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Porthos got back to Amelie's cottage as quickly as he could after hearing what his brothers said. He needed to get saddled and follow them as soon as he could. They didn't know what he had learned from a man at the tavern who had overheard Aramis' kidnappers talking as they left the tavern after finding out where he was. The men had found out from someone else in town that a young woman had been brought to Amelie soon after Aramis arrived. The man didn't know why, but this information seemed to additionally spike their haste, and they commented as they left about getting two birds with one stone. The man giving the information to Porthos hadn't known what that meant. He always found it amazing what he could learn in taverns. Men talked freely, and never gave a thought about being overheard.
Porthos entered Amelie's cottage, and she came to him immediately, saying, "The young woman is gone! After your friends left, I went to check on her, and she wasn't there. The men who took Aramis didn't have her. I don't know where she could have gone. And I found this after Athos and d'Artagnan had gone. It had been left on the bed."
The note said if the young woman was given to them, they would release Aramis in exchange.
Porthos was starting to put two and two together, and didn't like what he came up with. He was more sure now than ever that what had happened to the still anonymous young woman was what Aramis may have seen and been attacked for. These men had found out she was alive and in the village, and probably would have taken her as well, if she hadn't taken off.
What he was afraid of was that they planned to kill them both. Now, the woman was missing, and he had no idea where she would have gone in a village that was unfamiliar to her. He needed to let his brothers know this latest information.
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Aramis' body was growing more and more painful the longer he was kept across the saddle like a sack of pototoes. His ribs were nowhere healed, and the jostling was not helping them any. He knew he couldn't try getting out the ropes while he was lying under the eyes of the man in the saddle, so he hoped they might stop for a rest soon where he might have a better chance to free himself.
Sure enough, a little while later, they had to give the horses a small breather, as they were becoming too winded to rely on. Aramis was dragged off the horse and shoved down and against the trunk of a large tree, while the men took the tired horses down to the creek for water. One man was left guarding him in the small clearing.
Aramis frantically worked the ropes, trying to hitch his finger under one loop to maneuvre it to loosen. He didn't have any idea how he knew to do that, it just seemed like how he should do it. After a few minutes, he could feel the ropes loosening, and worked harder to get them off while only one man was guarding him.
He got a hand free finally, and without thinking about it, jumped the man keeping watch. The man was so surprised, Aramis had an easier time with him than he had thought he would. He grabbed the man's pistol and hit him in the head, and the man dropped like a stone.
Out of breath already from having lain prone in a bed for days, he turned to take off into the trees, when he heard one of his captors say, "Drop that weapon now, Musketeer!"
Aramis wasn't about to be taken captive again if he could help it, and whirled, firing as he did so. One man cried out as the bullet hit him in the shoulder, but the others kept coming as they knew he was now holding an unloaded pistol. Aramis desperately swung the pistol as they neared him, striking another of the men, but there were too many of them for him to take out.
They were just starting to lay hands on him when a cold voice called out, "I would not do that if I were you, gentlemen."
Athos and d'Artagnan advanced into the clearing, guns drawn, causing the men to freeze for a moment, before drawing their rapiers. The Musketeers did the same, and there was a furious fight five against two before two of the men turned tail and ran into the trees. The other three surrendered then, as they could tell when someone had a superior ability with a sword. Athos had been almost playing with two of them, their swordplay not too good. D'Artagnan had not been having much trouble with his man, either.
Tying the men and sitting them on the ground,Athos and d'Artagnan could finally go to their brother to see how he was. They saw the coil of rope lying abandoned on the ground,and Athos smiled as he said, "You still have that knack, brother, even if you don't remember your past life. Obviously, your instincts came into play to preserve your life. Was that you also that put a hole in the gentleman over there?", indicating the man lying bleeding on the ground.
Aramis nodded, and a small smile came into play on his face. "Was I good with a pistol then?"
D'Artagnan replied, "You were- are - the best marksman in the regiment, Aramis."
Aramis took this in, and realized he still had the skills, even with no memory. Like Athos had said, instinct gave him the ability to still use them. But instinct wasn't aiding him with remembering his brothers, and it still saddened him immeasurably that he didn't.
Athos and d'Artagnan had just loaded the prisoners on horses when they heard the thundering of a horse's hooves racing towards them. Once again drawing their pistols, they were relieved to lower them again as Porthos flew into the clearing. Jumping down from his horse, he rushed to Aramis to see if he was all right, calming down as he saw he had no new injuries.
Grabbing him with both hands, Porthos smothered him in a bear hug, quickly followed by Athos and d'Artagnan. Aramis had suspiciously wet eyes as they drew away. How had he been blessed with such wonderful friends? Some men were probably lucky to find one close friend to love and be loved by in their lives , and he had been gifted with three, whether he knew his past with them or not.
They walked back to their horses, but as Aramis went to mount one of the prisoner's horses that they had commandeered for him, his knees buckled under him and he began to sink to the ground. Athos, being the closest, caught him before he hit the ground, saying, "I've got you, Aramis. Why don't you ride with me for awhile?You've been through quite a lot today, after having been injured and bedridden for so long. You can rest a while on the way back."
Aramis wanted to disagree, but knew he would be a liability in his exhaustion, so he acquieced quietly. His brothers looked at each other silently, then at Aramis. The Aramis they knew would never have given in that meekly. He would have insisted on riding, protesting that he was 'just fine'. When would they see him back fully as their beloved brother again?
On their way back again, Porthos didn't want to bring up the subject of the missing woman while Aramis was with them. He had been through enough today. They had not yet told him their suspicions as to why he had been attacked, and that it might be because of the young woman they had helped. Aramis had a reputation with the ladies, but not many people knew how much he cared for each woman and child that needed assistance. He would want to help to look for her, and he wasn't in the best shape to be doing that at the moment. He needed to heal.
He was already fast asleep, using Athos shoulder for a pillow, before they had even gone a mile. Athos had a reputation that completely went out the window when it came to taking care of his brothers. He was riding with a little smile on his face as he looked down at his beloved brother, his hand now fisted in Athos' shirt. They were all incredibly grateful to have him back in one piece.
When they finally reached Amelie's cottage, Porthos dismounted quickly. Amelie came to the door, and a beautiful smile lit up her face when she saw that her patient had been returned safely. Between and Athos, they got Aramis safely down and into Porthos' arms to carry into the cottage. He deposited his brother gently on the bed, and covered him with a blanket. Aramis never even woke up, the events of the day having completely taxed his energy.
Amelie took over next. Bringing in a bowl of water and clean cloths, she set about cleaning her patient of the dust and dirt he had acquired through the day. Then, she checked his injuries, glad that nothing seemed to have been aggravated from his rough handling. Leaning down, she softly pressed a small kiss on his forehead, whispering, "God watched over you, Aramis. I am so glad you came back safely."
Leaving the room, she looked back, wishing she had ever had the opportunity to have a son. She would have wished to have one just like her patient.
Porthos called Athos and d'Artagnan, and led them out of the cottage. His brothers knew he had something serious to say, or he wouldn't need this kind of privacy.
Porthos began, "I checked out the patrons of th' tavern. We were right in guessin' the young woman we brought here was the reason for the attack on Aramis. When they found out she was at Amelie's cottage too, they were plannin' to kill her an' Aramis. But she wasn't around when they got here, so they took Aramis an' left a note."
He pulled the note from his pocket, and Athos and d'Artagnan read it, growing even angrier at the day's events.
Athos said, "We could never have given her to them for Aramis. Even if we had her and could do so, they would have killed them both. We need to find her. When we do, we will bring both she and Aramis back to Paris with us. And maybe something there will assist his memory, also."
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Blackbeard was once again meeting with Mathieu, this time having to report the failure of his mission. Mathieu was furious that his orders had not been carried out. He told Blackbeard that, under no circumstances, could he allow the Musketeer and the young woman to live. The master had too much at stake.
The nobleman, besides the danger of losing his family's reputation if his brother's clandestine activities were ever brought to light, also happened to love his brother,warts and all. He would not willingly let his brother hang, regardless of what he had done. He may deplore the sickness his brother seemed to have with his activities, but in no way did he deplore Nicholas. He had been almost like a parent to him since his brother had been a little lad, because their parents had been killed in a carriage accident. It was both brotherly love and an almost fatherly love he felt for him.
"We know where the Musketeer is. You have failed twice now in getting him. The young woman has to be somewhere in the village or the outlying area. Find her, and bring both of them to me. We will make sure their bodies are never found. If there is no evidence of wrongdoing, there is no crime, is there? Now, go!"