Disclaimer: The Musketeers are not mine. I'm just borrowing the concepts and characters for a little while.
Spoilers: 3.03 Brothers in Arms.
A/N: One of two tags for this episode.
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"Leave yourself open like that and you're dead. This is not a game… Head over heart every time."
~~~~~~~ d'Artagnan, 3.03 Brothers in Arms.
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Over the din of the cadets' clashing swords, d'Artagnan heard a horse enter the garrison courtyard through the gate behind him. A moment or two later, he felt a hand briefly touch his back, letting him know in that second before he could see him, that Athos had returned.
Even after four years, he was still getting used to a more tactile Athos. In his memory, touch from Athos was a rare commodity before the war, yet it seemed rather more common now. It was almost as if his friend needed the touch to prove to himself that those he loved were alive, and well.
As he watched the cadets train, d'Artagnan tracked Athos's progress through the courtyard out of the corner of his eye, but only until the older man started up the stairs leading to the Captain's office.
When one of the cadets made a countermove which left a wide-open hole in the younger man's defense, d'Artagnan called a halt. Such a move reminded him of how he used to do to the very same thing, and he recognized a little bit of his younger self in the way the cadet had been fighting. So in the moment and so caught up in the emotion that he all too often forgot to pay attention to his opponent's movements, leaving him with Athos's blade at his neck. His friend and captain had done his best to drill into him the importance of paying attention and to think before acting.
What did I tell you about thinking before you act?
The advice Athos had given him all those years ago was something the younger men needed to hear – and heed – if they were going to survive for very long out on the streets of Paris, and especially out on the battlefield.
Remember; head over heart.
It didn't mean you fought without emotion, without heart, but that you didn't let it rule over you in a fight. It was possible to fight with all your heart – he did it all of the time – but you must think while doing so.
Every soldier has an Achilles heel; you control that and you control the fight.
He could feel eyes on him as the cadets resumed sparring. D'Artagnan knew whose eyes were upon him, but he felt the need to look up anyway.
As his eyes met those of his friend, d'Artagnan was reminded of the day he had won his commission. That look now on Athos's face… It was the same look as on that day that seemed so long ago now. Athos's expression was full of pride – in him. As it was that day, so it was on this day.
He was taken briefly back into the past by memories of some of the last minute training that Athos had given him, so that he could have a chance to win the competition and be the Musketeer champion.
Talent won't keep you alive if your heart rules your head.
Athos had been right in his assessment, and d'Artagnan had almost been killed by Labarge in the Bastille due to his hot-headed, reckless quest for justice. Without Athos, he would've been dead; he owed Athos more than he could ever repay – even after four years of serving together on the front lines.
Head over heart had been thoroughly drilled into him, and though his actions still seemed reckless at times, he really had learned the lesson.
When he saw Athos smile slightly before turning to go into the office, d'Artagnan wondered if his friend was having similar thoughts to his own.
Where once he was the apprentice, he was now the teacher. Where once he had needed to be taught an important lesson, he was now passing that advice on to the next generation of Musketeers.
D'Artagnan hoped the cadets learned this lesson half as well as he did; it might just save their lives one day.
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Riding his horse into the garrison courtyard, Athos could see that d'Artagnan was attending to the cadets' training. He was confident that, if the young men paid heed to d'Artagnan's instruction, their skills would greatly improve. Though d'Artagnan's skills would be invaluable out at the front, they were needed just as much there at the garrison.
As he dismounted from his horse, he marveled once more at the idea that they were back home in Paris after so many years. He marveled even more at the fact that they had made it home from the front alive.
Passing behind d'Artagnan, he ran his hand lightly across his friend's back. It let d'Artagnan know he had returned as well as reassuring him that he wasn't imagining that his friend was really and truly there with him.
He was aware that he was more tactile these days and that it was out of character for him compared to five years ago, but only touch could provide that reassurance that he needed from time to time. Too many close calls on the battlefield had given him this compulsion to physically check in on his friends.
As he headed towards his office, he couldn't help but watch the cadets training, or rather, watch d'Artagnan training them. He could see where they needed improvement and was certain that d'Artagnan could as well. Athos missed the day-to-day training sessions with the cadets, but as captain, he didn't have much time to partake in them other than to help Aramis get back up to par.
Then, one of the two young men – God, had he ever been that young? – let his emotions get the better of him, which left him open to attack. It was something d'Artagnan used to do, but though the emotion was still there in his friend's fighting, it was well-tempered with strategy, proving that d'Artagnan had learned well his lesson.
D'Artagnan stopped the sparring session, and to his surprise, passed on that lesson to the two young men, punctuating each word with a touch.
Head over heart every time.
With d'Artagnan's words, he was suddenly taken back more than five years ago.
You have natural talent, but too often you let your emotions run away with you.
That natural talent had blossomed under his tutelage and even more so out on the front. Not only had d'Artagnan become a skilled fighter, his friend had also become quite the leader of men. He remembers well the words he had told Tréville:
D'Artagnan has it in him to be a fine Musketeer. Perhaps the greatest of us all.
It seemed at least part of his prediction had come true; d'Artagnan definitely was a fine Musketeer. Only time would tell if he would be the greatest of them all.
He couldn't help be proud of d'Artagnan. Proud over what the younger man had accomplished, and proud that he had had a part in it.
D'Artagnan raised his head and sought him out. When their eyes met, he could tell d'Artagnan was also thinking back to those days before the commission had been won.
Having just lost everything, d'Artagnan had been barely holding it together despite the façade the younger man had presented to the world. It was through sheer determination and pure Gascon stubbornness that d'Artagnan had learned that important lesson – a lesson which had helped him gain his commission from the King.
How proud he had been that day. How proud he was today, so much so that he couldn't help but smile a little as he turned to enter his office.
Athos heard the sparring recommence soon after, and he hoped that the cadets would learn this lesson – now passed down to another generation of Musketeers – half as well as d'Artagnan did. It might just save their lives one day.
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The end.
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Except for the line from episode 3, all of the italicized sentences are quotes from episode 1.08 The Challenge.
Some of this might be AU due to the fact that I've not seen episode 4 and following.
Many thanks to Celticgal1041 for her help; all remaining mistakes are my fault.
Thanks for reading!