The Hunchback of Notre Dame: Heaven's Light

It Doesn't Matter!

The cricket's song was enough to set him on the edge once again. The poor run away horse, an injured cart pony could barely rest his head nor his eyes. Besides the odd noises bothering him, there was a smell. A sharp, dirty, eye watering smell and it pierced his senses hard. His unsettled behavior worried the other horses that were put in the other lamely built pen and their frazzled movements began to weaken each side of it. The rescued one kept pressing his flank too hard against the planks and his hold fell easy like twigs. The commotion awoke a few of the campers. Adalyn and Evrard being the first. In a huff, the tired woodsman sat up.

"Seriously? Was this his plan?" Evrard scoffed.

"Ev...don't. It's just a nervous horse." his sister tried to bring reason. She only saw him gaze at her through the dark. His silouette looked uneasy and tense.

"I'm telling you, Addy. We should have did that thing in from the start. I don't know why you chose to listen to that destroyed hermit." he sighed, getting up to go see why the beast was acting so frightened. "Bloody oaf doesn't know what he's saying half the time."

"I think that he does." she argued, standing up as he looked out of the tent.

He could see the animals roaming the camp, slowly. How grand. The pens fell over.

"Really?" he sarcastically laughed, looking at her and motioning her to take a look for herself. "You expected someone of his stature...someone who lived alone in a bell tower...to think this through?"

The camp was awoken by the disturbance of free roaming ponies, the skittish rescued one included, and some young folk were trying hard to gather a few of them. Adalyn's compassion was set ablaze as he kept insulting the poor hunchback with such ease.

"He's not stupid, Evrard.... I would have done the same." she said thoughtfully, remembering a few moments years back which made her near think that she was reliving a memory.

Evrard only gave her a rather recollecting and scorning look before stepping out. Her brow furrowed behind his back.

The quiet disturbance was nearly under control, right up until the skittish one tried to keep away and dodge a few Burrowers from cornering him. His eyes ran mad and his breath was hard and deep. Hearing of all this and falling worried, Quasimodo peeked out of his group's tent, deeply curious since the noises got louder and more urgent. Rose moved and awoke, gazing sleepily up at him as he slowly stood up.

"Es-Esmeralda.... Agatha...." Quasi whispered to them and Agatha gave a gruff moan.

"...what now?" the blind grumbled, rubbing her forehead.

"Sir...?" Quasi was taken by surprise when the Archdeacon happened along side him.

"The horses had gotten free...."

"Y-yes.... That's what I figured." Quasi answered back.

"That's funny...." Esmeralda said, coming to them. "...these people don't know how to build strong enough pens." she joked, watching beside the two men. "Serves them right...." she then said, nearly chuckling, much to Quasimodo's dismay. "...by the way they treated you." Esmeralda finished, walking away to lay back down.

Quasimodo kept his eyes on her in disappointment in what she said. Agatha snickered.

"I second her comment."

"Indeed so, but...." Quasimodo failed to find a valid argument and looked out again, but this time he saw a group of teenagers trying to tame an impatient stallion that was dodging to and fro, kicking things. Those poor campers could get hurt in this process.