Descent Into Hell {Eponine}

Eponine - Now things get interesting

“I promise. It -won’t- be hard. I’ve already done my lessons for the day, and they think I’m just reading and practicing harp. No one will come up here until it’s time for me to go to bed.. and I’ll be back by then. Except to bring some food at dinner. Which you can just ask them to set it outside. So just.. here. Put these on. They’re too long for me, so they ought to fit you. And this. And this. Hm.. Boots.. I didn’t think about. You can just keep your own. No one will notice that they aren’t -exactly- like mine.”

“Are you.. sure.. about this?”

Henri stood back on his heels to survey the older boy in front of him. “Yes. Eduard… listen.. God forbid anyone -does- come looking for me… someone needs to be here to just.. give them an excuse to go away. I can’t leave my chambers totally unoccupied when they think I’m here. It would be too risky. They can never know I sneak out.. and I’m not usually gone -this- long.”

“Henri.. this could be really dangerous….” Henri countered the older boy with a look daring him to say more in the way teenage boys do and any protestations died out and he finished with a simple. “Be. Careful.”

“All right, Maman.” Henri murmured teasingly. He was not unaware of how serious this situation was, but Eduard making such a huge deal about it was just making him more nervous. And he didn’t have time for nervous. He needed to go.

Eduard scowled but winked one eye teasingly.

“Tell me again what she looks like?”

“.. not fancy clothes. Pretty though. Brown hair.. brown eyes.. a little older than you. Skinny — looks like she could use a few square meals. Her name is Eponine.” Eduard murmured.

Henri nodded, shifting. He was anxious to get on his way. Chasse was looking back and forth between the two boys with a displeased look on his face. “Stay with Eduard, Chasse.” The dog cocked his head before moving to heel beside Eduard, though there was still a worried type look on his black and white face.

Henri looked back once then disappeared into the hall moving quietly, listening for the sound of anyone following him even though he knew very well they wouldn’t be. Nevertheless, he couldn’t help his slightly heightened sense of paranoia. He knew he was doing something that would get him in -serious- trouble with the Chouannerie if they found out what he was doing.. but they weren’t going to find out. That was the only option. He shifted the rucksack on his back beneath his jacket — protected from pickpockets. He felt the food, medicine, clothing, and money inside the sack shift reassuringly. The one bad thing about this pack was that it was very heavy. Henri wasn’t sure how far he could carry it without needing to sit down and take a break. He glanced down at the map inked on a white handkerchief one last time before disappearing into the depths of the tunnel. His breath and heart sounded audible in his ears, and he had to remind himself they weren’t. He had snuck out before. Many times. He reminded himself… but never for this long before. Eduard will take care of things here. Henri reassured himself.

Eduard was one of his dearest friends. From a titled and noble aristocratic family, he had been one of the first to accept Henri’s invitation into his “Toy Army” He had known Eduard for three years now and was absolutely sure that the youth was not only utterly loyal but intelligent and a good friend as well. And there were certain advantages in the fact that he did not look entirely unlike Henri. Wearing Henri’s clothes the similarity was striking. He couldn’t carry on a full conversation without someone figuring it out likely.. but it would be close enough that if anyone came looking for Henri, he could offer an excuse without raising any suspicions. And Henri felt better knowing there was someone in his room given he would be gone for hours. It was safer that way.

Henri wanted to find out what the worst of the worst parts of the city looked like. There were difficult, hard places all over France.. but the rumors were that the slums of Paris were the worst or one of the worst.. and Henri wanted to know.. no matter how hard it might be.. he wanted to know. One can’t change what one refuses to see. It would have simply been too dangerous to go as himself. It was too dangerous to go most anywhere out of the Palace dressed as himself and unescorted by a full guard these days.. And so.. carefully folded and hidden beneath a false wooden bottom in his wardrobe there was the garb of a common servant. Clothing he slipped into on his excursions. The clothes were clean, but he was always struck by how … strange.. they felt. The texture was rougher than his usual clothes.. but the simplicity was freeing nonetheless. And the jacket was far too big for him which made it easy to hide things under — like the rucksack positively stuffed with things people needed which he currently lugged. At the end of the tunnel he paused before stepping out into a shadowed area.

He dodged from shaded tree to shaded tree until he reached the spot in the garden wall where the thick ivy concealed a spot in the wall where the stone work was loose enough to allow the admittance of a small person. Crawling through, Henri almost got hung up with the ruck sack and had to lay there wriggling in the grass a little harder than usual before the hole released him with a scuffing noise and he, breathing hard from his struggle, pushed the stonework back in place and stood up, dusting himself off as best he could. He was now outside Palace grounds.

A furtive glance and he headed off towards the Square at the Rue St. Denis. He had a feeling it was not a part of town that would be friendly to him if it was figured out who he was. But no one was going to figure it out. That was the only option. And he needed to hurry because this was not a short walk according to the map. At least not for one slight teen carrying a heavy bag of supplies. He was a little breathless by the time he reached the Square. He took a minute to let his breath and heart catch up with him while he gazed around the square looking for the girl he was to meet. A girl named Eponine. He shoved his handkerchief map into his cavernous pocket as he caught sight of a plainly dressed but pretty dark haired girl meeting Eduard’s description. One who looked like she was waiting for someone. Henri could only be grateful that he was starting to look like a young man more than a boy. Important if he was going to be loose on the streets of Paris doing stuff like this.

Quietly, he approached the girl without drawing attention to himself. “Would you like a red ribbon?” He asked, heart thudding.

He didn’t know who had arranged for him to meet this girl. Eduard didn’t know either. It had come up the line of his Toy Army. Along with the instructions that he was supposed to ask her about a red ribbon and the proper person was supposed to answer that she would prefer a blue one. His heart thudded hard in his chest as he waited for the response. He felt surprisingly exposed here. He needed to get out more… so he wouldn’t be so jumpy. He really hoped this was the right person.