Revolution: Castel Avril

I stuck with the rebel force for the next week, until it was obvious that they weren't going after either of the companies that had been flanking mine. The only other target was Castel Avril, from where we'd marched, and I held off from doing anything until the rebels broke themselves on the fort's defenses.

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Castel Avril dominated the landscape, not something hard to do when surrounded by flat farmland. My family's house was out there, a little homestead encircled by four small fields, and I considered just returning to it. All that changed though when I came across a farm. An army marches on its stomach and despite the region's proximity to one of the heartlands of the rebellion we were all staunchly royalist. The farmer must have refused to supply the rebels and in response the rebels murdered everyone.

The farmhouse had been torched, I was only able to stay inside for a moment before the lingering stench of burnt human flesh drove me back outside, and the farmer herself had been left hanging in the nearby barn. The barbarity made my decision for me and I glanced down along the road.

I was dreading finding more destroyed farms as I hurried towards Castel Avril before realising that the smoke from the burnt farm would be visible for kilometres, with the rebels claiming responsibility and threatening the same if not supplied. Submission didn't stop the rebels from being cruel though, the next two farms I walked past had both suffered losses despite handing over virtually everything.

Part of me wondered why nobody from Castel Avril had come forth to deal with the rebels' predations, these were the people they were charged with protecting after all. I think the rest of me knew that defeating the rebels would be easier from behind strong walls. It didn't make following the rebels any easier though.

The low boom of a cannon going off shook me from pondering the future of France and I slipped into a drainage ditch, frantically scanning for any activity. A second cannon was fired and I spotted the gout of earth thrown up by the explosive landing of a shell. I thought I could see limbs among the flying dirt, presumably those of a man, and cautiously continued along the ditch, unslinging my rifle and opening it up to insert a round into the breech.

Getting closer I began hearing gunfire, catching glimpses of movement among the nearby rows of the region's vineyard. Aiming at a rebel skulking between the vines I waited until the soldiers at Castel Avril fired off a volley before pulling the trigger. The girl jerked before slumping to the ground, unnoticed by her fellow rebels amid the chaos, and I hunkered down within the ditch so I could reload.

A cut-off roar and the boom of an explosion accompanied a minor ground-quake and I peeked over the top of the ditch as panicked voices began sounding out across the vineyard. The abbreviated roar must have come from a man, perhaps the rebels' last, and with that advantage lost the rebels felt beaten. I took aim at a rebel as she emerged from between the rows of vines, pulling the trigger and watching her flop down onto her front. Fifteen other rebels appeared but my attention was grabbed by the thundering charge of a cavalry squadron. They were galloping along the road from the fort, sunlight reflecting off their drawn blades and breast-plates, and the rebels wailed as they also noticed the cavalry.

I grimly smiled as the cavalry sped past the rebels before swinging back round, cutting the rebels off from each other and any lines of retreat. I thought of Martine while watching the rebels die, of how she'd helped me when I signed up, and hoped her spirit now felt avenged. I frowned as a slender rebel managed to slip under a circling horse, breaking free of the cordon, and bought my rifle up as she sprinted in my direction.

The bullet punched through the rebel's brow, flipping her onto her back. A hussar had seen the smoke from my shot though and she pulled away from the rest of her squad, making her way towards me at a trot. I had just scrambled from the drainage ditch when she approached, her curved sabre angled so that she could slash at me if moving at speed.
"Identify yourself."
She had an aristocrat's bearing, blatantly looking down her nose at me, and I fought the hereditary urge to be abjectly submissive, instead snapping to attention.
"Private Camille Bonhomme, of Captain De Lisle's company."
The hussar narrowed her eyes for a second before clicking her fingers.
"De Lisle? She marched out two, three weeks ago. Where is everyone else?"
"I don't know what happened to the other companies but mine was wiped out by the rebels you just destroyed."
"But you survived. Tagging along behind the rebels no less." Only ingrained respect for the aristocracy stopped me from using my bayonet but my anger must have shown on my face, the hussar leaning forward to caress a cheek with the flat of her sabre. "Careful girl. It would be an offense if you struck me."

The hussar guided me back to her squad-mates, introducing me in such a way that their first impression of me was already tarnished. With their eyes watching my every move we headed back to Castel Avril. I was able to see where the rebels had fought and died, spotting the three craters produced during the short battle. Scores of dead women were on the ground, although it seemed there were less than at Fifth Ridge, and it looked like there had only been three men present judging from the amount of ruined armour visible.
"Counting your friends? You'll be joining them soon enough."
I glared up at the hussar who'd spoken, clenching my fists in anger, but then also looked at the looming gates of Castel Avril in apprehension, wondering if the woman spoke truth.