::Captains can be so... Annoying. But Colonels can be even more::

Disclaimer: Nay, I do not own the world. Neither do I own anything but the stuff I write.

A/N: Rapieratce gets annoyed by Daleria... On the way on a mission to save her life. How ironic. Until he strikes back.

*

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 that the autumn was come, and how cold it really was. The air was crisp and clear, frosty and fresh. The late stars still twinkled, and the moon was not yet set. The captain had pulled herself out of bed, 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 him, 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?'

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...