Chains clanked as the small group of kidnapped men trudged along the path surrounded by trees. Ellie had awoken rather suddenly to D'Artagnan standing above her, holding out a hand. She'd gladly taken it and listened intently as he explained what he'd managed to figure out. The slave traders kidnapped only men – how they hadn't noticed her yet was astounding – and they were being taken to the nearest French port. Ellie could only hope that her brothers figured out where they'd gone.

"This is all your fault, D'Artagnan," Louis moaned as they trudged behind their kidnapper. "I should never have allowed you to talk me into visiting that tavern." D'Artagnan glanced over at Ellie who was walking the other side of Louis. Her hair was tangled in knots and she had a fresh bruise blossoming along the left side of her face. She caught his look and gently shrugged her shoulders.

"If I could only convince them that I am King," Louis muttered. Ellie glared at Louis as D'Artagnan hurriedly explained why that was such a bad idea.

"No! You must not tell them who you are," D'Artagnan warned him as they continued walking down the hill.

"Of course, I should. Then they would have to let us go," Louis replied haughtily. Ellie rolled her eyes at his logic. Clearly, he hadn't learnt anything

"They'll kill us and bury the evidence rather than risk being hanged for treason," D'Artagnan shot back, his voice filled with anger.

"Nonsense. They're brutes, but the would never dare to kill their king. Look. Allow me to reason with them." Before either of them could stop him Louis yelled out: "You there! On the horse."

Ellie closed her eyes, sighing deeply as the man who was evidently the leader pulled his horse to a stop and turned around to face them. But, before the leader could yell at them, the man in front of D'Artagnan collapsed to the ground, groaning in pain. The brute who'd been walking alongside them stood over the fallen man and brought his whip down on his side. Ellie flinched at the sound as the man cried out. D'Artagnan sighed, glancing over at Louis who watched the scene with horror in his eyes.

"Get up!" The leader yelled, staring down at the man as the whip continued the hit him. "What is your name?"

"Pepin," he groaned as the whip hovered above him.

"Well, Monsieur Pepin. The life you had is over. Gone. And where you are going is no place for the weak. Now get up!" Pepin sobbed as the whip came down again. The leader unlocked his gun and aimed it down at the fallen man. "I leave this man's fate in your hands. Carry him or I kill him," D'Artagnan looked down at the man with pity as he thought. He looked over at Ellie as if for conformation. She gave him a small nod and D'Artagnan let go of the chain, letting it fall to the floor with a thump.

"I'll carry him," D'Artagnan said. The leader turned to face him, his gun now aimed at him.

"Where you're going a soft heart will kill you quicker than typhoid." D'Artagnan nodded as if he'd heard it all before. Two brutes roughly lifted Pepin off the floor and dumped him at D'Artagnan's feet.

"Why must we carry him?" Louis demanded, looking down at the man in disgust.

"I'll carry him on my own," D'Artgnan replied as he bent down and began to lift Pepin.

"You're supposed to be looking after me!" Louis growled as he watched D'Artagnan take the man's dead weight.

"Well, well, well," a voice drawled over Ellie's shoulder. She glanced behind her and saw another brute sitting upon a horse looking down at her. "Boss!"

The leader turned round and glared at the brute standing next to Ellie. "What is it?" He asked irritably.

"We've got a woman," he said. The leader looked over at him in astonishment.

"How on earth?" He asked, bringing his horse around and over to Ellie. He glared at the man before turning his attention to Ellie. His eyes roamed over her body and he seemed to leer at her. "What's your name?" He asked. Ellie swallowed, digging her voice up from where it had disappeared inside her.

"Elizabeth," she said. Her voice was hoarse and raw as she spoke.

"Elizabeth," he repeated, trying it out. "I apologise for how you've been treated so far," Ellie looked down at the ground. A rough hand grasped her chin and turned her face up. His face moved into a smirk as she forced herself to stare back at him. "Would you like to ride with me?" He asked, turning his horse around. Ellie hesitated, looking at Louis and D'Artagnan out the corner of her eye. "Hurry now, we've got places to be." Ellie's eyes moved over to D'Artagnan and, seeing his small nod, nodded at the leader.

"Unshackle her," he ordered. The brute who'd been standing behind her the entire time moved forward and unlocked the manacles around her wrists and feet. She rubbed her wrists as she walked up to the horse. Someone came from behind and boosted her onto the horse. Gingerly, she wrapped her arms around the man's waist and shot a look behind her as the party began to march again.

~0~

Athos, Porthos and Aramis rode through the city streets, concern written all over their faces. People quickly moved out of their way, the musketeer's body language warning them to stay out of the way. They'd gone straight to Treville when they'd realised the trio had been kidnapped. Treville had ordered them to search for any sign of them as soon as Aramis arrived after his late night. After Porthos had explained what had happened, Aramis had quickly forgotten the events of the previous night and had immediately started offering up ideas as to where they could be.

They'd interrogated the tavern owner who had revealed who'd kidnapped them and why. Which didn't particularly help the concern radiating through their hearts.

"I'm worried about Ellie," Porthos admitted as they trotted through the city to the blacksmiths.

"we all are," Athos replied, staring straight ahead.

"No, I mean..." Porthos trailed off. "From what I've managed to gather, she's surrounded by men who kidnap men and make them slaves," he said. Aramis and Athos remind silent.

"What you're saying is that she could..." Aramis didn't dare say the word.

"Yes," said Porthos, speeding up a bit. "That's exactly what I am saying. And I now Ellie is older now, but that doesn't mean it can't still happen." Aramis sighed, kicking his horse into a faster trot.

"Well, then. We'd better find them fast"