"We're not going out to help them?" Taemin asked, slumped onto Minho's shoulder. 

After leaving the castle the boys had gone back to the crypt to wait for Onew, Key and Jonghyun to get back from handing out the money. Rather than sitting in the the various chairs dotted about, they had instead put some, rather dusty, cushions on the floor against the wall and had collapsed next to each other. 

"We can't really" Minho said softly. "We can't track their movements or know where they are, or which houses they're already visited" Taemin nodded weakly. Though he didn't much like the idea of running out into the dark right now, he wouldn't say no if asked to. 

They sat in comfortable silence for the time being. Taemin didn't feel great, truth be told, from the mix of hunger, exhaustion and adrenaline rush but he said nothing. He still had so many questions running around his head from the night's events, If felt he'd been on edge all day... all in all he was more interested in relaxing than anything else and before long he could feel himself beginning to drift off on Minho's shoulder. 

"Tom..?" Minho said quietly, thinking the boy had fallen asleep.

"Taemin..." Taemin mumbled, his eyes closed. He didn't really fancy being called Tom at the moment. Minho knew who he was anyway so why bother hiding it?

Though while the simple word hadn't really meant much to the boy who'd said it, it meant much more to Minho. Of course Minho had figured out that their new outlaw was Alec's nephew but finally hearing the other boy say it almost made him giddy. 

He looked at the boy rested on his shoulder and couldn't help but grin. It was all he could do to keep still as so not to disturb the other. 

Taemin could feel it though, the slight tremor of happiness in the other and his increased heartbeat. He smiled himself, eyes still closed and snuggled a little closer to the elder. 

"It seems a little pointless to hide now" Taemin said softly. Minho shifted to wrap his arm around Taemin and pulled him a little closer. 

"I can't say I don't agree with you" Minho replied which received a chuckle from Taemin. "What about the others?"

 Taemin frowned a little before opening his eyes. "They can call me Taemin too..." He said slowly before looking up from his perch on Minho's collar. "I don't really want to be someone I'm not anymore..." he said quietly while staring up into Minho's eyes. Minho smiled gently at the younger and raised his hand to the other's cheek gently. 

"Nor should you have to..." He said quietly, running the pad of his thumb over Taemin's cheek. 

Taemin could feel himself blushing but he didn't tear his eyes away from Minho's. They seemed locked there. 

After a moment Taemin had to break the eyes contact to stifle a yawn, "S-sorry" he chuckled sleepily, dropping his gaze, but a hand under his chin made him look up again. For a split second his eyes connected with Minho's once more before the the elder joined their lips.

The kiss was soft and gentle, testing the waters. For a moment Taemin could just blink, listening to his heart thudding but soon enough his eyes slipped closed and he pressed back against the soft lips.

Minho shifted position to be able to pull Taemin closer to him, a hand slipping into the younger's hair, holding his head gently.

Taemin gripped the front of Minho's shirt lightly as the two boys mouths moved together.

Just so they didn't faint form air deprivation Minho separated them and leaned to rest his forehead on Taemin's.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that" Minho breathed. Taemin grinned in response.

"Then that makes two of us" Taemin whispered  back. Minho raised his gaze and the two boys smiled at each other before connecting their lips again.

 ~*~

"...And you never saw him?"

"No, we only ever heard his voice..."

The five outlaws were sitting in the crypt around on of the big tables. Key had brought some food in and turned the assortment into a make shift dinner. 

Upon arriving back in the crypt all five boys has slept rough on the cold stone floor. It was highly unlikely they would return to the house for the time being and Key had arranged for one of their friends to "house sit" to make sure the taxes were paid.

They had awoken late in the day and passed the time resting and preparing for the coming nights. It was only once they sat down to eat that they started to relax and Minho and Taemin were able to recount the events of the previous night. 

"How intriguing..." Onew said softly... "You really think we can trust him?" he asked gesturing to the letter that sat open in the middle of the table. 

"So far we haven't been given a reason not to..." Key mused. 

"But what if that's what he wants us to think?" Jonghuyn added with a raised eyebrow...

"What would he have to gain by helping us?" Taemin asked nibbling on a slice of bread. 

"Our trust" Minho said simply. The table went quiet for a moment before Minho sighed. "Well either we're already in danger; if he intends to go against us, he will. He knows who we are evidently, including Taemin. Or he's on our side and he'll help us in the future. We wont know until he reveals himself..."

There were collective nods around the table.

"We go from learning the identity of one ally" Jonghuyn sighed, gesturing to Taemin with his head "..to having to question the intentions of another all in one fell swoop..."  

Key, Onew and Jonghuyn hadn't been overly surprised at the revelation that "Tom" was actually "Taemin", but there had been a fair share of hugs and smiles passed around.   

"I'll do some snooping when I return..." Taemin said softly. 

"As long as you stay safe" Key warned. Taemin chuckled in response and nodded. 

"I think we should be able to trust him..." Jonghuyn declared after a beat. Everyone turned to look at him. "Well it makes sense!" he said in defense to all the stares he was receiving. "That symbol, more than anything, is a symbol of loyalty to the rightful rulers of the land" he paused to look at Key. "Time and time again, as children, we were told that we could trust anyone who knew that symbol..." The eyes around the table wandered in doubt but Jonghyun's and Key's held strong. 

"He's right" Key admitted before turning attention away from his self proclaimed servant and addressing the others. "The symbol was only ever shown to those who had already proven their loyalty to the land..."

"You showed it to me easily enough..." Taemin said softly. 

"You were already in the thick of it with us by then" Jonghuyn explained as if it were obvious "... and even if you hadn't told us who you were, you knew who we were and it didn't take a genius to see how much you would risk to ensure Alec didn't get his way..." And really it had obvious; by that point, Taemin had sneaked out of the castle several times, stolen from the treasury, alerted criminals of a plot to seize them and he had stolen the lords personal effects...

"Huh... I suppose you're right..." Taemin mused.

"I usually am..." Jonghuyn admitted. 

"Sure you are" Key scoffed and chuckles circled around the table. 

"So once, or if, we hear from the friend again, we trust him?" Onew asked once the laughter had stopped. All eyes turned to Minho now. 

"Yeah..." He said slowly "I guess we do..."

~*~

That night was the first of many were the boys crept around the town under cover of darkness depositing small sacks of coins into every dwelling they came across. 

It was also the first night of many that Taemin had been sent on an outlaw mission alone. They had poured over a map picking out routes that best covered the town. Having the addition of Taemin had been an advantage. He was allowed to stick the few areas in town that he knew, letting the others fan out a bit more. 

There were guards absolutely everywhere... Alec unfortunately was no fool. He was well aware that "Flame" must have distributed money to the locals the previous night. If he hadn't the castle prison would be beyond bursting point. Of course Alec had known that Flame would make this move but that just made him all the more prepared.

Practically every street was lit by torches. It made the town very picturesque but it felt eerie also. All the cobbled paths were bathed in a orange glow almost radiating warmth but the complete silence and emptiness of the streets left the wind to howl down the narrow passages in anguish. 

The Guards were stationed at crossroads and intersections, the torch light glinting off their armor, looking down all connecting routes for anyone sneaking around after curfew. 

It made it difficult to move around sure... but Taemin couldn't help but smirk to himself as he snuck around in the shadows, You see the thing about flooding an area with light; it makes the darkness even darker. Taemin was more than able to sneak around the patrols and in and out of buildings. 

Onew had told Taemin before they had left that the townsfolk would be waiting for them,expecting a little "gift" in the middle of the night. "They will leave you a way in" He had told Taemin. It made sense to him, Flame and the money he left might be their only ticket away from the paddocks.

Sure enough, doors and windows were left open or unlocked allowing Taemin to move around with ease and speed. It was a repetitive process and it gave Taemin more than enough time to think. 

The was no way Alec wouldn't find his disappearance suspicious. Whether he pieced Taemin together with Flame he didn't know. Taemin just had to hope that Alec firmly believed that Taemin had no way out of the castle. Maybe he would tell Alec that he had mingled with the servants and pretended to be a worker..? Flat out refusing to answer Alec's, most probably enraged, questions would lead him to become more suspicious...

Taemin was also of the belief that if caught out to be in league with Flame, Alec wouldn't kill him. He couldn't, or at least not legally, not until the king and his father were declared dead. It was unfortunate that the same couldn't be said for the townsfolk.

For not the first time, Taemin began to wander if it were possible to alert the royalty of what was going on here. He and Dee Dee could have tried to contacted their cousin, the crown prince, ruling the kingdom in his fathers stead, but their letters were sure to be intercepted...

There was so little that could be done. 

Except this... These precious moments where the unspoken for fought against ill leaders...

If this was all Taemin could do, he would do it, and do the best of his ability.

Taemin had always known that his family was different from other nobles and royals. Even though the king himself and his son strived for peace and safety amongst all of their subjects, the aristocracy still couldn't fathom why they should care so much for those less fortunate. 

Alec had created a breeding ground for these imbeciles and now more of the aristocracy lived in this region of the kingdom than any other. Taemin had never really put much thought into it but it made perfect sense. All the like minded nobles had gathered here. It made the poverty gap that much wider. 

There was little that could be done however, especially by the townsfolk. Even if the nobles had a problem with what Alec was doing they couldn't speak out against it... Who went against the brother of the king? He was still royalty after all...

As Taemin ran about the streets he caught glimpse of figures in the houses or heads poking out of doors and windows. He didn't much like the idea of being watched and though he knew the people wouldn't give him away if they saw him, more eyes could mean more attention he didn't want... All it would take was one out of place exclamation and his position could be given away. So far though, nothing bad had happened. He was making good progress, no doubt he would end up back at the crypt before the others as he was covering less ground. He felt bad about that; doing less work than his friends but for now it couldn't be helped. He would be no use to anyone if he got lost.

He would learn over time though, Taemin was sure of it. He thought of all the things his uncle had done... to Minho, to Key... to the town... Yes, he would learn the town maps, improve his fighting skill, hell, he'd even get Jonghyun to teach him how to pick locks. He'd become the best outlaw he could be and be sure to become an additional thorn in his uncle's side.

~*~

"I hope you're here to give me good news..."

GD's sharp eyes faltered for a moment. Alec hadn't turned to look at him but the edge to his voice made him uneasy.

The momentary silence caused the Lord to huff before GD could open his mouth to respond. He spun round to glare at the young man before him. "It has been four days!" he all but yelled. "How hard can it be to find a teenager!?" 

Anger seemed to come off Alec in pluses and the dim firelight only darkened his already drawn features. 

"I don't think he's in the castle" GD said after a moment, trying to choose his words. He'd never failed Alec before, he'd seen what Alec did to his workmen when they were no longer of use to him... it was usually GD who had to dispose of them. 

"Where else could he be!" Alec shot back. "He has no money! No where to go. He's never even been in to the town. The brat may be annoying but he's not stupid!" No Taemin wasn't stupid. If he was, he'd be a lot easier to control. Leaving the castle with no provisions would be a sure fire way for the boy to get himself killed. How would he have even gotten out in the first place?

"Besides, he will not go far from his sister" Frustration was thick in Alec's voice. The timing of Taemin's disappearance was irksome to say the least...

"Are you saying we should use Devaro to get him to come out?" GD interjected. 

"No!" the lord snapped back. "We can't do anything to the brats while my brothers are alive..." Alec paused in thought, the only sound in the room coming from the low burning fireplace as the wood crackled. 

Flame still hadn't been caught despite the manpower Alec was laying out and no new prisoners had been taken since the first day of round up. It was obvious the outlaws were running about at night... So why couldn't his men find them!

At least he was getting his money back. This nonsense with Taemin would have to take a backseat for now. He'd make the boy suffer when he decided to show his face again. 

"How many are now in the dungeons?" he snapped at GD.

"30... give or take" GD answered, eyes narrowing, he could see the cogs in Alec's head working. 

"That'll have to do..." Alec mumbled. GD raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Whatever Alec was planning he would find out soon enough. "Forget Taemin for now. Focus on the tax collections and prepare the scribes for a public announcement for tomorrow."

"Saying what Sir?"

Alec gave the servant a sinister smile. "I think it's time we drag these outlaws out of hiding" he chuckled to himself. "I'll write up the order and have it sent to them. Make sure they are ready and tell the Captain that the men are to start early tomorrow with the collections."

"Yes Sir" GD replied curtly made no move to leave. A moment of silence passed between the two and Alec's annoyance spiked again.

"What is it?!" he barked at GD. Again GD's eyes faltered. "Get on with it!" 

GD snapped to attention. "Sir, I'm not sure we should disregard the young lord's disappearance just yet."

"I told you to leave it!" GD paled sightly at the soft sharp tone Alec answered him in. Still he continued. 

"The brat is sneaky" Alec's eyes became dangerously narrow, he did not care for those who wasted his time. Seeing this GD rushed to speak again. "Not even an hour after he disappeared, Outlaws were seen in the castle!"

"What are you saying...?" Alec asked slowly. "That he's involved with the Outlaws?" 

"Well he's not opposed to them..." Alec had to agree that Taemin seemed adamant to rile him up about the Outlaws, but how could he have possible gotten involved with the outside world... "The timing is too suspicious" GD continued. 

Something in Alec's head seemed to click but he sighed. "There is nothing to be done about it now" he huffed. "We'll set up something for the boy when he turns up... Now do what it is I have asked of you!" he yelled at GD. 

"Yes Sir"... 

The corridor outside the room was dark and the open wooden door did nothing to mute the conversation being had inside. In the shadows two sets of ears had listened eagerly to the Lord's conversation and decisions. Neither presence was aware of the other and at GD's dismissal both individuals left in different directions. One the light footed step of a serving boy and the other the sure step of a guard. 

~*~

"BY DECREE OF LORD ALEC, THERE IS TO BE A PUBLIC EXECUTION TOMORROW AT NOON IN THE TOWN SQUARE. INDIVIDUALS UNABLE TO PAY THEIR DUES TO THEIR LAND AND LORD ARE TO HEREBY BE REPRIMANDED AND ARE SENTENCED TO BE HANGED BY THE NECK UNTIL DEAD..."

Taemin didn't hear the rest of the announcement. The world became quiet for a moment as he processed what he'd just heard... A public execution? 

Slowly sound returned to him. There was outrage and crying all around him. Most of the town had gathered in the square to hear the announcement, eager to know the fate of their loved ones. It seemed their worst fears had been realized... though the verdict had been what they had all been expecting. 

He turned his head to Minho was standing next to him. The elder boy was deep in thought with a grim look on his face. The same looks were reflected on the faces of his friends too. In the sea of despair and flurry of movement around them, they seemed to be the only figures standing perfectly still. 

After a moment Minho returned his gaze, though his eyes still bore that grim expression. "Come on, let's go" he said softly but they all heard him. They managed to push their way out of the crowd and set off down the road at a brisk pace.  

Taemin was deep in thought, they all were, as they walked down the road in silence. There was no question in their minds that they were going to save the prisoners tomorrow but it was very obviously a trap. Alec knew Flame would attempt to save the townsfolk, if only because the town expected it. 

Papers were posted on trees as they past, declaring the announcement for those who hadn't been in the square. On another paper, the names of the prisoners was printed in black ink. 

Taemin suppressed a shudder a mass execution...

No one had to ask where they were going. They'd barely left the crypt of the last few days, with the exception of work and supplies. It was dangerous heading back there in daylight but they couldn't discuss anything out in the open. 

After a while, Minho led them into the forest, taking a roundabout route to the churchyard. They were careful that they weren't being follow, though with the town in its current state of disarray, the group didn't attract any attention. 

Soon they were back in the crypt, having decided to use one of the tunnels as opposed to the graveyard. An awkward silence fell over them, eyes on Minho, waiting for him to come to a decision. 

Eventually the boy sighed in frustration. They couldn't blindly rush into this. 

"Minho, talk" Key said after another moment of silence. 

"I've got something... but it's risky..." the dark haired boy muttered, eyes cast downward,still in thought. 

"Surely, anything we do is going to be risky?" Taemin asked the older boy. Minho looked at Taemin and gave him a small smile. 

"I suppose so... Alright then!" he said after a pause. "We're gonna work quickly, there's a lot we need to do before tomorrow" He looked at the faces around him. The worry gone from their eyes replaced by a fierce loyalty and determination. "We'll need to get some help though..."

~*~

I'd like to thank all of you who like and support this story, and those of you that put up with my last little "chapter". Your support means so much. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. 

Feel free to let me know in the comments

Micky