Much thank you to all the lovely reviews in the last chapter! They always make my day and keep me going with this story xxx
"What now?" Aramis asked, leaning heavily against the tree, which was the only thing holding him upright at the moment. His feet were throbbing painfully, and almost as bad was his head. The days without a decent meal or enough water were taking it's toll on the marksman. Constance hand placed a water skin by his side, but once he started to drink to stem the awful thirst, his stomach rebelled.
He just wished he could lie down and sleep. But he knew he couldn't. Even though they weren't in Paris anymore they were still far too close for comfort.
The others, after having him checked over for the thousands time, had sat down in a half cirlce around him. Constance was elegantly seated on a horse blanket d'Artagnan had given her, even though she had protested against it.
Taking them in, Aramis wondered if he could look even worse than them. All of them had dark, tired circles beneath the eyes. They were covered in dust and blood, while their hair was wet from sweat and clinged to their brows. Even the beautiful, graceful Constance looked wracked. Her hair was a mess, falling out of the ponytail she must have had earlier. Her dress was dirty and creased.
"Do you feel up to riding?" Athos asked, brows furrowed.
Aramis knew it was more a rhetorical question, really. There was no way they would be able to stay here. Even if wasn't feeling like sitting on a horse for hours - which he really wasn't - it would change nothing. If they had to, they would drag his unconscious body behind them. This small inconvenience that riding was, was still much better than staying were they were.
So Aramis nodded his head and put a playful smile on his lips.
"Of course. I'm fine."
He could almost hear the suppressed groan from the others, Porthos even rolled his eyes at this. They all knew he wasn't fine. His brothers had climbed over the wall he had careful built up over his earlier years. And Constance and Treville had never taken any of what he said for real.
Still, he wasn't ready to let the wall crumble for earnest. Instead he placed a few more brinks on it, hoping that it would hold a little while longer. He wasn't ready to see what was laying behind it.
"Then let's go. You will be riding with Constance, she is the lightest and the horse will not tire that fast." Treville announced and got to his feet.
Aramis knew better than to argue. After all Treville was right. Even though it hurt his pride a little bit to having to rely on someone else while riding - especially a woman.
Not that he didn't think that Constance was capable to ride with him, but it should be the other way around. He, on the back of a horse, carrying a damsel in distress in front of him.
Now he had to wait for Porthos and Athos to help him get up. He bit back a moan as his feet scraped over the ground as his brothers slung their arms around him.
"Sorry." Porthos muttered, concentrated to not hurt his friend any more than necessary. Between the two of them, they got Aramis carried over to the horses without further incidents. Constance already sat on top and scurried further to the head of the animal so Aramis could sit behind her.
Porthos had to lift Aramis on his waist, so he would not have to use his feet while mounting up. He thought he really could not think further until he had to scoop his arms around Constance for support.
"What if they track our traces?" Aramis then asked, worry glancing in his eyes. He definitely didn't want to risk getting caught again. And even more he didn't want to take the risk that his brothers, Treville or Constance would be caught. There were even more questions running through his mind, like what will become of them. He didn't worry about himself. Being alive was enough for him, even if it would mean living life in the Exile. But there was no way that the others hadn't been recognized as they saved him. They would have to be as careful as he. He didn't want that – never did. Knowing that all these people had given up the life they had known, just to safe him. To be traitors to their own King and Country just for his damned sake. He was not entirely sure if or how he could ever live with a burden like this. But he kept his mouth shut – for now. There were urgent matters for now and he could worry and ask questions once they were all safe.
Before….
The small room, which served as a kitchen, dining and living room in one, was way too crowded. The three chairs that were placed around the table were already taken, so d'Artagnan and Porthos resigned to lean against the wall. D'Artagnan had taken his usual place by the fireplace, while Porthos stood by the window. Constance, Treville and Athos were leaning over the table to look at the map that was spread in front of them, while Porthos and d'Artagnan could glance above their backs on it.
"Assumed we truly make it into the courtyard undetected, Constance manages to attract enough attention for us to strike, we are perfectly on time, get Aramis free and flee out of the Courtyard without any losses…" Athos went through their plan, obviously not content with it. But as long as he didn't have a better one, they would have no choice than to take this one.
"Don't say it in such a negative way." Porthos muttered from the place by the window, hands running through his beard as his thoughts raced. Athos was right, Athos was never wrong. Athos knew that the plan would not succeed, that something would go wrong. It always did. There were too many risks, too many options left open. But it was the best they had. He wished he knew something better, but he didn't. And their time was running thin.
Athos sighed, pointing with his finger to the place were the execution would be planned to take place. "Assumed we get out of here. What then? We'll have to flee through the streets, hoping that the horses won't spook when we ride through crowds."
"We split up. Treville, Constance and Aramis will take the fastest way out of the city. We will be at their backs and in the front as long as possible – if the Red Guards should catch up we will split up and distract them." D'Artagnan said as if it was the most obvious thing to do. Maybe it was. But the thought to leave Aramis behind again… Neither of them liked it. Not that they didn't trust Constance or Treville, but they weren't them.
Nevertheless Athos nodded his agreement before Treville's finger pointed at a small forest just outside the city gates.
"We will meet there if we should split up."
"And then what? They will follow us, track our traces. We can't outrun them forever. The horses will be tired by then." Constance frowned. She didn't like any of this. Fighting against the King, being a traitor, running away, leaving everything she knew behind. But it was the right thing to do. They would save Aramis from a unjustified agonizing death and Queen Anne from so much pain.
If the life of one of the men she saw as a brother meant to leave Paris behind – she would do it over again. But if she did this, she needed it to work. She didn't want to risk everything and the loose it all.
"We'll split up again." D'Artagnan spoke, coming closer to the table, his fingers tracing two roads on the map to a point where the met again.
"Athos will ride on the southern road while I take the western one. Constance, Treville and Aramis will keep going straight through the forests and fields."
Porthos frowned. "And where am I in all of this?"
"You, mon ami" d'Artagnan clasped his hand on the broader man's back "will follow Treville and Constance and cover theirs and your tracks. The Guards shall follow Athos and me. Once we reach the place the roads are furthest apart-" d'Artagnan pointed at two villages "we will start covering our traces too. We should have gotten enough distance between us and the Guards until then. Then we can come together again." D'Artagnan pointed at the first city he had searched out where both roads crossed again.
"I don't like all this splitting up." Porthos muttered.
"Do you have another idea?" D'Artagnan challenged, arms crossed in front of his chest. Porthos shook his head, no.
"Athos and I should switch places. I'm a better rider than he and he a better swordsman." Treville then spoke earning uncertain glances form the others.
The others exchanged a few uncertain glances, before agreeing. Treville had a point there.
"Then it's settled."
"Don't your worry 'Mis, it's all planned out. We will meet up again in Troyes." Porthos assured with a tight smile. As Treville and d'Artagnan steered their horses in different directions understanding doomed into Aramis' eyes.
"You'll be on your own?" He asked, shocked. "No I can't let you do this. If they get you-"
"Aramis, calm down. They won't get us." D'Artagnan hushed.
"Not as long as we leave now. We shouldn't wait any longer though." Treville added.
Aramis gulped but he had to trust in his brothers plan – even if he didn't like it at all.
"God's speed, d'Artagnan, Minister." He cocked his head towards them with a tight smile which they returned before spurring their horses into a gallop.
"I'm right behind you." Porthos then assured as Athos and Constance spurred their horses on too, taking Aramis with them unwillingly. The marksman looked back as long as possible to where Porthos kept behind until he vanished from his sight.
"He will cover our traces and then catch up with us eventually." Athos explained as he noticed the pure worry on the injured man's face.
"Was this your plan, Athos?" Aramis then asked, a frown forming on his face.
He could have sworn to see Athos' lips twitch to something like a smile as he shook his head. "D'Artagnan. Do you really think I would come up with something as reckless as this? This plan sounds even more like it could be yours, as suicidal as it is."
Aramis huffed out a laugh and nodded his agreement.
"Will it work?" He then asked, quiter. There was a unnerving silence as Athos thought.
"Until now nothing went wrong." He then decided to say instead of answering Aramis' question. But the marksman could answer it himself.
"There's always something that goes wrong when it comes to our plans." And when it hadn't happened yet, it would happen soon.