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The mines were terrifying.
Vincent felt Jas tug him along as he screamed, and screamed, and prayed his big brother would show up because Sam always, always knew what to do.
Later, he'd admit it was his fault.
He and Jas had been bored after a morning and afternoon spent stuck in the library. She'd kicked him when he'd said her hair looked messy, so he'd pinched her, and it had eventually turned into a messy fight that Miss Penny had to break up. He'd been mad at Jas for that because Miss Penny wouldn't like a man who fought. Or at least he didn't think she would, because Miss Penny was nice and gentle and she'd probably want someone like that too.
So when Miss Penny had taken them outside and told them they had two minutes to find a really good hiding spot, he'd grabbed Jas' arm and they'd run off together. It had taken him only a few seconds to realize that they could ease along the river bank and get to the mines in time. And, since Jas hated spiders, he could find one and get his revenge.
Jas hadn't been so easily convinced. "Vince, we aren't supposed to go in the mines! Auntie Marnie says they're dangerous!"
"Yeah, but don't you wanna beat Miss Penny? She always finds us!"
"I guess so? But not if we have to go to the mines."
"Come on," he'd whined, hitting that pitch he knew she hated, "The grown ups just think we're too little to go in. We'll be fine! I'll protect you!"
Jas scoffed. "More like I'll protect you!"
"We'll protect each other," he said, and with that they were charging up the river bank.
Which had lead them, after they'd found the cave and the ladder that lead down into the mines, to where they were now. The mine hadn't seemed so bad at first, mostly just a lot of rocks and the occasional shiny stones Jas said were gems, but they were only a few levels down before the slick plop of a slime scared them both. Now it was leaping after them, and the ground kept slipping under their feet, and Vincent was scared .
Then he saw they'd hit a dead end. There was nothing but sheer rock on all sides and the sound of the slime coming closer. He sobbed, and then Jas was pushing him behind her, a rock in her fist and her bottom lip between her teeth.
The slime was close, and he swore he could hear something else coming, something with pounding feet and heavy breath, and he closed his eyes because if he couldn't see it it wasn't happening-
And then,
"Yarn!"
He peeked open an eye. The slime was in a melty puddle on the floor, and the new farmer was where it had been, sword in hand. And yeah, they were a little scary, too pale and too wild and their eyes sort of maybe glowed in the dim cave but they were human, and an adult, and before he'd really thought about it he and Jas had leapt to hold onto Yarn. He was sobbing, and so was Jas so he didn't feel quite so wimpy. Yarn held them tentatively, like they were scared of the two kids the way the kids had been scared of the slime. Yarn let them cry into their shirt for a minute or two before they stood, cradling them close to their chest as they walked to the elevator.
Vincent was pretty sure he'd never been happier to see the sun. Even that one time it rained for an entire week and he couldn't play with Jas or see Miss Penny.
"Jas! Vincent! Please come out now!" Penny shouted, hearing the desperation in her voice. It was the same desperation she heard in Sam and Shane's voices as they helped her search.
The kids had disappeared. They'd been playing hide and go seek to burn off some of their energy and when she'd gone to look they'd just been gone. That had been almost two hours ago. The two men had joined her an hour in, hearing her calls just after they'd gotten off of work, but it hadn't done any good.
Her bottom lip trembled and she bit it, hard, because if she started crying she wasn't actually sure she could stop.
"Vince!" Sam suddenly screamed, and Penny felt her knees go weak.
She charged around the corner expecting the worst, and nearly collapsed. The kids were safe, cradled in Yarn's arms and looking no worse for wear. Sam charged up as she watched, scooping his brother up and hugging him tight. He knelt down just as a sweaty, wheezing Shane ran past her to get Jas. Yarn surrendered her just as willingly. He just held his goddaughter tight, like he thought she might disappear if he let her go.
"Yoba, Vince, we thought- Where were you?" Sam demanded, gentle as he could be when a minute ago he'd probably been even more afraid than Penny.
Poor Vincent couldn't even respond past his tears. Penny found her balance and wobbled over to kneel between the two kids. She barely cared where they'd been, just that they were safe.
"The mines," a scratchy, rough voice said. She looked up to Yarn in shock. They looked vaguely uncomfortable, leaning back with crossed arms.
"The mines?!" Shane cried. "Yoba, Jas, you could've- Fu- Thank Yoba you're safe. Didn't Marnie ever tell you the mines are dangerous?"
Jas just cried harder, hands gripping onto Shane's hoodie for dear life.
Between the three of them it took ten minutes to calm the kids enough to hear the whole story. The adults tried to keep their anger to a minimum, knowing it wouldn't actually help, just scare the kids even worse. It was hard though. Just imagining what could've happened if Yarn hadn't shown up was enough to make Penny want to ground the children until they were twenty.
Yarn didn't say another word until she, Sam, and Shane were done lecturing the kids. Finally they knelt, meeting Jas and Vincent's eyes.
"The mines are dangerous," Yarn rasped. "I am trained. You are not. Do not go in there again."
The kids nodded, sniffling. Apparently satisfied, Yarn stood and made to leave.
"Yarn!" Penny said. "Thank you. Thank you so much for finding them."
Sam nodded, looking shaken. "Yeah. Without you…" He swallowed hard. "Yeah. So, thanks."
Shane just nodded, lifting Jas as he stood, probably too afraid to let go of her just yet.
Penny stepped forward and took Yarn's hands in hers. "We all owe you so much."
"It was nothing," they said, looking away.
She hugged them tight, hoping she could stuff all the feelings she couldn't voice into it. "It wasn't. Thank you, thank you, thank you."
Yarn went stiff as a board at her touch and she leapt back almost immediately. Blushing, she quickly backed away, thoroughly embarrassed.
"Sorry," she offered.
"It was… fine. I'm going," Yarn mumbled, barely understandable through the harsh rasp of their voice. They retreated toward the mines without a second glance.
Penny trailed behind Sam and Shane as they headed home, sending her thanks to Yoba for sending Yarn to help her kids.