::D/A::

Disclaimer: ...

A/N: Sorry for the long wait, but the annal's cannot really be D/A-anized, so you will have to wait until I get to around chapter 61-ish of the original before the real D/A plot comes out. *evil grin*

*

'Dale.'

'What?'

'Sorry about the orange. But I have to say, you deserved it.'

The colonel ducked a swipe to his head. Daleria glowered at him, though there was humour in her eyes. The colonel only laughed. They were in Cavern Hole again, eating supper on their third day at Redwall. The abbess soon stood up after they had finished their meal. The tables all quietened down in the presence of their abbess, respectfully waiting for her to begin.

'Many things have gone on in our presence, and friends some of us thought lost have resurfaced. No doubt many of you know these hares whom we are most delightfully entertaining to from neigh four seasons back now, and the faithful Daleria from more than seven seasons from this day. In these days, many occasions have passed us by, and pasts remained shrouded still. I vouch, then, for a retelling of all that our friends would warrant themselves to tell, for it is a tale I doubt many of us here have fully heard.'

Jemerian turned her head to Daleria, who stood up cordially on her part.

'I would be honoured, both as a guest here, and as the annoying hare that partook in Redwall's everyday life so long ago. But I only have one request.'

Jemerian nodded at her young friend,

'And that would be...?'

Daleria grinned and pointed to Rapieratce.

'He starts first.'

Cavern Hole fell over laughing as the colonel objected to "sabotage", of which his pleas fell on death ears. Rapieratce was left with no choice but to start the ball rolling, and soon everybeast was gathered together to listen to his life story. The colonel made himself comfortable and started.

'I suppose my life would not be as colourful as the captain's, but I suppose it'll have to make do. It is a long story, so you bally well better make yourselves comfortable.'

*Flashback*

*

'Move you footpaws, boy!'

Rapieratce gritted his teeth as he wrenched his blade away from a lock with Galde's before bringing it parallel with his arm in an awkward position to block off the older hare's assault. Unfolding his arm, he slashed forward as hard as he could before spinning himself off the blade. The colonel, Galde, turned his arm around in a turn before twisting it in a fleeting movement, which ended up disarming the young Rapieratce. The young lieutenant sighed in aggravation and disappointment at his loss. He was letting his standard drop. He usually lasted longer than half and hour with the colonel. Right then, he only mustered up twenty minutes against Galde and his arms were already aching in addition to the fact that his paws felt numb from handling his rapier. The young hare bent down to retrieve his blade, whilst Galde simply sheathed his own. Galde looked at him.

'What happened, 'Atce? You seem upset, wot.'

Rapieratce quickly retrieved his rapier.

'Wot, sah? Nothing is wrong.'

Galde laughed.

'You never were good at lying, wot. Relax, Rapieratce, it's simply a matter of time. You simply have to chuck in some more bally practice.'

Rapieratce sighed in disappointment, very angry with himself. Why couldn't he get his technique right? He always let is slip up at the last moment. If he kept it up, he would end up getting worse instead of improving. Galde ruffled his ears.

'Live and let live, Rapieratce. You're already at the top of your standard now.'

Rapieratce wasn't satisfied. True, he preferred slow progress to rushing things, but when he did do something, rushed or no, he wanted it to be absolutely top standard, no exceptions allowed. And right then he was very upset at himself.

'But sah! I've made that same bally mistake thrice in a row up to date! Every blinkin' day!'

Galde laughed slightly.

'Calm down, lieutenant! M'boy, it's just how you make the turn. If you bring up your flippin rapier in order to block off my attack and spun at the same blinkin time, you have to make a quick spin with your paw. You let go of yore bally major grip, wot, and all I have to do is strike at the right place at the right blinkin time and you would not stand a chance. Try instead a turn over you head, wot, you'll be able to parry without loosing your grip.'

Rapieratce drank in the information, doing a quick experiment in the process on his own.

'Thank you, sah.'

The colonel smiled.

'You've got practice, 'Atce. You don't want to miss it. You're nearly late.'

Rapieratce paled, made a quick salute and yelped before running off to his lower quarters, cursing his absent mindedness before grabbing his quarterstaff and throwing off his rapier onto his bunk instead of the wall peg in his haste, then running at top speed towards the training ground. He made it just in time. The lady Consellariel smiled when she saw the young lieutenant arrive helter-skelter in a major state of disarray, panting.

'Training with Galde again, young one?'

Rapieratce snapped into immediate attention.

'Yes, marm.'

Consellariel laughed.

'You work too hard, lieutenant. You should lighten up instead of working so much. You are already ahead of your order.'

Rapieratce smiled weakly, remembering his mistake a few minutes ago. Consellariel looked shrewdly at him for a moment. She then looked pointedly at the lieutenant.

'You're seasons above the others in skill here. They would not be able to take the training you receive. Not half of what you get. You've got seasons more training than those here would get. You cannot master the art of swordplay in the short time you've practised. Give it time, lieutenant, you are putting way too much pressure on yourself.'

*

*Back to the future*

Daleria could not help but laugh at the first recollection of Rapieratce's.

'Galde beat you, did he? I have to congratulate him. Absolutely genius, the old colonel.'

Rapieratce sent her a withering look before continuing.

*

*Flashback*

Rapieratce sat in Galde's study, curled up on a chair and reading a book, oblivious to everything else. It was winter, and the entire Salamandastron was on a holiday. No training, no early wakening, life was good. Rapieratce let himself indulge in his pastime for a moment, intent on finishing the book before he retired for bed. It was dark outside, and a fire was burning in the colonel's study. Galde tapped the top of the book with his pace-stick.

''Atce!'

There was a faint mumbling of "go away sah, I'm busy" or something of the like, though Rapieratce never moved. His eyes were still fixed onto the text, not caring of what the colonel would do to him as long as he could still read the book. Nothing was going to move him. He thought. Next thing he knew, Galde had artfully tilted the chair up from behind, sending Rapieratce tumbling onto the carpet in the study. The lieutenant groaned, paw still holding his page in the book, lying sprawled on the carpet, not liking the abrupt interruption in the least.

'Sah!'

Galde looked impassively at him. Rapieratce did not make an attempt to rise, simply righting himself slightly and curling up on the carpet instead, taking up his book and continuing his reading. Galde sighed, wondering how on Mossflower he was going to peel the book off his student.

''Atce, your rapier's on fire.'

Not moving his eyes away from the text, Rapieratce mumbled back.

'Impossible. It's on my wallpeg in my room, and I locked the door before I left, blew out all my candles, closed the windows and there is no flint or tinder left, I ran out last week.'

Galde sighed again, trying another tactic.

'Consellariel's at the door.'

'Nice try sah, but I happen to have hearing. The badger lady is working on something in her forge, and furthermore, your door is closed, and unless you have some sort of power to see through doors, sah, I doubt she's outside.'

Galde glared at his impudent student, who did not show much more than a fixated look, which was directed at his book. Time for desperate measures. Galde expertly hooked his pace-stick under the cover, and with an artful flick, tossed it up into the air and directly out of Rapieratce's paws, catching it deftly and placing it on his self. When Rapieratce tried to get it back, the colonel rapped him smartly across the paw. Rapieratce looked in frustration over at Galde, upset that his rather comfortable reading time had ended with him on the floor and the book on the colonel's shelf, of which he knew perfectly well that he was forbidden to touch.

'Sah!'

'You had better get going for bed. It's late.'

'Sah! I was reading that book. At least let me have it so I can read it in my dorm! And it's winter!'

'No.'

'Please?'

'No.'

'Colonel! It's my bally book.'

'If you keep it up, 'Atce, it won't be for much longer.'

'Sah.'

'Why are y'so intent on finishing it in the first place?'

'Mother sent it over last bally season sah, but I had no time.'

'Hmm... Your pater retired last season, no?'

'Yes, sah.'

'Believe he's headed over to deep Mossflower now.'

'He said that he knew a place where they could settle down in peace there.'

'Should say so. Used to disappear for a good two days longer than he should have back in the old days when he got dispatched into Mossflower.'

'Right sah, but can I have the book now?'

'No.'

'Sah!'

'I have said my final say, lieutenant. Reclaim it from me tomorrow. To bed. Now.'

Rapieratce nodded at last, sighing in resignation and defeat, looking mournfully at his book on the shelf of which he knew he would not get to finish that night. Mumbling under his breath to himself, he walked out of the study after bidding his senior good night.

'Heh. Should have trained as a regular if I'd known my books would end up confiscated, but no, I just had to go be a colonel in training. Ach.'

There was a shuffling of papers from behind as a call from Galde ringed in his ears.

'Your book seems to like my fireplace, 'Atce!'

The lieutenant promptly shut up and dashed off to bed.

*

'Sah. My book.'

Galde feigned innocence.

'Book? What book?'

'The book you kept from me yesterday.'

'Why don't you get it yourself?'

Rapieratce groaned mentally. As innocent as the question may have seemed, the lieutenant knew full well what was headed on for him. Sighing, he slipped into reflex mode.

'I was not supposed to touch it, sah.'

'Why?'

'Because it was on your shelf sah.'

'Thus?'

'You being the higher ranking hare, sah, I was thus not allowed to move anything.'

'And?'

'I want my book back?'

'Rapieratce.'

Galde rolled his eyes at his student, moving to his study and removing the book, tossing it lightly over to Rapieratce, who caught it with seemingly by then practised ease, and instantly opened it and began to read, subconsciously sinking into the chair that was unofficially his in the colonel's study. Galde sighed in resignation. There would be no moving Rapieratce now. Unless... Galde took an seemingly inconspicuous looking envelope out of one of his drawers, casually playing with the paper with all too discerning ease. Which was precisely what caught Rapieratce's eye, being trained to look out for signs such as thus. Bringing his eye level slightly higher to above that of the book, the lieutenant slowly brought his book down to get a clearer view of what Galde was doing, paling as he took a better look at the letter. In a sudden flash, he recognized it and howled protest.

'Sah! Please say you didn't!'

Galde hid a smile, discreetly laughing, but showed no change in emotion on the outside.

'Whatever do you mean, lieutenant?'

'It's not for me, sah, say that letter's not for me!'

Galde looked sceptically over at his seemingly overreacting apprentice.

'You really need to learn to get a grip of yourself, Rapieratce.'

'Sah, you promised!'

'You know I did not promise anything...'

'Colonel! You did and you know that.'

'Still.'

'Then it's not for me.'

'I didn't say that either, Rapieratce.'

Glowering at the colonel Rapieratce snapped his book shut, and tried to head for the door. When you cannot face a problem with Galde, he had learnt, run for it. And run very fast. Unfortunately for the young lieutenant, the colonel had long foresaw this occurrence, and with a quick flick of his footpaw, he shut the door, locked it, and pocketed the key. Rapieratce scowled inwardly. The letter now had to be for him. Galde resisted a grin and dropped the letter onto Rapieratce's waiting paw. Dreading what was inside, Rapieratce reached for a letter opener, slitting the official seal of Salamandastron open in a quick slip of the blade. Reluctantly, he pulled out the letter, sending his quick green eyes flitting over the sentences. Rapieratce howled again when he had read the contents.

'By Mossflower, sah! Sergeant?! Whatever happened to the rank of lance corporal!?'

Galde could no longer resist a quick smirk at his furious student.

'Y'know, 'Atce, more officers are happy to be promoted. You, obviously, aren't.'

'And I have true reason not to be, sah! It's barely been four seasons since I took my post! And I thought if I were to be in the first place, it'd be lance corporal, not a flippin sergeant!'

Galde snorted.

'A hare like you? Lance Corporal? Don't make me laugh, 'Atce. You think I'd waste skill like yores on a bally lance corporal?'

'You did have something to do with this, colonel, I know you did.'

'Never! You say me biased?'

'No, but-'

'Rapieratce, you know that one of the first qualities of a colonel is not to be biased, be it having to cut off personal relations to do so. It's your promotion, and I know that you more than deserve it. Don't object, or I'll just have to get Consellariel to promote you to captain and shut your incessant mutterings about being incompetent up. Off you go. I have to see the lady. Meet me back here at noon, I have to get you versed with your new duties.'

'Yes sah.'

Knowing he could not object, Rapieratce slipped the promotion notice back in the envelope, grabbed his abandoned book off the chair, gave the colonel a quick nod and walked out of the study.

I knew I should never have agreed to this. To be a galloper again.

*

*Back to the future*

'You objected to being promoted?! Rapieratce, I do not believe you.'

'Ah, go stuff your mouth with some oranges, Dale, I'm trying to listen. This is one part of Rapieratce I wish I had been allowed to witness first hand.'

Longrunn got a response in the form of a plum hitting him on the head.

*Flashback*

*

Galde sighed as he dropped down on the ledge seat in the forge, talking to Consellariel not as a officer would to a commander but as a friend to another. Consellariel poured him a beaker of cordial as she sat at her desk, watching her old companion with a knowing smile on her face.

'Rapieratce giving you trouble again?'

'Trouble, 'Ella? More like the lack of it!'

'Most officers would be partially glad of that. I think Beuatrill and Mianent are both going to lay their paws on the recruits if they don't follow orders. Most hilarious.'

Galde smiled slightly as he shook his head.

'Give them to me for one day and maybe I'll appreciate 'Atce a bit more, but for now... He's still so withdrawn and reluctant to ascend to what he truly can be. Promote him to sergeant and he says he wants to be a lance corporal. I don't understand him.'

'True. He had skills for a captain even four seasons back. But if I'd promoted him to captain, I think he wouldn't be able to take it. Rapieratce is not... as eager as others would be. He is very laid back in doing what would bring him glory.'

Galde laughed slightly.

'I'd have to tie him to a bedpost to stop him from perfecting everything I teach him. He's reluctant to move on to another subject when he has not attained some sort of medal for the first. It gets annoying sometimes. Had to push him to bed yester night. Refused to abandon his book.'

'Would he not read in his dorm?'

'Had to take the book from him altogether.'

Consellariel laughed slightly.

'One day, he is going to drop dead from over exhaustion, I'd grant you.'

'Try telling that to him.'

'That bad?'

'He won't even use my first name!'

'That is bad. He's known you for more than eight seasons, hasn't he?'

'Nine. Even Glamoren uses my first name from time to time and I don't even see the chap that often.'

'Informality does not seem to be one of Rapieratce's finer points, I suppose.'

'Persistency is, though. You will not believe what it takes to stop him training once he begins.'

'Taking his rapier away from him might help.'

'I'd like to have the courage to do so, 'Ella! That bally blade's his life, I tell you.'

Consellariel raised an eyebrow at him. Galde continued.

'Tried to pry it off him once. He refused to let go. Absolutely insane, the boy. You'd swear he's sown himself to it. Do you believe I had to get Paragorn to help me? And even the two of us couldn't get the blade off him. Shoved a footpaw into my face and ran for it. Wish he didn't, though.'

'It hurt that badly?'

'No. It didn't hurt at all. What hurt was how he ended up apologizing to me forty times a minute.'

*

Three Seasons On.

*

'Colonel!'

'What is it, Rapieratce?'

'Not again!'

Rapieratce held up another promotion envelope. The mask he wore on his face was one of utter disbelief. Galde swore he would have laughed out loud had it not been for the fact that he had to save his dignity. Rapieratce ditched the letter opener and tore the envelope open. The sergeant paled, as he had done three seasons ago, when he had finished, the letter dropping from his numb paws. Hoarsely, he asked for a confirmation from the colonel, who watched him coolly from his desk.

'Captain?'

'Yes, Rapieratce. Do you have a problem?'

'Bu-but sah!'

'Don't put up your protest, captain, because I will not be listening. I expect you on Mossflower patrol with Glamoren tomorrow. Take down to Redwall and back again. I want the full scope.'

Struck dumb with all the current happenings, Rapieratce took the order without questions, walking numbly out of the door. He met Glamoren down the hallway. His partner raised an eyebrow at him, eyeing the pale captain. Knowingly, he looked down at the envelope and commented,

'Promotion again?'

'Yes.'

'What is it this time? Major?'

Rapieratce spluttered indignantly, breaking out of his shocked reverie at the casual remark.

'Major?! Surely you joke! The day I become a major is the day I fly to the moon!'

'Then what is it?'

'Captain.'

'Only?'

Rapieratce whacked his partner on the head with the envelope.

'Oh, shut your bally mouth. Galde's issued a patrol.'

'Where to?'

'Inner Mossflower until the Abbey.'

'Ah. Oh well. A long trip means I get to whack you with my lance more that I would normally.'

'I still don't get why you do that, 'Moren.'

'It's to knock some badness into you. You're far too sensible sometimes.'

'I thought that was a good thing.'

'Not in my world.'

*

Rapieratce sighed as he and Glamoren took their time pushing their way through inner Mossflower. Greenery was everywhere, and the carpeted forest floor muffled their pawsteps. Glamoren prowled up front while Rapieratce lingered back, intent on covering every detail. Ears pricked, the newly appointed captain kept his senses on alert and looked out for any minute sign whatsoever of trouble. Peace though there had been in Mossflower for seasons by then uncounted, there were reports over the seasons of small groups of vermin, most of them less than ten, lingering around the inner reaches of Mossflower, where spotting them would be relatively difficult, and ambush was clearly an easy thing to accomplish against those untrained and careless in their travels in the area. Rapieratce was not intent on playing the fool and messing up his first patrol as a captain through the dereliction of his duty. As was de rigueur whenever he and Glamoren were on patrol together, he kept to the back while the sergeant roved ahead. Rapieratce caught the sound of a breaking twig, and with impulsive reflex, Rapieratce let out a shrill whistle, dropping to the ground just as Glamoren did, while two arrows flew overhead, cutting the air with alarming speed and accuracy. In a fraction of a second, the two friends were up and charged towards the area from which the arrows had come. Pushing back various forms of vegetation, Rapieratce fought desperately to reach his unknown adversary, finally reaching a clearing. What he saw made him laugh, causing Glamoren behind him to bowl into him in shock. Hopelessly laughing by then, Rapieratce made no attempt to answer his partner's furious questions, only yanking Glamoren's lance away from him. After awhile, Rapieratce finally got a grip of himself.

'I say, father, next time you want to say a bally hello, kindly do so without trying to murder your son first, wot.'

Rapieratce's father put down his bow and smiled.

'Rapieratce. What on Mossflower are you doing here? You scared me and your bally mater half to death. We thought you and your friend, were some flippin searats that have been prowling hereabouts.'

Rapieratce smiled and embraced his father, his mother coming out of the underbrush, holding her rapier in front of her until she saw him. Smiling, she walked forward and tapped him on the shoulder with the blade. Rapieratce turned around and hugged his mother, nearly smothering her. His mother laughed.

'To think I nearly killed you. You have an awful knack for getting into trouble, 'Atce.'

Glamoren whacked Rapieratce upside the head with his paw, yanking his lance back in the process.

'Perfect boy? Get into trouble? Surely you jest, marm!'

Rapieratce rolled his eyes at his irrepressible partner. His father grinned.

'Takes after his mother. So, what rank be you now? Galde should have worked you half to death by now, seeing I'm not around.'

Rapieratce shook his head.

'Barely. Don't feel as if he has at any rate. Problem is he keeps on promoting me. Already a captain and it's barely been seven bally seasons.'

'So late? I'm surprised Galde didn't promote you on your third season.'

All three hares laughed at the shocked look of disbelief on Rapieratce's face.

*

Rapieratce sat in his dorm, scripting out the report of which he was to pass to Galde that week in a steady, neat script. It was Monday. Glamoren stood at his door, looking in frustration at his partner. It was the first day of the winter season, and Rapieratce had only just returned from a long solo patrol that had taken him two weeks, and already he was intent on finishing the considerably lengthy report that afternoon. Unfortunately for the captain, his friend had already planned out something. There was a friendly fencing match about to take place that noon, and Glamoren was intent on dragging Rapieratce to it, regardless if the captain was going to agree.

'Come on, 'Atce. That report isn't due in four days!'

'Still. No bally excuse for tardiness.'

'Rapieratce, stop being so bally stubborn. There's a fencing match on. I know you want to participate.'

'I want to finish the report first.'

'That's a flippin two week long report! It'd take you the whole bally day!'

'Still.'

Glamoren threw his paws up in the air. It was time for desperate measures. Sneaking to the captain's bed, the sergeant took Rapieratce's blade off its wallpeg. Zipping back to the door, he called out in a singsong voice.

'Atce! Look what I discovered on the wall! A nice, sharp rapier!'

Rapieratce's head immediately shot up from his desk, and the cried out in protest when he saw his most prized possession had been moved from its customary place on the wall. Glamoren immediately took off, running madly to get away from his furious partner whom had run out of his study, slamming the door behind him in the process. The two whirled past a bemused colonel who was on his way to the event, nearly crashing down the staircase while Rapieratce shouted at his partner to give back his blade. Glamoren knew only too well that if he did, Rapieratce would probably behead him with it on the spot, thus ran desperately over to the training grounds where the matches were to take place, not wanted to be overtaken for the sake of his life. Finally, the grounds came into view, and Glamoren stopped. Rapieratce sprinted angrily over to him, snatching the rapier out of his partner's hands with almost unbridled anger.

'Do not touch my rapier.'

Glamoren only chuckled, pushing Rapieratce forward, knowing that Rapieratce could not back down from his position then. His plan had worked. Only then did the captain realize what he had got himself into, and immediately tried to back out. To his dismay, he found the colonel had by then appeared at the scene and was looking pointedly at him. He knew that Galde expected him to prove himself on the occasion, thus resignedly joined the ranks of the hares who were all waiting for their turns. Glamoren was going to pay a hefty sum when Rapieratce got out of the mess. His turn, in his opinion, came all too soon for his liking. Swallowing anxiously, he met his opponent. Rapieratce nearly groaned aloud: Captain Paragorn, the resident expert on blades of most sort. Paragorn was notoriously well known for his capability with a blade throughout the mountain's population, and Rapieratce felt a sense of dreadful unease. The whistle was blown, and the two stepped forward and began. Rapieratce waited for Paragorn to make the first move, of which he easily repelled with a smooth stroke of his blade to the left, quickly swerving his blade away upwards, parrying and twisting, making his actions as curt and short as possible, so as not to give Paragorn any openings to catch him off guard. Rapieratce could practically feel Galde watching his every move, so intense was the colonel's glare. Focussing his every action to attacking, Rapieratce put everything he had learnt to practise. The two hares battled back and forth, both waiting for an opening to attack. Rapieratce decided he had to take a risk, Paragorn was far too careful to be easily fooled. Pushing his attacks harder, he made as if to disarm the opposing captain, who immediately took the opening chance to attack. Rapieratce had long anticipated such, thus lifting his blade completely away from the fray, startling his opponent with the sudden moving, causing Paragorn to bring his blade upwards and leaving his guard completely off. With a quick twist of his paw, Rapieratce flicked Paragorn's blade away, winning his match. The crowd of patrollers burst into cheers. Not often was such skill put to test at such extent in Salamandastron. Paragorn smiled shrewdly at Rapieratce, commenting as he picked up his blade.

'Well, I'll just go have a bally word with 'ol Galde about you, no? The colonel's goin' to get it from me for training you so bally well. I have a flippin contender for the position of blade-master now, don't I? Ach, competition is better than the lack of it. Keep it up, captain, good show!'

Rapieratce smiled and gave a quick bow to his gracious opponent before filtering out of the event grounds to make way for the next competitor. Galde smiled in satisfaction. His student was finally letting his ability push him forward. Rapieratce smiled when he saw his mentor send a nod of approval in his direction. Maybe he would let Glamoren off this once. Maybe.

*

*Back to the future*

'Paragorn, now? I remember him, fast chap. Had trouble with him, crafty old hare.'

'Ah, stuff it Dale. You had more practice than me when you came to Salamandastron.'

'Oh, trying to say you're better than me, now, are you, dear beloved ever perfect one?'

'I already proved it.'

'Dare you prove it again, sah?'

'We're in Redwall, Dale, and I need to get on with the tale. I'll pay you back later.'

'Coward.'

'Captain...'