Chapter 12

Porthos rested his forearms on the back of the chair he straddled and watched Athos finish signing documents related to supply requests and weekly assignments. He placed them on the pile to the right of his desk, slipped the quill back into its holder, and then capped the inkwell. He rubbed his face, looked at Porthos, and stood.

"A week?" Porthos said, and scratched his grizzled jaw. He looked around the office and winced. "You need an update, Athos… Alice has good taste. Maybe she can help design an office suitable for a captain."

Athos grabbed his weapons belt and tightened it around his waist. He grabbed his cloak, draped it over his arm, and then pulled his saddlebags from the table. "A week, Porthos. I'll be gone a week." He opened the door, listened as the chair shifted and Porthos stood and then followed him down the steps.

Mathias stood in the courtyard with Kelpie. The big black was saddled, and he perked his ears forward, and exhaled forcefully through flared nostrils. "He's a bit hot, sir," Mathias said. "Too much grain and not enough exercise." He shifted his feet to avoid Kelpie's hooves.

Athos smiled, ran his hand along Kelpie's neck, and tied his saddlebags into place. "Good," he said. He tied his cloak to the back of his saddle and ran his hand over Kelpie's rump. "He needs a good gallop." Athos checked the cinch, and then lowered the stirrup back into place. He cocked an eyebrow as Porthos, Aramis, and d'Artagnan stood beneath the awning. Aramis, who leaned against the support beam, d'Artagnan with his arms crossed and his hands tucked beneath his armpits, and Porthos as he stood with his right hand on his belt and the other tapping the outside of his thigh.

"Why now?" d'Artagnan asked. "We just got back… why are you leaving already?"

"I'm going to see an old friend," Athos said, and slipped his foot into the stirrup and mounted. "Minister Treville knows Porthos is in charge…" He pulled on the reins as Kelpie shifted and eagerly moved froward. "Don't," he rolled his eyes, and shook his head, "break anything while I'm gone."

Aramis grabbed the reins and stepped alongside Kelpie's shoulder and looked at Athos. "You are coming back?" He asked with a look of concern. "Aren't you?"

Athos adjusted the reins in his hands and lowered his heels as Kelpie anxiously moved beneath him. "It's a brief trip, Aramis."

"Someone should go with you. We're in the middle of a war, Athos. You're the captain of the Musketeers and —"

Athos leaned forward, looked at Aramis, and said, "I'll return, brother." He clapped Aramis' shoulder, nodded to the others, and turned Kelpie toward the exit. He tapped his fingers to the brim of his hat and left through the arched exit.

Porthos took a deep breath, looked at the others, and pulled a coin from his pocket. "I say 'e's visitin' with Ninon." He quirked an eyebrow and grinned. He moved the coin to the palm of his hand that he stretched outward.

D'Artagnan puckered his lips, shifted them to the left and then to the right as he contemplated the gamble. Taking a deep breath, he reached into his coin purse and removed a coin. "Roger," he said. "It's been over a year… Roger's first foals should be on the ground by now."

Aramis bit the inside of his right cheek and nodded. He crossed his left arm across his chest and then pinched at the tip of his mustache. "He could be right." He looked at Porthos and then at d'Artagnan. "But I think he's going to find more recruits — we need to rebuild the ranks." He pulled a coin from his pocket and placed it in the palm of Porthos' hand.

Porthos looked to his right as Mathais added a coin.

"I think — hope — he's getting a new horse."

D'Artagnan chuckled and watched Mathias kick a stone and walk back to the stables in a huff.

Marc cleared his throat and walked with Remi toward them. He took a deep breath, looked around, and said as he lowered a coin onto Porthos' hand, "I think he's going to investigate the battles to the south of us… Thorell is a good general, but," he shrugged, "there's always room for improvement."

Aramis shook his head. "He wouldn't travel that far and he won't go near the fighting — not until he has to."

Marc huffed, looked at the coins in Porthos' hand, and said, "We'll see."

Remi pursed his lips, squinted as he looked at Aramis and then d'Artagnan and said, "Pom… I think he's going to visit with Pom." He added his coin.

"You're both wrong," d'Artagnan said confidently. "It's Roger."

Porthos smiled, tightened his fingers around the coins, and then quickly opened them when Constance stepped forward. She touched Alexandre's cheek and then pulled a coin from the hidden pocket of her skirt and placed it in Portho's palm.

"It's Athos," she said with a knowing look, "You'll never know." She turned confidently and walked back to the apartment.

Aramis suddenly frowned and watched her walk away. "I have a feeling she's right."

Porthos winced, looked at the coins in his hand, and then nodded.

D'Artagnan scratched the back of his neck. "It's Roger."

Marc and Remi chuckled and then walked toward the commissary when Gentry opened the door and the scent of slow roasted beef wafted toward them.