Disclaimer: The Sentinel belongs to UPN/Paramount and Pet Fly Productions. The song, "Highwayman," belongs to Waylon Jennings,Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, and Jimmy L. Webb. No copyright infringement is intended and no money has changed hands.

Author's note: WARNING! Character death! (Many times)

Highwayman

I was a highwayman

Along the coach roads, I did ride

Sword and pistol by my side

Many a maiden lost her baubles to my trade

Many a soldier left his life's blood on my blade

The bastards hung me in the spring of '45

But I'm still alive

1645, France...

Louis du Brebond sat on the stollen horse, fairly well hidden in the brush, watching for the Musketeers to ride on by his position. The former thief was in anguish over the choice that had been forced on son Guardien, either to hang him or hang beside him. Jean du Pris was a Musketeer himself, had joined them to protect King Louis and the people of France, not to become Richlieu's puppet, but the man'd had full controll over the throne, and almost nothing had been able to stop him. Now, with things settling back out, at least for now, old warrents were being cleared, and his own from his time as one of the better skilled highwaymen of the county had been brought to the attention of the Captain.

Louis had never told Jean of his crimes, preferring to protect le Guardien from recriminations should the secret be uncovered, knowing that, not only would it tear their friendship apart, but it could put him in danger. And now he was running from the Musketeers, a prospect he knew was probably futile, but it was the only chance he had to save Jean from his past. He would force another soldier to kill him before Jean could catch up to the search party. He wouldn't have to see it happen. He regretted that the man would have to see his corpse and arrange for his burial, but Louis felt that it was far preferable to Jean dying as well.

Still, the mischieveous side of him wanted to give the soldiers a run for their money. None of them had ever treated Jean with even the barest respect, never allowing him to exercise his full potential as un Guardien, so le Compagnon had no problem with forcing a chase. Louis pulled out behind the troop of Musketeers and urged the horse forward, following behind the clueless soldiers. It was the one in front of the pack that was Jean's worst enemy, the one who was continually working to get Jean kicked out of the Musketeers, and he planned to use Louis's trial to achieve that. The man was well aware that Jean du Pris would not allow his friend to be hung like that without intervening, which would guarantee that he would also be hung. Louis could not allow that, and he imagined that if he could remove that man, Jean's position in the Musketeers would be far more secure, at least so that they wouldn't arrest him.

Louis worked his way through the line of soldiers with brutal efficiency. In that part of his mind that was not taken up by the task and that of holding on to his emotions, he knew that he would loose control of his stomach as soon as he was done. He had never enjoyed killing, though he'd had to do it many times in his life. He was good at it, but he hated it, both the blood and the taking of a life, and he often wished that he'd never taken up the sword, but then he never would have met Jean. The path a life takes in it's beginning would always show it's future, and he wouldn't have given up knowing Jean for anything.

Finally, he reached the front of the line. Seven dead men lay on the trail behind them, all killed silently so as not to allert the leader. His name was Luc Benois, and he had hated Jean even before either of them had joined the Musketeers, blaming him for the death of his father because Jean had frozen during the fire that killed him, mesmirized by the light of the fire. He had decided that Jean would have to pay for that accident, if not with his life, then with his career. Louis knew that Benois had been the one who found his warrants, as well, so he had plenty of reason to kill the man.

Louis leapt from the saddle, slamming into Benois and pulling him off his own horse and throwing the both of them to the ground. Both men rolled to a standing position, swords drawn. "Benois!"

The soldier sneered at the criminal in front of him. He was sure of his own skills and he felt like taunting his prey, although he soon realized that there was no one behind him. His men had already fallen to du Brebond's skill with a blade. "Du Brebond. I hope you are ready to die. Have you atoned for your sins? Are you ready to meet God?"

Louis shook his head. "I don't know. But I do know that Jean is a good man, and I will do everything in my power to keep him safe, even at the cost of my own soul."

Benois raised an eyebrow at the man. If nothing else, he at least admired that kind of loyalty, so he saluted his opponent and they began circling. Swords clashed, lunge and parry, slash and block, both men using the terrain to their advantage. Louis and Benois both had the speed, but the former highwayman's skill was far greater, and the Musketeer was overconfident. The confrontation only lasted minutes before le Compagnon ran his adversary through.

However, Louis made one final miscalculation. As he removed the blade from the torso of his son Gardien enemy, the man pulled a pistol from his belt beneath his cloak, where Louis would not see it, and fired. The ball struck its target in the chest, and both men fell, dying at the same instant.

Minutes later, with a pardon in his hands and a company of men at his back, Jean du Pris rode into the clearing that had witnessed the passing of son Compagnon. Jean had convinced Louis to grant the pardon in defference to the aid he had rendered during the overthrow of Richlieu, but now it was too late. Le Compagnon lay dead on the ground, and nothing mattered any more.

Cradling the cooling form of his best friend in his arms, Jean noticed a slip of paper sticking out of his belt pouch through the tears that had filled his eyes. Removing it to reveal son Compagnon last words, he read...

Jean,

I hope that you never have to read this letter. I sit here writing this on the night before we go to face our destinies against Cardinal Richlieu. If you ever read this, it will mean that I have died before you, and I wish to clear my conscience. I never told you about my past. As a highwayman, I stole from the wealthy to help my mother survive, and I killed to keep myself alive. I have never been a stranger to violence, though it has always sickened me. I hope that you can forgive me, mon Gardien, mon ami, mon frère.

Dieu protège le Roi!

Louis du Brebond

God protect the King! It was fitting that those be the last words of son Compagnon should be that prayer. Fitting as well that they should be his own. He had become a Musketeer in order to protect the King and France, but now, without Louis to help him, he would not be able to do so. Fitting that he should ask God to do what he no longer could before passing into His keeping.

Jean lowered his soulmate gently to the ground and kissed both his cheeks. He whispered, "Wait for me, mon frère. I will be with you soon." Then he pulled back and stood, turning to face the enemy that Louis had given his life to destroy for son Gardien, making certain that he was dead. No heartbeat came from the body, and Jean felt unholy satisfaction that Louis had been successful. Finally, he turned to his lieutenant, pulling the pardon from its place in his belt pouch. "Give this to his mother. She should know that her son was a hero to France. I swore to protect the King with my life. Without Louis by my side, I can no longer do that, so my life is forfiet." He drew his pistol and stepped back, turning to face the countryside. It was a beautiful day, with fluffy white clouds dancing lazily along the horizon and a cool breeze blowing through the valley. Perfect. "Pour Dieu et la France!" And then he put the pistol to his head.

This is only the first chapter of what will be a series that will cover the entire song, Highwayman, plus one chapter that includes the canon characters post TSbyBS. If you know the song, then you know the basic plot of the first three chapters, but the other two should have some surprises.

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