Sometimes Salvation is Found in Agony

Chapter Twelve

Once d'Artagnan and Claudette worked together to finish making the fire, the young Gascon heated one of his daggers until it was blazing hot, then walked over to stand above his friends still kneeling down beside Aramis, and carefully handed the blade down to Athos, as he had learned what little medical knowledge he had from their wounded comrade.

He looked at Aramis, who finally reopened his eyes and looked between his brothers, then Athos spoke up saying, "I have only ever done this once and it was over a knife wound in a soldier's leg."

Porthos shook his head in frustration and replied, "I don't like this. This is a very bad idea."

"Yes, but unfortunately… it's ne… necessary," Aramis answered. "I… trust you."

"That was always your mistake," Athos responded jokingly as he smiled sadly. "Are you ready?"

Aramis simply nodded weakly as Porthos held him tighter while the larger man placed one of his leather belts into his mouth for him to bite down on and took his free hand in his own for Aramis to grip through the pain when it came, then Porthos pleaded, "Just stay with us."

Athos looked over at Porthos and then back down at their friend as he cautiously lowered the dagger down across his shoulder, causing Aramis to scream out in pain when the heated blade seared his flesh and worked to seal the injury. The strap muffled his screams as his body tensed and his grip tightened within Porthos' hand, but Athos continued to hold the dagger in place until he was finished. By the time that he was, Aramis had finally become unconscious, as he was unable to hold onto consciousness any longer.

Athos tossed the knife aside in anger, then continued to look down at his friend sadly while Porthos loosened his grip without letting go. Captain Treville slowly stepped forward and then gently placed his hand down on his number one's shoulder, hoping to assure his men that they did what they had to do.

Their captain finally spoke again to break the silence that had fallen over them saying, "You all did want you needed to do to keep him from bleeding out. Now we can get him back to the garrison so that we can make him comfortable again."

"Porthos, do you have him?" Athos asked when he turned to his friend.

"What do you think?" the larger musketeer replied coldly as he moved to stand while keeping his hold on their friend.

As he moved to stand with his friends to help them, d'Artagnan bent down to pick up the dagger that was now cooled enough to place it back in its holster and then looked toward Claudette as he stated sincerely, "Thank you, for helping me."

The woman stared at him and the others as she was surprised by their compassion for each other, then finally turned to the youngest of them as she answered, "I told you, I only did it because I want to hear the truth. Once he tells me what he knows, I'm gone. That is, if you don't plan on arresting me?"

Treville responded sternly, "I have a feeling that you're a decent woman who only got caught up in this because you were wronged. As far as we know, you have yet to do anything wrong. So no, we won't be arresting you. However, if you wish to stay away from the Bastille, we're going to need information from you as well."

"What kind of information?" she asked as the other musketeers finished helping put Aramis up on one of their horses with d'Artagnan, as he was the smallest of them and the only one who could carry him the distance they needed to travel without putting too much strain on the horse. "You musketeers and the Red Guards probably killed the only other friends I've ever had."

"You're wrong," Athos replied sternly. "Our men have arrested several of your friends and we will be speaking with them as well, but we don't suspect any of them will be willing to talk as you might be. You want to know the truth and so do we."

She looked at them in confusion and asked, "What truth?"

Athos answered, "The truth behind everything, including Marseille."

In the camp…

"Which one of you is the leader of this brigade?" Count de Rochefort asked as he moved up and down the line of prisoners he and his men had captured once the fight was finally finished and the rest of the musketeers had taken off with their own prisoners. "Is he still here?"

"One of the musketeers killed him!" a young woman responded coldly. "The one called Aramis, killed him in cold blood. Our leader was my brother and I want to see that musketeer pay."

Rochefort slowly made his way over to stand in front of her, then smiled as he asked, "And what is your name?"

She glared at the sinister looking man before her as she asked in reply, "What is my name to you? Who are you, one of the Cardinal's stooges?"

"You can call me Rochefort," the Count answered smugly. "Suppose I were to offer you a chance to see that musketeer dead, what exactly would you be willing to do for me and for the Cardinal?"

"You and Richelieu won't do anything for me," the girl responded angrily. "All we are, are rebels that were here to try to kill him and any of you working for that monster. If you think I will believe anything you have to say, you're nothing, but a fool."

Rochefort motioned for the rest of his soldiers who had survived the fight to take away the remaining prisoners, then he knelt down in front of the girl and replied, "Come back with me and speak with the man you believe to be a monster, then decide the truth for yourself. If you like what we have to offer you, including the opportunity to kill Aramis yourself, we may be lenient and offer you your life back. What do you say?"

She looked at Count de Rochefort skeptically, then finally answered, "I think that my other brother and I would like to see our brother's murderer die more than anything else. Call me Renee."