Evening My Lovelies

So sorry there was no update this yesterday I completely forgot! Also, I have recently had a change of mind for a part of this story which, if I can write it well, will give us LOADS of musky angst XD

Notes On Reviews:

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Chapter Four: Rewards Reluctantly Earned

As he was drug back towards his cell Athos couldn't help but stare at his hands, bile rising in his throat as he thought back to what he had just done, something he fought to keep down as he clenched his now manacled hands into fists.

"You must really like that friend of yours musketeer," jeered one of the men all but dragging him back to his cell. The amusement in the man's voice was clear to even Athos's distracted ears and it infuriated him that he was at the mercy of a group of such detestable men that got amusement from watching an innocent man be whipped.

"Though what does it say about the one who did the whipping," pondered the musketeer internally, bile and shame once again rising up within him.

Either oblivious to the man's turmoil or simply unbothered by it the guard continued, "Didn't really think you had it in you for a while there, thought your precious honour would have prevented you from maiming an unarmed man like that…"

"Stop," growled Athos quietly and even he could hear the slight pleading undertone that one word held.

Once again choosing to ignore his prisoner's plight the guard continued, "And boy did you maim," he exclaimed, a dark and clearly amused smile stretching across his face. "You've got some serious anger inside you My Lord."

Had he not been so caught up in the whirlwind of emotions churning around inside of him Athos likely would have picked up on what the guard called him, instead the musketeer simply growled as he spun to face the man, bringing both of his manacled hands up to punch the man right in the jaw for his words.

"ENOUGH!" he snapped, however, he barely had a moment to relish in the surprised look on the guard's face before the other guard who was escorting him, kicked out his leg from under him, sending him crashing to the ground on one knee before said guard slammed the pommel of his blade down hard against the back of the man's head, knocking him out cold.

Looking up at his companion he sent the man an unimpressed look, "You do realize we have to carry him now… Couldn't you have kept your mouth shut?"

Bending down to pick up one of the now unconscious musketeer's arms the first guard shrugged before sending his companion a cheeky grin, "I had money down that he wouldn't be able to do it, being able to rile him up a bit is the least I deserve after he cost me a pretty penny."

Aramis was already hard at work treating his sick brother when the door to their cells opened once again and two quietly bickering guards brought in a familiar slumped figure.

"Athos!" he cried out in alarm, barely registering the slight pain in his own body as he tried to scramble to his feet.

"He's fine musketeer," reassured one of the men with a slightly mocking tone as he and his companion dumped the unconscious Athos back in his cell. "Just taking a little nap… I'd return to your other companion if I were you, you're on limited time as it is and you wouldn't want to waste your 'brothers' sacrifice now would you?" he mockingly asked, practically sneering at the word brother before he turned to follow his companion out, ignoring the worried calls for more explanation from the marksman.

Knowing he would be unable to reach Athos given they were in separate cells the medic reluctantly turned his focus back to the brother he could help as he tried not to let his thoughts drift back to the ominous words the guard had spoken before he left.

Thankfully either he wasn't hit too hard or his own innate stubbornness prevented him from being unconscious for too long in a hostile place but shortly after being dumped back in his cell the leader of the inseparables let out a low groan as his eyes fluttered open.

"You back with us 'Thos?" called a gentle voice with no small amount of worry lining his words and it was that obvious worry that fully drew Athos back to the word of the living, that and the familiarity of the voice speaking to him.

"A-Aramis?" he groaned as he forced himself to sit up, a hand instinctive coming to cradle the back of his head where he had been hit.

"The one and only mon ami," responded the medic was an obvious amount of forced cheer, "At least your memory doesn't seem to be affected by that hit you took."

It was then that Athos's slightly dazed mind finally caught up with the situation at hand, his eyes going wide as they snapped towards Porthos's cell where a slightly battered and curiously shirtless Aramis was hard at work tending to their now unconscious brother.

"ARAMIS!" he exclaimed with clear joy and worry in his voice as he scrambled to the bars separating the two cells, gripping them tightly as he scanned the man for any sign of significant injury, relaxing only when he found nothing more than the bruises and marks commonly found after receiving a beating, something he hated his brother had to endure but considering he had been fearing the man had been enduring far worse since being separated from them he would take what small mercies he could get.

"I'm fine mon ami," reassured the medic softly, knowing full well what worries his disappearance would have caused the two men before him and he was partially glad the larger man was still unconscious given how loud the man could be at times.

Pausing in his work on his unconscious brother Aramis looked towards his second brother "I understand I have you to thank for being able to tend to this oaf," he said softly, his tone turning fond on that last word before the earlier seriousness returned, "What did it cost you Athos?"

"Nothing I couldn't and wouldn't pay again to see either of you safe," dismissed the musketeer as his eyes focused on the unconscious man in front of him for a moment before asking, "What have you learned?" he asked his voice barely audible.

Understanding the time for concern was over Aramis returned to his work, not knowing just how much time he had to see to his brother's health and to share what little he knew. "Not much," he admitted grimly, his voice just as quiet as Athos's had been. "They're definitely taking orders from someone with significantly more money and power than they have… The parts of this place I have seen are largely in disrepair and have seen better days… but their weapons?" Athos nodded and made a small noise of agreement, he had noticed the glaring difference between the state of the men holding them wore and the newness of the weapons they wielded.

"So hired muscle then," he mused and this time it was Aramis that made a small sound of agreement.

"... Well informed group of hired muscle, unfortunately," admitted the marksman after a moment of trepidation as guilt filled him as his mind pondered over what he knew. "They've made several not so subtle comments about Savoy that I'm certain I was supposed to hear… Comments they should not even know to make."

Athos's eyes narrowed then, partly in worry for what those guarding them knew and how they came to know it and partly in concern for his brother, knowing how just the mention of Savoy hurt the man, however, he had little time to ponder further as the all too familiar sound of the door to their cells opening cut through the air and put an immediate stop to the pair's conversation.