The past few days had been exhausting, both due to a lack of sleep and the stress that events had brought with them. When they initially formulated their plan against the Cardinal it seemed fairly straightforward, and while Athos was still unhappy about the need to shoot d'Artagnan, he had eventually accepted the necessity of the act. d'Artagnan had been shocked when he awoke at Milady's residence with a bandage around his ribs instead of his arm. Clearly something had gone wrong and the young man's mind turned immediately to his mentor, knowing that the man would be fraught with worry about the placement of his shot. Fortunately the wound didn't seem too serious, a fact that was confirmed by Milady's appearance when she explained that the ball had glanced off a rib. As hoped, Milady had wasted no time in her campaign against the Musketeers, doing her best to convince d'Artagnan of his folly in following them. The Captain's appearance at her rooms only helped to solidify the young man's position and he soon found himself agreeing to kill Athos, finally ridding the lady of her treacherous husband.
He recalled the meeting that followed in Treville's office. Porthos looked at him with open joy, relishing the fact that he hadn't been grievously injured. Aramis smiled somewhat more sedately, but with no less enthusiasm, as his hands twitched, itching to pull aside d'Artagnan's doublet and shirt so he could examine the wound. Athos' face was a mix of guilt and consternation at the direction their plan was taking, clearly hopeful that his protégé could soon remove himself from Milady's company and return to the safety of his brothers at the garrison. Unsurprisingly, Athos had responded with calm to d'Artagnan's statement that he needed to kill him in front of Milady's eyes, and Porthos jumped in to suggest the means to make the act realistic, before setting out to collect the required supplies.
Athos' shooting, unlike d'Artagnan's, was completed without incident and the young man soon found himself in front of the Cardinal, enacting the next step in their plan. d'Artagnan's heart had leapt with satisfaction and pride when the Cardinal realized he'd been tricked, culminating with the words spoken by their Queen, ensuring the Cardinal's power would be significantly curtailed in the future. Their elation was short lived, however, when Milady informed the four Musketeers of Constance's capture and, before long, they found themselves in a brutal battle with Sarazin's men.
d'Artagnan and his brothers battled fiercely, soon turning the tide in their favour, until only Milady remained, standing with Constance at the far end of the street with a pistol at the young woman's throat. When the Gascon saw the situation his love was in, he had to lock his knees and force a calm mask that was the absolute opposite of how he was feeling. His relief at Athos' successful intervention had him reeling as he and Constance held each other and watched as Athos first attempted to end his wife's life and then ultimately sent her away with a plea to never return. In that moment, d'Artagnan was assured by Constance that they would finally have the future together that they both dearly desired, only to have both of their dreams shattered upon hearing of Bonacieux's stupidity in attempting to end his life and his declaration to Constance that he would be successful in the future, should she decide to leave him. The young man had nodded numbly at Constance that he understood and, of course, he would not ask her to leave under these circumstances; walking away, he wondered how many sorrows one heart could manage before irreparably breaking.
He had spent that evening in the company of his three friends, sharing comfort and wine beside the warmth of a roaring fire. Few words were spoken that night, but the solidarity between brothers could be felt in the occasional supportive glances or touches that the four men shared. When their stomachs were filled with wine and their thoughts dulled, the four men made their way to Aramis' lodgings and slept an exhausted sleep, only presenting themselves at the garrison after the mid-day meal. Given the successful completion of their mission, it was reasonable to assume that Captain Treville would allow them some leniency regarding their arrival time.
Treville was, indeed, accommodating and simply regarded the four with an appraising eye before confirming, "You are well?" His glance encompassed the four men as they responded with nods, and his gaze paused on d'Artagnan before continuing. "Good. The King has received a complaint from an influential member of Court and he needs your presence to confirm whether or not there's a concern with rebels on the roads around Rouen. If a problem exists, I will leave it in your hands to sort appropriately."
"At our own time?" Porthos queried.
The Captain nodded his acknowledgement. "The trip itself should take three or four days each way, in addition to the time required to deal with the situation. Two weeks?" the Captain raised a questioning eyebrow and Athos nodded his agreement, knowing that whatever timeframe was agreed upon would be the amount of time before aid would be sent, should the Musketeers not return. "Excellent. There's still a good amount of daylight remaining so you may as well get ready and start out."
As the four turned to exit the Captain's office, Treville interrupted, "d'Artagnan, not you." The young man looked at him surprised. "You were hurt during this mission and I have it on good authority that you'll push yourself before you're fit." Aramis looked down at this comment, knowing that he was often the Captain's source of information regarding the men's health. "You'll stay at the garrison on light duties until your wound is fully healed." Athos looked ready to protest the Captain's orders but Treville held up a hand to stop him. "This is not negotiable. Dismissed."
The four Musketeers traded a quick glance, then followed Athos out the door, having agreed that the Captain would not be moved from his decision. Following his friends down the stairs to the garrison courtyard, d'Artagnan sighed heavily, already dreading the two weeks of boredom and loneliness ahead of him. As if sensing his melancholy, Athos turned to him at the bottom of the stairs and grasped his forearm, looking directly into the younger man's eyes as he spoke. "It would not be my choice either, especially given the….difficulty of the past few days. Regardless, the Captain cares deeply for our wellbeing and would not have made this choice lightly." d'Artagnan looked at the ground, no happier with Athos' words than with those of his Captain. "d'Artagnan," Athos raised the younger man's chin with his hand, forcing eye contact once again, "consider this time a gift. It will allow you to rest and then to train and hone your skills. Perhaps you'll improve enough to best Porthos or Aramis upon our return."
A grin crossed the young man's face. "And what if I best you?"
A smile tugged at Athos' lips as his comments had the desired effect on his protégé. "We'll only be away for a fortnight – not nearly enough time for you to acquire the expertise needed to best me."
Porthos snorted and clapped d'Artagnan on the back while Aramis chuckled and the four made their way to their rooms to prepare for their mission, d'Artagnan following along so he could say his good-byes.
d'Artagnan found himself sitting at the table the four men usually shared, contemplating a bowl of cold stew, stirring it aimlessly with the spoon in his hand. His brothers had left hours before and d'Artagnan was astonished at the depth of his feelings of loss at their absence. This was not the first time they had been apart, but it was the first time that he was dealing with Constance's loss without the others by his side. Looking down, he finally realized what he was doing and crossly pushed the bowl away from him, slopping a good portion of the offensive meal onto the table. As he was contemplating whether he wanted to go to a tavern or back to his room, the Captain appeared outside of his office.
"d'Artagnan," he called, waiting for the young man's attention, "please come up to my office." With that he returned to his office, taking his seat as he waited for the Musketeer to arrive.
"Are you well, d'Artagnan?" the Captain asked, leaning back in his chair.
"Yes, Captain, I am fine." d'Artagnan replied uncertainly.
The Captain was quiet and the young man did everything in his power to remain still as the silence between them stretched. Just when he thought he could stand the quiet no further, the Captain spoke.
"You are familiar with Castillon-Debats?" the Captain questioned.
d'Artagnan was surprised at the question, but answered readily, "Of course, they neighbor Lupiac."
"And, you know people there?" the Captain prompted.
"Yes, we were friendly and, as farmers, we were always ready to lend a hand to one another." d'Artagnan pinned the Captain with a serious gaze. "Captain, why do you wish to know about Castillon-Debats?"
The older man pulled a deep breath, took a moment to exhale slowly and then began his explanation. "We have received credible information that a band of thieves from Castillon-Debats has been in control of roads between Bordeaux and Paris. While bandits of this sort are not uncommon, this band is." Treville leaned forward, placing his elbows on the desk, steepling his fingers in front of him. After taking a minute to compose his thoughts, he continued. "This group has had unusual success, seemingly knowing exactly when a carriage is to be expected and stopping only those who have the means to ransom their lives. I had sent Duvall and Beaumont along the road as common men with orders to identify and infiltrate the group so they might be stopped." The Captain paused and took another deep breath, closing his eyes momentarily before reopening them and looking directly at d'Artagnan. "Their bodies were returned to the garrison two days ago, with a warning that future meddling would garner a similar response."
d'Artagnan gasped quietly at the news of his fellow Musketeers and then directed a questioning look at his Captain. "How have I not heard the news of Duvall and Beaumont's demise?"
The Captain nodded at d'Artagnan's quick grasp of the situation. "They were brought by wagon in the dead of night, with explicit instructions that the cargo," Treville forced the word out in disgust, "was to be delivered to me personally. When I discovered the bodies of our two brothers, I had them removed to the morgue in secrecy. Sadly, they will be buried tomorrow without ceremony until we can bring the men to blame to justice."
d'Artagnan nodded thoughtfully, sensing the other man's exhaustion and pain at his actions. "That's why you wanted to know about Castillon-Debats," he stated, quietly. "You want to try again, but this time with someone who might be known to these men."
"Yes. They have proven to be incredibly wary of strangers and I believe that our best chance of success is to introduce someone familiar to them. Someone who has been away and has lost everything during that time – his family, his farm. A man such as this might be believed to possess the character of a bandit, regardless of who he might have been in the past." Pausing to allow his words to sink in, the Captain watched d'Artagnan's reaction carefully. "Are you such a man, d'Artagnan?"
The Gascon bit his lip in thought, then nodded. "Yes, I am that man."
Treville seemed to sag in relief at the self-assurance in d'Artagnan's answer. "I was hoping you might be." In that instant, Treville drew himself up, regaining the confidence that seemed to have escaped him earlier. "The last information I received showed the group moving steadily north and it's possible they may have travelled as far as Orleans. Unfortunately, we have no other information about the men involved so you'll need to keep your eyes open, rely on your instincts and approach the right people. We cannot risk the group learning about your commission or having any direct contact with anyone at the garrison. When you have identified the members of the band, send word to the barkeeper at the Three Crowns; I'll ensure that it becomes one of the men's favored places to drink while you're away. When we receive word from you, we'll arm and travel to your location at which time we can put an end to this group's terror."
d'Artagnan nodded his understanding and walked towards the door, before stopping and turning back toward his Captain. "This is why you sent the others away, isn't it?"
Treville nodded. No further words were necessary as both men knew that his brothers would have argued vehemently against d'Artagnan's involvement in such a dangerous mission. The Gascon turned back to the door and made haste down the stairs, already contemplating what supplies and other personal items he could safely bring with him.