I come to fight. Or at least, to listen.

Chapter four

Chapter 4

~A World About to Dawn~

The funeral procession started on a clear June afternoon. It was a bit humid, but otherwise a great day to start a revolution. Evelyn and the other students lined the streets and blended in with the other mass of people who had gathered. She was separated from Eponine, but she thought she saw a glimpse of her on the other side of the road. She was dressed like a boy for reasons unknown to Evelyn. Evelyn decided not to press the issue that morning, figuring she wanted to fire shots on the front lines. 

Evelyn was in one of the first few rows lining the street. Near her Combeferre and Joly tensed at the words Enjolras whispered in their ears. Enjolras held in his hand a flag. A pistol was tucked into his belt. Seeing the students confer started to bring the reality of it all to Evelyn. 

A grid of drummers began to parade their way down the boulevard, horses with feathered caps and the hearse that general LaMarque now lied in followed. Evelyn could see the students get more and more tense, waiting for Enjolras's call. 

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Enjolras's heart pumped pure passion as he waited. He was ready. He was going to lead his men and create a new France: A Republic of France. 

He started the rally cry, alerting his followers that their time had come, "Do you hear the people sing?" the students started to join in, "Singing the songs of angry men." More people joined in now, citizens included. "this is the music of the people who will not be slaves again. When the beating of your heart echoes the beating of the drums. There is a life about to start when tomorrow comes. Will you join in our crusade, who will be strong and stand with me?" Enjolras scanned the crowd. Their voices began to add together, and their singing was growing louder and louder. "Beyond the barricade, Is there a world you long to see?" 

Enjolras moved into the street, waving his red flag. Marius did the same from the opposite side. Enjolras called for action, "Then join in the fight that will give you the right to be free! Do you hear the people sing? Singing the song of angry men." They had brought the procession to a halt. Enjolras ran past the cannons and towards the hearse. Marius was already standing on top of the thing, and the other students began to break into the street as well, waving flags and embodying their cause. 

Enjolras clambered up the hearse, "It is the music of the people who will not be slaves again! When the beating of your heart echoes the beating of the drums,"  

When he got to the top of the hearse, Enjolras stood tall over the people, waving the flag of freedom high. "There is a life about to start when tomorrow comes!"

Now he spoke to the people, "Will you give all you can give so that our banner may advance? Some will fall and some will live, will you stand up and your chance? The blood of the martyrs will water the meadows of France!" Enjolras felt triumphant. The worst was yet to come, he knew, but they were off to an impressive start. Maybe Evelyn was wrong about the people not rising. Even a few of the soldiers had started to join in.

"Do you hear the people sing, singing the songs of angry men? This is the music of the people who will not be slaves again! When the beating of your heart echoes the beating of the drums, There is a life about to start when tomorrow comes!"

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Evelyn had moved with the crowd and now had one hand on the hearse. She finally caught up with Eponine, and the two had taken care to stay close. She joined in song and cheered like the rest of the masses. The only way to describe such an event was breathtaking. The sound of hundreds shouting together for a revolution, flags were waving, and at the top of the carriage stood their leader in his scarlet coat and revolution patch, calling for change and waving the banner of their cause with flame in his eyes.

When the rally cry ended and the cheer subsided, her heart sank. The cavalry had lined up and blocked the rest of the road. Evelyn could tell they were not there for a tea party. She saw Marius and Enjolras, identifiable by his scarlet jacket, cock their guns at the top of the carriage.

"Draw!" one of the men in battle uniform. The cavalry responded and each drew a saber and positioned it for battle.

A single shot rang out. Evelyn immediately cringed. No, the bullet had not hit her, but it came fairly close. Evelyn's eyes widened and she searched for the victim. On the ground she saw a middle-aged woman surrounded by a few students. "Murderer!" Combeferre cried out.

Chaos ensued. Men and horses fell as les Amis fired shots to the cavalry. Horses knocked over citizens and les Amis alike. Marius mounted one of them and his red flag trailed behind them. Enjolras called to the revolutionaries, "To the barricade!"

Evelyn grabbed Eponine's arm and pulled her in the direction of Enjolras. A crowd had followed and Enjolras was led them, dead sprinting, from Boulevard Saint-Germain to the Cafe Musain. Furniture fell from the windows of the apartments lining the route to the Cafe in the purpose to slow the French soldiers. Various cries of "Vive la France" emitted from the crowd of les Amis and a few other citizens, but Evelyn barely heard them over the wind and blood rushing in her ears. 

Evelyn and Eponine were two of the first people to reach the Cafe, people had already thrown down some furniture, and the Amis that had gotten there already had started to form the barricade. Enjolras and Marius were a few of them. Evelyn lifted a wooden sign and put it on top of a few other pieces of furniture. She assessed her surroundings and saw guns being handed to people, flags being hung, and heard the Amis clamor. Courfeyrac handed her a revolution patch, and when she reached out to grab it she realized her hands were shaking. She inwardly chastised herself, now was not the time to be nervous. She pinned her rosette where a lapel would have been if she was wearing a jacket on her right side. Joly handed her a pistol. 

"Do you know how to use it?" he asked. His face was flushed with excitement.

"No," Evelyn shamefully answered. 

"Then join me in the second floor. I have my medical station up there," Joly amended.

Evelyn lit up at "medical", "Yes, monsieur." Evelyn handed back his pistol.

"Good," Joly said with a smile, then dashed off to help build the barricade.

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"I need a volunteer! Someone who can find out their plan and when they will attack" shouted Enjolras to the Amis. An older man already wearing a patch complied, explaining that he used to work for the French Army. Enjolras nodded and sent him off. 

By then the barricade had been fully built. It was fifteen feet high, and five feet thick, and it completely blocked the cafe from the French Army. Enjolras climbed to the top, and reaffirmed their cause. "Red: the blood of angry men." He stuck the red flag in-between a chair and a chest of drawers so that it stood tall.  "Black: the dark of ages past. Red: a world about to dawn."  He pulled out his musket and position it for firing. "Black: the night that ends at last."