Aramis was still groggy from being hit. It took him a few moments to grow more aware of what was happening.
He realized he was flung over the shoulder of the man who had made his life a living nightmare. He could now feel a sharp blade against his neck. He heard the man speak and realized his brothers were there.
He desperately wanted to call out to them, but the threat of his throat being cut prevented him. He didn't dare move either.
The man was moving again, his brothers obviously not being able to attempt anything for fear of the man killing him.
He could now feel fresh air on his heated skin. They were outside? Where were they going?
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Mattieu strode rapidly through the front door of the house. His confidence was soaring. 'Those high and mighty Musketeers couldn't do a thing,' he thought. 'Not with their precious brother in my grasp'. He continued, 'It's amazing how a simple little blade can control otherwise fearless men', chuckling to himself.
A moment later, however, he froze. Coming over the rise of land in the distance was a group of riders, and he swore as he recognized the blue cloaks blowing in the breeze.
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Aramis felt the man's movement halt, also picking up on a sudden tenseness in the man under him.
'Something is happening', he thought. 'Something he doesn't like'.
Then, he heard it. The thunder of hooves, which stopped some distance away. He didn't know who they were, but just the tenseness he felt in the man's shoulders told him they weren't men he had wanted or expected to see.
Aramis gathered up any slight reserve of strength left in him to attempt to free himself. If this man succeeded in taking him off somewhere, he knew he was a dead man anyway.
And then, a shot rang out. It didn't hit either of them, but Mattieu, while reaching for his pistol, relaxed his grip on the knife slightly.
That was all Aramis needed. He swung his elbow at the man's throat. Even though it didn't have anything near the strength behind it that he would normally have, his luck held when his elbow connected on the man's Adam's apple, the pain causing him to drop both the knife and his grip on Aramis.
Aramis, what little strength he had having been expended, couldn't prevent his sharp drop to the hard ground, knocking the wind out of him.
Mattieu, now no longer having a shield to protect him, started to lift his arm to fire his pistol, only to hear several shots ring out. One hit him in the upper part of his gun hand, the pistol falling out of his grasp as he lifted his other hand to try and stop the blood pouring out.
Realizing he would be caught if he didn't move quickly, he bolted for his horse, zigzagging to try to prevent another bullet from hitting him.
Reaching his horse, he leaped on it's bare back, having always been a superb horseman. He kept moving now, utilizing a a trick taught him by some gypsy men many years before.
He suddenly dropped out of the saddle to the side of the horse away from the riders, holding himself against the horse's body and kicking it to urge it to gallop.
Bullets continued to fly, one grazing the horse's backside. The animal let out a shrill whinny, but moved even faster. Mattieu's foot urged it around the corner of the house and out of sight of the riders. Pulling himself back to an upright position, horse and rider thundered off to safety.
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Hearing the guns and then a horse galloping very near the front of the house, Athos slowly opened the door.
There was no sign of the big man. Then he saw Aramis lying face down on the ground and his heart clenched with fear at the sight.
Moving through the door, his eyes finally caught sight of the riders on the hill, beginning to move rapidly towards them. So had his brothers, as d'Artagnan shout out jubilantly, 'Captain!
It was indeed Treville, followed by seven of his men, now approaching the house. The Captain's face reflected grave concern when he saw Aramis still lying face-down on the ground.
Dismounting rapidly, he strode to where Athos was now gently turning his brother over. He beheld closed eyes, and moved his hand to Aramis' neck rapidly to check for a pulse. He and his brothers had not been able to see what had been happening, but Treville had.
Just as Trevillr laid a hand on Athos' shoulder and said quietly, "He was not wounded, Athos. He might….," stopping as they both saw Aramis' eyes opening.
Treville spoke to him, saying, "You still have a wicked elbow, Aramis," confusing Athos, Porthos and d'Artagnan, but drawing a smile from Aramis.
Seeing the non-comprehension on the countenances of the other Inseparables, he explained. "We were able to get a couple of shots at his kidnapper because of Aramis here," smiling fondly down at the Musketeer still prone on the ground. He swung his elbow into the man's neck. Rather a good hit, too!"
Aramis spoke up quietly, "It was the only thing I was able to do in my position, Captain."
"Let's get you back in the house and onto a bed," Porthos said, suiting his action to his words and gathering up his brother into his arms to carry back inside.
Athos spoke up then. "We need to retrieve Denis' body so that Jehanne could properly have laid to rest. D'Artagnan and I will go and get him and meet you back inside."
But when they reached the place they had seen held at, the ground was bare. There was no body, no blood, nothing.
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As I have been doing lately, the next chapter will probably be ready and posted either tomorrow or Tuesday. Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think if you have a few minutes.