Chapter XVIII ~ Dwelling Deeper

As any ordinary family would, they let their emotions flow through, never hidden away, worn plainly on their sleeves for all to see. Faer sat afar after giving Odette Quasimodo’s parting gift, as she gently bestowed it around her neck where the wood cross remained beneath the diamond brooch. Even with the unsettling knowledge of lost memory or even the disassociation she was experiencing, there was indeed a closeness they shared, despite the darkness that remained constant. Much was shared between each other, nothing was at it was before.

The Tower only had one direction, other than the basement library. Frollo ventured higher, on his own, discovering a lone ladder that had brought him high to the very rooftop. From there, he was able to see far enough to still have the lake in his sights. With the lake closer to the horizon, the woodlands they had taken thus far were in closer view with that mysterious wall of quartz stones glowing in the distant night. There was not much space below for storage, however, there was an oddly placed crate nearby where he observed. Latched with a rusted lock, Frollo wasted no time and preferred the poniard to get the job done, breaking the seal off.

Once he opened the crate, he found a series of contents within it underneath some spared cloth, covered in cobwebs. Batting it all away before lifting the cloth, there seemed to be an array of old stones, and even small gems scattered all about the bottom. This was a strange place to hold valuables, unless these held some sort of magic within as his mind would often land on. Not a single one of them would he touch, however, there was a spare piece of parchment at the bottom of the crate. With a delicate hand, he took it and turned it round.

To those who come upon this hidden place,

Heed that many do not enter kindly.

Once upon a Spring, I made home here

To keep vigil of the nearby lake of Mondfall

Souls astray often reside there, 

Seeking solace and healing

As precious as the Quartz stones

Souls there remain protected

Under vigil of ancient eyes

In secret I lead them safer still

Bring love, courage and gentleness

Against the forces of hate, fear and toil~

Heed, that once left, the door shall shut

To keep the darkness eternally alone

In spite of tyranny, I shall establish the Guild of Druids

to watch over the Enchanted Realms, and onward

Travel I shall towards the Western Sea as clouds draw close

~ Keep heart and steady hand ~

The parchment was left without a signature but only an emblem at the bottom of the page, much to Frollo’s confusion. A sharp ended star with a heart symbol at the crown, sported by a set of wings.

It was apparent though that someone had made home in this place, and there was a confession of watching over this part of the forest. A Forest that felt as though they had stepped on Holy ground. Such a land found on no map, known in no minds or memory. Not even his own because only a bird had led him to that place, following through Quasimodo’s eyes and words. 

Taking the note, and nestling it into the confinements of his own robe, thus shutting the crate altogether. A few of his knights had come to meet with him. He rose from his own finding, soon to meet back in front of the estrange settlement. It was crucial to pin this place on their maps, for it was a landmark closest to Mondfall. However, the cryptic message stated that the land may never be found again should they venture forth and farther away. Who knew what Fate would bring regarding that? 

It was a worry for the Maidens waiting idly by, yet Quasimodo kept his eyes on the distant firelight through the trees. Frollo met up with him soon enough, who sighted the book he had found in his hand.

“Findings, my boy?” Frollo was eager now as he kept the scroll he found in hand. “As I suspected, a neglected landmark… but one nonetheless that we shall mark, should Mondfall be a future possibility.”

“Oh, to have that possibility, I very well know we can only wish.” Quasimodo’s voice was so quiet before eyeing down what he had found. “Father. I remember well that you, yourself, have told me that her eyes had held a certain … coldness? he asked, before falling greatly silent soon after. “Would you suppose something could stolen something from them…? Like the snuffing of a candle? Look…”

When Quasimodo opened the book of his discovery, Frollo brought himself near as he opened up the pages, to the one placed marked.

“A shard shed in the eye, times old shall disperse from the mind like ash.” Quasimodo read aloud. “ Travelled within, pulled through a glass ~ This, alone, right here, it all makes sense. Lady Cassandra was pulled through a looking glass, an enchanted looking glass.”

“And there is only one to possess such an artifact,” Frollo spoke up soon after. “…as it is now clear as day. Who authored this chronicle?”

“Only a signet, I found.” Quasimodo answered that, shutting the book to reveal what was on the leather cover itself. A rune of a crescent, with a traingular shape cradled by it.

Frollo furrowed, almost in dismay he then unravelled the scroll he held, revealing the exact same signet. “Memory… Oh, the irony. Leaves no name, is left up to interpretation and no sign of life within, I could even suspect an underlying presence among us as we speak.” Frollo enlightened as he revealed the cryptic poem to his son. “…supposedly, due to the Born, they had ventured on, leaving us in their wake, only to gift us advice. An ongoing habit of magical folk, I find most aggravating.”

“As for whoever had sent those ravens to attack them…” Quasimodo spoke further. “… as any means to deprive them of any assistance ~”

“As we are to remain wary of, my boy. Hear, hear, have they have kept their eyes on our Maiden fair, they are automatically suspect. Her memory mainly being a link to this place, I have many fears about it.” he stated, noticing something about Quasimodo’s person. There lacked a wooden Rosery, he would often wear. “Considering her, I must ask of her well-being besides memory…”

“We’ve come back from such vast journeys where we’ve seemed to have lost a little bit of ourselves as we went on… The same - I feel - is happening to her, as each day passes by ~ each night. They had no choice in this. Neither did we when Hers Truly had decided to play with our lives like a game of cat and mouse. Used my own mind and heart against you, to further torment you. The nightmare I had to push through to return to you will forever be burned in my memory. Magic tends to leave tracks or patterns. Lady Cassandra, the only one out of the rest of the Maidens can hardly remember the faces of the family she was stolen from. I am afraid her own name is coming next, so…” Quasimodo was beginning to feel his own voice sticking, and so he shut the book completely followed by his own emotions for only a moment. 

There was no use hiding a single tear, while his heart was known to shine so brightly. It far more than a mere compelling to witnessing magic, yet again. Frollo’s often cold gaze strained with a deeper rooted emotion, as if in pain of that memory alone. As to where this son’s heart remained was justified, as much as he tried to deny it. Quasimodo was on the brink of tears by only speaking about it.

“Her heart needs to be held, as it should be with those souls who found her first, and secondly.” Frollo began, as though sorrowfully. “Our findings should prove useful while we can should their lives forfeit, for any reason. Her dreaming of you, was either chance or a given, I cannot press against it. As her eyes were on you, my son, you were brought to that place by the Lord willing. How many a night I prayed for your life to prosper. Just so… Do not deny that it has not escaped my notice of your Rosery you so hand crafted. ”

“I will not deny, father. It was mine to give…” Quasimodo still found it difficult to speak. At that, he rested a hand to his chest, where the Rosery used to be. “Her fears might fuel her loss, whilst in the midst of this spell on her and her flock. My~ my only — goodness, I cannot find the words… I-I … I only wish to see them free.” he tried to further explain reasons behind this decision. “A free life from a great evil… A bitter taste we both spat out.”

“Dear lad.” Frollo murmered, rolling the old scroll up. “Until we meet the author of this heinous deed, we will not rest. Eyes of birds spy eagerly for them, and so the sooner we return to Paris, the sooner the sunrise would no longer torment them. Keep heart, Quasimodo. You know, given the past, I have faith that you know well of who could be behind all this.” he ended on that grave note. “As a changed people, first and foremost, we are to expose her as this strain has gone far enough. You must go to them — to her — and speak of what you found.” 

Claude’s voice felt very melancholic to the ear, all naturally. As though he were to lose someone close to him again. To that, Quasimodo reached out towards his father with a comforting hand. 

“She has sworn to endure through as we all had,” Quasimodo warmly began. “I cannot stress it enough of how I am so grateful to have you, as a father, a friend… a family. Through my eyes, that is how I view many I’ve met, as part of our families, and here on it continues to grow. Love Undying, as she said… holds a lot of weight in our lives. Wouldn’t you agree…?”

“In full agreement, lad.” Frollo nearly choked on that unfailing fact. “Do exercise your discernment, as I have spoken before - do not allow it to be clouded, by any means necessary. When you return to her, show her your discoveries. The four who followed you, where are they?”

“Here, here, sire.” came Doc’s voice, sweeping what looked like cobwebs off his hose. Bashful came holding some sort of silvery blue cloak. He seemed quite enamored by it, as it was natural for him to do. “Look at what we found too, sires.”

“Theft, do I see before my very eyes?” Frollo prompted them.

“Aye, would it be to you? Yet we found this…” Grumpy told him, as he held up a tiny piece of parchment. “Some’n has been here, right’n.” he mentioned on as he pased on the parchment.

Frollo was perturbed with the fact that someone knew they would come and inspected the writing.

~ Gifted to those who are in need. Sew into the borders, builds stronger trust ~

“It is not often we accept charity, particularly from an anonymous party.” Frollo remained frank. Quasimodo blinked in his silence at the wording of the note. At that, Frollo took the cloak from the Dwarfs hand and handed it to his son. “I trust you know whom needs this most…” 

There was a silent exchange of graciousness between the men as Quasimodo took it in hand. Ending a grave look at the tower, it would seem all this was fated to happen.

*

The night was certainly not getting any younger now, as tensions simmered, more so, between them all. They could only pray that all was well. Jiminy rested for a spell, after going through the motions and taking things in, he observed Odette twirling the Rosery in her hand. The waiting through the hours were wearing them down, until there was a sign of life among the forestry about them. Of whatever each of the men found, it ought to be important. Being a protected found family, in her own eyes, there grew a beautiful trust that a new hope remained on the horizon. With her friends support about her, Odette stood and waited until the sound of hooves came upon their ears.

Brush was shoved through until she saw that flash of ginger hair, and those eyes once again. Strongly, he dismounted Fidele as she ran up to embrace him. “Quasimodo!” she cooed, happily, into his ear. 

“My lady, are you all right?” he asked her in return, a little surprised by the hug.

“Yes,” she replied, her voice soft with overjoy. “We feared something happened beyond there, but I am so glad that wasn’t the case.” she pulled back slightly blushing. “Forgive me.”

“Nothing to forgive, nothing…” he sweetly reassured her, finding her shyness endearing. Her fellows all stood by, gingerly coming close observing the kindly moment with ease, however one of them — the black maned — appeared visibly hurt. 

“It would seem that this tower had been left unnattended for quite some time, but… it feels like someone knew we would find it.” he explained to her.

“How you mean?” she asked before she was presented with a cloak, much to her surprise. 

“I cannot place it,” he replied in a hushed tone. Odette was able to spy slight tears in his eyes as she took the cloak from him.

Jiminy was peacefully with her on her shoulder, listening to each word they exchanged. It would seem many words were exchanged in the knight’s absence as well.

“… a witch’s tower, we assumed at first. However it seems like someone has not been frequent inside as of late.” he further explained. 

“Eleonor told us, that she tried to break from the formation we had, and head there. She believes she is why the ravens found us…” Odette gave, as he assisted in putting the hood on, around her shoulders. “… oddly, she did not believe we were to follow her, and we wound up going farther away from you.” 

Quasimodo slowly shook his head at that, with a sorrowful gleam in his eyes. It was still a baffle as to why that was decided but it sure frightened them all, justly.

“Thank you,” she told him, softly, mainly for the Rosery she was given by him. “I was almost forgetting, amidst myself.”

“It had frightened me beyond belief, seeing you fall like that. I almost believed you have been shot.” he whispered in return. “I felt that you may have needed a momento.”

“It’s beautiful, Quasimodo. I will cherish this.” she told him while he took her hand, to check how cold she was. 

With him close now, she naturally felt more secure when she saw the note the accompanied the cloak… Building stronger trust, and how she felt it closer and tighter now. Hearing him tensely sigh, she had to gaze up again, her heart coming to the knowledge of something tender, but she kept it to herself for now. If she believed it too much, then it would harm her more in the long run, yet she was happy he was here now. Her mind was feeling sloshy and crowded all at once while tenderly twiddling with the Rosery, she found how truly safe she felt with him. It was something overly different now that wore this cloak, it would seem that the entire flock needed these.

“I’ve been learning to knit, so maybe we can somehow find more fabrics… We will need much if the nights are going to get colder.” she acknowledged, more to herself than him yet he listened to her ~ as was Jiminy. “This is very beautiful… I wonder who made it.” she grew curious.

It drew him closer at her interest in the lining of the embroidery, seeming to be a form of distraction or a being in the moment fancy. 

“Meanwhile, while finding this… we found a strange rune upon one of the books. There’s an archive in there…” Quasimodo felt it important to bring up. “You have been suffering from loss of memory,” he softly studied her whilst saying that. “It meant exactly that ~ Memory… As it can be stolen through a mirror.” he told her. At that, she looked up at his eyes, soon feeling her heart sink. It was a lingering fright she now bore. “… a scrying mirror.” he ended on that note, rather gravely.

“She has a mirror… I saw it the night she captured the Seven and I,” Odette brutally remembered. “It looked dead. I don’t remember falling through anything though.” 

Quasimodo lowered his own head to gain a better look at her eyes. Brown and beautiful, full of tiredness, however no light was shown inside them, neither could he even see his reflection in them. A chill of terror thus began to leak into his heart in fear that she was losing herself. Something about her was fading, however he did not wish to frighten more than she already was.