::Argh::

Disclaimer: Nyah.

A/N: Doesn't this sound something like Dale would say? Now all I need is a rank for dear old Taremin... I haven't decided on anything... Medic fitted her the last time.

*

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 descended the staircases in a soft 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 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, 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.

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. Understood?'

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

'Yes, marm.'

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