Authors note: This continues from yesterday.

Aramis tried to straighten his arm and winced, pleased that he was at the back of their little group. He had been honest with his self-diagnosis. He knew the limb was not broken and was just bruised. What worried him was if they got into a fight with anyone. He knew if he was forced to use his right arm he would struggle. Although, they were all injured to some extent. Athos had taken a knock to the head and was trying to hide the discomfort. D'Artagnan had been punched and was probably suffering from muscle strains. Porthos' dishevelled appearance showed he had not got off without injury either.

But Porthos might be the one that caused them the most problems when they found d'Artagnan's tunnel. Aramis had glanced at his friend when d'Artagnan mentioned the tunnel. He had tried to school his features, to not show any apprehension. But Aramis had known his friend for many years and saw through the facade straight away.

His friend had told him about the vivid dream the morning after he had experienced it. Porthos always left bits out when he mentioned the dream to other people. He always left out the part that Aramis played in the dream. It was Aramis who had encouraged him to enter the cave that became his tomb in the first place. Where it was Aramis who had been forced to leave Porthos to die.

Aramis shuddered at the thought.

They were walking through more deserted corridors. The Marquess had taken all his staff to the main house to help with hosting the group of English Royalty and nobles that were staying. The Musketeers were a mere hindrance to the Marquess, something he would deal with once the visiting group had retired to bed if they ever did. Aramis suspected they would be afforded several hours to escape. And the Marquess had underestimated his French prisoners who achieved the first part of their escape with relative ease.

'Here,' said d'Artagnan, before descending a few steps and stopping in front of an iron gate.

The gate was covering a low door. Aramis knew they would all have to crouch to get through the doorway.

'There's a padlock,' d'Artagnan said as he reached for the item and lifted it so that the flame from his torch was reflected in the metal.

'Can you pick it?' asked Athos.

D'Artagnan looked up at Porthos who was staring at the doorway, lost in thought. It was obvious d'Artagnan thought Porthos would be the one to step forward and pick the lock, but Athos was looking at d'Artagnan expectantly. D'Artagnan nodded slowly.

'I think so.'

D'Artagnan glanced at Porthos again before sinking to his knees and starting to work on the lock. Athos turned to Porthos who had finally focused on the small doorway.

'I'll be fine,' said Porthos. 'I know what you're thinking. I'll go last. I don't want to hold you up if I … if I …'

Porthos trailed off, not wishing to verbalise what they were all thinking. Aramis knew that none of them judged Porthos for having a fear. They all had things that affected them. Aramis always felt the cold more, whenever the biting cold of a winter's day filled the air, the massacre at Savoy would always be at the forefront of his mind. D'Artagnan still had moments where thoughts of the murder of his father consumed his mind, leaving him struggling to cope with the grief. And Athos had his drink and his past, that none of them could penetrate.

The padlock clicked open; Porthos managed a smile.

'You're getting good at that,' he said with a nod of approval towards d'Artagnan.

The gate was pulled open. D'Artagnan stepped forward, down another couple of steep steps.

'Oh-'

'What?' asked Aramis.

Athos followed d'Artagnan through the door and paused, he leaned back, looking up at Aramis and Porthos, his gaze on Porthos as he spoke.

'This is not the height of the tunnel,' he said, reaching up to touch the top of the low door that led down. 'We will have to crawl.'

Aramis was aware of Porthos tensing a little and taking a shaky breath.

'That leaves me at a disadvantage,' said Aramis, indicating his right arm. 'You will have to help me through.'

He looked at Porthos who blinked a couple of times before nodding.

'You two go ahead, we need to know we can get out the other end. There's probably another gate. This place is well protected, Paulet would not be stupid enough to leave the other end of this tunnel unlocked.'

Athos nodded, muttering as he turned to go, 'he is stupid enough to have a bridge linking the old and new houses.'

Aramis watched Athos disappear from view following d'Artagnan. He turned to Porthos who was looking at him.

'I'll be fine,' said Porthos. 'I'll have to be.'

Aramis smiled, 'yes, you will.'

He descended the two steep steps into a small square room. The torch that d'Artagnan had been carrying was lying on the ground, its flame still burning. One side of the room had the door Aramis had just entered and the other had the opening to the tunnel which reached up to his waist. He crouched down and stared into the inky blackness ahead of him. He could hear shuffling and odd words echoing back.

Athos' disembodied words floated back to Aramis.

'The tunnel is heading down. It must go under the moat. It is difficult to crawl headfirst, it is too steep.'

'No one will see you,' d'Artagnan said, his voice muffled. 'It's pitch black in here.'

Aramis nodded, despite knowing neither of his friends would be able to see him. He thought about his bruised arm and how uncomfortable he would be.

But he thought of Porthos more.

'I think they're saying it won't look pretty as we shuffle our way through there,' said Porthos grimly.

Aramis looked up at Porthos who had joined him in the small room before the tunnel.

'I'm going to be slow getting through this,' said Aramis. 'You should go ahead of me.'

Porthos shook his head, 'what if I panic?'

Aramis could tell his friend was worried he would let them all down. He shook his head.

'Worry about me, instead,' said Aramis.

Porthos managed a grim smile.

'I'll do that.'

Porthos crouched in front of the opening to the tunnel, he stared at the darkness for a few seconds before slipping in. He moved forward half crawling, half shuffling. He was soon out of sight, but Aramis was thankful that he could still hear his friend moving.

Aramis followed Porthos, wincing each time he took any weight on his right arm, knowing they were nowhere near out of danger.

To be continued…

Whumpee: All four.

Authors note: The dream that Porthos had - if you know, you know, if not, I'm not spoiling it for you.

The castle and house they are being held captive in is based on Basing House in Hampshire which, in its day, played host to several English monarchs at great expense to the Paulet family. The bridge that Athos is rather derisive of was the weak point that helped Cromwell's army breach the defences during the Siege of Basing House (1645), a significant Royalist loss during the English Civil War.

The tunnel is real, I have crawled through it, although they have cleaned it up and there are lights along it now.