Chapter Text
Every moment they came closer, and with every moment, her heart would beat faster . If she gave into her instincts, she would have thrown baby she held in her arms into the river, but her love as a mother wouldn't let her. Nor would the Way of the Gypsies, even if her kin would have allowed her to do it under the ruse that the baby had been stillborn. She couldn't, she wouldn't be able to live with herself had she allowed Zale to kill their child. Something in her heart, in her soul, told her to protect this baby with her life. And protect him she shall.
She wouldn't be surprised if little Casimir heard the hard beating of her heart. Babies were more in tune with what's going on around them than what most adults care to admit. Why Ruza herself could scarcely remember a time when her parents had fought when she herself was a baby. But it was nothing more than muffled noise back then.
As their boat flowed down the river, little Casimir still crying, Ruza tried her best to quiet her son's cries. Her husband still looked fearful and their companion, Zale's best friend, Raymond, even looked unsettled and he was usually the mask of calm and cool. He was usually so... composed. No matter what she did, the baby continued to cry, and she was sure that Frollo was nearby. That man riding his horse like some sort of wraith, ready to guide them to the very pits of hell she was sure he thought all Gypsies came from and should return to. A small, light touch from her husband gave her the strength to bite back her fear tearing at her soul. She shifted the small bundle once more, holding her son even closer to her chest and inched closer to her husband's side.
His arm went around her protectively as if to shield her and their child from the darkness and the dangers that lie within it. Their companion looked around once more, Raymond's fingers inching towards his boots, ready to strike if they were to be ambushed. They've already lost some of their brothers and sisters to many of Frollo's traps, they weren't going to lose anyone else tonight. At least, not if he can help it.
The water sloshed at the sides of the small boat as it hit the stone dock with a light thump. It was this thump that nearly startled the three Gypsies, especially Ruza. She felt her body tremble a bit, not just from the fright, but from the cold. From what she could see, it was snowing now. It started snowing as they neared the harbor. Each flake came down slowly but now every flake came down hard and in great abundance. A small flake landed on the baby's nose and his crying became louder once more.
Ruza made shushing noises to her son, Casimir wriggling around in the confines of his blanket. The cold snowflakes had somewhat roused him from the sleepiness that had been caused by his earlier fussing and the cold must have startled him. As the baby continued to cry, Ruza held him tightly, finally rising from her seat on the boat as her husband stepped out and onto the embankment of the river.
The rower of the boat, an old looking man, glared at them and held out a gloved hand towards the Gypsies, his other hand gripping the oar he had rowed the boat with. "Four guilders for safe passage into Paris." His rough voice spat, his good eye staring at the Gypsies intently. There was contempt, but like nearly everyone in this world, he had to do something he didn't like once in a while. And that dislikable thing was dealing with Gypsies.
"Well?" The man's voice went up in volume from the single word that left his mouth.
Raymond glared at him, his eyes darkening even more.
"Wait a moment." He said as Ruza gently rocked the baby in her arms, still holding him close to her body. One glance at his best friend's wife sent a wave of regret going through him.
At one time, he and Zale had both vied for Ruza's affections, and for a while, he had her by his side, but then Zale did the one thing Raymond, himself, had never done: Be himself. He had long since settled on being their close friend, a protector of sorts.
He could easily do his best friend in, drown the little monster, and escape with Ruza, but seeing her so unhappy isn't worth it. Breathing in deeply at the thought, he reached a hand to the inside of his cloak, reaching for his money pouch. Before any money could pass from his hands and into that of the rower's, an arrow flew out of nowhere.
That one single arrow made the three gypsies jump in fright and soon, Ruza found herself being pulled behind her husband as was Raymond, but their friend inched closer to her. His hand went to the hilt of the dagger strapped to his boot. As the guards came rushing in, one figure, a prominent one atop a dark horse, stood out among the rush of oncoming soldiers streaming out from behind him. It was quite clear that this was all an ambush.
Fear gripped Ruza once more and she held tight onto Cassimir, refusing to let go. She would rather die first than let anyone have her baby.
“Judge Claude Frollo!” Zale whispered, fear tingeing his voice as he looked at the menacing figure atop the equally menacing beast of a horse, narrowed eyes glaring down at them.