Trapped
Chapter One
The village consisted of no more than two dozen houses, a butcher, bakery, small tavern and even smaller church. Around it stretched fields of wheat, vegetable gardens and neat pens for cows and sheep. A family of ducks waddled down the main street on their way to the pond. The four weary Musketeers halted their equally weary horses outside the tavern and dismounted.
It was mid-afternoon, and everyone was working so they had the room to themselves. The innkeeper, a stout middle-aged gentlemen greeted them with a smile.
"Ale?" he inquired.
"Yes." Athos removed his hat and laid it on the bar.
The furnishings were primitive; barrels for tables and rickety stools to sit on. However, the ale was good and cold. It was very welcome after the relentless heat outside. Porthos drained his tankard in one swallow and gestured for it to be refilled. The others drank more slowly but with the same enjoyment.
"We are seeking two men. Strangers. Have any been seen in the vicinity?" Athos asked.
The innkeeper ran a hand over his balding head while he thought about it. Athos laid a coin on the bar.
"Perhaps that will help your memory."
The coin disappeared into the pocket of the innkeeper's apron. "Ah, yes. Claude did say something about seeing two men riding across the fields just before lunch. He didn't recognise them and it's not often that we see strangers in these parts."
"Which way were they headed?" Aramis asked.
"You'd have to ask Claude."
"Where can we find him?" Porthos' deep growl caused the man to back up a step.
"Third house on the left."
"Thank you for your assistance," Athos said as he settled his hat back on his head.
It only took moments to walk to the house indicated by the innkeeper. A young woman was working in the vegetable patch and, flustered, dropped a ragged curtsey.
"We are looking for Claude," Aramis said. "Don't worry. He's not in any trouble."
"He's out in the fields, Sir." She walked to the fence and pointed. "That's him over there. He's working with his father."
Aramis shielded his eyes against the sun and looked across three fields to where two men were working. "Thank you," he said with a friendly smile.
They slogged through the corn, the heat causing sweat to run down their backs. They saw the men stopping work to watch their progress. When they got closer they could see apprehension on the men's faces. Athos realised that they were probably the first soldiers to ever enter this sleepy little village.
"Claude?" Athos addressed the younger man. "I am Athos of the King's Musketeers. We are seeking two fugitives and understand that you might have seen them."
"I don't know if they were fugitives, Sir. Late this morning I saw two men riding at the edge of the fields. They seemed to be in a hurry."
"Which way did they go?" d'Artagnan asked.
"East, towards those hills and the mines," he turned and pointed.
"Mines?" Athos asked.
"They're abandoned now, Sir. The Baron had them dug out. No-one knows what he was searching for. He was brought up in Spain by his mother after the old Baron died. When he came back he had some strange ideas." He ducked his head, embarrassed by his outspokenness. "Begging your pardon, Sir. I meant no disrespect."
Athos looked thoughtful. "An abandoned mine would make a good hiding place. They could hole up there and wait for us to pass then head off in a different direction. We'd never be able to pick up their trail again."
"How many mines are there?" Aramis asked.
"Three. The one closest to the village goes the deepest." He coloured. "It wouldn't be natural not to explore them," he explained. "They haven't been in use since I was a child."
"Thank you, Claude. You've been very helpful." Athos held out a coin.
"That's not necessary, Sir."
"None the less, you have done us a good turn." Athos pressed it into his hand. "Without your help the trail might have gone cold."
They made their way back to the horses and mounted up.
"What do you think the Baron was lookin' for?" Porthos asked as they walked their animals back to the main track.
Athos shrugged. "Precious metal maybe, although I've never heard of any being found in this region. Coal perhaps."
"There's a lot of mining done in Spain," Aramis explained. "It's possible he was brought up in a mining region and decided to try his luck when he returned home."
They sped up until they were cantering, forestalling further conversation. Gradually the hills grew closer and they spotted a rough track leading off the main trail. Athos urged his horse in that direction. The hills were craggy and bare of vegetation except for the occasional stunted pine tree and patches of moss. They weren't particularly high but climbing them would take a lot of care as they could see loose scree littering the ground. They rounded the first hill and encountered an opening, which at first looked like the entrance to a natural cave. As Athos looked closer, however, he could see that it had been hewn out of the rocks by the hands of men and not by nature.
He held up a hand to halt them and dismounted. He walked up a slight slope and peered inside. The sunlight penetrated no more than a few feet, after which it was complete darkness. "We'll need torches."
D'Artagnan went in search of wood, finding two branches that had broken off the only tree in the immediate vicinity. "It's good and dry," he said. "Should burn well."
"Aramis and I will search this one," Athos said. "You two move on to the next one. We'll rendezvous back here."
He waited for their two companions to leave before building a small fire out of moss and twigs. Once it was burning he held the end of the branch to the flames. It took several minutes before the branch caught fire. He turned to Aramis. "Ready?"
Aramis drew his main gauche. If they found the men they were seeking there would undoubtedly be a fight and the passage was too narrow for swordplay. "Lead the way."
They both stepped out of the daylight and into the stifling darkness.
Tbc