::Solving the problematic::

Disclaimer: La de da...

A/N: Aren't I a slacker? I should update more often... Anyways, I must say that I had been looking forward to find a opening to write this scene, but I could not find one up till now. I am elated to write it, very much so. Enjoy. A/N: Minor editions made...

*

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. 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.'

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. 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.'

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.'

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.'