Well here we go, next chapter. Thank you to dg101 for the review on chapter 2.

Sadly they're not mine, just borrowing.


The sun was beginning to slip low in the sky, sending early evening rays into the little room. Athos sat in the chair and watched Clara as she slept in his bed, memories flowing through his mind.

Clara pinned against a wall, tears running down her face. Bertrand standing over her; one hand gripping her throat and the other fumbling at her dress. The rage that had followed and banishing the man from his lands. Athos put his head in his hands, his thoughts and memories chasing round in circles. Eventually he slipped into an uneasy sleep.

A light knock on the door woke Athos and he shook his head to clear it before making his way across the room. When he opened the door he was unsurprised to find Aramis and Porthos in the hallway, with d'Artagnan standing not far behind them.

"Treville told us what you're planning." Porthos looked unimpressed.

"This is my own affair to deal with."

"But not on your own. Athos you're walking blindly towards death if you do this." Aramis could not believe what he was hearing. Athos shook his head.

"No, this is something I have to do. Please let me be." Athos was relieved when they nodded and Porthos reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Alright, be careful." As Athos nodded and closed the door they turned and made their way from the house. They were out on the street before Porthos spoke again. "He's going to do something stupid isn't he?"

"I believe so." Aramis sounded almost resigned and turned to face them both. "He'll most likely leave early tomorrow. We'll watch the road and then follow after a few hours. I don't want to give him half a day." The others nodded and headed away to their own rooms.

Athos watched from the window as his friends stood for a moment in the street before heading their separate ways. He knew they only wanted to help him and that they were confused by his refusal to talk to them but his fear of them finding out even more about him was greater than his wish to keep his friends happy. As he watched he could tell they were planning something and thought quickly. It took him only a few moments to come to a decision.

He turned and hurried across the room and knelt to pick up his weapons, reaching across to shake Clara's shoulder. She woke with a start and sat up, fixing him with dark eyes.

"Clara, we have to leave now." She nodded, not questioning him and reached down to pick up her satchel. Athos pulled on his travelling cloak and placed Clara's over her shoulders before taking her arm and leading her out onto the streets.

Athos led Clara briskly back toward the garrison and they slipped into the stables just as the sun was setting. The groom looked down from the hayloft, his surprise when he recognised Athos was clear.

"Sir?"

"Saddle one of the spare horses." Athos' tone brooked no argument and the groom scrambled down to the saddle rack. Athos quickly lifted his own saddle from the rack and moved swiftly to his horse. The animal regarded him with liquid eyes and whickered softly, recognising his master.

It took only a few moments to have both horses ready. Athos tied on the last saddlebag and turned to the groom.

"Shut the gate behind us." He was satisfied when the man nodded. He turned and helped Clara mount, glad that he and Thomas had taught her to ride. With a last look at the groom he mounted his own horse and turned his head towards the gate, kicking his heels in.

The groom watched as the two horses clattered away over the cobbles before shaking his head and shutting the gate.

D'Artagnan woke before dawn; he lay quietly for a moment before rolling from the bed and reaching for his clothes.

When he made his way downstairs he found Constance already there, a basket of fresh bread in her arms. She stopped in surprise when she saw him.

"You're up early." She looked at him, noting the bag he had in his hand.

"Leaving early I'm afraid."

"Where to?"

"I can't say." He shook his head apologetically.

"Well for how long?"

"I don't know."

Her lips pressed together in a frown and she slammed the basket onto the table, pulling a loaf from it as she did so. She turned and threw the bread at him; d'Artagnan just managed to catch it. She had thrown it hard and he reminded himself never to provoke her if there were things she could throw nearby. He nodded his thanks and slipped the bread into his bag. He saw her eyes soften a little.

"Just stay out of trouble." Her voice was almost pleading and he smiled at her.

"Unlikely." He did not see her eyes grow sad as he turned and slipped out of the door.

The boy made his way towards the Musketeer garrison, intending to pack his saddlebags and be ready to watch the road with the others.

Inside the stables d'Artagnan stopped. Where Athos' horse should have been there was a stable boy, sweeping at the hay. The groom was just closing the door of another empty stall.

"Where is Athos' horse?"

"He took it, Sir; along with another for the lady."

"When?" The man hesitated and d'Artagnan strode towards him. "When?" His shout seemed to spur the grooms' thoughts.

"Last night, not long after I had them all settled." D'Artagnan thought quickly, he knew when the groom settled the horses.

"Saddle the horses that belong to Porthos and Aramis, now." The groom and stable boy leapt into action, not daring to question him.

D'Artagnan rode to the gate, leading the other two horses. He stopped short when he nearly ran into Treville at the gate. The captain glared at him.

"I told you to give him half a day..."

"He's gone, Sir; last night." The boy saw realisation in the captain's eyes.

"Alright, follow him, bring him home safe. When you do, I've a mind to kill him myself." D'Artagnan nodded and turned the horses away, clattering across the cobbles. "God speed, lad." The captain's voice was quiet, heard only by the stable boy.

"Aramis." D'Artagnan pulled his horse up outside the window of Aramis' lodgings, shouting at the top of his voice. A moment later the window opened and Aramis looked out.

"D'Artagnan, what..."

"Athos is gone; he and Clara left last night." Aramis did not wait to hear more; he vanished from the window and appeared moments later, pushing his hat onto his head. Quickly he swung himself onto his horse and they turned the animals towards where Porthos lived.

"Porthos." Aramis' voice cut through the early morning. He did not have to shout for long; the door of the house flew open and Porthos came running out onto the street. He took one look at the scene in front of him and sighed. As he mounted his horse he turned to Aramis.

"I told you he'd do something stupid." He turned to D'Artagnan. "When did he sneak off?"

"The groom said he came to the stables just after the horses were settled." The others looked sharply at him.

"That means he left almost as soon as we left him alone." Aramis frowned.

"Which means he has a whole nights head start." Porthos' voice was almost a growl as they turned their horses and galloped towards the city gates.

On the dirt road outside the city they stopped, it did not take them long to spot the tracks of two horses, riding hard.

"We're gonna have to ride fast to catch him." Porthos looked along the road.

"He'll have to stop to rest at some point." D'Artagnan was perplexed when Porthos grinned and shook his head.

"If he's riding fast he won't stop until he pretty much falls from the saddle." He looked at Aramis who nodded in agreement.

"Or until his horse needs to rest." Aramis looked thoughtful for a moment. "Although he might stop if Clara needs to rest."

"Well we'd best hope that she tires easily." D'Artagnan kicked his heels and sent his horse galloping along the road.


Well there we go, reviews much appreciated xx