I may walk?

We may question ourselves at moments such as these.

Did we make the right decision to settle here?

We are grateful for the time we have been given.

What manner of spectacle has attracted your attention so splendidly?

I ought to carry it in my pocket to help me teach.

Who came upon this?

- Philip, did you move this? - No, Mr. Walker.

I inspected it carefully. Its head was twisted back and much of its fur removed.

- I see. - It was murdered.

But who is the culprit?

Who has done this heinous act?

- Those We Don't Speak Of killed it. - There it is.

Why would such a notion come into your mind?

- They're meat eaters. - Mmm.

They have large claws.

Children...

...Those We Don't Speak Of have not breached our borders for many years.

We do not go into their woods,

they do not come into our valley.

It is a truce.

We do not threaten them.

Why would they do this?

And we ought not to overlook the Flight of the Birds.

We didn't have it last year and I, for one, missed it desperately.

And I know your wife missed the children dressed in feathers and such.

- I am fond of it. - Mmm.

I do not have a say in this matter.

August Nicholson is chair of today's meeting.

There's a young man who has requested a word with the elders.

Well, do have him come forward.

Alice.

Hello, Lucius.

"My mother is unaware of the reason for my visit today."

"She did not give her consent or consult me in any form."

"The passing of little Daniel Nicholson from illness,

and other events, have weighed on my thoughts."

"I ask permission to cross into the forbidden woods

and travel to the nearest town."

"I will gather new medicines, and I will return."

"With regards to Those We Don't Speak Of,

I am certain they will let me pass."

"Creatures can sense emotion and fear."

"They will see I am pure of intention, and not afraid."

"The end."

What goes on in that head of yours?

Say something, Lucius.

Finton Coin is in the tower, and I've promised to sit with him.

Hmm.

Do you ever think of the towns, Finton?

The towns?

What for?

They're wicked places where wicked people live. That's all.

Thank you, Lucius.

You're a good friend.

I do hope no one saw you.

What we seem to have amongst us is a predator of some type,

most likely a coyote or a wolf.

Its manner of... of killing and removing the fur,

but leaving the flesh torn,

may be a sign that this animal suffers from madness.

And for the next fortnight, we should be vigilant

for sightings of this coyote.

Keep careful watch over our little ones as they play on the hills.

As for the other notion...

...we do not believe our boundary has been breached.

Those We Don't Speak Of are much larger creatures than coyotes...

...and we would know if they had been here.

Ahh, it's frightful, this business with the coyote. Is it not, Papa?

- Do not feel worried, Kitty. - You are not troubled?

I'm certain it will all end soon.

- Can we speak on other matters, then? - It would be a relief.

I'm in love!

I want your permission to marry, Papa.

There's a proper manner in which things are supposed to happen.

Such as the boy would normally be standing next to you,

in a moment such as this... Where is the boy in all this, Kitty?

I haven't spoken to him as of yet.

The young man is unaware of your intentions?

He has a quiet way. I was going to talk with him, Papa, but not without your blessings.

I won't talk with him without your blessings.

Kitty!

It's Lucius Hunt.

Lucius?

You think badly of him?

- No, no. I have been thinking about him. - He's not like the other boys, Papa.

He doesn't joke or bounce about.

No, he certainly does not.

Do I have your blessings, then?

Look, do me one favor first.

Do not tell anyone else of your burstings until you have spoken with the young man.

Good afternoon, Lucius.

I wanted to... to... to tell you something.

I love you, Lucius.

I love you... like the day is long.

I love you more than the sun and the moon together.

And if you feel the same way, then we should not hide it any longer.

It's a gift, love is. We should be thankful.

We should bellow it out with all the breath in our lungs.

Thank you! Thank you!

Thank you!

Shh, shh.

Shh.

Baby, sleep, gently sleep

Life is long and love is deep

Time will be sweet for thee

All the world to see

Time to look about and know

How the shadows come and go

How the breeze stirs the trees

How the blossoms grow

I often wondered if you and my son bonded because neither of you is fond of speaking.

You're very kind.

You must pardon my manners. I haven't slept in many nights.

You are doing capital, Jamison.

Just a few more moments, huh? Gather your bravery.

Do not jostle about so. You'll ruin my shirt.

They made a sound when I made a sound, and they mimic before they attack.

Have courage, man. That's a wives' tale. It isn't true.

Do not falter. Steel yourself!

You know, like a dog can smell you.

- Pardon me, Mr. Nicholson? - Hmm.

You may run from sorrow, as we have.

Sorrow will find you.

It can smell you.

Hurry.

I didn't know you could run so fast.

We're still for running and staying... Hey!

Noah ought to be punished. He whacked little Joseph with a stick again.

- Ouch! - No more hitting! Put it down!

Ow, ow, ow!

Why don't they grab it?

Noah Percy!

Stop your fussing right this moment.

You're in trouble, you know.

- No hitting, no hitting. - I'm to place you in the quiet room.

Um, I'll cry quarts.

- What if we strike a deal? - Yeah, capital idea.

It would be prudent to keep our deal a secret. Can you do that?

Can I keep a secret? Like a church mouse.

You needn't go to the quiet room if you a take an oath

to never strike any person again.

- No hitting, no hitting. - No. No hitting.

- No hitting. - No hitting.

No hitting.

The deal is struck.

We ought not return right away, huh?

What shall we do with our stolen time?

- Hmm. - Hmm.

- Hmm. Shall we have a foot race? - Yes.

- Up the hill to the resting rock? - No cheating.

What a deeply scandalous thing to say. I insist you take that back.

Is that the school bell?

lvy, you cheated!

I know! I'm sorry!

Whoo!

My sister cried a lot.

You wonder how I recognized you?

Some people - just a handful, mind you - give off the tiniest color.

It's faint, like a haze.

It's the only thing I ever see in the darkness.

Papa has it, too.

Do you wonder what your color is?

Well, that I won't tell you. It's not ladylike to speak of such things.

You shouldn't even have asked.

You run like a boy.

Thank you.

I know why you denied my sister.

When I was younger...

...you used to hold my arm when I walked.

Then suddenly, you stopped.

One day, I even tripped in your presence, and nearly fell.

I was faking, of course, but still, you did not hold me.

Sometimes we don't do things we want to do

so that others won't know we want to do them.

What?

What's this? Oh, berries.

What a splendid present.

Be cautious.

You are holding the bad color.

This color attracts Those We Don't Speak Of. You must bury it.

You ought not to pick that color berry any more.

He picked it from his pocket.

What's wrong? Your breathing has changed.

I've never set eyes on these before.

You did not pick that now. Where did you find this?

"Today at Resting Rock,

Noah Percy handed lvy Walker berries of the bad color."

"When asked where he found these berries,

for they were not like others I have seen,

he pointed to the drawing upon Resting Rock."

"It is my belief that Noah Percy has entered the woods,

and has done so on many occasions."

"It is also my belief that, because of his innocence,

those creatures who reside in the woods did not harm him."