Sorry this is such a short chapter. I had intended it to be longer, but life got in the way this week.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Athos, Porthos and d'Artagnan had indeed figured, as Aramis had known that they would, that Aramis had just had a delay to his returning, so had looked forward to his return the next day. And when he hadn't shown up by midmorning, the requested and received permission to ride out and search for him.

Treville gave his permission with a stern face, but none of his Inseparables were fooled for a moment. Their captain had always had a special place in his heart for his first Musketeer.

It took but a few minutes to prepare, and then they were off, moving rapidly out through the garrison gates in search of their beloved brother, hoping nothing had befallen him to prevent his return.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Aramis awoke a short time after passing out, pain encompassing his entire body. He had no way of knowing if his attempt to draw out the venom had been entirely successful or not, whether he would live or die.

He knew that often, even if the venom was extracted, the effects could stay with the victim afterward. He had a fever and felt incredibly weak in addition to the pain.

Only one thing kept his focus. He just hoped and prayed hard that his brothers would find him before it was too late.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

His brothers found Aramis' exhausted horse standing in a field munching grass near the road the marksman had said he would take. The horse became uneasy as they approached.

They found no signs of any injury to their brother on the horse or saddle.

Leaving the horse to continue grazing, they started examining the road on both sides in the direction he would have been riding from, hoping to find tracks or some other evidence to point them in the right direction.

After more than an hour of searching, d'Artagnan found horse's hooves heading away from the road. Following the tracks, they led the Musketeers right into a forest they had seen ahead of them.

The woods were dark and quiet as if nothing untoward could be happening within it. Birds were singing and chirping, here and there small ground animal's skittered away to cover as they approached.

They had already surmised that something had badly startled his horse, so badly that Aramis had been unable to control him, despite his skills as a horseman.

Continuing to follow the tracks, they had come to a place where the ground had been badly disturbed. They could see a large indentation in the grass and undergrowth, as if something might have landed there.

Aramis! And their worries suddenly tripled.

D'Artagnan found the tracks, and their search continued. They followed the footprints for quite a ways before they ran out when they ran encuntered dense out, they hunted for anything that might give them a clue as to whether he continued onwards in the same direction or veered to the right of left.

It was again d'Artagnan who discovered something.

"Here!" he shouted, and Porthos and Athos rushed over to join him.

"See?" the Gascon told them. "He's leaving a trail tying bits of cloth to branches where he thinks we will see them. Eye level," pointing to the bit of fabric he had found.]They began searching the branches now, and following the trail Aramis had left.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Aramis thought he must have dozed off. He was barely awake when he heard it. His whole body froze.

Howling.

He began to tremble, remembered fear coursing through his ! he whispered within, his worst living nightmare filling all his thoughts.

I can't…can't go th..through the..this again, he thought, trying to get to his feet, only to sink down again when his body was to weak and in pain to cooperate.

The howl came again, much closer this time. Aramis began to pray fervently.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

His brothers heard the howling looking sharply at each other with faces full of fear. They all remembered another forest where they had very nearly lost their brother.
He had gone through nightmare after nightmare before they gradually eased up, and finally ceased.

Each of them had suffered the occasional nightmare also, seeing again the scene when they had found him, Athos particularly. He had been ahead of Porthos and d'Artagnan, so had witnessed it first. None of them would ever forget it.

And now, what would this go to their brother?

"Quickly!" Athos said, overwhelming urgency in his voice. "We have to find him...Now!"

Running in the direction the howls had come from, they could only hope they got there in time.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Aramis' head was swiveling around, trying to see any sign of the animal's presence, sword clutched tightly in one hand, main gauche in the other, his only protection.

Words of prayer fell from his lips, eyes wide and watchful.

And then, he saw it.

Eyes glittered as the wolf emerged from between the trees and bushes, staring at Aramis.

Instinct made the marksman try to shrink back, it he was already against the old oak and could go no further.

His grip tightened on his weapons, breath coming fast in gasps now.

The wolf seemed to be in no hurry, as if it knew his prey couldn't go anywhere.

Aramis fervently prayed that at least it was a lone wolf, remembering the three from before.

And then it howled, sending shivers up his already rigid spine.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Athos, Porthos and d'Artagnan moving as close as they could to an all-out run, knowing they still needed to be careful not to get tripped up by creepers and tree roots that were half-covered by the underbrush.

They heard the wolf howl again, and then burst through some trees to suddenly be presented by a sight they never wanted to see again.

Aramis' was attempting to jab at the creature with his rapier, but his arm didn't have any strength in it. The wolf easily swerved around it, making straight for Aramis' body.

All three of his brothers took aim and fired.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

I may have another chapter sooner than the weekend if all goes well. We will see.

I've had several pm's about the snake bite and effects on Aramis' body, which I hope to clear up then, too.

Thanks for reading!