A deep haze covered the hillsides just as dusk began to near. The forests were as silent as a grave. As were their spirits. With the children under way to safer quarters, it was only a matter of time. The traps that had just been used and were left with their victims deep inside. There was no movement, except for the shadows within the trees. Clopin was inspecting the used traps after have finishing his duty of disposing any survivors, like the stunt he pulled on the one man trapped by the water fall, who near escaped.

"That went better than planned, I shall say." murmured the man named Pierre beside him.

Clopin rolled his eyes as he tested the flexibility of his bow.

"It could been a lot cleaner, aye Pierre, good man?" he then smirked at his colleague. "Now I shall say, what has become of our bell polisher? And his decoy?

Pierre looked thoroughly unsure.

"He ran deep, good friend. Down the hills and over the ditches."

"His heart ran him again, I suppose. He'll have to come back."

"…unless someone finds him first."

"Pfft! Listen to yourself. You are just as skittish as he is. He should not be too far."

It was true, he was not too far. Quasimodo had rode a ways downward the weeded hill and beyond this narrow ditch, with the child chosen to help with this plan. Yet, he was not moving from that very spot.

It was the same for the band far beyond, who were making the journey… or trying to make the journey a safer trek. The ride was dangerous because most of it was out in the wide and open, anyone… meaning authority as well, were to see them. The forest had fallen eerily quiet as the sun began to peek over the hillsides. Only a quarter mile away from the foot, three brown stallions stood with their reins tied to the same tree, grazed to pass time.

As Adalyn kept vigil over Aurora, Evrard and the gypsy woman, Esmeralda had soon come upon a dilemma. It was a wrong choice to go down these paths…

"They might be there waiting for us." Evrard said, observant and quiet.

"The trees have fallen quiet. It's usually a sign." Esmeralda boldly said, her eyes searching the canopies and the fields they have neared.

"We can't just run out." Evrard sighed, peering outward, slight.

"I guess we'd have to." Esmeralda seemed to grumbled before gazing up this one tree.

Without a word, she took her dagger and began to climb the trunk behind the Burrower's back as he was walking and thinking out loud. It took more than two seconds to realize that he was alone.

. "…and I'm talking to myself again." he sighed, looking around for the woman.

Adalyn seemed to chuckle.

"You seem to do that a lot these days, Ev."

"Oh, yes… laugh it up, bonny lass." he soured, yet he smirked at her.

It was a grand moment to hear his younger sister laugh and he could not help to smile, just half way at her.

"I need to see where we are… It might help a mite." Esmeralda tensed as she climbed.

There was a limb just thick enough for her to stand upon. As she was carefully climbing, Evrard then showed a sign of honest guilt when his mind had settled in the past again. Ever since Esmeralda and that hunchback came, nearly falling into that one trap, things seemed to have flipped upside down. He kept thinking of their mother, which left him unlikely. Angry and upset. He looked to the three horses and there was the shaken lass, Rose…who stood on her own, looking as though she had lost all. It ultimately reminded him of himself after he witness Desideria's death. The painful labor of delivering a brother who was cursed with deformation. That brother…was Quasimodo. The being who rung those great bells during all those years. That entire time…Desideria's last son was living in the capital this whole time when he and Adalyn believed him to be dead. He did try to give the babe a chance that night. He could not find it to kill him. Those gypsies had found him. That was it.

The Minister of Justice had sent so many ranks that night when Desideria was expecting. There was a talisman of a shrunken head found on their property and were meant to be interrogated. Evrard, young, stupid and brave had tried to get the woman to a safer place as she entered labor. But apparently, it wasn't enough. A fight with the plague had weakened her so she simply could not make it through. Her life taken by that one foundling. He remembered the foundling's deformed, upset face when he left him in the hay. Those small hands reaching out to him, desperately. His insides twisted with regret.

"Ev…?" then questioned his sister.

He was jerked out of his reverie and looked down at her.

"Oh, I am fine, Addy."

"Are you so sure about that?" she then asked, lifting a brow.

The moment was broken when Esmeralda finally made it back down to them from the tree.

"Oh… grand news… It is only a mile away and the moon has risen…" panted the gypsy as he put her dagger back onto her sash.

Evrard thought for a moment before he nodded.

"Oh, good. Which direction?"

"East."

"Rose…" Esmeralda then came upon the silent child, seeing an odd look in her eyes.

Dear Aurora had a deep feeling that something was going to happen. She did not like this sharp feeling of fear. Peering out of the cloak, she prayed lightly that everything was going to be all right. Esmeralda knelt down to her as the two others came closer.

"It is so quiet." Rose said, missing the bird's call.

"It's going to be fine, dear one." Esmeralda smiled, rather tightly. "You are a brave girl."

Quasimodo's last words to her were just that and Rose bit her lip before she nodded. Esmeralda gave her a warm hug.

"Let us away. It is now or never." Evrard said, keeping his eyes on those fields.

"Yes, we must." Esmeralda said, helping Rose to get on with Adalyn.

"Are you sure it is East, Esmeralda?"

"For certain. It is a map in my head."

They untied the horses and mounted them and when it was sure that they were alone, they began to ride out of the forest, leaving it behind and never looking back. The one who did was Rose, seeing the trees grow ever smaller.

There came that owl call. When a gypsy foretold a death, an owl's call was a terrible sign. He had gotten down from Fidele for only a moment to kneel down and wash water over his face. Judeth helped herself to a drink, folding her hands together and scooped from the creak. He wet his hair back and brushed through as his mind was rattled in thought. Clopin, Jaq and the rest of the band should be near now. He had kept his watch for an hour now. Even now, the forest seemed safe enough, yet it was unwise to go on their own.

Quasimodo had just finished washing his hair and face before he noticed blood had gotten on his hand. It took him by a shock, since he felt no pain, but it seemed that during the chase, he was scratched. Either by a tree or a fortunate miss of an arrow, but he felt a cut by his right brow. Judeth noticed his hesitation.

"…sir… you are bleeding."

"It's…it's fine." he plainly said. "A branch might have smacked me, but it's fine."

Judeth swallowed hard before bending down and wetting her cloak. At her action, he sweetly smiled.

"You dear." he softened, taking her offer and dabbed his brow with the cloak when she gave it to him.

"You kept me safe. I had to thank you…" she said.

Just when he was about to say something to her, there was a sudden rustle in the bushes. He instantly froze and looked over as Judeth put the cloak over herself again. He slowly stood, keeping her behind him. Fidele gave a whicker and counted his hoof. Quasimodo took his dagger out and tried to stand profoundly as he kept his eyes on that one spot. Judeth was unsure as well.

He was quite uncertain with his skills with the knife, since he was plagued with a horrid memory. Judeth was vulnerable. It was worth the risk. There was the sound of feet and few twigs had snapped as it got closer. Keeping his stance, Quasimodo was relieved to see that…oh thank the Mother of God… it was only Jaq.

Judeth's eyes widened and then closed as she took her sigh relief. Quasimodo's thick shoulder's sagged, relaxing.

"…oh… Jaq…"

"Qua-Quasimodo. I'm-I'm sorry if I had scared you."

"I thought you a wolf or worse." Quasi said, stowing the dreaded knife.

"I'm… You both are all right. Good. Clopin is waiting for you." the younger man smiled, out of breath.

"Y-you know the way back. That is good. We were…recovering." Quasi stated as he came to Judeth.

Fidele gave a cry and tried to rear due to his restless spirit. Jaq came after them, keeping a wary eye out as Quasi stroked the fearful pony whose ears were sharply set back. Judeth slowly stepped out from that secluded bushy spot by the water.

"If we keep by the water, we might be ~"

"I know." Quasi said, gently and saddened. "I truly thought … we were going to be caught by them. Thank the Lord, it was not true."

"… all of them have fallen into the traps, as planned. Except for one, but Clopin took care of him." Jaq explained as Quasi felt sickly listening.

Never had he thought that he would assist in killing others. Oh, Maria…please forgive me… It was never in his nature to even consider such tasks. But it was for his family and his own home, the kingdom. He squeezed his eyes shut as horses soon came running out from the dark.

"There you all are…" coughed Clopin, who immediately got off his steed. "What is happening, Jaq? We haven't all night."

"Monsieur, I…" Jaq tried to say, seeing Quasi upset suddenly

"Come. We found a secluded spot up the way."

"How can we rest~"

"…the bodies will have to stay in the traps… A bon would draw too much attention~" Clopin cut off the hunchback.

"How can we rest knowing that…he is out there? He could be anywhere." Quasi lowly said, looking at the Gypsy King.

"Mate. It is too late. Dubois and Esmeralda have gone afar and we did our part." Clopin said gravely, resting his hands on his hips.

"…did our part." the bell ringer scoffed a bit.

He was in deep turmoil. What if those pirate's captain was tracking Esmeralda and Evrard down as well? Quasimodo had an awful foreboding feeling.

"Come. We shall rest for two hours." Clopin gruffly sighed, settling the small argument right there. "We did our part, but you do what you want… bell ringer."

Quasimodo sighed, brushing his hair roughly back, trying to think. They did do their part in the plan and Rose was hours away now. He felt as if he was being stabbed with the thought that anything could happen to them now. Judeth swallowed hard and looked up at him. After a long moment, he gently pat her shoulder.

"…come. We shall rest." he nodded to her, making his decision.