Evening My Lovelies
We're getting a bit of everyone today so yay for that :)
I wanted to quickly thank everyone for their reviews for yesterday's chapter. I was having a bit of a crappy day at work earlier, one of those days where nothing wants to work right but getting lovely reviews from you all definitely made it a bit better so thanks for that :D
Notes On Reviews:
Deana: Thanks for the review - Treville's going to be very pleased he sent out that patrol. Enjoy the new chapter! x
criminally charmed: Thanks for the review - Good point :) Luckily Treville didn't let everyone volunteer, that would have left the regiment a teeny bit undermanned. Haha I know XD and that's after just a few months, imagine what he could be saying after a year or two lol. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Katie (Guest): Thanks for the review - Worry not they'll be found soon... as for Athos and his group... who can say :D Enjoy the new chapter! x
Debbie (Guest): Thanks for the review - I know right! Though I imagine if he was going to get angry with us it would be with me for writing all the whumpage I do so I think you're safe lol. D'Art's a stubborn fool who's due an Aramis rant before all this is over :D Enjoy the new chapter! x
FierGascon: Thanks for the review - I may have gotten the hint lol. Help is coming to our boys who are close to home but Athos's group still has a bit more to go. D'Art doesn't want Aramis to worry or feel guilty, which of course he does... though considering what's happening he will probably end up wishing he'd spoken up earlier. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Tidia: Thanks for the review - We'll be seeing more of Athos's group tomorrow. We get a bit today but tomorrow's is more focused on them. Treville maybe going into papa bear mode very soon as well. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Helensg: Thanks for the review - You'd have thought they'd have learnt it by now but apparently not... oh well it lets me write more fun conversations and rants so I'm all for it XD Ooooh yes :) In a coming chapter Athos will be wishing that a shattered ankle was the worst of his injuries...Enjoy the new chapter! x
Zoe (Guest): Thanks for the review - Like teacher like student I suppose, though like you said our other boys weren't about to let that happen. We'll get to the strange man soon. I'm trying to decide how best to have him appear (and his name) Hmmm you'll have to wait and see :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
watlocked: Thanks for the review - Haha pretty much, a dedicated bunch our musketeers. That's very true, although about to change. I think that once they're safe is when it's really going to hit them how bad they're hurting. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Issai: Thanks for the review - Treville's going to be very happy he had men out searching once he learns and see's their conditions. I think D'Art's going to be due another Aramis rant once they're safe for not mentioning how bad he was feeling. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Lilac Lavender: Thanks for the review - Gotta give the boy a hand for trying I suppose. I'm really happy you enjoyed the Porthos rant :) I really liked writing it so it's always really great to hear people liked reading it. I think, had Athos not been in as much pain as he's in and so able to think a bit more coherently then he would have explained it better... Not that Porthos would ever leave him but perhaps he could have said it in a way that wouldn't have garnered such a reaction from our lovely Porthos, whose patience is stretched to its limit. Gotta love declarations of love in the middle of a rant :) Always good fun. My evil mind has decided that D'Art hasn't suffered anywhere near enough yet in this story hence the falling off the horse :D I'm not quite sure where those two lines came from but my muse hasnt led me wrong yet so I went with it, glad you liked it :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
As always many thanks and much love for following/favouriting/reviewing/reading
Enjoy!
xxx
Chapter Nineteen: The Long Way Home II
"I've heard you sent a bunch of your men out earlier Captain," remarked King Louis as he eyed the Captain with curious interest.
"A simple patrol Your Majesty," nodded Treville, hiding the pride he felt for his men from his voice. Within ten minutes of asking for volunteers to search the roads for any sign of their missing comrades Treville had a group of half a dozen men mounting their horses and setting off.
"To search for your precious inseparables no doubt," sneered Richelieu, the Cardinal barely keeping his great distaste for the men out of his voice.
"Is that true Captain?" asked Louis disapprovingly, "I didn't think they had been gone long enough to warrant a search party."
"Of course not Your Majesty," said Treville, silently enjoying wiping the smug look off of Richelieu's face as the King brought his lie. "Their personal matter must either be taking longer than expected or they were delayed by that storm we had the other night."
Louis nodded, remembering all to well the state of the roads the morning following the storm.
"Why send out a patrol if not to search for your men?" Richelieu asked, his eyes narrowing as he watched the Captain, completely sure the man was lying.
"Rumors of highwaymen on the roads have reached my attention and with the De Villiers due to make their way into the city in the next week I thought it best to ensure their journey was as safe as it could be."
Louis practically beamed at the Captain, the De Villiers were some of the monarch's most trusted friends and the knowledge that Treville was taking pre-emptive steps to ensure their safety was comforting.
"Will such a small patrol be able to handle an ambush by these vagrants should one arise?" asked the King with only a touch of worry in his voice
Treville smiled softly at the young King, "Worry not Your Majesty my men are well trained, they will not fall to mere highwaymen." Another lie of course, any man could fall no matter their training, all it would take was one lucky blow. The King didn't need to know that however so he let the man keep his faith.
"Of course," nodded Louis, "I'll let you get back to your work Treville. I would like to know however when these vagrants are dealt with."
"As I said they are mere rumor at the moment but I inform you as soon as I know more," and with a bow Treville left the throne room, his pace quickening as soon as he saw one of the his men waiting for him by his horse.
"News?" he asked, a sickening feeling of dread settling in his stomach at the look on the musketeer's face.
"It... Would be better to see for yourself sir."
"We… must be nearly out by now," huffed Porthos, glaring slightly at the seemingly never-ending corridor. The trio had been trying to find the way out for some time now with little success. It also didn't help that their constant walking was aggravating all of their injuries.
Each of them were beginning to tire, Athos was stumbling more and more often and each time he did the pain got closer to being too much for his battered body to handle.
Porthos had come to the conclusion that his shoulder was definitely dislocated and upon the firm insistence of both Athos and Vivienne he allowed them to put it back into place before he caused himself irreversible damage. Both of them had steadfastly refused to take another step until his shoulder was sorted, something that brought a small smile to the larger man's face despite their circumstances.
Vivienne seemed to be having the most trouble. Despite having the least serious wounds it had quickly become obvious that the young woman was unaccustomed to physical pain and that, plus her near constant state of worry during the time she had been held had left her feeling weak and exhausted.
The two musketeers were impressed though when she refused to give into the pain, choosing instead to focus on the task at hand, even when a particularly bad stumble from Athos sent them both to the ground.
Porthos opened his mouth to complain again when Vivienne, who had been sent off to check round the corner for any signs of hostiles, returned, a nervous look on her face.
"What?" he asked quietly as the young woman ducked back into her position at Athos's other side.
"M-Marcel."
Porthos cursed, the last thing they needed right now was to get into a fight.
"Did he see you?" he whispered
"I… I think he gestured to me," admitted the woman with poorly covered confusion in her voice.
"What!" hissed a barely conscious Athos, the swordsman had come to the same silent agreement as his friend in that Vivienne was important to Aramis and therefor important to them, he would get her out of there and keep her safe if it killed him… which, going by the pain radiating through him felt like an actual possibility.
"He… he was talking to this guy, who had his back to me, I only heard the word ambush before he looked up and I swear he locked eyes with me," Vivienne explained her frame beginning to shake with exhaustion and fear. Noticing this Athos gently squeezed her shoulder, the gesture making her relax and smile slightly. "Once he saw me he and the man started to move away but before they turned the corner he looked back at me and seemed to nod slightly to the door they'd been standing in front of."
"Change of heart maybe?" Porthos offered, slightly confused himself by the man's actions. "Daviau's not around to intimidate him and we got out ourselves so he can't be punished for letting us out."
"Worth…a look at any rate," said Athos, his words turning into more of a hiss as the pain in his broken joints flared up once again.
The ride from the palace to the garrison was one of the tensest Treville had ever endured. The musketeer, who had met him at the palace gate Favier, spent the entire trip back explaining as much as he could about the situation.
Favier explained that the patrol had split off into two smaller groups when they were outside the city walls in order to cover more ground and that his group had been about two hours ride from the city walls when first caught a glimpse of a familiar horse, although panic had arisen when they noticed the animal was without its rider.
Upon noticing this Favier had sent off one of his team to bring back the other patrol group while he and his companion Issac continued onward.
To say the Captain was worried would be an understatement, whilst he was beyond relieved that the patrol he had sent out had actually found some of his missing men, he was also terrified at what their current conditions could mean for those still missing.
Favier had refused to explain much about what condition they had found the pair in, stating that it would be easier to explain when Treville could see them. Instead the musketeer had chosen to focus on navigating the busy streets of the Parisian market in hopes of reaching the garrison faster.
"Captain!" called another of his men as both he and Favier strode up the path to the infirmary.
"Issac?" Nodded Treville though he framed the man's name as a question as he was thoroughly confused at the sigh of relief the man released upon seeing him.
"They're in there," explained Issac as he nodded to the closed infirmary door, "With Athos still gone we're all hoping you can get him to see reason."
"Explain?"
"Aramis sir," clarified the musketeer, running a hand through his hair as he spoke, clearly not happy with the whole situation. "He's in rough shape, really rough, was barely conscious when we found him but he refuses to rest. Keeps insisting he needs to be the one to treat D'Artagnan. The kid's got a fever like you wouldn't believe and Aramis is blaming himself. The doctor's tried to get him to calm do and rest but short of forcing a sleeping draught down his throat or knocking him out I think you're the only one who might stand a chance of actually getting him to listen."
Treville sighed tiredly, after spending the morning dealing with the King and Cardinal the very last thing he needed right now was to deal with a falling apart Spaniard… especially when that Spaniard is someone he had been avoiding for the week before his abrupt departure.
"Understood," nodded Treville. "I want the patrols to continue for the next few days, we're still missing two of our own and until Aramis or D'Artagnan are in any fit state to explain what happened and where they are we have to look for them as best we can given our restraints."
"Sir," nodded both Favier and Issac before both men left to catch up with the others who had been part of their patrol group.
Once the men had left Treville made his way to the infirmary door, pausing just as his hand rested on the handle as voices from inside caught his attention.
"For goodness sake musketeer, sit down before I have you thrown out of my infirmary!"
Treville frowned, Doctor Moreau was one of the calmest and well-spoken men he knew, for the man to speak with such frustration and anger in his words he knew the situation with Aramis was bad.
Not wanting to waste another second when his musketeer could be making his own situation worse Treville opened the door and strode in.
"Aramis."