"Are you sure about this?" Esmeralda whispered behind me as Stanley silently walked around the cottage to the window of my room.
"I'm sure, just trust me, okay?" I asked, looking up into Esmeralda's blue turquoise eyes, my voice soft but stern.
Esmeralda nodded softly then I smiled and stood up on Stanley's back, opening the window slowly wide enough for me to slip in. It was night when we had reached my cottage. I slide through the window onto a soft couch then grabbed two blankets and two pillows along with some bread, a small jar of jam, cheese and a few apples. I wrapped the bread, jam, cheese and apples in a handkerchief, tying a small blanket into a knapsack with the food in it. I set the blankets, pillows and the knapsack on a bookshelf next to the window before poking my head out the window.
"Esmeralda, get off Stanley for a moment so you can help me, make sure Djali stays by Stanley" I whispered to Esmeralda, watching as she slid off Stanley with Djali on Stanley's back before setting Djali down on the ground. I picked up the pillows and handed them, through the window, down to Esmeralda one by one. Next the blankets and lastly the knapsack, after Esmeralda was back on Stanley with Djali sitting on the knapsack, I slid out my window and landed on Stanley's back softly.
"Nicely done, you know, you could be an acrobat if you wanted to leave this life for one of a gypsy" Esmeralda suggested as we left the cottage behind, Stanley at a walking pace now.
"Aren't I too…oh never mind, I can't think of a reason not to become an acrobat" I said, looking behind me at Esmeralda. Now that Stanley knew where we were going I didn't have to hold the reins so I sat with my back to Stanley's neck.
Esmeralda smiled her white pearls at me, "being the daughter of an inn owner may be fun but which do you listen to more, your head or your heart?".
I thought for a moment then looked at Esmeralda, "my heart, but sometimes my head and my heart come to a compromise".
Esmeralda smiled then held my hands in hers, "you're a good person, and I can't believe I've never seen you around town".
"You live in Notre Dame? You don't…you don't travel in a band of gypsies?" I asked, shocked to hear this.
Esmeralda shook her head softly, her raven curls moving with her, "no, my mother did, but she settled down and had me in a small flat close to the church"
"Why did your mother pick a flat close to the church?" I asked curiously
"Sanctuary, gypsies use it as a save haven against the guards and officers in case they accuse us of something we didn't do" Esmeralda's voice had gone soft, so I knew her mind was in memory
"What happened?" I asked, looking into Esmeralda's eyes.
"What do you mean?" Esmeralda asked, her voice soft.
"When you started talking about your mother your voice went soft, what happened?" I asked, looking down at our hands and squeezing hers gently.
"My mother died when I was six, Frollo had her tied to a pole surrounded by hay and wood, I saw her be burned alive, Clopin has taken care of me ever since that day, I wear this to remind me of my mother," Esmeralda took off a necklace with a net and a few beads woven into the net, "'when you wear this woven band, you wear the city in your hand' it helps me around the city, especially when I need sanctuary, my mother was going to give this to me as a gift the day she was killed, but Clopin gave it to me instead" Esmeralda's voice had grown soft and low, tears threatening at her eyes to roll onto her caramel cheeks.
I frowned softly then hugged Esmeralda, over Djali, closely. I felt grieved for her, she lost her mother when she was six and had to grow up without one up till now, I patted Esmeralda's back softly then sat back and looked at her, squeezing her hands softly.
"Esme…I saw your mother being burned too. I was four years old at the time though, my mother was in the market and I had caught attention of the gathering crowds so I got close enough to the platform to feel the heat of the flames as they burned the hay and wood. Then I didn't know who she was, but now I do and I'm sorry Esmeralda, I'm so sorry that your mother had to be burned alive right in front of you".
This time the tears in Esmeralda's eyes rolled down her cheeks and she hugged me so tight I almost lost my breath but gained that air back as she loosened up her grip a little I hugged her back, closely, letting her cry on my shoulder as we rode on to the river. Stanley stopped at my hide out after a few minutes, Esmeralda had sat back up and wiped the rest of her tears with the, smiling lightly even though she had just been crying a few minutes ago.
"Thank you for telling me Alean, I knew someone else in Notre Dame had been there when I saw my mother die, well you were closer to the platform anyway".
I smiled softly then cupped Esmeralda's face in my hands gently, "before the fire was started, I got a good look at her face, I can still remember it too".
Esmeralda smiled and looked at me, "do I look like her?".
I laughed then smiled brightly, "you do look like her, the facial features and hair are exact, and your mother's eyes though are a bit more blue, though your eyes do change between a turquoise blue to green".
Esmeralda smiled as I slid down off Stanley's back and took the knapsack and blankets from her. As Esmeralda slid down with Djali in her arms, I grabbed her pillow and mine then took off Stanley's reins and hung them on a rock near the hide out. I took off my shoes and put them in the hide out, a cave area as big as the kitchen in the cottage. I set the pillows, blankets and food down next to a pile of firewood then sat down on a rug near the circle of stones where I make fires.
"Wow, it's amazing here, look at the view of the river!" Esmeralda exclaimed, turning and looking at the river as the sun was beginning to rise, shimmering against the water.
"That's what I like about here, it's good for hiding, there's water near by and the wind blows the other direction so the fire isn't blown out" I said happily, laying out the pillows and blankets near the fire on the stone floor.
Esmeralda yawned softly then sat down on her blanket and helped me make the fire for early morning to keep warm. I laid down first and folded my blanket in half, using one side as a sort of mattress and the other as a blanket; Esmeralda watched me then did the same thing. Djali lay down in between us and Stanley lay down near the entrance, taking charge of guard horse in case someone should come and see us.
"I'm glad I met you Esmeralda," I said tiredly, holding out my hand to Esmeralda.
Esmeralda smiled at me then clasped my hand in hers, "I'm glad I met you too Alean, you've saved me twice already, I owe you the Court of Miracles protection in return".
We fell asleep like that; our hands clasped together with our animals lying near us with the fire to keep us warm and the sun to welcome a new day when we awake again.
