A/N: Thank you so much for the great messages and reviews! Glad y'all liked a little Athos love ;-) Thanks for sticking with this story - your awesome feedback means a lot!
Going Back
Chapter 1o
While Athos and D'Artagnan neared the town, Aramis and Porthos had a fruitless search for Joseph on the grounds of the hunting lodge. They asked the staff who informed them that he was supposed to have accompanied Maurice to check some of their snares and would be gone for most of the day.
Porthos growled in frustration. "Of all the times for him to take sudden interest in maintaining the grounds…"
"I'm fairly disappointed that I won't be able to dispel your and Athos' lack of faith in my charm," Aramis responded with a grin.
Porthos grinned back. "We have the utmost appreciation for your silver tongue. It's gotten us out of and into trouble more times than I can count. Joseph is not here though, so what should we do now?"
"Perhaps we can find our needle in the haystack of Joseph's quarters?" said Aramis mischievously.
Porthos and Aramis made their way to Joseph's quarters in the servants' section of the lodge.
The room was large with few possessions. The walls were unadorned, there were no books on the shelves, not even a copy of the bible. A chest sat by the foot of the bed. Porthos grinned and lifted the chest onto the table by the hearth and went to work on the lock.
Aramis searched the remainder of the room. He examined a chest of drawers. The first two contained some spare clothing and an extra blanket. Aramis opened the bottom drawer. Inside he found what appeared to be an old tattered journal. Aramis picked it up and began to flip through it. His eyes grew wide as frantic and enraged scrawling leapt off the page. Words of hate and anger fired at Aramis like bullets from the man's quill. The manic language levelled curses at the King, at the country and at the members of the de la Fere family. Aramis' eyes grew dark as he read the hateful words. The book's author spoke of his certainty that he was an heir of Renard's in mangled thoughts and wounded language. The text was riddled with claims and anger but no actual evidence or indication as to where these thoughts originated.
"They deserve to burn," Aramis read, "The whole family. They should be cast out and slaughtered with the pigs. They're not worthy to bear my name. They don't deserve it. I'd gut those brats myself. Olivier and Thomas. Dimwitted ingrates of that imbecile Guillaume – How dare he deny me! I'll get my justice!"
"Ha!" Porthos shouted suddenly, as the trunk clicked open, causing Aramis to startle from the confused and dark words he was reading.
Porthos' eyes flashed in concern as he looked at the pale marksman. "You alright?"
Aramis took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair. "I've just been searching the labyrinth of a madman's mind. His journal," Aramis said gesturing to the book in his hands. "There's no indication of the author but I'd put money on it being Joseph's. It's full of anger, Porthos. He blames them for everything. His struggles, his war service, what happened to him out there…it's disturbing," he said with a shudder. Porthos looked concernedly at his brother.
"I got the chest open," Porthos said, hoping to distract the marksman as he continued to flip through the pages. Seeing that Aramis was still trying to discern something from the journal, he began looking through the contents of the chest. He pulled out the torn pages from the family bible and set them aside. A tapestry of the family crest was splattered with blood. Lastly, Porthos pulled a pistol from the bottom of the chest and let out a low whistle.
"'Mis, take a look at this," he said. The marksman made his way over to the table and set down the journal. Porthos handed Aramis the silver pistol and Aramis' eyes grew wide at the ornate weapon. A large ruby was set in the butt end of the pistol. Elegant scrollwork was engraved on the barrel along with the words of the de la Fere family motto which circled around the handle.
Aramis raised the pistol to his eye and gauged the sight. He examined the pin and stared into the barrel, giving the weapon a slight sniff. "This has been fired recently. And not cleaned correctly," he said shaking his head.
"I'd put money on it that this was the weapon that shot you," Porthos said.
Aramis nodded. "I remember the barrel was engraved with similar scrollwork. I couldn't make out the writing at the time," he said. "We need to tell Athos. Look at this," Aramis said, turning the book so Porthos could see what was written on the last page.
"There's only one left. The ungrateful. Threw it away and burnt it to ash. He doesn't deserve it. Only one left. Then it's mine…" Porthos read. "He's talking about Athos!"
Aramis nodded. "We need to warn him."
Just then Sophie bustled into the room carrying a freshly laundered shirt.
Aramis snapped the book shut and Porthos hastily stepped in front of the contents of the chest.
"Oh!" she said, "Didn't expect to find you here! What's Felix done now?" she asked with a roll of her eyes.
Two sets of eyebrows flew to hairlines. Aramis stepped forward and placing his hand on the woman's shoulder, his eyes burned into hers. "Felix?" he asked gently, "I thought Maurice's brother was named Joseph."
"Yes...Joseph Felix Lacroix," Sophie said confusedly. "He was named after one of the former masters of this place. Maurice's family has been serving here for generations."
"Why would Maurice introduce him as Joseph?" Aramis asked, forcing his voice to remain calm.
"He's always been Joseph, but I've always called him Felix as a nickname. Known the lad since he was a baby, after all," she said, the confusion heavy in her voice.
Aramis nodded. "Thank you Sophie. If you see…Felix, can you tell him that Porthos and I were looking to share a drink and some war stories if he'd care to join us? Can you also ask John to meet us here quickly?" he said with a warm smile.
"Oh, all right then," she said as she cast another confused smile at the marksman as he led her out of the room.
"We need to tell Athos now," said Porthos urgently when they were once more alone.
"He should be back soon," said Aramis. He threw the other evidence and the journal into the trunk as John came into view. "John!" said Aramis, smiling warmly at the man.
John smiled back hesitantly when he saw the dark and troubled face of the brawler.
"I just ran into Sophie…" he said.
"Excellent," said Aramis putting his arm around the man, guiding him back towards the door. "Porthos and I are looking for Joseph. Can you man the back door and let us know once he arrives?"
John raised an eyebrow but nodded and left the room.
"Let's go," said Porthos, lifting the trunk. "We'll meet them in the trophy room."
Aramis followed Porthos out of the bedroom, hoping that their friends would return soon and would beat the madman back to the lodge.
oOo