Adventures with Friends
Time Travellers: The Eight Musketeers?
Four friends are sent back to correct history- they just might have to rewrite it.
Chapter 8
Erica sat in her cell, arms wrapped around her knees. She stared blankly at the floor in front of her. Try as she might, no thought of escape would come to her mind. She tried sleeping, but she only got a few hours out of the night. And trying to look for a bright side of death was only putting her in a sour mood. Sunlight crept through the prison window. She could hear Rochefort walking through the hallway. She didn't really care, after all this had been his zillionth time that he had walked by. For some reason or another, the one-eyed captain had taken a special disliking to Erica. But somehow she didn't really care. After all, she'd be dead soon and rid of him.
Rochefort stopped in front of her cell to look down on her... again. "I trust you slept well."
Erica raised her gaze from the dirt and glowered at Rochefort. "Don't talk to me."
"I'm afraid it's beyond that now. You see, your execution has been moved up a half hour early."
"Wow. Don't I feel special?"
Rochefort just smirked at her.
"Don't smirk at me, you creepy square." Rochefort looked down on the girl, confused. "Yeah. Since I'm going to die here in a bit, I'm going to get out all I have to say to you. One. Your hat. That is the biggest damn feather I have ever seen. And it really makes you look like a fairy. And I don't mean that in a good way. Two. Your outfit sucks. Look at it. It's all black. What is up with that? What are you some kind of agent for Satan? For crying out loud, you wear the same thing everyday! Change it up a bit. It just makes you look too pale. You look sick in it. And your attitude is just down-right nasty. If you ever wonder why you don't have any friends, it's because of your attitude. If you wouldn't be so mean to people all the time and maybe if you lightened up a bit, people would like you. And I'm not sure what your problem is, but I'm sure it's hard to pronounce."
"Are you finished?" Rochefort asked darkly, quivering in annoyance.
"Oh I could go on for quite awhile about things that you don't want mentioned, but I won't because I know you're a busy man- killing people two-thirds your own age, picking fights with young people, and sucking up to the dude in the strange red hat."
Rochefort shot Erica a murderous look, unlocked her cell door, and let two guards into the cell. The guards bound Erica's hands and picked her up. Rochefort turned on his heal and stalked down the hallway, leaving the guards to drag Erica through the hallways. The guards led Erica through the prison until she was led to a stage with a row of coffins stacked on it. A crowd of people gathered around the stage as if waiting for a concert. A burly man with a black mask covering his face stood brandishing an axe. A preacher stood beside him, clutching a Bible. Erica's jaw dropped and her eyes widened in fear. Her insides seemed to shrivel.
"I have to go up there?" Erica asked one of the men dragging her along.
"Yes."
"Erica!"
Erica looked to see Krista, Chase, and Jacob already sitting at the back of the stage, tied. Erica was forced to join her friends. They all looked like they were going to be sick. Erica forced a smile on her face.
"So... how was your guys' night?"
Krista just shook her head. Chase gave a half-hearted smile, and Jacob didn't even respond. Erica looked over her friends, praying to God that there would be some kind of miracle to save them from certain death. Another thought crossed her mind: what if this was the last time she would ever see her friends again. Tears sprang to her eyes. Krista also began to tear up.
"This sucks," was all she could say.
"No kidding. But in case I never told you, I love you guys so much."
There was an exchanging of "You mean so much to me," "I love you guys," and "Goodbyes" that it made Erica almost want to bawl. Erica looked at Chase.
"By the way Chase, I was the one that took your twelve pack of pop."
Chase did a double take at her, then glowered. "You what?"
"Bring the first spy forward!" came a lieutenant's voice.
"Who's the first?" called one of the guards beside Erica.
"Pick one!" the lieutenant shouted back.
"No! That one goes first," Rochefort interrupted, pointing straight at Erica.
Erica was barely able to comprehend what he had just said before she was hauled on the stage. A young man came up to Erica, holding what looked like a very long yard stick. He placed the measuring stick beside her, lifted her chin up, and marked off her height on the stick from the bottom of her neck. Erica watched in horror as he took it away and began measuring coffin sizes. The guards handed her off to the headsmen.
Rochefort stood up. "You have been charged with resisting arrest, thievery, duelling within city limits, spying, the murder of Cardinal's Guards, and the murder of the King's Musketeers. You have been found guilty of all the above." Erica gave Rochefort an outraged look. Rochefort smirked. "Don't loose your head."
Erica glared back. She was about to die and this guy was giving her crap about it. Not to mention she was innocent of every charge that had left his mouth. Half of them she didn't even know what he was talking about. Okay, so maybe she did resist arrest, but still... she was mostly innocent. She could hear Chase screaming at Rochefort and the Cardinal, but she couldn't understand him. She put on a murderous glower. "Whatever, Rochefort. You're ugly, stupid, and your outfit still sucks! So screw you!"
Some people in the crowd let out a laugh. The Cardinal waved a hand restoring silence and telling the headsmen to carry on with his work. He seized Erica by the scruff of the neck, ready to force her to her knees and place her head on the chopping block. The priest stepped up beside her, Bible open and ready for her last rights or whatever. Fear returning, Erica swallowed hard, willing herself not to cry in front of Rochefort.
"Fear not, my child, for we are with you. All for one, and one for all..."
Erica quickly looked to the priest. From under the brim of his hat she could see Aramis. Relief washed over her. He winked at her. The headsman gripped her by the neck.
"You are strange, head strong, and entirely too bold," he said. Erica realized it to be Porthos.
He forced her down to the chopping block. Erica choked. She wanted to cry from relief. Porthos brandished the axe, while Aramis stepped back. He raised the axe high above his head. Aramis flipped open the Bible and pulled out a pistol. He fired at the nearest Guard. Porthos changed his stance to strike at the remaining guard. Aramis charged forward to help the bewildered Erica. He whipped out a knife and cut Erica's bonds. He helped her to her feet. They whipped around, ready for escape. Erica saw that Chase, Krista, and Jacob had been freed by the man that had measured Erica a little bit ago. She did a double take. It was Dartagnan. Erica smiled.
She suddenly found herself being shoved behind Aramis's back. Aramis drew his pistol again and shot down a charging guard. Erica looked back to where Rochefort and the Cardinal had been sitting. Rochefort was gone. Erica seen him elbowing his way through the crowd, sword in hand. An instant later, a carriage came hurtling towards the stage. The crowd scattered. The carriage pulled alongside the stage. Athos sat at the driver's seat.
"Need a ride? Compliments of the Cardinal!"
"Let's go!" Aramis shouted. He pulled Erica along with him. They got to the edge of the stage and stopped. There was no way they could get in the carriage. "Jump!" he called, leaping off the stage and dragging Erica with him. They crashed through the top of the carriage and landed on the seats below. Krista came bailing in after her. Chase and Jacob followed. Dartagnan leaped to the seat beside Athos while Porthos flipped over the side of the carriage and onto the people below.
"Ouch!"
"Watch it!"
"Ah! That's my leg!"
"Porthos!"
"Sorry!"
"H'yah!" Athos shouted. The carriage lurched forward as it sped out of the town square. As if getting situated in the carriage wasn't hard enough already for the six remaining in the carriage, after it began to bounce around, it became impossible for anyone to get comfortable. The carriage was made for maybe two or three people. And they were already in chaos for having to dive in through the roof. The carriage bounced the passengers around, knocking them into each other. Krista and Erica, being the smallest of the six (although it wasn't by much), were forced onto the laps of the guys. Erica found herself sitting on Aramis's lap with Porthos right beside them. She looked across the way to see Krista on Jacob's lap with Chase bouncing around beside her. Erica couldn't help but smile at Krista. She smiled back. Suddenly, the carriage jerked forward. Erica and Krista's head knocked together. They cried out, clutching their heads. Porthos stood up to talk with Athos.
"Athos! I don't suppose you could try staying on the road?" he asked.
"This is a chase, Porthos!" Athos called over his shoulder. He whipped the reigns again.
"You're right. We need some red wine."
Athos and Dartagnan laughed. Athos suddenly pulled to the right to avoid a few pedestrians. Porthos was thrown across the carriage. He landed on Krista and Erica's laps. Jacob winced with the extra weight added to his legs. Krista and Erica caught Porthos's flailing arms. They couldn't help but laugh.
"Are you all right?" Krista asked.
"That's it! Next time I drive!"
Erica smiled and helped Porthos back to his seat. Porthos took out three swords and a cloak.
"Here. We got your stuff but we could only find three swords," he said.
"Who's is missing?" Aramis asked.
"Mine," Erica sighed. "Patchy took my sword for himself."
"Patchy?"
"Rochefort."
"Ah. Well... we'll have to see if we can find you some kind of weapon until you can get yours back."
"She can have the sword I stole from the Guard I was facing," Porthos offered.
Aramis nodded. "So why did Rochefort take your sword?"
"He's got a grudge against her," Krista said.
"A grudge?"
"Well, more like a strong disliking," Erica corrected. "As if you couldn't tell with us yelling at each other all the time."
"I see. Well, ol' Cyclops has a lot of enemies," Aramis said.
"Well, I seem to be the worst one. He and the Cardinal hate us, but Rochefort despises me."
"Speaking of the Cardinal, was he really going to kill you for all of that?" Aramis asked Erica. "You aren't spies are you?"
"Or murderers?" Porthos added, unsure of himself.
"Please. If I was capable of half the things I was charged with, I'd be queen of the friggin' universe."
"Perhaps, but what about the murder of the King's Musketeers?"
"We didn't do squat," Jacob said, bouncing around.
"The only Musketeers we know are you guys," Erica added.
Porthos turned to Aramis. "Why would the Cardinal pin a charge such as that on innocent people?"
Aramis looked at Erica. "I suspect that there is something else that these four have not let on about...?"
Erica looked at Chase. Chase shrugged. She turned back to Aramis. "The Cardinal is conspiring against the King."
"Tell us something we don't know," Porthos interrupted.
"Chase and I overheard him talking with a messenger of some sort. There is a ship called the Alexandria at Callais. It's waiting for some spy dude, Armand, with a treaty to form a secret alliance thing with some dude name Buckingham."
"Buckingham?" Aramis repeated. He looked at Porthos.
"The Duke of Buckingham?" Porthos asked. Aramis shrugged.
"Do you know him?" Chase asked.
"He rules England the same way the Cardinal rules France," Aramis said.
"You guys weren't the only people to hear something," Krista said. "I was imprisoned close to Richlieu's office, I found out-"
"What? No way! Chase and I were there. We couldn't have been far from you!" Erica interrupted.
"Really? No way! Ah... too bad you guys didn't find me. We could of been out of there."
"Where were you at?"
"Psht. Like I knew. I was friggin' blindfolded when the guards took me into my cell."
"Well, what did you hear?" Aramis interrupted.
Krista turned to Aramis. She put on an apologetic smile. "Sorry. ADD moment. But anyway, I heard the Cardinal talking to some dude about a finding a foreign girl. I couldn't really understand them, but I think they said she was from Australia. I also heard something about getting the Australian and bringing her to the Cardinal. Richlieu made it quite clear that the foreigner was important."
"Speaking of a plan for power," Jacob interrupted. "A prisoner a few cells down from me said that he heard that a lieutenant of the Cardinal's people and another dude were talking about a demonstration of power. He said that the demonstration had something to do with the Cardinal and the King. The prisoner asked the lieutenant about it later. And then, the lieutenant pulled out a pistol and shot him."
"Three seperate conspiracies?" Porthos asked.
"Or one? Either way, these conspiracies need to be stopped."
"Callay is over 100 leagues from here," Dartagnan stated.
"Is the Cardinal aware that you have this information?" Athos called over his shoulder.
Jacob shook his head. "No. The prisoner told me with his dying breath."
"Same here. I pretended that I was asleep when the Cardinal and the spy were talking."
Erica smiled at Chase, who grinned back at her. "He knows me and Erica know something."
"Looks like we turn here!" Athos shouted, pulling hard right on the reigns. The carriage lurched to one side, throwing its passengers into the side. After Chase picked himself off of Jacob and Krista, he glared at Athos's back.
"They make roads for a reason, asshole!"
"Are they still following?" Porthos called.
Dartagnan turned around. "No! They missed the turn!"
"Good. We'll stop somewhere and ditch the carriage. We'll continue on through the forest."
The carriage rocketed through the forest. By the time the eight outlaws reached the next village, Erica was unable to feel any part of her body. Athos parked the carriage atop a hill, overlooking the village. He dismounted and went to the carriage door and opened it.
"Gentlemen, ladies, I hope you enjoyed the ride," he said teasingly.
Everyone spilled out of the carriage before answering him. Erica nearly collapsed, her legs were so numb. Krista stumbled away from the carriage. Erica followed her. Krista turned to Erica.
"I can't feel my ass!" she hissed to her friend.
Erica just grinned and nodded. Dartagnan, who was scoping out the village, returned to his Musketeer companions. "You won't believe it, but this is a camp of Cardinal Guards."
"Are you kidding me?" Athos said. "Of all the places we stopped..."
"You needn't worry, gentlemen," Porthos said, happily. "We can always send them our parting gift."
Aramis nodded. "I agree."
"Very well," Athos said. He turned to the young teens. "Stand back."
The four didn't need to be told twice. After seeing how insane these men were, they were more than happy to step away from them. The four Musketeers went to the carriage and opened the door. Aramis emptied the powder from his pistol onto the seat of the carriage. Meanwhile Porthos was digging in a secret compartment and brought out a bottle of wine. He offered a swig to his companions after taking one himself, then emptied it around the inside of the carriage. Dartagnan unhooked the four horses from the carriage. Then the men stood back. Athos drew his own gun and fired at the pile of gun powder in the carriage. It errupted in flames. The fire quickly spread to the rest of the carriage. The four pushed the carriage downhill, towards the camp of Cardinal Guards. The eight watched the carriage charge down the hill. It rolled through half the village, catching tents and buildings on fire, until it crashed into another wagon full of barrells. The four men smiled triumphantly.
An erruption split the air. Barrells shot into the air like nuclear missiles while the two wagons were engulfed in flames. The surrounding people, including the Musketeers, jumped from surprise. They stared as fiery barrells dropped onto tents dozens of feet away. No one spoke. Chaos spread through the village quickly.
"Well..." Krista said. "I think you guys left your mark on this town."
Dartagnan laughed, followed by the others. But Athos wouldn't allow the small crowd much downtime. He moved to the horses.
"Come. We're not out of trouble yet. An explosion like that will draw the attention of our pursuers."
"Athos is right. It's high time we disappeared," Dartagnan agreed.
"But there's one problem," Jacob said. "There are four horses and eight people that need a ride, but hey what do I know, I almost failed math..."
"We'll have to ride two to a horse," Aramis said.
"What?" Chase said, knowing with what gender he'd have to ride with.
"You're right. And with the extra weight, the horses won't be able to run far. We'll have to travel by night in the woods," Athos said.
"Can we get to Callay before Richlieu's spy at that rate?" Dartagnan asked.
"Not to mention the Cardinal's men will still be after us," Porthos sighed.
"Well, we're not getting anywhere talking about it, let's go!" Jacob said.
"Oh my God, Jacob actually suggested something intelligent," Erica burst. Krista laughed.
"The boy is right. Let's ride. If worse should come to worse, we will find some other horses."
The Musketeers nodded to one another in agreement. Dartagnan grabbed a horse from Athos and tapped Krista on the shoulder. Krista couldn't help but cast Erica a "Haha, I got the hott one" look. Erica just rolled her eyes, trying not to show that she was jealous. Porthos took a horse and motioned to Chase. Reluctantly, Chase mounted behind him, looking very unhappy. Aramis mounted his horse and called Erica over to him. She climbed behind Aramis. Athos grabbed Jacob and hauled him up behind him.
After Jacob was securely seated behind Athos, the four Musketeers wheeled their horses around and galloped into the forest. Although Chase didn't want to have too much contact with Porthos, he was forced to wrap his arms around Porthos to keep from falling off. Erica and Aramis rode beside the two, and Erica could see Chase's face turning red from anger and embarassment. She smiled to herself. Erica looked to her other side to where Dartagnan and Krista rode. She flashed a smile at Krista, who didn't seem to mind sitting close to the young Musketeer. Beyond those two was Jacob and Athos. If Erica wasn't mistaken, Jacob had his eyes tightly shut and was mouthing, "Please God, don't let me fall off!" She looked at Krista and nodded towards Jacob. Krista turned around to look at her friend. She whirled back around and bit back a laugh. Erica smiled and focused on her Musketeer, Aramis.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"To the next town."
"What will we do there?"
"We will hide and rest there until we rare allowed to continue on our journey to Callay."
"We'll be able to eat something then?" Erica asked hopefully.
Aramis chuckled. "Yes. Why? Are you hungry?"
"Starving! That jail food didn't do squat!"
He chuckled again. "I'm not sure what squat means, but don't worry. Tonight we will be able to eat and sleep, my young American friend."
Erica closed her eyes in relief. Finally, for the first time in two and a half days, she did not half to worry about fending for herself or her friends. She was in the company of France's most celebrated warriors: Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and Dartagnan. And for the first time in two and a half days, she didn't have to worry about Rochefort coming out of nowhere and trying to kill her. For the first time in two and a half days, she was safe.
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