'Can we just stop for ten minutes?'

'The Captain was expecting us back half an hour ago, Aramis- we shouldn't delay him any longer.'

'But it's raining! And even you must admit that tavern looks nice and warm! And can't you smell that?' Aramis took a long sniff of the air atop his horse. 'Smells like steak and ale pie! Maybe some broth!' he looked across at his friend, who looked quite bedraggled on his own horse.

Athos sighed, wiping some rain from the brim of his hat. 'We should not dally…' he grumbled, sniffling a little as a cold wind whipped around his legs. His horse shivered under him, and as he slowed to a stop he felt his own belly rumble with protest at the mention of food.

A crack of thunder made him look up in distaste. He looked across at Aramis, who looked wet and miserable too. They had been ordered to deliver a message to a neighbouring village; something to do with trade lines, although Athos had long given up asking the messages he was carrying pertained to. Treville would only tell them things when it concerned them, and that was the way Athos liked it. It had been a long but easy journey, apart from a point about two hours ago where the heavens had opened and soaked everything in its path.

'A hot meal and an ale, and that's it!' he relented, shaking his head with a small smile on his face as Aramis grinned and gave a small chuckle.

'Knew you'd come round!' he smiled as they got off their horses and led them to an empty stable on the Tavern's grounds. 'Even you couldn't say no to a steak and ale pie!'

They crossed the waterlogged dirt path, passing wet looking regulars on their way to the door- Athos peered in through the window- the main room looked quiet empty. Aramis pushed open the door and they stepped inside, at once satiated by the waft of warm air that greeted them; Aramis immediately felt his face flush in the warmth.

The room was busier than Athos had figured- everone was huddled by a roaring fire that was obscured from the window; they all turned to look at the two of them as they crossed over the threshold. Ten stony faces looked across at them, mouth in tight lines as the fire crackled behind them. 'Evening,' Athos greeted them, not surprised by their reaction- they were decked out in their Musketeer garb, and it tended to make some folk a little edgy. No one answered him, but instead they turned back, returning to their conversations and ignoring the two newcomers. 'Charming!' Aramis chuckled, before frowning a little as a rough looking man turned back at his words.

'What's that supposed to mean?' he barked, a pint of ale in his hands.

'I said "charming",' Aramis replied, making his voice lighter and slower. 'It means pleasant, but I was using it ironically, you see….' He explained, before rolling his eyes as he realised he had truly bamboozled the fool. 'Never mind.' He added, before turning away, too tired for an argument.

'Don't turn your back on me!' the man yelled, standing up. Athos deftly stepped between the two men as Aramis stepped forwards, not one to balk from a row, and, using his best stern voice he only used on special occasions, growled 'Alright sir- my friend spoke out of turn and he's sorry; leave it, alright?' he looked from Aramis and the man, eyebrows raised. The man glared at him, but backed down. 'Stay away from this side, alright?'

'Duly noted.' Athos nodded, giving Aramis a prod in the back and pushing him to the bar.

Aramis rolled his eyes at his friend, before gave him a small apologetic look, turning around and smiling across at the barmaid, making a beeline for an empty space at the wooden bar. 'Two ales for me and my friend, and two plates of whatever looks good.' He asked with a broad smile as Athos rolled his eyes beside him, fishing in his wet coat for some money.

'We've got rabbit broth with cabbage, or turnip soup and bread.' The barmaid answered without looking at him. 'And that's yer lot.'

'I thought I smelt steak and ale pie, did I not?' Aramis continued, unabashed. 'Don't say it's all gone?'

'If you'd have been here ten minutes ago we might've had some left.' The barmaid replied, banging the two ales down in front of the Musketeers. 'But you weren't, so we don't.' She looked up at them, face old and wizened.

'Ah,' Aramis replied, looking slightly crestfallen. He sighed, weighing up his choices. 'Don't really fancy turnip right now- gives me indigestion, you see- so I'll take the rabbit! Athos?'

'The rabbit will be fine.' Athos replied as he took off his wet coat.

'Two rabbit broths then!' Aramis smiled across to the barmaid, who gave a curt nod, turned on her heel and yelled the order into the darkened kitchen. 'It'll be here soon.' She muttered as she looked back at the two men.

'Marvellous,' Aramis replied, before spying some good seats at the other end of the room. 'We'll be by the window over there.' He said. He held his money out, only for the woman to snatch it from his grasp and shove it in her tunic. The woman gave a short nod and turned to another customer without another word.

'Charming.' Athos muttered as he and Aramis made their way to their seats. 'What a lovely place you picked.'

'Hmm...' conceded the other man, taking a sip from his ale. 'And I was quite looking forward to that pie!'

'I'm sure cook can rustle up a pie when we get back.'

'No, this has rather put me off pie, I'm afraid.'

'Well, as long as you don't start picking fights again we'll be fine,' Athos muttered, giving Aramis a curt look. 'We've been here not even five minutes and that man looks like he wants to kill you.'

'I can't help it if I have that effect on people!' Aramis replied with a small chuckle, looking across at the group of men on the other side of the room and giving them a cordial wave.

'Oh, brilliant… that'll help….' Athos groaned, before looking out of the window at the storm now raging outside. Night had well and truly fallen, and the ground was beginning to resemble a river rather than a road.

'Maybe we should stay the night?' Aramis wondered aloud- he looked across to Athos, who gave him a pointed look.

'We're only an hour away from home- surely you can stand an hour's rain?'

'I don't look good all wet and wind-ravaged Athos, you know that!'

'Aye, but you don't look good dry either!' Athos laughed, shaking his head as Aramis feigned hurt.

'You wound me, my friend!' he muttered, before they both looked up as an old man suddenly appeared at their table. He wore a blood-stained white apron, and had a pipe dangling from the side of his mouth.

'Two rabbit broths?' he barked in a gravelly voice.

'Yes, thank you.' Aramis replied, trying not to catch his friend's eye. The two bowls were roughly put on the table, sloshing their dubious looking contents from side to side. Aramis eyed his with distaste as the man gave a hacking cough and turned away, walking back towards the kitchen.

'Bon Appetit…' he mumbled to Athos as they both picked up their spoons and dug them into the broth.

'I hope I don't find an eye…' Athos whispered, moving his spoon around and checking the contents. 'I can't do eyes.'

'I think you're safe,' Aramis confirmed, lifting the spoon to his mouth. He chewed for a minute with an expecting Athos watching on, before stopping with a horrified look on his face; he fished in his mouth with his fingers before pulling out something hard and white.

'Athos, please say that's not a tooth…' he asked, pushing it across. Athos bent forwards, not willing to pick it up, and studied it.

'I think its gristle….' He finally said, sniffing in distaste. 'I think so.'

'Well, that's killed my appetite….' Aramis muttered. They both sat back, before Athos' stomach grumbled loudly again.

'Maybe I'll just have the liquid part,' he reasoned. 'Can't be anything….unusual….in that.' He added, before taking a deep breath and sipping from his spoon. Aramis crinkled his nose as Athos swallowed. 'It's not that bad, really.' He finally said, shrugging.

'Alright,' Aramis replied, picking up his spoon again. 'I'm only doing this because I trust you.' He took another mouthful of the broth, and was relieved when he swallowed nothing out of place.

They sat in a companionable silence as they ate around the solid parts of their broths. 'Wish Porthos and d'Artagnan were here, ' Aramis finally said, wiping his hands on his trousers. Their friends had been all ready to come with them to deliver the message but had been called away after being asked for personally by the King to guard him at a function.

'I bet they're eating better than we are.' Athos muttered, pushing his bowl away.

'And in better company.' Aramis conceded, focussing now on his ale. It was mostly froth, but Aramis was just glad there wasn't anything solid in it. They heard a clock strike eight somewhere behind them; time to go. 'Right- let's get out of here.' Athos muttered, standing up and stretching- he wasn't looking forward to this leg of their journey- the rain showed no sign of abating.

'Alright- don't see why we can't stay the night…' Aramis grumbled, pretending to sulk as he pulled on his gloves. Athos quirked an eyebrow at him, a small smile tugging at his lips, before they made their way to the door.

'Excellent food, my dear lady!' Aramis called to the barmaid with a broad smile, who didn't even look up. 'My compliments to the chef!'

'Come on, Mis.' Athos muttered with a half-exasperated sigh. 'Let's just go without any trouble…' he added, before they turned to the door only to find three men blocking their way.

'You were saying?' Aramis chuckled, putting his hand on hips. 'Come on, fellas- we've kept to our corner as you asked.' he looked across to the mean-looking brutes, led by the man he had confused earlier. 'We'll just be on our way now.'

'What are Musketeers doing round these parts?' the man barked, looking from Athos to Aramis.

'We were delivering a message on behalf of the King,' Athos replied stoically, figuring just to be truthful, voice low. 'And now we'd rather like to go home.'

'Is this place not good enough for you high and mightys?' the man demanded, eyes steely.

'Well….' Aramis began, but stopped as Athos gave him a sharp dig in the ribs.

'It was fine,' he butted in, giving Aramis a warning look. 'but not home- so if you'd just like to move out of the way..'

'You don't give the orders here!' the man barked. Athos rolled his eyes at that, trying not to get annoyed.

'Alright- please can you move?' he asked, narrowing his eyes as the man looked at him. 'I won't ask again.'

'Is that supposed to scare me?'

'Well…' Aramis replied, his face turning hard as his nerves finally ran out. 'Look- you've had your fun; let's just call us the winners and we can on our way.' he proposed, before catching Athos groaning out of the corner of his eye.

'You jumped up little-' the man garbled, pulling back his fist. Aramis ducked the blow, stepping out of the way as Athos did the same. The older man shook his head as he feigned to the left and caught one of the men in the jaw, sending spinning into a stack of chairs. 'You had to go over the top, didn't you?!' he yelled over to Aramis, who was holding his own against the other two men. 'Why do you always go over the top?'

'What can I say?' he shouted in reply, before ducking another punch and landing one of his own. 'It's a knack!'

'It's bloody something!' Athos yelled, before he saw stars as a punch came out of nowhere. Falling onto one knee he wiped blood from his nose as pain erupted. He kicked the man who had dealt the blow in the stomach, sending his groaning to the floor. Athos stood, sniffing back blood, just in time to see one of the men advancing on Aramis with a chair.

'Look out!' he called, but it was too late- Aramis went down with a yelp of pain as the chair came down onto his back. His face hit the floor with a dull thump; seconds later he was pushed onto his back and hands, gnarled and cold, laced themselves around his neck.

He garbled for breath, scrabbling at the hands as they squeezed- a sudden gunshot reduced the room to a charged silence.

'Off! Get off him!' Athos shouted, eyes black with anger. He pulled the man off his friend, and, after making sure Aramis was ok, turned back to the room at large. 'Enough!' he shouted, his revolver in his hands. 'We came here for a hot meal and we find madness- you are lucky we don't arrest you all right now!' he shouted, breathing hard. 'Let us leave and we'll forget this.' The men immediately parted- Athos pulled Aramis to his feet and pushed him out amid deafening silence.

The rain was still hammering down, and a peal of thunder crashed overhead. 'Pillock.' Athos grumbled as they mounted their horses. 'Why did you provoke them?'

'It seemed fun at the time,' Aramis reasoned, massaging his neck. He withheld a chuckle as he looked back at the tavern- the whole congregation stood looking at them out of the window, staring them out.

'Get the feeling we won't be welcome back there?'

Athos rolled his eyes as they turned to travel back up the road. 'I think my nose is broken…' he grumbled as he pulled his hood up.

'The food wasn't anything to shout about….' Aramis muttered, 'And the service? Well….'

'Aramis?'

'Yes?'

'If you utter another word in the journey back I will knock you off your horse and strangle you myself!'

'….noted.'

'Good.' They rode on in silence, with Athos massaging his nose and Aramis whistling in the darkness. After ten minutes Aramis sighed, and turned to his friend-

'…. You know, I quite fancy steak and ale pie now…'

Athos groaned, the sound mixing with a chuckle from his friend atop his horse.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed my little attempt at curing the writer's block I've had the last few months!

Please review!