What Really Counts - The D/R Version.

by Clarenova

After much bashing, screaming and whacking, I agreed. Here it is, for all of you who prodded, poked and annoyed me for: WRC, D/R. Not much was edited in the first few chapters, but I hope you'll see a difference. I took care in changing details, so enjoy!

8. And deeper still.

What Really Counts D/A Part two.

Daleria was frankly amazed at the amount of weapons that lay arrayed in front of her. Throwing daggers, fighting daggers, short daggers, long daggers, curved daggers, broadswords, sabres, fencing sabres, rapiers, pikes, spears, quarterstaffs and nearly every available weapon of Salamandastron must have been there. Training was looking to be an interesting one that day. They had been told to pick one, any one, of the weapons, save for the one they were best used to. Which meant nothing long for her, no sabres, rapiers or anything in that league.

Argh. Really bad. Not good.

Settling instead for two close combat fighting daggers, she weighted the two daggers, which were long and slim, straight and deadly, up in her paws. They were surprisingly light, well, at least compared to her usual sabre. Made for sharp and fast whirls and a hundred and eighty degree turning moves, the two blades were keen, sharp and lethal. The hilt was of untarnished metal, smooth and cold to the touch, but with engraved carvings of vines that increased the grip greatly. The double edged blade gleamed in a bright sheen. Silver hafted and straight, they looked harmless and small, but dealt out major damage. Daleria was happy enough.

Remora, who normally used short swords herself, had resorted to using a fencing sabre, not curved as most were, but straight and long. The blade fit her quite well, and she was cutting at air, testing the balance. Though not practised in it, the brigadier had enough experience so as to be able to handle the weapon quite, if not very, well.

Longrunn, a sabre using hare himself, went for the rapier. There was not much difference between the two, save for the fact that most sabres were curved whereas rapiers were not, and the rapier blade was the finer and sleeker of the two. Shaking her head, Daleria thought,

No creativity, the lot.

Rapieratce on the other hand, had quite a bit of creativity of his own. What he had picked was something like a scythe, only that it looked more like a quarterstaff or a lance with a straight instead of curved blade attached. Having used both quarterstaff and lance on many occasions, he was coping quite well, considering that he usually never parted with the rapier unless forced to. And Daleria knew that when it came to forcing Rapieratce off his rapier, it would probably have involved a number of hares holding him down while a badger pried the steel off his paw. Not exactly the most flexible of the lot, but Daleria had to admit he was good at it. The colonel was too busy spinning the staff around and reacquainting himself with the usage of a staff to notice that she was scrutinizing him. She was forced to turn her attention back to the badger lady when she starting talking.

Evidently, they would be going against a couple of practice officers, who had all been trained in such ways of ambush and concealment. The only limitation was not to kill anybeast, just disarm. Even with her knowledge of blades, Daleria felt rather insecure with her current selection. She preferred to keep the enemy at a distance and keep them there. But since she was considerably better at them than with a rapier, which was too fine bladed in her opinion, and furthermore Consellariel would not have approved of her using any long bladed piece of steel knowing that she could adapt perfectly well, thin blade or no, she kept with the daggers. Swallowing her emotions down hastily, she set off into the training course, which happened to look more like a obstacle course in her opinion, since it was made to make things more difficult, as well as doubling as cover for the "attackers". It only gave her an even greater amount of uncertainty knowing that wherever and whenever, there could be an ambush from any angle.

The four of them were sticking together as a defence, each looking out for the other. Out of nowhere, a hare jumped out near Daleria's side, brandishing a sabre in front of himself in a position fit to stab. Instinct made Daleria drop to the floor, and using her forepaws, pushed herself away just before the sabre came whistling down in the position where her head had been seconds ago.

Talk about intense...

Not missing a beat, she swung her legs from behind her, sending the ambusher sprawling. Before she could get up though, the ambusher had already kicked away one of her daggers, her right one, out of her paw. Leaving her vulnerable with only her weak paw to defend herself, the ambusher lurched at her furiously, but was cut off but Rapieratce's blunt end of his quarterstaff, which sent the hare flying backwards. The captain shot the colonel a look of thanks, knowing how close to obvious "death" on the training field she had just come to, and Rapieratce smirked slightly before turning his attention back to the present. Daleria knew she was in his debt, and she scowled, knowing full well that the colonel knew that. She brought herself back to the present with a sharp mental kick. She was letting herself slip up. The captain scrambled up in a flurry of sand, dashing over to the hare before he could get up. With a swift and well placed kick, she sent the hare's sabre flying upwards, catching it in her free paw before tossing it away somewhere, as were the rules. Just as she as about to head back to the group, the sound of something behind her alerted her into immediate action.

Once again dropping to the floor, Daleria rammed the hilt of her remaining dagger hard into the ankle of the hare who had tried to creep up behind her, causing him to fall awkwardly. Catching his armed paw, she tried to wrench the rapier that he held away from him to no avail. He had the position advantage over her, and managed to wrestle his paw free of her grasp. This time, no help came, as every one of the others were also occupied with their own problems. Rapieratce was busy fending off somebeast with two long curved daggers, Remora was... seemingly fencing, and Longrunn was typically playing fancy and trying to disarm the hare before him. Resorting to kneeing the hare, she took advantage of the fact that he was clutching his stomach and rammed her elbow into his right temple hard, knocking him out and flinging his weapon away from him. Jumping to her feet, Daleria ducked as she saw a arrow, blunt for safety's sake in case it hit its mark, come flying her way before dashing over to her fallen dagger and retrieving it.

Rapieratce was not having an easy time either, considering that the hare that had ambushed him was carrying two blades instead of one, which only made life more difficult for him. Struggling furiously against the onslaught, he took a downwards sweep with a diagonal strike upwards, knocking the opponent's arm upwards before taking a three sixty twirl across the top of his paw before reinforcing it with his other arm and delivering another whack to the enemy's other paw. Rapieratce felt a slight pity for the hare as he heard the hare's paw crack, but did not let it linger when the ambusher recomposed himself enough to return to an attacking stance. Bringing his staff back in a retreating twirl, he slashed up as he used the staff to fend off the two blades, but found himself in peril when the hare switched strategies and sandwiched his staff inbetween his curved blades. His mind thinking up the fastest plan he could in the shortest time, Rapieratce brought down the staff before suddenly raising it up and turning it into a double twist vertically. This sent both blades flying off somewhere, and the ambusher backed off in defeat, knowing better than to stick around and get himself murdered.

They always pick on the colonels, don't they? Being high ranking comes with its disadvantages. Sometimes I really wish I had stayed a captain. I'm starting to envy Dale.

Rapieratce saw Daleria join Remora, and ran off to help the sergeant, even though Longrunn did not look like he needed help, though. Rapieratce reached him just in time to see the other hare being disarmed with flourish. Longrunn went about finishing the job, pleased with the outcome. Keen eyes saved the day, though, while Longrunn was busy ridding the fallen hare of his weapon, Rapieratce heard the sounds of a crossbow being deliberately drawn slowly back. Instinct seized hold of him, and he yanked the sergeant down just in time to see a arrow embed itself in a wooden marker some distance away. Nodding his thanks to the colonel, both hares got up and went to aid Daleria and Remora.

The brigadier and captain were not in good positions, Daleria having two on her back and Remora trying valiantly to battle off three at the same time. It was unwise to get ringed, but in this case, Rapieratce suspected that they could not have evaded it if they tired. Longrunn tripped up the one behind Daleria with the basket hilt of his rapier, jumping nimbly up as the hare tried to take a swipe at his footpaws even in his fallen position. Rapieratce locked the blade of his pike with the long dagger of one of the hares who had cornered Remora, seasons of experience and practice coming into play as he disarmed the attacker with a swift, low and sudden dip of the blade followed by a upward twirl, sending the dagger whistling off in the opposite direction because of the momentum.

Daleria was handling the other hare with superb speed, crossing both her daggers in front of her as the sabre of the hare in front of her crashed down on her defence. The attacker only realized his mistake when it was too late. Grinning, the captain pushed the crossed daggers downwards, trapping the sabre blade in between before forcefully swinging herself to the left and rolling off the back of her attacker, sending the hare's sabre spinning across the grounds as she gracefully rolled off. Remora had had a little trouble, as her attacker was using a quarterstaff as opposed to a blade, but had used her head and resorted to a feint to the left before stretching her paw out and grabbing the quarterstaff and pulling the wooden staff towards her, while her footpaw came up and kicked the handler away. Successful, she threw the staff away like a javelin and turned to face her other opponent, only to find him cornered by both the sergeant and the colonel. There was no hope for the attacker, and true to her suspicions, another blade came flying out of the fray seconds later. Ducking as the blade whistled past, Remora limped over to the other three.

None had got away scott free from the training. Daleria had a gash across her shoulder in addition to a bruise in her side, the sergeant, a wound in the left footpaw and a split lip while the colonel had attained an injury to the knee and a streak down his right shoulder blade through to the left on his back. The brigadier herself was sporting a bleeding lower thigh and a partially dislocated shoulder. All panting, they paused to recover their wits, but the silence was broken by a clapping, which turned out to be Consellariel. The badger lady walked slowly up to them, smiling,

'Very well done, if I do say so myself... I never knew our colonel to be good with a quarterstaff... Nor that Daleria favoured such close combat.'

Coming raggedly to attention, they waited eagerly for dismissal, as they badly needed the rest, reason being that they would be leaving the mountain the next day. There were only two more dawns to come before Seppak reached Salamandastron. Seeing their tired appearances, Consellariel finished up quickly.

'Fine then, place the weapons back there, and get yourselves cleaned up. The three of you, dismissed. Colonel, stay back a bit, will you?'

After placing their weapons back, the three hares shuffled off quickly to the infirmary while Rapieratce lingered behind to wait for what Consellariel was going to say. He really wished that Galde was there right then. The late colonel had been a tutor to him, much older as well. He always managed to get out of Consellariel's lectures more or less alive, and pulling the younger Rapieratce out of the fray at the same time. The colonel missed him greatly. Having been taken in at a really young age by the elderly colonel, Rapieratce had of course been placed immediate second for colonel, young as he was. Rapieratce was the youngest colonel on the mountain, if the records stood true. To be truthful, Rapieratce wished that he could have put of his promotion a few more seasons or so, but the unfortunate loss of Galde had left the mountain at loss for an older replacement and thus it came immediately down to him. Rapieratce's family had put Galde in charge of him since very young, and the old colonel had been practically everything to him. Fencing, scouting, and of course preparation for being future colonel had all come from him. Galde was the one that had spotted his potential in the first place, whereas Rapieratce had been perfectly content to step up and advance slowly. Galde did not have any of it, though. Rapieratce was pushed from patroller to lieutenant to corporal to sergeant and finally to captain, where Galde thought it would be best for him to slow down and concentrate on his training. Rapieratce never suspected that his turn would have come so early. But he had been brought up to obey commands, so there was nothing he could do about it. Galde, however, had always made sure that Rapieratce had always been on the top of the others on the mountain, resorting to pairing him up with Glamoren, the other hare that Galde had thought worthy. Everything. Galde was the father that he had given up for the order. It resulted in the current day Rapieratce, the calm, work o holic, perfectionist that everybeast now knew. Rapieratce really wished that Galde was still around. Rapieratce never really considered himself worthy of the position, and never thought that it would have come unto him so early. Right now, he really wanted Galde to talk to and get some good advice. Standing still at immediate attention, he awaited any orders, his actions out of practice rather than thought. Consellariel waved him into a stand easy position.

'Colonel, whatever may happen on this mission, I do not want any of you to get hurt, do you hear me? Of as much importance as this might be to you, I want all of you back, with or without the cure.'

Nodding and keeping his eyes ahead, Rapieratce waited it out.

'If any one of you are to be injured, which is still to be avoided at all costs, return to the mountain at once, understood?'

Rapieratce was about to protest, but before the first word could leave his mouth, the badger lady cut him off, knowing full well that the colonel was going to protest.

'I do not care if you attain the cure or not, if you do not, you come back and wait until it has blown over. It is safer.'

Shutting his mouth resolutely, the colonel nodded.

'Very well, dismissed. But do not forget my words.'

Saluting, the colonel turned and left, heart heavy, and duty and memory descending down on his shoulders like a dead weight once again as he moved off towards the infirmary to get patched up. He had to finish this mission up. He could not just fail in his duty so easily. If Galde had been alive, Rapieratce would most probably be skinned alive should he fail. The young colonel really wanted to keep his standards, and his mentors expectations high, and by all means fulfil them. Rapieratce never thought of being too hard on himself. All that mattered was that he did things exactly as he was supposed to. He walked out to the infirmary in deep thought, and stayed that way until he fell asleep a few hours later.

*

Dawn had yet to arrive, and they were already up. So early it was that the lights of the night before were still lit and flickering in the cold. Daleria only just realized then that the autumn was come, and how cold it really was turning out to be. The air was crisp and clear, frosty and fresh to her breath. The late stars still twinkled, and the moon was not yet set. The captain had pulled herself out of bed, albeit very reluctantly, still aching from training the day before, and forced herself to wake up. She walked to a corner of her room where a basin of water was waiting, cold from the night air and clear. It shimmered as she looked groggily in and saw her dishevelled self in the reflection, squinting in the darkness. Not a single ray of sunlight was to be seen on the horizon as yet. After splashing her face with the waiting cold water from the basin to wake herself up properly, she strapped on her sheath, and still yawning, slung a small, lightweight pack across her shoulders. Shivering slightly, she was just about to open the door, paw nearly on the knob, when Rapieratce's head popped in, looking annoyingly awake to her.

Does that colonel ever sleep? He never looks sleepy. Why doesn't he ever look sleepy after a meagre three hours of sleep?

Looking at him sleepily, she asked,

'What're you doing here, 'Atce? 'Tis barely dawn for the next few hours. I thought that when you said that you were going to come down here you were only threatening me to wake up.'

Pulling the rest of his body in, Daleria was surprised to find both Remora and Longrunn also entering alongside Rapieratce, the two looking equally as irritated and sleepy as she was. Seating himself down wordlessly on her bed, the colonel answered as softly as possible, his voice barely over a whisper, keeping his voice down so as not to disturb the others on the officers dormitory floor. Daleria leaned on her table for support and looked at him with raised eyebrows and tired eyes while the other two found two of her chairs and settled themselves down, Remora yawning as she adjusted her sheath, which looked as if it had been hastily pulled on. Longrunn looked as if he simply wanted a few more minutes of shut eye, rare as it was for the sergeant to look this tired. The cold pre dawn air wafted through her open window, chilly and yet refreshing to their barely awake minds, with the exception of Rapieratce, who looked for the world as if it was as normal to be up this early as it was to be up at any other time of the day. Daleria swore that Rapieratce was mad to look so awake at a time like that. There was still a good four hours before dawn, and here they were, in the middle of her dormitory discussing some matter or another.

Sometimes, I really pity the hare. He must be used to being awake so early. Life of a colonel, it is. Good for me.

'The lady wanted me to go over some blinkin plan or another that she had arranged, wot, and since we will be leaving soon, I thought it better to discuss the flippin thing now than later.'

'You mean you woke us all up an hour before necessary to discuss a plan?'

Shrugging as if an hour of precious sleep was nothing, Rapieratce simply said,

'Lady Consellariel wanted it, who am I to say no? Besides, it is best to get over matters rather than rush them later and completely mess things up,'

Groaning at the colonel's straightforward approach and seemingly over anxious display of fore planning, Daleria slapped her forehead in aggravation.

'This is one of the times when I wish you would just throw the Lady's commands out of the window and improvise, 'Atce. Has it occurred to you that we could have discussed this one the way?'

Leaning his head on one paw which was on the arm rest of his chair, Sergeant Longrunn waved his other paw at her, sleepily saying,

'Listen to the commanding officer, Dale.'

Argh.

The colonel proceeded to explain the plan, which was proving to be rather complicated after all. Rapieratce's plan had to be the most complicated Daleria had ever seen for such a short trip out the mountain's perimeter. Not that she did not approve of it, nor that she did not like the prospect of a challenge, nor that plans weren't her way of working, just that she was downright tired and completely annoyed. Apparently, Rapieratce had concocted some major plan on going past the hills in the east, then rounding past the larger sand dunes, before stopping behind Seppak's force, at the large rocks, which would provide shelter and a hiding place until Consellariel showed up with the masses. They were to take position and wait until the main part of the foxes were out of the way. There would be a small backup force, made up mostly of officers and the most experienced of the Patrol behind them all the way.

The whole thing involved taking out some lookouts positioned in the hill area, a small number of sentries they would no doubt be encountering, a small group of roving vermin, not related to Seppak's force but still a threat, and any and every vermin that were spotted. Which meant trajectory weapons, but Remora was handling that, being the best at the bow, while Daleria was going to lug along her delightful array of throwing daggers, useful, evidently for a variety of purposes up to date. Rapieratce and Longrunn would be doing the cover ups of most of the near attacks, and they had a healthy supply of emergency medication that Taremin had forced them to take along, not that force was really needed at the amount of anxiety over the health of the captain.

Daleria was not interested though. Rapieratce had been looking at them with an annoyed glance for the past ten minutes of "discussion", which had turned out to be simply a one sided conversation with colonel to three veritable walls. Longrunn still had his forehead buried in one paw, which was still resting on the chair, and had it not been for his "Yes, sah"'s and constant nods, Daleria would have long considered him asleep. Remora could be compared with a wooden log and no differences would have been obvious save for the fur. Her head was thrown back over the chair's, her head resting on the wooden support, and it looked for the world that she was out and asleep.

Daleria leaned on the table, looking uninterested and tired, while the colonel looked irritated at the two, and spoke up rather dryly.

'If you two are not listening and so tired, go throw yourself into the blinkin sea. That should wake you up.'

Groaning, Longrunn looked up, pretending to adjust his sheath as he replied,

'Sah, did we really have to get up this early?'

Remora had "woken" up at the colonel's comment and piped in.

'Are we leaving yet, then, sah?'

Annoyed and tired at the intrusion, Daleria decided to answer for him,

'You two can go ahead and get yourselves killed, if you are not listening.'

Protesting, the sergeant complained,

'Dale, I think I've heard him repeat the plan at least five times already. I think we all already get the blinkin idea. I could probably recite what 'Atce was saying four times round backwards'

Sighing, Rapieratce simply said,

'This is a tricky operation. I know you all are tired and annoyed, but if we don't get this bally think over with the first time, I doubt there is going to be a second try.'

Daleria had finally given up on them, and had stalked off to her window to catch her breath. Sighing as she leaned on the frame, she realized there and then that it was now or never. Everything came down to this. The ever helpful conscience popped up in the back of her mind again. Well, it was more helpful than Rapieratce's conscience was to him at any rate.

You know you want to run, Dale...

I cannot...

You want to, to spare everybeast...

Maybe a little bit...

Maybe with all your heart.

It all comes down to me. Why?

Because you were chosen for this, from the very beginning.

Why? I never wanted this.

Nobeast wants a life like yours, but you must be satisfied with what you already have.

What I have amounts to just about nothing.

That is not true, Dale.

Take a look. I don't amount to very much...

Still, there are those how love you still.

No, no way, not going to talk about that.

You know that he does...

I don't care, not going to talk about that.

He does, you know. You do to. Look at yourself. You did not even shut me up when I mention it.

One more time you mention that subject...

Denial will not be able to last forever, Dale. 'Atce knows you too well, and you him.

That's not the point! What the point is that everybeast, not just him, is going to be in jeopardy if I do not do something quick enough.

Lost in the swarm of her thoughts, she barely noticed the colonel come up behind her, looking rather concerned. She was looking blankly out the window, lost and confused as she ever was. Contemplation had made reality sink in rather hard for the young captain, life was hard for her more than it had ever been.

'Calm down, captain. We'll all get through this one way or another.'

Softly, she replied,

'What if we don't? What if the rest of the mountain is put into peril? It all comes down to me, doesn't it?'

'No it doesn't. A whole blinkin horde of filthy vermin is everybeast's problem.'

'But it all rolls back down to me. I am sick of that. Everything, back down to me, everything on me. Why am I always centred around this?'

'It is a hard fate, but one must live it out, wot?'

'Live? The only seeming option here for me seems to die.'

'Don't say that, m'gel. When there is life, there is always hope.'

'Hope is faint...'

'But it is still there. It has always been. You've been through that much, and you've come this far, you're still alive. Come what may, m'gel. Cross the bridge when you come to it. Just get on with the mission, finish it, and take up whatever comes on after it, wot?'

Pulling her away from the window sill, the captain nodded, albeit gloomily, and ransacked a nearby drawer, withdrawing a canvas pocketed sheet that contained her entire dagger collection, a very big one at that. Shoving it into her pack, she nodded to the three and walked out, leaving the three behind in her room to come down whenever they wished. Nobeast was in a rush to follow her. All those there knew she would not be going anywhere alone, not in the condition that she was in. Sighing deeply, the colonel shook his head as he watched her retreating figure.

'Too much, too fast, too young and too inexperienced. Life is passing too fast for her at any rate.'

Nodding, now fully awake, the brigadier agreed fully. Shaking herself awake and standing up as she stretched, she commented.

'She's too young to be facing all of this. It has not been fair for her. Not at all.'

The sergeant stood up, and Longrunn shook his head sadly at her,

'It's amazing she's survived this bally long. All this happening in seven seasons, loosing everything that she had.'

Grimly, the colonel marched out after her, muttering.

'But she's not going to loose what she has now.'

Remora looked at Longrunn, and the two exchanged glances. Both grinned before rushing off after the fast moving colonel. Rapieratce was going to go through hell this trip.

*

Daleria stalked away from her dormitory on the third floor, leaving her thoughts behind and swiftly making her way outside the mountain's front door with purposeful steps, not wasting any time at all and putting up a scorching pace that had the other three half running to catch up with her. She had to get both her insane thoughts on rushing out as well as those that tried to get her to admit she liked the colonel. So maybe she did... Daleria nearly whacked herself. She descended the staircases in a soft, rapid patter of footpaws and made her way out to the entrance of the mountain fort, where she knew that the badger lady would be waiting for them.

Rapieratce nearly crashed into her when she stopped suddenly short of the outside, which cause Remora to skid to a stop behind him as well and resulted in causing Longrunn to scrabble madly for his footing on the smooth stone floor as he tried to avoid smashing himself into his superiors, which would end up in chaos, but unfortunately failed in a flurry of footpaws.

The sergeant rammed into the brigadier's back, who slipped at the contact, nearly falling sharply onto her back, which resulted in her legs snagging onto Rapieratce's, bringing him down as well. The colonel crashed down on his side in a painful addition to the chain reaction, which ended up in the captain in front of him tripping up as well in a brilliant crash that finished it off. Evidently badgers were not affected by hares crashing into them, so Consellariel managed to stay upright, eyeing her fallen officers with a raised eyebrow that concealed a chuckle. There they were, the seemingly four most dignified and best fighters on the mountain, sprawled out on the floor in a careless act of flying footpaws and failing arms.

The sight was a rather comical one, and Daleria found herself immensely grateful that few others were awake at the time to see the glorious downfall of some of the highest-ranking hares on the mountain, all on the floor. With a groan that sounded like a threat to Longrunn's life, she pulled herself up, rubbing at the same spot where she had bashed her head on barely a few days ago, which had just made contact with her good friend the rock floor again. Behind her, the colonel winced at his sore side, courtesy of Remora, who was not free of a bruise herself, having taken a fall on her back, making moving slightly painful for her.

Longrunn was slowly edging away from them, trying to make his presence as unapparent as possible, having caused the fall in the first place. Daleria shot him a glare as she slowly got up to salute the badger lady, helping the colonel up from behind her in the process. Remora knelt on one knee before hauling herself up, having hit the hipbone made standing painful. Longrunn kept quiet at the back, making the pretence that nothing had ever happened, for obvious reasons, if a beast valued his life, he would stay away from an angry Daleria. Especially if a fencing sabre blade was anywhere in paw range.

The four finally managed to righten themselves out and saluted Consellariel, who looked them over with a highly amused look on her face, her eyes alight in humour.

'The four of you should refrain from making this much noise so early in the day. The others may think that a vermin attack may have just occurred from the racket you few just stirred up.'

Daleria braved enough to make a move while staying at attention in front of the badger lady so as to turn and glower at her sergeant, who pretended not to notice and kept his eyes above the badger lady's head, not budging from his at attention position. There was a slight chuckled from the vague area of Rapieratce's, which resulted in a swift elbowing that shut him up verily well. Consellariel let out a soft laugh, shaking in mirth at the behaviour of her captain.

'Forgive the sergeant, Daleria, he did nothing. And I think the colonel's ribs hurt enough without your elbow reinforcing the matter.'

Feigning innocence, Daleria returned to the at attention pose. Consellariel proceeded to introduce them to the team that would be backing them up. The captain recognized many of the names as those that she had met on the first few days in the mountain, such as Drill Sergeant Mianent and Corporal Bueatrill, not to mention the more familiar names such as Joseph and Dallaw.

The others were much newer to her memory, having been on the mountain for such a short period of time, she did not really mix around very much. She was introduced to a Runner cum sentry, Ridgefur, and another major, recently promoted, Glamoren, who was seemingly away at the time Daleria had been introduced to the officers, seemingly on a joint mission with Rapieratce in the Mossflower region, the two being old friends of the same age and partners, having served at the same time.

The lady led them out, where to rest were waiting, and repeated the plan to the rest of those present who had not been earlier briefed on the mission's status and aim. Her voice echoed off the shore, the silence was cut like a sheet ripped by a keen blade. The chilly air was synonymous with the silence around the mountain. No hare doubted the seriousness and danger of the condition the mountain was in. If Salamandastron were to fall now, the shore would be entirely unprotected, and Redwall and the rest of Mossflower would be at the mercy and cruelty of Seppak, entirely and wholly. It was not a cheery outlook.

Nodding, the badger lady sent them off, which her misgivings, though. Pulling the colonel aside once again, she signalled for the rest in front of her to move off first, knowing full well that the colonel was perfectly well able to find them and keep up later. In solemnity, she reminded him of her words once again. Worry was etched deep in her striped face, echoing her heart's anxiety over the matter. The case was a difficult and perilous one indeed.

'Do not leave your vigilance behind, colonel, not now of all times. You will need all of it on this expedition. Keep your guard up, if nobeast else will, you are one to go down to the minor details, as you always have. Do not leave loose ends untied, that is the most important of all. If a single vermin that spots your troop gets away, the consequences will be too great to even consider. I want you to personally finish any off. I hope that you will not disappoint, not to both me nor to Galde. He would not have been happy if you had. Do not slip up. Understood?'

Unsheathing his rapier slowly and saluting the badger lady in Salamandastron fashion, Rapieratce nodded.

'Yes, marm.'

'Good. Do not disappoint me, Rapieratce. Dismiss!'

Running, Rapieratce soon caught up with the patrol after the talk with the badger lady, quickly dashing up to the head of the rather small pack of sprinting hares. Breathing in deeply, he moved in front together with Daleria and the brigadier, while the sergeants, the lieutenant and corporals loitered around. Glamoren was out scouting ahead, keeping as low a profile as he could, as Rapieratce's trained eye could see from the faint fleeting figure dashing off in the distance. Keeping silent, they solemn party marched on, always with somebeast covering their tracks in the sands as they left them. The pace they set was scorching, leaving the fire mountain far behind in less than three hours. Military precision and training resulted in absolute obedience and silence, which led to the covering of the entire way from the mountain to the hills far in the east in a full, tiring day's good march.

By the time they had reached their destination, the sun was already setting in the horizon, making it a full day's march that few other hares had ever gone through, even most of the more experienced veterans had never gone on such a long march before. By the time they had set camp, arranged sentry duties and all, Daleria had collapsed fully onto her knees, gasping deeply for breath. The slow working poison in her veins was taking a harder affect than she had expected. The effects were getting more and more serious as the days passed.

Trying to force the numbing blackness that had been hanging around her since the first hallucination attack away from the back of her mind, Daleria felt as though she was being thrown down a never ending black hole. Her eyes dilating and refocusing alarmingly as she hung her head and shut her eyes tightly in a effort to fight it off. The newest blow to her head was not a improvement to her condition either, the throbbing making her want to slip away into nothingness, though she knew that she must not, lest she stay blacked out for longer than would have been convenient. Breathing in deeply and forcing her blurred eyes open again, she knelt on one knee as the world swam dangerously about like a struggling fish. Her vision wavered, until she could take it no more and focused her eyes on the blissfully seamless sand beneath her, which provided solace from the dizzying movement above the patterned ground. Somewhere along the infinite areas of subconsiousness, the hare captain slowly grew aware of somebeast trying to pull her off the ground, but kept her head down and refused to move from her position, kneeling heavily on her one knee for support, greatly doubting the steadiness of her paws if she braved the risk of standing. Her knees were slowly leaking energy though, and she felt herself swaying dangerously from left to right, and instinctively her paw stuck out of support herself. However, instead of hard sand, she found her hand being grasped by somebeast, her eyes were not working enough for her to trust. Vaguely, she heard the firm yet worried voice of what sounded like the colonel telling her to stand up.

'Stand up, m'gel! Are you all right? Captain! Answer me, for the sake of Mossflower! Don't scare us! Dale?'

Tottering wildly, Daleria fought for control of her footpaws, only resulting in crashing backwards into Rapieratce, who paced backwards as he caught her. Setting her down on a ground sheet that had hastily been laid out by Longrunn, he ransacked Taremin's prepared pouch, reading the labels that had been stuck onto the various medicines and pulling out something that would help. Hurrying over, the waved an anxious paw in front of Daleria's face, popping something into her mouth.

'Chew Dale. Just chew.'

The captain somehow managed to register the fact into her head, chewing slowly as she gave in to the blackness, unable to take the throbbing very much longer. A sharp shake brought her back into reality. Rapieratce's face slowly swam into a blurred kind of focus, and Daleria could distantly hear him talking sharply to her in worry.

'Don't close your eyes, Dale, whatever you do, don't! Mossflower knows when you'll wake up if you do!'

Slowly the blackness receded, and Daleria breathed slowly as her vision was finally restored to her. Remora and Longrunn were also by her side, as well as all the other hares save for those on sentry duty. Pushing herself up, the captain shook her head furiously to clear the fuzzy images that clouded her mind. Groaning, she held her still throbbing head in a one shaking paw.

'Sergeant, you know that I am going to kill you for this the second we get back.'

Longrunn looked at her angrily.

'This is not the time, captain. You are already falling victim to the poison.'

'Lighten up, 'Runn. I'll survive one way or another. Once I get the matter straight that 'Atce over here had one head and not three.'

Shrewdly gazing at the captain, Rapieratce frowned disapprovingly.

'Very funny, captain. Lie back--'

Suddenly, Daleria pushed him away, rolling in the other direction at the same time as a shaft zipped and struck the sand where to colonel was barely seconds ago. There was shock in the camp for about a split second before the hares sprang into action. Seemingly, the travelling band of vermin happened to be on the other end of the camp, away from the vermin horde. The others were already charging them as Daleria struggled to rise. Muttering, she got up on shaky paws as she unsheathed her sabre bravely,

'Those blinkin vermin always choose the worst blinkin times!'

After running forward and slaying the first few vermin and reaching the head vermin after much dodging and ducking, everything ground to a complete standstill. The leader of the roving band screeched for a stop as he held a bow with an arrow notched and taunt tight as Daleria's sabre strayed dangerously close to his neck vein.

'Stop! All ya scraggy hares, stop!'

Everybeast stopped, but Daleria scowled venomously at him. The vermin snarled into her face.

'Make one move, you rabbit, and yon big un over there won't live to see another day!'

Daleria followed his train of sight and saw Rapieratce directly in the firing range of the bow. The captain nearly loosened the grip on her sabre as her heart skipped a beat. Growling, she only pressed her sabre further.

'One more move, rabbit! Now put the sabre down!'

To prove his point, he pulled the arrow back even further. Daleria saw she was cornered with no option. She could not endanger Rapieratce like that. Daleria found that she was falling for her conscience's idea. Not that she was minding right then. The captain cursed herself. Glowering, she made a move to put the sabre down. Rapieratce glared at Daleria just as she did, growling fiercely as he held a vermin at rapier point, not moving at all.

'Don't do it.'

Staying her paw, Daleria shot the colonel a troubled and confused look, intermixed with light anger and immense worry. Both hers and Rapieratce's consciences high fived. Their little plan was working. The two of them were hopeless. Stubborn, yes, but they were giving in. It was only a matter of time. Daleria's paw trembled in uncertainty. What on Mossflower was he thinking? The colonel ignored her totally, only gritting his teeth as the stoat at his side inched his cutlass to his throat and pressed it. Turning to face the vermin, she decided that a bargain had to be made. With Remora aiming at the vermin leader who was aiming at the colonel, who was being held hostage by another stoat while holding a rat hostage, who was aiming a bow at Daleria, who was holding the leader hostage, the situation was a tricky one, no mistake at all. Snarling without remorse, she said, not holding back in showing the distaste she had for the vermin' leader. She was making a shaky proposal that she highly doubted that the vermin leader would refuse.

'Tell you what, vermin, we go, one on one. Winner take all.'

The rat leader grinned with fanged teeth. This was going to be a piece of cake. Some wussy female rabbit would post no problem to his immaculate history of slaying with blades and such. Nodding, he slowly put down the bow, signalling to the other vermin to keep their arms down and move away to make space. The hares did the same at the nod from the colonel, but paws were all on hilts all the same. No party trusted the other the faintest bit, having made truce only to see the outcome of the play of blades. High alert was all about the area, and suspicious glances were thrown everywhere.

Longrunn swore that Daleria was insane. She was weak, tired, sick, and yet she was still playing around with vermin and blades. So throw in the fact that she was second in swordplay only to Rapieratce, but that was a small matter. Fine, so maybe she really was one of the best at swordplay on the mountain, but she had never gone one on one against a vermin that probably had seasons more of experience compared to her. This was different, very much so, than the conventional practice session. The sergeant made a mental note to reprimand her if she got out of the affair alive. In the meantime, he settled with pawing and gripping the hilt of his sabre in heated anxiety. Making a side glance to the colonel, he saw Rapieratce do the same, as that was the only way that he could tell the colonel was actually worried at all, seeing his face was blank and totally clean of all emotion. Turning his head, he returned his attention to the fight before him.

Rapieratce was worried sick. At some point in time, he found that he had fallen for his heart, but he pushed it away. All he knew was that Daleria had just committed what must have been a death sentence to herself for his sake. He cursed his carelessness at being cornered. He forced emotion out of his face to keep it blank, but his mind was pacing back and forth in anxiety. If Daleria slipped up, he did not think he would forgive himself for his mistake. He hated his emotions sometimes.

Daleria took up the en gard position, watching the vermin leader unsheathe his cutlass. Before she could do or say anything, the rat struck. Only instinct and reflex caused her to swipe her sabre up in a diagonal slash, glancing off the other blade, resulting in a scraping sound. Pushing her blade forward, she thrust and took a swipe. A trail of blood appeared across the rat's shoulders, from the right to the left in a long, thin cut. Scowling in anger and pain, he made a mad swing with the cutlass, the air whistling with the keen blade. Grinning and almost carefree, the hare captain simply side stepped away from him in a fleeting movement, evading the cutlass slash that came her way with eased grace and practised fluidity. Stepping forward, parrying then thrusting, she took the vermin in the right shoulder, drawing even more blood before backing off again, still smiling as if she were a dibbun picking berries.

'Hard luck, scum! Maybe better luck next time.'

Growling in provoked anger, the vermin charged forward with all the speed he could manage, and in a glorious clash of metal, took a cut down Daleria's arm, and a deep on at that, only to be rewarded with a slash across the neck that was near fatal. The hare captain lost the happy attitude at once, and made a quick attack with a zig zag double slash, which caught the vermin in the sword paw once before being blocked off the second time. In a skirmishing movement, the angered Daleria hit the cutlass blade on the right, then a dip down and a long draw upwards to the right in a figure of eight movement that few had seen done with such accuracy, sending vibrations down the cutlass blade before flipping it upwards in a well timed downward push on the sabre blade, the final draw pushing it out of the rat's paws. The cutlass skirted away into the sand, leaving the rat disarmed and afraid. He had met his match and his death. Daleria advanced on him, darting away as the rat tried to throw sand at her, ducking before neatly tripping him up. Standing above him, she snarled to him, putting more emotion in her lines than she herself had expected. She cursed herself for letting her conscience trick her into... Daleria once again reprimanded herself, but continued.

'You pushed the line too far. You should have never taken your bow, nor threatened those that you did not know. What may come of it might result in others coming after you blood, which will be spilled. You should have stayed away. Perhaps your useless and worthless life and rabble would have stayed a little longer. The Long Patrol are to be reckoned with consideration and respect, things that your revolting rabble have naught at all. Be thankful that you did not fire that arrow, or you life would have left you less swiftly, and pain would have been your friend. For that I can guarantee you, for I would be the only delivering it to you. Fate has been good to you that orders have been given to make this affair clean.'

All in company turned their heads away and grimaced as a long swipe across the throat took the rat. Daleria took the cutlass as threw it away in disgust. The rest of the vermin, cowardly and leaderless, were easily dispatched by the hares, who all sprang into immediate action after the rat was done in. All who tried to flee were taken down by the returning Major Glamoren, who reported the area clear save for some sentries, all of which were far away, but widespread.

Nodding grimly, the colonel set about the task of finding the captain, who seemed to have disappeared the moment the battle had ceased. He was, however, still in shell shock about the words she had spoken with such venom. Maybe there was hope yet.

Curse you, confounded conscience!

HAH! You admit it then. You love her, don't you?

I admitted no such thing.

Nice try, 'Atce. I see your heart as clearly as you do.

She would never accept it even if I did.

Really? Then explain to me what had happened just now?

Ask Daleria, not me.

Hopeless, 'Atce, you are. Own up.

No.

Coward.

The colonel pushed his thoughts away, beating his conscience with a imaginary stick to fend it off. He found her rummaging around in her pack for a bandage while trying to block away the sergeant's voice. Longrunn was standing beside her, looking very disapproving.

'You shouldn't have taken such a foolhardy risk, captain.'

'Go away, sergeant. What matters is that the affair is over and done with already.'

'The rat had more experience than you by far! You were lucky you got out of the scrape alive. It was a very close call, Dale. Your sword arm is bleeding heavily already.'

'I know, 'Runn, why do you think I'm looking in my pack for? You could at least help.'

The colonel moved forward with the herb pack, joining the conversation smoothly.

'He's right, you know, Dale. You took a very big risk there.'

Daleria looked sharply up at him, binding the wound and securing the bandage tightly,

'You took an even greater one, sah! Getting yourself cornered was not a very good idea, 'Atce. I had to do it for your sake.'

Shaking his head and smiling slightly, Rapieratce put the herb bag away and helped the captain stand up. The captain cursed herself as she felt herself fall again.

WHY does he have to smile like that? It's absolutely heart wrenching. And his eyes. His stupid green eyes.

A sudden sing song voice appeared in head.

You saiiidd it! I toold you! See! You love him!

Shut you obscene mental mouth.

You do, face it.

So what if I do? He would not feel the same.

No? Then what happened between you two all these times? All the advice, the comfort and peace he has brought you?

No comment.

HAH.

'You did not have to Dale. You were not exactly very smart in nearly putting down your blinkin sabre as well.'

'What do you mean? I thought you were insane, telling me not to put it down. The rat could have taken you down at any time.'

The colonel disagreed though, and began to argue back.

'Not true. He was standing behind me. One draw would have brought both the rat and the stoat down.'

Muttering under her breath, Daleria knew that he had beaten her there. Wiping her sabre blade clean on a dead weasel's tunic, she sheathed the steel and rightened herself properly and scowled at Rapieratce, not liking to be beaten at an argument, even a petty one such as that.

'Next time, I should just let them have you, 'Atce.'

Laughing, his green eyes sparkled in mirth.

'Right, I'm sure you will, m'gel.'

Glowering, she shoved him into a mound of loose sand before turning tail and fleeing as fast as she could, laughing at him at safer distance as the particles of sand flew everywhere, showering those in the near vicinity.

'Very funny, Dale!'

Glaring in mock anger at the still laughing Daleria, Rapieratce got up and dusted his sand covered fur off, sending sand flying around even more. Rubbing some stray particles out of his eyes, he chose to ignore her insane chuckling from across the camp, settling instead to talk with the returned Glamoren after sending a glare at the captain. Daleria only laughed louder at his reaction.

Moving to sit next to Sergeant Longrunn, she chatted with him and Dallaw for a while before tiring of conversation and laying out her ground sheet. After removing her sabre and sheathe and laying them close to paw as she always did, she lay back on the sheet, rested her head on her paws and looked up into the star studded navy blue sky. The sun had already long set after all the action, and the cold was beginning to kick in full force once again, but Daleria for one did not seem to mind or care the slightest. For a while, she was content just lying there, not moving and watching the full moon standing there, wavering slightly across the black background. In the back of her mind, her conscience told her to get some rest for the long march that would come the next day, but Daleria chose to blissfully ignore it and kept her eyes open. The crackling fire nearby, the quiet, the cool and the sky melded into a comfortable atmosphere that she was reluctant to leave behind. But eventually, the scene faded away, slowly dissolving and she then slipped gently away into the recesses of sleep.

Four hours later, she was shook awake by Longrunn to take her watch. Yawning and stretching slightly, she picked up her blade and walked to her position, rubbing sleep from her eyes as she went. Standing there, she only heard the soft sounds of wind and the occasional shuffle of one of the hares behind her in camp. Still, she kept her senses alert and her vigilance high, eyes roving the area and scanning her surroundings. Seasons of training paid off well.

For neigh half an hour, nothing stirred, and Daleria just stood there patiently waiting. One of the reasons she was waiting more patiently than she usually would was the fact that pay back to the colonel was in clear sight. He was the next on watch. The possibilities of how to wake him were endless, and Daleria wanted to give each scheme equal thought. It was helping to push other thoughts about Rapieratce away. Score one to conscience, score one to Daleria. Another half hour passed, and she was just about to turn and wake the slumbering Rapieratce when a movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Sharply turning her head and focusing on the area, she saw a hint of movement. Daleria wasted no time in accessing the matter, slipping silently away from her post. On closer inspection, there was a hedge of shrubbery where she had detected the slight movement. Quietly pacing along the hedge, she reached behind and grabbed the beast who was hiding there. It was a black fox, seemingly from Seppak's horde and patrol.

Snarling, Daleria knocked the sword out of the stunned vermin's paw before dragging the shocked beast by the scruff back towards the patrol, kneeing the fox hard in the stomach in the process when he started struggling against her. Her grip was relentless, and red welts and scratch marks appeared on the fox's skin as she half lugged half dragged the beast back towards camp, not caring what he went through. Daleria managed to drag the black fox all the way to Rapieratce's side before dumping the beast down like he was rubbish. When the fox tried to scramble up, holding his stomach in pain, she dealt it a swift, hard and cruel kick in the ribs, sending it crashing back down into the sand, bleeding, groaning and clutching his ribcage in pain. No mercy showed on the hare captain's face at the sight. She looked ready to repeat the process when Rapieratce jumped up and pulled her back from the fox, who was by them writhing in agony, paws bloody. The colonel looked absolutely furious at her. Green eyes blazing, he signalled for Glamoren to finish off the job before pulling Daleria aside away from the camp. His voice was trembling in near unconcealed rage.

'Dale! Wot on Mossflower has got into you?'

Daleria stood defiant, offhandedly commenting.

'The thing deserved no better.'

'No better?! Daleria, that fox was still a living creature, whether you wish to admit it to yourself or not, you know it is true. You could have made it clean and put him out of misery instead of inflicting cruelty as you just did. Let it go, Daleria, you cannot blame the fox for what happened to Clandestine, nor to what is happening in your life. He was not part of it.'

Daleria's temper was starting to make its famed reappearance.

'Not blame that fox? How can I not? He was part of Seppak's horde. That is reason enough for me to hate him. Then tell me, why did not the vermin act that way to my family and to me? Why did they not simply have killed me swiftly and spared my family that night instead of doing to damage they did? I am only giving them what they brought upon themselves. They are reaping only what they had sown before.'

'Daleria. Stop acting like some kind of uncivilized, crazed madbeast who is looking blindly for revenge.'

Daleria turned her head away and ignored him. Rapieratce looked at her half pleadingly and half angrily, torn between acting like a sympathizing friend and a commanding senior officer. He thoroughly hated being trapped in those kind of situations.

'You are pushing things very far, captain. Stop acting wilfully. You cannot have everything your way.'

Daleria closed her eyes in momentary pain, and anger was flashing through them when they reopened. Her tone was cold, more so than she would have actually preferred in the first place.

'You, Rapieratce, know not what goes on in my head. You never lost what I did, and you cannot say how I feel and how I will act. I will not show pity to scum which took my last family away from me! You never spent a good part of seven seasons lost in the dark of confusion, fear and sorrow, have you? You never saw what it was like to'

Rapieratce shook his head.

'Let not anger conquer you, Dale. What you did was unacceptable, even if it were to vermin.'

'What, then, would you do in my place?'

Sighing at her in frustration, the colonel strained his patience and gave her as good counsel as he could.

'I cannot say, Daleria, for I am not you. I cannot see what you went through, nor what it would have been like in my place, for I was trained from the beginning, and my family was not as close close to me as yours must have been. I already lost my mentor and father to me in the last battle, and all I want now is to make sure I do not loose anybeast else. The loss has been great, and I do not wish to increase it if I could. All I know is that I do not wish to show inane cruelty, for I do not want to let anger and revenge pollute my mind. The sorrow of the lost of loved ones is one thing, and so is revenge, but when one pushes things too far, one can be as bad as the enemy. I do not wish for it to be that way in your case. Just next time, make the affair clean, please.'

Daleria looked up at him and sighed, dropping down to his ground sheet and sitting down heavily.

'I guess you're right, colonel, as always. I never could understand why I act the way I do sometimes. It's just so difficult to keep myself under control sometimes. Just all that time alone, maybe...'

Rapieratce sat down next to her for a moment.

'Really? You're not alone anymore.'

Daleria looked up at him sharply.

'What do you mean?'

Rapieratce laughed softly at himself, wondering at his cowardice at his inability to admit things to others, finally giving in to his conscience. He spoke quietly.

'Nothing, Dale, absolutely nothing. Nothing at all. I've got sentry duty. Go to sleep, captain, good night.'

Rapieratce stood up, grabbing his rapier, and moved up to his post, but Daleria caught up with him. Her conscience had been persistent, and Daleria had given in to it. Somehow, the captain knew it had to happen sooner or later, one way or the other. Something told her she would. There was just something about Rapieratce. Her conscience knew that Rapieratce had too, and that he was slipping up, and thus snapped up at the opening and forced Daleria forward. This was their chance, if any.

'It isn't 'nothing', 'Atce, both you and I know that. Don't even try to pretend, I know you far too well to fall for that excuse. Besides, I do not feel too sleepy right now.'

Rapieratce said nothing, simply scanning the area for any sign of anybeast. Daleria glared at him. After a moment, the colonel sighed and looked over to the unmoving captain.

'You will not be giving up until I tell you, will you?'

'No.'

'What was I expecting...'

After another glare from the captain, Rapieratce stopped fooling around. Shrugging, he simply said.

'I'm not too sure myself, Dale. It's just something about my conscience.'

Daleria looked up at him. The colonel looked back.

'Your conscience, 'Atce?'

'Somewhat, Dale.'

'And what is it saying?'

Rapieratce's heart stopped for a moment. His thoughts went frantic as he searched for an appropriate answer to the captain's question. His ever helpful conscience appeared right on cue.

Tell her, 'Atce. Just tell her.

I don't think she'll react to it very well. She is Daleria, after all.

You never know until you try, 'Atce.

Softly, he muttered under his breath, almost inaudibly.

'I really don't know Dale. Something about me loving you.'

Took the plunge at last, I see. I thought you never would, after all the delaying you did.

Dale's not going to accept this well. She's going to murder me, of that I am quite sure.

Daleria's brain stalled when she heard what Rapieratce had just said. Her conscience was smirked at her in accomplishment.

TOLD YOU!

Did he just say what I thought...

Yes he did, you fool!

Daleria looked up at him. Rapieratce's green eyes looked extremely troubled, as if he felt he should have just kept quiet and not said anything to her. Daleria questioned him quietly.

'And would you mean it?'

Rapieratce looked down to her.

'Would you?'

Daleria looked at him for a moment.

'Yes, I would, if you would too. But I would take it slowly, a bit at a time.'

'Then so would I.'

Relief washed over both of them like a tidal wave. Rapieratce smiled at her laughingly and kissed the top of her forehead lightly. Daleria let him. In that moment, she was happy. Completely happy for the first time in a long while, and she cherished the feeling, perfectly content.

'There might be hope for you and me yet, Dale. At least now I know that I was not the only person being plagued by over infectious consciences which do not give up.'

Daleria glared at him.

'I blame it fully on you, 'Atce. You and your confounded green eyes.'

'Speak for yourself. You're distracting me. I'm on duty.'

'Fine! You can freeze to death all you want. I'm going to sleep.'

'I thought you said you weren't sleepy, Dale.'

'I lied. Good night.'

*

They had made it. In a single day of incredibly hard marching in boiling weather, they had made it. There they were, concealed by a large, conveniently positioned sand dune, right beside a vermin horde that would have made any lesser creatures faint. A thousand, maybe more, or less, foxes, mostly black, were spread out before them. What was so incredibly scary was how the silence, the organization, the total picture that was laid before them, totally betrayed the stereotype vermin. It was intimidating. What made matters even worse was the fact that the five hostages were, by pure chance, kept there as well, and yet there was nothing that they could do to help them due to their strict orders. It was tormenting, seeing it all.

Daleria stood still surveying the plane of foxes, taking in the mind bowling scene in quiet fury. Upon closer inspection, Daleria discovered that Cosenet's arm had been slashed badly, and furthermore Willow's ribcage was seen to be hastily wrapped up, meaning the breaking of a rib. The captain winced at the thought, silently feeling incredibly guilty and sorry for all that had happened up to date, but felt still an undeniable anger and hatred towards the entire scene before her. The one responsible would pay in a most appropriate manner thinkable. Remora, Longrunn and Rapieratce strode up beside her after, all surveying the scene of black with grim faces. Twitching a ear at the sight, Longrunn commented,

'We're in a jolly good fix, wot! Lookit the main tent, 'tis way over the other side. Nearly beyond our reach, out in the open!'

Rapieratce nodded his agreement as he lifted his eyes to scan the upper side of the vermin horde, spying that a tent larger than the others had been erected at the far end of the camp, away from any hills or sand dunes of any sort, totally out in the open and unconcealed. That made matters even worse than they already were. That meant a treacherous movement of the four of them across the entire vermin camp that night, accompanied by swift dispatching and as much stealth as they could manage. That fact only added to the colonel's already immense worry. The entire operation was not going to be an easy one by far. Things were already rocky here, and he did not want to think about the consequences if they were found out or reported by any single vermin. The scum had only need be lucky once. They had to be lucky all the time. Running a paw through his ears in stress, Rapieratce jabbed his paw at a few positions, rambling off observations.

'Sentries are probably bound to be posted around there,'

He pointed at vague area that faced the mountain,

'there,'

He pointed at an area towards the other, westward end of the camp,

'and there.'

He waved at the area directly before them.

'If we are going to execute this operation tonight, according to the Lady's precise orders, we must as well make a bally quick, clean sweep of the entire affair. If we get found out in any way, there is going to be massacre on both sides, something that we cannot have at any rate right now. War will break out before time, and we are to avoid that at all costs. Furthermore, there might be no hope in attaining a cure to Dale's ailment after that, if the cure be lost in the mess. There will be no interference in any other matter in any way, including,'

There he paused and looked meaningfully over at Daleria, who he knew would take action in one way or another if not restrained. The captain had chosen to ignore him there, but smiled slightly remembering the night before.

'Trying in any way to help those five out, even if the chance throws itself in our face and rams us on the blinkin head with a battle axe. I wish we could, but Consellariel had some bally specific blinkin orders not to. What matters is that we get the bally blinkin herb or wotever and get ourselves out of this before anything ends up worse than it began.'

Remora nodded in quiet agreement, though there was a great sadness in her voice as she spoke aloud. The brigadier had her own misgivings about the matter, as every other beast did.

'What will become of these five, then? I mean, if we don't save them sah, who will?'

Rapieratce sighed angrily at the entire complexity of it all, his temper momentarily flaring up in one of his rare states of intrusion of emotion.

'That's the bally flippin problem! We are here simply to obey the blinkin badger lady, not overrule her orders or sommat like that. I don't know what Consellariel's been cooking up in that mind of hers, but if there isn't a plan to save those five... All I know is that we cannot do anything in that situation if she does not come up with something to solve this blinkin matter.'

The thought of something like that alone was distinctly horrible and gory. Consellariel would never leave the five to Seppak's cruelty, would she...? Daleria hastily banished the idea from her head. The badger lady of Salamandastron was not some cold hearted beast that would do such a preposterous thing like that. Doubt, however, was also making an appearance in her head.

'Couldn't we jus--'

Her sentence was immediately cut off by Rapieratce. His voice was grim and the captain knew that he would be brooking no foolish argument in the matter, affection for her or no.

'When the badger lady says no, you know that she means it, Dale. There is nothing we can do, no matter how much we wish we could.'

Daleria sighed in resignment, knowing that Rapieratce was back in his state of listening and obeying. There was no way she was going to get past him and try anything foolish or silly in this operation. There was silence for a while, each hare being enveloped in his or her own personal thoughts towards the issue, Longrunn with foreboding, Remora with sadness, Rapieratce with great stress and worry, and Daleria with hate and desperation. Suddenly, a soft scream broke the quiet. Four pairs of eyes flew down towards the scene below. Willow was to be seen being whipped by Seppak's blade. Daleria immediately snapped up and was about to take a move forward when Rapieratce grabbed her arm. His green eyes flashed in pain from seeing the sight.

'Don't. I wish I could let you, but don't.'

Daleria shut her eyes. No. They could not just leave the five down there. Not while the bloodthirsty fox called Seppak was working his evil against them. It simply was not right. After all had been said and done, it should be her down there, not Willow and the rest, all who had no serious involvement in this matter. She did not know how she managed it, probably part because of the current force on her arm and part because of a considerable amount of will power, but she managed to take one, painful step back from the horrible scene and turn her back to it. Her shoulders shook, but Daleria still refused to let herself go. No tears showed through her black eyes, only an incredible hardness that seemed unwilling to break anytime soon. There was clearly no way that Daleria was going to let anything make her shed tear anytime soon, as anybeast could most obviously see. Silent, she took forced, shaky steps away from the lookout position. Vaguely in the background, Longrunn could be heard holding a whispered conference with the colonel and brigadier, but right then Daleria could not have cared if they were talking about flying tadpoles or if Seppak had turned into a pink bunny rabbit. All she knew was that what was happening then should not have been happening. Not to those that were currently at the unyielding cruelty and terror of the black fox.

It shouldn't happen to them. They've done nothing wrong. I should be down there... I can't just let them...

There's nothing you can do, Dale.

Nothing I can do? What have I already done? Look. Evidence of my doing is sprawled before us.

It's not your fault.

Not my fault? Surely I have gone mad to even think it that way.

Back at the lookout, the three senior hares were talking rapidly in hushed tones. The sergeant was conversing rapidly with the colonel and Remora about their plan.

'I suppose that now is not the best bally time to do it, sah?'

'No, it most definitely is not. My proposition at this blinkin time is that we take a loop over to the furthest hills on the north end, close enough to monitor both the main tent and the bally hostages. At the next possible opportunity, we move in. But we have to keep a low profile. No vermin from the horde may be taken down, or suspicion will be sure to be aroused. This time, we flee before we fight. Keep everything low. No fires, no unpacking. We make as if we were on march.'

The brigadier nodded her agreement with the colonel's proposed plan.

'Yessah, the idea strikes as a good one.'

By now, Major Glamoren had wandered over to the three conversing officers, having overheard all that had been said between them. He stood at the lookout, commenting.

'Not a nice situation to be in, wot? The position ain't the blinkin best one that I've seen in my seasons, and that young gel over there ain't looking like the brightest I've ever seen.'

Rapieratce followed Daleria sadly with his eyes. The captain had sat down and seemed to be deep in thought. He felt incredible pity and sadness for her.

'No, she is not, Moren, not by a long shot. Daleria has been through a lot blinkin more than most. It is bally amazing her will is still going strong, wot. Any lesser beast would have crumbled down by now. The poor gel. By Mossflower, things couldn't be very much worse for her than they currently are right now. I wish she'd just lighten up sometimes...'

Longrunn also shared Rapieratce's sad view of Daleria.

'That gel... Mossflower knows what she's going through right now...'

The brigadier also had to agree, no matter how much she had wished that the other three were wrong in their description of the young captain.

'That 'un's young for a captain. Maybe promoting her wasn't the best idea that the lady ever had. It almost seems a bit much for the poor thing.'

Rapieratce started to make his way back to the camp, the rest following him not far behind.

'Well, if Dale is finding being a captain very much different from being a patroller, she's having a jolly good time concealing it.'

Longrunn chuckled in spite of himself.

'True, sah. By m'fur, Dale couldn't care if you were a lieutenant or a badger lord or lady. I doubt she'd notice the difference.'

Remora dryly commented from Longrunn's side.

'But I reckon that Daleria will still recognize you after this has all blown over. I think that your head is still on her wanted list.'

Longrunn raised his paws over his head in defeat.

'I swear I didn't mean to do it marm! It's not my fault that captain stopped so abruptly. I couldn't help myself!
Rapieratce laughed as they reached the camp.

'Dale harms anybeast in range if they annoy her. I still have a sore rib or two to prove that point.'

Longrunn nodded his agreement, but changed the subject after that.

'Besides that, I'm betting m'fur there's something going on betwixt her and 'Atce over here.'

Rapieratce shot a glare at Longrunn.

'And what would make you think so?'

Glamoren laughed at his partner.

'Don't even try to lie, 'Atce. I was not exactly asleep after the fox last night.'

Rapieratce shut his mouth, refusing to comment. Remora grinned at him.

'There is, isn't there, sah?'

'Maybe.'

Glamoren laughed at him again.

'One day, 'Atce, you'll learn how to lie properly. Until then, I cannot find hope for you.'

'Quiet yourself, 'Moren. Besides, even if I did, Dale would never fail to murder me if I annoyed her beyond her limits.'

From beside him, a voice that could only belong to Daleria appeared as the captain herself popped up beside him. She had eradicated herself of even showing distress, and was casually chewing on an apple that she had retrieved from her pack while they were occupied. Before Rapieratce could react to her appearance, she said,

'I heard that, 'Atce!'

As if to prove her point, she stuck a footpaw in right front of the walking colonel, and watched, laughing in satisfaction, as he fell over onto the ground. Moaning, Rapieratce picked himself up and dusted himself off of any sand. Longrunn could not help but snigger, and Remora was grinning openly. Glamoren watched on in amusement at his ex-partner, who was currently sprawled on the ground.

'First time I've seen you fall over that easily, 'Atce.'

'Ah, go away Moren. As for you, Dale, do you have to continue torturing me by shoving me into the sand at every available opening?'

Grinning mischievously at the distressed colonel, Daleria retorted back at him.

'If you prefer the rock floor, 'Atce, I would only be most happy to comply.'

'Dale!'

*

Rapieratce decided to ignore the captain, and retreated to tell the others of the latest outcome and planning. Daleria sighed heavily. Life was not helping her out in the least at that moment. She was struggling desperately to stay upright and keep her hopes up, but the captain could not help but wonder if she would be going, sinking down in the end. Daleria felt she already had. Everything was so confusing, she felt that she was simply stepping, running blindly in the dark without knowing where she wanted to go to in the first place. She somehow felt weary, even though she had slept well enough. But it still was as if there was a weight on her, in her very blood, and something screamed at the back of her head to fix something, though it did not say what. It was almost as bad as living in a nightmare gone wrong. Everything rebounded back at you when you tried to ward it away. Some hopeless feeling was all that existed inside, nothing else. The bright light of hoping and wishing had exhausted long ago, burnt up in a smouldering concoction that withered and faded away as it crumbled into a dusty ash before her eyes. The weight on her heart expanded to her soul, and it took all her energy to simply keep going on, to keep her head up high and her eyes off the ground and catch onto her own life and cling to it before she let it slip away in oblivion. How she wanted to let go, after all that she had loss and misplaced, destroyed and ruined in the short space of ten seasons. Daleria wanted to fall on her knees and weep. She wanted so badly to lie back and simply let tears trickle down her face, to let herself go completely and loose herself to the blackness all around her, to run away to the recesses in her mind that hid away and did not come out in the miserable light of day. She wanted to crawl away on all fours and lay back to fade away into sweet oblivion, run away and never come back. Yet when she thought of doing that, fear struck her in her heart. Afraid of loosing what miserable little that she still had then in what remained in the scraps of her life. Fear, that acute, relentless, absolute fear of change. Everything had already lost footing, and all that had held meaning in her foolish life slipped away into an endless black hole. Afraid that she would never able to live how she wanted to live after all of this was over. Pain never scared her. Change did. Yet it seemed to plague her in an endless stream, refusing to move away, time and again, coming back to attack her vulnerable self. Woe it was that she could do nothing to help herself. Pity never got anybeast anywhere, and she most unfortunately knew that was true. Daleria refused to pity herself. She refused to let out all that she had kept inside for so long. Not because she would not. Only because she could not. Maybe, in time, she would be able to open up to Rapieratce. But she was taking things slowly. Things were too new to her, and she did not want to rush things. And she could tell Rapieratce did not want to either, and for that she was thankful. He always gave her room to breath, and she was grateful for that. Maybe, just maybe, the colonel might be able to turn things around. Daleria had already gone to him on many various occasions for advice and counsel, and so far, the colonel had never let her down nor been insensitive. He knew that he had to back off when he had to, and Daleria was relieved she would have somebeast to turn to. But the darkness was still there. It pertained and existed, and she knew that it would not be disappearing any time soon. Yet Daleria would have to face it, but could she conquer it? It was so difficult, so complex, so strange... So confusing and so sorrowful. The dark was there.

'Dale? Dale!'

The captain was brought back to the present by a frantic paw being waved in front of her face. Sergeant Longrunn shook her slightly. Daleria looked strangely wistful and faraway to him, and she looked as if she was about to walk away muttering to herself if nobeast were to stop her from doing so. The sergeant was really starting to worry about her. Maybe the affair in the cell really did hit her harder than he had expected it to. Ever since that she had seemed to have zoned out, quietened a slight bit though not obviously, and placed a barrier between herself and everybeast else. It was scaring him. Maybe the young one really had been scarred more than he thought she had. Finally, after a little more violent pushing on his part, the captain finally slipped out of her reverie, to his utmost relief. Her response was less than alert though.

'What? Oh. Longrunn.'

'Dale? Are you feeling all right, m'gel? You look... pale.'

Looking up at him ,as if puzzled, the captain blinked once with an absurdly blank look on her troubled face. Shaking her head slightly, she replied slowly. Daleria still looked as if she were in some kind of daze and was yet to snap out of it, though, and by then Longrunn was looking severely worried about her.

'Me? No. I'm fine, I assure you.'

'Maybe you should go sit down...'

The captain nodded slowly, still looking withdrawn and preoccupied.

'Right.'

Moving away slowly, Daleria left Longrunn to himself and tottered off to her ground sheet, where she simply lay down and looked at the darkening sky with a blank look on her face, a odd glint in her unfocused eyes that scared Longrunn slightly. He absent mindedly mused to himself.

That gel... She looks ready to give up at any bally moment, not that anybeast would blame her for what she has had to go through... We should a keep a helping hand out for that 'un... Let her be all right, for her bloomin' sake. The blinkin captain looks absurdly fragile from this point of view. She looks as if she would break at any blinkin time, wot. Why won't she come to terms that we will always be here to lean back on? She has friends jolly well all around her, each and every one of us is a friend to her. And yet she seems so bally afraid to allow us to help her. So afraid to leave her blinkin independence alone and lean back on others for some bally assistance. It's almost as if she's scared that we will slip away just like... Like the major. Woe to that day! I think that she had better hope for recovery from her escapade those seasons before when Clandestine was around. Those two were inseparable in the bally short time that Clandestine was around. To think about it, Clandestine was the only blinkin one she actually allowed herself to let go and lean back upon... And then she fell, and everything crashed back down on the poor gel. Just like her family, wot. Maybe she's afraid that if she depends on us overly so, that we will all blinkin fade away as well. She needs help, that un. If only she would accept it. Well, now that Rapieratce's come along, maybe she'll recover a bit faster. Yes. Rapieratce will help the gel through, if any of us can. He has to.

Longrunn hoped against all hope that they would all get back to the mountain intact. In mind and in body.

*

Seppak the Black was once again tormenting his hostages, nearly to the point of breaking, but never pushing them overboard. Withdrawing a thin cutlass like blade, the midnight black fox grabbed Willow by the scruff of her neck, his claws biting painfully into her skin. Oblivious was he to her pained screams as he shook her ruthlessly, directly in front of Cosenet, Tehora, Mealiney and Silecy for all to see. Willow screamed in agony as her broken ribs were jolted about, only the strange, disgusting concoction that some of his healers had forced down her throat somehow saved her. Medicine or no, it still hurt. A lot. But the black one did not stop there. Cosenet could only watch in silent and tormented horror as her partner was whipped by the fox's blade. After three whippings, Willow was wavering in between painful, dreadful consciousness and the bliss of delirious unconsciousness, bleeding heavily and looking extremely mangled. She had no more will to even scream, resorting to whimpering helplessly as the pain spread like a wildfire, burning painfully, as she was unable to escape the stabbing pain all over. Seppak's face was blank without mercy though, only shaking the galloper even more, partially choking her and near ripping through her coat. Simply dangling the galloper off the ground, Seppak turned to the horrified quartet before him, asking in a deceptively soft tone as he watched them watch blood drip of Willow and dribble down onto the sand.

'Now, does anybeast want to give me any information?'

Even in her near delirious state, Willow took enough courage and pure nerve and perseverance to speak in a hoarse, pain riddled voice.

'Don.. Don't... te... ll.. tell.. hii.. hiim.. Don't! We... caa... can't... give... Daal... Dale... Up... No!'

Cosenet held her useless arm tightly as Seppak kneed her close friend in the stomach, causing her to scream out again, blood dripping from her mouth in a small trickle, as he dropped her in a small, whimpering, writhing heap on the bloodstained sand. The galloper bit her lip. Tehora looked on the scene grimly, hiding her horrified expression to herself. The only way they could tell the captain was shocked was by her ashen face, which had drained away. Mealiney had looked away, unable to stand the sight before her, choking back tears. Silecy edged slowly backwards on the sand, unable to believe what was happening, closing her eyes and trying to blot out the screams and scenes that flashed before her very eyes. If any of them would have answered Seppak in the first place, they were all too shocked and disbelieving to have done so anyway. After several moments of unresponsive silence, Seppak's patience wore off, and after wiping his blade on her tunic, he kicked Willow backwards as she writhed in agony, sending her crashing back in a bloody heap next to Cosenet. Snarling with dangerously sharp fangs, he warned.

'If you do not answer, I warn all of you, none of you will ever walk back into Salamandastron intact. If you even make it to Salamandastron. That badger lady of yours can be more heartless than you think.'

Cosenet screamed at him.

'Never! Lady Consellariel would never do that! Liar!'

Seppak grinned at her.

'You may choose not to believe it, but you never know. Badgers are unpredictable creatures...'

With that closing statement, the Cruel One walked away, leaving Cosenet near in tears, trying to revive the still alive but unconscious Willow.

*

Daleria winced as if in pain as she heard numerous screams coming from Seppak's horde, willing herself to ignore them and instead to make a move over towards Rapieratce, who was conversing with Glamoren, who had put off his scout report until then due to what had occurred before. The conversation was quite an odd yet interestingly humorous one.

'What did you say you found? A mole, y'say?'

'Yessah!'

'A mole? Out here in the middle of nowhere? Are you sure?'

'Yessah!'

'Ah, 'Moren, stop acting all strung up, for Mossflower's sake! You've been my partner for, wot, neigh ten bally seasons already! You need not keep on calling me sah!'

The major grinned at him.

'Yessah!'

Rapieratce gave him a playful shove backwards, coincidentally sending him off balance, and before he could notice, directly falling onto the approaching Daleria. The colonel froze at the sight of her, slowly edging away from the death glare that she was sending his way as she pushed Glamoren off. Her paw was straying deadly close to her sabre. Too near for comfort. Rapieratce knew that running for his life would be a good option if she managed to get her paws on it.

'Heh, hello captain. Nice day, wot!'

Daleria glared at him, picking herself up and dusting herself off. Deciding that she would let him off for the moment, she went on to talk about the mole that Glamoren had stumbled upon.

'Very funny, sah, but what did the major say about a mole over in these parts?'

Glamoren piped up to cover for his ex-partner, who was obviously quite high on Daleria's death list and therefore was keeping quiet. Daleria was still perfectly able to murder him with or without feeling for him. It was, after all, he who reported the mole in the first place. He could just see Rapieratce mouthing a thank you to him from the corner of his eye, and resisted the urge to smirk. Daleria managed to instil fear in nearly everybeast when it came to things like these, and even Rapieratce, of all the hares on the mountain, was not an exception by far.

'Yes, captain. He's over there, with the lieutenant. A seemingly very strange mole. Doesn't talk in that funny accent like most do. From what I heard last, they were conversing on apple crumble, of all the possible things that they could have been talking about, wot.'

The major pulled a dry face at his statement. Daleria only raised an eyebrow.

'Apple crumble?'

'Aye, apple crumble, with apples that, I heard, were grown-'

Before the major could finish his sentence, Daleria broke in, practically grinning in joy.

'In an shaft near an underground spring in one of the mole's tunnels, am I not right?'

Both Major Glamoren and Colonel Rapieratce looked at her in amazement.

'How did you know?'

But Daleria was already making her way over to where the mole and Dallaw were talking animatedly.

'Ruft! Ruft, it's me!'

The mole, evidently Ruft, turned and looked at Daleria for a moment, a grin spreading over his face. Daleria grinned back at him. Lieutenant Dallaw could only look on in puzzlement.

'By my fur! It is young Daleria!'

Rapieratce looked at Daleria.

'You know him, Dale?'

Daleria retorted back sarcastically.

'No, 'Atce, I suppose that after seven seasons in Mossflower alone that I would not have met nor befriended a single creature at all.'

'Fine, captain, fine! Need not bite my ears off.'

Grinning up at him, she shot back, waving her sabre under his nose.

'Do you want me to cut them off then, 'Atce?'

'Ah, don't tease the poor hare, Daleria!'

Turning her attention back to Ruft, the captain sheathed her sabre.

'Oh, you need not worry yourself to bits, Ruft, he more than deserves it.'

'Captain!'

Ignoring him, she went on with her conversation.

'What made you come out of that little underground city of yours? I couldn't find that place if I tried!'

'Indeed you couldn't, young one. It seems to me, that some warlord of a fox or another had plonked his main tent directly over one of my tunnel entrances, and his horde has helped block of most of the rest save the main and my library entrances. Anyway, that fellow left this liddle lot down when he shoved it downwards into the sand to hide it or something like that. I doubt he knows I even have this.'

Ruft waved a little package of herbs about in the air. Seeing Daleria's jaw drop open, he inquired.

'What? Is this some kind of a miracle cure to something or sommat?'

'In a way, yes!'

There was immediately a small council, Daleria explaining all that had happened, and what the package probably was. It was worth giving a shot. Ruft smiled.

'Good thing I didn't throw this beauty away!'

'Indeed it is, you liddle book mole.'

Rapieratce was looking rather interested in who the mole was in the first place, having not been thoroughly introduced. Daleria therefore, went on to explain the long story of how Ruft had helped her out on the last leg of her journey all those seasons ago when she first went to Salamandastron, having taken her in and provided shelter and food. He was probably one of the few moles that did not have an accent, having been thoroughly versed in many books and scripts that he collected. His little city underground, that he had tunnelled single pawed with the help of family and friends seasons ago, consisted on well disguised entrances, shafts, windows and even an underground spring that he had struck upon by chance. Now he was in a little trouble, if any of his secret entrances that the horde were covering should be found out, a virtual city of moles would be wiped out for sure.

'D'you think you could help us, Dale?'

'After what you've done for me, indeed I do think so... Sah?'

'Of course, m'gel! The lady would have my head if we didn't help Ruft and his little gang down there. Why don't we just sort out this problem and yours in his home then?'

Ruft agreed.

'Better than having the risk of being found out above ground, missy. Let's get down there, and help you fix up this little hallucination problem of yours and maybe we can formulate a plan for mine.'

*

Daleria sat drumming her paw on a stone table impatiently, while Rapieratce looked on in amusement, simply sitting back and wearing that annoyingly composed grin on his face. Remora was taking a tour around her new surroundings with the Major and the rest of the patrol, whilst the sergeant was off in the kitchens with Ruft to try and brew up the herb for her, and they were taking their own sweet time in her opinion. The captain had been delighted to return to one of the old places that she had not been able to visit since she became an addition to the Long Patrol, but by now the ecstasy of rediscovering her old surroundings and friends had by then worn off and the normal Daleria had taken up control. After making a very brief introduction of the place to the rest of their company, she had left the curious patrol in the paws of one of her old friends. While waiting, she had retired to one of the places where she had loved to go to and write while she had been there, a small stone table in one of the quieter corners. Rapieratce, not being an overly curious hare of temperament, had decided to follow her away from the noise of the main halls where various creatures of different sorts bustled here and there. It was very much like an underground Redwall, but Rapieratce knew better than to go loosing his head and gallivanting off when he had strict orders to fulfil, no matter that they were in a practical safe haven. Daleria had not been ridden of the poison just as yet. There was still quite a bit to go before she was out of immediate danger, and the colonel was not taking any risks in letting the captain run off alone and have another impromptu attack in one unknown corner. Consellariel would most definitely have his head if he allowed that to happen, and Rapieratce had future plans to live that still needed a head to be attached to his neck in order to become reality. Besides, he enjoyed her company. Daleria stopped drumming the table and looked at him irately.

'What are you grinning at, sah?'

Rapieratce chuckled at her annoyance, shaking his head lightly. Daleria had to resist the urge to strangle the look out of his green eyes.

'Nothing, captain, absolutely nothing at all.'

Daleria narrowed her eyes at him.

'Don't say that, sah, you know I know you better than that.'

'Fine, if you insist. It's just very... Amusing how we came all this way, with all the fighting, quarrelling and whatnot only to amount to the very thing we were squabbling over was to be found by a friend. It's really quite interesting, if you look at it from another point of view, especially considering all the scrapes that we went through. And still after last night, you could still chop my head off without feeling remorse. I might reconsider loving you if you keep doing that, Dale. Also, the look that you are wearing on your face should be painted down, captain. It looks incredibly hilarious.'

Daleria gave into the urge. The captain lunged straight at the colonel, who rolled gracefully out of the way before she could get to him. The captain grabbed at the backing of a stone chair, of which the chair was most fortunately embedded into the ground, and made a quick swing over both hers and the colonel's stone chair, and very near missing his head as she landed. Not that she would have minded if she had landed on his head. Laughing despite of his situation, Rapieratce simply jumped nimbly backwards as she took a swipe at him, glowering.

'Nice try, Dale, but I think you know me well enough to remember that I am not a colonel for nothing. I have reflexes as much as you do. Besides, you love me. You can't kill me!'

Still laughing, he withdrew his rapier.

'Care to even try, captain?'

Grinning, the captain took up the challenge, unsheathing her own blade.

'Would not miss it for the world, sah.'

Daleria's blade met his with a clash, loud enough to alert quite a number of creatures that were sent scrambling out of their way. A quick jab to the left was calmly repelled by a rapier swipe from below, and a well done overhead strike was sent her way in return. The captain refused to lift her sabre to that call, knowing full well that if she did, Rapieratce would be in prime position to disarm her, instead making a nimbly reverse turn along her sword arm, meeting his blade below rather than by the side. The colonel laughed slightly, not parrying with her but simply lifting his blade away from her sabre.

'Interesting move, Dale.'

'Very funny, 'Atce, very funny.'

Rapieratce did not respond, choosing instead to do a rapid fire of clashing strikes on her right of her blade, which were skilfully deflected by a round curve, signature of Daleria's favourite manner of disarming. Undaunted, he made another curve of his own over Daleria's blade, before pulling off a long draw to the left with a quick turn of his body in a minor flip as he had to veer away from a small mole that was scurrying away, a very hard move to do, yet the colonel had enough skill to pull it off with enough grace to plant his blade directly back onto the captain's. Daleria pulled back slightly before deciding to draw a hasty move right with great momentum. Both, for some reason, did a simultaneous turn, Rapieratce to the left and Daleria to the right, which only resulted in a sabre and rapier meeting in an exceptionally loud clash that echoed through the halls and drew the attention of the returning tour crew, namely Remora, Dallaw, Glamoren and the others. Ridgefur had earlier spotted the battling duo and had rushed off to inform the others. This was one fencing occasion that none of the hares were willing to miss, and had resulted in some of the younger ones practically crashing through the hallways to get to the scene. Daleria grinned as the two blades locked, hilt to hilt.

'Looks like we've attracted a good bit of attention.'

'Have we now? I did not notice.'

Daleria took another risk, pushing her blade away from their locked hilts and taking another reverse turn, but the colonel was not one step behind, making an instant twist with his wrist while engaging in a quick step to the side and striking out to clash with the captain once more, deflecting her blade with a practised paw and amazing fluidity. The two proceeded to step apart and went into a flurry of strikes, though neither missed a pawstep as both rapier and sabre went from left to right and back again. Daleria suddenly made an abrupt step to the left as the colonel took a block against his left side, and made a wide swing to the right that made a full circle as she did a quick pirouette, clashing with Rapieratce's blade as he instinctively made a quick diagonal swipe downwards to guard his back. The colonel did not stay idle for long though. The spectators watched on in silent awe. Glamoren looked on at his ex-partner coolly.

'That's the colonel for you... Never did let it slip, wot.'

Remora sat gaping.

'This, I say, is something you don't see every day.'

'I should say so. The two would tire each other out if they did.'

Almost calmly, the colonel parried with her before taking a small thrust forward, locking the tips of their blades together, before pointing his rapier down and executing a twist which involved him pulling his sword paw over his head and a quick but vicious drag that was coupled with a pull outwards. Before Daleria could react, Rapieratce struck with lightning speed, doing a amazing figure of eight at shoulder level before twisting his rapier upwards, then skimming away scott free in a long draw and a double turn to get away from Daleria's spinning blade, successfully disarming her. The sabre jumped out of the captain's paw, adding a perfect finish to a move that was not easily pulled off on the colonel's part. The sabre did a quick twirl in the air before embedding itself point first in the ground. Daleria glowered at him and retrieved it, not used to being beaten at her trade. Of course, Rapieratce had not been beaten by anybeast in history yet, but it did not mean that Daleria could not start to try.

'Interesting technique, 'Atce. Very interesting. I will beat you the next time. You just wait and see.'

Rapieratce smiled that annoying smile of his, green eyes still sparkling in mirth. He took a quick bow and a salute to the captain, still retaining his usual composure.

'Touché, Dale.'

Daleria sheathed her sabre as she gave Rapieratce a defeated yet unsatisfied glare. He had an annoying habit of having an ability to get on her nerves and get a good laugh at her while he was at it, and most of the time she did not have the option of biting back. He even had the cheek of doing it in front of the others, rendering her option called Beat Rapieratce Up useless. The colonel laughed it off lightly, as he always did, and easily sheathed his own blade with a fluid motion. Daleria glowered at him and thought mentally to herself.

Mental note to self: Will beat colonel next time, and make sure that smile is wiped off his face while at it.

The others were simply looking on in silent amazement, especially the ones who had trained swordplay with Daleria before the occasion arose. It was not humanely thought possible that anybeast could disarm the captain that most probably could had ridden them of their blades while reading a novel and balancing a ball atop of her head. Well, not that any of them would have thought that she would have parried with the colonel, as the colonel rarely parried with them, but that was beyond the point. The show had not disappointed, though, and it was something most would remember for some time after that. Glamoren simply took it in his stride, walking over to help up a random squirrel who had nearly got his tail chopped off while scurrying away from the two moving hares and the various sharp items of steel that would not have been nice to land on, all the while remonstrating the colonel with disapproval.

'I thought you knew better than to do that, 'Atce. You nearly beheaded a good number of creatures while the two of you were at it, y'know. In a confined space, furthermore. Lady Consellariel would have disapproved. Greatly, I might add.'

Rapieratce shrugged nonchalantly as he removed his shoulder strap for a while, glad for the release from the pressure that had burdened his back all too often for the past few weeks. It felt incredibly heavy to him, regardless of its actual light weight in reality. Holding the weapon loosely in his left paw, he stretched his back and yawned slightly before putting up a defence for himself.

'Don't blame me, 'Moren. It was far too tempting to resist. You try resist your temptation to prove your skill with the blade after being cooped up with a few million, rather exerting I might add, training session and a couple of hundred pounds of extremely boring paperwork waiting on your table for the next morn every day. I fear I might have let my standard drop. And besides, it's not my fault that Dale wanted to make so many bally turns and twists. I would never have added such fancies to my play, you know me well enough. It was either block and attack or stay and get chopped. You choose.'

Daleria heard him.

'Hey! It was better than staying still and doing nothing!'

Rapieratce laughed lightly.

'I suppose so. Still, you trying to wring my neck earlier on wasn't exactly doing nothing, captain. I had to do something in response.'

Rapieratce had to evade another quick and annoyed swipe from her paw, jumping backwards and nearly crashing into Longrunn, thankfully regaining his balance in time. Longrunn, evidently, had returned from his escapade in the kitchens and was with the long awaited cure. The sergeant was not at all happy, holding the cure precariously above his head as he stepped away from the colonel, not wanting to risk the cure, even if the colonel had returned back to sanity.

'I say sah, watch where you put your flippin footpaws! I don't think we'd be able to find another cure for Daleria if you knocked this one out of my paws.'

Rapieratce stopped fooling around and straightened himself again, reluctant to give away what little leisure time that he had just received, but knew it was his job. Slipping his sheath back on, though not very willingly, he and Longrunn sought out Daleria and gave her the newly brewed cure. The captain was not happy at the cure by the looks of things. At least, she did not show much approval, as it clearly could be seen. Daleria took a good long look at the cup, of which was emitting a foul smell and still steaming, eyeing it warily with a carefully raised eyebrow, regarding it with great suspicion. If she went by looks, the thing would bound not to taste very nice. She looked up sceptically at Longrunn, evidently not wanting to believe the foul thing was a cure.

'Sergeant, are you sure this is the cure and not the poison? For some reason I don't feel like risking my neck and drinking that thing.'

Longrunn gave her a withering glare, obviously not amused. Rapieratce smirked at her, of which attained him a death glare in return. Daleria returned her gaze to the cup, muttering under her breath.

'Well, it could have fooled me well enough.'

After receiving another death glare, she gave up and dropped her joking attitude and became serious.

'Fine, fine! I'll drink the bally thing!'

She took a final unbelieving look at the cup before grabbing it and swallowing it's contents without much hesitation. Better to get it over rather than delay it and receive even worse after effects. She shuddered when she finished it, coughed once, and nearly broke the cup while setting, or should I say throwing, it onto the table in unhidden disgust.

'Ugh. If there is one thing I would ask of you, sergeant, it is to remind me NEVER to get myself poisoned. Ever again. That thing was positively foul.'

Longrunn threw his paws up in the air in defeat and rolled his eyes, praying for some sort of patience to deal with the stubborn captain, while Rapieratce simply smirked and walked away, called away by Ruft, who was eager to get the vermin off his roof, literally. Daleria tottered behind him, muttering about distasteful cures, Glamoren trailed after them not long after, and soon Longrunn had no choice but to follow them, roping in Remora at the same time. Off to council. How interesting.

*

'So they've practically trampled all over you bally roof?'

Ruft nodded. Rapieratce looked bemused at the thought.

'And it did not cave in?'

Daleria's head immediately pricked up from dead to alive, and the captain panicked, shaking her head furiously at the colonel, mouthing madly over to him. Rapieratce quirked an eyebrow at her. Basically, it went along the lines of No! NO! Don't, 'Atce! I'd die of boredom if- but it was too late. Ruft had already launched into a complex, if not overused, explanation of very confusing parts of mole architecture. Remora looked actually rather interested, putting in her comments here and there while the colonel remained passive in his normal calm temperament, of which Daleria clearly saw through to a very bemused colonel, but Rapieratce simply ignored her and sat listening and nodding his head. Consellariel must really have bored him out at the meetings if he could shut off just like that. Daleria found herself thankful that she did not attend the many various meetings she was supposed to, often pleading 'sick' or 'occupied', which usually involved a bit of a scuffle with an immensely disapproving Rapieratce and a very amused badger lady. Rapieratce never could lighten up for very long nor very much, no matter how hard Daleria had tried to get him to. Longrunn accompanied Rapieratce in his appearance, having been forced to go in stead of Daleria for the meetings most of the time. Daleria rolled her eyes and slumped back into her seat, having undergone the torturous conversation numerous times before. Glamoren smirked at the captain, whilst Longrunn listened as attentively as he could, not being as versed in boring councils as Rapieratce. After a various amount of wasted time and various degrees of yawns later, they returned to the affair at paw and everybeast seemed to awake miraculously. The more they discussed, the more they realized how Ruft's home might come in extremely handy in a pincer assault from the back. Once they got a plan into action and managed to get Seppak to force his masses forward, the attack might shift in their favour. It was, however, very unfortunate that the swordfoxes were so experienced in their trade and that few on the mountain were better to them. True that they were good, and experienced, but swordfoxes had something in their blood, and they were beasts that were truly subtle in the affairs of the steel. Furthermore, there were numerous hares that preferred the lance, sling, spear, bow and other various weaponry that could not level par to the swordfoxes, not through lack of experience nor skill, but merely that the blade had advantage over their own.

Daleria, however, managed to come up with a rather incredulous and inane plan, as only Daleria could. It was so crazy, it might work in their case. Not in Rapieratce's opinion though. He had put up an immediate barrage of refusal the minute he heard the plan. He shot her a look that immediately meant no.

'No! That idea is... Completely insane! The lady would have my head! And yours, mind! We're here to live, not to try and commit suicide here, Dale! You'll get killed!'

Daleria remained stubborn. Glamoren shook his head in disagreement, and poked his lance across the sand diagram that had been drawn in the ground. He drew a long streak from what looked like a lopsided triangle through a few pointy squiggles, through to a dent in the sand. They represented Salamandastron, the rocks and Ruft's home respectively.

'If,' he said, tapping his lance lightly against the squiggle that was Ruft's home, trailing up with a slight scratch.

'Dale runs fast enough,'

There he smirked at the captain before quickly ducking a swipe from her sheath, which ended up nearly beheading Rapieratce behind him, who fortunately caught the piece of artillery before it could cause any damage on any side. Glaring at the captain, the colonel threw the sheath back, once again giving Glamoren a reason to duck. But instead, the major caught the sheath in his right paw and set it against the wall. The south pawed major waved his lance at the captain.

'You, Dale, won't be able to jolly well run very much if I kill you first, so stop trying to hit me with the sheath,'

Then the major turned to Rapieratce, who knew enough of his partner to immediately roll against the wall in the opposite direction and out of the way before Glamoren's lance crashed down moments later onto where his head once was. The major smirked at him.

'You haven't got very much bally rusty, then 'Atce?'

The colonel grimaced as he moved back to his original position. He commented dryly.

'How could I? I had to deal with you a few seasons back. Now I have to deal with both you and Dale. My life is getting too bally hard for me to handle.'

Rapieratce immediately dropped to the floor through reflex as both sheath and lance came at him.

'Peace! I mean to make it out of this alive, thank you. And with my head attached. Get back to the plan!'

Glamoren glared at him before folding his outstretched arm back in while twirling his lance back into position while Remora tossed Daleria her sabre back. Daleria grinned over at him. The colonel smiled back slightly. Coughing, Glamoren turned back to the diagram, which had miraculously survived without being tramped to death in the process, not that it would have doing it much difference if it had.

'As I said, if Daleria can run fast enough, we could take the route past the shore, dispatch into the mountain, then pray that our captain here has got a good speed compared to the foxes.'

Rapieratce shook his head silently, rising from his leaning position from the nook against the wall, grabbing his sheath in the process.

'It's not right. If we should stumble upon a stray, we're all doomed. It's safer if we take the route along the main rock formations. Should we stumble, there's always Mossflower to stray into. It would be a safer barrier.'

'I doubt it. They would never expect anybeast along the shore route. The Mossflower way is probably guarded. Should it be, we would waste precious time. We cannot afford that.'

'True... but I'm still reluctant on the shore side idea of things, 'Moren. It feels too insecure. Too much that could go wrong. But I suppose it would be worth a try...'

Daleria smirked at him. Rapieratce shot her a look that clearly said that she was going to be in serious trouble if she opened her mouth. Daleria smirked wider. Ruft nodded.

'So you'll be leaving at sundown, I suppose?'

Rapieratce nodded.

'Better now than never. I thank you for the short stay, Ruft.'

Ruft waved a paw at Rapieratce.

'Tsk. Dale would have killed me if I didn't but that it is not the point. You are helping me, and for that I am grateful.'

Rapieratce nodded. Looking pointedly at the others, he commented.

'You chaps better be sure you can run. And fast. As for you Dale, if something goes wrong... I don't know who's head Consellariel will be after. Yours or mine. Furthermore I don't think I would forgive myself for letting you even try. We leave at sundown. Glamoren, Remora, let the others know.'

Longrunn looked at the colonel.

'This is not going to be easy, is it sah?'

'Easy? That word won't be lingering around when war breaks out.'

*

It was the brink of sundown, and the orange black rays reflected off the seashore. Ruft had led them out, and said that they were welcome back whenever the could come, or if they could find them. The entire team was there. The main ensemble was going off to the mountain, but Rapieratce, Glamoren and Daleria were going to be the 'hit and run like mad' team. And run they were going to have to do, and extremely fast at that. Rapieratce had given precise instructions along with his famous stare that the main team was to dispatch into Salamandastron at once and not look back for them. What mattered was that they get into the mountain, and the rest was out of their hands. If they did not, they would have either a very angry colonel storm after them, or a ghost haunting them for the rest of their lives. Either way, they were to get in, Remora and Longrunn report to the lady, and the rest look out for the three of them. That clear, they proceeded forward.

It did not take the three of them long to detect the foxes. They sent the main group on their way, and after they made the all clear rounds, Rapieratce rounded the two up for the final instructions before they took the plunge forward. These moments were essential.

'Right old chaps, its do and or die here, so you better make sure those bally running paws of yores are still in good shape. Dale, you take the front line, 'Moren and me will cover you. And no Vaxial business like the last time. You can go lurch at him from the mountain, just let him off this time. You can go kill him when the action starts, right now, all we do is grab their attention. Glamoren, take out any in the front. I'll be handling the back. Please, for my sake, be careful. Don't take unnecessary risks. And the two of you...?'

The major and the captain looked up at him expectantly.

'When I say run, I mean run.'

*

Remora and the patrol were by then far ahead when the three finally started. The path was clear, and as expected, there were no patrols on the shore. They were fast approaching the mountain, at the speed they were going at, and soon managed to overtake the fox horde altogether and move forward. The pace was incredible. Fear and determination, and utter loyalty was pushing them all forward. Desperation ignited them. All that was left to wait was for the action to begin. That was going to be interesting. And possibly bloody, if Rapieratce did not manage to keep Daleria's reins in check. Of course. The expectation was horrible. It was like those moments when your mentor keeps back your test results just to make your stomach crawl, or when the drill sergeant refused to put up the announcements until the last moment whereby the entire mountain would scramble to see who would be the unlucky ones for double guard for that part of the season. Only this was worse. Much worse. Their stomachs did not need to crawl. They were already running. Rapieratce reverently prayed he would get Daleria back into the mountain, as much as for her as for him.

*

'Well 'Atce. Here goes nothing.'

All taking deep breaths and bracing themselves for what was to come, the three of them plunged into a fast run. Practically skimming across the sand, the approached the front of the horde. Daleria spied Seppak somewhere near the front, save for the fact that a score or so foxes provided a barrier for him. Daleria forced herself under control. This was going to take some fast running. Very fast. They approached the main horde for the small temporary breach of borders, and took a moment to compose herself. The black was bringing back very bad memories indeed. Taking one final look back, she saw Glamoren cut down a sentry that had been posted then yelled at the top of her voice.

'Seppak? You want me, don't you? Why don't you come over here and get me!'

Daleria swore the entire horde turned their heads over to them in synchrony. Seppak was heard to yell out a myriad of choked orders before ten foxes came after them. It was frightening to see the order that they were in. Rapieratce took down one fox which tried to get to them, Daleria tore down two of her own with a vengeance and Glamoren extinguished another before they pulled away from the horde and began an all out sprint for their lives.

*

'What the-?'

Cosenet squinted through the pain. She must have been hallucinating. It simply was not possible. Maybe the stuff the foxes gave her was going to her brain.

'Dale? The colonel? Glamoren?'

Tentatively, she asked the others, who also seemed to be watching the scene with an certain degree of agape mouths and incredulous looks on all their faces.

'Willow... Are you seeing what I'm seeing?'

'Mealiney... You too?'

'Tehora?'

Nods. They all paled at the same time.

'Dale? Here? It's suicide!'

'She has the colonel and the major with her though.'

'Still! It's three of them versus five hundred of these!'

'Guess we're going to have to wait it out to find out.'

*

The three of them pulled off at the same time, sprinting madly for the haven that was labelled Salamandastron right in front of them. Rapieratce was still the most alert of them all, paying close attention to everything and was keeping an intensely close lookout for anything that might happen about them. They were fast approaching their target, footpaws thudding wildly in long gaits as they literally flew over the dunes and sped off towards the target. Daleria yelled out.

'We might just make it, 'Atce!'

'Keep quiet and keep moving, captain!'

The foxes were gaining. Seppak was there, a murderous and insane glint in his eye, while the three solitary hares scrambled madly away from a surge of black that threatened to overwhelm them in a single take. They were nearly there. Daleria could even see the pillars on the inside of the mountain, the training grounds, everything. Nearly... All of the suddenly, there was a shout behind her. Rapieratce shoved her forwards towards Glamoren, who looked back at his partner, knowing full well that something had to have happened in order to make Rapieratce do that. The answers was not long in coming.

'Crossbow! Take her! I said take her major!'

True enough, there was a slight sound of a crossbow being drawn. Daleria paled and slowed at the sound, knowing that things were about to turn ugly, as did Glamoren, though less so. Rapieratce knew that if they stalled, it was all going to over. He could not let that happened. He had to get them back into the mountain. He pushed them faster still, growling at them in a voice that scared himself.

'I swear, Windbind, if you don't get into that mountain in one minute I am going to make sure you'll never rest in peace for the rest of your life.'

Daleria looked shocked that he actually resorted to her last name. Nobeast used her last name. Not even Consellariel. The captain turned to look back at him. Rapieratce looked desperately into her eyes before yelling full out at them. It was time to pull in full authority in those cases, as much as Rapieratce disliked taking over others with commands.

'I said take her major! That's an order!'

In a last desperate act, Rapieratce heard the hiss of the bow behind him and shoved Daleria forward just as the crossbow arrow came at them, dodging in behind Daleria and taking it in her stead. The impact itself shoved them forward. The colonel fell full onto the sand. The pain was overwhelming, blinding, all consuming and it took all Rapieratce had in him to remain in self control. Clutching his left shoulder in pain, feeling the bolt protruding out the other end. Daleria stood shocked and unbelieving, completely still, staring at the colonel as if he was mad. Her world was shattering again.

'Windbind! Get in there. Now.'

He hissed, narrow eyed, at the two who had stopped from his position in the sand, struggling to stand. His green eyes were fierce. His temper flared and his eyes sparked. He removed his rapier and threw it to Glamoren. The major caught it only out of reflex. Rapieratce shouted at him again.

'I gave you an order, major! Take her! NOW!'

Glamoren suddenly snapped back into his senses and grabbed Daleria's arm, holding Rapieratce's sheath in the other paw. He knew that Rapieratce would take no concern over himself and expected all those under him to obey when it came to an order when he was putting himself on the line for the order. He knew he had to get Daleria away, or else he was going to be in serious trouble, in more ways than one. The captain tried to struggle against him, still not wanting to abandon Rapieratce on the sand alone in the direct path of the foxes. Clandestine and her family flashed before her in that instant. Glamoren finally pulled her away, using all his strength, and Daleria was left no time to object as she was hauled away into the mountain while watching a black swarm overtake the figure in the sand.

*

Daleria wrenched her arm out of Glamoren's arm the minute he laxed his grasp, which was after he had got some sentries to lock and bolt it. He look she shot him was enough to murder, and her paw strayed close to sabre out of reflex. Glamoren looked very, very upset. He looked down to his paw, which held Rapieratce's rapier. The look of the blade was enough to make his stomach drop a few feet down. Daleria was beyond the point of screaming at him, her own emotions were boiling overtime, and the look on her face was enough to make almost anybeast take a step back. Glamoren resisted the urge to do so. Daleria was not one to mess with when it came to affairs such as this. Glamoren knew that her history of loved ones dying was great, and that the captain wanted not to lose any more than she had to. Slowly, he knelt down, still looking up at Daleria, and laid Rapieratce's blade on the ground, the sheath making a slight scratching sound on the stone floor, stood up slowly, took a deep breath, then backed off and went up to report, nearly running. Daleria looked down at the blade, the entire leather sheath that looked as if it had been used for nearly forever yet somehow maintained it's mint condition status, the usual thing that she saw the moment Rapieratce appeared every day, and her heart shattered into pieces. The captain somehow managed to push her feelings away after a moment, bit back her emotions, then snatched the rapier up without second thought and bounded up after him.

*

Rapieratce groaned in pain as he felt somebeast grab him by his scruff and drag him back. Feverishly hoping that Daleria had got clear of the danger, he stoned his face and prepared himself for the worse that could happen. Which, in his opinion, could be very bad indeed. Praying he would get out of the affair, he closed up all other emotions. Seppak the Black's face appeared in his line of sight, sneering. The fox's malicious eyes scanned his face as if ransacking for a memory, then smiled in an extremely unsettling way that made the fur on Rapieratce's neck rise, but he kept his thinking straight and refused to talk, keeping his face completely blank. The fox spoke.

'Well. Isn't this the captain that I saw the last time this happened? Close friend of Daleria's aren't you? You shall be useful. Let's see how much you can take, or maybe how much Daleria can take seeing you in trouble. I doubt she would take very long, unless she is as cold hearted as I hear her to be.'

Rapieratce sent him a cold glare that made his eyes turn nearly a light shade of emerald.

*

Daleria did not even bother to knock on the door. It was not that see needed to in the first place, seeing that it was thrown open and the badger lady could be seen to be in council with Remora and Longrunn. Glamoren was not there yet. Daleria had overtaken him by far on the way up, and now she was standing in the doorway, motionless, and just looking at the badger lady. Consellariel looked up, and a wave of relief seemed to pass over her, but that was soon replaced when she saw what was in the captain's paw. Talking as if in doubt or unsure, she spoke tentatively.

'Captain. I see you have returned safely, thank heavens for that. What it that in your paw, though?'

Daleria lifted the sheath weakly into the sight of the members at the table. Longrunn's face hardened, and Remora paled. Consellariel looked unbelieving. The captain refused to speak. The atmosphere stayed that way for a moment as the three in front of her tried to grasp the situation while Daleria bit back her emotions. The silence lasted for a few more minutes before anybeast made a movement. Hoarsely, the badger managed to return to her senses and said,

'Rapieratce? Glamoren?'

Daleria mentioned behind her shoulder by tilting her head, motioning towards to the running Glamoren who had appeared up the stair well, but did not speak. Her face was hard, as if she was putting up some kind of block. Glamoren came in. The badger lady, knowing that she would not be getting much more out of the captain, asked instead the major. Glamoren pointed weakly out the forge window. Everybeast moved to see. Daleria paled even more when she looked out. Rapieratce, arrow still in his shoulder, was being interrogated by Seppak, and it did not look as if it was going well when Seppak threw him to one of his captains and got him bound. Daleria's face went blank again. It was as if she were living Clandestine all over again. Glamoren swore under his breath. Consellariel finally spoke.

'Major, get all officers up here right now. This is an emergency.'

*

Rapieratce knew that he was in serious trouble. For some reason, Seppak had refused to let him remove the arrow, and now it was hurting madly, especially since he was forced to turn his arm around to be bound, and the joint had moved resulting in an immense bout of paint in his left shoulder. It was not going to paralyse by any means, since it had pierced only flesh and nor any major part, but it still hurt like there was going to be no tomorrow, which Rapieratce was only too aware that might be the case. Intensely hoping the end would come fast if it did, he bit his lip against the pain and willed himself to hold out as the pain spread all over, excruciating, and blood trickled all the way down straight towards his paw. His tunic was beyond ripped now, but at least he did not have his rapier on him. He did not want his most prized possession anywhere near the foxes unless it was going to do some beheading, and was going to keep it that way if he had a choice. He prayed that Daleria would not loose her mind and run again like the last time. Consellariel would not manage to stop her if she did. The colonel was forced into a small clearing between the foxes, where the five hostages were. Tehora paled visibly at the sight, as did all the others. Rapieratce smiled weakly up at them from his position on the ground, unable to move due to his shoulder..

'You chapesses all right?'

*

Daleria stood there trembling in her seat. Right then she did not want to comprehend what was happening, and she was in a very blank state of mind. Her brian was refusing to accept what was going on. It was not happening.

No... Not him, not now. It can't be happening. It's just a bad nightmare.

Wake up Dale... You can't keep on thinking that. You can't help him doing this...

No... Not... Why... Again... The same thing... Loosing Rapieratce... No... Not again... Not again... Not again... Not again... It cannot be happening. I can't loose the only hare I will ever depend on again now. No. I can't. He has to live. No. No...

Consellariel looked over to her in concern.

'Daleria?'

The captain shook herself awake with a startle. Blinking in weird manner, she look up.

'Sorry marm. It's just...'

'Never mind, Daleria. Right now, all I can say is we can't let you out of the mountain. Not for the colonel, and not for the others. It's far too risky.'

Daleria snapped back into reality.

'What? Exactly why not, marm?'

'Daleria, if I let you anywhere out there, they are going kill you, the others and Rapieratce. If I don't they have to keep them alive, no matter what, or they would be left with nothing. Do you understand?'

Daleria flared up completely, abruptly standing up and pushing her chair away.

'You can't just leave them there, marm!'

Consellariel remained even.

'You have to understand captain. It is the only way.'

'There is always an other way!'

'Not in this case, Daleria, please, try to understand that.'

Daleria sent Consellariel a look of absolute hate. She snarled out her sentence, but was unable to find an appropriate enough phrase to curse with.

'You... Heartless. Absolutely heartless...'

The captain threw Rapieratce's blade onto the table, scattering paper everywhere and shocking the already stunned array of officers, stalked out of the forge and down to her rooms. They could hear the door slam from the forge itself. Consellariel looked at a lost, looking from the blade up to the empty forge corridor. Daleria was not going to be very emotionally stable. And this time, there was no Rapieratce to help her.

*

Daleria lay on her bed in a dazed state, her heart torn completely in two once again and confusion, hate, spite and anger, along with doubt, emotion and hopelessness settled on her like a ocean pressurizing on the sea bed. She was wandering on some other world, where just the road matters, walking, running, walking moving, moving, forward, so simple, going onwards, nothing else, no complications, no deaths of friends, no Seppak, no world, no Daleria, no Clandestine, no Rapieratce, no Consellariel, just the road that of which she walked. No love. Tears were trailing down her face, but she just lay there staring up at the ceiling, her mind not working at all, just concentrating on that wonderful depressing emotion that would make the world go away and everything else irrelevant. Just the depression... Just the world... Just the raw emotion. Nothing else existed anymore. She did not even hear Longrunn ramming heatedly and shouting to be let in behind her locked door. She was not there. Daleria was not there anymore.

*

A few hours later, at sunrise.

*

'Daleria! DALERIA! Let me in! Right now!'

Daleria had not stopped staring at the ceiling, but somehow, a part of her sanity had returned enough to know that Longrunn was back at her door. She answered in a partially non existent state.

'What is it?'

'Dale? Seppak's out in the open. Rapieratce's with him.'

That was all she needed to hear. Daleria snapped out of her trance, threw the door open and ran down the main stairwell, Longrunn trailing after her. She found Consellariel, Glamoren and Remora at a window in the main chamber. Seppak was not far off. He was near enough so as that they could hear perfectly well what he was saying. He smiled when he saw Daleria appear at the window.

'So the ever elusive captain makes an appearance! Long time, Daleria!'

The captain let out a strangled cry of anger, nearly lurching forward had it not been for Glamoren and Remora holding her back. Seppak only smiled wider.

'Why don't you come out now? You could save him here.'

Seppak mentioned over to Rapieratce, who was standing there, face blank, arrow still in shoulder. Daleria faltered at his state. It was all her fault. She should never had let her emotions slip. It was a curse.

'I'm warning you, Daleria, if you don't come out right now...'

Daleria tried to lurch forward again, struggling in a crazed daze, a near blood wrath coming upon her. Glamoren and Remora and Longrunn all had to use all their strength to keep the berserk captain under a state of control.

'No? I warned you.'

Seppak suddenly moved forward and ripped the arrow out of the standing Rapieratce's shoulder without warning. Rapieratce, caught off guard, fell, blood running anew from the wound, which had healed slightly overnight, which had just been ripped open again. He let out a slight cry of pain, his green eyes could be seen glazing over as he fought for a desperate control over himself. The pain was like a living creature, working it's way through him, killing him slowly. Seppak kicked him in the ribs. Rapieratce let out a strangled cry, his paws still bound behind him, which only added to the pain as he writhed around trying to loosen them and fight back the destruction that was being wrecked upon him. Daleria tried to get away once again, clawing at the air to get away from her restraint. Seppak only laughed, only kicking Rapieratce harder. The colonel shuddered, his eyes completely glazed over in an eerie transparent white that mixed with his green, which looked incredibly alarming. The fox laughed again, and saw that the colonel was close to the point of passing out. He lifted a small pail.

'See this? Sea water. T'would keep him awake, I reckon.'

The minute the water crashed down on the colonel, Rapieratce jerked back into painful consciousness, beyond the point of verbal exclamations, writhing on the blood soaked sand in agony. Daleria wanted badly to tear her eyes away from the disturbing scene, but something glued her eyes to the picture. Seppak grinned.

'You like this? I have five more waiting.'

Seppak knelt down and talked to the stricken colonel.

'Now, do you think she would give in?'

Rapieratce raised his head even through his pain in outright defiance. Weakly regaining his ability to speak, he coughed out some blood before he was able to talk.

'Dale? You think so? I don't. Never. Not even for me.'

Rapieratce smiled up at Seppak. The fox growled, kicked him harder, and caused Rapieratce to cough out even more blood, breaking three ribs and bringing him another step closer to oblivion. The sea water, however, caused him to be unable to slip into unconsciousness, but in a way it was good. At least he would not be able to get knocked out for a prolonged period of which he might not wake up from for a long time. Dragging Rapieratce upright, he placed his sword at the colonel's neck. Snarling at Daleria, he nicked the top of his chin.

'I'm letting this one live. Do not expect the others to be so fortunate. Oh. And one more thing. The water, I might add, was slightly poisoned with Corrin Flower. Unless this one has a will more incredible than I would give credit, I doubt he will live to see the next dawn.'

The fox dumped the half alive colonel onto the sand and turned away just as Remora, Glamoren and Daleria rushed out. The captain stalled, looking at the battered colonel. Rapieratce was still conscious. He looked up at the shell shocked captain and by some unknown and inane reason, managed to smile.

'Hey Dale. I'm still alive. You did not think I would have left you behind alone, did you?'

Daleria looked down at him as he was brought away by Remora and Glamoren. Her black eyes looked confused and angered. Rapieratce simply looked back at her, something in his nearly glazed over emerald orbs told her that he would not give up. Something reassured her that he was there, and would be there. Something told her. Memories flooded her head, swamping her. Rapieratce said that he would. Daleria looked down at him.

'Die on me, 'Atce, and I guarantee things won't end up pleasant.'

'Me? Die? Not yet, Dale. I do not leave loose ends untied, Dale. I've got more in my life than to die. You know what you said to me. I'm going to have to live to fulfil that, y'know, m'gel. You just wait.'

*

Rapieratce was in the infirmary, as was Daleria, and she was worried sick. She had been waiting there for the past three hours, but the captain could not hang around for very much longer. As much as she was worried, she knew that the affair was out of her paws and up to Taremin. There was nothing she could do, as much as she hated to admit it. However, she had her mind kept off the topic when the news that the dispatched pincer team had reached Ruft's home and were ready to attack. They were to strike that night. Daleria had been awaiting this moment for a long time. Vaxial was one thing, Seppak was another. Either way, the fox was not going to be living very much longer after she was done with him. But sunset was still half an hour away, and the captain was still avoiding the lady Consellariel due to the affair of not letting her go, so she had gone up to the infirmary to check up on the colonel, as useless as it was that she did. Taremin had said that she had tried to extract as much of the poison as she could, but the wounds were deep, and there was no knowing whether Rapieratce was going to live until he woke up, which might not be for a long time. The colonel was in a general very bad shape and Daleria felt like loosing hope. The arrow wound was deep, four ribs were broken, and he had lost more blood than the medic felt was comfortable. His lung might have been punctured even, but Taremin had said that there was no sign of internal bleeding, which was incredibly fortunate for him, considering what he had been put through. Daleria knew that if there were, hope would have slimmed beyond hope itself. It was all up to Rapieratce now. The captain sat next to the bed, rubbed her weary eyes, then stood and stretched before rising to arm up. Plodding her way silently past the corridors, she could hear the various sounds of sheaths being drawn up, blades being withdrawn for the last check, bows beings bent and staffs clacking together in preparation. The anticipation was horrible. Walking into her room, she slung on her sabre on the shoulder sheath as always, but withdrew something new. It was a double cross sheath meant to be slung across the hip, with two of her longer personal daggers. Daleria knew that, as good as she was with the sabre, there would come instances when she would need to utilize close combat, lest be cornered. The foxes would not be able to fend her off at close distance as well as they could with the longer blades. The daggers were slightly curved nearing the apex, but only very slightly. They were straight enough to stab without any extra angling or advanced handling, true to their owner's temperament. One stab would wipe the plate clean. Securing it around her hip, the captain slipped in a few smaller throwing daggers in a few convenient compartments for the occasional quick attack. Normally, Daleria would never had gone so heavily armed, but the captain was making an exception for this battle. For any normal occasion, Daleria would have considered herself ridiculously over armed, but the captain knew enough of sword foxes not to underestimate their skill and speed to go unprepared. Much better. Revenge for her, and for all that had come to pass for her. And for Rapieratce.

*

Cosenet was in a state of shock. The scene that had just took place had affected her the worst out of the five of them. The galloper had seen very little serious action before, only recently coming full into service. The affair with Seppak was not having a very good effect on her. Willow looked concerned.

'I say, you all right back there?'

Cosenet shook herself up slightly, her voice quavering slightly as she spoke.

'D'you think the colonel be? He looked pretty bally beat up. Horrible.'

Mealiney shrugged nonchalantly at the comment, turning uncomfortably against her bonds.

'Rapieratce? Knew him as a captain. He'll live, wot. I'd bet my blade on it.'

*

Daleria stood waiting orders. She was still distancing herself from the badger lady as much as possible though, taking orders from Glamoren instead of directly from Consellariel. She was incredibly upset over the skirmish in the forge. She knew somewhere in her heart that Consellariel did not have a choice, but her brain argued that she could have at least shown some form of compassion instead of her frank harshness. Daleria had sided with her brain and thus kept herself away from the lady. After all their disagreements, Daleria finally had enough. Too much was wrong with her life already, too many lost and one too many dying, and she did not want to make it any worse than she could. The captain decided to put off any talks with Consellariel until after the war was over. Whether she would still be alive to see it was another thing, but she knew that Rapieratce would kill her if she did not live through the affair. Well, that was technically impossible, but still... Daleria knew the would not forgive her if she did. In line with a rank of hares in the front line, she saw the sun finally dip beyond the horizon, and a distant spark could be seen. In an instant, a flare went up over the other end, and burst in a signal in the sky, bright enough to light the area as if it were day, and the captain could see the fox army leaping up and arming in an instant. She herself lit the responding signal, and soon the sky was a smoking, writhing light to brighten the grounds as if the sun. Glamoren looked them over while Consellariel strode forward. leading the first ranks forward. They approached the foxes at a half run before the lady stopped and Glamoren yelled out a command.

'First rank! Archers load! Fire!'

At the lady's command, an arc of arrows dipped over them, crashing upon the running foxes, dealing out the first wreckage. The damage on their side was quite devastating. On the other end, a similar situation could be seen. Daleria brought herself back to her present by another command.

'First rank archers drop and load! First rank slings, first rank javelins, second rank archers! Load! Fire!'

An immense shower of javelins, sling shot stones and arrows showered over them again. The screams could be now heard as the enemy grew nearer. The foxes had by then split in two directions, one towards the second assault, and one towards them. Daleria gripped her sabre hilt over her shoulder in anticipation. Glamoren yelled out the last order.

'First rank archers! Forward! Second rank archers! Arc! Fire!'

The first rank of archers sent a direct a direct assault against the foxes, slaying at least a score, while the second rank sent an arc over them, attack from the top. By then, the foxes had sent over a desperate counter attack of their own, and Daleria saw a side flank beside her being taken down by a quick assault of barbed arrows. There was no time to worry about that matter, however, as Glamoren yelled out again.

'Ranks reform! Half run, forward now!'

The hares reformed back into a three deep rank, a single long line going against the foxes at a half run. Daleria could by then see into the eyes of the enemy. She pounded her way forward, anticipation ringing in every bone of her body, as she sighted her revenge.

'Steady! Steady! Full run now! Forward!'

Consellariel roared out a eulalia as the two sides broke against each other, and the fighting commenced. The badger lady was a terrifying sight, and all the hares kept out of her was as her pike reaped a war path of destruction as the bloodwrath took her. vermin flew as her pike came at them, while others were impaled in a quick stab. Glamoren gave the order, and all the hares in the ranks unsheathed, and Eulalias and battle cries flew thick in the air as the two sides clashed in a pincer attack. Daleria waited in anticipation until a fox was nearly upon her, ducking the blade before unsheathing her blade in mid duck before bringing it upward at a vicious speed, slicing forward and killing her opponent as she came up, cutting his throat.

That was for 'Atce.

Ducking again as another fox followed up, the captain swung her blade again, clashing against the fox in a loud crash as the two of them started parrying. Her actions were more vicious as usual, as the need for revenge and the pain of seeing what had happened to Rapieratce combined into a blood lust of energy that gave her the will to pull down those that opposed to her. Doing a double twist and rolling off her blade arm, she ducked as the foxes blade whistled overhead, but took the opening and stabbed forward again. Then, two foxes came after her, and the captain knew she was in trouble. Hastily sheathing her sabre in a fluid motion, she grabbed the two daggers at her hip and unsheathed them, stabbing two foxes fighting around her in the process before turning her wrist and catching the blow one fox was about to deal her and doing a rapid underpaw stab into the other's side. As the first fox was busy parrying with her on her right, the captain withdrew the other blade as the fox on her left slumped down, dead, and delivered a forceful thrust into the foxes ribcage. Wrenching free her blades as she felt another come upon her, she whirled to her left and sliced another foxes throat before crashing down onto another, stabbing down directly into the shoulder blades.

On the other side, Remora, who was leading the pincer attack team, gave the command to charge. Taking a fox down with a sabre strike, she yelled off an eulalia before plunging into the deep. Clashing with one fox, she did a figure of eight, slashing down another in the turn before coming back up and stabbing the fox she was fighting with in the heart. Her curved blade took down another, and she grabbed and unsheathed one of her own short swords in her left paw and thrust it into the foolishly uncovered left side of the neck of her opponent. Sabre in one paw and sword in the other, she plunged in deeper, before yelling out another order.

'Left flank! Dispatch! Right flank! Dispatch! Center flank! Forward! Eulalia!'

In a swift motion, her left flank pulled away from the center and caved in on the left side of the foxes in an effort to corner the swiftly moving fox forces in order not to swamp themselves in a pincer against them, as the right did the same, closing down on the foxes. Remora cut down another as she received a cut across the face, charging forward with her center flank beneath the fire brightened sky.

Back on the mountain, lieutenant Dallaw was in charge of the "lighting" crew. In order to be able to stun the vermin as well as fight properly, several flares were set up on the front windows of the mountain. Corporal Bueatrill and sergeant Mianent were aiding him. The lieutenant watched the left and right flanks dispatch off and knew it was his signal.

'Right ho chaps! Let them rip!'

Lighting their torches, the three of them gathered up various flares. The flares were curious objects, consisting of an explosive kind of herb mixed together with various kinds of fast burning fuels and a certain kind of plant that prolonged the burning and another that produced the sparkling effect. It was all coated in burning oil and another liquid that created a small explosion that increased the area the flare spread across. They were encased in a woven flax-reed casing made for a small torch design with a cage that was used for throwing. The torch was a small one, with a case of young sapling branches woven together into a casing that could be closed and opened. The torch was made up of a light wood that burnt easily, and itself was also coated with the explosive liquid. The small flare package was slipped into the cage, dipped into the mountain's supply of oil for the lamps, then, dripping, lighted by torches. That gave the thrower about five seconds to release the torch through throwing it, lest he wanted to be burnt to death. The explosion was incredibly bright, and if one looked directly at it, would be blinded for a good ten minutes. The flare lasted about that long in the sky before burning out. The fuels themselves burnt out in less than a minute, but the various substances in them made the light linger in the air for much longer, therefore erasing the chances of hurting anybeast down below. The explosion too, was very small. The package would burst into flame, which spanned about a meter across, then was sucked back into the torch at the force before exploding in a slightly startling noise, but would completely burn up in a radius of about a meter as well. Sparks would also fly.

Dallaw looked at Bueatrill, who looked at Mianent. Grinning, the lieutenant gave the command.

'One...'

The three hares dipped their torches into the oil and kept it at arms length.

'Two...'

The three dipped the dripping torch into the fire, where they flamed up. Dallaw hastily called out the last command.

'Three!'

The sergeant, lieutenant and corporal let the torches fly in a powerful throw that made the three burning constructions twisting into the night, round and round until they exploded into the night sky.

'Get down!'

The three of them ducked beneath the windows as they heard a slight boom from the sky outside and bright flashes appeared in the chamber as they avoided looking at the light. A minute later, they came up and looked in satisfaction as the illuminated sky.

'Well old chaps, another ten bally minutes or so and we can have a little bit more fun again.'

*

Glamoren heard and saw the flashes of light from the newly thrown flares knew it was his turn to dispatch the flanks.

'Left and right flanks! Dispatch! Center forward!'

His flanks heeded his yelled out command, and swiftly dispatched and dissolved into the night towards their respective areas. He knew that there was no turning back. Bending backwards to avoid a fast swipe at his neck, the major used the back of his lance to shove away an oncoming attacker before stabbing forward and jumping to the left, stabbing the fox before ripping his lance away and crashing it into the head of an oncoming attacker. The major had a sling across his back, which held his throwing daggers, and using his right paw, he grabbed one and sent it swiftly flying, killing a fox that was about to dispatch one of his flank. Ducking a sabre hack, the major felt something slash across his back, very nearly cutting him in two, but Glamoren threw himself forward just in time, evading his death but gaining a slash across his shoulder blades as he turned in mid air, crouched downwards and tripped up the opponent that nearly killed him before taking his lance and impaling the attacker. As he felt another creep up behind him, his paw automatically went up to another throwing dagger, and it flew before he had time to think, striking a fox dead between the eyes. As he ducked forward and retrieved his dagger, he stabbed forward with his lance, then turned his body to grab the hilt before executing an acute comeback turn and stabbing a fox between the shoulder blades. An eulalia ripping out from his throat, the major threw himself further down into the fray.

*

Consellariel took down three vermin in a go in a massive circle of her majestic pike, sending them flying backwards. Her eyes were blood red, and the berserk badger lady had by then taken down at least a score in her name. Cutting down another three, she plunged deeper into the horde, a milestone in the writhing mass of fighting creatures, ploughing her own route through the enemy lines. The pincer attack had given them an incredible advantage, but the foxes had taken down as many of them as the hares had managed to take them down. The badger lady did not care, though, as only the bloodlust pounded through her crazed brain and the adrenaline coursed through her veins, giving her the energy to cut down all that stood before her.

*

Daleria winced as she felt her right shoulder blade scored against the back of an opposing blade, but swiftly turned her dagger around and stabbed the attacker in the back of the neck as she turned around. By then, at least seven series of flares had been thrown, and still the fighting went on. Both sides were tiring, but none wanted defeat, and so the foxes and hares both fought endlessly onward. The captain was stabbing, slashing and turning in a mad attempt at getting to her target: Seppak the Black. His sinister form could be seen in the light, cutting down hares as swiftly as she cut down foxes. She could hear loud battle roars from every angle, around her, friends and foes alike were pulled down around her. She saw her secondary target, the hostages. Sheathing her two blades while loosing her sabre in it's sheath, she sliced a fox's throat before coming unto the clearing where the five were. Glamoren fought his way into the clearing as well. Consellariel had not said anything about rescuing the hostages, but she had not said not to either. Thus, Glamoren and Daleria had concocted their own plan of their own to execute, deciding to bring matters into their own paws. Daleria had been incredibly angry that Consellariel had not taken time to acknowledge the five, which only added to her current dislike towards the badger lady. Glamoren made his way over to her, stabbing and booting away foxes as he went.

'Wot ho Dale! Get them up now!'

Sheathing her sabre while Glamoren covered her back, Daleria grinned at the stunned hostages, who were looking at them as if they were ghosts.

'Stay still for a bit now!'

Daleria unsheathed her right dagger, and in five swift strokes, shed them all of their bounds. Glamoren threw her five of his longer daggers of which he had brought along with him for the trip. Glamoren threw two of the longer ones to her, and Daleria gave them to the captain, Tehora. The captain stood shakily on her footpaws, but regained her balance as she grew accustomed with her weight once again after the few days of stationary captivity. Daleria gave her precise instructions.

'I'm putting you in charge of these four now, be sure to cover each other. I'm counting on you.'

Tehora nodded resolutely, acknowledging her task, and Glamoren threw her another four daggers in swift concession. Daleria handed them out.

'Stick as close together as you can, some of you should not be fighting in this kind of a situation. Who here has the most knowledge of the longer blades?'

Silecy raised her paw nervously. Daleria motioned to her with a swift nod.

'Very good. Protect the more seriously injured ones, sergeant. The foxes are more dangerous than you think them to be. Keep them in a tight circle. Don't let any of them get cornered. Good luck.'

Rising out of immediate instinct, the captain turned her body just in time as to slit a on coming attacker's throat before throwing herself deeper into the rage of fighting beasts, never looking back. She left a bleeding path of dead foxes behind her as she went onwards towards Seppak's ominous form in the range of clashing steel. Tehora got them up, and Glamoren gave them last cover before dispatching away and slaying another few foxes as he went. The odds were against Seppak's horde now, and the battle was nearly to an end. Except that Seppak was still alive. The only way to kill a snake was to take its head. And Daleria was intent on doing just that. Withdrawing both daggers, she used both to stab the gut of one before rising in a quick spin off, taking down the neck of another, then stabbing down through the shoulder blades of another while kicking her footpaws off the ground. Using the blades in the fox's shoulder as a support, she rammed her strong footpaws into the skull of another before rolling off to the left and loosening the blades enough to exert force, then ripped them out as she felt firm ground, both daggers slicing in a downward diagonal left, killing an approaching fox before he even had time to come unto her. Daleria felt confidence and speed grow within her, as she pushed nearer and nearer to her target. Suddenly grabbing the two paws of a fox, she slid underneath the stunned attacker's legs, blades parallel to the fox's arm as she pulled him under, before releasing her left, stabbing him in the chest, then using the momentum to swing across and up slightly in a windmill effect, embedding into the back of the neck of another. Once again using the right blade as support, she ruthlessly stabbed in deeper before wrenching out her left, and used all her strength to fling herself upwards while digging her right blade in deeper. Gritting her teeth in pure determination, the captain felt the blade come slightly loose in her paw as she flew free of the force, swinging herself up and landing her blade directly into the front face of the throat of another fox that foolishly came after her. The move took less than a second, as complex as it was to execute, Daleria was having a freedom to use moves she never would have dared to use during sessions where hurting somebeast was a major risk. Using the two foxes as support, she threw her footpaws upwards, kicked an oncoming fox full in the face before ripping herself free, flying slightly forward and crossing the two daggers diagonally, taking down another two before landing on her feet as flares erupted above her in a chaotic spree. She captain grinned and moved in further. Seppak was only four foxes away. Catching her footpaw on one, she tripped him up, unsheathed her sabre in her right paw after sheathing her dagger, finished him off with a swipe along the throat, stabbed another in the stomach before ducking an attack that was meant for her head and stabbing forward again. The fourth one fell with a throwing dagger in the middle of the eyes. She ground to a stop as she reached Seppak, just as the black fox did so as a hare fell to his cutlass. Daleria sheathed her left dagger, leaving herself with only her sabre.

'Seppak. It has been long.'

The fox smiled as he faced her. He eyed her laughingly.

'Daleria Windbind. Indeed, your doom has been delayed far too long for me to feel comfortable.'

'As has yours.'

'Truly? Then why not finish it now?'

'If it pleases you.'

Fighting around them ground to an immediate halt as the two leapt at each other. Hares and foxes alike stood still in limbo to see the play that would define the outcome of that war of which they played in. Daleria sparred against him as he tried to get his blade over her head, but struck it back down from its crescendo before using the momentum to arc upwards and struck against the rising cutlass. There was more fury in her play than she had ever dared add before, she brought it to heights that she never would have dared to create, it was a tidal wave of physical movements and emotional rebukes. She stabbed forward again and again, relentless even as Seppak's blade scored her right shoulder. Her sabre sliced down the right of his face in return, as she snapped forward in a rapid double windmill turn, scoring a hit once on his left shoulder but was blocked forward in the second. Seppak struck forward again, pushing relentlessly against her force, but she parried back doubly as hard. She was spurred on by hate, by the tears, by the nightmares, by all her life that she had. Seppak started to taunt her in that moment, trying to wind her away, knowing that she more than equalled him in his art as her rage fuelled her to create moves that defied all possibility. He tried to draw her away.

'Do you remember her expression, Daleria? The look as I struck her down and she breathed her last?'

Daleria's mind was suddenly flooded with images from that night of the fall of Clandestine. But she forced herself to cast them aside, knowing the fox's intention full well. Growling, she shoved forward, sliding forward as she side stepped away from Seppak's flying blade, doing a double cross which repelled him away. Nobeast seemed to win nor lose in the desperate dance that the two blades incorporated with each other, merging into a deadly flying array to steel, as sabre clashed against cutlass in a classical symphony of the ringing of steel, whispers of air that was sliced into shreds as the two blades flew, a crescendo of flashing glints and reflective flashes, binding into each other as the fox and the hare did a mad race, a insane game of hard steel. The spinning turns, the straightforward clashes, the sideways stabs, folding over each other in an ocean of moves, running like silk over each other, like waves crashing over one another. An oceanic orchestra of epic proportions that was played out. Daleria remembered all that had happened in that moment. Daleria decided the only way to repel him was through his own trade. She responded as she did a figure of eight and a spinning turn, hissing into the Black One's face.

'And do you remember what it was like? The emotion on your sister's face as the arrow took her? The only reason being she could not eliminate me? Do you remember her scream as she fell? I do. So clearly. It was embedded in my memory. The thing that grasped at my heart. One of my tormentors torn down. The indefinable joy.'

The fox faltered for a slight moment, but returned and growled and tried to parry against her, but Daleria knew that he had slipped. She stabbed forward, using the same move that Rapieratce had used against her, the effect of another figure of eight, a spinning parry, a turning jump and a curving arc. She used all her heart to do it. The ones that she had loved were dead. The one that she loved then was dying. It tore at her, and she used all the pent up delusions to force her way through the fox's defences. Her move was a result of it, and it defied all logic that she tried to put it in. It pulled, pushed, thrust and drew back all at the same time, defying the laws of the mind, bending the imagination as it was executed, grace and coarse movements intertwining in a vein of fluid motions, turning, twisting, bending, curving, melding into a infinite range of movement, slashing down yet parrying up, a mirror image from every side, binding the fox in the centre of a move that was indefinable and striking. It wound around him, twisting into a web of agony and hate, anger and regret, revenge and perusal, as the blade flew around him. Seppak could not even begin to comprehend what had happened when his blade flew out of his reach, curving away as a multitude of sabre strokes flashed madly around him, twisting madly, a silver web of emotion that wound around him, cutting, slashing, binding him. It was no longer physical. Daleria tortured him with her emotions right then, in that reflexive move, sowing him into what he had reaped, an evil unbearable. The only thing Seppak noticed was that he had stopped moving before Daleria flashed up in his face. The hare glared at him as the fire from her strokes suddenly ground onto him and rendered him useless. The fox gasped as suddenly, one of her long curved daggers pierced his heart, stabbing inwards as she pushed him backwards to the point where she leaned over him and whispered venomously into his ear.

'The dance of the swords is a dangerous and underground game that takes bravery and skill, slyness and cunning. It takes movement, and co-ordination. It takes heart. It that is all the emotion that you can muster. All your feelings, all your fears, all your hopes, all your dreams, all your aspirations, all your secrets, all your darkness and all your light. It is created only through you heart and your mind, only yourself that can control yet create it. Only your mindset, only your need that brings the skill forward, unteachable, unrenewable. It stretches the limits time and again, as it fuels your heart, your mind, your blood, your very essence. It takes your heart and rips your soul. It is undeniable. It cannot be comprehended by mere words. It strikes before you know it, and leaves before you acknowledge it. It damages and scars without definition. It portrays what you want it to portray. It takes everything. It conquers you for that moment. You will now and never understand what you and what you were did to my life. It ruined me, time and again. You try to ruin me now, taking what is rightly mine. I can only show you what remains, not how it happened. That is beyond my skill to implement. You will always be of the black heart. The only thing you will receive is the guilt, the sorrow, and the evil. You, and whatever that you have done before me, will live only to be a nightmare. But to you, it will live. It will kill you. It ends now.'

Daleria ripped out the dagger, then used all the strength that she possessed, and carved her sabre through his neck. Seppak the Black breathed his last.