The Hunchback of Notre Dame: Heaven's Light

The Lamed One

Somehow, he had went, deep into the forest a little ways. The small goat was lying on the side of a dirt path along the banks of a flowing creek. His thirst lured him away. Intrigued, he ventured further after spotting something oddly bright in the bushes. Frightened, the babe began to run back away back to the campground. As he ran off, he heard the sound of running footsteps.

Dracon and a few his surviving men were camped within a tiny valley in the midst of surrounding hills. There was no fire burning for warmth. Dracon enforced that no traces were left behind, even their steed's dung was not to be left showing. They were close now and he knew it well.

A few men slept, but most of them were wide awake as owls along with their evil Captain.

"What be it now, sir? They are near..."

"But well protected." Dracon grumbled. "Evrard and his band own those woods."

Dear Aurora, how I will hurt you. She will never see light again!

"I dearly hope that this lout has left her for good." he grinned. "...if he knows what's good for him."

The brute pirate licked his thumb and stroked the sharp tip of his cutlass. Impressed, he observed the cut he had given himself just by stroking the tip of the blade. He then gave a deep chuckle.

"How, sir?" coughed the pirate next to him.

Dracon glared at his cowardly crewman and threw a stone ruthlessly at the fire before standing.

"Mates, I shall warn the lot of ya. That good Samaritan up in those towers. He knew what he was doing. He knows them Burrowers."

"They are but children," coughed another.

"But, are they naïve? Naw.... They have grown over the years, greatly. She is there. To go in will just create more of a stir. We must strike when they least expect it. We must be patient, men."

*

Evrard kept to himself usually, observing closely as to what these strangers were up to. He may had been unkind and a forceful type, but he was a man who had his insecurities as well. Many unpleasant memories were bothering him.

Their village was on fire and the defenseless people ran about, trying to escape without getting marred. Soldiers forced through as a small broken family tried to find a way out.

"Mother!" Evrard cried, in his twenty second year. "Mother!"

"No...."coughed the ailing pregnant woman, her reddened hair doused in sweat from the coming child. "Evrard...Evrard...I can't do it." she begged through gritted teeth. "I don't think I can...." she trailed when another wave of agony hit her.

"No...." her eldest son choked, holding his mother's hand tightly within his. "You can. The Lord of all knows you can-" he wept.

Keeping true to his word, he wrapped his laboring mother so that she would not choke on the smoked air and led her out into the woods where it was declared safe and well brushed with trees to hide them, where continued her struggle to bear her second born.

"Desideria." Evrard whispered over and over to her amidst her cries. "Listen to me...you'll be all right, mother. Desideria, you will be all right!" he worked with her even though the raid near them was nearing it's end. Yet, no one had located them. Desideria was completely drained of any energy; her face was pale and clammy and she was only wrapped in a single linen for warmth. A shrill infant's cry was the only sound present and Evrard was holding a bundle, helpless of what to do with his new born brother while his mother was in such a state. Evrard looked upon his brother's face and grunted in disgust and pity. The new born was ill formed with a high wart above and over his eye and he was born with a hump and the poor young man was almost compelled to end this child's misery.