etre libre

Chapter one (parts I, II, and III)

"There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time is yet to come"

- Victor Hugo

Part I: Avonie

"I'm hungry", wailed Sontine "I'm hungry, I'm hungry, I'm hungry"

"Don't expect any food from me" Theophane held his scrap of bread close to his chest.

"Honestly, you two, you know there is no extra food, so why don't you stop bugging each other" Avonie sighed.

It was always an effort looking after her siblings, but it had only been her duty since her father had been caught and jailed. The siblings had been part of a massive criminal clan operating in the Parisienne underworld, the Lufanse's, but every member ever introduced to them had been caught and killed, or captured and taken elsewhere. Of course, she would like to have it a different way, but she couldn't complain. You don't complain, you just have to get on with it.

"Perhaps there would be extra food, if this was a republic. It's the year 1793 and revolution is on the rise" a grin began to spread across Theophane's face.

"Oh, shut your cakehole, nobody here cares about revolution or war heroes" huffed Avonine

"Yeh, shut your cakehole" chimed Sontine

"Stop getting involved in things that don't concern you, your only ten Sontie!" said Theodore

"And you're sixteen, Theo, what do you hope to do at that age. I've watched every person who got involved in this revolution, and it hasn't turned out well for any of them. So many die, why do you expect your fate will be different. Don't you dare go get yourself killed "

Avonie pushed some wood onto the dwindling fire.

"Quite a lot, Voni, I can do quite a lot" snapped Theo.

"If you don't keep quiet and eat that bread, I shall evoke your right to call me that. Only people I am good terms with can abbreviate my name. Now I, for one, am going out. Make sure Sontie doesn't escape, and for goodness sake, don't escape yourself"

Avonie tucked her locket into her torn shirt and left the house, slamming the door shut behind her. She didn't know where her locket came from, just that she had to keep it safe and with her. It had been around her neck for as long as she could remember. How on earth had she acquired such a thing, solid gold and dotted with gems, engraved Trouille on the back, while she had not even a sou to her name, nobody knew. But nobody knew about it anyway. Such a thing would be stolen within minutes in the Accustie slum. She had never thought about selling it. It would raise too much suspicion, besides, how could she part with it at this point.

She awoke from her daydreaming as a hand gripped her bony ankle under her skirt. She shook it free.

"Please madame, just a three sou piece I need to eat tonight"

"I cannot feed my family either" snapped Avonie, "we all live in this slum, why expect me to be better off than you?"

She gathered her skirt and hurried on her way. Somewhere on the edge of the faubourg, Guillaume would be waiting with the catacomb key, the one they needed for tonight's robbery.

Part II: The meeting

"Up here ma'am"

There was a thud as a young boy jumped off a wall to Avonie's feet.

"Voni!"

"Guillaume!"

The young woman and the child embraced for a second before they began to talk business.

"You have been keeping yourself well, haven't you? You know I worry. For goodness sake, you are ten, same age as Sontie"

"Well, you shouldn't worry, in fact, perhaps I should worry about you. Have you eaten today? Are you ill? Gosh, isn't your collarbone bony"

"Shut up"

"See it's annoying, isn't it?" Grinned Guillame, "Now, stop doing it to me!"

"Give me the key then, then we can be on our way"

Guillame pressed a cold, rusted key into Avonie's hand.

"Eight, corner of rue Saint-Louis?" he asked.

"Yes"

"Shake on it?"

"Sure"

"Goodbye Voni"

"Goodbye Guillaume"

Avonie began to walk away, before she felt her pocket was empty

"Guillaume!, my five sou piece"

The boy reluctantly flung the coin onto the floor and kicked it along to her.

"Gosh, you're good, didn't feel a thing " she complained.

"Intended on giving it back anyway, bit of practice, you know" he grinned.

"I know," she replied.

"I must get back now, before Theo goes and starts a revolution, or Lefevre takes Sontie"

"Those Lefevre's!" exclaimed Guillame, "you better go, 'coz I won't be helping pay the ransom"

Part III: Amandine

Avonie hurried away from the meeting spot, trying to ignore the glares of the bourgeois as she dashed past. No doubt they expected she was planning a murder or something, it was just what was thought of scrawny street kids these days. Too bad she actually was.

When Avonie reached the slum, she hurried up the stairs with haste, skipping the missing one with ease. Throwing open the door to the Lufanse room, she quickly checked both Theo and Sontie were present and intact. Thankfully, they were. Sontie sat next to the wall, knocking on it in different places and giggling, while Theo dozed on the floor.

"Sontie, stop that at once, do you know who lives in the next room and what they'll do to you if they hear you knocking so repetitively?" Avonie yelled, "Go play with Augusta".

She offered Sontie a scrap of fabric that vaguely resembled a doll. Sontie grumbled, kicking her feet as she made her way over to Avonie and snatched the doll out of her hand.

Avonie walked over to the crate that covered the large hole where the wall had fallen in, just to check whether or not the neighbours were home. Hopefully, if they were out doing goodness knows what, she could avoid a confrontation altogether. No such luck. As soon as the crate had moved, Amandine Lefevre's face swung into focus. Her glossy black hair shone like glass, and her beady, blue, malevolent eyes could have pierced through a tree.

"You'd better get that little bitch to shut up, or I'm coming over there to strangle her with my bare hands"

Avonie felt rage creep up on her, but she managed to bite her tongue.

"Yes, Amandine"

She snapped the crate back into place as quickly as possible.

"You heard her Sontie"

Sontie sat in the corner of the room, shivering and cradling Augusta.

I detest Amandine, she doesn't need to be so cold, thought Avonie, But at least Sontie has shut up now.

More parts of chapter 1 coming soon...