I didn't intend to put so much emotion into this chapter -but I happened to be listening to a moving song-for me anyway- and so my writing was affected accordingly. So feel free to play the link below throughout the chapter as I did -its not exactly perfect mood wise but it might help:
/?v=9qvglWAHDak#Ludovico_Einaudi_-_divenire
-If not, I still really hope you enjoy this chapter! xox
There was something in the air that didn't feel right to Aramis, his spine tingling oddly as his hair stood on end, the haunting feeling chilling him to the core and warning him of a threat he could not see.
It was like waiting for the other foot to fall...though he hoped they would not be under it when it did.
Aramis shook his head to dismiss his paranoid delusions, he was probably just overtired and high strung with concern over his brother.
He looked down to his brother then, his sickly pale brother, caught in the throes of agony.
He could have stopped this from happening. Should have stopped this from happening. But he hadn't. He had just stood there while Porthos had been attacked from behind and then again when he bled out on the ground.
Just stood and stared.
How could he call himself a brother if he just stood and stared at his brothers in their time of need!
Porthos was one of the very few lights left in his life and it was threatening to go out. He didn't know how he could live without that man, he knew him inside and out, knew him so well it was almost like wearing a second skin, a skin that he understood much more than his own.
Porthos may have a tough exterior but it never quite managed to mask his loving soul inside; his sunny eyes and bright smile transferring to all that met him as soon as he entered a room, his positivity and never say die attitude admired by all.
He couldn't leave him from this world, not like this.
Aramis blinked his eyes furiously to prevent his tears from falling as he hugged his brother into an upright position, noting his deathly pale skin, bloodshot eyes and fevered forehead.
He could already feel the heat radiating through his friend to seep into his stone cold chest.
He didn't deserve this. Aramis sent another long prayer towards the beautiful, open blue skies.
Perhaps someone was listening, should it be god or any other powers that be, he just wanted peace for his friend in the restoration of his health not in his death.
He would promise anything, trade his soul, burn for his sins, swap places, scour the earth just please let Porthos live!
Mentally exhausted and physically drained, the men finished loading their mounts before awkwardly levering Porthos up and onto his saddle, Aramis mounting behind him to keep him sturdy and upright.
They shared a glance of worry as Porthos let out a hiss of pain, back arching against Aramis chest as his brows knitted together. Aramis looked as if he were about to break down.
Hang in there brother Athos conveyed, the level of intense emotions saying all he needed to through his stormy eyes, sharing a strong stare with Aramis before gripping his knee in finality of the moment.
He then turned away to pace the few feet back to the door of what had once been their sanctuary to say his final farewells.
"I am truly sorry it had to end like this, Miriam" Athos stated guiltily, holding her shoulders at arms length and looking down into her green, concerned eyes, trying to pour the extent of his sincerity through their intimate physical contact.
"-Should you ever need our aid, at any moment, send word for me and I will come" he promised, squeezing her upper arms, needing her to understand.
Miriam held his gaze, eyes shining with compassion.
This man before her disarmed her in every sense of the word, he thought so little of himself and so much for others, his lifetime of woes forgotten in the warm moments he found with his dearest friends, his real family and now she had his blessing to enter the intimate ring.
A single tear slid down her cheek, her eyes downcast.
Athos put his palm to her face gently, fingers cupping the back of her neck as his thumb wiped away her tear of anguish.
Miriam smiled lightly and let out a small laugh, raising her head so her eyes could meet his once more, "Who says I need a man to depend on?" she teased.
Athos titled his head, the rapid change in mood too fast for his mind to follow causing him to flinch slightly and remove his hand, face heating up in embarrassment but managing a smile as he saw the one plastered on her teary face.
He had never been good at this flirting thing.
"Well, if not for your sake, Madame, then i may still return on my own...after all, i do have a score to settle with that carrot patch of yours" he grinned, "-if you don't take the time to confront or tame a beast it will become more than you can handle" he attempted.
Not all women were evil. Perhaps this time he should try, harder, to keep one...
Miriam grinned but the dark thoughts at the back of her mind stirred with sadness, if only he could accept the value to those words in context to his history of woes.
Her grin fading to a smile, she stepped into his body and wrapped him in a tight embrace, his leather uniform smelling uniquely of the warrior he was, the gunpowder, berries of wine and straw of stables.
It was comforting somehow.
Letting her free from his arms, Athos fingers dipped the brim of his hat before turning away, half heartedly to his horse.
Miriam brushed the steadily falling tears from her cheeks, how could she feel such sorrow over only knowing the man for a few hours?
She already knew the answer, it had echoed throughout her mind during his entire stay here.
He was different. He was kind, loyal, fierce, bold, polite, giving, grounding, passionate, helpful and loving.
She smiled at him again as he nodded to her from atop his horse, trying to keep her body from crumpling to the ground as he turned to leave.
She was just beginning to fall for this man and now he was leaving... he may not be allowed to return despite his promises, Miriam worried.
"Say goodbye -and thank you to your father for us, when he returns" Athos called, Miriam nodding dutifully.
They may even pass him through the valley on the way to the village, there was only really one way in and out.
After a warm smile, Aramis was forced to turn his head at Athos' parting remark, his respect for caring woman leading him to roll his eyes in contempt without her seeing; he would offer no such respect to her father after he'd tried numerous times to throw them out.
And with that, the brothers urged their mounts into a fast pace, their minds now focusing on the new, desperate need to find the aid of a proper physician -riding towards the valley ridge in a wide arc around the meadow in attempt to keep to the shadows.
Those men were still at large.
Only minutes into the field and a low rumble made itself known, the musketeers eyes meeting in concern as they stopped abruptly to scan the horizon.
There, not far away at their left hand side, pouring down from the valley ridge and spilling out into the meadows, was the large black form of thirty riders, the thunderous hooves of their many horses shaking the ground like an earth quake.
They appeared to be heading straight for the farm...
MIRIAM! Athos' thoughts cried out in alarm, half turning his mount before he even realized what he was doing.
Suddenly an arm ripped at his jacket and forced his turn to a halt.
"No, Athos!" Aramis commanded, tone lying between the anguish of understanding and the desperation to flee -for both cover an Porthos' sake.
Drawing his mount abreast so he could force Athos' attention to his own, Aramis coldly stated, "You must not intervene, brother. We cannot fight off against those odds, again" he looked to Porthos, pain clawing its way onto his stoic expression.
"Better to just allow them a peaceful acquaintance and move on" he finished.
"Thirty men are not used for peaceful acquaintances, Aramis!" Athos hissed.
"You know as well as i do who those riders are, we can't just abandon her in her hour of need when she worked so hard to aid us in ours" Athos pleaded, face conveying his deepest fears and inner emotions, much unlike his usual state in times of action.
Aramis sighed, "You are not listening, Athos! We are still outnumbered -and Porthos is sick, we need to go!" he heart tearing open with guilt at the storm of conflicting emotions on his brothers face, forcing him to go with his mind instead of his heart.
"We can return with aid once we have reached the town" he promised, fingers gripping both Porthos in his arms and Athos' shoulder across from him.
Athos growled, he couldn't argue with the logic, try as he might.
Aramis was right, it would be densely foolish to attempt such a feat, not to mention dangerous and selfish.
Urging their mounts away from the scene in a hasty retreat to the cover of shade aligning the edge of the meadow, Aramis desperately hoped that the riders would not turn - for they would surely see their fleeing forms of their backs at this close of a range.
While his brother fretted beside him and sped his horse on further, Athos chanced a glance back at the farm house, spying her pale white dress out front of the old door while the black forms dismounted and walked ever closer.
There were just so many and she was all alone...
Athos forced himself to look away, pushing his feelings down and bottling them up so he could focus on the safety of his brother.
He could not however stop the tear that slid down his cheek as he rode for Athos was a man of passion.
He lived to love yet it always seemed to be his undoing.
I hope you liked reading it as much as I liked writing this chapter! Please let me know what you thought of it!