Chapter 4

"Captain," Billy said and gently shook Athos' shoulder. "Captain," he whispered, "we're not alone."

Athos opened his eyes, hitched his breath as muscles reawakened and ignited with fire. "What?" He asked, and squinted as Billy rested on his haunches next to him.

"Someone's in the room… I can hear him," Billy whispered, and then gripped his sword tighter. "I didn't see him enter through the door — there must be another entrance."

Athos inhaled, rubbed his eyes, and blinked the dryness away. He squinted as he looked into the shadows. It was still dark out, but a faint hint of red light painted the horizon. He involuntarily groaned as he pushed himself to his feet and used the wall to brace himself. "Where?" He asked and waited for Billy to point in the stranger's direction.

Billy stepped in front of Athos, held still, and tried to focus his eyes into the darkness. It was nearly black in some sections of the undercroft room, where the pillars arched in parallel repetition as they ran the length of the long corridor.

"There," Billy said, and pointed toward the heavy shadows to their left. Out of sight of the door, away from the light of the early morning sun, a dark figure moved within the darkness. Billy held up his sword and stood in the fighting stance.

"Hand me your sword, Billy," Athos said, and watched the figure move. "Billy."

"You're in no condition to fight, Captain. This is my fault…"

The stranger chuckled. His voice echoed throughout the room. He held up his hand, and for a brief moment a light caught the gold rings on his fingers. "I have room for one more," he spread his fingers wide, "possibly two." He pulled his hand back and then the sound of his sword being pulled from his scabbard sang.

"Your sword, Billy!" Athos shouted, and pushed himself from the wall. He took a step forward but struggled to see into the darkness.

Billy moved forward, swallowed, and kept his eyes on the cloak of the figure as the light subtly captured his movements. "You can escape, Captain. Just slip through the window."

"Billy!"

"Grief is a funny thing, is it not?" Grimaud said. He stepped forward. The light captured the side of his face for a fleeting moment, and then he was hidden in shadows once again. "I've never been consumed by it." He sliced his blade through the air, causing Billy to jump back. "It will keep you distracted while life happens around you." He lunged forward, tapped Billy's blade, and then retreated into the darkness.

Billy gasped, stepped back, and tried to focus once more. "I can do this… I can do this," he repeated as he searched for the cloak.

"Why now?" Athos asked as he searched for the figure. "Why now, and why the games?"

"I said I would kill you, Captain, but I had hoped you would kill the general. Alas, I was a fool," Grimaud's voice echoed once more. "Men with honor rarely make immoral decisions… even when lives are at stake." He swung his sword to the left and caused Billy to stumble to his right.

"He's a boy, Lieutenant," Athos said.

"Not anymore," Grimaud said. He lunged forward and tapped his blade twice. "When I heard Raboin wanted the Musketeer's finest swordsman dead…" he swung his blade and struck Billy's shoulder.

Billy cried out, but lunged in anger.

"Hand me the sword, Billy!"

"I wanted to see you in action," Grimaud continued. "I've been…" he sighed, "disappointed." He suddenly lunged forward.

Billy gasped, leaned forward, and dropped his weapon. He fell to his knees, gripped his belly, and braced his left hand before him. "Ca…captain…?" he muttered.

Athos pushed himself forward, searched for the dropped sword, and grabbed it as Grimaud rushed toward him. The sun crested the horizon, bright reds, yellows and oranges danced off the stone and entered through the windows. Athos raised the blade and stopped Grimaud's momentum. Their blades crossed near the knuckle guards. Grimaud looked Athos in the eyes, and with a look of determination, shoved him backward.

Athos stumbled, fell against a pillar, and groaned. He took a deep breath and forced his eyes to adjust. Despite the cold, sweat collected on his forehead and fell down his face. He adjusted his grip, watched Grimaud angrily pace back and forth, and then suddenly lunge. Athos blocked the attack with a quick turned to his right. Their swords met and the ringing of steel sang. Again they clashed, and Grimaud tucked his shoulder and shoved Athos backward.

Athos caught his breath, twisted to the right when Grimaud charged, and then sliced his sword at an angle and struck Grimaud's thigh.

Grimaud hopped backward with a grimace. He pulled back the fabric of his britches and then clasped his hand over the bleeding wound. He chuckled, shook his head, and then charged when Athos glanced toward Billy, who had fallen to his right and lay still.

Athos stumbled, caught his foot on an unlevelled stone, and fell to his right knee. He twisted to his left, felt the force of the blade strike his forearm just as he shifted his own blade upward. The collision forced Grimaud backward once more, and he wiped blood from his chin as the cut reopened and seeped. Athos clamped his left hand over his arm and watched Grimaud wipe his brow with the sleeve of his doublet.

"I will kill you," Grimaud said. He spit, wiped again at his chin, and then looked at the blade in his hand. He looked one last time at Athos before he turned. The tails of his cloak caught a breeze and billowed behind him as he fled the room.

Athos took a deep breath and rushed toward Billy, who struggled to breathe. He knelt behind him and carefully pulled him to his chest. Billy had pulled open his doublet, searching for the wound. Blood had soaked the front of his blouse and continued to seep past his fingers. Athos applied his hand atop Billy's and listened to the young man's gargled breaths.

"You did well, Billy," Athos said. "You did well."

Billy parted his lips and struggled to breathe. "Please…. Please don't…. don't tell my grandmother…" he groaned and gasped several times for breath, "don't tell 'er… what I did."

Athos pressed his forehead to the top of Billy's head. "She'll never know, Billy… she'll never know."

"Than… thank you." Billy caught his breath as tears slid down his cheeks and dripped onto his blouse and Athos' arm. "I'm… I'm so sorry…. Captain." He groaned again and whispered, "I'm so… sorry. I never… never meant…"

"I know, Billy," Athos said, and tightened his grip. He could feel blood seeping through his fingers and soaking the fabric of his left thigh.

Athos listened as Billy's breathing slowed, the long moments as his life ebbed away, and then, in a quiet moment, finally stopped.