Ooh, the last chapter left you on a bit of a cliff-edge, didn't it? Sorry about that.

I am, at last, back in my home and trying to establish some kind of working/writing routine, as well as getting ready for Christmas. Definitely a work in progress! (lol) However, I have (for the first time) got close to the 1000 word target. 1028 this time.

So, whilst I start writing the next chapter, what next for our friends after their discovery?

CHAPTER 36

The initial shock of the three friends at the sight of Athos' horse quickly gave way to practicality and suppressed anger.

"He's been here then," Porthos stated.

"Maybe not here," Aramis quietly corrected him, "but he's got to this area and someone has brought the horse to the inn."

"Who? Who's brought 'im here? How did they get 'old of 'im? Where was 'e?" Porthos mused aloud.

"I don't know any of the answers," Aramis admitted having checked the horse's head for any sign of injury and moving to run his hand down the animal's neck. D'Artagnan was likewise examining the legs, belly and thighs.

"He's not hurt," the young man declared, straightening up. "Nor is he missing any shoes."

"Then 'ow come 'e an' Athos 'ave parted company?" Porthos asked darkly, his patience wearing thin.

"I think I know the reason," Aramis said strangely. His hand had frozen on the animal's withers and then he started picking at something crusty in its hair.

"What is it?" d'Artagnan asked moving closer to see what was crumbling between his friend's fingers.

"Dried blood," Aramis replied simply, "and we know it doesn't belong to the horse."

"Athos?" d'Artagnan's eyes widened.

"'Ow else would they be separated? Someone 'ere must know somethin'. I'm goin' to start asking some questions," and he made to go but Aramis caught his arm.

"We need to find the saddle. Is the saddle here?"

D'Artagnan frowned, wondering why Aramis was bothered with the saddle when Athos was somewhere out in the stormy night and wounded, possibly even ... He could not bring himself to think of the alternative.

"We have to find the saddle," Aramis insisted as he started moving round the stable. Porthos seemed to understand and was galvanised into action, able to do something constructive at last.

The stable was not large and it did not take the three long to discover the familiar saddle stashed in a dark corner.

Porthos and d'Artagnan crowded round as Aramis carried the leather saddle into an open area and put it on the ground, crouching before it.

"Bring the lantern," he ordered, pulling a slim dagger from his boot and beginning to cut at some stitching on the underside of the saddle.

Porthos retrieved the lantern and held it aloft as Aramis worked carefully.

"What are you doing?" d'Artagnan asked, alarmed.

"Athos has a secret pocket sewn into the inside of his doublet for when he's carrying any small, important document but Treville told us he was not in uniform so he has another place on the underside of his saddle. If you look, the stitching is different. He will have done that himself to conceal ... ah!" he said triumphantly as he slowly withdrew a folded piece of paper.

Opening it, he studied the contents as the others waited silently with bated breath.

He looked up at them triumphantly. "It's the list of names. Athos got it."

"Are you sure?" d'Artagnan could not quite believe that something had, at last, gone as planned but he knew he should never have doubted Athos' ability to do what was expected of him.

"There is no mistaking his hand and his precision. Names, titles and estates – it's all here, along with some other marks that must signify something, although I do not know what they mean right now."

"And at what cost?" Porthos growled. "We 'ave the list but we don't 'ave Athos."

"For now," Aramis reassured him as he rose to his feet," but we have to get this back to Paris as soon as possible. Treville needs this."

"What're you talkin' about? We can't go back now, we 'ave to stay an' look for Athos. You 'eard Tréville. 'E gave us ten days an' we only left this morning," Porthos insisted, his anger growing.

"Wait! Hear me out. Naturally we are going to continue our search but Athos has gone to great lengths to secure this information for us, for Tréville and we owe it to him to get it to the people who need it sooner rather than later." He looked directly at d'Artagnan. "That's why you are going to take the list back to the Captain whilst we continue the search. You'll leave first thing in the morning; we'll just have to hope that the weather has improved by then."

"But ..." d'Artagnan began, for he was desperate to help find Athos but then he realised that what Aramis said was correct. They owed it to their missing brother to deliver the information he had gathered, especially if he had come to harm as a result. He nodded. "Of course, I'll take it."

Aramis laid a grateful hand on his shoulder. "We know you'll do it and we should not give you that responsibilty with you not having your commission yet but ..." he broke off.

"But after what you did regardin' Vadim, we think of you as one of us already. You just 'aven't got the pauldron yet, but it'll come. It'll come," Porthos added decisively. "An' who knows? Taking this information back might be all it needs."

D'Artganan could have hugged him for his belief and encouragement but now was not the time.

"I'll go, but you have to make sure that you find Athos and quickly. We don't know how badly he's hurt ..."

"If at all," Aramis interrupted optimistically.

D'Artagnan merely shrugged. "If he's hurt – and badly – he is going to need your help. I would have liked to be with you when he was found but I understand the significance of this list."

"It ain't over for the day, not yet. I've got some questions for the inn keeper an' I'm goin' to ask 'im right now," and Porthos strode out of the stable and into the night. So intent was he about his task that he failed to notice the rain had stopped at last.

Aramis and d'Artagnan watched him go and then it seemed to dawn on both that perhaps Porthos' method of asking his questions might not be what the occasion required and they took after him at a run, shouting for him to wait.