As I had suspected, the blacksmith acted far too suspiciously to absolve himself of any guilt in the operations his brother seemingly managed. I watched him return to the tavern where the king and d'Artagnan had been taken, lingering in the shadows as I watched him go into a secluded room with the tavern owner, Gus. They did not appear for some time, but I made myself comfortable, hiding my face from view and partaking of a drink until the door opened once more. Quite inexplicably, the blacksmith was wet.
I saw him glistening under the dim light of the candles, water dripping down his front and darkening his shirt which was soaked through. Remaining still, I pretended to sleep upon my hand as if I had drunk too much or was simply exhausted, watching through partially open lids as the blacksmith strode past me. I let him go, waiting until I was certain no one was looking and the owner's back was turned before I followed. Perhaps I should have gone for my brother and the others, but I knew that it would be too late by the time I had found them. I would lose the blacksmith unless I continued this path, and if he led me directly to his brother, then perhaps I would also find d'Artagnan and the king.
Staying the course, I followed the blacksmith until I was certain he was leaving the city, then I rushed to fetch my horse. Thankfully his tracks were easy to follow as the ground was soft even upon the main road, and soon enough I had him back within my sights. I maintained a veritable distance, watching him periodically through my spyglass to ensure that I still had his trail. He maintained a swift pace, and so I pushed my horse to follow, resting it when I had a good view of the blacksmith's form to allow the creature to catch its breath.
When he strayed from the main road, so did I. I took to the wilderness and selected the rarely trodden paths, finding the elevated passages to ride above my quarry out of line of his sight. My horse did well with the terrain, when we returned it deserved a thorough rubdown and warm hash. From what I could tell, we were headed towards Rouen and the port of Honfleur. It was the only notable port I could think of in the area, and if Sebastian le Maitre intended to transport his captives by ship, then Rouen was the closest. Between the city and the port lay Evruex Forest. I had studied enough of the captain's maps to have a good grasp of the country and landscape, so I was confident in my estimations.
It seemed likely to me that if le Maitre was keeping his spoils anywhere, the forest was his safest option. I continued to follow the blacksmith until he disappeared into the woods, following a path which steered towards the rising slopes of mountainous stone and valleys, the perfect place to conceal a camp and stolen captives. Slowing my horse to a halt to let it rest, I took out my spyglass and watched the blacksmith continue, following him for as long as I was able before he disappeared over a ridge. "Come on, you are doing so well," I praised my mount, patting its neck firmly. "We are almost done." Urging it to begin climbing the bank, we followed after the blacksmith.
When we approached what looked like the prime place to set a camp as well as outposts of watchers, I slowed the horse once more and took to the high ground. I abandoned the path and the blacksmith, electing for a higher elevation which gave me the perfect opportunity to scout for their base. Woodsmoke gave them away. Small campfires releasing their fumes into the air which drew my eye directly to them. From where I was situated, high above them and beyond their sight, I could see them clearly. There were far more than I anticipated, but at the very least, I had sighted d'Artagnan and the king. Both looked rather worse for wear, but they were alive.
Le Maitre had picked a prime place to stage his camp, for it was spacious yet defendable, and the exposed element of its placement meant that approaching in broad daylight without being noticed was impossible. I scanned the camp once again, catching sight of the blacksmith who embraced another man firmly. Brothers reunited, I presumed. Through the spyglass, I allowed myself to catch sight of le Maitre himself so that I would recognise his face, then hastily stowed the glass away. Any light reflecting upon it would give away my position, so I satisfied myself that I had their location and confirmation that the king and d'Artagnan were amongst them.
Taking the horse I led it forwards, switching positions so that had anyone noticed me because of the spyglass, they would find my old spot empty. The sensible course of action would have been to ride back for help, to bring Athos and the others here, nay, every soldier in the Musketeer regiment, to ride to the rescue of their king and fellow man. Tethering my horse, I looked to the sky. The daylight was rapidly receding, soon it would be dark. Too dangerous to ride back to the city, and I could not risk the camp moving whilst I was gone. With the blacksmith here, the alarm had clearly been raised.
Several men had already left the camp armed with their pistols and swords to reinforce the watch. They were expecting company. This, however, provided me with an excellent opportunity. The camp was now less guarded, and with all eyes focused outward expecting a raid of musketeers to descend upon them, one woman might easily slip inside unnoticed. I was confident that I could do it. I would need to reach d'Artagnan first. At the very least, I could reach him and concoct a more practical plan, or at least arm him. He needed to know that he was not alone any longer, that I would support him in protecting the king.
And so I waited. I waited for as long as I could bear it, counting the hours even after nightfall. I wanted the guards to be drowsy to better my chances. Every now and then I looked through my spyglass to watch over d'Artagnan and the king, keeping myself low to the ground until finally I deemed it safe to move. Taking the horse which was now well rested, I moved it to another place where it could be reached more easily after the king and d'Artagnan were freed. Perhaps we could take another horse from the camp, but if not, one horse was better than none. One of us would be able to ride away with the king to safety. Soothing the horse to keep it quiet, I left my bow, arrows and rifle behind for now. They would only be cumbersome to me at this point, I would make do with sword and pistol if I was forced into a fight.
Having spent hours studying the camp, I knew its layout well, as well as where all the guards were posted. Truthfully, it was almost too easy to slip inside. I moved quietly, keeping low and constantly watching. Most of the men were sleeping now, their snores filling the air so I went unnoticed. I made for the rock where d'Artagnan and the king were chained, avoiding the light of the fires to remain in shadow, but upon my approach, I caught sight of a face I had hoped never to see again. Milady de Winter. A rage so fierce and potent rose up inside me that I almost bellowed at the sight of her.
The overpowering urge to take out my pistol and shoot that vile, wretched woman was like a poison coursing through my veins. My hand even jumped to grasp the weapon, halfway drawing it free before I stayed my own hand. I could not. Not now. The sound of the gunshot would be heard, and I could not shoot her in the back. If I was to kill her, then I wanted her eyes to be fixed upon me as I did so. She had taken my brother's mercy and refused to comply with his only request, to leave France and never come back. Now it seemed she had chosen to make her living on the backs of good, honest folk who never did her any harm.
How I loathed her, but upon observing that the seemed to be freeing d'Artagnan and the king, I reasoned that my vendetta could wait. The king's safety took priority. I moved stealthily towards them. The king stirred upon feeling his shackles being undone, starting from his sleep in confusion and panic. "What's going on?"
"You must go. Your friend will help," I heard her say as she freed the king. I continued to move quietly towards them, unnoticed as the king asked if the woman freeing him was going to introduce herself. "Think of me as a good Samaritan." The king gazed upon her in wonderment.
"An angel, more like." Their hands now free and unchained from the pitching post, both d'Artagnan and the king staggered to their feet.
"The leg irons," d'Artagnan urged, but Milady refused to wait any longer, urging them to go as there was no time left. I understood her urgency, but I was not yet ready to leave. As she turned to flee herself, Milady came face to face with me. All she saw was the brief image of my face, a flash of recognition entering her gaze before my small yet powerful fist collided with her face. She dropped like a stone, and I smirked in satisfaction.
"Believe me, this is only the beginning," I vowed to her quietly, scowling at her groaning form before hurriedly leaping over her towards a stunned d'Artagnan. "Don't just stand there, move!" Grasping at him, I urged him to move as the king looked back from where he had begun to climb the bank.
"Where did you come from? Who are you?" He frowned slightly. "Do I recognise you?"
"The queen sent me, your majesty, now hurry! I have a horse tethered nearby; we must get to it before they realise you are gone!" With all the sense of urgency I possessed, I grasped both d'Artagnan and the king to help push them up the steep ascent. They struggled with their feet bound to one another by a chain, but I did my best to keep them upright, catching them wherever they stumbled whilst constantly looking over my shoulder.
"Madeliene, you have no idea what a relief it is to see your face," d'Artagnan finally managed to breathe, so I delivered him a beaming smile.
"The same to you. I thought I would have to ride all the way to Spain just to retrieve you. Thankfully, I arrived in time." Agreeing that I had indeed arrived at the most fortuitous moment, we agreed to stop speaking to focus on running. Or rather stumbling, in their case. I led them to where my horse stood obediently waiting, but with d'Artagnan and the king linked one ankle to another, they were unable to mount the horse together. In addition, my horse was still tired from the hard ride of the day, even though it had rested. At best, I managed to get both men into the saddle, with d'Artagnan pressing his back to the king's and facing the rear of the horse, but with their combined weight, the horse would only trot for so long before it refused to go any faster.
With no other choice, we could only walk. "I had hoped for a more gallant rescue than this, where are my musketeers? Where is Treville when I need him?" The king complained amidst his other numerous criticisms. They ranged from his uncomfortable seat to the indignity of having to share a mount, to how he was cold and hungry. At least I was able to offer him wine.
"My apologies, sire, but I was the first to arrive and there was no time to return and fetch help. I feared that they would move you come first light, and by then it would be too late." I explained to him with all the patience I possessed, sharing a look with d'Artagnan who expressed that he was just as exasperated with the king's attitude as I was becoming. "But take heart, your majesty. Soon you will be safely within the palace and all of this will seem like naught but a bad dream." A soft snore answered, and I looked to find the king fast asleep with his head slumped back against d'Artagnan's shoulder. I stared at him incredulously. "I cannot believe he has fallen asleep."
"He has had a harrowing day, let him rest. I am only sorry you must walk, Madeleine." D'Artagnan apologised, so I patted his leg gently whilst walking with my bow in hand, arrows nestled in the quiver I had slung over my shoulder.
"Think nothing of it. Since you are tethered to the king, you must ride. I expect you to take off should something go wrong, do not wait for me." Of course this was met with adamant refusals, but I convinced d'Artagnan that for the sake of France and as was his duty, his first priority must remain the king's safety and freedom. "If that means that you must leave me behind, then do not hesitate. I will find my own way back."
"But Madeleine, if something were to befall you…"
"I know I am slight of frame, d'Artagnan, but I am tougher than I look. You need not worry for me. As the king's musketeer, you must act according to your duty." From the curl of his mouth, I judged that d'Artagnan knew I spoke true, but disliked the notion of leaving me behind. We spoke no more of it, falling into a comfortable silence as I led the horse through the dark away from the camp. The king continued to snore, the only sound other than the rustling of leaves filling the quiet crooning of the forest.
Daylight soon found us, pale beams rising from the horizon until the sky was a pale, clouded white and I could see where I treaded. Retrieving my compass, I checked our heading, glad to see we were going in the right direction to return to Paris. My eyes were drooping, but I was determined to keep going. We had not made as much ground as I would have liked owing to the tiredness of the horse and the terrain we had been forced to navigate in the night, we had made several wrong turns to that effect.
Both men were now resting their eyes, but when the thunder of hooves steadily rose from the deep swell of the trees, all of us were awake and alert. "Ride!" Hissing sharply, I flung the reins over the horse's head and thrust them into the king's hands as he yelped and started, wide eyes staring in bewilderment as he was suddenly given control of the horse. "Keep your seats, now go!"
"Madeleine no!" Ignoring d'Artagnan, I slapped the horse heavily upon the rump and forced it to surge forwards with a squeal. I had hoped that d'Artagnan's horsemanship skills would keep him seated even when facing the wrong way. Unfortunately, I had neglected to consider that even at the best of times, the king could be quite…inept. The startled horse threw back its head as it made a leap forwards, beginning to rush away from the sting in its hindquarters, but the king failed to collect its head and take charge of the creature. They almost rode directly into a tree.
I watched in horror as the horse shied and swerved sharply, throwing both riders from its back whereby they landed heavily, and I felt the ache of their pain shoot up my own arm. They did not rise up again, winded and hurting. Everything had so rapidly gone wrong that there was nothing I could do to protect them. There was nowhere for us to run and the horse was too far to reach. Turning, I raised my pistol for it would have taken too long to knock and draw my bow, and fired a shot upon our pursuers. In their lead, I could see le Maitre himself. The bullet missed him, but it struck one of his lackeys and the man fell from his horse with a cry of pain before going still.
There was no time to reload, no time for anything but try to make a stand, but even as I went for my sword, a pistol was levelled upon me at point blank range as le Maitre drew up his horse only a few paces from where I stood. "What have we here then? A valiant little heroine come to the rescue, what a twist in this sordid tale." I stayed my hand from my sword, but I stepped between the king and d'Artagnan to block the path as I faced against le Maitre. "Who are you, girl?"
"If you value your lives, you will lower your weapons and release us." Despite the graveness of our plight, I did not tremble but remained stoic and steady. "You know not with whom you are dealing. Release us, and we shall overlook these heinous acts of yours."
"Judging by that tongue of yours, you're of noble stock. Only a lady would speak so proper." I refrained from correcting his grammar. "Bring her with them, we'll take them all back."
"Do not touch her!" D'Artagnan suddenly roared, surging to his feet but staggered unsteadily, still winded from his fall as the king continued to groan upon the ground. My hand jumped outwards, splaying my fingers to stay any reckless action he might undertake for my sake.
"Be still, d'Artagnan. Do not give them cause to harm you," instructing him calmly, I dared to glance back to him, hoping that he would calm himself if he saw that I was not afraid. Silently, I gave him a nod, then looked back to le Maitre. "We will go quietly and offer no resistance. I give you my word." Our surrender seemed to satisfy le Maitre, and so he forced us all to walk back after I had been stripped of my weapons. I felt rather exposed without them, but I observed to which horse they were secured, even as my own was retrieved as it had not wandered far.
At that moment, d'Artagnan promptly pulled me towards him and kept me close, even as he continually staggered and tripped. Walking with the chain clearly was a hindrance to them both, and so I offered him my arm whenever he staggered, helping to steady him as we were brought back in defeat to the camp. I was mightily displeased to have been so effortlessly thwarted, but this did not dissuade me from believing that my actions were without merit. If nothing else, I had bought us time. Our disappearance had forced the camp to remain in place, and if Athos and the others were also led to come here in their own investigations, then they would soon locate us. Until then, I began to devise another plan to escape this place and return to the king where he belonged. Back at the palace to see Prince Louis be christened.