The Hunchback of Notre Dame: Heaven's Light

The Underestimated

Esmeralda wasn't giving up so quickly. She had her dagger poised to stab as their captors crowded both sides of the ditch. These people were no younger than Quasimodo himself. Five each took both sides of the trap, rendering them of any hope of getting out.

"There's too many of them!" the poor, shaken Archdeacon trembled as he tried to keep his balance.

On the other side, Quasi, Rose and Agatha were as silent as death.

Quasimodo, he was keeping his eyes downcast into the pit, focusing not to slip, or even breathe. Rose tried to stay clear from the edge, but she was doing so in vain. Agatha was shaken as well and out of her insecurity, she grabbed a hold onto Quasi's tunic and clutched. The hunchback swallowed hard, terrified of the darkness beneath them, and held Agatha by the arm to comfort her.

Protectively, he pressed Rose behind the tree they were clutching on to keep her safe from falling. Luckily, she was small enough to fit between the trunk of the tree and the rock wall that prevented them from moving.

"Is everyone all right?" Esmeralda spoke to those across.

Quasi merely nodded, quick and sure, but not a word he said. He only kept his gaze down into the trap.

"Quite a nice surprise...." Agatha croaked through her shock, nearly hugging the hunchback.

"Agatha, just...just stop moving. Please!" Quasi breathlessly begged her after she caused him to stagger almost.

"Where's the girl – ?" Agatha got a scare when she took notice that it was only she and him on the edge.

Rose gave a short squeak in fear when she saw these odd strangers gathering around them and the trap. "Quasi!" she wept.

"Stay there!" the hunchback calmly ordered of her.

"Who are these tresspassers?" barked one of the young woodland men, aiming his arrow at Quasimodo. "Or should we be rid of this one?" he snarled when he nearly made out Quasi's face through the dark.

Rose's eyes went from scared to horrified when she saw that man almost release his arrow to hit her rescuer. Frightened for him, she gave out a protective scream. Quasimodo shuttered when those strange men heard her. When Esmeralda took notice that these young forest warriors hesitate at the girl's scream, she decided to distract them by having them look to her.

"We were only trying to pass through!"

"Ah? Well, it happens that you've made a grim mistake, m'lady Fortune Teller." taunted the lad who was almost about to shoot the hunchback in the heart. The others began to laugh. "You're trespassing on our territory and now, you are going to pay."

Agatha listened closely and she made a move to reach into her rags again, thus grabbing the attention of the armed men and they all readied their bows.

"NO!" Quasi cried, putting himself in the arrow's path, shielding Agatha.

But, she only took out a sack of gold she had won from the drinking contest back at Bagnolet before the fire.

"Just trust me on it..." she whispered as she was squeezed against the rock for a moment. She then held out the sack for all to see.

"Look! She's got a bag full!" gaped a ten year old in the crowd. "Just like she said!"

"Not so fast!" bellowed the head of the woodland archers.

He, then, suddenly snatched a torch from the hands of one of his scouts and glared judgingly at Quasimodo. His face was still hidden in the dark and that torch was thrown at him. Both Agatha and Quasi flinched when the lit torch nearly hit them.