The woods had gotten darker and the roads had not begun yet to lead them to the safety of the capital boundary. The Archdeacon gave a gruff sigh before he coughed slight to clear his lungs slight. It had startled the blind farmer lass beside him, who turned her head. She heard him cough again which had brought her worry to a high level.

"You…you're going to hack up a cow's cud or something?" she asked and it made the elder chuckle a little.

"I am fine, my dear."

"You sound bloody awful." she inquired, quite loosely. But she then covered her shoulders more.

Or she would have if it were not for her own compassion towards the old man. She took her own shawl off and gave it to him as her attention was towards the other way. As a small, weak smile graced the Bishop's face, he gratefully took it. The blind had sure changed after all this time. She had become compassionate despite her gruff way.

"Thank you kindly, dear lady." he said.

She gave a slanted smile. Indeed, her empty heart had softened over time.

"Thank Quasimodo, in truth…" she then spoke as he covered his own shoulders with the shawl. "…he graced my heart. Never had he made an empty promise."

"He loves you."

"No man had ever cared for me as much as he did. May I ask you something?"

"…of course."

"… what color are his eyes?" she then asked the most unorthodox question after a long moment, yet it was expected of a blind.

He was silenced for a long moment on this one fact that she wanted to know. He then got an idea to test how much she knew the boy after all this time.

"…maybe you can tell me, Lady Agatha." he then said, softly.

Agatha then hung her head slight as she thought, by knowing Quasimodo by personality, by sound and by touch. Not by sight, yet it was as though she knew his appearance as well. The Bishop was bold enough to have her guess. Color was confusing to her so she found it a little difficult to try to describe. But she then remembered her past time when she still had her eyes and the one thing she enjoyed to see was the falling sun upon the calming ripples of the river, light and soft… just like him. It seemed like a few long minutes before she had begun to answer.

"…are they like the Seine? During the sunset?" she said, in a calm voice.

That answer made him smile.

"Yes. They are." he nodded.

Agatha had to smile.

But it was not a moment later when the sky began to peek through at them through the trees. The blind one could feel the warmth upon her paled face. They were reaching the end of the wood and the roads were only a mile off from the foot. All they had to do was act calm and not conspicuous if any authority should pass their way. That was until her worry began to overtake her. He had to return. He had to…. Yet, even if he didn't, then she had met the most bravest, honest man. Her heart was his and his heart was hers. It was that clear. Why was it so that when she felt at least the slightest close to someone, fate just grabbed them from her like a thief in the night? She may had been rough and rude. That was just how she was. It was how she lived and he saw right through her the whole while. When she touched his cheek to be able to get a slight feel of his appearance…she truly did not see him as ugly as he said. It was a surprise to her, but it was not a horrid thing. As a matter of fact, knowing that made her feel…no longer alone. He was someone she could relate to. Not out of being crude, as she was always believed to be. It was only a mask….

The blind bit her lip as she journeyed through her memories, feeling more vulnerable than ever because of her tears. She never felt so close to someone before. He was her best friend…her … he was her eyes. The Bishop of Josas drew in a sigh when he saw her own discomfort. There was a tear hiding in the corner of her eye. She was a door beginning to open, but he had left her be.

"You have been with us the whole while and you still haven't a proper name." Agatha suddenly spoke up, scratchily.

The elder laughed.

"I felt it not needed, dear sister. My name is Pontius, Archdeacon of Josas."

"Not needed indeed." Agatha smirked. "You owed us that name long ago, you old fool."

"I appreciate your curiosity."

"Well…mind as well tell you my whole name. Agatha Eloise…Demers."

"Demers?" Pontius asked, finding that name familiar.

A man by that name had confessed a couple years ago. Agatha noticed his hesitation.

"It's a lovely name for a maiden, my dear." he said, believing that the drunkard was her father, but he held back from telling her. Enough negativity was brought up as it is.

"Lovely name? Why thank you." Agatha scoffed, hating it, in truth. It all only reminded her of her father.

Clopin was grim when he kicked his horse to go to a full gallop when he saw the hunchback and the decoy dash passed. He and the many others on his side kept close and behind and completely out sight to take the enemy by surprise by chasing them into the area where the leaf traps were.

Quasimodo with his strength at it's highest kept Judeth in his protective grasp. He grasped Fidele firmly by the short of his mane as the pony galloped as fast as his legs could take him. Judeth clutch his tunic and kept her eyes shut. The woods were dark and the hunchback was having a hard time seeing what was before him. Fidele was frantic, sensitive to his rider's emotions which was fear, and determination. He had to follow the most positive one, which was the one who rescued him, who stayed by his side… the gentle one. His lungs burned and his muscles tensed as he pushed himself on through thickness of the forest where it was so dark that he could not see whatever was in front of his nose. But then, there was another negative emotion…it was of deadly intent. It was meant to bring hurt…death.

Quasimodo noticed that his horse was now pushing on faster all of a sudden before he himself began to hear the sounds of other horses behind them!

Out from the dark, it seemed, a dark steed charged down behind them. As much as he was tempted to look back, Quasimodo couldn't let himself break. Hearing Judeth's yelp, he grew even more determined and kept his eyes forward. The traps were not too far now, but there came a great log in the path. The hunchback gasped and the pony tensed at the upcoming obstacle, remembering the deadly trap. Feeling the hunchback's grip tighten firmly on his mane and his body, Fidele did not stop. Tempted to skid to a stop, he did his best to leap and the poor pony was able to jump it, despite scraping his healed hind hoof along the log.

Hearing the steed give a rough sound, sounding as if he was in pain, Quasi's worry struck hard. What was worse than all, there was a dark rider upon them.

Heal the wound and steal the pain… I want them to be safe again.

Even that prayer seemed folly, but it was all he wanted. Holding the shaken girl close, he put full trust into the frantic pony.

Meanwhile, far up northern, the gypsies were ready to grab the enemy's eye on purpose. Clopin lit his arrow aflame and aimed high at the darkening sky and released. That was the signal for Quasimodo, who seemed to have snagged one pirate.

"Trust me, lad… trust me." Clopin then prayed, hoping the hunchback's panic wouldn't provoke him to turn the wrong direction. There was the festival fiasco when he left the boy alone on the pillory because of his cowardice…. It was true that he did use Quasimodo as a way to distract the guard from him and the gypsies as they made to get away from the Minister's eye. That guilt still lingered, even though the bell ringer had no clue.

Quasimodo saw the light of the flying torch flying from the right direction where the traps were set. As stressed as he was, he kept the good thoughts of his beloveds in his mind, trying to keep away from the worse case scenario. Rose… Agatha… If all this went well even at the slightest, Rose would finally be in safe hands, where she belonged. If she was merely just an orphan, he would have ultimately took her in as his own. Without a second thought. He felt as if she was his own… she was… It hurt to not be able to say goodbye…to not be able to kiss her on the forehead, to reassure her. Tears came forth and he fought them back with great determination. The blind one who was guided to him, a lone one…just as he was. The way she relied on his guidance since that night, the way she saw him in her own way. Never once had she said the word hideous to him. Not once. To be able to die in their stead, made him not fear so much. It was a peaceful thought to know that they were in safer lands… Esmeralda… the woman, the first person to come near him with such compassion would forever have his support. She was his family, his sister. Along with the golden soldier, the Captain who had never returned from the fight… The man who saved his life and had gotten his blessing… his brother. The gypsies were fighting for their freedoms, dying each day for that as he would ring each day and night with a heavy heart. It all had come down to this….

Hearing Judeth try and hold back her sobs, he grasped her close. He felt her clutch close to him, just as Rose would do in such a situation. He held back a shudder. He had to be strong…for them. Judeth was to be kept safe…. With a deep scowl, Quasimodo looked behind for a second before looking ahead to see the paths returning.

The gypsies hid themselves in the trees and around, awaiting for more of the pirates to take the bait. Spying, Clopin saw that Dracon was the only one not accompanying the five riding down to the foot.

"Damn!"

"What is it?"

"The dragon's flying the coop!" Clopin seethed through his teeth as he jumped down to the ground. "Quasimodo has one now…all we have to do is chase them in. Get!" he roughly pressed them to get on their rides.

As they hid, Quasi rode passed with Judeth and not a second later, the one Spaniard were already high on his tail. Quasi looked behind him, seeing the one getting closer. Judeth looked also, pale as death. Seeing the girl's face, the bold hunchback enforced the girl to keep her face hidden and kicked Fidele a slight harder. When more of the Spanish passed, the gypsies, on their horses, rushed out after the chasing five.

One pirate noticed that it was a trick.

"Bloody hell, they're sheep-herding us!" he bellowed to his four fellows.

"Keep after the monster! We'll split up!" said the man next to him before waving to his mates behind him.

Clopin rode close behind and he heard them, but he knew they were too late. Quasimodo already made a turn before a trap and one of the pirates didn't see it in time.

It took him by a violent surprise when his horse panicked and he and his rider both slipped into the loose grass and weeds, falling into the pit. The other horses of the four left, panicked and split in different directions.

But, unknown to them, there were five hidden traps and two caught them off guard. Three had quickly fell into the pits, one of them instantly killed when his horse landed on top of him.

Only one Spaniard was left in the free. Being a coward, he tried to outrun the gypsies, but there were too many. He took through the trees, trying to find his way back to the farmlands. But he was suddenly trapped by the cliff overlooking a great waterfall. His horse panicked and reared back and the coward found that he was surrounded by Clopin and his trickster bunch.

"Good evening, isn't it, mate?" Clopin grinned cunningly as his men slowly readied their bows and arrows at the pirate.

All this Spaniard had was his cutlass.

"We dare ye to try." Clopin tried to hold back his laughter. "Come on, be a sport."

The fisherman for these gullible fish, Quasimodo had ridden to a deep and secluded spot down this one ditch. Fidele was huffing and coughing, exhausted from the chase as well his riders were breathless. Quasimodo's chest burned from panic as he looked upward the hill, sighting that they were all alone…. Judeth's sobs were all he could here and the owl's coo. Relieved, he turned back and hugged her, so glad that he got her through in one peace.

"A-a-are-are they g-gone?" Judeth shook, her eyes darting.

"Y-yes….yes. Th-they are gone. They are gone…" came his bell like tone, shaken with terrible emotions, both bright and dark. But he still had to be on guard. The forest yet was not safe.

Judeth soon grew calm before breaking down into the hunchback's torn tunic. Her frame began to shake. Her father used to hug her like this…at night before she would sleep. This man saved her…just as he did before when the pirates attacked the camp. Quasimodo shut his eyes in dread as he stroked her back. He hushed so gently in her ear before he gradually got down from Fidele.

"Easy… easy, child. Easy…" he calmed, guiding her beside this one stone.

He finally got a chance to look her in the eye. Judeth uneasily looked into his, dodging his gaze slightly. Keeping his eyes on her, he checked his belt and his knife, just in case any unlikely visitors were to come. Fidele lowered his head to the grass and nibbled.

"…you are so brave." Quasi's voice spoke to her.

Judeth sniffled.

"Rose is…is the princess. Is she?"

"…she is…" he answered, quite uncomfortably.

"Maybe she can stop all this fighting." Judeth said, wrapping her cloak more about herself. "Maybe…save other papas from dying…" she choked, thinking of her father, who was killed only a couple years back. She rubbed her teary right eye hard.

Quasimodo gasped and hugged her close.

"Ssh…ssh… it's all right. I-I…I'm here." he struggled.

"…thank you." she then cooed, loving to have someone who cared beside her.