Evening My Lovelies

Today's chapter is a bit of a filler one I'm afraid but I didn't it to go from learning about D'Arts mission to suddenly being in Lupiac Gascony so hence this chapter. I know I promise lots of whumpage and dont worry that is coming just give it a couple of chapters I promise.

Notes On Reviews:

CaroH: Thanks for the review - I don't think Louis realizes that sending one person on a mission such as that without backup is a bad idea. Our boys are to the rescue now though :) Enjoy the new chapter! x

romirola: Thanks for the review - Ooh there's lots of trouble coming the muskys way :D Enjoy the new chapter! x

Deana: Thanks for the review - As I said, today's is a bit of a filler but I hope you like it regardless. Enjoy the new chapter! x

Guest: Thanks for the review - You're welcome and I'm glad you're enjoying it so far :) Enjoy the new chapter! x

Ruth (Guest): Thanks for the review - Glad you liked Louis :) Yeah thanks for noting the error about the village name I had completely forgotten about that :) I've started to change it to the village name in later chapters apart from when it works fine to still be Gascony but regardless thanks for noting it :D Enjoy the new chapter! x

Issai: Thanks for the review - I think it's safe to say that Louis is an idiot lol :D and I agree with you, Anne is clearly the brains of the pair lol I think Louis was too busy throwing a tantrum that someone stole from him to really care about what had been stolen and its impact. Enjoy the new chapter! x

Violet Eternity (Guest): Ask and ye shall receive my friend :) Enjoy the new chapter! x

Lilac Lavender: Thanks for the review - Glad you like Louis, he's started to creep into my stories more now but I always worry about how I write him... I'm also debating having other characters like Constance, Milady and Flea in this story at some point as well (maybe) but I'm quite nervous about getting them right as well... We shall see if they make an appearance, depends on what direction the story ends up actually taking. Luckily our boys got a bit of rest the night they returned but yeah it's pretty much a 'now we're back lets go out again' sort of situation ... I think the horses may be cursing them lol. Enjoy the new chapter! x

Debbie (Guest): Thanks for the review - Enjoy the new chapter! x

Guest: Thanks for the review - Yeah I realized that when one of the other reviewers mentioned it... I had completely forgotten, I've changed it in this chapter and the ones that follow, unless it suited it more for them to say Gascony. But thanks for mentioning it anyway :) Enjoy the new chapter! x

Gonna apologize again for it being a filler, more drama, intrigue & of course whumpage to come I promise :)

As always many thanks for the follows/favourites/reviews/readers

Enjoy

xxx

Chapter Four: Preparations

As soon as they reached the garrison the three inseparables each split off to prepare for their trip. Athos followed Treville up to his office so the Captain could fill his lieutenant in on any news or rumors he knew off that related to either their mission or the path they would be following.

"You're going to want to avoid this route," Treville stated as he and Athos stared at the large map set out before them, "The rainstorm a few days ago caused the river to flood and knocked out the bridge, Reynard and his group were almost swept away when it happened"

Athos nodded, storing the information away as he mentally planned a route, "D'Artagnan stated that this was the route he and his father took when they headed for Paris" the swordsman informed, tracing the route with his finger as he spoke, "He has had little opportunity or desire to return home since then so it is likely that he would take this path so we will take it as well"

"Not the most direct" Treville mused, "though there is less chance of meeting bandits on it as it is far less traveled so it makes sense for it to have been the route D'Artagnan's father chose… Now for suspects…"

While Athos was speaking to the Captain, Aramis had headed straight to his medical supplies, checking over his stock and replenishing what he needed from the garrison infirmary. He would have liked to have packed a lot more than his usual supplies but they would be moving at speed and he didn't want to over encumber his horse by packing too much.

Once that was sorted he performed a quick maintenance check on his firearms. He always kept them in pristine working order but worry for his youngest brother was pushing him to ensure the weapons effectiveness.

Meanwhile Porthos had detoured to the kitchens to request three sets of travel rations to be prepared by the garrison's chef Serge. Whilst this was being sorted he filled up their water skins and checked over their horses, ensuring that the beasts would be up to the hard paced ride that they were about to ask of them.

Luckily by that point word had spread across the garrison that D'Artagnan had gone missing while on a secret solo mission directly from the King. As such Porthos had entered the stables to find the two young stable hands just finishing up saddling the three horses.

Nodding his thanks to the two young boys the large musketeer led the three horses out to the courtyard to await the arrival of his brothers… Though it seemed he was not the only one worrying about their wayward Gascon as he was barely waiting a couple of minutes before Athos, Aramis and Treville came into view.

Seeing the horses saddled and supplies already packed on them Athos sent his brothers a small smile before nodding to them as the three of them mounted their horses and with one last stern look from their Captain, which clearly said 'you best bring that boy back in one piece' they set off.

"So we leave him alone for a few days and the whelp gets himself involved in a plot to either stop or start a war" Porthos summarized with a forced grin. He honesty didn't know whether to be cursing the boy for his ability to find trouble or impressed at the important situations his trouble usually left him in.

Aramis chuckled at the absurdity of the situation, but despite his outward calm, his heart was still gripped with fear, dangerous circumstances were drawn to his younger brother like a magnet and the boy had little to no sense of self-preservation even out of missions, for example the medic had lost count of the amount of times one of them had to warn him off of doing daring stunts simply because of a bet. Why just a few weeks ago we had to get Porthos to pull him down from the wall where he had bet a recruit that he could scale the garrison's walls in less than two minutes… in the middle of a heavy rain storm the medic ranted internally, unconsciously fidgeting in his saddle as his anxiousness grew.

"Any ideas who might have reason to stop the documents returning to Paris?" the medic asked, choosing to focus on the situation at hand rather than the band of fear threatening to overpower him.

"Treville had no leads to give" Athos replied dejectedly "He's heard no news of anyone entering France that might benefit by having the document in their possession"

"So we're do we start?" Porthos grunted, annoyance at the lack of information clear in his voice.

"We'll head to Gascony and set Aramis on the tavern's barmaids to see what information we can dig up" Athos explained completely stoic, his delivery making Porthos snort with laughter despite the worry eating at the musketeer.

"I feel so used!" the flirtatious Spaniard protested, though the beaming grin on his face and the twinkle of excitement in his eyes rather negated its effect.

It was several hours hard ride later when they were beginning to lose the daylight that the musketeers conceded that they would need to find somewhere to rest for the night.

None of the men wanted to stop, the closer they got to their destination, the harder they had pushed their horses – a desperate need to find their fourth pushing them past their normal limits.

There had been silence as they set up their camp, none of the men ready to voice their fears to the others, more out of fear that they would not be able to reassure them then out of lack of trust.

"We made good time today" Athos observed dryly, "if we keep this pace we should reach Lupiac in a couple of days"

Porthos and Aramis nodded their agreement to Athos's plan and silence once again reigned for several minutes before Aramis could no longer continue to internalize his fears for their youngest.

"He's been gone almost a week now" he stated quietly, his eyes never leaving the crackling campfire, "he would have ridden hard as well, especially after getting the mission straight from the King… Probably didn't rest unless he had no other choice, at a pace like that he could have easily have made it to Lupiac days ago…"

"He is also armed, well trained plus he knows both the land and its people" Athos replied, hoping to reassure his friend by reminding him of their missing brother's skills.

"That's what I'm worried about!" Aramis cried as he shot to his feet, pacing the length of their makeshift campsite, "We all know there are only three things that would have forced D'Artagnan to miss the King's deadline without having sent word; capture, injury or… death" he ranted, his voice faltering on the last word.

"Hey!" Porthos roared, clamping a hand around the Spaniard's wrist and pulling him to sit beside him, "the whelps not dead so stop thinking like that, we'll find him, bring him home and then berate him for getting involved in such a serious mission without any backup, King's orders or no." he soothed, his hand still gripping the medic's wrist, though with much less force than before.

"We should get some sleep" Athos interjected, stoutly ignoring the medic's outburst, "if we're to be any help to D'Artagnan we will need our rest"

With that the three men moved to their bedrolls, although sleep evaded them for some time.

Unable to take the tense silence any longer Aramis huffed and sat up, his voice uncharacteristically small as he spoke, "He hasn't been back to Gascony since his father died and during that time LaBarge destroyed his home." While neither of his brothers moved to sit up the sharpshooter could tell that they were awake and listening, "This shouldn't be how he returns to his childhood home… It'll bring up too many memories for him."

Silence settled over the group as they took in Aramis's words.

"Has he ever spoken to either of you about it?" Porthos asked, "His life in Lupiac?"

Aramis shook his head, only just realizing that despite their closeness, the young Gascon shared very little of his past with them. It was Athos's answer however that surprised them, "He has a habit of changing the conversation whenever it's brought up" Athos said quietly, almost to himself, "He's let a few things slip in the past but never anything pertaining to the town itself… Usually it's something like how a certain flower reminds him of the garden his mother used to tend"

"So he's never talked about what his life was like growing up?" Aramis asked, surprised that their talkative little pup was so cagey with his past, especially around Athos who he revered immensely.

"Should we be concerned bout that?" Porthos asked worriedly when the three men realized how little of his past the young man they called brother had shared with them.

"Possibly" Athos conceded with a grim look on his face. "It might also be that talking about Gascony brings back memories of his father and then consequently his death and that's why the boy refuses to talk about them."

All three men then came to the silent agreement to do some discreet digging into their brother's past when they arrived to his hometown – nothing too invasive… Just enough to assuage their growing concerns about their brother. Once this had been decided the men settled down once more to attempt to sleep.