Daleria.
Mossflower knows what she must be thinking then. Rapieratce knew that she now hated him with all her heart, spitefully and without remorse. Not that he could blame her. Who wouldn't hate anybeast who hurt then threw you into a prison cell two times in a row? Running a paw through his ears, the vexed colonel turned over again, still unable to sleep, partially because of his current dilemma and partially because his ribs were still sore and felt extremely uncomfortable. Sighing, he turned again, trying to force his eyes close to no avail. Finally breaking, he grabbed a tunic, threw it on and went out quietly to think. Rapieratce did not even give second thought to that he was breaking another rule by doing this. Ever since Daleria had, how would one put it, influenced him, Rapieratce had laxed up a bit, not too visibly, but still... Trying to clear his mind as he approached the same balcony that he had found Daleria on a few weeks back, the colonel desperately tried to make up his mind.
To let her go or not to let her go... That is the question... (A/N: I succumbed to Shakespeare...) You know what you have to do, 'Atce.
Oh for the sake of Mossflower! Go away, you annoying conscience!
Daleria needs to get out of there, 'Atce. You know it. The captain will go insane if she does not. There is already too much on her mind.
She will cool off soon enough.
You try to lie to yourself, 'Atce. Never try to lie to yourself.
Sometimes a beast must.
Sometimes a beast must not.
The lady will not allow it. I would be leading her to her death. I cannot. By Mossflower, it would kill her!
It would kill her to leave her like that. And furthermore, it would kill you.
What do you mean?
You know what I mean. You are growing fond of the captain, aren't you?
What on Mossflower?! Me? Fond of Daleria? If my conscience can think thoughts like that, I must be going insane.
Don't try to deny it, 'Atce.
Can we concentrate on the bally main problem here?!
Certainly. Back to the topic, she won't survive down in the cellars.
I know! That's the bally blinkin problem! Either way, she won't survive!
There is always a way, 'Atce.
The sea lapped onto the shore, oblivious to the torment the hare colonel was going through. Sitting on the soft moss, Rapieratce surveyed the scene before him. The area was calm, only a slight chilly breeze and the water affected the peace. The moon shone at a crescent, layering the scene in a brush of transparency, making the whole vision appear like liquid silver before his eyes. Eyeing everything, Rapieratce took the opportunity to sit back and think without anybeast interrupting him for orders for once. In fact, the colonel was so busy thinking, that he never noticed a slight shadow in the corner, coming up from the second floor and sneaking towards his own dormitory.
*
Sergeant Longrunn knew that the colonel had the key. He had seen him take it himself, just as he pulled the half crazed Joseph away from the scene. Longrunn knew that he would never give the key to Consellariel unless the lady forced him to, as Rapieratce would always fall into consideration about matters such as this. It was the colonel's weak point, and Longrunn was using it to his advantage. The sergeant knew that Daleria would not last down there, and aimed to get her out at all costs, even this. There was no way that he was leaving his superior in that condition. At least if he got her out, maybe he could convince her not to go and risk everything. Even if he couldn't, at least Daleria's mind would be slightly more at rest, and not intent on going off the edge and into partial insanity down there.
Creeping out of his own dormitory on the second floor, the sergeant had moved up the staircase as silently as possible, intent on not being found out. When he got to the top however, he nearly fell back down again in surprise. Did his eyes deceive him, or was that Rapieratce sitting out on the third floor balcony? Surely the colonel had not broken a rule and decided to come out for no reason?!
This night is getting odder and odder by the blinkin second!
Choosing not to disturb the colonel, Longrunn cast his confusion to the back of his mind, creeping past the other hare in silent hope that the usually observant colonel was preoccupied at that time. The sergeant was in luck, and he managed to sneak past Rapieratce without the other even looking up. Breathing a mental sigh of relief, Longrunn quickened his pace over to the colonel's dormitory, taking a left, then a right, going straight all the way to the other end of the long corridor. Quietly sliding the door open and slipping inside, the sergeant began to look around for the key. After opening a drawer or two, he managed to spot the small key on the table top, and grabbed it and shoved it into his pocket. Making sure that everything was in order and hoping that Rapieratce did not notice that anything had been moved, Longrunn crept out again, but froze in his tracks just as he cleared the first turn.
The give away sound of paws pattering across the rock floor stalled him, and the sergeant stood stalk still, fear coursing through his veins. It was obviously the colonel, no other hare would be up at this odd hour in the dead of the night. There was not escape, he corridor was narrow, and the path behind him was a dead end save for the colonel's dormitory. One way or another, he would be found out, and trouble was undoubtedly coming his way. All the sergeant could do was think up as feasible a reason as possible, hoping it would pass as an explanation as to why he was there. But Longrunn knew it would not work. All he could do now was try to be as unnoticeable as he could be and hope with all his heart that Rapieratce was really occupied that night.
Holding his breath and pressing his back into the wall, Longrunn tried to fade into the shadows as much as possible. It was virtually impossible, though, due to the fact that the rock wall was completely bare and there was nothing around that he could possibly use to his advantage. Silently praying that Rapieratce would simply walk by and not notice him at all, he held his breath but mentally cursed himself. Of course the colonel would not simply walk past! If he weren't one of the most observant and attentive hare on the mountain when it came to details such as this, Longrunn did not know what he was. And even if he did walk by, the absence of the key was most obviously going to spark suspicion like a bright blinking flare light in the middle of a black hole. Rapieratce was most definitely going to find him out one way or another tonight.
Waiting as the seconds passed agonizingly slowly, Longrunn watched as a shadow emerged from the turn in the corridor, and the colonel came into view. Pressing as far back into the shadows as possible, Longrunn placed the key in a death grip as he inched slowly, bit by bit into the opposite direction as Rapieratce's dormitory. The colonel passed him, to his immese relief. But just as he was about to take the turn and run, home free, a tired voice hit him from behind like a tidal wave.
'Give me back the key, Sergeant.'
That's it. I am bally well dead.
Stepping out of the shadows cautiously, the sergeant walked forward towards the colonel. Feigning innocence, Longrunn decided to play the fool and evade the questioning as much as possible, feverishly praying he would get out of this mess with fur still on his back after the colonel was done with him. Grasping the key in a death grip, Longrunn put his paw behind his back and asked,
'Key, colonel? What key? I have not seen any key.'
Turning and staring intently at the sergeant with almost cloudy green eyes, which clearly displayed how stressed and frustrated he had been the past few days. Rapieratce just stood there expectantly. Only now did Longrunn notice how much so did the colonel's step was not as light as it usually was, and his normally straight back was bent in weariness as if a heavy load were placed on him. His features were nearly hollow, and his voice held strain and a sense of tiredness. Rapieratce's long ears were folded back slightly instead of half tipped as when he was usually aloof and less burdened. There were marks on his shoulder from having his weapon strapped on for such long periods of time during training, clearly showing how strained he had been over the past few days. As durable as Rapieratce was, the past few days of shouting out orders and heading prolonged training sessions, along with the number of scraps he had been going through, both mentally and physically, were now taking their grievous toll on the hare. After a while, the colonel grew tired of the game of watching and talked out loud.
'Yes the bally flippin key. I know you have it the blinkin thing, sergeant. Do not make matters any more difficult as they already are.'
Sheepishly removing his hand, the sergeant did not give up without a fight.
'Sah... She won't last. You and I both know it.'
Leaning against the wall and stretching his long frame against it, the colonel leaned against the solid support tiredly. Putting his head against the cold stone, Rapieratce answered,
'Do you think I want to leave her down in that bally stinkin place, sergeant?'
Keeping quiet, Longrunn did not answer. Rapieratce went on.
'I never wanted to. But I had to. If I did not, the lady...'
Rapieratce's voice was changing as well. He was so tired, he had almost lost his usual way of talking, half of his slang had faded away. Probably under the influence of the way that Daleria talked, but it was also to blame to the stress he was under. Longrunn quietly put in.
'You can change that, sah. You can get her out.'
Rapieratce shook his head.
'I know I can. But at the same time I cannot. By Mossflower, if it weren't going in two directions, I would have got her out of there a blinkin long time ago. I would not even have bally well put her in there in the first place. But there is too much to loose either way. I can't do that to the captain. It would kill me.'
Silently, the sergeant walked up and placed the key in the colonel's paw.
'It is up to you, sah.'
Rapieratce shut his eyes.
'Why must it always be me? Just because I am the hare that gives out the blinkin orders. Just because I am the flippin highest ranking officer. But why?'
Longrunn looked at the colonel again, pitying him. Shaking his head, Longrunn countered again, trying to get Rapieratce to see more sense in the matter..
'Yet you will not let anybeast give you pity.'
'Pity will not help in this sort of situation, sergeant.'
'Help is something that anybeast needs and should accept. Pity is the starting point of help. Everybeast needs a little bit of help to survive, independent or not.'
'Help? This matter is beyond help already, sergeant. The only bally thing that will help right now is probably Daleria. But I cannot move her away from her position.'
'Stop denying that you cannot, Rapieratce. You know you can.'
'I have the key, but I have not the blinkin right to do so.'
'Sometimes you have to push you rights in order to do what is right.'
'My blinkin rights cannot be pushed right now.'
'Yes they can.'
'Everything is telling me the bally same thing. Only that I cannot risk the life of Daleria.'
'Every second you let her stay down there is endangering her life, sah.'
'Maybe we should talk to her.'
'Yes indeed. Maybe we should.'
Forcing himself to stand upright, Rapieratce turned and moved towards the cells, Longrunn in his shadow. Silently trailing downwards, they passed the officers dorms, the recruits dorms, the kitchens then finally made it down the main hallway. Padding noiselessly down the stairs, they got to the cells undetected.
Moving to where Daleria was kept, the colonel struck the lamp that was hanging on the wall, illuminating the cellars again in a dim light. Looking through the bars, however, both hares panicked at the sight that lay spread out before them. The sergeant was already rushing up the staircase in a matter of seconds. Rapieratce thought to himself while fumbling in his hurry to unlock the doors, jamming the key into the hole.
Not again! Not now, not her, not this same situation! Why her, for the sake of Mossflower, spare her from this! And spare me!
Flinging open the door, Rapieratce gathered up the shaking and twitching hare captain in his paws for the third time in the past months. Another hallucination had struck, and at the worst possible time. Daleria's wrist was once again bent, the bandage having come loose and the wrist had twisted even more, which must have been hurt horribly. Taremin would be able to patch her up, no problem there, but in addition to that, Daleria had successfully rammed her head again, which would prove hard to get her out of the hallucination. Hoping once again for the hundredth time that Daleria would live through the blood loss she was going through, Rapieratce scrambled up the staircase in his hurry to the infirmary.
The torment of Seppak worked past the barriers of land, and even physical boundaries could be broken. The cut that Daleria had attained on that night was poisoned. And it was too late to work it out of her bloodstream. The only thing they could do was wait for the hallucination poison to fade off at it own accord. Not deadly, but dangerous in its own way. It had all been planned. Daleria would not live, one way or another. The only cure was in Seppak's hands, and virtually impossible to attain without attempting suicide, plunging into such danger. Seppak the Black was striking with deadly force.
*
Rapieratce had barely slept. If he had, he did not think he did for more than an hour or two. The very thought of what he had done, however indirectly, to Daleria was there tormenting him. He could not forgive himself. The colonel was was waiting in the infirmary, hoping dearly that Daleria would wake up from her slumber. The hallucinations had seemed to stop, so had the twitching, but the hare captain had not reawakened yet, to his servere distress. It was getting him severely worried. It was almost dawn already, and the colonel knew that he was going to have to report to Consellariel soon. He could not evade it forever. He and the sergeant had got Taremin to wake up, but no other beast had been stirred. He and Longrunn had decided to keep the matter as quiet as possible. Everything was already overly sensitive, and matters were going overboard. Instead, Rapieratce and the sergeant had settled for waiting in the infirmary for Daleria to waken, which seemed as if it were not going to happen any time in the near future. The sergeant himself was in sleep, leaning his head in a paw that was rested on his chair.
Getting up, tired as he was, Rapieratce left the sergeant on his own and made his way to the badger lady's quarters on the fourth floor, dreading the conversation that was to come. All around him, everybeast on the mountain was reawakening in anticipation, as the fox horde were only one, single day away from the mountain. Everybeast was arming up, but Rapieratce was starting to doubt if he would even be able to lift his rapier that day, so tired was he. Shutting his eyes for a split second, he forced himself to walk faster. The days were getting agonizingly long and tiring of late, to nobeasts surprise. There was a limit as to how long the colonel was going to survive, and he was already being worn down under the load that had been placed on his back. Just as he was on the second floor, his conscience came back full force. The annoying chatter at the back of his mind was starting to feel like some sort of a plague following him wherever he went, and Rapieratce had to stop himself from groaning out loud in frustration.
What now, for crying out loud?!
I toooolllddddd you to get her out before.
I thought this bally matter was blinkin behind me now?
Not a chance, 'Atce. Did you really think that your own conscience would let you off that easily?
I think I should have known better.
Of course you should have.
Leave me alone!
Not one chance. You need to understand.
I already do.
In a way, yes, but you are seeing things through your militaristic point of view right now, 'Atce. What ever happened to your compassion?
You should know. You're the bally blinkin conscience here, not me.
You are the hare here, not me.
Argh. Compassion? I suppose it flew out the window the same time that Consellariel's did.
Consellariel. The root of the problem here, no?
In a strange, odd blinkingly confusing bally way, yes.
Consellariel is under worse conditions than you, and you know it, 'Atce.
I suppose I do.
You are not showing it. You should help her.
The badger lady? Accept help? That would be the flippin day.
Do not try and predict others, 'Atce. Consellariel needs some right about now.
Pride will not let any blinkin help through right now.
Isn't that more on your own side?
What do you mean?
Pride, 'Atce, pride. You are letting it get in the way as well.
Do not go there.
There you go again. Denying the facts. Face it, 'Atce, eat the pride. Or is it only pride at work here?
What are you trying to imply?
Personal emotions, perhaps? Mayhap that is what is plauging you, no?
Never! I would not let it. The idea in itself is impossible.
But is it now? You know that you favour the captain...
That idea is an even more insane one, if possible.
You keep on trying to deny it, 'Atce. Not a very good idea. You cannot hide from yourself.
Maybe only a little... But that does not imply anything.
There you go again.
I only favour her. Nothing more.
But favouring is something...
You know what it leads to...
Thankfully, Rapieratce made it to Consellariel's quarters just in time to make his annoying conscience go 'pop' and disappear into sweet oblivion, or wherever disturbing voices in one's head temporarily disappear to. Knocking loudly, he was answered with a quiet 'enter', then strode in silently, coming to attention in front of Consellariel. She was seated at her table, studying some map and jotting down some plans of or something in that manner. The badger lady raised an eyebrow at him from her sitting position at her table and asked,
'At ease, colonel. What brings you here so early in the morning?'
'The captain, m'lady.'
'I thought we had gone over this matter already, colonel?'
'Not that, marm. She got another bally hallucination attack last night. I found her in the cells. She was not in very good shape.'
Immediately listening intently, Consellariel sat there hearing the colonel out as he went on a full scale explanation on what happened last night, conveniently leaving out the parts about the key, simply stating that Longrunn had coincidentally been awake at the same time as he, and giving a shady cover up on why he was even there in the first place. Finally finishing, the badger lady then questioned him again.
'Where is she now?'
'In the infirmary with the sergeant, marm.'
'Very well, dismissed. Get the rest of her patrol informed. I will come down in a while.'
Giving a quick salute, Rapieratce swirled around and headed for the door, wearily heading to the second and first floor dorms to break the bad news to Daleria's patrol, who were all probably getting sick at the amount of injuries that their patrol leader was getting. Moving quickly, Rapieratce managed to take a quick peep out of one of the sentry windows. What he saw nearly froze his blood. The first signs of the vermin were breaking in the horizon like a black wave.
Those scum have very, very bad timing.
I should say so.
For my blinkin conscience, you are bally well annoyingly irritating, even by my standards.
I am your conscience, so live with it, 'Atce.
Nearly panicking at the prospect of the vermin breaking onto Salamandastron earlier than proposed, Rapieratce quickly issued orders for double sentry, asked for word to be sent around the mountain informing of the vermin's current position and then scuttled to hurriedly inform the rest of Daleria's patrol, eager to head back to the infirmary, in order to make sure that if Daleria had awoken that she was not going to take a step out the mountain. He might not be going to throw her into the cellars again, but he was not going to let her risk her life by trying to run away again. Gritting his teeth in determination, Rapieratce tried pushing his weariness away, and tried to go about his duties as steadfast as he could.
Rapieratce half walked, half ran to the infirmary, barging in just in time to see Daleria wake up with a major headache and a lot of groaning. The hare captain was trying to sit up straight, but was being pushed back into the bed by a sergeant that looked severely irritated. It was quite a comical scene, Longrunn trying to push Daleria back into bed in the midst of a couple of flying white sheets and a lot of insulting refusals on Daleria's part. The sergeant was still desperately trying to reason with the hare captain that she was still injured when Rapieratce walked up, coughed, and tapped him on the shoulder. Both hares froze at the sight of the colonel, though their reactions were almost contradicting each other. Daleria fell limp back into her bed, crossing her arms and turning her head away from him, whereas the sergeant was a little bit more, respectful, and stood up to take his leave after Rapieratce signalled for him to leave the infirmary. It was not that he wanted to, but Rapieratce was still the colonel, so there was nothing he could do but leave the odd silence of the infirmary behind.
Dragging out a chair and seating
himself down, leaning back and crossing his arms as well, the colonel locked
eyes with the captain, both hares trying to figure out what the other was
thinking. From Rapieratce's point of view, it was clear to see that rebellion
was shining like a bright beacon in Daleria's raven eyes, and he caught
a fiery glint of hate spark out of nowhere, though not surprisingly. Resentment
was seething off the captain like warmth off the sun, and anybeast could
practically feel it flowing off her. The colonel only felt even more guilty
than before, seeing her acting like that. From Daleria's point of view,
Rapieratce was only making things even more irritating and aggravating
by looking at her that way. No matter how hard she tried, it seemed as
if the colonel's green eyes were some kind of twin infinite pools of dark
emerald that were simply impossible to read. Trying to read what went on
in his head was like trying to read invisible ink. Annoyingly difficult
unless you knew how. There did not seem to be a way to understand his eyes,
though. All you saw were impassive green orbs looking straight back at
you. One could tell so much, yet so little from them. Trying to scrutinize
whatever she saw, Daleria detected an obvious hint of weariness and tire.
That was most definitely not a good sign. Rapieratce? Tired? And showing
it? That was something that Daleria had most definitely not seen ever before.
No matter how fatigued the colonel had been, Daleria had never, ever, ever
seen him show it. Was he that tired? The first hints of her conscience
started talking as she thought to herself.
Make it known to yourself that he's probably been awake for too long, Daleria. Think how much sleep could he possibly have got in the past few nights, after all this had happened?
He threw me into the cells without second thought. Why wouldn't he have got sleep?
Do you actually believe it when you think that Rapieratce of all hares would throw a beast into a cell and walk out without feeling bad about it? Look at him, Daleria!
He. Threw. Me. In. End. Story.
No, it is not. Who do you think got you here? You flew?
Of course not!
It was the colonel, you fool!
Was it, now?
He has been strained for longer than you think, Daleria. A life of a colonel is not as free and easy as your own.
My own is not the most free and easy life I have ever encountered.
Self pity never got anybeast anywhere.
You have to admit that it is true.
Maybe so, but you still have to see things through his point of view. Life has not been easy for him either.
He is a colonel. He was trained for this.
Nobeast can train for life, Daleria. Consider Taremin's words from the other night.
What on Mossflower?
Rapieratce is fond of you, you know. And you are too...
What?! Me? Fond of him? Insane!
You know that it is true, that little spark.
Crazy. I must be going mad.
Before Daleria could continue her own contemplation, Rapieratce's voice cut a path through her thoughts, startling her out of her reverie with his voice.
'The vermin hordes have been spotted on the horizon.'
WHAT?
Immediately, Daleria made a move to stand, but Rapieratce put up a paw, and his voice was grim and level, the soleme tone alone making her stop and listen to what he was going to say. Daleria had never seen this side of Rapieratce before, and she did not know if it surprised or alarmed her, maybe both. Daleria was amazed on how much he had changed in such as short period of time. Mayhap he was under more stress than she thought.
'You are not going anywhere, captain. The risk is too bally well great for you.'
Gritting her teeth half out of irritation and half out of outright frustration and anger, Daleria narrowed her eyes and retorted back,
'Risk has never stopped me, sah.'
The way she address Rapieratce was like an insult, which only proved in worsening their situation. Rapieratce tensed considerably, and heaved a heavy sigh, rubbing his temples and trying to destress as much as possible. It seemed as if he was taking this quarrel with the stubborn captain in front of him quite badly this time around. Still trying to retain his calm composure, he responded as evenly as he possibly could.
'If you are going anywhere, captain, I am going to follow you.'
Daleria nearly fell off the bed when she heard what he said, part of her refusing to believe that the colonel had even said it in the first place. Looking at him in shock, she asked,
'What did you say, colonel? Follow me? What on Mossflower do you mean?'
Still staring at her evenly, Rapieratce went on in the same, annoyingly even tone and voice.
'You know what I mean, captain. I am following you if you even take a single blinkin step out of this mountain. You are not going bally well anywhere without me now. Orders as I have been given. Not directly as such, but it still applies. So learn to live with it, m'gel.'