Chapter Twenty Nine - Seizure

With d'Artagnan, Athos, Porthos and Aramis

Porthos was not a man who was easily shocked. But he could not hide the shock at the scene in front of him. He knew his brothers would feel the same. What they were witnessing was abhorrent.

The little blonde girl could not have been more than six years old. Her small frame did not look strong, she was very slight, almost malnourished. And she looked terrified. Which was not surprising given that she was about to be hanged.

As the Musketeers had approached the village they could see the crowd of people, it had become apparent that an execution was about to take place, the noose strung up over a stout tree branch all that was needed to tell them. Much as they did not like to witness such things they knew they should not interfere.

Athos had dug his heels in first when he saw the small child being put on the back of the cart the noose slipped around her neck. Aramis had fired his gun in the air to get the crowd's attention and stop what was about to happen. The men and women looked around at them. The little girl looked as though she was going to collapse, her shaking visible even from several yards away. She may have been very young, but it was obvious she knew what was happening.

Porthos dismounted, throwing the reins to d'Artagnan. He was joined by Aramis pushing themselves through the crowd. Aramis jumped up onto the back of the cart and glared at the man who was holding onto the little girl. The man backed off. Porthos reached up and steadied the child as Aramis slipped the noose off her head. She slumped slightly, but Porthos caught her pulling her close to him protectively. Aramis reloaded his gun as he continued to stare at the people around them.

Athos and d'Artagnan had found the landowner. Porthos could see that Athos was ready for a confrontation.

'What's the meaning of this, you can't stop me from my judicial rights,' said the landowner, an older man wearing a pale green doublet.

'What can this child possibly have done to warrant her execution.'

'Witch!' shouted one of the villagers.

Porthos shook his head angrily, he glanced up at Aramis who looked equally angry. The small-minded people who influenced the many were a scourge on society. The villagers had been fed some half-truths at some point and now believed them without question.

'She is possessed by the devil. We have seen her commune with evil.'

'She's a child,' said Athos, 'where are her parents?'

The landowner glanced around clearly unsure of the answer.

A plump woman stepped forward, 'her mother died in childbirth. The witch was working even then. No one knows who her father is.'

'The devil,' shouted another woman.

A couple of people stepped towards the little girl who had buried her face in Porthos shoulder. She was still shaking and sobbing quietly. Porthos whispered to her that she would be safe now. He would not let them touch her. Aramis had both his guns drawn and aimed vaguely at the villagers.

'Perhaps we could discuss this, Monsieur,' said Athos using his most commanding tone.

The landowner looked at Athos for a few seconds before nodding and turning to enter the building behind him; a small church. Athos and d'Artagnan followed the man. Several of the villagers crowded around the door to the church while other remained watching Aramis, Porthos, and the little girl carefully.

MMMM

The hostile crowd did not understand what they were doing. Aramis continued to watch them swinging his guns slowly across them. He knew that Porthos and he would not stand a chance if the villagers decided to rush forward, hopefully, they would stay back long enough for Athos to sort the matter out. He knew they would not be leaving the little girl to her fate. One way or another she would be leaving with them. They could not leave the little girl where she was, even if her sentence was overturned she was an orphan and viewed with suspicion. Aramis wondered how she had survived on her own. A villager must have taken her in when her mother died, but they were not making themselves known. The little girl was all alone.

A couple of men took a step towards Porthos who turned himself slightly, shielding the girl in his arms. Aramis aimed one gun at the men.

'Back off,' he said firmly.

The men stared at him.

'She needs to be got rid off. We had a bad harvest 'cos of that.'

One of them men spat at the little girl who clung tightly to Porthos.

'She did not affect your harvest,' said Porthos, 'the harvest was bad for everyone this year. How could this little girl make a difference to your crops?'

An older woman called out, 'she's the devil, we've seen it. Her eyes go white and she goes rigid. Evil!'

Several of the women joined in calling the girl evil. The situation was getting out of hand. Aramis glanced towards the church wondering how long Athos and d'Artagnan would be.

As he looked back towards the crowd he just had time to duck down as a rock was thrown at them. Porthos had not been so lucky. A second rock hit him on the back of the shoulder, but the Musketeer held his own, continuing to talk to the child quietly. He glanced up at Aramis and nodded that he was alright. It would take more than a rock to affect Porthos.

The crowd, which were more of an angry mob were starting to grow in confidence. Aramis moved to the edge of the cart. He was about to jump down to offer more protection for the child when Porthos looked up at him shocked.

The little girl had thrown her head back, her limbs had stiffened, and she was shaking. Aramis recognised the signs of a seizure. He had seen people in the asylum suffer. Most had no recollection afterwards that they had suffered from anything.

He remembered talking to a forward-thinking physician about the seizures. The doctor had said that most of the people who suffered from the boats of stiffness and shaking led perfectly normal lives otherwise, but they were not understood by other people and were often persecuted if found by others.

'She talks to the devil, get back…' shouted someone from the crowd.

'Kill her now,' shouted a man who rushed forward with a knife raised high in the air.

Aramis jumped off the cart and put himself in the way of the man. The man tried to push passed but Aramis easily pushed him back. The few seconds distraction meant that Porthos was forced to fight off another man on his own, whilst trying to keep hold of the fitting girl.

Aramis managed to push the man off Porthos but was not quick enough to prevent a third man from punching him across the face causing him to stumble back into the cart.

Their situation was getting worse.

MMMM

Athos followed the landowner into the church. A few other older men accompanied him. D'Artagnan stationed himself by the door watching the crowd, ready to signal if Porthos and Aramis had issues.

'Your name, monsieur?' asked Athos.

'Lambert,' replied the man, 'my family have owned this land for generations and I say that child should die. She is a witch and has-'

Athos spoke over the man, 'are you expecting me to believe that you, an educated man, believe that a child could be a witch. A witch. Listen to yourself man. You sound ridiculous.'

'But...the crops...she...talks to the devil.'

Athos rolled his eyes, 'the season was bad, the weather was not kind to any farmer. You cannot blame that on one little girl.'

He glanced back as he heard shouts from outside. He knew the situation was fraught and needed to be handled quickly but without causing panic.

Lambert was looked indecisive. Athos got the impression he was letting the execution go ahead to appease his tenants.

'Monsieur, let us take the girl with us, back to Paris. She can be dealt with there. Surely you would rather that than see a child hanged in your village?'

Again, Lambert looked indecisive. Athos hoped his ploy would work. If they could take the girl away peacefully it would be better for all concerned. But he was adamant that they would be leaving with the girl, by force if necessary.

'But the crops…'

More angry shouting from outside caused Athos to turn to d'Artagnan. The Musketeer looked back at him and shook his head.

'We can't wait any longer,' d'Artagnan said as he pulled his gun from his belt and stepped out of the church.

Athos joined him after shaking his head at Lambert. The angry villagers were closing in on Porthos and Aramis. From what Athos could tell the two men had already been attacked once, Aramis had a trickle of blood above his eye and a blossoming bruise.

The child in Porthos arms looked as though she was struggling. She had her head back and was shaking.

'She's fitting,' said d'Artagnan, 'they think that she's a witch because she's ill.'

MMMM

Aramis hated to do it, but he pulled his sword, forcing the people back with the tip of his blade. Porthos had been forced to lay the girl down on the back of the cart, he was keeping her as safe as he could, trying to stop her from causing harm to herself as she shook. Porthos had his back to the crowd, trying to keep himself between them and the little girl.

Aramis was on his own in keeping the crowd back. The blow to his head had left him a little disoriented but it was nothing he could not handle, he was fairly sure he was bleeding and hoped it would not need stitches, now was not the time for one of them to be put out of commission.

'Can't they tell she's ill?' asked Porthos, his voice more of a growl.

'They've probably not seen it before, small village like this,' replied Aramis as he pushed his blade forward a little as a man got too close.

Aramis guessed Porthos had known people with similar illnesses in the Court of Miracles. Anyone suffering as the little girl was might have been spurned by others.

'Kill her!'

'Get back!' yelled Aramis as he resorted to pushing a couple of men away again.

'We can't keep this up,' said Porthos as he gathered the girl in his arms again.

She had stopped fitting but fallen unconscious.

A gunshot from the direction of the church was a welcome distraction.

MMMM

Employing the same tactic that Aramis had used earlier, d'Artagnan fired his gun over the heads of the baying mob. It was clear Porthos and Aramis could not keep the men and women of the village away from the girl. Aramis was injured and Porthos was restricted in his movements by holding the girl in his arms.

The people reacted to the gunshot, some ducked down, some looked around in shock. Aramis and Porthos moved fast. Porthos carried the girl away with Aramis backing away keeping the villagers at bay, his sword and gun still drawn.

D'Artagnan quickly reloaded his own gun as Athos pointed his at the villagers. They skirted around towards the horses. Porthos had handed the still unconscious girl to Aramis as he quickly mounted up.

Athos grabbed d'Artagnan's sleeve and led him towards the horses. D'Artagnan reloaded as they walked. Porthos was settled on his horse with the unconscious girl sat in front of him, Aramis had pulled himself onto his horse, his gun again aimed at the villagers.

D'Artagnan quickly mounted up while Athos turned back towards the landowner who had followed them.

'Do not follow us. We will take her away...with luck, your crops will be fine next year.'

Athos dripped sarcasm as he spoke.

A few of the men started to move forward. Aramis and d'Artagnan walked their horses forward a few paces putting themselves in front of Porthos and the girl. Athos nodded to Porthos who turned his horse and pushed the beast away from the village. One of the men reached Athos who pushed him back hard before turning and grabbing the reins from d'Artagnan who continued to aim his guns at the people as Athos mounted up.

D'Artagnan watched a few of the men at the back of the crowd talking to each other. They were watching the retreating Musketeers carefully as they edged towards some saddled horses a few yards from them.

'We need to move, quickly,' said d'Artagnan indicating the men.

'I know,' replied Athos as he turned his horse, 'let's get some distance between us and the village.'

MMMM

Porthos kept as tight a hold on the girl as he could without hurting her. They had pushed the horses as fast as they could for a long as they could. Athos had eventually slowed his horse, the others followed suit.

'I think she's starting to come around,' said Porthos as the little girl moved slightly.

'Let's get off the road, I think there's a stream a couple of hundred yards into the woods here,' said d'Artagnan.

Porthos nodded as he steered his mount after d'Artagnan. He glanced back and saw Athos turn to Aramis.

'Is that causing you problems,' he asked glancing at the cut to Aramis' head that was still bleeding sluggishly.

'No, but I wouldn't mind washing the blood off,' replied Aramis.

They reached the stream, d'Artagnan reached up to take the girl from Porthos while he dismounted. Aramis was about to step forward but Porthos shook his head.

'You would scare her at the moment, go and wash the blood off and get a bandage on that cut. I'm sure we can look after her for five minutes.'

Aramis pretended to be hurt but smiled as he walked away, pulling his gloves off as he went.

'I wonder if the seizures are a new thing? I doubt she would have survived long if she had suffered since she was a baby,' said d'Artagnan as he helped Porthos to arrange the girl to lie on his cloak, folding over one end to form a pillow.

'I think I know where we should take her,' said Aramis as he splashed water over his face.

Porthos looked up, 'where?'

'There's a convent not far from here, they take in orphans.'

Porthos smiled, the quiet contemplative life in a convent would probably suit the little girl. She had probably been through a lot since she became ill.

Aramis knelt beside the girl and gently felt her head and body for injuries. Porthos smirked when Athos pulled the medic back so that he could wrap a bandage around the cut to his head.

'What about your back, you took quite a blow from that rock,' said Aramis.

Porthos rolled his shoulder wincing slightly, 'just bruises,' he said.

The little girl moaned slightly and opened her eyes. She looked at them, the expression on her face a little concerned. She stared at Porthos for a few seconds before smiling.

'I think she likes you,' said Aramis.

The little girl looked at Aramis for a few seconds.

'Sorry,' she said, her voice small.

'For what?' asked d'Artagnan.

'The people were horrible to them when they were helping me.'

'You remember that?' said Porthos as he helped the little girl to sit up.

She looked around for a few seconds.

'Where are we going?'

'Is there somewhere you would like to go?' asked Athos, who had crouched in front of her.

The little girl shrugged her shoulders.

'I know a place that is quiet and has some other children like you, ones that don't have anyone else. Would you like to go there?' asked Aramis.

The girl thought for a moment before nodding with a smile.

Porthos found it hard to believe that the terrified child from a couple of hours before was now smiling and seemed at ease. She still looked a little unfocused, no doubt the effects of the seizure and the escape would stay with her for a while.

'Rest for a while,' said Athos before rising and walking towards the stream.

'What's your name?' asked Porthos.

'Suzette,' said the little girl with a yawn.

'Try to sleep for a little bit,' said Aramis, 'we aren't going anywhere. You're safe now.'

Suzette nodded before looking at Porthos and moving over to lean on him. Porthos smiled as he wrapped his arms around her. He guessed she felt safe near him. The contact perhaps something she had not experienced for a while. Suzette was asleep in minutes.

The End.